Indispensable -- The Role of a Christian

Introduction

This morning we are going to be back in the Book of Matthew Chapter 5 and we will be looking at Verses 13-16.

And I want to take just a few moments and when I say few, I mean I’m going to try my best to keep this message as brief as possible this morning because I believe it to be mostly self explanatory.

My goal today though is to break it down in such a way that when you leave this place you will understand that your role as a child of God in Church of God is crucial!

That you are needed!

That that there is a world outside these walls that needs you!

And most importantly, if there’s ever a time that the world needed you it’s now!

I want to give you a few ideas behind the what’s of these statements, then I want to clarify the why’s and the who’s of the statements, and then I want to send you out of here with I pray a newfound confidence and desire to change the world for God!

The title of today’s message is…Indispensable…The Role of a Christian.

If you have your copy of God’s word turned to Matthew 5:13 would you say, Amen.

The What’s

The first thing I want us to get a grasp on is “The What’s of Jesus Illustrations.”

What is Jesus talking about here?

Keep in mind that He just finished giving us 8 or 9 character traits for Christian application just prior to these two statements.

Now, He’s going to give us the why to the beatitudes.

Why is it so important that we are to be poor in spirit?

Why is it so important that we mourn over our sin?

Why is it so important that we are meek and that we hunger and thirst after righteousness?

Or why should we be merciful and pure in heart and do all we can to make peace with those around us?

Why are we to rejoice in the face of persecution?

Why are we to rejoice and be exceeding glad when men revile us and persecute us and say all manner of evil against us falsely for Christ’s sake?

Why, why, why that is the question we ask ourselves after the introduction to the greatest sermon ever preached.

The reason is because of WHAT WE ARE!

Notice what Jesus says here at the beginning of 13 and 14… “ye are the salt of the earth:” and “ye are the light of the world.”

We, the Church of the living God, are to be salt and light in a world of decay and darkness!

Jesus here, was speaking to the ones who had trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior.

He was speaking to His disciples.

He was speaking to the born again.

And He tells them here that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Why salt and light though?

In order to understand the illustrations, it helps to know a little bit about salt and light.

First off, we must keep in mind the context of the sermon and who it is He’s speaking to.

Before Jesus were multitudes of people, some from the upper echelon’s of society but more than likely the majority being from the bottom echelons.

The reason Jesus used salt and light though is because they were items that every person, no matter of your status in society, needed.

You see, in this day and time, they didn’t have refrigerators and freezers like we do now days.

In the middle eastern desert climate, in order to keep something fresh and free of decay you either had to cover it in salt or keep it in some sort of salt solution.

Salt in this day and time was very valuable, so much so, that wars were fought over salt believe it or not and here we are now days, and people throw a pinch over their shoulder for good luck like it’s no big deal!

You might of gotten punched for wasting salt in this day and time!

It was used for the preservation of meats, the cleaning of wounds, a way to flavor and was even used as a way to barter.

It is said that in ancient times salt was more valuable than gold. As a matter of fact, pure salt was a rare delicacy.

It was so valuable, that the Roman Legions were often paid their wages in salt which was referred to as their “salarium” and this is where we get the expression which some of you may be familiar with today of, "That man is worth his salt." Or "He's not worth his salt."

And just a little interesting fact about the composition of salt for you...salt is a compound made of sodium—which is a metal and chlorine, which is a green poisonous gas.

Now these are both very dangerous things in their separated forms and if you were to ingest either that sodium or that chlorine, alone, you'd die!

But God, in His infinite wisdom and chemistry, put the two together, sodium chloride, which we call today table salt, and made the mineral necessary for life!

And just as salt is necessary for life, just as it preserves, purifies and peps up the flavor of things, we as Christians are necessary in a world of eternal decay and discouragement!

Notice what Jesus says here… “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 the be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

I love how Jesus ties the salt, the noun here, in with the pronoun “his.”

He takes the illustration and makes it personal and I’m here to tell you this morning, that the message Jesus was preaching then is still as relevant today as it’s ever been!

This world needs the salt of the Church to do it’s job!

This world is decaying more and more every day and we are the only thing keeping it from total decomposition!

Go back to the OT for just a moment and think about Sodom and Gomorrah.

The only thing that was holding back the wrath of God upon those cities was the fact that there was a some salt there (a man by the name of Lot)!

And as soon as the salt left the city, the cities were utterly destroyed!

And I’m here to tell you this morning friend, when that trumpet sounds and the Church is called up out of this place, there will be nothing left to hold back the wrath of almighty God on this place!

If the salt has lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted?

If the Church has lost it’s reason for being, what is it good for?

That’s the way I want to put it to you this morning?

I’m here to tell you that the Church is to be useful to the Kingdom of God; the Church is necessary in turning back the forces of evil who try to destroy this world and it’s inhabitants at every turn; and most importantly the Church is to be instrumental in leading those who have no life, to eternal life in/through our Lord Jesus Christ!

So are we going to be a useful Church or are we going to be a useless Church that’s lost it’s savor and it’s flavor and is good for nothing except to be thrown out and trodden under the foot of men?

I don’t know about you but I’d much rather be useful to God than useless to Him, Amen!

Jesus said ye are the salt of the earth but He also said we are the light of the world.

Light repels darkness.

Darkness is representative of what?

Satan, right?

Light is representative of what?

