My notes from a sermon on 27 March 2011
MATTHEW 5 VERSES 10 – 18
“Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt hath lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted, it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of man.” Verse 13
“Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt hath lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted, it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of man.” Verse 13
The description of God’s people – “ye”. If we go back to the beginning we will discover the Lord called his disciples to be with him up in the mount. Then others gathered with them – a crowd always gathers a crowd. “Ye” basically meant his disciples, his followers who had nailed their colours to the mast and became Jesus’ own. They were fishermen while some had other jobs. The Jewish people had never heard this type of preaching before. They were brought up in the Sanhedrin and had heard the Old Testament read but they were amazed when they heard the words of Jesus because he spoke as one with authority. He was the Son of God and God the son. He was speaking with the authority of his father in heaven. He was not just a good man nor as a man to whom we look for as an example. His purpose was to come into the world to die for peoples sins. No matter how we live we could never match up to the way Jesus lived. You cannot deal with the sin problem through trying to live the way Jesus' lived. The only way to do it is to ask God to forgive you for your sin. Outside of Christ we are dead in our trespasses and sin. You cannot follow anything if you are dead. You can only follow the Lord when his life is put into you. The disciples were listening to him and were fascinated by him. They were thrilled by the way he spoke to them. A description of God’s people. A challenge for God’s people. The elders and leaders would have looked down on these fishermen yet the Lord tells them “ye are the salt of the earth.” If you are born again of the Spirit of God that is a challenge to us too. In a day when sin is promoted and enjoyed, when the word of God is taken and shred to pieces, people seek to doubt it, cast scorn on it, the Word of God will stand firm. That phrase is used in many situations meaning something good that has been done. In the real spiritual sense the first time it was spoken was when Jesus told his disciples who would form the early church. Remember when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and told him “ye must be born again” (John 3 verse 16), he was describing a vital start for salvation. You might not think you need this salvation – remember Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, a high ranking position in those days. He needed it then and we need it today too. Not one of us will enter heaven unless come personally to Christ for salvation. We need the new birth. The description was placed on Jesus’ disciples – people who would be laughed at, mocked and scorned. These were ordinary men. How often down through the centuries of time God has used ordinary people to be a blessing to others. You are not useless to God. Others would have despised him, have had nothing to do with him but not the disciples. They were a blessed people. They had their sins forgiven, saved by the grace of God. In a day and age when we see so many disasters across the world, when we see world wide recession only God’s salvation is important. You have a soul that will never die. Only the outward body will die. You have something in your possession that God cares for. Jesus said “what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul.” (Mark 8 verse 36) We have so much to praise God for today. If you are not saved you have no hope. The newspapers are full of people who wanted to do so much but now they are no longer alive. You have to make a decision about your soul today. In Jesus’ day the scribes and Pharisees put on an outward form of religion and people looked up to them yet the Lord called his own disciples “the salt of the earth.” How are we matching up to this description today?
The responsibility of God’s people. I want to look at the principles of salt and apply them to our own lives. The first thing that salt does is it savours. It brings flavour. A lot of people have been told to cut out salt because it damages our health. Salt brings out the taste. That is exactly how a Christian’s life should be – lived above the norm. The flavour of Christianity through to the rest of the world. The bible says “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” We should be signposts, flavour enhancers, speaking well of a Saviour and his saving grace so that others can see something different about us. Salt is also a cleansing agent. It cuts away the grease. Our lives should speak well of the cleansing we have received. Our Christian works should match our Christian words. Salt is also very sharp. Put a drop on your tongue and you will taste it immediately. Do we stand out like that among a world that is lost? Do we live with a sharpness in our lives? Do we have a different attitude to people, that it can be truly said of us that we are like salt? Throughout scripture we find many people who were shut in jail for their words. They were hated for it, they annoyed so many. The Bible is clear – are we living to be true to the master? We have to go down many difficult roads and are so afraid of annoying anyone yet in other lands today there are many who are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of the Lord. Jesus said “blessed are ye when men persecute you and say all manner of evil against you.” (Matthew 5 verses 11) Salt also brings preservation. We need to make sure the word of God is not diluted in this age in which we are living. The gospel needs to be preserved and it is our responsibility as God’s children to do this. Even in prayer we can do this. Salt also penetrates. Do we make our mark for Christ in the workplace? Do we do things differently because we are saved or do we just go with the flow? Salt works in unity, never kicking against anything else. The Psalmist says “how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133 verse 1) The devil seeks to divide the grain but there should be unity, working together in the service of God. Salt destroys. In Judges 9 we are told that when a city had surrendered salt was spread to give the clear message that even growth would be prohibited (verse 45). We are placed here in order that we might destroy the works of the devil. Our responsibility is to live godly lives, to follow the word of God, to honour the word of God and stand for the word of God. Salt is used on our roads to break up ice. The devil has brought in lots of things to break up the truth. When we are living lives close to the Saviour the devil seeks to destroy it. Salt also speaks of judgment. Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt when she looked back. She was more interested in what was behind that what lay in front. God poured out his judgment on that city and he will do it again one day on our own land.
