Be Salt: Life Changing Living for Eternal Influence
-
Be Salt: Life Changing Living for Eternal Influence
Well, listen. Greetings, Hickory Bible Church. I usually say...I probably should say good morning and greetings from the Master's University and Seminary, where I serve on the board, and was there last week, and they know that I'm here. I now serve in Franklin, Tennessee with the former Adam. Adam was the person that served with me in student life at the university, and we built a friendship and a relationship, and I've enjoyed both our personal fellowship with Adam and Shannon and the opportunities we've had to fellowship through the years, and then to be a part of your church by engaging your elders and getting to know them, and then periodic opportunities to talk to you, and especially the men yesterday. It was just a joy to be here. And I do bring you greetings from the West Coast and from Franklin, Tennessee, which is not that far away. Um. I so look forward. I had booked this trip. I agreed to do it back in when I was in California, and it was circled in orange because it's fall. And I thought, man, this is going to be my favorite travel. I travel about once a month and this was my look forward to it trip to be in North Carolina at this time of year. I was telling Adam, walking over, this is the best time of year in my view. And it's just I love the fall, the anticipation of the colors, the crispness of the air. And I know things are unsettled because of the storm. So there's a part of this season that feels different because of the way this area of the country has been impacted. And my church in Franklin is both praying for North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, and it's been a challenge for so many, and it sobers us all. It certainly has me. Well, I'd like you to take your Bible and join me in Matthew's gospel, chapter five...Matthew chapter five. And I've entitled this sermon Salt Different to Make a Difference...impactful, intentional, eternal influence. The genesis for this message is an observation of the rapid decline of our culture. I mean, it's one thing for the culture to be declining, and it has for years. But what's sobering is the rapidity of the decline. The things that are happening now that you couldn't even foresee, at least I couldn't in my lifetime. And the dramatic spiral is discouraging. And it's also impactful to the church because another observation that is the genesis for this message is the church, instead of engaging, is withdrawing. And my hope today is to encourage you to be a difference maker in a world that God intends for you to have influence and impact...intentional influence and impact. And Jesus Christ in the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher who has ever lived, our Savior speaks in chapters five, six, and seven about Kingdom realities. The greater Moses will say famously in this section...what you have heard they have said, but I say unto you. You have heard it said, but let me tell you how it really is. And with rabbinic divine authority he calibrates his kingdom and those outside of it, and those who are in it. And in chapter 5he makes a statement in his kingly authority because he's going to sit down on a mountaintop. Multitudes are following him, and the King of creation is going to authoritatively pour out his heart about essential critical truths relative to understanding what you must understand if you're a Kingdom citizen. Or what you must understand if you're not and you want to be. And housed in this section very early on is our text to open our time together today. One verse, a declaration he has said famously already, the means to blessing. If you want to know the virtues and the realities that attract the blessing of God, nine times Jesus says, in my kingdom, this is what God blesses. This is who gets blessed. Even if life is hard, God blesses the one who is enduring hardship for his name's sake. And that's how Matthew chapter five begins the beginning of the sermon. But our focus this morning is verse 13, which introduces two figures of speech...salt and light. We're going to focus primarily on salt for the sake of time, but I'm going to read the section and just comment about the light, because this is from how to be blessed to how to be a blessing. If you're a Kingdom citizen, I want you to know who you are. And because you are who you are, I want you to act like you should act to the end, that the world is blessed and God is blessed.
Follow the words. Verse 13, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Second figure...You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peck measure, or a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Watch Verse 16. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. As the light of the world, you're to bless the Father by living as you ought to live in a way that undeniably points people to him. Secondly, which blesses him. But the focus for today is blessing them, which blesses him. Verse 13. Watch the emphatic words. He says, you are...present, active, indicative. That is, it's true today. It's true every day. You are an everyday and everywhere influence, because you are the salt. Notice the definite article...the salt. There isn't any other. It's exclusively you. It's the kingdom citizens. You are the salt to the whole earth. You're the salt of the earth...the earth, all of it. The definite article indicating there is no other. And you benefit everyone everywhere. That's a declarative statement of reality.
