Gateway Christian Church

Salt and Light

Pastor Bill Nichols, January 17, 2010

Introduction

We are going to begin with a little word game this morning. Little, because I am only going to give you one word and you are going to respond with as many things as you can think of in response to that word. Ready?

Salt -

Seasoning, preservative, religious ceremonies, purification rituals, spilled salt = bad luck (evil spirits), medicinal purposes.

Salt has been a very important mineral throughout civilized history. The harvest of salt from the surface of Xiechi Lake near Yuncheng in Shanxi, China dates back to at least 6000 BC, making it one of the oldest verifiable saltworks.

I want to share with you a some of the many facts about salt that I printed off of Wikipedia and Soulmama websites.

Read Matthew 5:13

Jesus says that "You are the salt of the earth." Now that we know the many uses of salt, especially in biblical days and even before, we can get a greater understanding of what Jesus expects of us as the "Salt of the earth." Let us consider some ways that we can be salt in our world.

1. Salt is necessary for the survival of all known living creatures, including humans. Just as salt helps regulate the "fluid balance" in the human body, Christians help regulate the "sin balance" in the world. In the days of Noah, it was the righteousness of just one man in God's eyes that saved humankind from total destruction. Today, the Holy Spirit's influence in the world is found in the lives of believers. The Spirit convicts us, He helps us to pray, He gives us direction, He empowers us to be God's witnesses in the world. As a believer, you should let some of your salt rub off on others as you give witness to Jesus in your life.
2. Salt acts as a preservative to help fight decay in foods, especially meat. Likewise the Christian's influence in the world helps fight the decay of society. We have already seen how the Holy Spirits' influence affects individuals, but we must also recognize that Christianity has played a very important role in society as a whole through the ages. The church played an important role in changing how children were treated, it was instrumental in the education of children, it elevated the status of women, it helped bring about the end of slavery and was influential in the civil rights movement to name a few. One thing I want you to consider in our own country is this. As our government slowly but surely continues to take religion out of our public lives through the doctrine of separation of church and state, what effect is it having on our society? Are things getting better or are they getting worse? Wouldn't a little more salt help preserve our nation?
3. Salt adds flavor to what you eat. I know that this ties directly. Back to the previous two points, but can you imagine our world without Jesus in it? Just as salt brings out the good taste in what you eat, (imagine french fries without a little salt on them), Jesus brings out the good that are in people. Just as salt changes the taste of things (for the better), Jesus changes peoples lives for the better.
4. Finally, just as salt is a very valuable commodity in this world, so is your faith. Jesus put it pretty strongly when He said,

   "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

   If that is true, (and because Jesus said it, I have to believe it so) then your faith is worth more than life itself, because your faith is what gives you eternal life. And sharing your faith with others means that you share the most important thing that you have in your life. You are to be like a salt shaker, you have your faith in you, but you are to sprinkle it all around so you can flavor, preserve and bring balance into the world, as well as offer eternal life to those who do not have it.

Light

Now Jesus uses another word to describe who you are as a kingdom person, that word light. Read Matthew 5:14-16

What would you say are the two most obvious functions of light?

1. Light makes it possible to see things.
2. Light generates heat/energy.

Without the light of the sun, we would live in a world of total darkness. Not only would we not be able to see the beauty of God's creation, most of it would probably not even exist. Why?

Because without the heat or energy that it produces, plants would not grow, water would freeze, there would be no production of oxygen. Basically the earth would be, like some of the other planets, at best a big frozen rock. Light is necessary for life.

Jesus said that you are the light of the world. (Because of our faith.) Then he goes on to say that you cannot hide your light. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Your life is a testimony to your faith, whether good or bad. It is a reflection of what you believe.

Likewise, your faith is not designed to be hidden. You would not light a candle and then cover it up. That would be silly. As a Christian, you are supposed to live your life and do your work as a testimony to men, (non Christians) so that God will be praised.

In other words, you cannot be a closet Christian and be a true kingdom person.

One last thing about light. Light dispels darkness. In the process of doing so it reveals sin. John 3:19-21

Conclusion

What was the message that Jesus was trying to teach to His listeners on the mountain? Simply this. Kingdom people have a mission in this world. That mission is to both reflect the light of Christ and to flavor the world with the salt of your life in Christ. In other words, you are to have an influence on the lives of people in the world who do not have Jesus as Lord in their lives.

If you do not, then one of two things is going on in your life. Either you have lost your saltiness and your faith is worthless, or you are walking in darkness. Neither of these are acceptable to God.

So let me ask you in closing:

First, is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? Some of you have the confidence that comes from knowing Christ as Lord and will respond with a resounding yes.

But some of you may not be sure. You may be thinking to yourself, Pastor, how can I know for sure that I am saved? First John 5:13 says,

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

If you have any doubts about your salvation, please speak to me so you can rest assured in your faith.

Then there may be those of you who have been putting off making Jesus Lord of your life. Why wait another day? You can continue walking in darkness or you can turn toward the light and find complete forgiveness at the cross. Jesus died that you might live. Will you accept that love today?

Prayer and Invitation