Kingdom Influence

Matthew 5:13-16

Morning Church, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and make your way to Matthew 5.

We are in the second week of going through the Sermon on the Mount, and this is such a timely word.

Its going to get heavy this morning.

I dont know if you have looked around recently but there’s a lot of evil in this world and an entire country was awoken to that fact this week through the assisination of Charlie Kirk and with the murder of Ukrainkine refugee Iryna Zarutska while sitting on a bus in North Carolina minding her own business.

She was was stabbed and killed by man who had previously been arrested 14 times for charges that including felony larceny, armed robbery, breaking and entering, assault, and making threats.

She left her war torn country to seek refuge only to be killed by a man who should have never been released to begin with.

The magistrate judge, Teresa Stokes, an appointed official who did not attend law school or pass the state bar exam released the killer 7 months prio.

Charlie Kirk was killed for what he stood for- what he believed in.

If you aren’t really familiar with Charlie Kirk - he would go on college campuses to have conversation and debates with the students so that the channel of communication would open up between those with different points of view.

He was a Christian- with a Christian worldview when it came to his politics and beliefs.

Killed by a coward who was afraid of opposing ideas and beliefs.

And hundred if not thousands of people rejoiced! They cheered that Charlie Kirk was murdered in front of his wife and 2 young children and streamed for the world to see.

They cheered because a popular outspoken conservative Christian was killed for the world to see.

I can’t lie I was furious at what I saw- Men and Women making fun of a good man who only wanted to have open and honest conversation and he was killed for for it.

And they cheered. There was a guy who immediately stood up and put his hands up in victory at the event like his team won the superbowl.

I thought WHATS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!?

An innocent man was shot and killed by some warped minded pathetic loser and yall celebrate.

I wanted a pound of flesh. I wanted them to be struck down with a mighty vengence.

If they would do that to Charlie Kirk- they would do that to him- theyll do it to me. They’ll do it to my family and my friends.

He was killed for his views.

He believed in biblical marriage, he stood against mutilating boys and girls and that a person can’t swap there gender. Basic biblical principles.

And he was killed for it. The murderer had a partner that is a male but wants the world to believe he is a she.

He was killed because he believed that no matter how many surgeries you have, you’re still the gender God gave you at birth.

and he was killed and they rejoiced like the second incarnation of Hitler was killed.

Just basic Biblical worldviewand they cheered.

and I remembered Jesus’ word we talked about last week- “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Charlie Kirk’s reality is better than anything we can ever experience on this earth.

But because of this evil- we- as a society, as a country, as Christians have tolerated- there are now two little children who are going to grow up in a house with pictures of their father instead of memories.

And that breaks my heart, and it infuriates me and I feel the call of the Holy Spirit to action.

So how do we move forward? What actions can we take when evil feels like it’s winning?

Well, Jesus doesn’t leave us guessing. That’s what I love about the Sermon on the Mount—He tells us clear as day.

He’s going to say in the verses we’re about to read: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”

That’s not a suggestion. That’s not a personality test result. That’s an identity statement for the believer.

Jesus is saying: “Hey, my people, my disciples, my followers—you are what is pushing back the rot of this world. You are what is keeping the darkness from consuming everything.”

Salt in that day wasn’t about flavor first—it was about preservation. It kept meat from rotting. And light? Light exposes, light reveals, light guides.

So church—hear me—we don’t get the luxury of folding our arms and complaining about how dark it is.

We don’t get to sit on the sidelines and just rage against the evil. No, Jesus said you are salt and you are light. Which means we have a role to play.

We preserve the truth when the culture wants to throw it out.

We do not sit silently when the world is screaming lie after lie after lie. We stand. We stand firm in the faith.

We shine the light of Christ when the world is stumbling around in darkness.

We point people to Jesus, not just with our words, but with our lives.

And here’s the thing: being salt and light doesn’t mean we win popularity contests.