My preaching hope today is that you will leave here today with a compelling conviction...I am something. I am salt. If you're in the Kingdom of God, you are this. I'm hopeful today that you will leave with a determined intention to be what you are, salty and with the hopeful expectation that when you are what you are, you will see the fruit that is guaranteed. Because salt, when it's potent and it's present, has power. My hope today is you'll see the sobering statement unless you're not potent. Which soberingly Jesus says, if you've become tasteless, that's you've lost the properties of salt. You're not potent. If you've become tasteless, first of all, how will it be made salty again? It's very difficult to do. Once you've forfeited your influence and your potency, it's hard to recover it. So protect it. And then he says this very sobering. It's good for nothing anymore. It's not a blessing to the world. And the world knows it's not a blessing. It's not useful. It's not valuable. So, what does the world do except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men, which is a way of saying contempt, unwanted, not needed, not desired. Because a tasteless kingdom citizen, one who is not salty, is not useful. So I wanted to highlight for you the four things that salt would be understood to do and be at the time Jesus made those statements. Because with this figure of salt, Jesus is calling his citizens to be something because their life needs to impact everyone they engage. Four things...let me give the four of them to you at the outset. Salt is a picture of purity. It was white, refined. It was pure. Number two a powerful preservative. Sodium chloride...salt is a preservative. Number three, a provider of pleasure. Salt is a seasoning. And number four, a prompter of passion...thirst because salty makes you thirsty. Now remember, you are these things. Therefore, you need to be these things and the guarantee is your life will make a difference. It'll be impactful. It'll be a blessing. It'll be useful. Let me tell you why I would say that because at the time Jesus made this statement, it would be helpful to know that salt was highly valued. The Greeks called salt divine from the gods. The Romans had a kind of jingle in Latin that said, there is nothing more useful than the sun and salt. It was called white gold. It was rare. Taxes and wages were often paid in salt. Often Roman soldiers were paid in salt, which is where we get the concept...not worth his salt. Not worth his wages. He's not a useful, valuable soldier because he is not worth his salt. One of the greatest compliments you could give was to call someone the salt of the earth, because it meant that their life was understood to be valuable, useful, meaningful. And Jesus is saying you possess useful, powerful qualities...desirable, like salt is desirable.
So today we're going to consider the four qualities of salt and therefore the four necessary priorities of a Christian. So my desire is today you would understand what you are, the qualities that ought to characterize you, and the priorities, therefore, that you need to possess and pursue, so that your life does what salt is supposed to do. So that you're not tasteless. Because if there's anything the world needs, it needs an abundance of salt.
The number one quality that we're going to start with, what you are and what you need to be has to do with purity. Salt was connected to purity at that time. If refined, it was brilliant white, as I said, piles of it glistening in the sun. The Romans said salt was the purest of all things, because it came from the purest of all things, the sun and the sea. Pythagoras, a Roman historian in 600 BC circa 600 BC, said, this, "salt is born of the purest of parents, the sun and the sea." Salt was used as a primitive offering to the gods, symbolizing purity. Even Mosaic law.Leviticus 2:13 says, every oblation of your meat offering you shall season with salt. Listen to 2 Kings Chapter 2, where it aligns salt with purity or connects salt with purity. Listen to these words. This is Elisha using salt as an ingredient of purifying power. Verse 19. Second Kings 2. Then the men of the city that's Jericho said to Elisha, behold, now the situation of this city is pleasant. Now the reason they're saying it's pleasant is because Jericho is an oasis in the desert. It's called the City of Palms. It's a pleasant situation, as my Lord sees. But despite that situation and the potential, the water is bad. It's impure. And the land, therefore is unfruitful...barren. And Elisha said, therefore bring me, listen to this, a new jar, and put salt in it. So they brought it to him, and he, Elisha, went out to the spring of water and threw salt into the water and said, thus says Yahweh, I have purified these waters. There shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer. So, verse 22, so the waters have been purified to this day according to the word of Elisha, which he spoke. There's symbolism here. Bring me a new vessel. Liken that to a new creation vessel...a Christian. Housed in that vessel put salt. Pour that salt into impure water, bad water in an unfruitful, barren land. And the application of that salt has the power to purify. And that's symbolic of what salt is supposed to do. It's supposed to be an agent that promotes purity. So the first thing that a Christian is to be in this culture, I'm going to argue as the salt of the earth is to be a picture of purity, so that when people see your brilliant white life, they're affected. You