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.
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 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 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
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.