Matthew 5:13-16

Good evening, everyone. Welcome back, or for the first time today, whichever one it is.

Tonight we'll continue with our series in the Sermon on the Mount.

We'll be looking at verses 13 through 16 tonight of chapter 5.

We'll just continue to pick up and to build on what Greg and Nick have already preached on throughout this time.

Let me start us off with a word of prayer.

Lord, you've called us. You've elected us. You have a purpose laid out before our lives.

You've made us unique. You've separated us in so many ways.

Lord, we need to know. We need to yearn and desire to know you better and to know how it is that we fit into your great plan,

what it is that you've called us to.

And I just pray that through this series, through us looking at what salt and light is,

that we will see how we could be that in the lives of those around us as you send us out.

And I pray that all these things in Christ's name. Amen.

So Greg started off this series about two weeks ago, giving an overview of the Sermon on the Mount.

And thank God for a podcast. I was sick that week. I couldn't make it. I would have loved to turn it in person.

But the thing that from that that stuck out to me was that he said that this life we live in Christ,

this is what our lives can and must look like, these verses, this sermon.

As he points out a lot of things, as he speaks these blessings,

as he gives all of these practical lessons on these different topics,

as I kind of like to look at the Sermon on the Mount, is this lesson in practical holiness.

It's something we can live out on a daily basis as these things that, well,

all these things may not always be affecting our lives at the same time,

or these things may never touch us, but he's equipping us and he's giving us the tools to live this out,

to live this life out that he's calling us to.

And we see a little bit earlier than this, he just calls his first disciples,

like right before this, at the end of chapter 4, he calls them.

And even as we see in Luke, he begins to teach a little bit more after that.

His disciples are around him, and this is a perfect opportunity for him to bring them in,

to start to teach them, for them to see what his ministry is going to entail,

what their ministry is going to entail, what it looks like to follow God.

And it isn't clear what they kind of thought of him during these early times,

but there was something there that made them leave their fishing boats and their tax booths

to follow this great or good teacher, however they may have thought of him.

And we see, we don't really see Jesus giving them verses to remember wise.

We don't see him giving them laws to follow and things like that,

but he's just saying, follow me, continue to follow me.

And we can take that example into our lives.

And he's going to break down some things and give us some warnings.

He's going to give us some exhortations.

He's going to encourage us in all these different ways.

So whether we continue to follow him or continue not to follow him,

he's going to speak on both of those things.

And as we kind of see his disciples, they really didn't have the social capital to go anywhere.

No other teachers were clamoring to make them.

They're star pupils as we kind of see in Acts like the Sanhedrin,

as they stand before him, like they perceive that these were uneducated men.

And another point to pick up is when he called them, they really weren't qualified.

They weren't the right people.

They didn't have the right stuff.

So as we see him calling them,

as we see him calling them,

it wasn't because of who they were or what they were doing,

but it was because of his great plan.

And we see that in these verses.

And he starts off, you are.

He doesn't say you could be.

You have the potential to be.

You might be.

He says, you are.

There was no posters of hope or progress or change.

There wasn't an image of President Obama looking at them with these bold words in Hevetica,

staring them right in the face that encouraged them and spurred them on.

But this was God sitting before them, teaching them, telling them who they were,

giving them a new identity.

He was preparing them.

Though they might not use these things now,

though they may not perceive fully what was going on there,

but he was giving them something and equipping them for their future ministry of what was to come.

And we see Jesus training and teaching them here

of what was pretty much wasn't fulfilled to Pentecost came,

to the Spirit came upon them

and gave them the power to live these things out better.

And as we dive into this section,

we're just going to look at what salt is,

what light is,

what Jesus has to say about us

going out and living out these things in the world.

And I'll go ahead and read this for us real quick.

Matthew 5, verses 13 through 16.

Matthew 5:13–16

I believe that's on page 810 of your pew Bibles.

Everybody there?

You are the salt of the earth,

but if salt has lost its taste,

how shall its saltiness be restored?

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out

and trampled under people's feet.

You are the light of the world.

A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden.

No other people light a lamp and put it under a basket,

but on a stand,

and it gives light to all the house.

In the same way,

let your light shine before others

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who's in heaven.

So,

why do I even need to continue?

I should be done here.

Be salt.

Be light.

Glorify your Father in heaven.

Pretty simple instructions, right?

We can all kind of get that and grasp that.

But what are we doing there?

Are we assuming that we know what these things mean?

Are we assuming that the person next to us

has the same gospel-centered worldview

that's going to point them in the same direction that we are?

And I'm just thankful that the Lord gives us this body,

this community.

He gives us preaching.