calibrate the culture because you give them an inspiring picture of what purity is when you're living in a way that is honorable. As a Christian and a Kingdom citizen, you are to be a purifying ingredient and an influence in the culture because you show them what right is and what wrong is. You are to be the standard by which the world measures right and wrong. Jesus prayed in the high priestly prayer that we're in the world as his disciples. But were what?...not of it. James says in James 1:27, we're to keep ourselves unspotted by the world. We're to be in it, but not of it...unspotted by it. We're not to isolate ourselves from it, but we're not to become like it. William Barclay wrote, the Christian must be the person who holds aloft the standard of moral purity in speech and in conduct. Turn with me to Colossians chapter 4, and I want to give you some Biblical categories when you think about being a model of morality or a picture of purity. It involves at least three categories Biblically...one speech, two conduct, three attitude, speech, conduct, and attitude. You'll know this verse, but feel it today in the context of this message. Verse 5. Chapter 4. The book of Colossians...Paul writes to the church at Colossae...conduct yourselves. In other words, live life this way with wisdom toward outsiders. Okay, so the focus is outward, not inward, making the most of the opportunity. What opportunity?...to be an agent of influence. How? Verse six. Let your speech always be with grace. Now watch it, seasoned as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. Conduct yourself so that you maximize your influence. And one of the ways you maximize your influence is with your mouth. Gracious speech as if it were seasoned with salt. Pure speech is gracious speech. Look, salty speech is not sailor speech. It's not soldier speech. Its Christian speech, salty language for the Christian, is seasoned with salt grace speech...toward outsiders in a way that has impact on the outsider, and it takes advantage of the opportunity. Let me color that out even a little more. Go over to Ephesians chapter four, parallel book. People say...commentators say the ink was still wet on Colossians when Ephesians was written, or Ephesians was wet when Colossians was written. They were written together. Similar time, similar space, house arrest in Rome, similar themes but different foci and different places. Listen to Paul in the same kind of context speak about speech. And the context here in Ephesians four is in the context of walking in a way worthy. Worthy walking...worthy because you've been blessed in a bombastic way. Saved by grace through faith. Dead in your trespasses. Chosen before the foundation of the world.God sends his Son. Ransoms you. Delivers you out of love and mercy to you. He rescues you. He saves you. He adopts you. He seats you with his Son in the heavenlies, and he's going to lavish grace upon you for all of eternity. That's why we long to go home. And because of all the benefit, reconciled to God, reconciled to one another, recipients of incomprehensible love.Paul says, walk like that in a worthy way, consistent with that, as if there's balances. You got blessed. Live like you've been blessed. That's the context for this statement on speech. Verse 29. Ephesians four. Worthy walking is gracious, life giving talking. Verse 29, Let no unwholesome word. Now the word unwholesome is a word for being rotten, spoiled. In other words, if you open the refrigerator and you smell it, you back away and you know that if you eat it, it'll make you sick. It's that word. It's impure. Let no impure, unwholesome, rotten words proceed from your mouth. But only. And I've circled only in my Bible...only. No exceptions, no exclusions, but only such a word as is good...practically good for edification. The word edification means to build up, to strengthen the soul of someone else. Don't say it if it doesn't strengthen somebody. The only words that ought to come out of a worthy walking Christian are words that are elevating, strengthening, encouraging, gracious words. And then watch this. According to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. Gracious speech produces gracious outcomes. But the word grace here has to do with favor, benefit, blessing. God expects his children to have speech seasoned with salt. And that kind of speech is life giving speech. Listen, we're in an angry, abusive, rude, harsh culture, and we get treated sometimes in ways that justifies attitudes and actions and language that is not congruous with who we are. Look at verse four of chapter five where this idea of salty speech. Christian speech. Worthy speech. There's a kind of speech that ought not be present among us. It's not fitting. Verse four, there must be no filthiness. Now the word filthiness is the word for general obscenity. It's the word we would use for cussing. It's ignoble speech. It's not honorable speech. It's cussing. It's foul language. That's what filthiness is...foul language. Now we're in a culture that is influenced as he seems, even the Christian, because I meet a lot of Christians who cuss and I sometimes meet or hear a pastor who cusses. Let me tell you what, that is...a contradiction. Because what this verse will say there should be no filthiness, no cussing. It's not fitting, no moral logea verse four. That's silly talk. You hear the word moronic in there. Logea is the word for word. Moronic words.Silly talk. Think tabloid talk. Think social media talk. Think the kind of subject celebrity