Christ, right?

John 8:12 KJV 1900

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 9:5 KJV 1900

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

And because He is light, and we have accepted Him into our life, we are now the children of light!

Ephesians 5:8 KJV 1900

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Which means we are now ambassadors of Christ and therefore we are to carry that light of life living within us everywhere we go!

And praise God we aren’t supposed to hide it but we are to let it shine!

Jesus said, “ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We are to be such lights on fire for God that when we walk in a room, darkness has no other option but than to flee, Amen!

That’s what God has called us to do in this world of decay and darkness; to be salt and light!

The combatting forces evil!

Would you say the life you are currently living is representative of these two things in a world of darkness and decay?

Would you say that your life is preserving, purifying and pepping up those around you?

Would you say that when you’re outside of this Church house you let your light shine for all to see? Or do you put it under a bushel and try to hide it and only let it shine if someone asks you about it?

Jesus said, “ye are the salt and ye are the light”.

This morning friend, you may be the only thing standing between someone you know and an eternity in hell.

You are indispensable to them!

You are salt and you are light! Now, go be and do what God has called you to be and to do!

Which leads us to The Who’s and I’m only going to touch on this briefly because I’ve already hit on it.

The Who’s

Who did Jesus say was the salt and the light?

YOU ARE!

Everyone in here say, I am!

Again, I am!

I am salt! Everyone say it…I am salt!

I am light! Everyone say it…I am light!

You are. You are. You are!

You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world!

You may not feel like you are but if you have trusted in Jesus dear friend, you are and don’t let anyone tell you any differently!

You are special!

You are necessary!

You are indispensable and instrumental in the Kingdom and work of God in this world!

This world needs you!

That lost family member needs you!

That lost friend needs you!

That lost co-worker needs you!

Your children need you!

That lost person on the other end of the pew needs you!

And most importantly, God in His infinite wisdom needs you to carry on the work of His dear Son!

God needs you to be salt and light!

God needs you to stand in direct opposition to the ways of this world!

Why does He need you, you ask?

Why are you important to the Kingdom and work of God?

2 Corinthians 4:3–18 KJV 1900

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Now, I want to finish this section by showing you one last thing.

There may be times when you have to act alone and you should always be letting that light shine but know this...you aren’t letting your light shine alone!

Look what Jesus says there!

“Ye are the light of the world: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”

Now, He didn’t say a single light set on a hill cannot be hid did He?

No, He said a city!

That’s why it’s so important for us to let our light shine for God and when we do, when the Church of the living God is letting it’s light shine collaboratively and collectively for the one who gave it all, then the world with all it’s darkness and decay will have no other choice but to see the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ shining through and without doubt, lives will be changed because of it!

Will you shine today friend?

Will you let your light shine for Jesus?

Will you say in your heart right now, Lord Jesus, make me a lantern in the darkness; make me a light shining in the darkness for all the world to see; not for my honor but yours; not for my glory but yours!

Shine through me Lord! Set me ablaze dear God and use me to draw others, lost in the darkness and decay of this world, to you!

Would you do that this morning for Jesus?

Before you answer that…take just a moment and think of all He did for you first!

We’ve looked at The What’s and The Who’s of Jesus Illustrations and now we’re going to finish it out with The Why’s.

The Why’s

Two things I want to leave you with here and I’m going to hush.

Let’s look at this whole passage one more time.

Notice what that very last verse says… “That “they” may see “your” good works & glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Why are we to be salt and light?

So that “they”, the “world”, the “lost”, the “downtrodden”, the “decaying”, the “doomed”, might look at us, at our light, at our lives and be drawn to the light and eternal life of our Lord Jesus Christ, ultimately bringing honor and glory to our Father in heaven.

We are to be salt and light to bring the lost to Jesus and to bring honor and glory to the Father and the only way we can do any of it is through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in...

John 12:46 KJV 1900

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

He came a light and left His light in us that we might share His light with others!

The born-again child of God this morning is indispensable.

Now, I didn’t say invincible but rather indispensable.

This lost and dying world needs the message of the Church, the message of Christ, and the world needs you and I to be salt and light that it might come to know the one we know.

Think of the implications - you have a great purpose in God's plan and you have it all the time in every place you go!

It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, highly educated or not, tall or short, etc, etc. You are an invaluable pawn in God's great chess match! What an incredible privilege citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven have been granted by their King, Jesus Christ!

This is a privilege we should not only cherish but one that should also create in us a sense of divine accountability. We are stewards of salt so to speak and one day we will give an account for how salty we were.

2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV 1900

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The King does not give us an option at this point but calls us to a central responsibility to be salt to the world about us.

How are you doing?

Are you really living like a Christian?

Are you using your money like a Christian?

Are you talking like a Christian?

Are you conducting your family like a Christian?

Are you using your leisure time like a Christian?

Does the language change when you are around?

Does the attitude of the workplace improve because you work without complaining, you show up on time, you treat everyone with kindness, you refuse to enter into gossip?

In Jesus' prayer to His Father, He explains why believers are not just automatically jettisoned up to heaven when they are saved. We have a distinct purpose as He relates in His prayer…

John 17:14–18 NIV

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Jesus has sent us into the world not to become like the world but that we might change the world to be like more like Him.

The renowned Baptist pastor, George Truett once said… "You are either being corrupted by the world or you are salting it."