"Salty Saints" Matthew 5:13 (ESV) (7)

“Salty Saints”

Matthew 5:13

13 “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.14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.” (ESV)

Introduction: Usually, when you hear someone say that person s salty, in our day is means they are upset or feel some type of way, this is not what the text is talking about. Usually, a person say in our day they are salting my game, this means they are trying to expose another person’s game, this is not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus in our text today deals with the witness of the disciples. He deals with the influence of the disciples on earth as they carry out His kingdom’s mission. If you get nothing else from the text here is your take home lesson, “It is possible as a Christian to go from being useful to being useless.” Jesus has moved from the beatitudes to what is called similitudes. Similitudes just means likeness or resemblance. In verse 13, Jesus says we should resemble salt and in verse 14 Jesus says our lives should resemble light. Today we will focus on verse 13. Jesus says our lives should be like or resemble salt. What is it about salt that we should resemble? Why is it even important to resemble salt? What are the characteristics of salt that our lives should resemble? These questions will be answered in the text.

I. The Worth of Salt. Vs. 13

A) The bible says in “A” part of verse 13, “13You are the salt of the earth,”

· The “You” is a personal pronoun that introduces a new subject. Jesus has been talking about the beatitudes and now he changes the topic of His sermon by bringing attention to what He is about to say.

· Jesus uses the “You” because He is about to change concept from what He was previously talking about to make a sharp comparison with the disciples and something else.

· Jesus was the Master of language. He knew just how to communicate with his disciples.

· Here is the sharp comparison. He says you are the salt of the earth.

· In other words, your life should be like what salt is to the earth.

· Jesus says, “You are.” I like what the late Dr. E.K. Bailey said. He said, “Jesus did not say you might be salt, or it’s up to you if you want to be salt or not.” Jesus said, “You are salt.” You are like salt to this world.

· When Jesus says earth, He does not mean the earth as much as how people on earth use salt.

· Salt has worth on earth. Salt is a precious commodity.

· Salt had value in Jesus’ time just like in our time.

· People use salt for assorted reasons.

· Salt in the ancient world was used to preserve meat from rotting. According to Ezekiel 16:4, salt was used to rub newborn babies. God was speaking through Ezekiel to the children of Israel about being unfaithful.

· Ezekeil says, “16 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable sins. 3 Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth.”

· It had various uses in the bible. Salt was also used to season food. Salt had three primary reasons it was used in ancient times. It is used for purification, for preservation, and for Piquancy. Don’t be afraid of that word “Piquancy” it is just a fancy word flavoring.

· Salt had value. And Jesus says to His kingdom followers your life should resemble salt.

· You may not know this, but you are in the world on behalf of the world.

· You as Christ’s kingdom representatives are a benefit to the world even if they do not recognize it.

· You have worth and value in this world as a citizen of God’s kingdom.

· Salt is for Preservation:

· Like salt was used to preserve meat from decaying, we are in this world because this world is decaying.

· People are dying and going to hell every day and like salt we are supposed to preserve sinners from decay.

· By our witness by promoting the gospel people get saved and when a person gets saved that is one less person in the world who will decay.

· This is no from a pride standpoint, but this is just the reality of it. you have kingdom value and kingdom worth.

· God wants to use us to stop the decaying.

· The people are wasting away. Sin ruining humanity and we have the one message that can being people put of moral decay.

· Just like salt has worth, you have worth in this world.

· Salt has preservation worth.

· There is another worth and value that salt has.

· Salt is for Purification.

· In fact, there is an Old Testament Package in 2 Kings where salt was used to purify water. 2 Kings 2:19-22 says, “19 One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. “We have a problem, my lord,” they told him. “This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.” 20 Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So, they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.” 22 And the water has remained pure ever since, just as Elisha said.”

· In fact, in today’s time some home pools instead of using chlorine to keep pool water clean, they use salt water.

· Salt has cleansing properties. Jesus says. As salt is used for cleansing, He wants to use his kingdom citizens to share the gospel message so that sinners can hear it, ask for forgiveness of sins, and have their hearts cleansed.

· William Barkclay said, “Salt was used as a cleansing agent in ancient times. Likewise, Christians are to have a purifying effect on life’s moral atmosphere.”

· C.H. Spurgeon said, “The Christian is to be a preservative and purifier in society…a force against the tide of moral decay.”

· I think the reason why many of us don’t take our role as salt of he earth serious is for two main reasons?

o One: We don’t understand our worth to this corrupting world; thus, we do not take the command of Christ to share the gospel serious. We don’t know how powerfully the Lord wants to use us to do His bidding.

o Two: We see how bad off and how sinfully corrupt this world is. Therefore, we have just decided there is no hope, and we stay in our little corners and feel good about it.

· I think John Stott was right when he said, “God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad. And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach (criticize) the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach (blame) ourselves?”

· The entire world will not be saved, but there are sinners in this world who will hear the gospel and be saved.

· If sinners are no longer being saved it is because we are not being salt.

· It is because like salt we are not preserving and purifying a decaying world.

· God has called us to be salt in a world tainted by sin.

· Salt is used for preservation, for purification, but also for piquancy.

· Salt is for Piquancy:

· This world is bland and flavorless. It is lifeless and tasteless. What does salt do for food that is tasteless and saltless?

· It flavors it. it adds to it. but more than this it influences it.

· Jesus says like salt influences flavors meat and food, so we as kingdom citizens are to flavor and influence this world.

· The problem with many of instead of the world taking on our flavor, we take on its flavor.

