Sermon Tone Analysis

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 is to break it down in such a way that when you leave this place you will understand that your role in the 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.

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, 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."

You might find it interesting to know that 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 now 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 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?

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