More Than Just Seasoning

Text: Matthew 5:13

** More Than Just a Seasoning **

Good morning, family!

International Festival AKA: “Sorvecana” - 9/13

Happy Labor Day to all!

For many of us, this weekend truly marks a turning point in the year, doesn't it? We close out the summer season with barbecues and trips to the lake/beach and prepare for the new rhythms of fall. This is especially true for our families with children. Backpacks are packed, lunchboxes are (almost) ready to go, and a new school year is upon us.

It's a time of transitions—new teachers, new classmates, new challenges, and, for some of us, the arrival of a quiet time at home during the day. It's a time when we think about the work of our hands, yes, but also the work of our hearts: the work of raising children, building a Christ-centered home, and navigating a world that often seems to be pulling our families in a dozen different directions.

In the midst of this transition, it's the perfect time to remember our true purpose. Not just as students, staff, or parents, but as followers of Jesus. What is our family's true work in this world? What is the work we are truly called to do?

This morning, we will examine a single, powerful verse in which Jesus gives us a description of our job. It is a role for each of us, especially our families. He looks at us, in all our hectic and sometimes chaotic normality, and gives us an incredible identity and a crucial mission.

So, if you are feeling the weight of this new phase, or if you are wondering how your life can truly make a difference, open your heart. Because Jesus has a word for you today, and it is surprisingly... salty.

Let's turn to Matthew, chapter 5, verse 13.

We are in a series of messages based on “The Sermon on the Mount”… we are calling it “The Path to Authentic Happiness”

Jesus has been describing a series of attitudes we should have—the Beatitudes—a list of attitudes we should have in our lives. It is a list of what We should BE. He describes the character of His disciples.

The Beatitudes: blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the pure in heart, the peacemakers... and when he finishes the list of the Beatitudes he says:

Matthew 5:13 NIV

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 underfoot.

“You are the salt of the earth.”

The word “are” indicates that He is revealing to us what we are now! Present tense…

Jesus is not waiting for his disciples to graduate from the seminary or to grow up to call them salt.

He calls his disciple, right now, in minivans and messy kitchens, salt of the earth.

When who WE ARE is right, then what we DO will be right.

When we, as Christians, implement the Beatitudes in our lives, we are the salt of the earth.

When we possess these Kingdom characteristics, we will be a positive influence and make a difference in the world around us.

In this single verse, Jesus used salt as an object lesson. Jesus shifts the focus.

He moves from describing our *character* to declaring our *calling*.

He looks at that group of imperfect disciples and says something that may seem a little strange.

“You are the salt of the earth?”

What does He mean by that?

Let's take a closer look at what Jesus said.

First, notice what Jesus *doesn't* say.

He doesn't say, "You should *try* to become salt"

or "I really hope you can be salt someday."

He says, **"You *are* the salt of the earth."**

This is a statement of identity.

If you are a follower of Jesus, that's who you *are*.

Right now. Not later, when you have your life in order.

Not when you're older and wiser.

Now… In your busy life, fragile health, complicated finances, and full of challenges and fears…

Jesus looks at you and says, "You. You are salt.

You have a fundamental and essential role to play in the world!

But what does that mean? What does salt do?

To understand, we need to think about what salt does.

In Jesus' time, salt was super important. It didn't come in a little cardboard container.

It was precious.

People don't realize that wars have been fought over control of salt.

More wars have been fought over salt than over gold because salt is so precious.

The ancient road via Solaria from Rosettia to Rome was constantly guarded by Roman soldiers who fought off marauders and invading armies seeking salt.

The Germans fought over salt streams.

Many Indian wars in our country were fought over salt pans or salt springs. The Indians protected them at all costs.

One of the main purposes of the Union campaign in Virginia was to capture a Confederate salt spring at Saltville.

The Union Army's objective in Louisiana was to cut off the salt springs of New Orleans. Their success helped shorten the war.

Salt in 1865 sold for a high price of $1 per pound.

In the ancient world and in biblical times, salt was highly valued.

Homer called salt "divine."

Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods."

