Salty Disciples
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Salty Disciples
Salty Disciples
We are called to be salty disciples
What do I mean by that?
When we think about Salt we often think about the practical applications of salt in our day.
Salt tastes good - it flavors food
Salt preserves
Salt has medicinal purposes - it purifies
As we look through the bible we will see that salt was used for those same practical applications - we find salt mentioned for flavor, we see salt mentioned for preserving food, and we see salt mentioned to purify or to cleanse.
As followers of Christ our lives, our words, our thoughts, out actions, our relationships should be seasoned with salt - which means, they ought to be pleasing to the father.
yet, we also see salt used as a metaphor for our lives. And our relationship with God.
Throughout the bible we find salt mentioned for flavor, we see salt mentioned for cleansing and preserving,
And here in our passage this morning we see Jesus telling his disciples that they are to be salty, and we’ll explore what this means
Salt also has a distinguishing element to it.
50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
We know if food needs salt
We know if there is too much salt on food
Saltiness is the purpose of salt. without its saltiness salt is worth nothing
Look with me at
49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Salt is good, Jesus says
As long as salt maintains its saltiness.
Salt without its distinctive saltiness is of no value to anyone
The saltiness of salt is good for flavor, but if it looses its saltiness there is no point of putting salt on your food
If salt looses it saltiness it is no longer good for preserving nor purifying.
It is the saltiness of Salt that provides the a distinguishing element of salt
We know if food needs salt
We know if there is too much salt on food
Saltiness is the purpose of salt. without its saltiness salt is worth nothing
Throughout the Bible we see that Salt is an important substance that represents some powerful truths
How is salt understood in the bible?
Sacrificial System
For example, in Leviticus we see that salt was used for sacrifices
Salt was used for sacrifices
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
We see in the Leviticus God giving Moses detailed instruction about the sacrificial system.
We often think of the sacrificial system always being about our guilt before God and out need for atonement.
And though this is part of the sacrificial system, thats not the only part
There are dozens of different types of sacrifices many of which are joyous occasions where the whole family comes to the feast and offers a sacrifice to God
There were sacrifices that happened daily, monthly, yearly and on special occasions
Every time Salt was used in sacrifices it was for a sacrifice of worship
Daily sacrifice that included grains and oils that were then cooked together as food for God and for priest and for the family.
What this sacrifice signified was God’s people feasting with God himself.
And the salt was used for God’s enjoyment.
These sacrifices of worship were joyous occasions and the salt used in the grain sacrifice to enhance the experience.
And the salt was called, “the salt of the covenant” which represents the everlasting worship of God.
Salt was used for preservation
And this everlasting covenant is a covenant that is pleasing to God, it tastes good and God and his people enjoy it.
The Jew’s used to say, “the World cannot survive without salt”
And now, Jesus is calling his people to be that salt
This is a vivid reminder that salt was used in the ancient world because it preserved food from rotting.
Salt was used for purification
Ezekiel talks about Salt being used to cleans or wash the people of God.
Ezekiel talks about Salt being used to cleans or wash the people of God.
The Jew’s used to say, “the World cannot survive without salt”
This is a vivid reminder that salt was used in the ancient world because it preserved food from rotting.
So as salty disciples we should be living sacrifices pleasing and acceptable to God. Seeking to flavor, preserve and purify all things for the glory of God.
And we should be about preservation.
The People of God are preserved by putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
We should be be about the purification of all things, that God through us might be purifying relationships, workplaces, social settings, hobbies, homes and everything else.
The People of God are preserved by putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
To live lives of faith that preserve our souls we do battle with sin, we do battle with temptation - we live lives
To live lives of faith that preserve our souls we do battle with sin, we do battle with temptation - we live lives
So what are the traits of a Salty Disciple?
Salty Disciples Flavor the World
Salty Disciples Flavor the World
One of the most effective way Christians can flavor the world for Christ is by living at peace with one another.
50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
One of the most effective way Christians can flavor the world for Christ is by living at peace with one another.
Christian unity is of upmost importance in the New Testament.
It is one of the greatest themes in Paul’s letter and the other NT letters as well.
And what we find in our passage this morning is the disciples not living at peace with someone who has been casting out demons in the name of Christ.
Look with me at...