talk that consumes much of our culture. You know what that is?...silly talk. It's shallow talk. Thirdly, no coarse jesting. That’s sexual innuendo. That's where you try to get somebody to laugh by saying something that has a double meaning. Verse 12, same chapter, it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. There's things you don't talk about. There's things that are ignoble. It's just not subject matter that is worth voicing, and which is why verse four says these are not fitting. They're not consistent with kingdom speak. Christians, you're the salt of the earth. You're a model of morality, an icon of integrity. You're a picture of purity by what you say and what you don't say. But it's not just our words, it's our conduct. Notice verse two where the Christian is called to walk in love. Chapter five, verse two. Walk in love just as Christ also loved you. Now watch this...sacrificially gave himself up for us, which was an offering and a sacrifice to God, which God received as a fragrant aroma. Now, don't miss this. Christian, you're a part of my kingdom. You've been bombastically blessed. You've been redeemed at great cost by a sacrificial lamb. And he, God, wants you to sacrificially serve others like you have had sacrificial benefit and service to you. Walk like that. And what that is, is an offering to God and a blessing to men because you're serving them sacrificially, which is what love is. That's what you do. But what you don't do. Verse three is you do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Now, the key word in this passage is impurity, sensuality governed by your carnal desires and passions. You act out because I want what I want. I'm inflamed by that passion. I cross boundaries morally. I'm immoral in my conduct...porneia. I violate the bounds of purity as it relates to marriage and sexual activity. I'm looking at things I shouldn't look at. I'm involved in things I shouldn't be involved in. I'm transgressing in ways that make me immoral because I have an impure motivation. And that impure motivation doesn't just involve sexually acting out... And listen, it's dramatically sobering to see how many Christians are not committed to honor before marriage or honor in marriage by what they do, who they talk to, what they watch. But this kind of sensual passion, which is not fitting among saints. It's not proper, includes greed, a passion for stuff. I want this. It dominates me. It's my motivating desire to have it, to get it, to take it. And a Christian who is a picture of purity is a giver, not a taker. They're a sharer. They have a heart of a kingdom citizen...speech, conduct. And let me mention attitude, because verse four ends interestingly after it says, don't talk like this. It says those things are not fitting filthiness, silly talk and coarse jesting which are not fitting, but rather...do you see that the adversative don't talk like that, but what it says is but rather giving of thanks. What ought to be the expression of your mouth is the attitude of your heart. You know what I am? I'm grateful. I'm grateful to God for the life I have. I'm grateful for the friends I have. I'm grateful for his kindness to me. Listen, there's a lot of challenges in life. We all have them. But the blessings and the abundance and the realities that we have, if we're alive and if we have the hope of heaven is boundless. And our mouth and our attitude ought to reflect it, because we're a picture of what people ought to look like, not just by what they say, not just by what they do, but the attitudes that they express. I used to tell my children, attitude is everything, and you don't show a good attitude until you're in a bad attitude situation, because gratitude is to be expressed in everything. Give what? Thanks. Turn over to Philippians chapter 2, verse 14, where you kind of get the same idea of positive and peaceful good attitudes are relationship building, not relationship dividing. Verse 14 Philippians 2 says, do all things without grumbling. That word means complaining. It's actually not even a word. It's a sound. Do all things without (grumbling sound) I don't like this, I don't accept this, and I'm displaying an attitude that reflects that. And then it goes on to say do all things...did you see the all? Do all things without grumbling or disputing. That's complaining. That's arguing. That's divisive speech. Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Look at why...that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent. Do you know what that is?...pure...children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. You see, you're living in the midst of perversity and a broken and crooked world, and in that world you're to be different. You're not to be argumentative and unkind and grumble and complain and fight and dispute. Look, you look on the internet. The problem with many times is not between unbelievers, with unbelievers, it's Christians, with everybody, Gentiles who don't know God act out as sinners and Christians say things that aren't anything like this. In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. You're supposed to direct them to heaven. How? By our attitude. Listen to Mark chapter 9, verse 50. Jesus is the speaker. He says this...salt is good, but if the salt becomes unsalty with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves. Now listen to how he describes salt in yourselves. Be at peace with one another. Stop the fighting. Stop the arguing. Stop the dividing because you're the salt of the earth.