Barbarian tribes sometimes made a bag of salt worth more than a man.

Salt cakes served as money in ancient Ethiopia and Tibet.

Regarding its use as money, it is instructive to note that the English word "salary" comes from the word salarium.

The salarium was the Roman soldier's pay or allowance for salt.

In biblical times Salt was precious and it had two main functions:

1. Salt preserves.

Before refrigerators, salt was the primary way to prevent meat or fish from spoiling.

If you had a piece of meat/fish that would spoil in a day, you would rub salt on it. The salt would prevent rot and keep the meat good for consumption for a long, long time. It would protect it.

It prevented spoilage. It kept things good and edible for longer.

Jesus is saying that His disciples are agents of preservation in a world prone to moral and spiritual decay.

We must be agents of integrity, justice, and truth that slow the decay of corruption, dishonesty, and evil.

Illus. Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared or preserved from destruction if there had been ten people just. The righteous would have been like salt. I believe that the presence and prayers of God's people in the United States today have held back the full hand of God's wrath against this nation as it continues to become more pagan and wicked. Righteousness made our nation great, and the lack of it will destroy it.

Our actions and attitudes must be like salt. We must preserve our families and cities from corruption and keep corruption in check. This is done by taking a stand against things like immorality, abortion, drugs, gender ideology, etc.

We can take a stand in many ways: in our pulpits, public schools, at school, on social media, and at the polls.

The most important thing we can do, however, is to live godly and obedient lives to the Lord.

* Proverbs 14:34 — Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

* 2 Chronicles 7:14 — If MY people, who are called by MY name, will humble themselves and pray and seek MY face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2. Salt adds flavor.

The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it enhances the flavor of food.

Let's be honest: Have you ever eaten a baked potato? It's... bland. It's boring. But what happens when you add a little salt? It's delicious!

Salt enhances the delicious flavor that's already there.

Saltless food is bland.

Salt enhances the depth of flavor. It makes food *taste* the way it should.

A disciple of Jesus is to life what salt is to food.

Jesus is saying that a life lived with Him at the center is not a dull, rule-based, and boring life.

Christ enhances the flavor of life.

Our presence and influence should improve the lives of those around us.

We should live to be a blessing to them.

Our words should strengthen and bring encouragement to people.

Just as salt melts ice, our words should help people warm the cold, hard hearts that have been hardened by sin.

Matthew 24:12—Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

Colossians 4:6—Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Those who profess to be disciples of Jesus cannot be sour, selfish, stingy, sensual, treacherous, grumblers, critical, and grouchy…

These attitudes are dishonorable and do not add good seasoning to those around them.

People like this are not like salt, but more like onions, and they make people cry.

It is true that a disciple often irritates a wicked world that rejects Christ, for the disciple honors Christ. Causing this irritation through Christlikeness is not dishonorable.

What is dishonorable is when we are a bunch of grumps.

Men need to discover the brightness, love, and joy of the Christian faith.

In a worried world, the Christian must especially be the person who remains serene.

In a depressed world, the Christian must especially be the person who remains filled with the joy of life.

There should be a pure glow about the Christian, but too often, they act like a mourner at a funeral.

We all need to work on being pleasant, no matter what life's situation we find ourselves in.

It is a life of purpose, joy, love, and meaning.

It is the life we ​​were designed for. And by living this way, we add that flavor to the world around us.

We make things more vibrant, more joyful, more *real*.

3. Salt Creates Thirst

Followers of Jesus must live in such a way that it makes those around them thirst for what they have.

Not a thirst for religion!

But a thirst for the peace they have in chaos, the hope they have in failure, the love they demonstrate that seems so different.

Our lives must create a spiritual thirst that leads people directly to the living water, Jesus himself.

This is our identity. Preservers. The Seasoning that Enhances the Flavor of Life! We are Thirst Creators!

But then Jesus gives a stern warning:

“But if the salt loses its saltiness…”

In chemistry, salt is sodium chloride (NaCl).

It is a stable compound. In fact, it cannot *lose* its saltiness.

So, what is Jesus talking about?