Salt stings in a wound. Light makes people uncomfortable when they’ve gotten used to the dark. So don’t be surprised when standing for truth makes people hate you.

But here’s what it does mean—it means we’re not helpless. Evil might be loud, but it is not final. Darkness may celebrate for a moment, but it cannot overcome the light of Christ.

So this morning, as heavy as this is, let’s anchor down into this: our calling hasn’t changed.

Evil doesn’t get the last word. Christ does. And He has called us to be His people, living as salt and light in a decaying and dark world.

So lets read Matthew 5:13-16

Matthew 5:13–16 (ESV) “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.

Pray

Church, don’t miss the key principle in Jesus’ metaphors of salt and light.

Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven- Christ followers- make an impact because we’re different—not weird, not bizarre, not holier than thou- but distinct. We don’t belong to the Kingdom of this World, and that’s exactly why God uses us in it.

But here’s the danger: when salt and light start trying to blend in, when they accommodate or conform to the Kingdom of this World, they lose the very thing that makes them powerful.

Salt that loses its saltiness is useless. Light that gets hidden under a basket is wasted.

Jesus is saying loud and clear—if you and I try to fit in with a world that’s rotting and passing away, we surrender our God-given influence to push back decay and to shine into darkness.

A Christian by definition is a person who follows Christ. It is our job to align ourselves with the word of God.

We cannot shrink back when the world gets hostile and angry and rejoices when a follower of Christ dies. We can’t

We are in a war- its not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

And since we are in a spiritual war- not over land, not over territory- we are in a spiritual battle over souls. We put on the whole armor of God and we fight.

And our weapons- the Sword of the Spirit- which is the Word of God- and with prayer. Those are our weapons.

We pray for those who persecute us.

My prayer for those two who took innocent lives is that they come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

My prayer for every person that cheered when they heard the news is that they come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

My prayer for me and for you- is that when we die, all of hell cheers and rejoices we are out of the fight.

That’s my hope and prayer.

and for that to happen we have to understand who we are and what we are meant to do in this war.

1. You are Salt of the Earth.

Jesus says, “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.”

Be salt- not salty. Very important distinction.

Now, I think what Jesus is saying is this: a non-salty salt is useless. If salt has the color but not the taste—it’s worthless. And here’s what He’s driving at: if you are a Christian but don’t act like one, it’s useless. It doesn’t make sense. Salt without the taste of salt—what good is it?

Now, technically, salt in and of itself doesn’t really lose its taste.

But the way they got salt in the first century was different. Most of it came from the Dead Sea.

They would gather branches, plants, even clumps of material saturated with that salty water. They’d bring it home and use those branches to rub on meat. Over time, though, the salt would run out. And when it did, they would toss those branches onto the roof. If you’ve ever seen homes in Jerusalem, they’re flat and stacked, and so people would walk across it. That’s what Jesus is talking about—it’s good for nothing but to be trampled underfoot.

Here’s what I think the point is: God didn’t save you and “salt” you just so you could sit in a church building.

He didn’t save you only so you could one day go to the sweet by and by. No—He salted you so that right here, right now, you would display and demonstrate His gospel to the world.

Some modern teachers act like Jesus said, “You are the sugar of the earth.”

As if following Him means just being sweet, gentle, and agreeable—never offensive, never confronting, never stirring things up. Just that winesome go with, happy go lucky and with the culture mentality.

But that’s not what Jesus said. He said, “You are the salt of the earth.”

And salt isn’t soft. Salt is strong. Salt preserves. Salt holds back decay. Salt has bite.

Think about it—get salt in a wound, and it stings. It burns. And in the same way, when God’s people live faithfully in a world that’s in rebellion against basic Biblical principles, our very presence can hurt.

A man or woman who is wrong with God is like an open wound, and when the salt of truth touches their life, it irritates. It bothers them.

And a lot of times, instead of repenting, they attack. They mock. They persecute.

