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2001
14th January (am) - A Christian's Influence

Would you be able to tell if there was salt on your chips, or not?

Don't ask stupid questions, I hear you say...... I think that the answer is an unhesitating, very definite, Yes!

The salt makes an unmistakable difference to the way the chips taste, and for most people, an indispensable difference - chips need salt!

Let me ask you a second question: If you woke up in the middle of the night, would you have the slightest difficulty knowing if you had left the bedroom light on? ....... I think not. The light is so much the very opposite of the darkness, that you wouldn't even have to think about it - you would just know that the light is either on or off! There would be no maybe about it!

Now, these very common aspects of daily life, both for us, as well as in Jesus' day - salt and light - are the heart of Jesus' teaching in this evening's part of the Sermon on the Mount - which Brian Colvin introduced to last week, when we thought about the first section of that sermon which we call the Beatitudes: Blessed are the .... for they shall ..... The Beatitudes lead us on to this little short section in 5:13-16, where Jesus says to people who are his followers: You are the salt of the earth ......... You are the light of the world.

Straightaway, from what we have already said about salt and light, I think it that we can say that Jesus must mean that Christians should be noticed in the world around them; they are meant to be recognisable as Christians by the people they know or meet each day.

Just as you cannot be in any doubt about whether there is salt on your chips or the light is on in your bedroom in the middle of the night .... so there should be a noticeability, an unmissable obviousness about Christian people - an unavoidable awareness which comes across, that this person/these people are committed to Jesus Christ, that they are serious about faith in him, and that it does affect they way they live.

So from this very well known little section, from these phrases about salt and light, I want to give you a heading for the first part of this sermon:

Dispelling the myth of misguided modesty. There is a very genuine reason why we sometimes don't want to come across to others as being too up-front about our faith in Christ - we don't want to seem too vocal or too obvious about it - we don't want to seem too pushy or even too pompous/pious about our faith ...... even though, within ourselves, it is the crucial foundation and hope of our lives. -but we, rightly, feel that there should be a modesty, a humility about us.

We rightly don't want to come across to others as if we think that we are better than them - we don't want to seem boastful or holier-than-thou, or self-righteous in any way.

The outcome is that, sometimes, our whole approach to our faith, and to any way in which we show our faith to others around us, or think about others needing that faith is really very quiet, and sometimes even pretty private and secret. We think about it as our own personal faith, and we don't show it too much to others, and we aren't sure about sharing it in a way that tries to encourage others towards such faith.

I understand this way of thinking fairly well, because I think that I'm like that, at least to some extent.!

However, perhaps there is another side to this - another way that we should look at it - because Jesus says, simply and clearly, that Christians are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world - and you can't miss salt or hide light! There should be a noticeability about us - other people should have a clear awareness of the faith in Jesus that is in our lives and the way that faith affects us as people - Chips with salt, or not! Light on or off in the middle of the night!

And so I have chosen this first heading, dispelling the myth of misguided modesty.

Of course there is a right sort of Christian modesty - a humility that comes across - no airs or graces to do with our faith. We are no different from anyone else - we have the same struggles and temptations, the same weaknesses and difficulties in our lives as everyone else - we are just as vulnerable as the next person - we don't want to preach at others or tell them what to think or do ....... and yet, at the very same time, people ought to know, and need to know, that our foundation for life comes from trusting in Jesus, and our loyalty in life is given to Jesus Christ - that we have committed our ways to him, and that we are trying to allowing him to shape all our ways.

So there should be a modesty about our faith and lives as Christians, but not a secrecy or a privacy.

There should be a 'knowability', a noticeability, about our faith, which is as clear and obvious as salt on chips or light in a dark room.

How that 'knowability' comes across, and what that noticeabiltiy looks like, we'll talk about shortly - but let's just think about our own faith and lives as Christians for a moment.

Would people know or notice our lives in Christian terms - is there anything that makes that clear to them. Do they know we are Christian people, do they see that in us? John Stott says, I sometimes think how splendid it would be if non-Christians, curious to discover the secret and source of our light were to come up and enquire: Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are?