He gives us teaching

to bring us together,

to be on one accord.

And I guess a lot of times when we look at this,

we look at this salt,

and we look at this light,

and we think we have it figured out.

We kind of look at the salt,

but a lot of times we just want to talk about being light.

We're a light to our coworkers.

We're a light to our friends.

We want to be a light to our families.

But what does that really look like?

What is Jesus calling us to here?

And then in that,

if we just kind of skip the salt,

then how do we be light?

And I think it's really important,

as much as the substance is,

the way he ordered it here,

the salt comes before the light.

And I think there's something to that

that he really wants us to see.

So, in glorifying God,

do we just become salty?

And setting upon a hill,

does that make the light brighter?

Like, how do all these things fit together?

And we're seeing here,

to glorify God,

he says,

and to glorify God,

he says,

your light must shine before others.

In order for your light to shine before others,

it can't be hid.

And if it's not hid,

it should be set upon a hill.

It should be put in a prominent place.

But in order for this light to shine,

there must be salt.

You must be salt.

Not just something that fades away,

loses its saltiness,

but he's talking about a salt

with lasting effects,

with a lasting savoring

that we get from that.

And a lot of us think,

being light is easy,

we can sound spiritual,

we won't judge people,

we can be open and affirming,

and most importantly,

we can be nice.

And we're a light to people,

and that's what we see a lot of times,

people just want to be nice,

and we think that's being a light to someone.

So what is salt saying right here?

We're like,

what's tying all this together?

And as we look at this first section

of the Sermon on the Mount,

he's telling us who we are,

who he's calling us to be,

what he's calling us to do.

And as we look at the salt,

we see before that,

he says,

we're to be poor in spirit,

we're to be merciful,

we're to be meek,

we're to be peacemakers,

pure in heart,

hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

So what I see him saying here is,

who we know,

who we see ourselves to be

will affect how we operate,

it'll affect what we do,

it'll affect how we think,

how we talk,

and it'll affect how we are salt

and light in the world.

So for us to operate it

in salt and light,

we have to be continually

reminding ourselves

of who we are,

remembering Jesus,

describing who we can be

and who we should be

as believers.

And it can be tough,

like,

we can be people pleasers,

we can be feeling the weight

of our own sin,

we can be feeling condemned,

we can think that we're not quite there

in our faith where we don't understand

the gospel enough to be

salt and light in the world.

Or it could be that

we just have this humongous log in our eye

and we're always looking out,

like,

that speck in their eye

is just so horrifying

that we don't see what's going on with us,

we're not aware of who we are,

we're ignoring that.

But Christ steps in and says,

you are,

you are the salt of the earth,

you are the light of the world.

And we just can't leave this,

leave this teaching here

and be like,

okay,

I'm salt,

I'm light,

I'm just going to go out

and love people.

What does that mean?

How does that live itself out?

What embodies that?

Or do we just think

these are too lofty

a characteristic of our lives

to attain?

Do we think,

well,

I'll get there someday,

I'll work on

this other thing first

and then I'll work on

being salt in life.

I'll work on myself first

before I go out

and be a light to others.

And so,

I would kind of view this

as kind of like

bearing fruit.

We have love,

we have kindness,

gentleness,

peace,

patience,

self-control.

I can never say all of them

for some reason.

But we have all these fruits

that we,

we have all these fruit

that we bear

and how do we get there?

Like,

what does that come from?

How does Paul get us

to that point?

And he says,

walk by the Spirit.

That's his way

of getting to these fruit,

walking by the Spirit.

And to live this out,

to live out our lives

as being salt,

we,

we need to be regenerated.

We need to

be walking in the Spirit.

We need to be

the living out

and not just

acting these things out.

And what I mean by that

is,

is to live these things out,

is to,

is to have our hearts changed

and not just our actions.

to,

to live them out,

to,

to know what it is,

to,

to genuinely love someone,

to genuinely have kindness,

to genuinely want to

have self-control

and not just to be

disciplined for a little while

and,

and then kind of

fall away from it.

But if our hearts change,

that,

that changes the rest of us.

And as we,

as we look to be salt,

we,

we see around us,

we live in a fallen world.

And,

and salt serves many purposes.

It can preserve,

it can,

it can,

it can season,

it can,

it can do all these things.

And I,

I don't think

Christ right here

is just calling us

to do one thing.

He's not just calling us

to,

to evangelism.

He's not just calling us

to,

to love our neighbor.

He's just not calling us

to,

to love our brothers.

He's,

he's calling us

to do all these things

as we are salt.

And in that,

we're,

we're,

we're,

we begin to embody this word

that he's speaking to them.

