PASS ME THE SALT AND TURN ON THE LIGHT

Matthew 5:13 - 16

INTRODUCTION:

You probably know that I am captivated by the political process.  I love the debating and the speechifying.  I love the polls and the primaries.  I find the endless ebb and flow of momentum to be endlessly fascinating.  My name is Darrel and I’m a political junkie.

 

If you have even paid passing attention to the campaigns this year, you will know that there is a common thread that runs through the tapestry of the red states and the blue states.  There is a common theme to what the veteran politicians are saying and what the rookies running for office had to say.  Have you noticed that Democrats, Republicans, Independents and Green Party candidates are all talking about change?

 

I’ve been talking about change.  For the last two months we’ve been studying the beatitudes.  Jesus gave these sayings for a purpose.  It is his intention that we hear his words and then change our attitudes. 

 

In The Sermon on the Mount, immediately after Jesus gave the Beatitudes, he began to show that when we adopt these attitudes and display these characteristics, we will become agents for change in the world.

 

Listen to what he said:

^13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

 

^14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 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. ^16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

To be agents of change in the world, Jesus wants his disciples to be two things:

I.                    SALT TO THE EARTH

1. Salt seasons

It flavors.  It adds a certain zest to food.  There are some foods that I just don’t think I could eat without salt.  I want salt on my French Fries.  I don’t think I could eat a fried egg without salt.  Popcorn without salt tastes a lot like Styrofoam. And celery…I have to have salt on my celery.  In fact, that is the reason we have a bellybutton: to hold the salt when we eat celery in bed.

 

In the same way that salt adds zest or flavor to food, so the followers of Jesus ought to add zest, flavor and meaning to the lives of the people around them.  There is a popular heresy afoot.  Some people have the impression that Christians are boring, tiresome, tedious and dull.  Maybe that is true but it ought not to be.  Christians are to be known for their joy, their love, their zest for living.  Ideally, other people would rather be in the presence of Christians than any other people they know.

 

Do you recall that Jesus’ first miracle was performed at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee?  In that day, a wedding feast was the social event of a lifetime.  Brides, grooms and their families wouldn’t invite wet-blankets and party-stoppers to their weddings.  The refreshments were too expensive and the company was too exclusive for that.  For Jesus to be an invited guest at a wedding feast means he must have been the kind of guy that people wanted to be around.  Otherwise, they would not have invited him to the wedding feast.  In that, he is our example.  Christians are to be salt to the earth…they are to be the kind of people who add zest and spice to the lives of the people around them.

 

But if salt loses its characteristic saltiness, what good is it?  None.  About all that a person could do with salt that isn’t salty is to throw it out.

Likewise, Christians who lose their distinctive Christ-likeness aren’t worth anything, either.  In fact, Christians that lose their distinctiveness and become like the world actually do the work of the Lord more harm than good.  The church would be better off without them.

That explains why, during times of persecution, typically the church grows.  During times of persecution, those church members that are no different from the world defect and turn their backs on the Lord and what is left is a purer church with a distinct and distinguishing witness.

2. Salt must be applied

Salt is useless when it isn’t applied.  Salt in the saltshaker isn’t doing anything.  Salt must be applied to be useful. 

Disciples of Jesus who make no contact with people who need the Lord are like salt that is still in the shaker: useless.

 

John Ortberg has said, “Salt’s calling is to lose itself in something much bigger and more glorious; and then fulfill its destiny.  We are made to count.  We are made to be salt.”

3. Must be applied wisely

If I were to take a small bowl of popcorn and put a little salt on it, the salt will enhance the flavor and make it taste really, really good.  But if I were to take the same small bowl of popcorn and put a whole carton of salt on it, it wouldn’t taste very good at all.  In fact, I wouldn’t want it.

 

The followers of Jesus are to be salt to the earth, Jesus said.  But that salt must be applied wisely.  I’ve known many people who do not want anything to do with Jesus or with the church because some Christians came on too strong, smothered them and made the good news of the gospel distasteful.  Christians are to be the salt of the earth but the salt must applied wisely.

