The usefulness of Christians is paramount. It is not enough to listen to sermons and to worship God, but God expects us to be useful.
“Faith without works is dead.”
James 2:20,26
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – Matthew, Chapter 5
Immediately after the Beatitudes Mat 5:3-11, in which Jesus documents the characteristics of godly Christians, for their encouragement Mat 5:12 in a hostile world, the first topic Jesus addressed was Christian usefulness Mat 5:13-16. Christian usefulness is also integral to the Lord’s Prayer, that multitudes have learned off by heart Mat 6:9-15.
Most versions of the Bible divide the Sermon on the Mount into three chapters – Mat 5 to Mat 7.
Matthew – the remainder of Chapter 5
Mat 5:17-20 deals with legalism in preparation for Jesus’ dealing with the wrong exegesis of Scripture in the last half of the chapter Mat 5:21-48, a long section that gives examples correcting wrong attitudes towards one’s neighbour – anger, lust, divorce, swearing and retaliation – which begin in one’s thoughts, so that Jesus summarised this section by teaching love to one’s enemies, to show that we are truly the children of God.
Donald's Thoughts 
Donald,
In the UK we have the Sleeping Church & Kirks for that matter, anxious to the turmoil outside of the secular world impotent in action. Few Christians of note put their life in danger with Christian missionary work in their neighbourhood surroundings or with upstanding merit for Christian outspoken-ness. They might get attacked on the dark nights of the street if venturing into Politics; or imprisoned for preaching the Gospel about marriage, abortion, etc. in the marketplace; or sacked at work even as a schoolteacher; or reported to the Authorities for on-line comments on Facebook. Still, perhaps we might become an easy catch for the Woke Police in your area. We usually tend to be more upset over lack of church-giving, lack of active members, the flower rota mishap, cutting the tall grass outside the building, annoyed at the minister’s poor sermonising; and for somebody who had not been thanked for cleaning the windows…phew!
I pondered on that fact, that “we” had slowly become the Silent Majority, or should say the Silent Minority, of a “Sleepy Christianity” in the UK & Europe for that matter, afraid to witness or mention a word for Christ in the outside community; in or even becoming involved secular committees,
bye for now, Colin.
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