So,

we're embodying this word,

we're living by the spirit.

And we also kind of see that

in the vision of our church

where we are

reaching locally

and,

and affecting globally

through the word of life.

And,

and I think

that's just a,

a cool vision

for us to have.

And I think

that's just

embodies the fact

that,

that we're to be salt

in this world.

And Jesus seems

to,

to liken light

to being a,

a city set upon a hill.

It's like

in this prominent place.

You can't,

you can't ignore it.

You can't miss it.

It's just right there

in front of you.

It's a beacon

to all who see it.

But what else

is light?

What do we think of

when we,

when we think of being light?

Is it just

kind of

exemplifying

a few things

in front of a person?

Or is it more than that?

Is it,

how is it affecting

our relationship with God?

How is it coming

out of that relationship?

Is our,

is the life

we're living

giving praise to God?

How does that,

how does that

become light?

And how,

and how in that

when we walk

by the spirit

and the fruit

being made,

manifest,

how,

how is that

exemplifying light?

in our small group

we've been,

we've been looking

at the book of Luke

and,

and I think

is,

is really,

is really telling

with,

with the Lord's,

the mission statement

for,

for his ministry

as he,

as he points out

in chapter four,

he says a few things.

He says,

proclaim good news

to the poor,

proclaim liberty

to the captive,

recover sight

before the blind,

proclaim the year

of our Lord's favor.

And we see

in these things

that he,

that he's come

to do something.

He's making himself

known,

he's making himself

visible before the people

so that they know

what he's,

what he's coming for.

But before that,

he,

he says one thing.

He says,

the spirit of the Lord

is upon me

and he's anointed me.

And with that,

he goes into

these other things.

And,

and not only

as we look at light,

is it,

is it this beacon

that people kind of

see from afar off

and,

and come to?

But,

but with light,

there has to be

something else.

He's,

I don't think he's saying

you are the light

of the world,

you're just kind of

added to the light

that was there.

If he,

if he was saying that,

then,

then why would,

why would he,

why would we need

this extra light?

Why would we,

why would we need

more light?

Why would he need

us to be light?

Why would he specifically

say you are light

and not say

the world is light

as well?

And I think we need

to look at that

because

in this world

we live in,

there,

there is darkness.

And not only

being a weakness,

but,

but shedding light

on that,

that light piercing

into the darkness.

Even if you're

in a dark room

and you see

like a tiny flicker,

that's something

you,

you acknowledge,

something you can,

you can notice

in a dark,

in a dark room.

You can see

that tiny flicker.

You can see

the light

in contrast

to that darkness.

And,

and it's kind of

been,

been our natural state

since the fall

of Adam.

Being,

being blinded

to this truth

of the darkness

within our own hearts

and in the darkness

around us.

And the defibrillator

of God's word

is we're

unresponsive

to that

on our own.

We,

we have no way

or no ability

to respond

to that.

And how,

and how do people

get along

so well

in this world

if we know

this is the truth?

Well,

if you,

if you aren't

responsible to that,

then,

then you're not

able to respond

to that.

how you know,

how do you know

what you're being

saved from?

Is it hell?

Is it an angry God?

Am I being saved

to follow these rules?

When am I going

to get out

of my salvation?

And we can

just go on

and on

with that,

with that list.

and we were,

and we can

continue to realize

how we once

walked

and lived

and lived

in that darkness.

You were once

that way,

I was once

that way.

For me,

it was,

I can do it

all myself.

I've been driving

since I was

in the second grade.

I've been

working

ever since

middle school.

I mean,

what do I have

that I can't

just provide

for myself?

And,

and God

gave me

a pretty good

gut check

my freshman

year of college.

Asking myself

a lot of hard

questions,

not coming up

with any answers,

trying to make

my own explanations,

those things

not working out.

and in the midst

of that,

hearing the gospel

and,

and seeing,

and seeing

these,

these believers

around me

who,

who genuinely

followed

and loved Christ

and in that being,

my mind being,

being open

to the truth.

And,

and John says,

in him being Jesus

was life

and the life

was the light

of men.

Hmm.

So this,

so this light

that,

that pierces,

pierces the darkness

brings life

with it.

It just doesn't

come to,

to illuminate.

It is bringing,

it's bringing life,

it's bringing

something living

with it.

And with that

being said,

we,

we need to

be constantly

being reminded

that,

that this world

is broken

and,

and sin

has severely

wounded

our minds,

our bodies,

our soul.

But we see here

that,

that all is not lost.

Like,

you,

you wouldn't

break out

the salt

to,

to preserve

something

that was already

rotting,

that was already,

already gone.

