Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19951203.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part VII: Discerning True Righteousness From Religiosity
B. The TRUE Outreach Influence Of Righteousness In Christ's Kingdom
(Matthew 5:13-16; 5:3-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all men, Mtt. 28:19-20.
    2. With this command has come the repeated, forceful thrusts of believers to reach out and make disciples.
    3. However, there is a right way to have outreach influence and a wrong way that will make all the difference in the world as to how influential we actually become in our outreach efforts.
    4. Jesus addresses this difference in Matthew 5:13-16 and 5:3-12 with an instructive lesson for our outreach.
  2. The TRUE Outreach Influence of Righteousness In Christ's Kingdom, Mtt. 5:3-12, 13-16.
    1. The believers Jesus just described in Mtt. 5:3-12 were like salt that both creates a thirst for righteousness and preserves society from growing evil IF they kept their savor, Mtt. 5:13 and B.K.C., O.T., p. 29.
    2. They were also like a light that guides others to the truth IF that light was not hidden by sin, 5:14f, Ibid.
    3. Thus, the believer was to retain his savor of true righteousness to be an attraction to righteousness, an influence of righteousness and a guide to the world that looked for righteousness, Mtt. 5:16.
    4. To understand specifically what Christ meant, we must apply the qualities of righteous attitudes in Mtt. 5:3-12 to this discussion to see HOW we have true outreach influence with the unsaved as follows:
      1. Step One - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of being self-reliant for spiritual fervor, realize our spiritual bankruptcy apart from Christ and lean upon His life living in and through us to be really uprigh t, Mtt. 5:3 with Gal. 2:20!
      2. Step Two - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of focusing on how well things go for ourselves, sympathize with the afflicted who are wronged wherever they are in the world, and become restless with in justice wherever it exists, Mtt. 5:4.
      3. Step Three - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of feeling proud about personal righteous achievements, realize that any good we have or do comes as God's gift to us, and be unassuming about your achievements , Mtt. 5:5 with 1 Cor. 4:6-7.
      4. Step Four - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of being satisfied with the best we can do, be dissatisfied with any thought or effort that does not meet God's righteousness so as to depend upon Christ for righteousness to function, Mtt. 5:6 with Rom. 7:18 and 8:3-4.
      5. Step Five - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of tending to find fault in others, look for opportunities to show mercy and forgiveness, Mtt. 5:7 with 2 Cor. 12:15.
      6. Step Six - To influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of taking advantage of others within the technicalities of Scripture's commands, tend to apply Scripture's gray areas to be as considerate of others as is possibl e, Mtt. 5:8 with 1 Cor. 8:8-9, 13.
      7. Step Seven - On the one hand, to influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of pushing the letter of the Word at the price of human relationships, seek to uphold peace in human relationships if obeying the Word makes it possible, Mtt. 5:9 with 1 Cor. 10:32-33.
      8. Step Eight - On the other hand, to influence the lost effectively for Christ, instead of disobeying Scripture for fear of harming human relationships, seek to obey the Word no matter what the cost if o ur choice is between obedience of it and getting along with others, Mtt. 5:10-12.
Lesson: In reaching the world for Christ, God wants us not to try being an effective influence by being self-reliant in our fervor, by focusing on how well things go for us only, by being proud at our service accomplishments, by being satisfied wit h the best WE can do OURSELVES, by trying to find fault in others, by overlooking human relationships in heeding Scripture, by overlooking peace in relationships or by caving into obeying the Word to avoid persecution. Rather, real influence that disciples the lost comes from looking to God for righteousness, power and direction, and concerning ourselves with the injustices, hurts, feelings and concerns of others within the context of always submitting to the revealed will of Scripture! That mentality makes a dent in this needy world!