The Salt Shaker
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Introduction
Introduction
Background - Jesus just finished preaching on the Beatitudes (Blessed Sayings) which is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes set the tone for the entire sermon by emphasizing man’s humility and God’s righteousness.
The Beatitudes makes a list of the characteristics of Christians or what is the ideal heart condition of a kingdom citizen. A real Christian is someone who has a radically different relationship with God through belief in the gospel message.
()—Those who depend on God
()—The poor in spirit - awareness of our spiritual bankruptcy apart from Christ
()—The mourners - to be grieved and broken over sin
()—The meek - those that know how to exercise gentleness and self-control
()—The hungry and the thirsty - those who crave God’s righteousness
()—Those who live for God
()—The merciful - those who know how to be forgiving and compassionate
()—The pure in heart - refers to THE INTERNAL CLEANSING NECESSARY FOR ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE () [PUT A PIN IN THIS BLESSING]
()—The peacemakers - those who love to invite men to be reconciled with God and with one another
()—Those who are persecuted - those who would rather be praised by God than praised by man and who don’t mind suffering for His namesake
But, beginning at v.13, the focus shifts from our relationship with God to our relationship with the world or how we should relate to the world. Jesus says, from v.13-16, “Here’s how My disciples will relate to the world.” . In other words, He is saying, “I just finished telling you the characteristics of being My disciples and now I’ve got to show you the PURPOSE of being my disciples.
In v. 14 Jesus says that ‘You are the light of the world.’ In the Bible light:
symbolizes truth because light exposes falsehoods and lies.
light also symbolizes hope and joy because light shines in the darkness and makes everything look better
In one of His 7 I Am Statements, Jesus said that He Is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. We are light but He is THE LIGHT.
In one of His 7 I Am Statements, Jesus said that He Is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. We are light but He is THE LIGHT.
He said that He is the The Way, The Truth and The Life (truth - there’s that word truth again, meaning the Truth of who Jesus is sheds light on the fact that He is the only Way to Eternal Life.
So when the Bible says that we are the light of the world, it means that we should expose the lies of the devil and bring hope and joy through the truth; THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, PAID THE PENALTY AND NOW SITS IN GLORY WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS.
Body
Body
Our focus this evening is v.13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
“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.
Definitions:
Definitions:
Salt - We (disciples) are the salt, the seasoning, the flavor. Salt – in the spiritual realm Jesus said that WE are the salt – in other words we are the seasoning or the spiritual flavor that the world needs TO ENRICH ITSELF
Earth – salt of the earth. In the natural salt is not found everywhere in nature but has to either be mined or produced using some method of evaporation to extract the water out of the salt and leave pure, dry salt behind. So, salt can be found in the earth but it takes work to get it out.
Earth - society. In other words, we as God’s disciples are the seasoning of the whole world
In the spiritual, earth represents society. In other words, we as God’s disciples are the seasoning of the whole world
Explaining the Outline
Explaining the Outline
Although salt has any number of different purposes, for the remainder of the message, I want us to explore the PURPOSE OF SALT AND THEN THE PLACEMENT OF SALT THEN WE’LL BE ON OUR WAY HOME. just 5 purposes and see what God has for us: [is that alright?]
raised on a farm - take nothing for granted
Couldn’t just go to Safeway or Winco
Things today that used to be valued are often taken for granted.
Salt as an example of being taken for granted
highly valued
Roman soldiers paid with it
NT folk couldn’t go down to Jerusalem and pick up a box of Morton’s
[PRAISE BREAK] Interrupt our regularly schedule program with a 30 second commercial break to let every saint of God in this know that they are valued and highly favored!
[PRAISE BREAK] Interrupt our regularly schedule program with a 30 second commercial break to let every saint of God in this know that they are valued and highly favored!
· My God my God we ought to walk with our heads held high and claim our value!
· Don’t let the devil tell us we have no value
· Don’t let some man or some woman say we are worthless
· Don’t let a lack of education or a lack of money diminish our worth
· We are blessed! We are valued! And we are highly favored!!