The warning for God’s people “If the salt has lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted, it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men.” That is the devils work – to put all sorts of things across your path, to pull you away from following the Saviour. It is easy to lose your testimony. Be careful you are not lulled into something by the devil that will bring your testimony down. No-one wants to use damp salt or salt that has been contaminated. Maybe you are being tempted to fall away into sin. Here is a warning for you – “guard your quiet time!” Paul was afraid of becoming a cast away and being useless for God (1 Corinthians 9 verse 27). Satan wants this earth on a salt free diet but he will settle for a low salt diet. Be careful you don’t lose your savour today and if you are not saved be careful you don’t lose your soul!
The responsibility of God’s people. I want to look at the principles of salt and apply them to our own lives. The first thing that salt does is it savours. It brings flavour. A lot of people have been told to cut out salt because it damages our health. Salt brings out the taste. That is exactly how a Christian’s life should be – lived above the norm. The flavour of Christianity through to the rest of the world. The bible says “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” We should be signposts, flavour enhancers, speaking well of a Saviour and his saving grace so that others can see something different about us. Salt is also a cleansing agent. It cuts away the grease. Our lives should speak well of the cleansing we have received. Our Christian works should match our Christian words. Salt is also very sharp. Put a drop on your tongue and you will taste it immediately. Do we stand out like that among a world that is lost? Do we live with a sharpness in our lives? Do we have a different attitude to people, that it can be truly said of us that we are like salt? Throughout scripture we find many people who were shut in jail for their words. They were hated for it, they annoyed so many. The Bible is clear – are we living to be true to the master? We have to go down many difficult roads and are so afraid of annoying anyone yet in other lands today there are many who are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of the Lord. Jesus said “blessed are ye when men persecute you and say all manner of evil against you.” (Matthew 5 verses 11) Salt also brings preservation. We need to make sure the word of God is not diluted in this age in which we are living. The gospel needs to be preserved and it is our responsibility as God’s children to do this. Even in prayer we can do this. Salt also penetrates. Do we make our mark for Christ in the workplace? Do we do things differently because we are saved or do we just go with the flow? Salt works in unity, never kicking against anything else. The Psalmist says “how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133 verse 1) The devil seeks to divide the grain but there should be unity, working together in the service of God. Salt destroys. In Judges 9 we are told that when a city had surrendered salt was spread to give the clear message that even growth would be prohibited (verse 45). We are placed here in order that we might destroy the works of the devil. Our responsibility is to live godly lives, to follow the word of God, to honour the word of God and stand for the word of God. Salt is used on our roads to break up ice. The devil has brought in lots of things to break up the truth. When we are living lives close to the Saviour the devil seeks to destroy it. Salt also speaks of judgment. Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt when she looked back. She was more interested in what was behind that what lay in front. God poured out his judgment on that city and he will do it again one day on our own land.
The warning for God’s people “If the salt has lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted, it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men.” That is the devils work – to put all sorts of things across your path, to pull you away from following the Saviour. It is easy to lose your testimony. Be careful you are not lulled into something by the devil that will bring your testimony down. No-one wants to use damp salt or salt that has been contaminated. Maybe you are being tempted to fall away into sin. Here is a warning for you – “guard your quiet time!” Paul was afraid of becoming a cast away and being useless for God (1 Corinthians 9 verse 27). Satan wants this earth on a salt free diet but he will settle for a low salt diet. Be careful you don’t lose your savour today and if you are not saved be careful you don’t lose your soul!
No comments:
Post a Comment