“Salt and Light Witnessing”
Matthew 5:13-16
THEME: We are the salt the silent work of influence and the light the visible manifestation of God in people’s lives.
INTRODUCTION:
a) There are two things that we value that seem so insignificant but are part of our survival. We either complain because to much of these two things or we want more of these.
b) One is hardly seen. Yet too little of it you can taste the difference and too much of it can ruin your food.
c) The other is visible it is need during the night or when it is dark. Yet too much of it in the morning well make you say, “Turn it off” yet too little of it can make you feel unsafe.
d) What is it? It is salt and light. One works as it comes into contact with the food and the other one as turned on.
e) Jesus said you are the Salt and the light. Today I want to share with you an ancient formula that can turn this world upside down.
I. A CHRISTIANS INFLUENCE Vs.13
Salt Witnessing
A. SALT
1. Matthew 5:13-16 In the Sermon on the Mount we stated that the Beatitudes are the elements of the Christian life. But this next section deals with the Christians influence. A Christian that is merciful or is t meek, or is a peacemaker, or that is pure in heart will have a tremendous influence in the lives of those who have not given their heart to God.
2. In ancient times salt was seen as a necessity of life. Because of its seasoning and preservative qualities was one of the most highly prized minerals. In many societies it was so highly valued that it was used for money. The English word salary is derived from the Latin word Salarium which refers to the payments made to a Roman soldier with salt.
3. Herod’s temple had a chamber of salt for ceremonial use of salt. (Mish. Midodoth, v.3)
4. Whenever a city was defeated the custom was to throw salt through out the city. This mean that the city had been separated from its past. Elisha used salt to purify the water of Jericho (2 Kings 2:20)
5. The normal procedures when a child was born was to be rubbed with salt (Ez. 16:4)
B. The use of Salt
Salt was gathered in Palestine from along the seashore or inland lakes.
1. SALT MAKES YOU THIRSTY
2. SEASONING: In Bible times and till today salt is used for seasoning our food. Who likes to eat food without salt? Even though salt is so small and yet hardly noticeable it makes a difference when applied to the substance.
a) Salt was used to flavor the offerings and sacrifices (Lev. 2:13, Ez.43:24) “All who would present themselves “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God: (Rom 12:1), must receive the saving salt, the righteousness of our Saviour.”
b) In order for our lives to be a living sacrifice for God they must be preserved and seasoned with righteousness of Christ.
3. Preservative: But it was also used to preserve food. They did not have the refrigeration systems that we have today.
4. Friendship: Salt was seen as a covenant relationship “It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord with you and your descendants with you.” (Numbers 18:19) So salt also represented a relationship. “It represented hospitality that cemented on friendship” Arab Saying “There is salt between us”
C. You are the Salt of the Earth
1. What did Jesus mean by this statement? It is the silent witness of the Christian believer. It is the influence that you have over other people’s lives to season, and preserve for eternal life. Christ is saying let your influence season people’s life for the kingdom. Salt changes things; a little salt can flavor a big pot of beans. It only takes on salt to flavor a whole community a whole neighborhood a whole workplace.
2. The whole issue of salt is the seasoning, the influence you might say. Like some one said, “The salt is no good if it never leaves the salt shaker, it is only an decoration to the kitchen table.
3. We deny the salt function when we fail to mingle with people that are lost; we deny the function of the salt when we fail to be kind, merciful, peacemaker. To deny the salt function is to deny the principles of the kingdom of God. We are not to draw away from society, we are not of the world but we live in the world. And if we as Salt don’t rub against those who have no flavor, those who are perishing who will?
4. Jesus said, “You are the salt” It is emphatic He didn’t say you are the earth. He didn’t say you might , you ought to be No, you are the salt. We are either the salt or the world.
G.C. Campbell Morgan said nicely when he wrote, “Jesus, looking out over the multitudes of His day, saw the corruption, the disintegration of life at every point, its breakup, its spoliation; and because of His love of the multitudes, He knew the thing that they needed most was the salt in order that the corruption should be arrested.”
5. Salt witnessing is about showing true friendship. Showing the friendship of Jesus. Love is the main ingredient in true friendship. “When love fills the heart, it will flow out to others…”This love is as broad as the universe, and is in harmony with that of the angel workers. Cherished in the heart, it sweetens the entire life and sheds it’s blessing upon all around. It is this, and this only, that can make us the salt of the earth”
6. Remember Lot’s wife she became a pillar of salt because she wanted to be part of the world. We are not pillars of salt we are the “Salt of the earth”
II. A CHRISTIAN’S TESTIMONY
A. Light
1. Light is described as a form of energy it is always moving. “When light energy ceases to move, because it has been absorbed by matter, it is no longer light” Light has been a symbol of divine presence. Jesus said that He was the light of the world.
2. Who is the true source of light? “Then Jesus spoke to them again saying I am the light of the world.” He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
3. People are living in fear because of what is happening. This is the opportunity to shine the light so people will not be afraid. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) So we are called to have friendships and to witness to our friends.
