SALT OF THE EARTH: Bringing flavor to those around me
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Introduction:
Today, I want to talk about the message of Jesus in Matthew 5:13 where He TELLS HIS DISCIPLES
"You are the salt of the earth. YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
I want to look at this Scripture in depth and try to bring an understanding...
of our calling to be the salt that brings...
flavor and preservation to the world around us.
.............OPEN IN PRAYER.........
IF YOUR TAKING NOTES WRITE THIS DOWN.....
3 WAYS TO BE SALT IN THE EARTH
#1: Salt Preserves
Matthew 5:13 says..
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
SOMETHING WE DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT...
Imagine a world without refrigerators or freezers....
In ancient times, salt was used to preserve meat from spoiling.
In the same way, as Christians...
we are called to preserve God's truth and righteousness in a world that is decaying morally and spiritually.
Just as salt preserves food from decay,
WHEN WE stand firm in our faith and live out biblical principles..
we help PROTECT the moral fabric of society.
WE JUST HAD PASTOR DAN EPPERSON COME AND SPEAK THIS LAST MONDAY IN THE BIBLICAL CITIZENSHIP CLASS
WHAT A GUY....
I MEAN HE IS RUNNING FOR AMADOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR
HE HOLDS THE RECORD FOR MOST CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN OFFICE AS MAYOR
HE IS A CHAPLAIN FOR THE SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT
HE IS A PASTOR
I MEAN I FELT ALMOST LIKE A FAILURE IN LIFE.....LOL
THE POINT IS....
WE HAVE SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY SIMPLY DOING OUR PART
IN OTHER WORDS....VOTE
VOLUNTEER ……WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN
TAKE A STAND
AND DON'T BE AFRAID OF BEING THE SALT AND LIGHT
#2: Salt Adds Flavor
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
WOW....THIS IS SO GOOD.....
I WAS REMINDED OF THE PASSAGE IN JAMES 3:8-12 WHERE IT SAYS....
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Illustration:
HAVE YOU EVER HAD FOOD THAT WAS BLAND AND JUST NEEDED A LITTLE SOMETHING???
ALMOST ALWAYS…..YOU CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT OF SALT AND....BOOM
suddenly, it comes alive and tastes amazing
IT WORKS THE SAME WAY WITH US AS CHRISTIANS
as the salt of the earth, our words and actions should bring joy, hope, and encouragement to those around us.
Through acts of kindness, love, and compassion, we can enrich AND ENCOURAGE the lives of others.
SOMETIMES ALL IT TAKE IS A LITTLE SALT TO BRING LIFE TO SOMEONE
OUR WORDS SHOULD BE “SEASONED WITH SALT”
ALWAYS LOOKING TO ENCOURAGE AND UPLIFT
ALWAYS SPEAKING LIFE
#3: Salt Creates Thirst
13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
Illustration: SALTY FOOD MAKES US THIRSTY
Just as salty foods make us thirsty,
our lives as followers of Christ should stir a hunger for the living water that Jesus offers.
By sharing the Gospel boldly and authentically...
we can lead others to the source of true satisfaction and everlasting life in Christ.
In Acts 4:13 (NIV),
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
This highlights the impact that....
spending time with Jesus had on His disciples,
spending time with JESUS turns them into bold witnesses for the faith
AND THROUGH THAT.......THEY displayed His power & presence TO EVERYONE AROUND THEM....HOW???
SIMPLY BY SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS
OH MY LORD.....
THIS IS GOOD STUFF
UNDERSTAND THIS....
PEOPLE WILL NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOU
YOU CAN TELL WHEN SOMEONE HAS BEEN SPENDING TIME WITH THE LORD
I'M SURE MY WIFE CAN TELL WHEN I'VE JUST SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME WITH JESUS.....
MY DEMEANOR IS DIFFERENT
MY ATTITUDE IS DIFFERENT
I'M MORE PATIENT
MORE KIND
SLOWER TO ANGER
OH COME ON SOMEBODY......
SOME OF YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.....