But that’s part of the calling. Jesus never promised salt would be convenient. He promised it would be costly. And yet, it’s salt that keeps a culture from rotting completely. It’s salt that slows down the decay. That’s what His disciples are meant to do.

So how do we stay salty? By staying connected to the source—Jesus Christ Himself. You can’t keep your edge by willpower.

You can’t preserve your tang by trying harder. The only way you maintain that sharp, preserving, holy distinctiveness is by remaining in Him.

And hear me—as evidence of this past week, this world isn’t going to celebrate it.

This world isn’t going to applaud it. This is the day of the humiliation of the saints, where following Christ often brings rejection, mockery, and even persecution. But there’s coming a day—the glorification of the saints—when the Kingdom of God will be fully visible, outside as well as inside, and His people will reign with Him in glory.

Until that day comes though- we stand firm in the faith- and we live out the gospel in our day to day lives. Not just in these four walls.

because the salt in your salt shaker is useless if it only stays in the salt shaker.

And the point of salt isn’t to just hang out with other salt. Salt doesn’t need salt.

What needs salt? French fries without salt. Popcorn at the movies needs salt. Meat that’s starting to rot. Food that needs preserving.

Salt only makes sense when it’s scattered. That’s when it’s useful. That’s when it does its job.

And in the same way, we gather together—we gather and get all “salted up” with the Holy Spirit.

But then we’re scattered. Scattered to wherever God sends us, for the purpose of doing His work.

So when Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” He’s not just talking about what happens in here on Sunday. He’s saying the real impact comes when you’re scattered out there, pushing back decay and preserving what’s good for the sake of His kingdom.

Church, think about the weight of this— God has given you a great purpose, and you carry it everywhere you go.

Doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, educated or uneducated, tall or short, old or young—if you belong to Jesus, you’re part of His plan. You’re not sitting on the sidelines; you’re on the board. The King has placed you exactly where He wants you in His great strategy to push back darkness.

And what a privilege that is! Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven have been entrusted with something eternal by our King, Jesus Christ.

But listen—that privilege also comes with accountability. We are stewards of salt, and one day we will stand before Him and give an account for how salty we really were (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus doesn’t give us an option here. He doesn’t say, “Some of you can be salt, others can just blend in.” No—He says you are the salt of the earth. That means you’ve got a central responsibility to live it out in the world around you.

So let me ask you—how are you doing? Really. Don’t just shrug this off. Are you living like a Christian, or are you just carrying the label? Because there’s a difference.

Carrying the label is easy.

Anybody can put a fish bumper sticker on their car. Anybody can check the “Christian” box on a survey. Anybody can show up at church once in a while, bow their head during prayer, and sing a song or two. That’s just the label.

But living like a Christian? Picking up your cross and following him is hard. That’s different.

That means your faith shows up when nobody else is around. That means you don’t just say you believe the Bible—you actually obey it. That means your walk matches your talk, and people can see Jesus in the way you live, not just hear His name in your vocabulary.

The label says, “I believe in Jesus.” Living like a Christian says, “I follow Jesus.”

The label stays comfortable; living it out means sacrifice.

The label blends in with the crowd; living it out means standing out, even when it costs you.

The label is cheap; living like a Christian is costly—but it’s real.

Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who wear the name Christian.” He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” In other words, blessed are those who don’t just carry the label but live it in such a way that the world notices—and sometimes hates them for it.

So again, let me press this—are you salt, or are you just wearing a salt shaker around your neck?

Are you spending your money like a Christian? Or does your bank statement look exactly like your unbelieving neighbor’s? You can tell a lot about someone’s heart by looking at how they spend their money. Jesus said it Himself—“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So here’s the question: does your money show that your heart belongs to Christ, or does it show that your heart is chained to this world? If your bank statement was read aloud in front of this whole church, would anybody be able to tell you follow Jesus? Or would it just look like everyone else—Amazon, Starbucks, restaurants, bills, entertainment, hobbies—with no clear sign that you’ve ever invested in eternity?

