Vision Sunday
Be These: Salt and Light
Matthew 5
Pastor Jefferson Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
09-07-2025
Walker and Craig
Walker Hayes, the grammy nominated country singer who had a seven time gold number one song “Fancy like” and his wife Lainey decided to move to Nashville so he could pursue his dream of being a songwriter.
Walker, the son of a pastor, had just seen too much hypocrisy in the church and really thought it was a scam. By that time, he considered himself an atheist.
He drank way too much and his anger and frustration would boil over sometimes at home. Lainey loved Jesus and Walker loved Lainey so he humored her as she tried to find a church to take the kids to.
They walked into Redeeming Grace, which was in the middle of nowhere, with their six kids, and Walker a little drunk and reeking of beer.
Craig Cooper, the pastor, made a beeline for Walker, shook his hand and said, “I’m glad you’re here.” Walker thought to himself, “Doesn’t he smell the beer on my breath? Can’t he tell I’m a little wobbly? I think this guy really means it.”
That handshake started a journey that changed not only the Hayes family and the Cooper family, but would give Walker a platform he never dreamed of having.
The Mountain
It is important that we always keep the text within its context. Matthew records Jesus sitting on the side of this hill [slide] and preaching the most famous sermon of all time. It was Augustine who gave it the name that we call it today, “The Sermon on the Mount.” and it starts with the Beatitudes (which we studied verse by verse a couple of years ago in a series called The Jesus Manifesto).
In this section of Jesus’ first extended discourse, we will find what Tim Keller calls, an “upside down Kingdom.” Jesus gives us a picture of Kingdom life. He doesn’t give us a to-do list. It’s much deeper than that. These are the characteristics that a Christian exhibits in a lost and dying world.
“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12)
The next verses are our focus this morning, but you cannot understand them without the preceding section. Jesus gives us
“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.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
What does it mean when Jesus calls those of us who are ?Christ-followers “salt and light?” How does that play out in our everyday lives? How can we be salt and light in our community and beyond?
Please, turn with me to Matthew 5.
Prayer
Influence and Impact
There is a new “career” opportunity that didn’t exist when I was growing up - social media influencer. Some of the top social media influencers make more than $200,000 a year!
Before Jesus left the earth to go back to heaven, He gave us our marching orders:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
These verses are all about the kind of influence and impact we are to have in our families, at work, in our communities, in our churches and the world.
How do we do that? By being salt and light!
Salt Life
You may have seen shirts or bumper stickers with the ?“Salt Life” logo. It’s not just a saying, it’s a lifestyle.
Pliny the Younger wrote: “There is nothing better for a human that salt and sun”
For those of us who love the ocean, (especially us surfer dudes), it is a description of not just what we do but who we are.
Jesus begins with:
“You are the salt of the earth.”
The “you” in this verse is emphatic, meaning, “You and you alone.”
Jesus doesn’t tell us to be salt. He says we are salt! That seems like a strange thing to call us. Why salt?
In that culture, salt was rare and very valuable. Wars were fought over salt. Roman soldiers were paid in salt. If a Roman soldier was not good at his job, he would be said to be “not worth his salt.”
There are 14,000 industrial uses for salt! Salt can be used to melt ice and raise the boiling point of water. It can put out grass fires, keep cut flowers fresh, heals poison ivy, sore throats and headaches. Salt was even rubbed on new born babies!
In Matthew’s world, spilling salt was a shameful thing. In the last supper painting, Leonardo DiVinci depicts Judas Iscariot as having just knocked over the salt shaker on the table.
Jesus was using a metaphor to describe our calling in this world. How are we like salt?
Preservative. There were no refrigerators in that culture so in order to keep meat from going bad, it was rubbed down with salt.
We live in a world that is rotting from the inside out. Christ-Followers are called to be the salt that preserves the culture around us.
Flavor. If you have ever watched a Gordon Ramsey cooking show, you know that every dish needs just a little more salt! Salt seasons food. The word means, “to bring zest to.”
As Christ Followers, we are the seasoning in our culture. We bring the zest, the flavor, to a hopeless and hurting world.
