January 22, 2022

COMPASS: SALT SHAKERS & LIGHT SHINERS

January 22, 2023

Charles Billingsley

 

Have you ever wondered why God would use the examples that Christians are “salt” and “light” in the world? We usually take the presence of both for granted, like breath in our lungs, or sunny days, rain, fresh air… Yet we know God doesn’t speak except with authority, so why does He call us that? Charles Billingsley brings our sermon today as we continue our series, Compass, from the Beatitudes of Matthew, to learn to live more effectively as believers in this world today. Join us as we learn amazing facts about salt and its value to the world, as well as light—without which we would not be able to see. God says we are as important to the world as light and salt are important to life. That’s a pretty big deal, wouldn’t you say?

Focal Passage: Matthew 5:13-20

YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH

· Read Matthew 5:13. In our daily lives, what do we normally use salt for? What are some foods that you cannot tolerate unless you salt them? Read Job 6:6. Is this how you view the use of salt?

· In other areas of life (besides flavoring foods), what are some additional uses of salt? Does anyone recall from the mid-1900’s what your grandparents used salt for? How does salt preserve meat? Does it seem significant that the term used for this process is to “cure” the meat?

· How can you be used in someone’s life to slow down the decay that sin is causing?

· We learned salt can also be used as fertilizer or as a disinfectant. Can someone explain how this can be so? What benefit does salt give to the soil? What happens if you put too much salt on the soil?

· Do you use saline in your home? If so, how and why? How can you apply these two examples (fertilizer and disinfectant) to your spiritual life?

· The story of Lot is a great example of someone losing their saltiness. Where did he settle with his family? How was the land described? What eventually had to happen to Sodom? Had Lot made an apparent impact on the people who were his neighbors? When he left Sodom, immediately prior to its destruction, did his life show he had lost any saltiness he may have had when he and Abraham had left Ur years before?

· How can believers today lose their saltiness? If one loses it, can it be restored? How can you sprinkle some salt on random people as you go through your day?

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

· Read Matt. 5:14-16 and Genesis 1:1-5. Did God create darkness? Why not? What is the difference between light and darkness?

· What do you think of when someone mentions darkness? Is there something about darkness that causes feelings of fear to quickly flare? Why might that be?

· What is light? Can you describe light?

· If you take a shoebox filled with darkness into a brightly lit room and open the box, what effect does it have on the room? If you take that same box with a brightly lit flashlight inside, and go into a dark room and open it, what happens? Has the light overpowered the darkness? Why did the darkness not overpower the light?

· Why do we refer to non-believers as those who live in darkness? Read 2 Cor. 4:3-4. Why is Satan afraid of unbelievers seeing the light of the gospel?

· What are some ways darkness can enter our lives as believers? How can you overcome those issues with God’s help?

· How does light reflect images? Read John 8:12. If you are a believer, then God has pronounced you to be “light” to the world. How are you reflecting Jesus in your world?

· Read Ex. 34:29 and Acts 4:13. What do these verses tell you about the time you spend with Jesus? How does an increase in your surrender to Jesus reflect on your light?

· Are you being made aware of your responsibility as a believer to let your light shine? What will it change?

Close

Did the facts we learned about salt in this sermon fill you with wonder that God would choose to call you “salt” in the world? The ancient world knew the value of salt, as Roman soldiers often received their pay in salt! Today, wages are paid in money that can be exchanged for whatever we want and we can understand being valued as money, but to be valued in something that we take for granted takes some getting used to. That we can both be used to delay rotting (by sin) in the world, or to heal someone’s wounds, or to help good things grow (by encouragement, love, service, friendliness, etc.) is evidence of God’s generous and abundant work in our lives. Are you being salt as you go through your daily tasks, sprinkling some here and some there? You are now being challenged to be a salt shaker!

The awesome truths of the power and property of light also amazes us as we see that Jesus said we “are light” in the world—present tense, not something that will come at some future point! Light reflects off objects, and thereby we see those objects. In the same way, if we are light in the world, rooted in Jesus Christ, the world sees Him reflected when they look at us. Does that astound you? Are you willing to be a light to the world? If you’re a Christian, you already are a light—but you can certainly symbolically hide yours under a bushel, or a box, or somehow obscure its reflection, perhaps with something addictive, and you will become ineffective. Knowing you are the light in your corner of the world should cause you to greatly desire to shine for Him. Take up your challenge and be all God wants you to be: go out this week and turn up your brightness as you intentionally shine your light!

By Sandy Day January 22, 2023