Generosity isn’t a side hobby for a Christian—it’s the evidence that you know everything you have belongs to Him. Every dollar in your wallet, every paycheck that hits your account, every resource at your disposal—none of it is really yours. You’re a steward. God gave it, and He can take it away.

So when you give to the work of the church, when you meet the needs of the poor, when you support missionaries, when you bless someone quietly without ever posting about it—you’re declaring with your money, “Jesus is Lord over this too.”

But when you clutch your money tight, when you refuse to give, when you spend it all on yourself with no thought of the kingdom, you’re saying the opposite: “I don’t trust Him with this part of my life.”

Are we talking like a Christian? I almost didn’t bring this one up—because somewhere along the way we got the idea that talking like a Christ-follower means you sit down, be quiet, and if you do say something, it better be watered down and “sissified.” But let’s be honest—that’s not what Jesus meant when He said you’re the salt of the earth.

Speaking like a Christian means your words carry weight. They preserve truth in a world that’s decaying. They add flavor in places where everything feels bland and empty. They bring life where death has been speaking. That’s what salt does—it seasons, it preserves, it changes the atmosphere.

So ask yourself: when you open your mouth, are your words helping hold back the rot, or are they adding to it? Do people hear encouragement, or do they just hear complaint? Do they get honesty, or do they get gossip? At home, does your spouse hear words of love and respect, or cutting sarcasm? Do your kids hear blessing, or do they just hear constant criticism?

See, salty words don’t mean soft words. Sometimes salt stings—it cleanses, it confronts, it makes you wince. But it also heals and preserves. In the same way, speaking like a Christian means you’re willing to speak truth even when it’s not popular, and you do it in a way that points people to Christ.

Because if salt just sits there and never touches anything, it’s useless. And if our words never reflect Jesus—if they never season the conversation, never preserve the truth, never bring out what’s good—then what good are we doing?

Is your family being led like a Christian family?

Not just “do we pray before meals” but does your home actually look different because Jesus is Lord there? Dads—are you pastoring your kids, or are you outsourcing that to YouTube and youth group? Moms—are you showing your children what it looks like to walk in grace and strength? Husbands and wives—are you modeling covenant love, forgiveness, and sacrifice, or are you just roommates who happen to share a mortgage?

And what about your free time? When the schedule slows down, when you’re not on the clock, when nobody’s checking your productivity—do your choices still reflect Christ? Or does your “off time” become “my time,” where Jesus gets put on mute? Salt doesn’t stop being salt when it’s not in the spotlight. You don’t get to hang your Christianity on a hook when the workday ends.

When you walk into a room, does the language shift? Do people straighten up a little because they know you’re not going to laugh at that joke or join in on that gossip? Or are you so blended in with the crowd that nobody even notices? Does the atmosphere get lighter because you show up? Do you change the temperature at work or at school by the way you carry yourself—working hard without complaining, showing up on time, treating everyone with kindness, refusing to talk about people behind their back?

That’s what salty living looks like. You don’t have to announce it. You don’t have to wear a T-shirt or carry a Bible the size of a suitcase. You just live it—day after day, moment by moment—and the difference is undeniable.

But we aren’t called just to be Salt, we are called to be light.

2. You are the light of the World.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.”

Notice this—identity comes before activity.

He doesn’t say, “Now that you’re a Christian, you ought to try really hard to be light.” No—He says, “You are light.” It’s who you are. And what does light do? Light pushes back darkness.

We live in a dark world. I don’t even need to convince you of that anymore—you see it every time you turn on the news, every time you scroll your feed, or listen to the conversations at work.

But here’s the question: where is your world lit up because God placed you there? Is there light in your job because you show up? Is there light in your home because of the way you love and lead? Is there light in your neighborhood because you’re present? Is there light in your school because of the way you carry yourself?

