Introduction:
A. Hillary Clinton’s current presidential campaign gives this old illustration an interesting twist.
1. There’s a story told about a drive that Bill and Hillary Clinton took while they were on vacation.
2. After driving along enjoying the beautiful countryside, they needed to stop for gas.
3. They pulled into a tiny gas station, and out walked a man to help them.
4. Hillary looked up and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Charley! Is that you? I can't believe it!”
5. She jumped out of the car and gave the man a big hug, and proceeded to talk with the man for a long time.
6. After they were finished talking, they hugged again, and Hillary got back in the car.
7. As they drove away, Bill turned to Hillary and asked, “Honey, who was that?”
8. Hillary said, “That was Charley, an old boyfriend of mine. We dated for a long time, and almost got married.”
9. “Just think,” said Bill, “If you had married him, today you would be the wife of a gas station attendant.”
10. Hillary replied, “No, if I had married him, today he would be the former President of the United States!”
B. It is interesting to ask the question: who has had the greater influence on the other, Bill or Hillary?
1. What I want all of us to come to grips with today is the truth that all of us have influence.
2. One person wrote: “There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life, for eternity. No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence…yet… every one of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain other lives.” (J.R. Miller)
3. Popular speaker and writer, John Maxwell, said: “Sociologists tells us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her lifetime!”
C. For the last two weeks, we have explored how the Beatitudes paint an amazing portrait of what a servant of God should look like.
1. I have tried to show us that the Beatitudes describe the essential character traits that servants of Jesus should develop so that they can have an impact on the world.
2. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moved from the Beatitudes right into two metaphors, salt and light, in order to describe the influence for good that His disciples will have in the world.
3. In our passage for today, Jesus says that servants can make a difference by being salt and light.
D. In order to define the nature of our influence, Jesus resorted to two domestic metaphors.
1. Every home, however poor, used both salt and light.
2. And today, 2000 years later we call still relate to the function of these two essentials.
3. Salt and light are indispensable household commodities.
4. Pliny the Elder, a 1st Century writer had a saying, “Nothing is more useful than ‘salt and sunshine.’
5. The need for light is obvious. Salt, on the other hand, had a variety of uses – it was both a seasoning and a preservative.
6. Both of those uses shed light on our role as Christians, but for this lesson I will be focusing on the use of salt as a preservative.
E. A basic truth that lies behind these two metaphors and is common to them both is that the church and the world are distinct communities.
1. Jesus says that there is “the earth” and there is the “you” who are the salt of the earth.
2. Next, Jesus says that there is “the world” and there is the “you” who are the light of the world.
3. It is true that the two communities are related to each other, but their relatedness depends on their distinctness.
F. Additionally, the metaphors tell us something about both communities.
1. The world is evidently a dark place, with little or no light of its own, since an external source of light is needed to illuminate it.
a. We know that the world is always talking about being enlightened, but most of the world’s enlightenment is in reality just darkness.
2. Also, we observe that the world manifests a tendency to deteriorate.
a. The world continues to experience decay. The world cannot stop itself from going bad.
b. Only salt that is introduced from the outside can stop the process of decay.
3. And so, we realize that the church is set in the world for this dual role – we are salt that must arrest the process of decay, and we are light that must dispel the darkness.
G. Let’s take a closer look at these two metaphors to better understand our calling as servants.
1. Jesus carefully crafted these statements, laying them in parallel with each other.
2. In each case Jesus begins with an affirmation (You are the salt…You are the light…)
3. But then Jesus adds a rider, a qualifier, which is the condition on which these affirmations depend (the salt must retain its saltiness, and the light must be allowed to shine).
4. Salt is good for nothing if its saltiness is lost and a light is good for nothing if it is concealed.
I. Servants Are The Salt Of The Earth
A. Jesus begins with this affirmation – “You are the salt of the earth.”
1. I’m told that the wording here is very emphatic and could be rendered, “You and only you…are the salt of the earth.”
2. We notice that Jesus wasn’t saying, “you can be the salt of the earth, if you want to.”
3. Jesus isn’t looking for volunteers. He isn’t asking, “Anyone want to be the salt of the earth?”
4. Whether we want to be or not, we are the salt of the earth.
B. The only question about the matter is the question of whether we will be sufficiently salty.
1. The effectiveness of salt is conditional – it must retain its saltiness.
2. Now strictly speaking, I’m told that salt can never lose its saltiness.
3. Salt is the chemical compound made up of sodium and chloride. As a compound it is very stable and is resistant to nearly every attack.
