Salt and Light

Introduction (5-7 minutes):

• Read Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV):

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

• Personal Story and Reflection:

"Friday night around 10:30, my phone woke me up. Pastor John was calling. In a groggy state I answered.. and in a heavy voice… “Hey Thomas, Shirley just passed… I need to be with my wife, can you preach on Sunday…” About 12 hours later I was taking my son, Ben, to his first flag football game. As I parked at Newberg High’s parking lot where the game was, I noticed something that struck me. The seniors there are allowed to paint their own parking spots, and “by chance,” the one right next to where I parked jumped out at me: 'Be the light of the world'—Matthew 5:14. It’s such a simple statement, yet it’s packed with profound meaning. It reminds us of our high calling as followers of Christ—to be His light in this world. This is a responsibility but also a great hope we carry as we follow His example."

• Context of Hope:

"This hope feels especially meaningful today in light of the passing of Pastor John’s mother-in-law, a godly woman who ran the race of faith so well. I don’t know about you, but when a death happens, especially within my circle of people, it gives me pause to reflect on my own impending death. I start to ask questions… What will I be remembered by? Did I do enough – did I do what I was supposed to – did I focus on the right things, and on and on… Thankfully Jesus has given us a Prime Directive for our lives. This next section of the Sermon on The Mount gives us our purpose in this life! If you belong to God’s Kingdom… If you are a “blessed one,” then you are part of a majestic and holy purpose greater than we could ever imagine on our own. Shirley’s life reminds us that we, too, are called to run faithfully as children of our Heavenly Father. No matter where we are in life—whether we feel our light has dimmed or our 'saltiness' has lost its taste—God, the Father of lights, is always there to restore and renew us."

• Transition:

"So today, as we dive into Matthew 5:13-16, we’re going to explore what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This passage comes right after the Beatitudes, where Jesus describes the blessedness of His followers. He tells the WHO they are – the spiritually bankrupt, the mourners, the meek, the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers… and the persecuted… Now, He turns to their responsibility and their – our- purpose in this world. The WHAT we are. Do you see the difference?

• Use football analogy… team huddle… running drills… playing the game… coach on the field running the calls (for 8 year olds…)" You don’t play soccer or baseball on a football team. Likewise on God’s Kingdom team, we called to play His “Game” according to His rules and ways…

________________________________________

I. "You Are the Salt of the Earth" (15 minutes)

• Emphasis on 'You':

Jesus uses an emphatic and restrictive "You" here. He is not speaking to the crowds at large but directly to His disciples. This isn't a general principle for everyone but a specific responsibility and identity for His followers. In the Greek language, there is an imperative form of the plural “you” used all throughout the New Testament… most times, we see “YOU” in the New Testament; this is the form used here. It is specific – you there! – referring to all the individuals in a group! The epistles are full of them – when you see it, yes, you there, all the you’s in the church – listen up! We don’t have that single word in our English vocabulary, and it’s bad grammar to try to make it work. I had a professor who said that Texans were close to being Greek speakers with their use of “Ya’ll” – that works pretty well!

• Salt’s Characteristics and Relevant History:

In ancient times, salt was valuable and served multiple purposes. At one time, Roman Soldiers were paid in salt – hence the term we still use – “Are you worth your salt?” Or “Man, that person isn’t worth his salt at work.”:

o First: (Pictures) The Dead Sea has been and continues to this day to be a source of salt. The audience would have been extremely familiar with the process and vast quantities needed for its use.

o Preservation: Salt prevents decay. It was used all throughout history, and in smaller amounts today still, although our refrigerators and freezers have mostly done away with the practice of packing meat and fish in salt. Jesus is saying that His disciples are to be moral preservatives in a spiritually decaying world. They are to oppose what is corrupt, acting as moral antiseptics... Living out Jesus’ example and instruction… preserving His ways and teachings… sealing out the contaminants of the world…

o Flavor: Salt also adds flavor, giving life a kind of zest. As Christians, we should be infusing the world with the richness of the gospel, giving people a taste of the kingdom of God through our actions, words, and presence.