Jesus says a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Now, that language goes back to Israel in the Old Testament. God told Israel that they would be set apart—holy—and that their distinctiveness would be so obvious, it would be like a city glowing on top of a hill. The nations would look at them and say, “You must serve a mighty God because of the way you live and the way you trust Him.” That’s what He’s saying about us now—you are to be so different, so distinct, so set apart, that people can’t help but notice.

And then He says, “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Why? Because the point of light isn’t to be admired—it’s to be useful.

This is huge. The church exists for the glory of God. We are here to put His glory on display so that people would be drawn to Him. That means the church does not exist for the church. The church doesn’t exist just to make the church comfortable. That’s like turning on a light and covering it with a basket.It doesn’t make sense.

Light has to shine in dark places. If you turn on a flashlight and shine it in your own face, it doesn’t help you—it blinds you. But when you shine it out, it illuminates the room and helps everyone else see. That’s the calling of the people of God. We’re not here to huddle up in the light we already have. We’re here to shine it into places that are desperate for hope, desperate for truth, desperate for Jesus.

Let me give us a little warning.

I believe God is doing something and stirring something through this tragedy with the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

As awful as it is, it seems to me there’s a spiritual hunger and thirst beginning to rumble in our country. People are shaken. People are searching. People are watching to see how Christians respond when evil takes a swing.

As I’ve talked with other pastors this week, I hear the same thing: there are people reading the bible, people that are reaching out and asking questions, listening to the gospel who never would have before. Hearts are opening in ways they weren’t before.

But let me warn you—if God sends people our way out of this, if He opens doors for people to walk into our church because they’re desperate for truth, we better be ready.

And if all we do is treat that moment like a family reunion—if we just get excited to see the same people we already know—we’ll miss the opportunity God is giving us.

That’s not why we’re here. We’re not called to sit together in the salt shaker. Salt is meant to be scattered. Light is meant to shine into dark places. So when God brings the broken, the hurting, the searching into our doors, we can’t turn inward. We have to step out and live like salt and light in the moment He has set before us.

And hear me—don’t shine the light in your own face. God didn’t save you just to hide away or to make your life about you. He saved you to display Christ to this broken world.

Now think about the kind of light we’re supposed to be.

God gave us two primary lights in the sky—the sun and the moon. The sun is the source of light. The moon, though, only reflects the light of the sun. That’s us. We’re supposed to be like the moon. When people look at us, they shouldn’t be impressed with us—they should see the reflection of Jesus, the true source of light.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” And then He turned around and said, “You are the light of the world.” How does that work? In and of ourselves, we don’t have that light. We can’t produce it. But we can reflect Him. That’s the calling.

So if that’s true, if you are the light of the world, then why is it sometimes so dim? Jesus tells us—because some of us have a basket over our light. And that doesn’t even make sense. Who lights a lamp just to cover it up?

So what are the baskets that smother the light of believers?

I think one of the biggest is pride. We get confused about what it means to be the light. Instead of reflecting Jesus like the moon reflects the sun, we start trying to play the role of the sun itself. We want to be the center. We want the attention. We want the spotlight. And when we make it about us, people don’t see Jesus. They just see us—and that’s not what He called us to.

In fact, if you jump ahead to chapter 6, Jesus is going to say, “Don’t do your good works in front of men to be seen by them.” But right here in chapter 5, He says, “Do your good works so people will see them and glorify your Father in heaven.” So which is it? It’s about motivation. In one case, you’re doing good works so people notice you. In the other, you’re doing good works so people notice Him. And often the reason people can’t see the light of Jesus in us is because we love the spotlight too much.

Another basket is fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of awkwardness. Fear of losing the applause of people. Let’s be real—the reason many of us don’t step out boldly, the reason we don’t share our faith, the reason we stay quiet when God prompts us to speak, is because we’re terrified of what people might think about us. Pride hides the light because we want all the attention. Fear hides the light because we’re scared of losing it.