4. What can happen to it, however, is that it can become contaminated by being mixed with other impurities.
5. The salt we use today is purified and refined, but in the days of Jesus it was not.
6. What was then commonly called salt was a white powder which, while containing sodium chloride, also contained a lot of other things.
7. The sodium chloride portion of the substance was easily washed out and the residue that remained still looked like salt, but neither tasted or acted like salt.
8. All that remained was road dust and that’s exactly what they did with it. They threw it out on the ground and it was trampled on my men.
C. Jesus wants us to be salty servants.
1. Our saltiness is the Christian character as depicted in the Beatitudes that precede this passage and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount that follows it.
2. As salt must retain its saltiness to be effective, so we Christians must remain Christ-like.
3. Our influence on our world requires that we remain distinct from it, not in proximity, but in purity.
4. Martin Lloyd-Jones emphasized this: “The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first.”
II. Servants Are The Light Of The World
A. Jesus introduces the second metaphor with a similar affirmation: “You are the light of the world.”
1. Just like the first metaphor, Jesus is emphatically saying, “You and only you are the light of the world.”
2. And again, we note that He isn’t asking for volunteers. We are the light whether we want to be or not.
3. In John 8:12 and 9:5, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world.” And that is the truth – He is the true light. Any light that we have is his light shining through us.
4. We, like the moon, have no light of our own, we simply reflect the light of the Son.
B. As with the salt, this affirmation is followed by a condition: we must let our light shine.
1. If salt can lose it saltiness, then the light in us can become darkness or it can be concealed.
2. Jesus doesn’t want us to be a city in a valley whose lights are concealed from view, but a city set on a hill whose lights can be seen for miles.
3. He wants us to be a lighted lamp set on a lampstand in a prominent place in the house, not put under a bowl.
4. I read an interesting thing about the practice of lighting homes in the ancient world.
a. You know that they didn’t have electricity and light bulbs, but put a lamp on a stand for light.
b. But when they needed to leave the house for a short time, they didn’t put out the lamp (matches and lighters were not yet invented and re-lighting lamps was not easy for that reason), they put it on the floor under an earthen vessel where it would continue to burn slowly and safely.
c. When they returned home they removed the bowl and put the lamp back on the stand.
5. So, what was Jesus saying? “People don’t light a lamp only to put it under a bowl. No, they light a lamp so it will light up the house.”
C. Our influence as a servant depends on being visible, not concealed.
1. Bonhoeffer said, “A community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him.”
2. Do we shine our lights to illuminate other lights? No, we shine our lights to dispel the darkness.
3. What is the difference between shining the light in a lighted room and shining it in a dark room?
4. If we only shine our lights when we are here meeting with the church, then our lights are not being shone in the places where it can have the most impact.
5. Sometimes we may think…
a. I want to move…there aren’t any Christians in my neighborhood.
b. I want to change schools…I’m the only Christian here.
c. I want to change jobs…the people I work with are crude and ungodly, I wish I could work in a Christian environment.
d. Have you ever thought those thoughts?
6. Now don’t misunderstand me…Christian fellowship is essential for growth and is commanded by God, but it is not an end in itself.
a. Rather, it is supposed to be a means to prepare us to go and be a light in the world.
7. C.T. Studd wrote, “Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard from hell.”
8. Jesus was criticized for spending time with tax collectors and sinners. He responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Luke 5:31)
D. And what is this light that we are supposed to shine?
1. Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (5:16)
2. We are not to conceal the truth that we know, nor to conceal the truth of what we are.
3. Good deeds that befit our Father in heaven should characterize our lives.
4. And when people see us and our good works, then they will glorify God.
5. They will recognize that it is by God’s grace and power that we are what we are and that our light is really His light.
6. In the end, we want them to praise our Father, the true light, not the lamp which bears it.
Conclusion:
A. To summarize, let me say that serving as the salt of the earth and the light of the world requires two things.
1. First, we must LIVE THE LIFE.
a. Living the life includes two things: godly character and good deeds.
b. We must be different from the world both by how we live and how we serve.
c. We must be righteousness in our personal character and do righteousness in our public activity.
d. We must not fail in either of these aspects of being salt and light.
e. We must not fail the world that we are called to make a difference in.