If salt is mixed with other minerals, it becomes useless.

It cannot preserve anything.

It cannot flavor any food.

Its only use will be to be thrown back into the earth—to be “trampled underfoot.”

Jesus’ warning is about becoming a **nominal Christian** **fake religious**

It’s about looking like someone on the outside—maybe going to church, having a fish sticker on your laptop, knowing the right phrases—

but lacking the ability to preserve, to add flavor and create thirst.

Illustration: The Popcorn Test

Let me give you an illustration that everyone will understand.End: Make popcorn.

You put the bag of popcorn in the microwave, and the smell fills the house. You pour the popcorn into the bowl, and it turns out perfectly. Then comes the main ingredient: you grab the salt shaker and throw it over the popcorn.

Now, imagine if, as you take a bite, you discover someone has filled the salt shaker with pure white sand. It looks exactly like salt. It was in the right container. From the outside, you can't tell the difference. But the first bite is horrible! It's just crunchy and flavorless. It's useless! You'd spit it out and throw the whole bowl away.

The sand looked like salt, but it didn't have the power of salt.

Jesus is saying, "Don't be like that. Don't be a person who only looks like salt on Sunday morning.

Be a person who is truly salty—who truly brings My flavor and My preserving power to the world."

How does this happen to us?

Inconsistency

When we fail to have God's power in our lives and to have a consistent Christian witness, we lose the flavor of the Lord in our lives.

The devastation of inconsistency is seen in the following story. R. C. Sproul, in his book *Objections Answered*, tells of a young Jewish man who grew up in Germany many years ago. The boy had a deep sense of admiration for his father, who ensured the family's life revolved around the religious practices of his faith. The father faithfully took them to synagogue.

In his teenage years, however, the boy's family was forced to move to another city in Germany. This city had no synagogue, only a Lutheran church. The life of the community revolved around the Lutheran church; all The best people belonged there. Suddenly, his father announced to the family that they would all abandon their Jewish traditions and join the Lutheran church. When the astonished family asked why, his father explained that it would be good for his business.

The young man was perplexed and confused. His deep disappointment soon gave way to anger and a kind of intense bitterness that tormented him throughout his life. Later, he left Germany and went to England to study. Every day he went to the British Museum, formulating his ideas and composing a book. In this book, he introduced a new worldview and conceived a movement designed to change the world. He described religion as the "opium of the people." This young man committed the people who followed him to a life without God. His ideas became the norm for the governments of nearly half the world's population. What was his name? It was Karl Marx, founder of the communist movement. The history of the 20th century and perhaps beyond was significantly affected because a father allowed his values ​​to become distorted and was inconsistent in his beliefs.

You lose your power and influence over others because of misplaced priorities and inconsistency in your life.

Discontent, irritation, anger, or bitterness can undermine your effectiveness.

When we are angry or bitter, we have difficulty focusing on what God wants for us.

Instead, our focus is on the person we are angry with.

We become consumed by hatred, and our bitterness poisons our spirit and the lives of others.

Our bitterness leads us astray, and we begin to lose our effectiveness for the Lord.

If we vent our anger and bitterness on others, we create resentment and lose our ability to lead or teach them.

They can't hear what we are saying because our actions are shouting at them.

Often, when a person is filled with anger, it comes out of their mouth.

Their words tend to be like poison. If we claim to be believers but can't control our mouths, we lose our flavor and effectiveness.

Our "religion" is useless. That's what James told us.

James 1:26 NIV

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

Disobedience and deafness to the truth of God’s Word can ruin your testimony.

Disobedience to God leads to defeat and loss of spiritual power.

How can we influence people to follow Christ when we ourselves are not doing so?

Our stubbornness or obstinacy often leads to misfortune.

We are so determined to go our own way that we become distracted from the common sense of God’s Word or the sound advice of others.

We become foolish or lose our taste, making stupid decisions that harm ourselves and others because we refuse to listen to what the Lord has to say.

People look at what we are doing and wonder, “What are you doing? What has happened to you? Are you crazy?

