Introduction:
A. I wanted to start today’s sermon with a funny story of a science chemistry experiment gone wrong.
1. So I went on line and searched for quite a while, thinking surely there must be some great stories out there.
a. I stumbled on one that didn’t have a lot of details, which would have made it funnier, but I guess during one demonstration, the teacher accidentally made Nitrous oxide, N2O, also known as laughing gas.
b. Imagine the scene as the gas began to take effect on the teacher, and then as it spread to the entire class. It must have been a very funny scene.
2. Other than stories of the guy who was carrying a beaker full of acid and somebody asked him for the time...all the other stories were very serious ones.
3. There were countless stories of serious explosions and students being badly burned.
4. So I guess the subject of high school chemistry experiments gone bad is not a funny subject.
B. And when I think about it, neither is it funny to use the wrong formula for impacting our world.
1. That is certainly a formula we want to get right. Am I right about that?
2. In our present sermon series we are talking about embracing our mission.
3. We’ve been talking about how much lost souls matter to God.
4. Last week we talked about the fact that trying to reach out to people will be costly. It will require time, effort, preparation and the potential for rejection, or even persecution.
5. But in the face of these costs we determined that the benefits far outweigh the costs.
6. Those benefits will be realized by we who embrace God’s mission, by those who are the recipients of our efforts and by God himself as He glories in our efforts and the results.
C. Today, we want to turn our attention to a formula for embracing our mission.
1. God has not only given us a goal, he has also given us a methodology for reaching that goal.
2. The methodology is not given to us in great detail, rather it is given to us in the form of two illustrations.
3. Look again with me at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13-16,
“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 by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
4. Here’s how Peterson paraphrases these verses:
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
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 – 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.” (The Message, by Eugene Peterson)
D. In the most simplest of terms, Jesus tells us that we, his followers, are salt and light.
1. To put that in terms of a formula, it would look like this: SALT + LIGHT = IMPACT
2. Why would Jesus choose those two metaphors to describe our mission?
3. First of all, they are so common and universal that everyone would understand.
4. And second, they are perfect and lasting illustrations.
I. The Sermon from SALT.
A. So what can we learn from salt? What does salt do that is so important?
B. First of all, Salt spices things up, right? It is a seasoning.
1. I know that we feel a little bit guilty every time we reach for the salt shaker, because too much salt can effect our blood pressure in a negative way.
2. But who wants to eat corn on the cob without some salt? Anybody?
3. How about unsalted peanuts or unsalted crackers? Yuk!
4. Salt is a wonderful seasoning that enhances the flavor of all kinds of foods.
5. What else does salt do?
C. Salt makes us thirsty.
1. I’m told that that’s why bars serve salty pretzels and peanuts free of charge. They are trying to make people thirsty so that they will drink more.
2. What else does salt do?
D. Perhaps, most importantly, Salt preserves.
1. Back in Jesus’ day they didn’t have Frigidares. The only way they could prevent foods from spoiling was salt.
2. Certain meats could be preserved for long periods of time if they were carefully packaged in salt.
E. So, these are the things that salt does. It stimulates thirst, it adds excitement to the taste of things, and it holds back decay.
1. Which of these do you think that Jesus had in mind when he looked at his followers and said, “You are the salt of the earth?”
2. The most truthful answer is: We Don’t Know.
3. He could have had in mind any of them or all of them.
4. Certainly, when we are living a life in tune with God filled with purpose, peace and joy, this often creates a spiritual thirst in people around us.
5. Certainly, when we Christians live out our lives with integrity and boldness we put a little zing into the lives of those around us. We can really spice things up.
6. And certainly, when we are living Christ-honoring lives we can hold back the moral decay in the society around us.
7. So, all of these uses of salt can convey important aspects of our mission for God.
8. Jesus chose not to elaborate on the specifics of the use of salt, rather he focused only on the potency of the salt.
9. I want us to come back to that important point in just a minute.
10. But for now, let’s spend a minute talking about light.
II. The Lesson from LIGHT.
A. In addition to being SALT, Jesus said that we are LIGHT.
1. It is again appropriate to ask what made Jesus choose this metaphor. What does light do?
B. For one, Light expels or exposes the DARKNESS.
1. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the dark.
