Are you a ‘lite’ Christian or a ‘LIGHT’ Christian? RUMC 5-17-2015

Are you a ‘lite’ Christian or a ‘LIGHT’ Christian?

RUMC

5-17-2015

 "The “LITE” CHURCH: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7 1/2% tithe, 15 minute sermons, 45 minute services; we have only 8 commandments—your choice Everything you’ve wanted in a church…& less.”

If you walk down the grocery aisle, or watch TV commercials you know that you can get almost anything in a “LITE” version these days. It might have started with Miller “LITE,” but it caught on big time. “More of what you want, less of what you don’t.”

The Food and Drug Administration says that in order to be considered “LITE,” a food has to have 1/3 fewer calories, or half the fat, or half the sodium than a comparable product. In other words, something is left out, and invariably the manufacturers claim that you can’t tell the difference. They claim that the “LITE” version tastes just as good as the original. That leads to the question, “If the “LITE” tastes just as good, and is better for us, why have the original at all?”

One might also ask:

•           Why have the original version of the food when the “LITE” version leaves out ½ the salt and ¾ of the flavor?

•           Why have full service airlines, if there is a “LITE” version where everyone just sits on the floor?

•           Why have full service banks, if there is a “LITE” version down the street that offers more interest at just ½ the security?

•           Why have full service mechanics, when you can get a “LITE” version that offers brand new old parts for 1/3 the price?

NO ONE WOULD DO THAT

So why have full discipleship churches when we can go around the corner to a “LITE” church that promises all the salvation at half the commitment? It caters more to me and less to God.

A Lot of people do, you know!

They call themselves Christian, but they have their own idea of what Christian means with cherry picked commandments, a proof texted Bible, a pew that looks an awful lot like a bass boat, and a tithe that only counts the income they don’t want. They can call themselves whatever they like, but I just don’t think Jesus would say that qualifies as discipleship. At best, it is the “LITE” version of Christianity.

 Jesus has another word for people who claim to be something they are not. And it is not a very nice word… “Hypocrite.” A hypocrite is someone whose actions don’t match his or her words. They might look good from the outside, but there is nothing good on the inside.

The Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades, and a World War, she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California.

During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. But on the dock, they crumbled. Nothing was left of the 3/4 inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than thirty coats of paint that had been applied over the years. It looked good from the outside, but there was nothing good on the inside.

That is hypocrisy is. All paint and polish, none of the commitment or discipleship.

One of Jesus’ most stinging critiques is launched at the hypocrites in Matthew chapter 6.

“Beware of practicing your piety before others  in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,   so that they may be praised by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners,  so that they may be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Notice what Jesus was criticizing…He was not criticizing the practice of faith. He was criticizing those who go through the motions of faith IN ORDER TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS. Jesus is not criticizing “practicing your faith before others.” He is criticizing trying to look good from the outside, when there is really nothing on the inside. He is criticizing anything we do when the motivation is to puff ourselves up before others.

•           Notice he says: “do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.”

•           Notice again: “they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.

Doing faith in order to be praised by others is hypocrisy. Religion on the outside and nothing on the inside is one kind of hypocrisy. That is a form of LITE Christianity.

Frankly, this particular form of “LITE” Christianity doesn’t concern me too much in this congregation. I’m not saying that we are immune, we are not, but I think we tend to lean away from that particular “LITE” faith. Toward the other end.

I think we lean that way because somewhere along the line we have had “go into your closet and pray” drilled into us. Perhaps it is the German heritage in this area. I don’t really know.

•           Somewhere you have had that drilled into you to the point that some of your are afraid of doing anything that might appear remotely religious.

•           Others are more than willing to do the right things, but don’t want anyone to know why you do it.

You have, “Jesus said, ‘Go into your closet and pray’ ” down pat. But he wasn’t saying what is what DISCIPLES should do. He was saying that’s what the HYPOCRITES should do.

Did you notice that Jesus was TO the disciples, ABOUT the hypocrites? He was not describing the behavior of a disciple, but warning that those who are empty on the inside would be better off locked away in a dark closet?

This is the counter point in Jesus’ description of kingdom life.

 The Sermon on the Mount starts describing kingdom behavior in chapter 5.

There are the beatitudes, the passage about salt and light that we read today, and Jesus instruction to go beyond what the law requires.

The whole of chapter 5 is Jesus’ description of kingdom life, or discipleship including, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way,   let your light shine before others,   so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Then as chapter 6 opens, Jesus turns to the crowd and says, BUT if you are only doing these things to impress me or anyone else, we are all better off if you just lock yourself in the closet and hide in the dark.

Jesus FIRST choice is for us to let our light shine for him, but he essentially says, “If you can’t shine for me, get out of the way”

 The kingdom life, then, is to shine because of Jesus.

The Disciple’s job then is to shine because of Jesus.

The Christian’s job then is to be a light in this dark world because of Jesus.

One kind of Hypocrite pretends he has it when he doesn’t. But the one who pretends he doesn’t have it when he really does, is just a hypocritical.

•           The Christian who hides the light of Christ under a basket, is no better than the one who stands in the dark closet.

•           The Christian who is afraid to let others know why she acts the way she does, might as well be doing it in a dark closet.

•           The Christian who lives the kingdom life, but is embarrassed for people to know that he did it because of Jesus, may very well be a nice guy, but he brings no more light to the world than the one who sits in the dark by himself.

•           You might be all love, and generosity, and service, and forgiveness, and compassion, but if others don’t “see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” you are missing the boat. Basically, Jesus is saying, the light doesn’t shine for the light’s sake. The Light shines so the world can see God.

I know that rubs against your grain. I know it may take some time for you to get used to letting your light shine for others. But that’s OK. We are on this journey together. That is why we changed the sharing time last week. We need to start thinking, not just in terms of what has God done for me this week, but what I have done because of Jesus. What have we done because of Jesus?

I am not trying to get o you brag. What I am trying to do is to get you to take the basket off your light. The Light of Jesus shines so brightly in you… but so many of you want to keep that a secret. Let’s take the basket off and shout it from the mountaintops. NOT TO BRING ATTENTION TO OURSELVES! BUT TO BRING ATTENTION TO GOD.

 

I’m not saying that we beat people over the head with our bibles. I’m talking about simple things,

•           How about wearing a clearly Christian t-shirt when you serve?

•           How about when they thank you, replying, “Your welcome, we do it because of Jesus.”

•           How about putting the church banner up in front of a project we are doing?

Not very hard, not very risky, certainly not offensive. It’s really pretty easy to let our lights shine for Jesus.

Did you know that color does not really exist? Color is really just a trick of the eye. You see, light is in fact made up of energy in varying wavelengths. That is why we have rainbows. When light hits an object, that light will either be absorbed or reflected.

If, for instance, an object absorbs every wavelength except for blue, and it reflects the blue light, that object will appear to be the color blue.

If it absorbs every wavelength in the light but red, and it reflects the red light, it will appear red, and so one. Get the picture?

If an object absorbs all the light waves, and reflects none, it appears to be black.

That is the person who lives in the light of Christ but never lets it shine so others can see it and glorify God. If you absorb the light of Christ (for yourself) but don’t reflect it back, you might as well be under a big basket or be a dark closet because no one can see Jesus in you.

BUT if the Light of Christ shines on you, and you reflect the light of Christ in what you do… People will see Jesus in everything you do. If people see Jesus in you… if people know that you do what you do BECAUSE OF JESUS. You are a light to the world.

GO- “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Go, have a light faith. Go light our world.

AMEN

(Straight into video)