• Warning About Losing Saltiness:

"But if the salt loses its flavor..." Jesus warns that if we, as His followers, fail to live as salt, we lose our effectiveness. Salt that isn’t salty is useless—good for nothing. This speaks to the seriousness of our witness. Are we actively preserving and flavoring the world, or are we blending in with its decay? …To be clear – this is not a Salvation Issue – Jesus isn’t talking about losing your Salvation. He’s talking about losing your effectiveness! These are hard words nonetheless…

Now: Salt itself really can’t lose its saltiness, can it? If you remember your chemistry, you know that Salt is Sodium Chloride, a basic element. Salt back then, though, was more than the pure, basic element of Sodium Chloride we are used to in our table salt. It had other material in it. Other minerals and stuff… back then salt was stored in huge storehouses, and if rain got in, or if it you got caught in a rainstorm while transporting it, a lot of the sodium chloride would get washed out, leaving the other stuff behind. There wouldn’t be enough salt left to be effective. That washed-out salt, or the salt that somehow got contaminated would be stored separately, used for traction in the winter time on the road and entryways, or to soak up the nasty’s left behind from all the animals (and humans) as they traveled within the cities… Now I’m not casting a blanket statement here – we often feel trampled underfoot when the all kinds of trials and tribulations – trouble – come our way… that’s not what Jesus is talking about here, though. These are hard words, a hard warning about what WILL happen when if we stray… This is why we need each other to help distinguish…

o Application:

Ask the congregation: How are we functioning as salt in our communities, workplaces, and homes? Are we standing against corruption and moral decay, or are we losing our distinctiveness? Are we becoming contaminated?

o One Thing. If we are being tossed out and trampled. Don’t lose hope… Jesus restores and saves - to the uttermost – those that are His. Hebrews tells us that (I don’t have a slide for it):

Hebrews 12:11 (NKJV)

11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

If you are being trampled underfoot, there’s a good chance that Jesus is teaching you a lesson to restore you. To bring you back… we’ll talk about that more in a few minutes, but moving on in our text…

________________________________________

II. "You Are the Light of the World" (15 minutes)

• Light’s Purpose:

In the same way salt preserves and adds flavor, light serves to illuminate. "You are the light of the world." Here, Jesus makes another emphatic statement—just as salt is vital to the earth, light is necessary for the world.

• Contrast with Darkness:

The phrase “light of the world” implies that the world is in darkness. Even though the world claims to be enlightened, turn on Oprah or go to a secular University - it is truly spiritually dark. Jesus Himself is the ultimate light. It’s one of the apostle John’s favorite way’s to explain God. As He records Jesus saying in John 8:12 (NKJV):

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

As Jesus is the Ultimate Light Bringer, we are now called to reflect His light to the world, acting as His representatives. His “image bearers” to the world… His ambassadors bathed in His perfect light… (expand)

• Reflecting Christ's Light:

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:8 (NKJV):

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

We are not just meant to keep this light for ourselves but to let it shine into the world around us. (Explain how darkness can’t exist in the same space as light)

• Visibility is Key:

Jesus emphasizes that a city on a hill cannot be hidden. (pictures) Likewise, light isn’t meant to be concealed. A lamp’s purpose is to be placed on a stand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. The light of Christ in us isn’t for private use; it’s meant to shine for others. In Jesus’ time, light was precious and hard to come by when it was dark… with no light pollution like we have today, the cities would have been lit up to an incredible degree, shining like beacons in the distance to weary travelers… Have you ever been on a flight at night, perhaps a transcontinental flight over an ocean, coming up to land and there is a city on the waters edge? (picture) That’s the impact we are to have in our dark world...