SOMETIMES OUR ATTITUDES REFLECT THE CONDITION OF OUR HEART
CAN I GET AN AMEN???
OH COME ON.....
I DON’T WANT YOU TO ELBOW ANYBODY SITTING NEXT TO YOU
BUT JUST A SIMPLE AMEN WILL DO......LOL
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS EXEMPLIFIED IN AND THROUGH MY LIFE....WHEN?
WHEN I SPEND TIME WITH JESUS
OH COME ON SOMEBODY.....
WHEN YOU SPEND TIME WITH JESUS
BEING THE SALT SIMPLY BECOMES SECOND NATURE
BEING LIGHT TO DARKNESS SIMPLY BECOMES SECOND NATURE
YOU MIGHT BE IN HERE AND SEEM TO ALWAYS MESS UP....
WITH YOUR WORDS
WITH YOUR ACTIONS.....
I'M TELLING....DON'T GIVE UP
KEEP TRYING TO CORRECT YOURSELF
KEEP FIGHTING AGAINST THAT FLESH
KEEP TRYING TO SPEAK LIFE
YOU KEEP GETTING UP......
DON'T GIVE UP
CAN I GET AN AMEN???
....WORSHIP TEAM COME.....
I WAS HUMBLED THIS WEEK BY WORDS OF WISDOM FROM MY WIFE
SHE PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT
WE JUST MOVED IN TO A NEW HOUSE AND MET OUR NEIGHBOR
UPON ARRIVING, WE NOTICED A CERTAIN POLITICAL FLAG TO SUPPORT A CERTAIN PERSON.....NO NAMES
BUT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HER AND TALK TO HER
SHE WAS NICE....BUT MAN DID I HAVE PRECONCEIVED IDEAS
WE GOT IN THE HOUSE AND I STARTED SAYING THINGS AND MAKING ACCUSATIONS
I MEAN.....SHE HAD SHORT BLUE HAIR AND DROVE A PRIUS....
AND I WAS POINTING OUT ALL THESE THINGS...
I WAS TERRIBLE....AND SHAME ON ME
MY WIFE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID....
MAYBE THE LORD JUST WANTS US TO SHOW HER LOVE......
SERIOUSLY BABE
SHE SAID....I MEAN HE DID SAY THAT "THEY WILL KNOW US BY OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER"
I WAS LIKE....WOW
SO ....YEAH....I WAS HUMBLED
AND FELT SO GUILTY FOR A LITTLE WHILE
NEEDLESS TO SAY.....I GUESS I NEEDED TO SPEND SOME MORE TIME WITH JESUS
BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH CHURCH....
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE SALT AND LIGHT
AND SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS....MAKES IT WAY EASIER
...STAND TO YOUR FEET.....
EVERY HEAD BOWED AND EYE CLOSED FOR A MINUTE
I JUST WANT US TO reflect on our role as the salt AND LIGHT of the WORLD....
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO examine YOUR heart and actions.
Are YOU effectively preserving God's truth,
ARE YOU adding flavor to the lives of others,
ARE YOU creating a thirst for the Gospel?
IS YOUR LIFE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR HIS KINGDOM
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT...
THE world desperately needs the saltiness of God's love and truth.
AND HE HAS CALLED YOU AND I TO GO AND BE THE SALT AND LIGHT
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU CHURCH...
BUT MY DESIRE IS TO BE LIGHT TO EVERYONE AROUND ME
I LONG TO SEE PEOPLE COME TO KNOW JESUS
I DESIRE TO SHOW PEOPLE WHO JESUS REALLY IS
PRAYER......
LORD HELP ME TO BE THAT EXAMPLE:
HELP ME TO STEP OUT OF MY SELFISH DESIRES AND INTO YOUR CALL FOR MY LIFE
HELP ME TO TAKE A STAND AND TO LOVE OTHERS IN A WAY THAT WILL LEAD THEM TO YOU
NOT TO BE ACCEPTING OR AFFIRMING OF SIN
BUT TO SHOW THEM WHO YOU ARE
AND THE LIFE THAT YOU HAVE FOR THEM
ALTERS ARE OPEN......