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
-41
The sticky irony of the disciples complaint
Look what they say in verse 38, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
The disciples are trying to stop someone from successfully casting out demons in the name of Christ because he was not following them.
This is humorous because these same disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the boy only 10 verses ago.
And now they are trying to prevent this man from doing the works of Christ because he is not with them.
How does Jesus respond to the disciples protest?
“Do not stop him”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
mark 9 39-
39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
why?
Jesus gives three reasons
first, no one who does miracles in my name will be able to soon afterward speak evil of me
in other words, the one who does miracles in my name is moving toward me, not away from me.
They are experiencing the power of God
Second, Whoever is not against us is for us
Third, for whoever gives you a cup of water because you are Christ’s will never lose his reward
What Jesus is saying is that though this other man is not following Jesus with the disciples he is still part of God’s people. He is still part of the covenant people.
The disciples are falling into tribalistic tendencies. Which is what Christ has come to abolish.
You see, we often fall into this same mentality. thinking that other believers who do church differently, who have different theological views than us are somehow not true followers of Jesus.
I am not talking false teachers, i’m not talking about cults, and i’m not talking about those who proclaim a false gospel.
The bible is clear that there are many who claim Christ and all the while are leading people away from truth of the gospel.
What I am talking about is seeing people who believe in the scriptures, who believe in gospel, who believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life - yet differ on
theological points
gifts of the spirit
modes of the sacraments
eschatological views
culture
polity
etc.
and we treat them as if they are not part of the people of God.
We see Jesus heart for his church, his whole church, in
This is part of Jesus’ high priestly prayer...
10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
John 17:
This is the Christian future. That all of God’s people will be one
There will be no denominational distinctions
There will be not catholic, Protestant, orthodox divide.
All those who claim Christ will be one. They will be unified.
This is Jesus’ prayer for the church. and this should be our goal, to be one with people of God.
And this testimony of unity will flavor this world for the gospel in ways we cannot imagine.
So, as salty disciples we are to seek unity within the household of faith. Yet, unity is something we have to fight for. Unity and will never be accomplished as long as we continue to allow the enemy to live.
And who is the enemy? its not unbelievers. its not other denominations. Its not political positions.
The enemy is anything that keep us from loving one another, that keeps us from living for God. The enemy is the power of sin in our lives.
Paul talks about doing war with the enemy in
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Salty Disciples wage war in order to preserve the body and soul
Salty Disciples Preserve The Body By Waging War
Salty Disciples Preserve The Body By Waging War
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
Mark 9:43-48
In the call to worship this morning we read from which is Moses’ song right after YHWH brought them through the Red Sea in the Exodus event.
Moses praises YHWH for being a “man of war”
3 The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name.
And Moses starts the song by praising God for destroying the enemy
1 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
YHWH has thrown the horse and his rider into the sea
The horse and his rider is referring to the Egyptians who enslaved God’s people in bondage. Throughout the Bible we see sin being personified as Egypt and their slavery.
Why? because Sin, like the Egyptians, keeps God’s people in bondage, and Jesus has come to set us free.
Look what happened when God threw them into the sea
4 “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
Exodus 15:4-5
They went down to the bottom of the sea like a stone.
Moses song goes on to further explain God’s triumph over his enemies.
It is important to realize God’s posture toward sin. He wants to see it killed. He wants his people to be the most militant people on earth, like trained assassins we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh.
And Jesus, being God, YHWH himself in the flesh, has the same view toward sin.
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Mark 9:
Look what he says, sound familiar?
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin (this is Egypt enslaving the children of God - Israel)
It would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and what? thrown into the sea.
How did Egypt die? they were like thrown into the sea and sunk like a stone.
This is the fate of those who seek to harm God’s people.
This is the fate of those who seek to harm God’s people
This shows us the seriousness of sin.
The seriousness of sin
That sin is so serious that God himself goes to war to defeat it
And followers of God are likewise called to go to war to defeat sin.
And this war is not always outward facing. In fact, Jesus tells us how this war is first waged within ourselves
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
Mark 9:43-
Hand, foot, eye causes you to sin, cut them off.
Hand, foot, eye causes you to sin, cut them off.
Consider again the seriousness of sin if Jesus speaks of it in this way.