Paul wrote to the Colossians,
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)
The Message version of the Bible paraphrases this verse:
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.” (Matthew 5:13, The Message)
Thirst. Salt makes us thirsty. John Maxwell says, “As Christians, we are supposed to make people thirsty, not angry.”
At the feast of Tabernacles, priests would take water from the pool of Silom in large water pots and pour it on the altar. The last day, they were to do this seven times.
Right as the priests were pouring the water out on the altar that last day, Jesus stood up and said,
“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (Matthew 7:37-38)
To the Samaritan woman He met at a well, Jesus said,
“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
This culture is thirsty for something real and eternal. We are the ones that can point them toward living waters!
Disinfect. Salt can be used to clean wounds. It might sting, but it works.
We have the opportunity to show people the way to healing and hope. It’s not a plan or a principle, it’s a Person - Jesus.
Worship. Salt was used in worship and sacrifices. It represented covenant faithfulness.
As we follow our King as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), we have the opportunities to show the faithfulness of God in our lives.
It’s everywhere. In our culture, salt is very common. Jesus didn’t say, “You are the plutonium of the world.” He said, You are the salt of the world.”
Anyone who is a Christ-follower can be the salt in their sphere of influence.
But Jesus doesn’t end there. He continues:
“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.”
Some people read this verse and say that Jesus made a mistake, that salt can’t lose its saltiness.
But the salt that they collected, usually from the dead sea, wasn’t pure salt. It had sand, gypsum, and all kinds of impurities in it. So when the salt ran out, all you were left was garbage.
How do we lose our saltiness?
- By being influenced too much by the world around us.
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
By hiding away from the culture. In order for salt to work on meat it has to be rubbed on it, it has to come in contact with the meat.
Salt must be brought into close contact with whatever it is meant to affect if it is to do any good. Christians are the salt of the earth. We must be willing to be rubbed into the decaying carcass of an unregenerate society.
Most of us are content to sit on Sunday in our little salt-shakers, far removed from a needy and lost humanity.
A pastor was asked: “How do you lead so many people to Christ?”
He answered, “First, my spiritual gift is evangelism so it’s something that brings me great joy. Second, I hang out with non-Christians a lot! I can hang out with Christians for eternity. I go where I can be salt in their lives and make them thirsty for Jesus.”
John A. Huffman, Jr describing the body of Christ said
"This sanctuary can be a salt shaker. You can come in here once a week, have a lot of fellowship with all the other salt and think your job is accomplished. Instead, God wants to pick up this sanctuary and shake you out all over this city. He has brought you together as His salt only to scatter you. He wants you to be an influence for Jesus.”
By caring more about traditions and rules than lost people.
Gandhi says in his autobiography that in his student days he was truly interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by reading the Gospels, he seriously considered becoming a convert, since Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.
One Sunday he went to a nearby church. He decided to see the minister and ask for instruction in the way of salvation and enlightenment on other doctrines.
But when he entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left and never came back.
He reasoned that "If Christians have caste differences also, I might as well remain a Hindu." The partiality shown by those Christians had a devastating effect on India and the world. Mahatma Gandhi was also quoted as answering a missionary's question "What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in India?" with the trite reply “Christians”!
Some people are just church people. They are not born again. They are fake salt. They don’t bring flavor to the world, or act as a preservative, or make people thirsty for Jesus.
The Message sums it up:
“If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”
Salt is no good if it sits on a shelf.
John Stott wrote
“…when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. It cannot do anything else. The real question to ask is: where is the salt?”
We are to be living the Salt Life in a lost and dying world.
But Jesus has another metaphor to describe our calling - Light.
Heart Light
Jesus continues by saying:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
Again, the “you” is emphatic, you and you alone.
Ronald Reagan used this imagery to say that America was a shining city on a hill. But this verse is not about America. It is about the church. It is about you and me.
As Jesus sat on the hillside teaching, He most likely looked up to the right at the town that was perched on top of a mountain - a town built on a hill cannot help but shine.
Light is necessary for life. Right now, the days are getting shorter and the light is getting dimmer and temps are getting colder. We moved here from Central Mississippi where it was warm 10 months out of the year. I suffer from what’s called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and you will find my reading in the sauna at the gym a lot in the winter.
Jesus says that once He “enlightens” you, everything changes.
