Salt & Light Living
Sunday, July 7, 2024
Call to Worship:
We gather as God’s beloved children –
However glad we are, however out of sorts we are.
We come together as a people whom Jesus calls into community –
So this becomes a place where all are welcome.
We have come to give thanks, to pray and sing, to be with other –
Let us worship God.
Let your light shine!
Let your hearts be glad!
God is faithful to us, and God rules in love.
Then let us worship God.
Praise Songs
Have you ever moved furniture in a room and then had to get up in the night, assuming you knew the path that you have walked many times so no need to turn on any lights only to be cruelly reminded you were the one to change that path? And now your knee or big toe is screaming at you? Or maybe it was the Legos scattered about the floor you thought were all cleaned up so you just breezed on through the dark room in your bare feet only to step fully on a block that jabbed every edge into a full imprint on your foot. If only you had turned on a light.
But for some reason, we unnecessarily choose to stumble around in the dark more often than we should. We have lights all around us, for the very purpose of bringing light into a space of darkness so we can see. And yet, we choose to leave them off. Maybe you say well I don’t want to wake anyone else so I leave the lights off. I can promise you when you step on that Lego or you stub a big toe-you are going to be waking someone. I think a light on in another room is a lot less shocking way to be woken up than someone shrieking in torture.
You see when we bump our knees and stub our toes or step on things like painful Legos, we probably say things we shouldn’t say and if we don’t say them, we are for sure thinking them. It’s a whole negative ripple effect, isn’t it?
Just turn on the light.
We have light available in countless ways now in our modern world. Why would we not utilize it more? That’s a mystery we probably won’t figure out why We choose to stumble in darkness and suffer for it.
It’s the same in our spiritual lives. We have light all around us and within the light of Christ. And yet so often we choose to stumble around in darkness unnecessarily- spiritually bumping into things, thinking we know the path forward and we don’t; or finding out the hard way the path has been altered. We get discouraged or frustrated because we keep stubbing our toes and we curse the world around us for causing our misfortune and pain. But it’s we who are choosing to remain in darkness. The light is there and always shining. The darkness cannot extinguish the light of Christ. In fact, when we draw upon the light, the darkness must flee. What is the purpose of light? To cause darkness to vanish right? You turn on a light and there is no more darkness. You shine a flashlight and the darkness is pushed back in the area it shines.
We have been given freedom from darkness as we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. He promises His Word is a lamp unto our feet and that we will always have the light of life shining within us as we follow Him. But we must turn on the light - meaning we have to tune to the Spirit within us and say shine in me; shine through me. I want to walk in the light of truth and love and not be stumbling around in the dark anymore. We must invite Jesus to lead us. This is where we begin with the invitation to truly let Jesus lead us and be our light - for that is who He is. The Light of the World. As a child of God we are no longer consumed by darkness-but we must welcome the light into our hearts and surrender our will to His. He will shine a path for us to walk and keep it lit for us always guiding every step we take, as we trust in Him.
Then as we are filled with His light, we are to cast that light around the world for all to see His glory. We shine this light, not for others to look at us, but as a comfort and guide for those stumbling in darkness like we once were and help them find their way forward to Jesus.
As Jesus finished His teachings on the Beatitudes we have been studying, He followed with this teaching on His followers being salt and light in this world. We’re going to look at this more closely to better understand both the great responsibility and opportunity we have been given to directly impact God’s kingdom for good. Let’s have ears to hear and a heart to receive. Let us be salt and light bearers.
Matthew 5: 13-16 NIV
13 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.
14 You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Read the Message translation following.
- Salt-to Preserve, and Promote Thirst.
There is an understanding in our culture that when someone says you are “salty” that means you are grumpy or edgy right? It’s not usually a compliment.
But in God’s kingdom, we are to be salty, and to be experienced as one who is salty is a high compliment to you and the way you are living your life as a follower of Christ. It’s funny how the world can take something meant for good and give it a negative connotation.