Salt used to be highly valued in the Bible days. In fact salt was more valuable than gold. Roman soldiers didn’t get paid in coins or bills, they got paid in salt. The New Testament folk couldn’t run down to the Jerusalem General store and pick up a box of Morton’s. I know we got all kinds of fancy salt these days, sea salt, Himalayan, Mediterranean salt but how many of you remember that blue box of Morton’s that was always sitting on your momma’s shelf ready to be used? Seemed like every time you tried to sneak in and use the salt, you picked up the box and it was nearly empty; there was only a little bit of salt left. Matter of fact, I’m pretty sure there’s some folk in here tonight that have a good old box of Morton’s sitting their kitchen cabinets right now just waiting for the next batch of buttermilk fried chicken or that next plate of golden fried catfish? Raise your hand if know what I’m talking about!!!
PURPOSE of Salt:
PURPOSE of Salt:
SALT PRESERVES
SALT PRESERVES
Just like the NT folk couldn’t go down to the Jerusalem General to buy salt, they couldn’t go to the Rome Depot to buy a refrigerator so they had to come up with some other method to preserve their food. That method was salt.
DEFINITION: Salt is rubbed deep inside the meat, covering every inch to Preserve meat and food to prevent it from spoiling, decaying and being destroyed. Salt goes in so decay can’t spread.
Christians must permeate society as agents of redemption. Jesus calls for us to GO IN stop corruption and moral decay in our homes, our cities and the whole world.
POINT: if we call ourselves salt then we have to be willing to step into the lives of men and women to preserve them from being destroyed.
POINT: if we call ourselves salt then we have to be willing to step into the lives of men and women to preserve them from being destroyed.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
IF CHRIST DWELLS IN US THEN EVERY TIME WE SEE THE ENEMY COMING IN ON THE ATTACK TO DESTROY ANOTHER:
IF CHRIST DWELLS IN US THEN EVERY TIME WE SEE THE ENEMY COMING IN ON THE ATTACK TO DESTROY ANOTHER:
Every time we see a marriage about to break up, we need to come in and preserve it
Every time we see a family going thru crisis, we need to step in and help them stay stand strong
FAMILY, WE COME IN TO PRESERVE IT
Every time we see a child’s innocence being taken away we need to come in and let the devil know by the blood of Jesus, their covered! Move on devil cause you ain’t getting them today!
CHILD’S INNOCENCE, WE COME IN TO PRESERVE IT
I am salt and I’ll preserve what God shows me to preserve! Look at your neighbor and say I’M NOT GONNA LET THE devil DESTROY WHAT GOD HAS TOLD ME TO PRESERVE!
WE ARE THE SALT AND WE ARE THE PRESERVATIVE TO KEEP THE ENEMY UNDER OUR FEET!! [SHOUT]
SALT PURIFIES - Salt purifies; in other words in cleans or cleanses
SALT PURIFIES - Salt purifies; in other words in cleans or cleanses
Salt in the Bible also represented purity or to purify.
Ezekiel tells us that newborn babes were rubbed in salt to help clean them when they came out of their mother’s womb.
Elisha treated a bad body of water in Jericho by throwing salt into it and it purified the bad water and was made clean.
Even today, salt is a better cleaner than Ajax or Comet. Spill some juice on the carpet and you can use salt to get that stain out.
But for salt to really work well as a cleaner it must be 100% clean. Its got to be pure salt.
Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. In other words, our lives should be so pure (not perfect, but pure) that we are able to step into a messed up world and clean the stains of sin where ever we go.
People should be able to see the Jesus in us, that hope of glory and recognize that He and He alone is the Way the Truth and the Life!
Holy Spirit empowers:
Holy Spirit empowers:
Wait a minute – science time: natural salt is what’s known as a compound. It is made up of one substance called sodium and another substance called chloride. Separately they are not salt and cannot do what salt does but when you put them together, the two become one and salt is formed.
Wait a minute – science time: natural salt is what’s known as a compound. It is made up of one substance called sodium and another substance called chloride. Separately they are not salt and cannot do what salt does but when you put them together, the two become one and salt is formed.