Jesus claims this light leads to life
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
You are on a new path, a new direction, a new destiny. You have a new life.
Paul described it this way:
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. (Ephesians 5:8-13)
John wrote in his first letter writes that this light changes the way we walk in this world:
“ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7)
It changes the way we love people:
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.” (I John 2:9-11)
Jesus, thinking of the oil lamps of the day, says,
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
From time to time, I’ve had people say to me, “I believe in Jesus but my faith is private.” This shows they don’t understand the gospel or our calling.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones has warned that
“If we find in ourselves a tendency to put the light under a bushel, we must begin to examine ourselves and make sure that it really is 'light.'" (Ouch!)
Notice that it gives light to the whole house. Shining for Jesus starts at home, with our spouses and our kids.
Spurgeon put it this way:
“I would not give much for your religion unless it can be seen. Lamps do not talk, but they do shine.”
Light also exposes darkness:
"And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)
We are called to shine out in this dark and dying world,
One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the preacher's sermon this morning confused me." The mother said, "Oh? Why is that?" The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?" The mother replied, "Yes, that's true honey." "And he also said that God lives in us? Is that true, Mommy?" Again the mother replied, "Yes." "Well," said the little girl, "if God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn't He show through?”
Jesus finishes this section:
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
A popular Christian song from the 90s declares,
“Shine! Make them wonder what you got / Make them wish that they were not on the outside looking bored.
Shine! Let it shine before all men / Let them see good works and then / Let them glorify the Lord”
Warren Wiersbe wrote:
“Christ is our light and we trust Him. He is our leader and we follow Him. He is our life and we grow in Him and reveal Him to a dark world.”
We don’t do good works to earn browning points or to try and make God love us more. We are living billboards shining in the dark of night to show the way to Jesus. We do good deeds to illuminate our Savior and lead others to do the same.
I love the way the Message puts this:
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, The Message).
Twelve year old Malachi Russell was a normal kid until he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and told he had 17 months to live.
17 months. Do you know he responded? He wrote down 17 names of people that he wanted to make sure that he would see in heaven. He started reaching out, praying and sharing the Gospel with these people.
When asked why he wasn’t sad or angry, this twelve year old’s answer shamed me:
“The Lord has given me so many chances to share the Gospel, and I’m going to take every chance I can,” Roger recalled him saying. “The world needs Jesus, and I want to step my game up because this cancer can kill me, and I want to tell as many people as I can.”
He shared the Gospel with Ambulance workers, with nurses, with doctors, and anyone else who came across their path.
On September 10, 2019, Malachi got to hear well done good and faithful servant. At his celebration of life more than 100 people indicated that they prayed to receive Christ! And that included Malachi’s uncle who had been watching this entire situation play out.
By the way, the name Malachi means “my messenger.”
The moon has no light of its own. It simply reflects the sun.
I heard Christine Caine, the director of A21 (rescuing sex slaves), tell the story of her little girl who was obsessed with flashlights. They went to Walmart and she bought her a flashlight and she turned it on and said, “Mummy, I’ve got a flashlight. Let’s go find some darkness!”
It’s Time!
Is it dark right now? Yes. Will it get darker? Yes. But we are called to be the light in the darkness. Paul encouraged the Philippians to shine like Jesus our “bright morning star.” (Rev 22:16)
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Phil 2:14-16)
As Alistair Begg once quipped "If you can't shine, at least twinkle!"
This world is rotting and decaying. Without the influence of the Gospel, this is culture’s default setting.
There has never been a more perfect time to make an impact as salt and light.
God is saying to you, “I have a plan for this world. And you, church, are it’s only hope.”
A lighthouse is not designed for people safe on shore but to guide the boats out of the stormy seas to safety.
That’s what we are called to do.
Applications
Preparing this sermon, I thought of dozens of ways that we can be salt and light in our spheres of influence. But Jesus doesn’t tell us how to shine. How we are salt and light will vary with our personalities and with our opportunities.
But I want to give two ways that we can be salt and light.
The first is found in the context. Listen to what Jesus says right before this section:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1-12)
One of the main ways that we can be salt and light is in the way we react when we are insulted, persecuted, and lied about. In this culture, the natural reaction is to go on social media and put that person on blast. But not us.