What are the functions of salt? To Preserve meat in biblical times - so a preservation resource. To enhance the flavor of something? I love salt! In many of the cooking shows you watch the feedback judges give is the food is too bland, it lacks seasoning; it lacks salt. More salt! Why? Because it draws out the flavors of that which you are hoping to enjoy and enhances the dining experience.
Salt promotes one to be thirsty-to need to drink something; a thirst for water.
Salt is also a necessity for our health. I know some are told to lower their sodium intake whereas others are told to increase it. Yet whatever the levels that work for our body’s needs, we ALL need a proper balance of sodium. Our cells depend on it. Our life depends on it.
The Roman author Pliny said as he observed all the uses of salt across their culture, “Without salt, human life cannot be sustained.”
How true this is for us spiritually and for bringing about God’s kingdom here on earth. Without salt, the salt of His children and disciples seasoning the world around us, the preservation of all that is good and true diminishes.
Jesus teaches and gives us this command:
Matthew 5:13 13 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.
This reference goes back to Old Testament times and teaching. The Levites who cared for the temple would use salt on the offerings before the Lord per God’s commands - as a symbol of preservation and seasoning of that which was declared holy.
Leviticus 2:13 13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
God also referred to the covenants He made with the Israelites as a covenant of salt. This too is symbolic to represent the ever-constant value of salt in their lives. Salt was a valuable commodity-even used as currency at times, so Israelites would understand this covenant between them and God was of the highest value and ongoing. Salt has its own unique taste as well as stands out in the flavor it adds.
Numbers 18:19 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”
But if something were to happen to the salt making it unfit to be used in holy offerings, it would be tossed on the ground to help prevent some from slipping-much like we do today.
Jesus was speaking to this if the salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer good for anything, except to be tossed on the ground and trampled underfoot.
In terms of us as Christians, we are to be the salt of the earth, to provide that unique flavor of God to this world.
We lose our saltiness, our God-seasoning in this world when we are void of spiritual life, when we lose our spiritual vigor and become complacent-not seeking the Lord or being filled with His Spirit.
Salt is the remedy to unsavory meat right, but there is no remedy to unsavory salt. It’s no longer valuable.
So how does that look in our world? A Christian who doesn’t show grace to others. A wicked Christian is filled with greed or living in a way that brings oppression to others. A person who lives to glorify self. A person who lives so much in the world, there is no difference, no separation, no identity with Christ that is apparent.
We are to be salt; the God-flavor that is shared with the world. We are to live in a way that helps encourage and preserve what is good in this world; to promote a thirst for Jesus in the heart of others. Our saltiness is in direct correlation to our proximity to Jesus. The closer we are to Him and the more we walk with Him, the greater that flavoring will be, the more attractive it will be for others who taste what we share; the greater their thirst will grow to receive what we have in Jesus.
When salt is used as a seasoning it can be sprinkled about and at times rubbed in. It is fast-acting in how it affects the flavor of something right? When we soak something in a salt brine overnight, the salt will infuse into the meat and enhance the juiciness and flavor even more so it goes deep within to bring out the best flavor. Cooking turkeys in this manner is delicious.
So it is with the Gospel message that acts quickly and can go deep into the one who hears it.
Acts 2:37 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
It wasn’t because Peter and the other apostles were so fantastic-God did equip them to preach yes, but it’s the Word of God that cut the people to the core. It’s the Word of God that transforms us. It’s the Word of God you and I are to share with others. This is the salt, the God flavoring, the enhancement to our lives, that we are to share with others. The Word is truth, light, hope, and love.
Let us live salty.
Jesus also said you are the light of the world.
- Light- Illuminating the Path to God.
Jesus Himself is Light, guiding all who receive Him out of darkness.
John 1: 4-5 NLT 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
We have no light on our own. The light we have comes from Jesus.
Jesus makes it known to us where our light source comes from. This name lets us know His purpose and intention for our lives as we trust in Him and follow where He leads.