2. When it is completely dark, my imagination can run wild.
3. But all I have to do is turn on a light and the darkness disappears.
4. What else does a light do?
C. Light also serves as a GUIDE.
1. I love to fly, and seeing all the lights from above is beautiful.
2. But something that is amazing is the way that the runway lights stand out so vividly from all the other lights.
3. They can be seen for miles and guide the pilot for a safe landing.
4. Story of hitting my head on the bunk bed in the dark room at camp.
D. So which of these uses of light did Jesus have in mind?
1. Again, to be truthful, we don’t know.
2. Both are wonderful examples of what we should be as lights to the world.
3. Part of our role is to expel and expose the darkness by shining forth God’s light.
4. And certainly, as lights to the world we act as a guide to lead others straight to the Lord.
E. But again we notice that Jesus didn’t elaborate on all the applications of us being light.
1. We do notice, however, is that Jesus focused on the issue of proximity.
III. The Importance of POTENCY and PROXIMITY
A. The point that Jesus was trying to make about salt, was that for salt to have its maximum impact it must have HIGH POTENCY.
1. “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 by men.”
2. What did Jesus mean? In Jesus’ day, salt was not as refined as it is today.
a. It was collected from around the Dead Sea where the salt crystals were often mixed with other minerals.
b. Since the actual salt was more soluble than the other impurities, rain could wash out the salt. What was left looked like salt, but was without saltiness and therefore without worth.
3. In the same way, we Christians must not lose our saltiness, our potency must remain high.
a. Our high potency comes from our close connection to God and God’s people.
b. That close connection comes from our regular spiritual practices of study and service.
c. Our high potency also comes as we reflect the character and values of God.
4. Very sadly, though, many Christians have lost their saltiness.
a. George Barna, statistician and author, says that research shows that “…the average Christian in the average church is almost indistinguishable from the rest of society. The fundamental moral and ethical difference that Christ can make in how we live is missing. When our teens claim to be saved, get pregnant and do drugs at the same rate as the general teenage population, when the marriages of Christians end in divorce at the same rate as the rest of society, when Christians cheat in business, or lie, steal, and cheat on their spouses at the same statistical level as those who say they are not Christians, something is horribly wrong.”
5. Now, I don’t believe that we as individuals and as a church have lost all our saltiness, but we must be so careful.
6. Our standard is God’s holiness, God’s character, God’s values.
7. How easy it is to be desensitized and sucked into this ungodly culture around us.
8. But, Jesus says that we are salt and that we must maintain our saltiness.
9. We could also talk about the importance of the potency of light, but that is not how Jesus used that illustration.
10. Each of our lights can be either strong and bright, or weak and dim.
11. It might have something to do with our connection to our power source or the strength of our batteries.
12. So, one thing Jesus wants us to pay close attention to is our potency.
B. The other thing he wants us to pay close attention to is our PROXIMITY.
1. Look back at Jesus’ clarification about us being light, he said, “
2. "You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
3. For light to have its intended effect, it must not be covered up or obscured in any way.
4. If no one can see the light, what good can the light do? Very little.
5. If the salt stays in the saltshaker, then it can’t have its effect.
6. The light and the salt must both have close proximity to where it is needed for it to make an impact, right?
7. And so it is with us. Is there any way we can be light and salt to the world if we have little or no contact with the world? Of course not!
C. So, both of these things, potency and proximity, are necessary.
1. If we have potency without proximity, then few are impacted.
2. But if we have proximity without potency, then equally few are impacted.
Conclusion:
A. The formula that I want to encourage us to be working with is this:
Maximum Impact = Good LIFE + Good DEEDS + Good WORDS.
1. In each of our lives and in the collective work of this congregation, we need to focus on both the PROCLAMATION and the DEMONSTRATION of the GOSPEL.
2. Our good life and good deeds will pave the way for the good news.
3. That does not mean that the good news cannot be delivered or proclaimed first, but in many cases the good words have the greatest impact only in the context of the good life and works.
B. As a reminder, let me say that in the final analysis, God must always be the focus.
1. The work of His Word and Spirit within us brings the transformation and equipping we need.
2. It is His power that gives us the courage and the ability to share the Gospel.
3. And it is the working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of others that brings them to faith and obedience.
4. We are just the humble tools in God’s hands, but we must realize that God has chosen to do His work through us.
C. In the coming weeks we will continue to talk about becoming more useful tools for God.
1. We will talk more about these good works and good words that can get the attention of others.
2. For today, though, I want to challenge us to make an honest assessment of ourselves.
3. How are we doing as salt and light? What is our level of potency and proximity?
4. What can we be asking God to do in us to make us more effective as the salt of the earth and the light of the world? May the glory and praise be given to God.