And so we do need to ask ourselves whether there is anything about our faith and our lives that twinkles - that shows up and stands out like stars against a dark background? Is our faith in any way noticeable - or do our lives look just like any other life that has no faith in Jesus?

William Barclay includes this quotation in his comments about being salt and light - being known and noticeable: there can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy.

Of course there is a wrong, and fairly unlovely kind of way of showing your faith as a Christian - even shouting it at others - but that should not blind us to the fact that, like salt and light, our faith ought to be seen and known and noticed by others - there is a myth of misguided modesty that needs to be dispelled.

To be seen and known as a Christian is not a boast about quality standards and achievement in our lives, but rather a declaration of delight and hope that has come into our ordinary, even poor lives because of Jesus.

Now for a second heading: Defining the nature of Christian noticeability.

In the light of what we have said already this is surely crucial.

How are we to be known and noticed as Christians? Maybe if we think about salt and the light, we get some help.

Salt usually brings a very definite 'betterness' into any situation where it is applied - whether that be food like chips, or whether it is an icy/snowy road, or even as a sort of mineral ingredient/fertiliser that, sometimes , was used on the land in Jesus day, coming straight from the Salt Sea - salt makes a very positive contribution - I suppose that is even true when it is used to bathe and cleanse a wound - it stings like anything, and yet it is fulfilling a clearly recognised positive function. Therefore our words and ways as people who are known and noticed as Christians, ought to bring a betterness into situations - ought to make a positive contribution - even if, occasionally, our Christian faith and witness may sting a wee bit - we should try to make sure that it doesn't just come across as just negative, harsh, judgmental etc.

The same is surely true of being the light of the world - it's normally better to be able to see what is going on around you - few people like to walk into a dark place - there is a feeling of safety and well-being about being in a well lit place.

Light shows us the way and lets us see the obstacles or the dangers - even if occasionally the brightness and the light might show up dirt and dust that we would rather not notice.

So, as the light of the world, Christians by their lives, their ways, their words ought to bring a sense of well-being into the situation, even if by so doing, it should also make other people think about their lives and their faith - it shouldn't be in any way unpleasant or insensitive.

Actually, to be called 'the light of the world' is quite astounding when we remind ourselves that Jesus is giving us the same title as he gave himself: I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.

We are to reflect the light and the love and the hope that has come into our lives from Jesus and through the faith that he has put into our lives.

 

So what is this going to be like in practice?

Maybe we should start by saying that there should simply be something about our lives, because we are Christians, that makes others feel that such faith is the best thing any life could ever have. Maybe most of us have known Christians who have that very impact on you. That is not always so. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the hymn-writer, once said 'I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers' - and, with apologies to undertakers, maybe it applies to more than ministers. Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island fame, once wrote in his diary, as if recording an extraordinary experience, I have been to church today and am not depressed! Maybe the point is well made - people sometimes look at us as Christians, and they fail to see anything very attractive or positive. They associate being a Christian with being a person who has turned their back on the plain pleasure and enjoyment of life.

People need to see that having faith in Jesus is the best thing that anyone could have - that it makes us into people who have a more solid basis for living than is possible in any other way - not that it makes us exempt from life's problems and pitfalls - but that it just makes a lovely, lasting difference to us as people.

Secondly, being salt and light must mean that we live in the real world among all the other people of the real world. John Stott says that 'Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant ecclesiastical salt cellars.'

In other words, we'll not make much of a positive difference to our world if we are closed up either in wall-to-wall church life, or in exclusively Christian circles of friends.

I think that this is an incredibly great danger - it certainly is for ministers, whose circle of close friends often closes down to other ministers and leaders in their congregations - and often it is not much better for all other Christians.

How many people at you work, or among your neighbours or in your sporting, hobby, recreational scene would count you either as a close friend or a clear Christian? How many people who are not clear Christians would you say you have as friends?

So often we do remain snugly comfortable in the Christian salt cellar.