When you received the Holy Ghost, God said I’m placing My spirit on the inside of My sons and daughters and when the Holy Spirit was poured deep down on the inside of us, the Power of God combined with the Praise of man and we became Salt!
Our ability to be salt in this world has nothing to do with our power but by the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of us! He gives us the power to step into a sinner’s situation and point them to the cross!
He gives us the ability to be able to show sinners their dirty hands and carnal Christians their double minded hearts!
POINT:
SALT ATTRACTS
SALT ATTRACTS
I’m just a little ole country preacher from upstate NY but one thing I know is that every mammal needs salt to survive. Farmers will put out giant 25lb blocks of salt in their fields for their cows. Plenty of mornings I would wake up and see that even deer had come from miles around because they were attracted to the salt.
Lactating cows need salt to make milk.
Even our blood carries amounts of salt that help keep us healthy every day. So, living things that don’t have salt are attracted to salt.
But Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth.
But Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth.
That means that every man, woman boy and girl should be attracted to the Holy Spirit that resides in us!
If we are really living our lives as pure salt, the people should want to come from miles around just to be near the salt!
Our churches should be full because people are attracted to the salt!
How many times has someone that was in a bad situation turned to us because they saw the salt in us?
· Some crackhead turned to you not because he was saved but because he saw the salt in you
· Some sinner who didn’t know anything about Jesus was down on his luck, about to lose his home but he saw the salt in you
· Some homeless man who had no place to go but he’s always trying to hang around the church. Why? Because he sees the salt!
WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH!
SALT MELTS
SALT MELTS
Because of the properties of salt, it has the ability to lower the freezing point of water.
snow on roads / icy driveways
That’s some good information preacher but what does that have to do with me? I live in California and the only ice I see is in my freezer or up in Lake Tahoe!
Just this: if we are really walking upright and being the salt of the earth, then the words that we speak should speak life into some sinner and cause him to hunger and thirst for righteous.
The power of life and death is in the tongue so we as salt should be speaking life into people.
And not just up here inside GT, not just inside TDP but out there in the streets where young boys are dying and young girls are being turned into prostitutes.
Out there where people would rather go to the club than to the church!
Jesus commanded us to go out into the harvest and gather them in! And when we speak the words of life, the Holy Spirit will begin to melt the hardest heart.
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
· Every hardened heart can be melted by the gospel message!
· Bone hard gangbangers can leave the gangs behind when the gospel melts their hearts
· Pimps, pushers and drug dealers can leave the dope game behind when the gospel melts their hearts
· Husband cheaters and wife beaters can repent and turn from their wicked ways when the word melts their hearts
But before we get to the last Purpose of salt, we have to go back and ask the question that Jesus asked to finish off the verse.
But before we get to the last Purpose of salt, we have to go back and ask the question that Jesus asked to finish off the verse.
But Jesus asked a question: He said …if the salt has lost its flavor wherewith shall it be salted?
Salt is what’s known as a non-degradeable substance. That means that is cannot be destroyed. Ancient salt lost its saltiness because it was impure. In other words, there was some other substances that had attached itself to the salt and when they used it, the salt had no flavor. It was still salt but it had lost the ability to fulfill its purpose.
Jesus said that salt that has LOST ITS FLAVOR is good for nothing but to be cast and trampled under foot of man. The salt that was no longer salty was useless and worthless so it was tossed out into the streets or into the gutters.
The verb translated LOSE ITS TASTE indicates foolish or immoral behavior. It refers to a professing disciple with an unrighteous lifestyle. Just as tasteless salt lacks value to the person using it, a kicked back carnal Christian lacks value to the kingdom of God. When the world starts to look more attractive than God
When porno sticks to you you’ve lost your flavor
When homosexuality sticks to you
When drunkenness sticks to you
[up somebody’s block] when cheating sticks to you
When gossiping all night on the phone sticks to you
When looking over at someone else’s husband sticks to you
When its more important to fit in with the crowd than to show Jesus you’ve lost your flavor!!!