John 8:12 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This is a promise that we are filled with the Light of Life. What a beautiful vision. If you are someone who tends to be pulled into darkness, see this promise, see the light of life already placed within you. See it growing ever brighter as you walk more closely with Jesus and know this- you are free from darkness. The light He gives you can never be extinguished. Receive this today if you need this.
If you want to increase His light within you, increase your time spent with Him. The more time you spend with Him, the brighter His light will glow within you and from you. Think of Moses who came off the mountain after 40 days with God. His face had the glory of the Lord shining so bright upon him he had to wear a veil around others for a period for they couldn’t look directly upon him.
The more time we spend with God, the more we are changed, and the more our life shines for His glory. Our attitude, our countenance, the tone of our voice, and the words we speak all become different. When others notice, this is an opportunity to give glory to God.
But this light is not meant to be kept just for us. We are filled to overflowing so we might cast that light out and help others find the way out of darkness. So that God’s name might be made known and glorified throughout the earth. As we scatter salt to season our food, so we are scattered about the world to both season and light the path.
We are sent out in the world to be a beacon for others to find their way to Jesus.
Matthew 5:16 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Freely we receive, freely we must give to others. We are to shine our light bright to attract people to
God.
Let us not hide from helping and serving others. Let us not hide our faith for what value is that? When we share we believe in Jesus, it is through our actions others can become convinced of the truth and excellence of the Christian Faith. As we are salt and light in this world, people see and take notice.
As we are salt and light in this world, we bring down the blessing of God in answer to our prayers for others-we manifest His blessing in their lives through our prayers.
Romans 1:16 NLT 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
May this be our heart and confidence in Christ Jesus. May we tune to His light within and look to where He is shining the path set before us. Then we can have confidence where we are walking, instead of stumbling in the dark. We have this promise from our God as we follow Him found in Proverbs.
Proverbs 4: 11-12 11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.
Conclusion: We have been given divine purpose as salt and light to this world. This is how God has chosen to build His Kingdom.
He calls the heart, and we season our words and actions with salt so a thirst for righteousness grows. Then we light the path and guide them to the Living Water. Let’s pray.
Communion:
Jesus we thank You for being light in this dark world. We thank You for placing Your light within us and because of Your sacrifice, darkness can never win and we are not bound to it’s confines. We have freedom to walk in Your glorious light of truth! You shine light into every place of darkness within our hearts and purify it-we thank You Lord for Your grace and love that desires to make us whole. Thank You that while we can feel darkness closing in at times, we know as we are near to You, it cannot over take us. All we need to do is speak Your mighty name and the darkness must flee. You provided all of this through your death on the cross. You took the power of darkness and death and nailed it to the cross and made it known then and for all eternity, the Light of the World can never be extinguished!
We ask today Lord as we remember Your sacrifice to purify our hearts from any darkness that might have crept in; shine Your light and cleanse us. Wash away the stains of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You call us to live as holy for You are holy. We can only do that through Your grace and Spirit that lives in us. We thank You for transforming us from glory to glory Lord.
Let us pause and give thanks for our Savior’s sacrifice and victory over sin and death. Let’s share in this remembrance and holy sacrament together.
Luke 22. 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you
Let’s pray.
Offering:
Announcements: I will not be here next Sunday but do come-we are having some of our own members share short testimonies about what God is doing in their lives-please come listen and support. The 21st we’ll have a guest preacher who is an intern at City Church. The 28th is the ecumenical service at the Rio Firemen’s Park with picnic potluck to follow.
We are actively packing bags to take with us to the Dominican with school supplies. If you want to contribute yet we welcome your donations to help us fill these bags. Writing utensils of all kinds would be great-watch for the sales! If you want to help in another way, you could donate to cover the expense to take a bag, a checked bag will be $50 per person who has one. Many of us will leave these bags there to be used in other ways-so that fee would be only one time for most. Both are direct contributors to help send supplies to the Dominican. We cannot ship into Constanza.
Prayers:
Final Song
Final Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26 “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
