Salt & Light in a World of Decay and Darkness
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Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 38:29
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· 6 viewsCitizens of the kingdom are salt and light in a world of decay and darkness through their lives.
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“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, 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 who is in heaven.
This section seems to continue the idea from Matthew 5:10-12.
The idea focuses on the RESULTS of being part of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:10-12 showed that the first results from being part of the kingdom focused on persecution.
Matthew 5:13-16 seems to focus now positively on what the results of being a part of the kingdom will be like.
It’s interesting to note that Jesus prepares them for persecution before He tells them what the results of the kingdom in the world will be.
You are the salt that preserves a decaying world.
You are the salt that preserves a decaying world.
Matthew 5:13 (ESV)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It's important to note that “salt” here is not a reference to our table salt.
One of the main reasons we know this is that table salt (sodium chloride) was not used in the Palestine in the same way we use it.
Also table salt does not lose its saltiness.
As one theologian has said in reference to the “salt”, Jesus had in mind here a kind of impurity that makes it “lose its saltiness.”
The kind of salt that Jesus is referring to here was used to be thrown onto the soil as a form of fertilizer.
“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
"You are (like) the salt for the soil, a stimulant for growth. If you become like the savorless salt, no longer good for anything, how will the gospel of the Kingdom be preached throughout the whole world?" —Eugene P. Deatrick Former Head of the Soils Department of West Virginia University
Impurity is the way that this kind of salt looses its saltiness.
People of the kingdom are meant to be like a fertilizer to the soil.
We are meant to stimulate growth in the world.
Salt is useful as opposed to being useless.
Useless salt is created by impure salt.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
Useless “Salt” for trampling.
Useless “Salt” for trampling.
How do we lose our saltiness?
How does salt become useless?
"The salt was not pure; these impurities caused it to . . . decompose . . . into dust." — W.D. Chamberlain
Becoming too much like the world.
Becoming too much like the world.
If the only visible difference between Christians and secular people is that we go to church on Sunday and give money away more regularly, why would they want to join us? If we divorce, alienate our children, tell lies, and make dirty deals like everyone else, why not play golf on Sunday and spend our money on exotic vacations?
Non-Christian
I wonder what you think about the above statement.
You probably could list off “Christians” you know in your life who do not live like it.
I want you to hear it from me though.
THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIANS.
There is a genuine Christianity that looks distinctly different than what you have seen.
An “UNSALTY” “Christian” is only good for trampling under the foot.
Surrendering truth for the lies of this world.
Surrendering truth for the lies of this world.
This either happens by saying that the truths of scripture are NOT true.
Or by saying that what this world is offering is more important.
Becoming self-righteous and conceited.
Becoming self-righteous and conceited.
“Christians are like manure: spread them out and they help everything grow better, but keep them in one big pile and they stink horribly.”
Christians begin to stink when you pile them up because they begin to think that they are better than others.
“I’m not as bad as the drug dealer down the road!”
“I’m not as bad as the person who is struggling with
Christian
You will find yourself in corrupting situations.
You will find yourself in corrupting workplaces.
You will find yourself in corrupting society.
It’s not if you’ll find yourself in corrupting situations.
This is guaranteed by Jesus.
He guarantees that you’ll find yourself in corrupting situations.
Jesus’ admonish is NOT to flea.
His admonish is to BE SALT.
Stay “salty”!
Sermon on the Mount—The Message of the Kingdom The Salted Church
Jesus was saying in effect, “Humanity without me is a dead body that is rotting and falling apart. And you, my followers, are the salt that must be rubbed into the flesh to halt the decomposition.”
Useful “Salt” for Preservation!
Useful “Salt” for Preservation!
Christians have often been accused by people who claim they are harmful to the world.
Richard Dawkins has long criticized Christians.
He wrote the book, The God Delusion
“Faith can be very very dangerous, and deliberately to implant it into the vulnerable mind of an innocent child is a grievous wrong.”
― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
He has long criticize Christians, proclaiming that we are harmful for the world.
Just recently, there was an interview with him.
“I call myself a cultural Christian. I'm not a believer, but there's a distinction between being a believing Christian and being a cultural Christian… You know, I love hymns and Christmas carols and… I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. I feel that we are a Christian country in that sense.”
“It’s truth that, statistically, the number of people who actually believe in Christianity is going down, and I'm happy with that, but I would not be happy if, for example, we lost all our cathedrals and our beautiful parish churches… I think it would matter if we… substituted any alternative religion, that would be truly dreadful.”
How does God preserve the world?
Loving like Jesus.
Loving like Jesus.
The Sermon on the Mount A. Salt of the Earth—5:13
Jesus does not say, “You are the sugar of the earth!”
Anytime we speak of the love of Christ.
People are tempted to hear or think that Christians are only ever pleasant.