 

Think about a few practical examples of how to get out of the salt cellar - both in words and deeds.Do you ever try to build friendships with new neighbours - get to know them, show a practical helping attitude, maybe make an effort to tell them about where to find the health centre or the schools etc ...... and in the course of building genuine friendships, see if you can't show that you are a person of Christian faith and church commitment - maybe even find natural opportunities to encourage them to go along to a local church, maybe even invite them to come with you. Opportunities for words of modest faith and witness will grow out of caring attitudes and helping actions. People do notice when others show a compassionate, sacrificial, caring attitude towards them - it does make them ask, Twinkle, Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are - and words of witness become natural, not forced. Unfortunately, Christians are sometimes so closed up in the salt cellar that it is the people of not so clear Christian faith who show the friendships and give the help that makes an impression.

Do you ever think about being like flavouring, preserving salt in our local community - making time to make a contribution to life in our town and district, because that is a way of having a Christian impact for good.

Sometimes we find it easier to keep ourselves to ourselves, to make sure that we keep our hands clean, and to complain that life in the community is going to the dogs. At best we might consider being involved because there is some direct benefit for our own family.

- Not many Christians ever think about getting involved in local politics e.g at council level

- it does bring big demands and not a little hassle - and yet isn't that a very good way of being salt and light

- bringing a better flavour to life in our community

- maybe even helping to preserve Christian values and standards for the whole community.

It's good to have Vera serving on the Council as Mayor - she needs our prayers and support - local councils need more Christian people - not to force their views on everyone else, but to make a positive Christian contribution.

Did you ever think about the Ballyclare May Fair - we complain about it, maybe rightly so - but do we get involved - no - we leave it to others who bring an entirely different approach to what is good for the life of our community.

What about the sports clubs in the town? Do we ever think about making a Christian difference there? At least bringing a Christian involvement - showing that we appreciate and enjoy their activities, and yet at the same time, showing that there are some things which could be different and better.

I love supporting the Comrades - for the football, but also as a way of strengthening the Christian presence in that aspect of our community life. I'm sure that there are plenty of ways you could do the same.

And in all of these things, being Christian salt and light will be a mixture of actions and words - usually our ways and our attitudes will lay the foundations for our words. So there's our second heading - the necessity and nature of Christian noticeability.

Sometimes we are virtually unnoticeable - sometimes there are no words of witness to explain our actions and our involvement; sometimes there are no solid actions to give integrity to our words about faith - sometimes we are too closed up in the salt cellar that we make no impact beyond.

Let's be challenged to think about whether we are actually showing any desire to function as the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

And then, there is one final short heading, Directing the attention to where it is due. Just in case you are still worried about the danger of coming across to others as too pushy about your own faith or too sure of your own goodness, we need to look again at why Jesus says that we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It is so that God will receive the recognition and the rightful honour that he is due. This is not about self-promotion or self fulfillment. This is not about forcing ourselves or our views on others - this is about directing all the attention to God - that he will be recognised and respected more as he ought to be - that people will see and know that God is good and that he makes a really good difference to the lives of those who come to trust in him through Christ.

We say that God deserves glory and honour, recognition and respect, love and loyalty - but if we don't think seriously about being salt and light, we will be depriving him of the praise and glory due to him - both from our lives, and from the lives of others with whom we might have some beneficial influence.

We think about God being praised when we sing hymns and engage in worship - but think about it, too, in terms of when we try to be salt and light in the real world where he wants us to be Christians and to live out our lives.

We do not want to be guilty of depriving God of the praise and honour due to him ...... but rather we want to direct the attention to whom it is due - by all our words and ways, our attitudes and actions, as Christian people, in the real world, as we seek to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

So as we go home tonight, realising that there is a way in which we can be misguided about Christian modesty - don't let's be too secret about our faith as Christians.

Let's think hard about how we can live as people of Christian noticeability - salt and light by what we are and what we say. And let's make very sure that we direct the attention, and the praise, to whom it is due.