Number two, the salt of the earth is not only a picture of purity, it is a powerful preservative. Turn with me to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14. Here's a second thing you need to know about salt in the ancient world. It was valued because it was a preservative. Before refrigeration, salt was very valuable because it preserved things from going bad. Like meat. You salted meat. Salt was used to preserve meat from rot and decay. Salt was used so that good and valuable things were not rapidly corrupted. Look, salt couldn't keep a thing from going bad, but it inhibited bad corruption. Salt was valuable because it slowed spoilage. It preserved the value of things. Now let me make a parallel in a similar way, salty Christians, by their presence, will prevent and inhibit society's corruption and evil's rotting influence. Listen, all it takes for evil to prevail and prosper is for good men to do what?...nothing. What salty Christians are is to do something, to promote what's good and to inhibit what's evil. You know, we all know certain people in whose company it is easy to be good, and certain people in whose company it is easy for standards to be relaxed. There are some people you would use certain words and tell that story to, and there are others you would never dream telling that story to or using those words. You're to be the latter kind of person that by your very presence, people are reluctant to use bad language...bad behavior. Tell the sordid stories. Periodically, I'll get teamed up on a golf course. There'll be a guy with me and there'll be two guys teeing off. They like foursomes. They'll put me together. Me and my partner with somebody else. We'll tee. Hi. I'm Harry. Hi, Bob. We exchange names. Somewhere, typically along the third or fourth hole somebody in the other twosome will look over and say, Harry, what do you do? And I said, well, actually, I'm a pastor. I preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh, I am so sorry. Because the language on the first three holes was what would be different language for the next 15 holes. Now, listen, I know preachers have a reputation that inhibits that, but every Christian should have a reputation that inhibits that. That's the idea of this. The Christian, says one commentator, must be a cleansing antiseptic in the society in which he happens to be. He must be the person who, by his presence, defeats corruption and makes it easier for others to be good. Look at verse 34 of Luke chapter 14. Preservative...powerful preservative. Verse 34 Jesus talking. Therefore salt is good. Now notice the word therefore. Therefore means it's connected to what he's just talked about. It's kind of a concluding connection. Well, what is he just been talking about? He's been talking about Christ first, Jesus over everything discipleship. He's actually stopped and he looked at the crowds, the ones who would be disciples because they're following him. And that's what discipleship is. It's following Jesus. But it's more than walking with Jesus. Jesus says in verse 26, this is the context of good salt. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Now, don't miss this. He's not saying you hate your kids. You hate your wife. You hate your family, or your own life. He's saying when you compare your love for me, that's like hate for them. So dramatic and obvious is your affection, your preeminent affection, the priority affection for me, the dominating desire and space and place I have in your life. It's like you hate everything else, including yourself. And you know what that is?...costly. Which is why he goes, hey, like a man building a tower, you better count the cost because you're going to have to make some choices. And it's also this decision you're going to make about following me and the cost attached to it. It has consequences. He's going to tell another illustration. He's going to describe two kings. A king with 20,000 Army men coming up against a weaker king with 10,000 army men. And Jesus says, listen, would the guy with 10,000, half the war force go and make a deal with the king, who has greater strength? Of course he would. He would broker a reconciliation, because the consequences of being an opposition to an adversary with such great power is catastrophic. God has more army men. And if you're going to be the adversary of the king coming, you need to reconcile with the king coming by being a disciple of the King on earth. You need to surrender. You need to submit. You need to follow. You need to exchange. You need to be a Christian. You know there's this idea that this kind of discipleship is extra level discipleship. Let me tell you what it isn't...that. Jesus said in John chapter ten, if you're my sheep, you hear my voice, and you do what? You follow me. And if you're going to follow me and be my disciple, which is more than a...I walk with you. I'm learning from you. I'm intending to become like you because that's what a disciple is. When it's all finished, he's like his master. I want to be like you, and I want to do your bidding. And I want to extend your work. I want to represent you. I'm a disciple. And Jesus said, you can't be my disciple unless I'm first over everything and everyone. Look at verse 33. So therefore, no one of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. What does that mean? Renounce my stuff as my priority. My house isn't. My car isn't my job isn't. All of my possessions are submitted to the one I follow. Look at verse 34. Therefore salt is good. The good salt, the salty kind, the tasty kind. The impactful kind