Shining Good Deeds for the Praise of our Father (Read Matthew 5: 13-16)
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mathew 5:16)
As Jesus gathers a community of followers to Himself, He renews them so that they can carry out their calling to be a light to the nations. We are formed by Christ to be a distinctive community that lives in contrast to its culture.
Jesus pictures for us of what this looks like can be found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). There we learn the habits of this distinctive community; things like: how we must relate to fellow believers, our adversaries, and our enemies. We see that adultery is not simply a physical act, but an attitude of the heart. Generosity must not be motivated by human accolades, but by the sincere desire to please God and extend His compassion.
Pastor Goheen has written that “in this community, one might see the beginnings of the sort of world that God had originally intended in creation, and which he still intended to bring about through his saving world at the end of history... The words and actions, the very lives and communal life of Jesus’ followers, are to say: ‘We are the preview of a new day, a new world. Because one day the world really will live as one. Won’t you come and join us?’”
PRAYER
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mathew 5:16)
As Jesus gathers a community of followers to Himself, He renews them so that they can carry out their calling to be a light to the nations. We are formed by Christ to be a distinctive community that lives in contrast to its culture.
Jesus pictures for us of what this looks like can be found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). There we learn the habits of this distinctive community; things like: how we must relate to fellow believers, our adversaries, and our enemies. We see that adultery is not simply a physical act, but an attitude of the heart. Generosity must not be motivated by human accolades, but by the sincere desire to please God and extend His compassion.
Pastor Goheen has written that “in this community, one might see the beginnings of the sort of world that God had originally intended in creation, and which he still intended to bring about through his saving world at the end of history... The words and actions, the very lives and communal life of Jesus’ followers, are to say: ‘We are the preview of a new day, a new world. Because one day the world really will live as one. Won’t you come and join us?’”
PRAYER
- Pray that our lives may lead others to consider the question, “won’t you come and join us?”
- Pray that increasingly our congregation will become a “display case” of God’s grace, mercy, peace, truth, justice, and love.
- Take a few moments to consider ways that you individually (or we as a church community) are living as a “distinct community”. Thank the Lord for this.
- Think about one way in which you can grow in reflecting this contrast community in your own life and pray for God’s Spirit to give you His enabling strength.
Posted in Affiliation