4. We know Jesus is the true light we are only reflectors of the light, the question is what does it mean that Jesus is the light? “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world.” (John 1:6-9) “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (Vs.4
5. See here it is very evident that we are just reflectors and of Jesus Light. Not only that but to be a light of Jesus is to live His life here on earth. In other words our testimony.
Illustration: Mary From Los Angeles
B. Functions of Light
1. Expose darkness: Darkness is expelled as soon as you hit the lights. People are not aware of the darkness they live in if they don’t see the light. “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light.” (Matthew 4:16) The question is does my life help people see more clearly?
2. Light serves a guide: Airport runways helps planes see their runway by the lights. When we try to drive in the dark or land in the dark without lights it is dangerous. We are guides to people who are in darkness.
3. Light is to be seen: There is no such thing as a secret Christian. We need to be a light at all times. Light shines not so much that people may see the light as that they may see other things because of the light. Our light shines not that people will be attracted to us but to the light Jesus Christ.
C. Light under a Bushel (Vs.15
1. Palestinian homes were generally dark. Having one small window. They did not have electricity and light bulbs like we have. Their light consisted of a lamp which was a bowl filled with oil that had a wick. When they needed light the lamp was placed on a lamp stand. The most difficult thing of having this light in the house was in lighting the lamp. Remember they didn’t have matches or cigarette lighters.
2. As a result, no one wanted to let their light go out because It took to much work to get the wick lid again. But when people went out of the house it was dangerous to leave the light on so for safety reasons when they left their homes the lamp would be taken from its lamp stand and placed under an earthen vessel where it could burn risk free. As soon as someone returned they would put the lamp on the stand.
3. No one lights a light only to put it under a basket or earthen vessel we are to let our light shine to the maximum.
D. You are the Light
Illustration: The story is told of a man whose job was to be on the railroad tracks and warn with his light the upcoming training of the bridge that had been damaged. That night as the train came the man showed his lamp but the train went right into the ditch. The man was taken to court because they wanted to know why the train did not pay attention to this man who was to warn the train of the danger ahead. The man was asked, “Where you on duty on the night that the train had the accident” the judge asked. The man replied, “Yes sir” the judge once again asked did you have your lamp with you? The man replied, “Yes sir,” the judge asked the last question did you wave your lamp to the train? The man replied, “Yes sir” so the man was not held responsible. Later as the man went home he told his friend, “I am glad that the judge did not ask me if my lamp was on”
1. We are to dispel darkness. “Arise; shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be see upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3)
2. The whole issue with the light is to be able to light in the darkness. Jesus said, you are the light of the world. Every Christian is a light to help others find salvation. But you don’t have light of your own anymore than the moon has light without the sun
3. or a light bulb has light without being connected to a power source.
4. Jesus didn’t say, “you are the light of Palestine, He said, “You are the light of the world. We are to preach the gospel to the whole world. “ Then I say another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue and people.” (Revelation 14:6)
5. What happens when a light fails to give its light? It is removed. “He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lapmstands…”Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstands from its place unless you repent?” (Revelation 2:1,5)
6. We are the light; it is visible to the human eye. The people need to see the message.
III. FILLING THE EARTH WITH GOD’S GLORY
A. Differences between salt and light witnessing
1. It is crucial to understand the differences between these two. Salt works and expands itself silently but you see it operating. Things are delicious without ever seeing the salt.
2. You don’t have to give a Bible study to be salt, your influence, your peace, your meekness your mercy. It only takes one to get it going. God is saying just give me one salt and I will affect the lives of many just one. How many of you have gotten sick in the past two months? Why it all started with one.
3. On the other hand light has a different type of effect. Light is visible it is seen it works openly. This is when you openly share your faith with others, when you share about God.
4. People need to see the salt and light witness. They need to see how your acquaintance is a seasoning to your life. To begin to ask the questions why are you like this. Tell me about your life. But also they need the light witness they need to see Jesus in our lives; we need to share with them the true source of light. Remember we are just reflectors of the light. (“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6)
5. Mirrors: Better yet we are like mirrors we reflect the light. But in order to reflect the light we need to position our mirrors to the light. And we do this by studying God’s word, by praying and by thinking. And as we position ourselves each day to Christ, the light will shine automatically. People will se the glory of God.
B. The Glory of God on this earth
1. The whole earth will be illuminated with God’s glory, and when that happens we know that we are near to the coming of the Lord.
2. We believe in the message of the three Angel’s of Revelation 14 but there is a fourth angel.
3. “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was illuminated with his glory.” (Revelation 18:1)
CONCLUSIONS
1. The time has come for us to be the salt of the earth.
2. The time has come for us to be the light of the world. To shine with the glory of God his character. When people see in us the character of God then message will spread like wild fire.
Illustration: On Saturday September 15, 2001at 2:30 a.m. there was a tragedy here between Port Isabel and Padre Island. A boat hit one of the pillars making the bridge to break in the middle. Since it was early in the morning and it was the darkest hour of the night the cars that were coming when they going to the peak of the bridge did not see that the bridge was collapsed and about 9 people died. I wonder if there had been a light, shining upon that dark hour upon that very spot of the bridge how many people would have been saved.
You are the salt and the light of the world.
