Mike Novotny - Do People Know You're a Christian?
Sometimes you don't really understand what Jesus taught, until you stand in the place that Jesus stood. And that's how I feel today. Now, I'm standing in front of a beautiful church, on the Mount of Beatitudes. This is the place where Christians remember the Sermon on the Mount, that famous message that Jesus taught in Matthew 5, 6 and 7. And there's a famous line in that message you might have heard before, but you never really understand it until you stand right here. Let me share Jesus' words.
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Now, I'm standing here, and the Sea of Galilee is behind me, but it's not just behind me, it's way, way, way below me. Because this part of Galilee is built with incredible hills. It's breathtaking as you drive the winding highways. And everyone who would have heard this original sermon, would have known exactly what Jesus meant. When you're down on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus did much of his ministry, you can look up and see these little cities built on a hill, and they're clear as day from far away, even at night.
And that's what Jesus says about you. You are the light of the world. He's exalted you to this high position as a child of heaven. And if people know that you're a Christian, the people in your family, the people you work with, your next-door neighbor, it's like Jesus has raised you up, to do what? Well, he said, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven".
As Christians, we're not perfect, far from it. We sin every day and we struggle. But, filled with the Holy Spirit, we can reflect the light that we have seen from the face of God. When we're suffering, we can tell our neighbors that we know it's going to be okay because God's got it. And he's with us. When we mess up, or our marriage isn't perfect, we can tell our family that we're so thankful for God's patience and his compassion. It's not just about these amazing things that we do. It's the amazing confession that we make that our God is gracious, he's patient, he's powerful and he's good.
So, remember what you are. You are the light of the world. You are the city that's built on a hill. People see you. They know that you're a believer. So, let your light shine, that people can see your good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. That's the message we learn when we stand where Jesus stood, right here at the Mount of Beatitudes.