I thought you were a Christian.” Not only do we lose our savor, our effectiveness for God, but we also lose God's blessings because we walk in the counsel of the wicked.

Jeremiah 5:23 “But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.”

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is he who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

Dollars or material possessions can dilute their savor.

In ancient China, the people wanted security from invaders from the north, so they built the Great Wall of China. It was so high that they believed no one could scale it and so thick that nothing could break it down. They settled down to enjoy its security. During the first hundred years of the wall's existence, China was invaded three times by its enemies. How did this happen?

Never once did the invaders tear down the wall or scale it. This is what they did. Each time they invaded, they bribed a guard and then marched straight through the gates. The Chinese were so busy trusting in stone walls that they forgot to teach their children integrity. Greed for money rendered the guard ineffective. He was useless. In fact, he became dangerous and destructive.

When money becomes such a priority that we neglect the Lord and His Word in our lives, we lose our effectiveness for the Lord.

When a person loves earthly things so much that they cannot live without them and will do anything to obtain them, they open themselves up to all kinds of temptation and suffering.

Their behavior, choices, and decisions become destructive to the cause of Christ because of their example to the unsaved. Paul warned us about our relationship with money and things.

1 Timothy 6:9 NIV

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Matthew 13:22 NIV

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

God wants us to resolve to serve Him. He must be the priority and master of our lives.

On the night of April 14, 1912, the great passenger ship, the Titanic, struck an iceberg in the Atlantic and sank, causing great loss of life. One of the most curious stories to emerge from the disaster was that of a woman who had a seat in one of the lifeboats. She asked if she could return to her cabin to get something and was given only three minutes. As she hurried through the corridors, she stepped on money and precious stones scattered across the floor where they had been hastily left. In her own cabin, she ignored her own jewelry and instead picked up three oranges. Then she quickly returned to her seat on the boat. Just hours earlier, it would have been ridiculous to think she would accept a crate of oranges in exchange for even a small diamond, but circumstances had suddenly changed. all the valuables on board the ship. Oranges had become more precious than diamonds.

Beloved, the Lord wants us to understand that the most valuable things in life are the souls of men and living our lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what matters to Him.

What is truly important to you?

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:13 NIV

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 underfoot.

Now listen careful now… (I am finishing now…)

Salt will always be salt because its chemical properties do not change. (Jesus knew this.)

But as we've said before, salt becomes useless for flavoring and preserving if it is not kept pure.

This passage is not talking about losing salvation.

A true Christian cannot lose their salvation, but they can lose their savor or influence for Christ, which can render them unfit for Christian service.

This imposes limitations on what they can and cannot do for the Lord because they have damaged their testimony before others.

Christians cannot lose their salvation, just as salt cannot lose its inherent saltiness.

Christians can lose their influence and effectiveness in the kingdom when sin and worldliness contaminate their lives, just as salt can become tasteless when contaminated by other minerals.

Ruining your Christian testimony is a very serious matter.

Unfortunately, many Christians simply don't understand this and don't care at all.

Perhaps you have significantly ruined your life.

Perhaps you have done something that has seriously damaged your Christian testimony and feel that, at this moment, you are “no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”.

Let me say that, first of all, there is forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ if you seek His forgiveness and repent.

Yes, your behavior may have damaged your testimony and limited some of the things you can do to serve the Lord.

God, however, can still use you if you are willing.

You can begin to rebuild your life by being faithful to the Lord,

faithful in church, and clearing your conscience with God and with men,

seeking their forgiveness and restoring any harm you may have caused.

Spend time in God's Word each day and develop your love for Him.

Over time, as people begin to gain trust in you, as they see consistency and faithfulness in your life, opportunities to serve the Lord may arise again.

Your responsibility is to be faithful to Christ and leave the rest to God's will for your life.

You can still be good salt if that desire is in your heart,

or you can choose the foolish path, give up, leave the church, and truly be good for nothing, “except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

A certain speaker began his talk holding up a twenty-dollar bill. “Who would like this twenty-dollar bill?” he asked. Hands began to rise throughout the audience. He said, “I’ll give this twenty-dollar bill to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He then crumpled the bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” The same hands rose in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” He dropped it on the floor and began rubbing it on the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, all crumpled and dirty. “Now, who still wants it?” Again, hands went up.