Two verses above, Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers, not the peace breakers.
When we react in love and grace, the world stands up and notices. Its one of the ways you show your saltiness and your light.
In a world full of Karens, be kind.
Karen is a pejorative term used in the United States and other English-speaking countries for a woman perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is appropriate or necessary.
We saw an example of this at the Marlins/Phili baseball game this week.
During the game, Harrison Bader hit a home run. A father caught the ball and gave it to his young son, Lincoln, who was celebrating his birthday. A woman, later dubbed "Phillies Karen" on social media, approached the father and son, screaming at them and demanding the ball, claiming it was hers and was in her hands first. The father reluctantly gave the ball to the woman.
Marlins staff approached the boy and offered him a ballpark goodie bag. After the game, Harrison Bader met with Lincoln, signed a bat, and posed for photos.
And this morning, Marcus Lemonis offered Lincoln and his family World Series tickets and a brand new RV!
The point isn’t that if you are nice, you get World Series tickets. Even this crazy, broken, dying world hates unkindness. Kindness stands out. Maxine has taught me that kindness is currency, spend it extravagantly. It doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive. Sometimes it can just be a warm smile.
A man in his 30s left a suicide note in his apartment that said, “I’m walking to the Golden Gate Bridge this morning. I’m going to jump. But if just one person smiles and says something to me, I won’t jump. He jumped.
The second way is found in the story of Walker and Craig.
Walker and Lainey and their brood of children kept attending Redeeming Grace and Craig kept reaching out to Walker. Their wives became fast friends and they spent a lot of time together.
One night after driving home from the Coopers’ house, Walker got mad and said, “What’s the catch? Why do these people love us so much? What’s the play here?”
Lainey just smiled and said that it was just the love of Jesus shining through.
When Lainey went into labor with their seventh child, they had planned a home birth but things went wrong fast. Lainey was rushed to the hospital and nearly died. The little girl didn’t make it.
In the midst of all the sadness and chaos, Craig and his wife showed up and provided comfort and friendship, with tears and prayers.
Again, Walker didn’t get Craig but his heart was starting to soften.
After Walker lost his record deal, the dealership repossessed their minivan. They were down to one vehicle and it only had five seatbelts. Not enough for the whole family.
Craig showed up at the ball field one night with a van and gave it to Walker. Walker, in his pride, argued, and said no. Finally, one of the kids said, “Daddy, take the van. We need it!”
After this incident, Walker wrote what would be one of most inspired songs, simply entitled, “Craig.” He sent the song to Craig and he and his family listened to it with tears running down their faces.
Play Video of Craig by Walker Hayes
Eventually, Jesus, shining through Craig overwhelmed Walker, and he was gloriously born again.
I’m going to let Walker and Craig tell the story. (p. 113 and 116)
Here’s the vision for our next year. Who is your Craig? Mine was a guy named Aaron Teaford. Six foot seven, private Christian school college guy who told me that I was the scariest, most ungodly person he had ever known. But he loved me anyway. He tried to answer my questions, invited me along, and was there when I put my faith in Christ.
We are never going to argue people into the kingdom. We are never going to shame people into the kingdom. But we can Craig people into the kingdom.
We are going to make Craig into a verb. Who are you “Craiging?” If you don’t have a Walker, the vision is that we are going to pray that God brings you one.
Communion
One day, this world will be filled with the light of Jesus.
C.S. Lewis famously wrote:
“I believe in Christianity as I believe in the sun has risen; not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.”
And at the end of the ages, we see that there is no darkness in heaven:
“The [new Jerusalem] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.” (Rev 21:23-24)
I’d rather see a sermon?than hear one any day.
I’d rather one would walk with me?than merely tell the way.
The eye’s a better pupil?and more willing than the ear.
Fine counsel is confusing?but example’s always clear.
The best of all the preachers?are the men who live their creeds.
For to see good put in action?is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it,?if you’ll let me see it done.
I can watch your hands in action,?your tongue too fast may run.
The lectures you deliver?may be very wise and true.
But I’d rather get my lessons?by observing what you do.
For I might misunderstand you?And the high advice you give.
But there’s no misunderstanding?how you act and how you live.