2. Second, we must SPEAK THE WORDS.
a. There is tremendous influence in that comes from our character and our deeds, but those two things are bolstered by our words when we speak God-given truth.
b. Part of being salt and light includes speaking the truth in a world where most of what we hear is false.
c. If no one ever speaks the truth, then how will the truth we heard?
d. Often, we Christians resign ourselves to sit quietly by as we see the moral climate of our culture go down the tube.
e. Sometimes standards slip and slide in a community for want of a clear protest.
f. One can hardly blame unsalted meat from going bad. It cannot do anything else.
g. The real question to ask is: where is the salt?
h. One theologian said, “To look at some Christians, one would think that their ambition is to be the honeypot of the world. They sweeten and sugar the bitterness of life with an all too easy conception of a loving God…but Jesus did not say, ‘You are the honey of the world.’ He said, ‘you are the salt of the earth.’ Salt bites, and the unadulterated message of the judgment and grace of God has always been a biting thing.” (Helmut Thielicke)
i. Alongside of this condemnation of what is false and evil, we must take our stand for what is true and good. This must be done in word and deed.
B. The world is deteriorating and needs salt. The world is dark and needs light.
1. The world needs Jesus. The Jesus it can see, hear and experience from us.
2. The world needs you and me. It needs us to be salt and light.
3. God wants to use you and me to make a difference. Will we allow Him to do so?
4. It is going to take godly character, good deeds, and God-given truth.
5. We must not hinder our impact by sin, by compromise, by concealment, by laziness or by fear.
C. But allow me to give one word of caution: Too much salt kills and too bright a light blinds.
1. We must be wise and gentle as we act as salt and light.
2. Those outside of Christ are living in darkness and decay and they need the salt and light of Christ.
3. As servants of God we can bring them that salt and light as we seek to serve them wisely.
D. But you may be thinking, “But what influence can I have, since I am a nobody?!”
1. Humor me for just a second as we stop and take a little quiz.
a. Try to name in your head the three wealthiest people in the world.
b. Name the last three Heisman trophy winners.
c. Name the last three winners of the Miss America contest.
d. Name three people who have won Nobel or Pulitzer prizes.
e. Name the last three Academy Award winners for the best actor or actress.
2. How did you do? Probably not so well.
a. The point is, so few of us can remember yesterday’s headliners.
b. These people on these lists are no second-rate achievers.
c. They are the best in their fields.
d. But, the applause dies, awards tarnish, and achievements are forgotten.
3. Let’s try another quiz.
a. Think of three school teachers that made a difference in your life.
b. Think of three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
c. Think of three people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
d. Think of three people you enjoy spending time with.
e. Think of three people whose lives have inspired you.
4. How did you do on this quiz? Probably much better, right?
a. The lesson I hope we get from this is that the people who make a difference in our lives are not necessarily the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or awards.
b. No the people who make the most difference are the ones who care, the ones who serve.
c. Sometimes they serve deliberately and consciously, and sometimes they serve just by living for Christ and being salt and light.
E. Allow me to end with a story “The Keeper of the Spring” often told by the late Peter Marshall.
1. Once there was a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps.
a. The old gentleman had been hired many years ago by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that feed the lovely spring flowing through their town.
b. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.
2. By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers.
a. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the millwheels of various businesses turned day and night, farmlands were irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque.
3. Years passed and one evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting.
a. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid to the obscure keeper of the spring.
b. The council member said, “Who is this man? Why do we keep paying him year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, he isn’t even working or doing us any good. Perhaps he is no longer necessary.”
c. By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s services.
4. For several weeks, nothing changed.
a. As autumn came, the trees began to shed their leaves.
b. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the flow of sparkling water.
5. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring.
a. A couple of days later the water was much darker.
b. Within a week, a slimy film covered the water and a foul odor was detected.
c. The millwheels moved slower, and some ground to a halt.
d. The swans disappeared as did the tourists.
e. The clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
6. Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting.
a. Realizing their gross error in judgement, they immediately hired back the old keeper of the spring.
b. And within a few weeks the veritable river of life began to clear up.
c. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps once again.
F. Fanciful though it may be, the story is more than an idle tale.
1. It carries with it a vivid, relevant analogy directly related to the times we live in.
2. What the keeper of the springs meant to the village, Christian servants mean to our world.
3. The preserving, taste-giving bite of salt mixed with the illuminating, hope-giving ray of light may seem feeble and needless, but God help any society that attempts to exist without them!
4. You see, the village without the Keeper of the Spring is a perfect representation of the world system without the salt and light of God’s servants.
5. As servants of God, you and I can and do have great influence.
6. May we never forget that and may we strive to be faithful servants of God, salt and light in the world.
Resources:
Improving Your Serve, Charles Swindoll, Word, Inc., 1981, Chapter 9.
Make a Difference, Sermon by David Owens