There's something

left to preserve,

there's something

left to,

to save.

So,

so for us

to be,

to be salt

in this world,

there's something

left that,

that God is doing,

that God is working

in this world.

Like,

we're not the,

just the salt

of the church,

we're not just

the salt

of our houses,

but,

but he calls us

the salt

of the earth.

And he calls us

the light

of the world.

And metaphorically,

metaphorically here,

he,

he calls us

a lamp.

And I think

in that,

we,

we can be ones

that,

that reveals

the riches

of God's great glory

in the world

and to the people

around us.

We have

great opportunities

with,

with whoever

it may be,

co-workers,

classmates,

friends.

We,

we have great

opportunities

to,

to be a light

into these

people's lives.

And,

and something,

I,

I thought about,

um,

talking to a friend

who,

who came from the city.

He was,

um,

he was visiting me,

he was visiting the country.

He was like,

when I'm out here,

it's a lot darker

than I like.

It's a lot darker,

darker than the city.

It's a lot,

there's no light out here

when it,

when the sun goes down.

And that scares me.

So,

so whether you're

walking down

Elm Street

or,

or York Street,

let's kind of

think about that.

Like,

when you're walking

down the street,

you're just kind of,

it's the normal thing

for us to do.

Like,

we're not noticing,

like,

the lights.

We're not noticing

how beautiful

these

DOT

fixtures,

how beautiful

these DOT fixtures are.

We're,

we're just kind of

walking and we're,

we're realizing that

there,

there's light

to,

to light our path.

And,

and hopefully we can be that

to the,

in the lives of the people

around us,

that they,

they're now,

they're not looking to us,

but they're doing

what it says right here.

In the same way,

let your light shine

before others

so that they may see

your good works

and give glory

to your Father

who is in heaven.

So,

there,

there's a summation

here

to be salt,

to be light,

and that pushes us

into these good works

that are going to

point other people

to Christ.

And I'll leave you,

leave you guys

with that.

Lord,

as we

depart,

as we go about

our weeks,

that,

that we may be

confronted with

the,

the truth of this word

to be,

to be salt

and,

and light

in this world

and in this earth,

that,

that you haven't

called us

to a faith

that,

that is private

and that,

and that is our own,

but you called,

you called us

to,

to live it out

amongst the,

the people around us

and,

and I just pray

that we would

use that,

just that,

with your power

upon us,

in Christ's name.

Amen.

Anytime.

Anybody have anything?

Anything?

Well,

I don't know

if I can't

say it's different

by the,

but I am listening

to you

and when Jesus

was on earth,

he was the right

to the Lord

and he,

his one that

states all

these examples

of us,

he said,

the light

and the darkness

cannot take

so we are

there to be

goodness

and you are

a great Christian

and you cannot

stand it.

So you have

to speak up

to correct

and to get

the gospel

straight.

That's me,

so that's what

we want to get

people,

people,

peacemakers

and everything

because we

cannot.

So we are

the ones

who are supposed

to correct

the becadness

and get

peace on earth

because

God

really

wants us

to do that

for his

kingdom.

That's how

I see the

gospel

and that's

how I

learned

because we

have to

become people

but still

we don't

put up,

I'm going to

put up

the wrongs,

we don't

cover it

wrongs.

So we

as a church

have to

speak out

that the

rules of

God

can find

people in

the right

way

on the

cross.

yeah,

I think

in our

love for

people,

we can't

be silent

on that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think

I think

I think

I can

give an

example.

There I

have,

there was

this single

lady and I

watched her

and they were

trying,

and then one

came,

suddenly I

hand,

and I

told her,

and it was

all right,

and I said,

well, I have to

say to her.

Then I

embraced her,

I told her,

and that

was like

the correction,

and she's

like,

she's not

perfect,

but she's

coming.

So that's

how we

have to

spread the

news.

We have

to teach,

we have

to rebuke,

we have

to correct.

Yeah.

So that's

all I see

there in the

gospel,

and love,

and peace,

and joy,

and happiness.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody

else?

I would

say that

there is

something

separate and

unique about

both of

those,

but I think

the way he

groups them

here is

because they

go together.

You have

one,

and you

have the

other.

They go

hand in

hand.

Can I

say something

again?

So would

you summarize

Salt as

maybe being

the,

probably being

distinct,

something about

being distinct

for God

and that

light is

displaying that?

How would

you summarize

what's distinct

about salt

and light?

I guess

I would

put it,

I've been

searching for

words all

week to

describe them.

man.

I would

say salt

is,

hmm,

I would

say salt

is a lot

like,

it kind of

like embodies

the characteristics

of the beat

attitudes.

it's kind

of,

it's kind

of like,

I want to

say character

in a sense.

