Walking, Talking Salt

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-20; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Romans 12:1-2

Theme: Salt Lives

Title: Walking Talking Salt

1. Salt must be true to its nature – it must be salt

2. Salt to be true to its nature – it must give of itself fully

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Salt – In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to those who wanted to follow Him that they needed to be not like salt but be salt.

Salt – What a rather odd metaphor – what an odd comparison and yet as we study it in more in depth what a great idea and symbol for the Christ led life.

Salt – Basically salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). It’s found everywhere on the planet. It’s necessary for life. At one time it was used for money; instead of a piece of silver or gold a bag of salt was used to trade goods.

Salt – What did Jesus mean when he referred to us – His followers as salt.

There are so many things that we could share this morning about salt – it’s properties and its uses. All of which can correspond to what it means to be a follower of Jesus. There are plenty of books, articles, devotions and sermons that cover all those things.

This morning, I simply want us to focus on two simple things before we come forward to receive Holy Communion.

I. Salt is only salt if it is salt – if it is true to its basic God given nature.

The nature of salt is simple. It is either salt or it is not salt.

Now, that is something to get our attention. Salt is either salt or it is not salt. There is no leeway here.

Either salt is salt – or it is not salt.

Those that heard Jesus’ words that day understood that fact.

We understand that fact. Either salt is salt, or it isn’t. It is just that plain. It is not obtuse or complicated. It is just a fact. Salt is salt, or it isn’t.

In a very similar way and this is where Jesus was going when He said those words - We are either going to follow God or we are not going to follow God. For those listening to Him that day – they would have naturally thought of the Great Shema – the words found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Hear O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when your rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

The Jewish people knew in their hearts and lives that there was no middle ground. You were either a follower of God or you were not a follower of God. There was no such thing as being a little redeemed or being a little in love with God.

Jesus is reiterating that same thought. You are either salt – or you are not salt. You are either all in with God or you are not in with God.

It’s an ultimatum. It is a reality.

Whoever receives God’s life and understands the true nature of what it means to be a Christ follower has taken on the same character as salt. You are either in or you are not in.

There is no room for just tiptoeing from one side to the other side.

The Lord God Almighty does not expect us to adopt an attitude or a lifestyle that is not in accord to who we really want to be.

In other words, the LORD doesn’t expect us to follow Him if we don’t want to follow Him.

He doesn’t expect us to be His Salt unless we really want to be His Salt.

To become a believer; a Christ follower is not something that we do without some serious thought.

To many times throughout the history of the Church it has done its best to get people to follow Jesus just so that they could escape this place called Hell when they die. More times than not the Church has become Fire Safety Salespersons rather than Disciple Makers.

We tell people that they should allow Jesus to come into their hearts and lives so that one day they won’t have to burn in Hell.