SHINE YOUR LIGHT!

THE MOST FAMOUS SERMON OF ALL TIME (Matthew 5, 6 & 7) IS THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT BY JESUS CHRIST...   

THIS INCLUDED THINGS LIKE "THE BEATTITUDES" (unselfish attitudes), LOVING OUR ENEMIES, THE LORD’S PRAYER AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSES...

Matt. 5:16  "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

JESUS TALKED ABOUT DOING GOOD WORKS BUT, IS THIS HOW WE EARN ETERNAL LIFE? NO, JOHN 3:16 REVEALS WE MUST SIMPLY "BELIEVE."

SO, WHY SHOULD WE DO GOOD WORKS?

I READ A BOOK: CONSPIRACY OF KINDNESS (by Steve Sjogren) THAT TELLS ABOUT THE BLESSINGS OF GOOD WORKS AND HE TOLD THE STORY OF A FATHER AND SON WHO WERE DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A GOD AND THE SON WROTE A LETTER TO GOD, LIKE A PRAYER, ASKING HIM TO LET HIS FATHER KNOW IF HE IS REAL.  LATER, THIS FATHER AND SON WENT TO A FREE CAR WASH WITH A CHURCH GROUP WHO DID NOT WANT ANY DONATIONS SO THEY COULD DEMONSTRATE GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TO THEIR "CUSTOMERS."  WHEN THE SON HEARD THIS, AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HIS FATHER, HE PROCLAIMED, "THIS IS THE ANSWER TO MY PRAYER."  HE DECIDED, AFTER SEEING THESE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST SHOW THE LOVE OF GOD TO THEM, THAT THERE IS INDEED A GOD.

THERE ARE MANY STORIES LIKE THIS WHERE THE KINDNESS OF A BELIEVER GIVES A LOVING WITNESS TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDED TO SEE GOD'S LOVE IN ACTION.

DID JESUS DO THIS, THAT-IS DEMONSTRATE GOD'S LOVE IN ADDITION TO DISCUSSING IT?  YES HE DID.  HE TAUGHT ABOUT GOD'S KINGDON AND THEN HE FED 5,000 PEOPLE, HE HEALED A MAN AND THEN TALKED ABOUT FORGIVENESS, AND HE HEALED A CENTURIANS SON RIGHT BEFORE HE TAUGHT ABOUT FAITH.

SHINE YOUR LIGHT BY DOING GOOD WORKS… WHY???   TO SHARE GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AS A WITNESS TO HIS GOODNESS SO OTHER WILL BELIEVE!

IF WE ALL LIVED LIKE THIS WE WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD. 

I BELIEVE, THIS IS NOT HOW WE ARE SAVED FOR ETERNAL LIFE (Johhn 3:16-17) BUT IT IS WHY WE ARE SAVED.