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Christians Are Crucial
Matthew 5:13-16
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - March 13, 2013
*An old Peanuts cartoon, showed Peppermint Patty talking to Charlie Brown.
Patty said, "Guess what, Chuck?
The first day of school, and I got sent to the principal's office.
It was your fault, Chuck."
*Poor, confused Charlie Brown asked, "My fault?
How could it be my fault?
Why do you say everything is my fault?"
Patty replied, "You're my friend, aren't you, Chuck?
You should have been a better influence on me." (1)
*Christians: What kind of influence are we?
As we look into the Word of God tonight, we can see the kind of influence Jesus wants us to be.
And you may not feel like it, but Christian, you are crucial in God's plan for His world!
1.
So first of all, learn the value of your life.
*In vs. 13, the Lord taught His followers about the value of our lives in this world.
There Jesus said: "You are the salt of the earth. .
."
This symbolism doesn't make nearly as much sense to us as it did to the Lord's followers 2,000 years ago.
"You are the salt of the earth."
That sounds kind of ho-hum to us, because salt is cheap and plentiful today.
*You'll never hear about people sticking-up Sonic for a few packets of salt.
But in the ancient world salt was a tremendously valuable commodity.
Workers in some cultures were paid with salt.
That's why our word "salary" comes from the word, "salt."
*People wanting to buy something would pay for it with salt the same way we use money today.
And people treasured salt as we might value gold or silver.
Scott Hoezee tells us that the earliest roads were built to transport salt, the earliest taxes were charged on salt, and whole military campaigns were launched to obtain it.
(2)
*We take salt for granted, but Billy Strayhorn reminds us how much it can do.
[1] First, of course, salt makes things taste better.
That's why we put it on everything from eggs to grits to popcorn.
Some of us even put it on watermelon.
[2] Salt enhances the flavor of food.
But on top of that, it's a preservative.
Before refrigeration or canning, much meat was preserved by packing it in salt.
That salt-cured meat would last for years.
[3] Salt was used as a preservative, and as a curative.
Before the time of modern medicine, salt was used as an antiseptic.
It burned like crazy, but salt was often poured into an open wound to clean it of any impurities.
Today we still gargle salt water sometimes to kill germs.
(3&4)
*Salt was and is extremely useful.
And Christians, we are the salt of the earth.
So just like physical salt, we are intended by God to be a positive influence on our society, both by our words and the way we act.
*By the grace of God and His power at work in our lives, we have the power to help preserve and purify our world.
Right now, the Holy Spirit is at work in the world, and part of His work comes through Christians committed to the cause of Christ.
Can you imagine what the world would be like without this godly influence?
-- It would be evil completely unrestrained.
*That's how it will be here after the rapture, and I dread that for those who are left behind.
But while we are here, we can be a positive influence in our family, at work, at school, and all over our community.
And just like salt, we can add great flavor to life.
We can show people that the Christian life is not boring or bland.
It's abundant!
It's the best life of all.
It's the only real life.
*There is one other powerful impact of salt.
Melvin Shelton pointed it out in the story of a youth meeting.
That night, the youth were talking about the meaning of the Lord's words in Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth."
*The students discussed the meaning of the verse, and the leader asked them to talk about different uses of salt.
There were several good answers: Salt gives flavor to food.
It preserves food to keep it from spoiling.
Then one girl said, "Salt makes you thirsty."
And everybody got quiet as they began to ask themselves: "Have I ever made anyone thirsty for Jesus?" (5)
*This is what God wants us to do: Make people thirsty to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
And this is the most important influence we can have in the world!
*Jesus wants us to learn the value of our lives.
So learn the value of your life.
2. And listen to Christ's warning about a diluted life.
*Jesus gave us a serious warning here in vs. 13: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."
*The salt we use today is pure and cannot lose it saltiness.
But in Jesus' day they got their salt from the Dead Sea.
It was mixed with other minerals so part of a bag might lose its saltiness.
When this happened it was a good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled on.
(4)
*Christians can get so full of the things of this world that the flavor of Christ in our lives gets diluted.
We don't want to be like that!
Christians: We are the salt of the world.
Don't let your life get diluted and polluted with the things of this world.
*Be the salt!
Make people thirsty to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Nothing matters more.
We all are crucial in God's plan for His world!
So listen to Christ's warning about a diluted life.
3.
And let the Savior shine through you.
*Jesus teaches us to shine His light in vs. 14-16.
There the Lord said:
14. "You are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
*Now of course the only reason we can be the light of the world is because Jesus is the Light (capital "L" Light) of the world!
In John 8:12, Jesus said: "I am the light of the world.
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
*The only way we can shine is to allow Jesus to shine through us.
And what an honor that He is willing to shine through us!
*As King Duncan explained: "Can you imagine that?
Here was a motley crew of farmers and fishermen and tax collectors and housewives in a tiny and remote village in an obscure part of the world and Jesus was saying to them, 'You are the light of the world.'
Talk about a crazy idea!
Light of the world?
That bunch?
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