is the Jesus first kind. And I'm going to give you a word...you need to be potent, because potent Christianity is Jesus first Christianity. Christ over everything. Now listen, we're not always going to hit that mark, but we're aiming at it. Because that's the salt that's good. And he goes on to say, but if even salt has become tasteless, so you're a follower and you've lost your convictions and your priorities with what will it be seasoned? How are you going to restore its potency? It's hard. Look at verse 35. It's useless if it's lost its potency...either for the soil or for the manure pile. Now, what does that mean? Salt, when it was added to the soil, was like a fertilizer. When properly dosed, it caused the good things to grow. And the manure pile...this is obvious...is a place where germs breed. And salt on it, the manure pile, inhibited germs corruption. So tasty salt, when it's in the soil, promotes growth,and potent salt when it's on the corruption, the manure...inhibits the bad. A Christian who is potent and in it the soil, the culture, life, the world promoting what's good. That's what tasty salt, potent salt does. And when it sees corruption and it engages, it's on it. It inhibits it. Let me tell you what a Christian should be...a promoter of growth and an inhibitor of corruption, because that's what salt in part is designed to do. You're to be a powerful preservative. You need to be engaged in the world in which you live, in the soil of our lives, in the soil of our culture. You need to be properly dosed in a way that promotes what's good in our culture, what's good for people. The good works that blesses the world in which you live. And you need to be in spaces and places that inhibit the downward spiral. Listen, you got to get out of the salt shaker, one book writer says, and into the world, because you can be as...look, this is great that you're here today. You need to be here today because God's people need to be inspired, stimulated, encouraged, and taught. But when you leave here today, the rest of your Christianity is important, and that is what you do in the world in which you live. Listen, Hickory, North Carolina is your space. I'm in Franklin, Tennessee. I'm not here. You're here. And this community, whatever it is that's good, needs the influence of the potent salt that you represent. And whatever's not good, you need to find a way to influence and discourage and inhibit. Because, look who wants to be on the manure. And there is manure. I was in Anchorage, Alaska, a couple of years ago doing a conference and speaking at a local church like this. And the church housed me at a hotel on Tudor Avenue in Anchorage. And I was excited because I rolled in and I saw there was a Starbucks attached to the parking lot. And I'm happy with Starbucks coffee. I know many aren't. And it's not because I desire to promote their values. I just like their coffee. And I know that puts me on the outs with some of you because you say...you're a coffee snob. I'm not. I'm an equal opportunity drinker. But anyway, the first morning I was there got up early, which is my habit, and I walked across the parking lot. And what I hadn't noticed yesterday was abundantly clear in the daylight. This was like no other Starbucks I'd ever seen. It was like somebody was having a rainbow party. The drive thru was draped in a rainbow, had this canopy over it. The pillars in the front were wrapped in rainbow ribbons. When I walked in...from corner to corner were flags and just banners and stuff. And they were not celebrating the promise of God to not flood the world. They were promoting a flood of corruption, actually. They were promoting dysfunction and rebellion. But what set that apart was not even that. It's the atmosphere in this Starbucks. You know, Starbuck's kind of thing is...community. Matter of fact, you walk in or when you make your order, it's hi, I'm Mary, what's your name? Harry. Hi, Harry. Welcome to Starbucks. What can I get you today? That's how it sounds. Oh, I'd like a venti pike. I'd like a few Splenda and some cream, please. Great. Thanks for serving me. It's a pleasure to have you here. That's something like that. You feel like. Hey, this is my team, my town. I'm a neighbor. This was not like that. What do you want? Oh, by the way, all the baristas had rainbow masks except one. I said I'd like a pike. A venti pike with cream and sweetener. Go stand by the wall. Now what that is, is cold and what it felt was oppressive. So I went and stood by the wall as instructed until they called venti, pike, Splenda and cream. I walked over, got my coffee, started through the eating area, and I started to google Christian coffee shops near me. You know why? I don't like the music they're playing. I don't like the decorations they're displaying. I don't like the attitude. I don't like anything. I'm hopeful that I'll like the coffee. And as soon as I googled that on my phone, this convicting thought went through my mind. Harry, this place needs what only a Christian possesses...the rainbow signs are a neon sign of corruption, saying this place right here is in need of disinfection. It needs a disinfectant, it needs preservation. So under the conviction that came with those thoughts, I sat down. I opened my Bible like I would do. I took clandestine photos of the baristas so I could pray for them by name. I've got them on my phone and I began to read my Bible and pray by name for those baristas and do what I do. I smiled a lot, tried to get them to smile, although you can only tell if their eyes wrinkled. And for five days committed myself