July 9, 2000    What is the Good News According to Matthew?      Mat.10:35-45

By Ronald George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

            Have you heard the good news?  Venus Williams just won the women’s title at Wimbledon.  Tiger Woods has just won the US Open.  There are free puppies at Ron’s house.  Damon Workman was just recognized as Fayetteville’s Citizen of the year.  June has received a great amount of rain.  Two Christian churches decide to work together and two other churches resolve to work out their differences. Christian religious groups are working to find common ground.  The Catholic and the orthodox church seeks to work together.  The Episcopal and the Lutheran church are going to be working together to share their pastor’s and teachers.  

              Have you heard that they built a raunchy nightspot right next door to Saint Lukewarm Baptist Church of God in Christ. The good folks of SLBCOGIC decided to start a prayer vigil. Amazingly, the nightclub's business dwindled so much they had to close the doors. This wasn't altogether good news, you see; the owner of the nightclub brought a lawsuit against the members of SLBCOGIC, accusing them of ruining his business with their prayers. The attorneys for the church argued there was no way their prayer could have had any effect on the poor performance of the club. The judge agreed. He ruled in favor of Saint Lukewarm, saying, "While the nightclub owner strongly believes in the power of prayer, the church membership does not." Dana Key, By Divine Design (Nashville, 1995), p. 13. 

 Matthew wrote to show that Jesus is the promised messiah, the King of Israel.  The Good News is that the Messiah, the King has come. They good news is that he has come, and now we can be-come. 

 Scripture Text:  Matt 5:13 (KJS) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven..

 1.     The Good News is that God has come.  Who was Jesus and why did he come?  17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  He came to fulfill the law of God and the message of the prophets.  God was preparing the earth for the coming of the greatest one.  He developed a group of people through whom he would send the Messiah or the King.  Jesus is the One who would show to the entire world who God is.  All of God’s law will be fulfilled so that all that he promised will come to pass. 

 2.     The Good News is that we can know God through Jesus. 

 3.     The Good News is that we can serve God through Jesus.  If we choose to serve and know him, now then we will serve and know him in the life to come. 

 4.     The Good News is that we can keep the Ten Commandments in Jesus.

: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  Read the verses below. 

5.     The Good News is that we our righteousness can be acceptable by Jesus.

 6.     The Good News is that we can teach the commandments.

 7.     The Good News is that we can shine the light, set on the hill, and be salt on the earth.  15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  We can make a difference.   One church leader resigned after spreading salt under the tables of Gay delegates to his church’s denominational gathering.  His denomination was deciding whether or not to ok same sex marriages.  Spreading salt is the traditional way to fight the work of the devil.  The news is that we can fight and win over the devil. 

 8.     The Good News is that we can glorify God through good works.

 9.     The Good News is that we can be called Great in the Kingdom. 

 10.           Have you heard the Good News and have you responded to His Invitation to know Him, Love Him, Serve Him, live by Him, teach about Him, shine for Him, and glorify Him. 

                  Exod 20:3 (KJS) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: 11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbor’s.

 Some say they know God (when in fact they don’t) Some say they are righteous.  (But they aren’t)   Some know God and follow Him. (But they don’t.) This is who Jesus is and who He calls us to be.  Some know the law and don’t do what it says.  These are the least in the kingdom. 

 Some say Jesus is the King of the Jews.  He showed He is the King of Kings by the life he lived, in that he fulfilled the law of God. 

 Some say they want to know and follow Him.  We show him and others that we truly are by the life that we live.  Salt that is salty, a city that shines the light, and a candle that is put on a candlestick are truly what they are proved by what they do. 

Are you Ready for Some Good News?