• Application:

“Let your light so shine before men” (v. 16). Jesus makes it clear that shining light isn’t optional for His followers. Just as a lamp naturally illuminates, so too should Christians naturally shine in the darkness of the world. Paul, in Philippians 2:14-15 (NKJV), writes:

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

This passage emphasizes the importance of living in a way that reflects God’s light, even in a broken and dark world… our attitudes, how we treat people, illuminate Christ to those around is around us. Are we going to show Him in a good light, or a bad light? (expand)

________________________________________

III. Our Ultimate Purpose: To Glorify God (15 minutes)

• Shining for a Reason:

Verse 16 gives us the purpose of our shining: "That they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." The point of our influence as salt and light isn’t to bring glory to ourselves but to bring glorify - light - to God. When we live as salt and light, we are drawing people’s attention to our Father in heaven, not to ourselves. Our ultimate purpose, as the Westminster Catechism of Faith teaches us, is to “Glorify God and to Enjoy Him Forever.)

• Connection to the Beatitudes:

This teaching on salt and light comes directly after the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), where Jesus describes the blessedness of His followers. Those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and the peacemakers—these are the "little people" of the kingdom. They have no merit of their own to plead, yet they are the very ones called to this high responsibility of being salt and light. God uses the humble, the weak, and the lowly to do His work.

________________________________________

IV. Closing Thoughts and Personal Application (10 minutes)

• Returning to the High School Parking Lot:

"Going back to the parking lot this morning—the words 'Be the light of the world' are not just a verse for a parking space; they are a call to action for each of us. Wherever God has placed you, you are there to shine His light… (Expand)

• Challenge to the Congregation:

As we go back into our daily lives, let’s ask ourselves: Are we being the salt and light Jesus has called us to be? Are we standing against the moral decay of the world, preserving the truth, and giving life the richness of the gospel? Are we letting our light shine for others to see Christ in us?

o Are you – Spritually Healthy? How are your sodium chloride levels? How’s the oil in your lamp? Do you need to do some business with God? …Too many times I’ve seen people trying to be salt and light on their own accord – their own strength… (explain) end result is they get thrown out and trampled…

 Are You IN A – Community of “you’s” – or Ya’lls… are you doing Christian life with other strong believers who hold you accountable to The Salt and to The Light? ...Are you listening…? Are you seeking out those that you know will tell you what you WANT to hear, or are you seeking out those that will tell you what you NEED to hear? Are you developing those relationships that can have those safe, challenging, salty, and illuminating discussions?

• Encouragement:

We are not called to do this alone. The same God who called us to be salt and light is the one who empowers us through His Spirit to live out that calling. Going back to Philippians 2:14-15 (NKJV)

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

________________________________________

Conclusion and Prayer (5 minutes)

• Summarize:

We’ve explored what it means to be salt and light—two simple yet profound metaphors. Jesus didn’t make these statements lightly. He has called us to a high responsibility, but also to a great privilege: to reflect His glory in a world that desperately needs it. God does not call us to an impossible task, He equips us to do His work, gives us gifts to make it happen… Use them! It’s not optional! The statement you ARE… is not an “IF!” if you feel like it… if you have time… if you want to…

• Use The Resources You Have: Like the highschool senior who painted their parking spot… look at how God has used that simple act – and that’s just one story about it. They had no idea I would park next to it 12 hours after I got the call to preach. No idea what they did would become a sermon illustration, that they would become an encouragement to us… they were just faithful to what the Lord told them to do. The same with us. Start the simple steps. Yeah it’s hard. I bet the senior may get some flack and teasing for painting a Bible verse and taking a stand. So will you and I. But it’s out duty, our calling, our identity as Christ Followers… Not optional… Don’t be trampled… don’t hide your light… Seek the things above, not the things of this world… Jesus’ purpose for you – ya’ll – us… is bigger than we can imagine. SO at the end of our days… will we look back – will we be remembered as salty, bright lights of Christ’s?

• Pray for Empowerment:

Close with a prayer, asking for the Lord’s strength and guidance as we strive to live as salt and light in our communities, workplaces, and families.