If your hand causes you to sin, it would be better to cut it off
If your foot causes you to sin, it would be better to cut it off
If your eye causes you to sin, it would be better to tear it out.
It is better to enter the kingdom of God without a hand foot or eye than to be thrown like the one with the millstone around his neck into hell.
Now, when we read a passage like this we must ask ourselves how are we to interpret such difficult sayings…
Are we to interpret this literally? or is this figural language?
Last week Piper with her ring-pop
hand
Arm
Shoulder
neck
head
Heart
We need new hearts
And it is out of the heart that all evil comes
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Mark 7:
:21-
Evil comes from within, so it is a new heart that we need.
Jesus went to war on the cross so that he could give us a new heart. And that new heart is Christ himself.
So if its not the hand, foot or eye that we are to get rid of why does Jesus mention these three?
Back in Leviticus we see the priesthood being established
Aaron was the high priest, and all priests from that day came from the tribe of Levi and the high priests were to be the sons of Aaron.
The priest represents though who are set apart for God’s service
They were temple servants
They were warriors
They were God’s testimony
When Aaron and his sons were being ordained as priests part of the ritual was for Moses to take the blood of the ram (this is a male sheep) and anoint Aaron and his sons on their right thumb, right big toe, and right earlobe.
What this signified was the whole person was anointed by the blood of the sacrifice. That the priest was to give his whole self to God. from head to foot and everything in between was to serve YHWH.
And now we, as a kingdom of priests have been covered with the blood of the lamb, and our whole selves are to be given to God. From head to toe.
So when Jesus spoke of the foot, the hand and the eye (representing the head) he was saying that if there is any part of you that is not in full service to God that needs to be cut out of your life.
For you have been covered by the blood of the lamb,
This is what it looks like for the people of God to wage war with the enemy.
As followers of Jesus we are to live militant lives, fighting sin.
This is what it looks likes to bear our crosses
We put to death evil thoughts
Evil habits
Does Jes
Every evil habbit
Evil words
Evil motives
Every evil
Evil actions
Evil desires
For if we let evil continue in our lives what is the warning? the warning Jesus gives is nothing short of hell itself.
And how do we put to death the deeds of the flesh?
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
So Salty disciples are disciples who know the enemy and are waging war with the enemy. And waging war with the enemy is part of the process of preserving what God has given us.
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Hebrew 10:
Salty disciples love the brethren and seeks unity. They hate the enemy and seeks to destroy every evil impulse that comes up from within that seeks to destory
And finally, Salty Disciples Are Purified Through Fire
Salty Disciples Are Purified By Fire
Salty Disciples Are Purified By Fire
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
Mark 9.
Here Jesus is saying that we will be salted, or made salty through fire.
This is not referring to hell fire, but rather its referring to the refining fire.
has been one of my favorite proverbs for years…
4 Take away the dross from the silver,
and the smith has material for a vessel;
The dross is the impurities found in the silver
And the way you take away the dross is by putting the silver into a pot over the fire and as the silver begins to melt the dross separates from the silver and the smith is able to scrape away the impurities.
And you know how the smith would know if the silver was ready to be used?
He would look into the pot and if he could see his own reflection in the silver he would know that the impurities have been removed.
My friends, the trials we face in our lives are intended by the great smith to refine us so that when he looks at us he would see his own reflection.
This is how we become salty, through trials, through tribulations, through fire we become purified.
We are living sacrifices
May our church be full of salty disciples
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
May we flavor wichita by our love for one another
May we be preserved by waging war with everything that would seek to decay our spiritual lives.
May we be purified for the glory of God, may we suffer well, and image our savior through hardships.
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
-41
Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.”
The discipels are trying to stop someone from successfully casting out demons in the name of Christ because he was not following them.
This is humorous because these same disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the boy only 10 verses ago.
And now they are trying to prevent this man from doing the works of Christ because he is not with them.
Do not prevent him
why
no one who does miracles in my name will be able to soon afterward speak evil of me
Whoever is not against us is for us
For whoever gives you a cup of water because you are Christ’s will never lose his reward
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Sin is so serious that Jesus talks about sin in terms of warfare.
Hand, foot, eye causes you to sin, cut them off.
As followers of Jesus we are to live militant lives, fighting sin.
This is what it looks likes to bear our crosses
Does Jes