· Instead of us influencing the world, the word influences us.

· If believers would just stop adopting the lifestyle and behaviors of the world, we would be more effective in our witness.

· We would be better representatives for the kingdom.

· The scholarly N.T. Wrigth said, “When Christians live lives of purity and grace, they are a cleansing presence in society’s moral ecosystem.”

· Eugene Peterson said, “Salt-seasoning in the life of a believer brings out God-flavors and purifies a society filled with decay.”

· Are called to have a saltlike effect on this flavorless world.

· I want to ask you are question. Where are my salty saints?

· Where are those saints who are influencers instead of being influenced by the world?

· Are you salt in your home? Are you salt in your family?

· Are you salt on your job? Are you salty in your neighborhood?

· Where are my salty saints? You have worth in this world, and you have value because salt slows down decay, it purifies, and it flavors and influences.

· The reason why this world is not as bad as it could be is because there are some real bonified salty believers still in this world who are living up to who they are.

· They are in bland, impure, and flavorless places being and influence for the kingdom of God.

· God wants to use us as His kingdom representatives as salt to Preserve, Purify, and for Piquancy.

· Jesus said to his disciples you are the salt of the earth. Not maybe or you might be salt, but you are the salt of the earth.

· This issue is not who are, rather it is will we live out who we are? Will we live up to who we are?

· We have looked at the fact that The Worth of Salt; now let us look The Warning for Saints.

II. The warning to Saints. Vs. 13

A) The rest of this verse says, 13 “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 on by men.”

· This Phrase “lose its flavor” is interesting because it has to do with becoming tasteless or flavorless.

· Pure salt cannot become tasteless, but Jesus uses this over exaggeration to make a point.

· Just like it is ridiculous to think that salt can become saltless, it is ridiculous and foolish for believers not to be salt.

· My brothers and sisters this is a stern warning from Jesus that it is possible for believers to lose their witness and influence.

· It is possible to lose your saltiness and flavor. This has nothing to do with losing salvation for once saved we are always saved, but we can taint our witness to where we are no longer effective as Christians.

· People will not take what we preach seriously.

· Jesus said, “How can it be made salty?” This question is not meant for answer, but to provoke thoughts.

· Jesus wants us to reflect on this question and think about the seriousness of losing our Christian influence.

· We become saltless when the gospel we preach has no effect on people because of our lifestyle.

· Jesus said it is good for nothing. The phrase, “It is no longer Good for anything” has to do with not having the power or ability to do something.

· It means you had the ability to be used, but because you chose to be saltless you lost your strength and capability to be an effective witness for the kingdom.

· I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a saltless believer.

· I don’t want to lose my influence and the ability to be a witness to this decaying world.

· I want to represent the kingdom well.

· I think I need to say this; there are some things that can cause us to become saltless.

· Our lifestyle and our hypocrisy. That is, they see us one way in church, but throughout the week we are another way.

· Trying to be like the world and blend in with them in order to be with the in-crowd.

· Our conduct can make our witness of non-effect when we don’t take our role as salt of the earth seriously.

· This is a warning from Jesus to the saints that you can go from usefulness to being useless.

· This is why Jesus employs the term, “To be thrown out and trampled on by men.”

· You went from preserving, purifying, and piquancy to being thrown out and trampled on by men.

· When salt is tasteless there is no use for it. Suppose it was possible for real salt to become tasteless, and you went to Stater Brothers to buy some Morton salt, got home, and tried to season your greens with it, only to find out that it did not make a difference in the taste of your greens.

· You would get your receipt and take it right back to the store.

· Why? You have no use for saltless salt. I know this is an exaggeration, but the truth is saltless Christian are of no use to the kingdom of God.

· I want to know where are my salty saints?

· Where are those who will say, “Lord, I hear your warning, and I want to correct my ways!

· I heard your warning, and I don’t ever want to be ineffective and useless.

· Where are those who will say Lord, I need my influence back!

· Lord, I don’t want to lose my effectiveness as a believer.

· Lord, I want to be a better representative for your kingdom.

· Timothy Keller said, “Salt makes a difference… Christians are to live distinctly, showing the world a better way.”

· The way we stay salty and the way we influence the world is by introducing them to the Christ of the scriptures.

· The one who was hung on a tree for our sins!

· The one who died in our place!

· The who through the shedding of blood brought unholy man near the Holy God!

· He died, but early Sunday morning, this same Jessus got up with all power in heaven and earth in His hands!

· Jesus wants salty saints who will spread this good news to impure world tainted by sin.

· Jesus wants us to salt and influence this decaying world with gospel message!

· Jesus wants us to flavor this bland tasteless world with the good news of His unchanging love!

· Where are my salty saints!

· You ought Lord, I want to remain salty!

1624 Three Hairs And Lost Influence

A strange dog came to a preacher’s house, and his three sons soon became quite fond of it. It so happened that there were three white hairs in the animal’s tail. One day an advertisement was seen in the newspaper about a lost dog which fitted that description perfectly. “In the presence of my three boys,” said the minister, “we carefully separated the three white hairs and removed them.” The real owner discovered where the straying canine had found a home and came to claim him. The dog showed every sign of recognition, so the man was ready to take him away.

Quickly the minister spoke up, “Didn’t you say the dog would be known by three white hairs in its tail?” The owner, unable to find the identifying feature, was forced to leave. The minister said later, “we kept the dog, but I lost my three boys for Christ.” His sons no longer had confidence in what their father professed. He hadn’t practiced what he preached.[1]

[1] Tan, Paul Lee. 1996. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.