This would be a sad message if we ended right there but what I love about God is that He never just leaves us in a bad situation. He always makes a way out of no way!
I told you that salt was indestructible! Just like it can’t be destroyed, the devil can’t destroy us!
When the stain of sin sticks to us we need to turn to Brother David and do what he did in:
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
When we sin we pray to the Father and He’ll wash away that sin and make us whole again!
Give Him the praise if you know He’ll wash you, clean you up and set your feet on solid ground!
SALT SEASONS
SALT SEASONS
Salt loses itself in service to the object that is being salted.
When salt is applied to food properly, it’s not so much so that you can taste the salt but so that the food itself tastes more authentically as it should.
As the salt makes the food foodier, the disciple as the salt makes society look more like the Savior!
We should enrich everything that we touch, everything and everyone that comes into contact with us should be seasoned with the word of God, seasoned with prayers, seasoned with the love of God showing through us!
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
PS 119
PLACEMENT OF SALT
POINT:
But what happens when salt loses its flavor?
AS GREAT AS SALT IS IT CAN’T DO ANYTHING BY ITSELF. IT REQUIRES SOMEONE TO SHAKE IT OUT OF THE BOX!
I was trying to decide what to call this thing:
Seasoned to Serve
Salt and Society
But then the Holy Spirit laid a question on my heart?
In v.14 He said we are the light of the world but He also called Himself the light of the world ()
So the question was, if He called Himself light like we are the light, why don’t we find Him anywhere calling Himself salt?
The Answer is because He’s not salt, He’s the Salt Shaker!
JOHN
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
dsf
He says go we go
He says move we move!
Whereever He wants some salt to be sprinkled out He sends us to do the sprinkling!!
He IS THE SALT SHAKER!
SO THE NEXT TIME GOD HAS YOU TO GO MINISTER TO SOMEONE JUST DO LIKE THIS I’M BEING SHOOK OUT!!!
Let Your Light Shine
Let Your Light Shine
Matt 5:16-
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Preaching the Word: Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth Light: No Invisible Christians
HERE’S A DEFINITION: GOOD WORKS ARE ACTIONS THAT GOD HAS COMMANDED US TO DO IN HIS HOLY WORD THAT ARE FRUIT AND EVIDENCE OF A TRUE AND LIVELY FAITH. SO, FIRST, FAITH IS THE STIMULUS OR CATALYST FOR TRULY GOOD OR GOD-PLEASING WORKS
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Light is:
Visible
Reveals things as they are
Promotes life
Is persistent
POINT - Light is placed strategically so it can shine to its best advantage. And God does the placing. We are simply to shine where we are placed
HOW DO WE BE LIGHTS OF THE WORLD? hOW DO I MAKE THIS LITTLE LIGHT SHINE?
Is it through political involvement?
That’s good and fine, but that’s not what is said here.
How about through oral proclamation of the gospel? Well, of course, we are to witness through words. But again that is not the emphasis here.
Well, what then? What’s the light? Answer: good works! Jesus puts it this way in verse 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.” Do you see the connection between “your light” and “your good works”? Christianity is made most visible, Jesus teaches here and the apostles teach elsewhere, through good works.
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Reflection of God
Reflection of God
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
We are the reflection of God
[ILLUSTRATION] SOLAR LAMP FROM WORK AS A GIFT. IT DIDN’T WORK UNTIL THE INSCRIPTION WAS READ ON THE BOX, “IF YOU WANT ME TO SHINE IN THE NIGHT KEEP ME IN THE LIGHT”
Conclusion
Conclusion
When Christians love others (even their enemies), the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel.
When we pray for and respect those in authority, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel.
When we give generously to those in need, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel.
When we control our anger, lust, and lies, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel.
When we trust in God to provide in trying economic times, the world tastes the salt and sees the light of the gospel.
When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, or visit the sick and those in prison, it is as though we become like Moses when he descended from Mount Sinai—our faces (and our hands) show to this dark world something of the Father’s glory!