“You all learned a valuable lesson,” the speaker said. “No matter what I did with the money, you still wanted it because it didn’t diminish in value. You still saw the value in it, even though it was dirty and wrinkled. It was still worth $20.

So often in our lives, we are knocked down, crushed, and rubbed into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as if we have no value. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God’s eyes. Dirty or clean, wrinkled or finely creased, you are precious to Him.”

In the same vein, we can meet others who have soiled and harmed their lives. If they are repentant, we can help them by seeing the value of their lives in the service of Christ.

We can help them rise again spiritually. Just as the Lord saw value in us when we were wayward, may we see the value and potential of others, even if they are not where they should be spiritually.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Personal Application:

**So, what's the application? How do we stay salty?**

It's not about adding more stress to your already busy life. It's about letting Jesus' love naturally flavor everything you already do.

It's about staying connected.

1. Draw Close to the Source.

Salt cannot salt itself.

Our power to "salt" comes from our relationship with Jesus.

It is to abide in Him John 15:4

Spend time in prayer.

Read the Word not just to get information, but to hear from Him.

Meditate on the Word.

Practicing the Word…

James 1:19–25

This is how we stay salty.

2. Get Out of the Salt Shaker

Salt doesn't do any good just sitting in a jar on the shelf.

It needs to come out and mingle with the food. For us, this means

intentionality

You are part of the world God wants to preserve! This means:

In your work: Be a person of radical integrity.

Do excellent work. Help a colleague everyone ignores.

Be a preserver.

In your friendships:

Be the one who brings joy, who listens without judgment, who offers genuine hope.

Be the one who brings flavor to others' lives.

At your school/campus:

Join a club. Show up. Be present. Don't just stay in the Christian bubble.

But remember: You are Salt!

Live a life of love and grace so genuine that people begin to ask, "What's different about you?"

Be a creator of Thirsty.

Conclusion:

Young people, you are not the future of the church; you are the church, *now*.

Mothers, fathers, grandparents: you are not just managing chaos. You are raising the next generation of world changers.

Jesus is not waiting for your children to grow up to call them salt.

He calls your family, right now, in minivans and messy kitchens, to be the salt of the earth.

Jesus has given us a vital and transformative identity.

You are not insignificant. Your life is not meaningless.

You are the salt of the earth!

So, I want to challenge you with a question:

Where has God placed you to be salt?

In a hospital bed? Be salt.

In a prison cell? Be salt.

In a complicated family? Be salt.

In a company where the team is full of negativity. Be salt.

Maybe it's that school you don't want to be in. Be salt.

Maybe Whether it's in your own heart, where anxiety and fear are causing decay. Let the truth and love of Christ preserve you.

Don't be content to be a superficial Christian.

Don't just put on a show.

Be who Jesus says you are.

Be bold, authentic, and truly salty.

Because the world around you is decaying, dull, and thirsty.

And Jesus said that you, yes, you, have exactly what they need.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father,

We come to You this morning as we are—a little tired, often disorganized, but so grateful for the Word You have given us this day. Thank you for the incredible truth that You see us not for our flaws, but for our purpose. You call us salt.

Lord, we confess that we often feel more like sand. We feel overwhelmed, unqualified, and have lost our flavor in the rush of life. We ask for Your forgiveness and Your renewing grace.

Jesus, You are The source of all our saltiness. Therefore, we pray now for our families. Fill our homes with Your presence. Help us stay connected to You, so that our lives may be filled with the flavor of Your joy, Your peace, and Your patience.

Give us creativity to find moments to be salt this week—at the dinner table, at school, at work… Make us preservers of goodness in an often harsh world. Make us bearers of Your flavor where there is boredom and loneliness.

Help us to love people in a way that makes others feel and see that You are good.

We ask all this in the powerful and preserving name of Jesus.

Amen.