A Five-Star Church: Living for Him

Great churches—“five-star” and world- and community-impacting churches—have some common characteristics. We’ve been sharing about those over these last few weeks. They are churches where anyone and everyone is welcome. Great churches open their arms wide and say with Jesus, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy-burdened and I will give you rest.” That’s one of the things that great churches say and do.

A second characteristic of “five-star” churches is that through the church and its ministries people are coming to Christ. People old and young, rich and poor are coming into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through the ministries and proclamation of that church!

Everyone. Coming to Christ. Then last week, I preached to you about the fact that great churches are comprised of people who are learning His Word. They are shaped and molded by God’s Word. It’s primary. Not Reader’s Digest, Time, or Sports Illustrated, but God’s Word is the Book around which their lives revolve. They’re shaped by it.

Today, I want to speak to you about the fourth great characteristic of growing, vibrant, and life-impacting churches. It’s very obvious that an enormous number of people in those churches are blatantly and sacrificially and attractively living for Him. They’re living their lives for Jesus and for the gospel. Not for themselves, not for their own benefit, not for pleasure or power or prestige. They’re living their lives for Jesus.

What does that mean? Let’s look together in the greatest sermon Jesus ever preached in Matthew 5 and let’s focus our attention on verses 14-16.

Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

These words from Jesus are some of the most fascinating words in all of the Scriptures. Do you realize Jesus takes an image He used to describe himself and applies it to the life of a believer? Jesus said in John 9:5, “I am the light of the world.” Here in Matthew 5 He says, “You are the light of the world.”

This may be the greatest responsibility and the most enormous challenge any Christian could ever receive or face! The call, the task, the great purpose followers of Jesus must embrace is to be like Him—to be a reflection of His life and His ways. That’s what living for Him really means. It means being conformed to His image. It means surrendering to His plan. It means reflecting His life. It means learning to think like He thinks and walk like He walks and be interested in the things that interest Him. Somebody said, “It’s good to be a Christian and know it, but it’s better to be a Christian and show it!”

That’s what letting your light shine before men and women is all about. It’s about being an instrument of God’s grace to impact your workplace. It’s about being a tool of service and care to impact your neighborhood. It’s about being a vessel of compassion and forgiveness to impact your school.

If the question is asked, “What am I supposed to be about as a believer in Jesus?” then the answer is, “Letting your light shine.” Letting the presence of Jesus that dwells within you, letting that life, that light, that presence spill out in mercy, care, ministry, and grace to others.

Great churches are filled with people who are passionate about letting their light shine. They’re not interested in protecting it or hiding it. Sheltering it under some obstruction is the last thing on their minds. They’re kind of like the disciples in the early days after Jesus’ resurrection: “We can’t help but tell about what we’ve seen and heard!”

You remember what happened to the disciples. They were threatened and beaten and arrested. The religious leaders of the day said, “Now listen! Stop talking about this Jesus character. Stop preaching about him.” What did the disciples say? “We must obey God rather than men,” and they went out and starting letting their light shine some more.
If the first question is, “What is being a follower of Jesus about?” and the answer is “Letting your light shine,” then the next question might be, “How do you do that?”

Jesus helps us here. He says, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds.” Living the Christian life as Jesus understood it is not to be hidden. It’s not something intended for the dark halls of a monastery or the isolated surroundings of the desert. The Christian life—authentic, vibrant, and living discipleship—is meant to be visible and observable! Not as a “show” but as a “witness.”

Jesus didn’t say, “You are the light of the Church.” He said, “You are the light of the world.” Does anybody know you’re a believer in Jesus? Is it observable? Could anybody tell you’re a Christian by how you live or the decisions you make or the priorities you embrace in life? Could they tell if you’re a Christian by the register in your checkbook?

David Cho pastors one of the largest, if not the largest church in the world. I don’t know what the statistics are anymore. I think Saddleback Church in Southern California, pastored by Rick Warren, may have 30 or 40,000 members. Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas which, not too long ago, moved into the Compaq Center in downtown Houston and is pastored by Joel Osteen, may have about the same--maybe 25 or 35,000 members.

The church in South Korea pastored by David Cho has 750,000 members! Listen to one of his rules for his congregation: “No witnessing to your neighbor until after three good deeds!” Pastor Cho says until you’ve fixed an appliance or brought in a meal when somebody was sick or helped cut the grass or whatever, until you’ve done three good deeds, “Don’t mention the name of Jesus”!

It’s interesting to me that in the Greek language there are at least two words for “good.” One of the words simply means something is good in quality. The other word in Greek means the thing is not only good in quality but is also attractive and beautiful.

I was thinking about how I might try to convey the difference. I mentioned earlier in this sermon series that back when I was kid, one of the treats of life was a hot fudge cake from Shoney’s. That was something good in quality. It just tasted good. Last year at our school’s auction, a woman brought a homemade chocolate cake piled high with chocolate-covered strawberries. It was not only good. It was beautiful. It was attractive! That’s the word Jesus uses to describe the “good deeds” He is talking about. They’re not only good but they’re attractive and beautiful and winsome.

That’s what great churches have discovered. Their people live lives that are attractive and winsome. People in the workplace are drawn to them because their Christian witness is attractive and compelling. They don’t complain about everything that’s going on in the world. They don’t focus on all the junk that could be focused on. They don’t live life with the “glass half empty.” They talk and live and model the truth that God can make a miraculous difference in one’s life. God can “make a way where there seems to be no way.” God can turn things right-side-up when all of life appears upside-down. God can give peace and joy even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Attractive, compelling Christians let their light shine through good deeds and through a “Jesus attitude” that says, “I’m a child of God. I’ve been forgiven. My future is bright. My destiny is secure. My true home is in heaven and I’m going to make it!” Five-star churches are filled with people who live life on the bright side because of Jesus!
I’ve answered two questions so far: What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? Letting your light shine. How do you do that? Through good deeds. The third question is, “Why?” The answer is so others “may see . . . and praise your Father in heaven.” The goal is not to draw attention to yourself. The purpose of living the Christian life in the world is not to be recognized or to be honored or to be lifted up. The purpose is to point to Jesus!

If anybody ever understood that it was John the Baptist! Do you remember how at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, He came out to the Jordan River to be baptized? John had been out there preaching and calling people to repentance for a while. Jesus came out and John said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! I’m not worthy to untie his sandals”(John 1:27ff.) Do you remember that?

Then over in John 3, there’s this story about some of John’s disciples arguing with somebody else about “ceremonial washing.” The argument evolves into a discussion about the importance of John and the importance of Jesus, and it’s in that context that John the Baptist makes this famous statement: “He must become greater; I must become less” (3:30).

That’s the goal for the Christian life. That’s why we should do what we do and live like God wants us to live and make the decisions God wants us to make. So Jesus can increase and we can decrease. So Jesus can be more and more in the “spotlight” and we can be more and more “offstage.” Our living, our good deeds, our attitudes, our decisions are not so people will turn to us but so they’ll turn to God in praise and surrender!

Lord Jesus, let my life and let the lives of these people point to Jesus in a way that is attractive and winsome, and may that expression of praise bring honor and glory to You alone!