Either way—the light’s covered, and the world stays in darkness.

Consider this for just a second. Imagine you were having a conversation with one of the Apostles—pick any of them. Let’s say Paul, or John, or Peter. And we tried to explain to them why it’s so hard for us to share our faith.

We’d say, “Yeah, Paul, I know the Great Commission. I’ve read Acts 1:8—‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses starting right here in my neighborhood.’ But, Paul, the reason I don’t share my faith is…”

And Paul would jump in: “Oh, I get it—it’s because of persecution, right? If you open your mouth, they’ll throw you to the lions?” “No, not that.” “Oh, then it must be because they’ll lock your family in prison?” “No, not that either.” “Oh, so you’ll lose your job if you speak up?” “Still no.”

“It’s just… kind of awkward.”

Can you imagine the look on Paul’s face? He wouldn’t even have a category for that. And that’s why Paul would remind us, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Fear of what people think—it’s a basket. It hides the light.

But there’s another one, and honestly it might be the biggest one for us: distraction.

We’re just distracted. I don’t think any of us who love Jesus wake up in the morning and say, “Today, I’m going to neglect every lost person on the planet.”

No. We just wake up and don’t think about them at all. Because our minds are so wrapped up in the noise and the toys of this world.

We chase what the world chases. We value what the world values. And slowly, our light gets harder and harder to distinguish from the darkness around us.

John Piper nails this. He says in Don’t Waste Your Life: “Life is war. That’s not all it is, but it is always that.”

That’s the perspective we’ve lost. Prayer, he says, is supposed to be a wartime walkie-talkie—calling headquarters for help as the church advances into enemy territory. But we treat prayer like a domestic intercom—ringing the butler for more comforts in the living room.

And Piper goes on: “I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start calling earth home. Before you know it, I’m calling luxuries needs, I’m using my money like unbelievers do, and I forget the war. Missions and unreached people disappear from my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mindset that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do.”

Man, that’s us. And Jesus is saying—you are the light of the world. Which means we are at war- and a lot of us were woken up to that fact recently- But its a war for the souls of men and women. And when you’re at war, you change everything. You think differently. You spend differently. You speak differently. You pray differently. You live differently.

Because eternity is on the line.

Think about the Greatest Generation in World War II. They understood there was a great evil threatening freedom, so they leveraged everything to win the war. And as important as that moment was in human history, it doesn’t even come close to the eternal war raging right now for the souls of mankind.

And yet, what do we do? We think, “Nah, I’ll just use my money for me. More is mine.” We forget. We forget that Jesus said we are the light of the world. And if we don’t shine in the dark places, how will the world ever see?

Saltless salt makes no sense. A light that doesn’t shine is useless. Jesus is saying—don’t be a useless Christian.

Here’s the truth: sometimes we live like practical atheists. We may theologically believe all the right things—substitutionary atonement, justification by faith, all of it. But practically? Our lives don’t taste salty, and they sure don’t shine.

That’s why Jesus goes on: “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.”

I’ll be real with you—I wrestled with that line all week. My first thought was: okay, do good works so people see them and give glory to God. So I made a list—sign up for a mission trip, serve at church, give blood, volunteer. Those are all good things, but here’s the problem: I don’t know anyone who got saved because we filled up a blood drive. Nobody walked into the Red Cross and said, “Tell me about your Father in heaven!”

See, lots of people do nice things. But kindness alone doesn’t automatically translate into God getting the glory. So I asked God: What am I missing?

And then it hit me. Sometimes Bible teachers like me get too caught up in breaking everything into weeks and headings. Beatitudes here, Salt and Light there. But remember—Jesus preached all of this in one sermon. What if we’re missing the connection?

What if the “good works” He’s talking about aren’t just random acts of kindness, but the kind of life He just described in the Beatitudes? What if the light shines brightest when you’re living differently—when you’re meek, when you hunger and thirst for righteousness, when you’re merciful, when you’re pure in heart, when you endure persecution for His name’s sake?

