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People of Flavor Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message)

This is the last Sunday before many, if not all of the schools in this county, start their new school year. We have tried to highlight and honor those who are a part of this church body who each give themselves to the development of our children. We have nearly forty people in this church who are tied into the education of children. There are two retired principals and two active principals. There are between ten and twenty public school teachers and several private school teachers. There are mothers who home school and preschool workers. There are support staff and coaches and trainers.

Let’s look at a few cartoons about the profession.

Teaching like leadership is about influence.

The message today is a departure from the series that I have been preaching this summer. We will conclude the series next week or the week after. I felt that we really needed to look at this subject in light of the approaching school year.

The scripture for today comes from the first book in the New Testament. It is found in Matthew 5:13.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”

These are the words of Jesus spoken during his first official teaching or sermon. These are foundation words for anybody that intents to be a Christ follower.

These words are intentional. They are not indecisive. They are direct and forward. They are in your face.

Jesus was beginning a ministry but He was not calling for volunteers. He did not say anything about if you want to you will be like salt. He just clearly defines the reason you and I are on the earth. We are to be people of flavor. We are to be people of God-flavor.

Being like salt means that we influence others. Our consideration today is not about if we are influencing others because all of us influence other people. The question for you and I to ponder and consider is simply this: How are we influencing people?

Teacher influence but just because they have the position does not mean they all are good teachers or influencing for the good. You and I must choose to be salt that flavors the earth. Let’s examine this a little closer and try to understand what Jesus is teaching in this sermon.

1. A Divine Opportunity: We are to bring the flavor of God to the earth.

God has given us an incredible opportunity. He wants us to be adding His flavor to the earth. He created the earth and I think He has a right to expect some things.

Since Jesus used the salt metaphor in His message I want to look at this closer and see exactly what it means to be the salt of the earth.

    A. Salt is Visible

You may disagree with this statement at first because often salt is a hidden ingredient. Eat a cracker without salt when you are expecting it to be salty and you will probably look at the next cracker to see if you can see any salt on the top.

How many people have you seen take a shaker of salt and shake it into their hand to see if the salt is coming out. Salt doesn’t stand out but if you look for it you will often see it.

The only way we can accomplish our God-driven mission is to be a visible part of our society. If Jesus clearly teaches anything in the Bible He teaches that we are not to be hiding behind the walls of our church buildings. We are not to isolate ourselves from the rest of society. We are to be in the world.

Someone once said, “No Contact, No Impact.”

    B. Salt is Valuable

In the context that Jesus spoke these words salt was invaluable. The Romans believed that there was nothing as valuable as salt, except the sun. Many Roman soldiers received their pay in salt. Some have said that this is where the phrase, “not worth his salt” originated.

To be called the salt of the earth was very important and valued. We are valuable to God because we are called to do His work but we are also a value to the world.

Right now we live in a pretty upside down world when you compare it to what the Bible says should be normal. As a society in the last few weeks we have watched as a church denomination has elected a so-called gay bishop and now this week a Judge is being threatened with jail time if he doesn’t remove the Ten Commandments from the state house in Alabama.

We desperately need some Christ followers that will stand up and be counted. People who will go against the culture instead of going with the flow. We will only be valuable when we are willing to influence the culture instead of allowing the culture to influence us.

A week ago at Rotary, I listened as Andy Geiger the Athletic Director at The Ohio State University spoke. He clearly pointed out that we have become a society of highlights. Our kids have watched ESPN and Sports Center so much that they don’t want to play the game or learn the game they just want to be a highlight.

If you and I are to be valuable we must play the game and understand the game. We must know the fundamentals and play consistently.

    C. Salt is Vital

Salt is essential to the health of both humans and animals. In ancient days it was a vital part of the economy. This thought scares me but if you read the Bible and look at it from a Biblical history perspective, it is probably the existence of believers in the world that keeps God from punishing the earth. He created this world and we as humans have done all we possibly can to take it as far away from God’s intentions as we can. In history when that happens usually God would bring judgment and destruction.

If the church is all that stands between God and judgment coming to this earth, we are hanging by a thread. I hope that God calls some people to action through this message. We need people who will not just talk about prayer but people who will pray. People who will spend time before God interceding for this world.

2. A Definite Responsibility: We are to stay useful.

By nature and by purpose believers are to be distinctly different. By nature we are a new creation, born of God (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23). On purpose we are to:

    A. Be Pure

The color of salt symbolizes its purity. Purity is a must for Christ followers.

“With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 (The Message)

“Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy. You called out to God for help and he helps – he’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, he’s also a responsible Father and wont’ let you get by with sloppy living.” 1 Peter 1 (The Message)

Living clean lives is not optional. If you know that something is wrong and do it anyway the Bible clearly teaches that it is sin and you will be useless as an influence for God.

    B. Preserve

To the people of Jesus day salt was a preservative vital to their way of life. The only way fishermen could get the fish to market was pack it between layers of salt. The salt kept the fish fresh and edible. People have used salt to preserve meat for years.

Just like meat this world has a tendency to spoil and become rotten. It is foul and offensive. The world has always had a tendency toward becoming more and more corrupt. It is the purpose of believers in the world to be a preserving influence to retard the moral decay.

The most effective way to do this is to make disciples and Christ followers out of people.

    C. Penetrate

Once salt is applied to food, it penetrates that food and changes the way it is. The first Christ followers made such an impact that they were accused of turning the world upside down in Acts 17.

As salt penetrates food it adds flavor. We should be about adding God-flavors to the world around us. Salt creates thirst and we should create a thirst in others to know why we live so well. It’s not about how rich you are or how many toys you have it is simply about how content you are with Christ. People who are Christ followers will live in such a way that the people around us will hunger and thirst to know what or who makes the difference in our lives. It has always been that way. When Paul and Silas sang songs at midnight and worshipped God while sitting in jail because of serving Him, it so influenced the jailer the when his world and prison fell apart he brought his whole family to know God.