It's kind

of,

uh,

I don't

know,

I just,

when I,

when I have

the word for

it,

I'll tell

you.

But yeah,

I would,

I would view,

view light

as,

as the thing

that,

that goes

forth,

light,

light is the

thing that,

that's visible

and seen

in our

lives.

I am

a good

day,

you know,

but I'm

just saying

what is

inside of

me.

The Bible

says,

we are

the church,

we are

a royal

priesthood,

a holy

nation,

and that

means we

are safe

and home.

So,

that means

that we

are the

strong

of this

church,

so we

supposed

to,

I'm

a great

day,

you know,

that's what

I'm

seeing

that way,

that our

lives should

be lived

in such

way that

people can

be

like us,

or not,

as a bad

sense,

we should

be the

imitator

of Jesus

Christ,

so that's

how we

should be

more alive,

that other

people can

see and

try to

be like

us.

We have

good deeds,

we can

correct,

we can

love,

we love,

we are

loving people,

Christian,

we are

really loving

people,

we are

humble,

we are

gentle,

we are

kind,

and

everything,

but then

there is

forgiveness,

we don't

love,

we talk

about it,

and then

we love

me,

that we

embrace

our

love,

so that's

how I

see,

we are

soft.

Yeah.

Yeah.

great.

God's

love,

it's

taste,

what does

that

store mean?

How does

his saltiness be restored.

Oh, flip that real quick.

If salt has lost its taste,

how shall his saltiness be restored?

I've kind of read that as being like a rhetorical question.

It's like in a sense like if salt loses its saltiness,

then it can't get it back.

You really can't reclaim that for it.

So once it's gone, it's gone.

You had a question?

I'm just stretching my head.

Oh.

I tend to agree with you guys.

It's a character, a characteristic of a person.

You know, you've heard of his question,

he's a normal salt, or she's salt.

You know, sort of like almost the third year of a snack.

I think that as Christians, we shouldn't be snarky.

I think we should be like salt.

Salt is rubbed into a hole and it's stint.

And so, like our sisters and others, look at this.

I think we're allowed for our wives to tell that person that what you're doing and what's going on.

It's not a right.

It's not in accordance with God's will.

And therefore, that way, we become salt.

And it may sting.

It may not be well received, but we're told to be salt.

We have taste.

We have a certain character.

That's different.

Yeah.

Yeah, that saltiness does call us to be distinct.

Because if we were, it's kind of like both of these things.

Like, if these things were already in existence, if they were already in the world,

then why would Christ be calling his disciples to embody these things and to be these things

if they were already there?

Jeff?

Do you, what do you say when a person can be very moderate and say,

I just turn on my light when I'm at work and to turn it on when I go home again?

Do you think that that's, that there's a problem with that scripturally, even with the salt?

Can salt choose when it's effective and choose when it's going to be just like sand?

Or what do you think about that?

I wouldn't say that there's much of a choice there.

When he calls them these things, he calls it, he does it in a way that makes it definite,

a definite thing, like all the time, 24-7, 365.

Like, like you'll always be salt and light.

Though we may not always feel that way, we're called to be that.

One more?

What?

Do you have?

Okay.

Okay.

How would you connect your passage to the attitudes?

I can see you connecting to the entire world,

and it's like all, and it's just a stress that's connected just to be can,

plus every university.

What are your thoughts?

What was that again?

How would you connect your passage to the attitudes?

Come back and forth.

I would say that they're connected in the way that all these things embody who we are.

They connect in that way.

So just as we're peacemakers, just as we're meat, just as we're poor in spirit, we are salt and we are light.

These things are what we're supposed to represent and what we're supposed to be.

So.

Got to dig way back in the vaults for that one.

Oh, he wanted to know when I said like I was making my own explanation, explanations and doing all those things before I came to Christ, came to Christ.

And how those things are kind of fleshing those things, fleshing out in my life now.

I would say that I really, really didn't have a belief in anything or any God.

I mean, I grew up in going to church in the South, just as everybody else in the South does.

It's kind of expected of you.

But it wasn't much that I paid attention to or learned from.

But, yeah, I would say probably my senior year of high school into my freshman year of college is just kind of getting all of this knowledge, learning all these new things.

And trying to think through those things logically and nothing really sticking, nothing really making sense until hearing the gospel and learning what it did for me.

Does that kind of answer your question?

Oh.

Great.

Let me give just a couple quick announcements before and try to give us the benediction.

If you're both on the way in, there's more on the chair back there.

If you could get one.

Thank you.