But we need to remember like we saw last week that Christians will be persecuted for righteousness sake.
So the kind of love that flavors the salt isn't an easy going, go with the flow, non-confronting love.
It's just the opposite.
True love, holds together, truth and love.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus showed us love by dying in our place.
This is the kind of love that needs to flavor the way we think of “being salt”
Righteous living like Jesus.
Righteous living like Jesus.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
Hated because of Jesus.
Hated because of Jesus.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
“People insist that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. But you can always feed him salt!” —Howard Hendricks
We don’t make people believe the gospel.
We can’t make them drink from the wellspring of Christ.
But do you know what salt does to a person?
It makes them thirsty.
It makes them wish what we believe is true.
Citizens of the kingdom are salt and light in a world of decay and darkness through their lives.
Citizens of the kingdom are salt and light in a world of decay and darkness through their lives.
“With all the evil in the world, why would God preserve this disgusting world?”
Doesn’t the Bible speak of God judging the world though?
Why would He have any interest in saving the world?
The Flood and God’s intention of recreating the world.
Noah is one of the first example of God’s recreative nature in the Bible.
We often forget that in the flood, God destroyed all humanity.
God's intention with the world.
The Already & Not Yet
Remember, the kingdom of heaven is hand (Matthew 4:17).
Jesus has been telling us what the kingdom of God is like and what its citizens will look like (Matthew 5:1-12).
You are the light that shines into a dark world.
You are the light that shines into a dark world.
(Matt 5:14-16)
Light in both OT and NT times was seen as symbols of purity as opposed to filth and darkness.
Light has always been understood as purity, truth and knowledge.
Light stands as the great divider between the message of Jesus and the world.
The world is filled with those who dwell in the darkness.
But those who are in the kingdom shine as lights.
Citizens of the kingdom shine.
That’s the characteristics of those who are in the kingdom.
They will shine on the dark backdrop of the world.
The Invention of the Lightbulb
The invention of the lightbulb has changed the way we understand this statement from Jesus.
In the Ancient world, there were not lights like we have today.
Societies did not have street lights to keep their streets lit in the same way.
As the old farmers would say, “People would go to bed with the chickens.”
When it would get dark, they would go to bed because all you had was candle light to sit up at night by.
No think about how bleak it would be being a traveler traveling at nighttime.
If you would travel at all, it would be by candle light.
Now imagine being a traveler getting close to a city like Jerusalem as it is getting darker and near dusk.
Jerusalem was built on a hill, and as you get closer there would be more and more oil lamps burning in the city.
It would shine brilliantly when compared to a dark background of no light at all.
Cities would oftentimes also be built on large limestone hilltops.
When they are lit up, would shine with brilliance.
Hindered lights are like a “dark candle.”
Hindered lights are like a “dark candle.”
Smothered Light
Smothered Light
We can smother the light of the gospel in many ways within us.
The first way that Paul talks about in Romans is to be ashamed of the gospel.
Ashamed of the Light
Ashamed of the Light
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Fear of Rejection
Fear of Rejection
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Private Light
Private Light
There are many in Christian circles that unfortunately view Christianity as a private matter.
Picture talking to someone and asking about their faith to which they respond,
"Following Jesus is a private matter.”
“Following Jesus is just about me and Jesus!”
“It’s between me and God!”
This is diametrically opposed to what Christ says the Christian will do.
Christianity is indeed personal.
We need to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but its NOT private.
“Flight into the invisible is a denial of the call. A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him” (Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, p. 106)
If “salty” Christians delay the decaying power of this world.
Then “shining” Christians positively illuminates a sin darkened world.
Shining lights for God’s glory.
Shining lights for God’s glory.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Seeing the “good works”
Seeing the “good works”
Example of the Moon
We look up at the night sky and see the moon.
Some nights we see it in brilliance.
“How beautiful the moon is tonight!”
The moon itself does not have energy or power in it.
The beauty of the moon is only ever a by-product or in effect because the sun illuminates the moon.
Our light is reflected or derived light.
It does not originate from us.
Giving Glory to God
Giving Glory to God
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
God's glory, and our good works are not opposed to each other.
It's not like we can pursue God's glory OR pursue good works.
Here's the amazing thing you need to grasp as a Christian.
Our obedience and God’s glory GO TOGETHER.
As we obey in faith, God gets glory.
God’s glory rises as our faith filled obedience rises.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
God gets glory as we obey in faith.
Christian
The Christian life is not about you.
The Christian life is about something so much greater than you.
The Christian life centers upon God's glory.
When this becomes the controlling reality in our lives, we can shine like lights.
Citizens of the kingdom are salt and light in a world of decay and darkness through their lives.
Citizens of the kingdom are salt and light in a world of decay and darkness through their lives.