Outshine – The Vitality of Salt

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S.O.A.P. – “Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer”

How much salt do you like on your food?

Scripture:

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Matthew 5:1-13 NLT

Sermon Insights:

1/6) Salt is…vital to life.

You cannot live without salt. And just as salt is vital to life, so are believers vital for the cause of Jesus Christ in the world today!

Jesus is saying, “Be salt in your little piece of geography!”

Do you regularly take time to practice the attitudes of a Christian (realizing your need for God, mourning sin, humbling yourself, etc.)?

Do any of them come naturally? Are any of them particularly difficult?

Who will be specially rewarded, according to Jesus? Do you believe Jesus will give you the power to endure persecution if you are faced with it?

In your words, what do you think Jesus is saying when he calls Christians the “salt of the earth”?

Lord, thank you for being with me in the good times and the bad times. Thank you for forgiving me, giving me a new life, and using me to spread your kindness and vitality in my “little piece of geography.”

What is the most flavorful meal you can remember?

Scripture:

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” Matthew 5:13 NLT

King David wrote: I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand — you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know. I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness. Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.

For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!” But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!” As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay. Psalms 40:1-17 NLT

Sermon Insights:

2/6) Salt is…distinctive.

We are the salt used by God to show the difference between a pure life and a life found wanting.

If someone knew nothing about Jesus, what would they learn about him by watching you?

“God, now that you have made me listen, I finally understand.” Have you ever been there?

Do your prayers sound like Psalms 40? Why or why not?

Lord, thank you for keeping even me in your thoughts, no matter what I’m going through! Use me!

What is an interesting conversation you have had in recent memory?

Scripture:

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” Matthew 5:13 NLT

You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! John 4:35-36 NLT

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 NLT

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT

Sermon Insights:

3/6) Salt…preserves.

With no refrigeration, fish would rot in the hot Middle Eastern sun. So in order to transport fish to market, fish were rubbed down with salt. Follow the imagery of Jesus here: as change agents in our world, we are called to stop the rot and decay of society around us by being salt. Is this exciting or what? We are called by God to partner with him for social change! We have a cause, a purpose, a role in God’s world!

Someone in your world NEEDS Jesus. Who comes to your mind and what are you going to do about it?

Take a look at each of the four Scriptures above—what does Jesus want your response to be to each?

Are you allowing these Scriptures to shape your identity—how you see yourself and others?

Lord, thank you for picking me up out of the rubbish pile and giving me a new life, identity and purpose!

When do you remember being desperately thirsty? What did you do?

Scripture:

4/6) Salt is…abrasive. “And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man [“Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself] will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.” Matthew 10:22-23 NLT

5/6) Salt…produces thirst. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast.

I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise him, while liars will be silenced.” Psalms 63:1-11 NLT

6/6) Salt…confirms a promise (it was used in ancient agreements). It reminds us of God’s covenant with us. Paul wrote, “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NLT

Are you willing to follow Jesus even if people respond negatively?

Are you thirsty for God?

Is your presence in your family and community creating thirst for God?

Are you regularly remembering Jesus’ sacrifice and announcing his death through Communion?

Lord, thank you for satisfying my spiritual hunger and thirst. Thank you for never backing out on your commitments. You are always faithful! Help my life create a thirst in others for you!

What is a silly belief you once held?

Scripture:

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. Romans 1:18-32 NLT

Sermon Insights:

We are vital to Jesus’ Kingdom in the same way salt is vital to the body. It is essential to our families, neighborhoods, communities, nation, and world that we function like salt, and accomplish our mission that Jesus gave: leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ!

In what way are Jesus’ harsh warnings an extension of his kindness?

How does God’s kindness lead us to repentance? Is that the approach that you are using to reach others?

Lord, your kindness had led me to repentance. Thank you giving me clarity not only on how much you love me. Thank you for giving me a purpose and a plan!

Outshine – The Vitality of Salt

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