3. A Dangerous Possibility: We are to live consistently.

"It is a well-known fact that the salt of this country [ie. Palestine] when in contact with the ground, or exposed to rain and sun, does become insipid and useless. From the manner in which it is gathered, much earth and other impurities are necessarily collected with it. Not a little of it is so impure that it cannot be used at all; and such salt soon effloresces and turns to dust--not to fruitful soil however.

It is not only good for nothing itself, but it actually destroys all fertility wherever it is thrown...No man will allow it to be thrown on to his field, and the only place for it is the street; and there it is cast, to be trodden under foot of men." (The Pulpit Commentary, Volume 15, page 152)

There is danger, disgrace, and possible disaster here in terms of our Christian testimony. The possibility of a Christian losing his or her testimony is as real as salt losing its saltiness. The above quote gives us some idea as to how salt loses its flavor and how we can lose our testimony as Christ followers.

    A. Association

Just as salt can become useless because of coming in contact with the ground or being exposed to rain or sun so to can we be rendered useless by our associations that influence us more than we influence them. We must be very careful in our attempts to reach others with the message of Christ. Some very well meaning people have tried to become all things to all people and they end up with nothing to offer others. We are to be in the world but not of the world.

“Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (The Message)

    B. Contamination

We must also be very careful to not allow ourselves to become contaminated. Prolonged association with the culture will ultimately mean contamination. Very few people have ever been able to spend inordinate amounts of time in ungodly circumstances and survive. You and I must find a balance that enables us to remain effective and flavorful yet totally sold out to God.

“Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” James 1 (The Message)

    C. Devastation

Jesus taught it in His words that I read to you at the beginning of this message.

“You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”

The Christ follower who becomes contaminated by the culture or sin becomes useless in their testimony.

I don’t think we teach this enough. I am all about repentance and forgiveness but you can ruin you life and your future potential by participating in actions that you know are sinful and wrong. If you are living a double life and not living a life that is consistent with the word of God then please stay away from trying to minister to others. It is a fallacy to think that putting people into ministry positions will make them more spiritual. If anything it enables people to continue to live lives that lack the ability to influence others.

4. A Daily Generosity: We are to keep an open house.

Jesus reinforces this teaching by using another metaphor.

Look at the scripture from Matthew 5 again.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

How are we to be salt and light? How can we live out our lives so that others will be touched by us?

In the first metaphor, Jesus says we will bring out the God-flavors but here He says we will bring out the God-colors.

    A. Be generous with your lives.

Live in such a way that you have nothing to hide or be ashamed of and you will be amazed how God will pour Himself through you. Like a stream of light you will reflect the Lord in your life and lifestyle.

    B. Be open to those around you.

Keep it real. We talked about that a few weeks ago. Live in the light as Jesus is in the light. He states it so clearly. “By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

You and I have been called to make an incredible difference in this world. The reason that I have used teachers today as illustrations is that they are in positions that can change the world. They influence our children. They model for us the influence that we are to have on the rest of the culture.

For several decades Howard Hendricks has told and retold the story of his fifth and sixth grade year of elementary school. In his own words he writes, “By the fifth grade, I was having all the fruit of a kid who feels insecure, unloved and pretty angry at life. In other words I was tearing the place apart. However, my teacher Miss Simon apparently thought that I was blind to this problem, because she regularly reminded me, ‘Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school.’”

Needless to say his fifth grade year was in his words, “the worst year of his life.” He left fifth grade with Miss Simon’s words ringing in his ears: “Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!”

Hendricks said, “You can imagine what my expectations were upon entering the sixth grade. The first day of class, my teacher, Miss Noe, went down the roll call, and it wasn’t long before she came to my name. ‘Howard Hendricks,’ she called out, glancing from her list to where I was sitting with my arms folded, just waiting to go into action. She looked over for a moment, and then said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ Then she smiled and added, ‘But I don’t believe a word of it.’

I tell you, that moment was a fundamental turning point, not only in my education, but in my life. Suddenly unexpectedly, someone believed in me. For the first time in my life, someone saw potential in me. Miss Noe put me on special assignments. She gave me little jobs to do. She invited me to come in after school to work on my reading and arithmetic. She challenged me with higher standards.

I had a hard time letting her down. In fact, one time I got so involved in one of her homework assignments that I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning working on it! Eventually my father came down the hall and said, “What’s the matter son? Are you sick?” “No, I’m doing my homework,” I replied.

He kind of blinked and rubbed his eyes, not quite sure whether he was awake. He’d never heard me say anything like that before. . .”

What made the difference between fifth and sixth grade? The fact that someone was willing to give him a chance. Someone was willing to believe in him while challenging him with higher expectations. It was risky, because there was no guarantee that he would honor Miss Noe’s trust.

Everyone likes the end product of mentoring, especially when it yields a peak performer—the star athlete, the successful businessperson, the brilliant lawyer, the impressive communicator. But how many of us want to deal with the person at the front end of the process? From, More Stories from the Heart, pg. 46

I want you to watch this movie clip and absorb the powerful impact that positive influence can have others.

Now I want to ask you. . .

What kind of an influence are you?
Are you influencing people to come to God and live godly lives?
Does your life, and I mean every part of it, stand up under God’s test for purity and right living?
Let’s go out of here today asking God to search us and change us and use us.
Let’s remember to pray for our fellow Christ followers as they impact young lives in the coming months of school.

Portions of the outline used in this sermon came from Bill Prater and a sermon posted at www.sermoncentral.com

2003/08/24