Because that’s when the world takes notice. That’s when your life points people beyond you to the Father. That’s how we walk as light and salt in the sinful world. Evil doesn’t get the last word in this—Jesus does. And we know that because He defeated death and the grave.

And that’s the point—living as salt and light isn’t about us trying harder, it’s about what Jesus has already done. Because sin is no small thing—my sin, your sin, it killed Jesus. And yet at the cross, justice was satisfied and grace was poured out, and that’s what makes this kind of life possible.

Sometimes people hear the good news of the gospel and twist it into a license to sin. But if that’s how you hear it—you’re not hearing it right.

People say, “Oh, these gospel preachers are soft on sin today.” No. Absolutely not. My sin is a really big deal. Your sin is a really big deal. So big, in fact, that it Jesus died for it. That’s how serious it is.

Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t live. He died the sinner’s death we all deserve. Because in the eyes of a righteous and holy Judge, sin had to be paid for. And the only payment that counted was the blood of Jesus Christ.

So yes, sin is a massive deal. But here’s the good news—there is no sin greater than the grace of God poured out at the cross. The cross is the place where the justice of God and the love of God collide. It’s where sin is punished and sinners are forgiven. It’s where Jesus becomes both the just and the justifier.

Now, I know what happens in a message like this. You start thinking, “Man, I’ve got work to do. I need to be saltier. I need to shine brighter. I better hurry up and do something radical so people know Jesus matters more than my comforts .” A few verses later and I will expand upon this more next week but he says: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

And you think—well, that’s impossible. Exactly.

Because if this is about how good you are, then you’d have to be better than the pros—the scribes and Pharisees. These were professional do-gooders.

They had the whole Old Testament memorized, they built laws around laws just to keep from breaking one. And yet, they stood three feet from the Son of God—the very breath of God in their face—and they didn’t even recognize Him. Why? Because they were blinded by their own self-righteousness.

So when Jesus says, “Your righteousness has to exceed theirs,” He’s not saying try harder.

He’s pointing us back to where He started: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when you realize, “I don’t have it in me. I’m spiritually bankrupt. Jesus, I can’t.” And He says, “Good. Bring that to Me.”

Here’s the truth: God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

On the cross, Jesus didn’t just die for sins—He became sin. And when you trust Him, you don’t stand in your own righteousness anymore. You stand in His.

That’s the heartbeat of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s not another impossible list of rules you could never keep. It’s a picture of what happens when Christ lives in you and through you.

And when that happens—you’re salt. You change the world. You’re light. You push back darkness. Not because you’re good, but because Jesus is good. Not because you’re righteous, but because His righteousness has covered you.

We are not saved by our good works—we are saved by Christ’s finished work. But when we are saved, we are saved for good works. To make a difference. To live distinct. To shine His light into dark places.

So don’t rest in your goodness—it will never be enough. Rest in His finished work. Let that be what gets you out of bed every single day. To live different, act different, speak different. So that when people look at your life and say, “What’s up with that?”—you open your mouth and point them straight to the glory of God.

Because it’s all about Jesus.

Would you pray with me?

Our good and gracious Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You that when we could not climb up to You, You came down to us. Thank You that You dealt with our sin fully and finally at the cross. And Lord, I pray against our pride, our insecurity, and our distractions. Help us to live as salt and light in this broken world—not in arrogance, but in humility. Not in our righteousness, but in Christ’s. And when the world mocks us, reviles us, even persecutes us—may we shine like stars in the night sky. God, use us to point people to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Church, we always respond to the gospel. That’s what we do. So let’s stand together and respond- Whatever it is God is calling you to do- do it. I’m standing up front along with our deacons and staff if you need to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus or take that next step of obedience—not in our strength, but in Christ’s. Let’s sing the gospel.