4. No salt substitutes

A few years ago, Sandy decided we needed to cut down on the salt in our diet so she bought some Mrs. Dash Salt Substitute.  I don’t know who Mrs. Dash is but I can tell you that she is no substitute for the real thing!  Listen to these ingredients:

Onion, Black Pepper, Parsley, Celery Seed, Basil, Bay, Marjarom, Oregano, Savory, Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Mustard, Rosemary, Garlic, Carrot, Orange Peel, Tomato, Lemon Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Oil of Lemon.

I want you to trust me on this: whatever else that alchemist’s mixture is, it is not salt!  When it comes to French Fries, fried eggs, popcorn and celery, there is just no substitute for real salt.

And when it comes to the followers of Jesus and their impact on the world, there is just no substitute for real salt. 

 

Churches can pay for flash advertising programs, marketing plans and outreach proposals but if individual Christians are not being salt to the earth by showing Christlikeness, it’s counterfeit.  Churches can have special speakers, special services and special concerts but if the individual members are not living like Jesus, there is just something artificial about it.  Great preaching, great music, great administration and great youth groups without authentic Christianity are just salt substitutes.

 

Don’t get me wrong: all of these other things can be great saltshakers to help us get the truth of the gospel to the hearts of others.  But none of these modes, means and methods is the salt.  Real people really living out the real life of the real Jesus is what it means for disciples of Christ to be salt to the earth.  There is no salt substitute.

II.                  LIGHT TO THE WORLD

Not only did Jesus say we are the salt of the earth, he also said we are the light of the world.

^14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 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. ^16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

1. Light shines

It illuminates.  It is the nature of light to shine.  When light shines, it allows us to see.  In total darkness, we cannot see anything.  Many years ago, I went into the Seafield Colliery to see how coal was mined underneath the North Sea.  Almost 2000 feet underground, when the lamps and lanterns were turned off, I could see nothing…not even my hand in front of my face. If I never knew it before, I knew then that we need light to be able to see.

It is Jesus’ intention that his followers will be lights to the world and will give the world the ability to see clearly: see clearly the difference between truth and falsehood, see clearly the difference between good and evil, see clearly the difference between God and Satan, see clearly the difference between heaven and hell.  As we hold out the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, people get a proper perspective and a vision of the Lord.

2. Light dispels darkness

Light drives out darkness but darkness never overcomes light.  I’ve walked down many hospital hallways after dark and I’ve seen light spill out of the doorways of patient rooms into the dim corridors.  But here is something important: I’ve never been in a lighted room and watched darkness spill into the light.  It just doesn’t happen like that.  Light dispels darkness.

 

Jesus wants his followers to be light to the world to overcome the gloomy work of the Prince of Darkness, Satan.  The world is in darkness, you be light.

3. Light is evidence of power

I have two extension cords up here.  I know one of them is plugged in and one is not.  How can I tell which is which?  One way is to plug a tester into the cord and see if the tester lights up.  If the tester lights up, there is power in the extension cord.

Similarly, when we let our light shine before men, Jesus says it brings glory to God, the Father.  Our shining for Jesus brings glory to God because it is proof that we are connected to Him and His power is working in us.

But likewise, when people do not see the light of Jesus shining in our lives, they have reason to assume that the power of God is not in us.

4. Focus the light

I recently read an article about the problem of light pollution.  As a society, we waste so much light that estimates are that it is costing us about 2 million barrels of oil a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year (366 days this year!).  With oil at $105 per barrel, that works out to almost $38½ billion of waste every year.

 

Light pollution is misused and wasted light in the form of unnecessary glare, clutter and sky glow.  The solution to light pollution is to properly direct the light to where it will be useful. 

 

Jesus said we are to let our light shine “before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.  When our light shines brighter in the church than it does in the world, there is a need for us to redirect our light.  When people who walk in darkness do not see the light of Jesus in our lives, we need to refocus. 

 

What makes a laser so powerful is its focus.  We ought to learn a lesson from the laser and clearly focus the light of Jesus for the benefit of those who are not yet walking in the light.

CONCLUSION:           

The world is tasteless, be salt.  The world is in darkness, be light.  Salt, when not applied, is useless.  Light, when not displayed, is useless.

 

You may have heard the saying that we must decide what hill we are willing to die on.  The Christian has already decided that that hill is Calvary.

 

Now we must decide what hill we are willing to shine on.  Today…right now, will you decide to shine for Jesus on whatever hill you find yourself?

INVITATION:              # 437    – “Send The Light”

 Back to Sermons