Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Jesus often preached in the open air
  • Sometimes He addressed the crowds and other times the disciples with the crowds listening
  • In Chapter 5 – the multitudes come
• He goes up a mountain, He is seated and His disciples come to Him
  • Jesus teaches
    • The inner circle – His disciples
    • The multitudes
• He begins His sermon with the beatitudes
  • He is speaking to those who know and love God
  • He reminds them it will not be easy for them (v10-11)
    • Intimate words for His disciples (v12)
  • Though the world will be difficult
    • You have an influence upon the world – the salt of the earth
      • A preserving effect
      • A fragrance
    • You are the light of the world
      • Bring warmth
      • Shine into the dark recesses
      • Bring knowledge and truth
    • Be salt and light
• Overview:
  • What it means to be salt
  • What it means not to be salt

Being Salt

• Not of Galilee, Judea, Palestine or the Roman Empire but of the world/earth
  • It is not the devil that has influence and power
  • It is the disciples/believers that can bring lasting effect upon the world
    • In the workplace – example
    • A person of integrity – example
• We are reminded of people in the Bible with influence
  • Example of Joseph on Potiphar, David on Saul, Paul on the palace guard
• Corporately we are good for the world
  • Acts 2:47 – "favor with all the people"
  • Acts 5:13 – "the people esteemed them highly"
• When God has moved in the world by His Holy Spirit
  • Example of Reformation, Revival, the abolition of slavery, etc
  • We should pray that this happens again
• The image of salt was familiar to 1st Century people
  • Salt used as a preservative
    • We are to be like this
    • The world is decaying
    • We are to restrain evil
    • We are to uphold truth, justice and freedom
    • We are to be meek, humble, righteous, pure in heart, peacemakers
    • Be what you are in Christ
  • It only takes a little bit of salt to make a difference
  • Salt needs to make contact with other substances
    • We are not to withdraw from the world
      • Though we are to live separate, godly lives
    • We must live in the world
  • Salt used as an antiseptic
    • This may sting
    • We may sting those around us – our faith may act as a rebuke to others
  • Salt adds flavour
    • We are to be winsome and attractive
    • Conversation must be gracious and kind
    • Rebuke in love and gentleness
    • Philemon refreshed the hearts of the saints
  • Salt creates thirst
    • Example of DL Moody / Woodrow Wilson
• What about you and me?
  • Be salt
  • 1 Cor 7:13-14, 1 Pet 3:1

Not being Salt

• Some of the salt had to be thrown away because some minerals could not be separated from it
  • Salt cannot lose it saltiness
  • Salt without saltiness is a contradiction
  • Christians cannot live in carnality
    • The Bible warns people not to be deceived
    • Jesus warns His disciples – make sure you are what you are meant to be
    • There are warnings (v13) – examples
    • Not to live a compromised life and yield to sin
      • We all fail
    • We must press on
  • Church has lost it saltiness and influence on society
    • We must pray that this returns
    • We must pray for the Spirit of God to come again
    • We must pray for conversions

Closing Remarks