to salting the corruption. And then on Sunday, preaching in a church like this, this is what I would have said. Hey, listen, I need a favor. I don't care where you buy coffee. Will you please buy yours at the Starbucks on Tudor Avenue. Because not worth a grain of salt means one grain is not enough. This place needs a heavy dose. Christian. I know why we want a bubble and bunker. I know we why we want to gather in places and spaces that are consistent with the sounds we like, the attitudes we like. But if we disengage our culture, we can't bless our culture. Salt in the shaker affects nothing. It needs to be potent and in it and on it to affect it. Turn over with me to Titus, chapter 1. I want to give you a Biblical illustration of this. I did not get to do this in the first service. I think I can pull it off in this second one because it's a powerful, inspired piece of theological and scriptural real estate that makes this point purity and powerful influence, promoting what is good and inhibiting what is bad. How you should live in a corrupt culture. Now, the reason Titus is so relevant, this is where Paul's talking to his son in the faith, Titus. And he says, go appoint elders on the Isle of Crete. And then there is this statement in verse 12, descriptive of the citizens of Crete. One of themselves.Verse 12. Chapter 1. Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, references a prophet of their own, who said, Cretans now watch the language are always liars, they never tell the truth. And Cretans are evil beasts. Evil has the idea with violent and ruthless. They're killers, they're ruthless killers. They're everyday liars. And they are lazy gluttons. That's freeloaders. I want something for nothing. Sound familiar? Yeah, it should sound familiar. But what's such a powerful and impactful thing is verse 13 says, that was Epimenides in 600 BC, who said that Paul quotes that quote and then he makes this statement, this testimony is true, this culture, this island...everybody never tells the truth. They're violent, hurtful, ruthless, and they want everything for nothing. It's an angry victim culture. Take care of me. Feed me. I'm going to manipulate you...a corrupt culture. And Titus is the message to Christians in a corrupt culture. And this is where you get older women teach younger women. Older men teach younger men. This is where you see the statement in verse 7 of chapter 2...young men are to be sensible. In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds. Do you see the word good deeds? Stay with that with purity and doctrine, dignified sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. In other words, every adversary to the truth you represent will be silenced, because they watch the way you walk and the way you talk. The sensible means it's consistent with what's rational. If you're a Christian, this is the way a Christian ought to live and walk and talk. And when they see you live and walk and talk that way, they'll be quiet. If you're living it, not just saying it. Look at verse 14 as in reference to Jesus Christ, chapter 2. It says of Christ Jesus, he gave himself for us. Look at the reason Jesus Christ redeemed us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed. Not only paying our debt so we don't have to bear the consequence of it, but to deliver us from the behavior of it. Every lawless deed and to purify, see that word himself, a people for his own possession. Jesus died so that you would abandon lawless activity from which you've been saved, and for which the price has been paid. So that he can live in you as his vessel, the purest one living in you. That you'll be a pure people for his own possession. Now watch this. Zealous for good works. Now, you already saw that in verse 7. An example of good deeds. Now he's saying, being zealous for good deeds. The word good...the normal one is agathos... practical good. Walk her across the street so she doesn't get hit by a car kind of good. Open the door for her. It's practical, good. This word is beyond practical good. It's kalos, good. The word kalos is so noble, so virtuous, so eye opening and mouth dropping that somebody goes, wow...good deeds. It is inspiring. So people see God. So valuable, so beautiful, so helpful. Be zealous for those kind of undeniable good deeds. Something that a people of God would do. Look at verse 1 of chapter 3, where the people of God are called to be ready for good deeds. That's prepared. So not only zealous for it, I want to, but I'm ready to. Look at verse 8, chapter 3. This is a trustworthy statement, and concerning these things, I want you to speak confidently so that those who have believed God may be careful, careful, to engage in good deeds. Now watch this. These things, when you do that, that is good and profitable for men, not just Christian men, all men. It's profitable. In what way? Because those deeds so powerfully pursued and zealously desired, they point people to Christ. You want a manual on salty living that preserves a culture? You do the things that cause the culture to go man. It profits them. Some of the things that are happening right now that Christians are doing, whether it's Samaritan's Purse or the things you're doing as a church, are profoundly impactful to the culture. Look at verse 2. Good deeds and good attitudes malign no one. The word malign means to blaspheme. Speak down call names, malign no one. Be uncontentious. Be gentle. I love this, showing every consideration for all men. You know what one translation says?...be perfectly courteous. Good deeds. Good attitudes. Why? Verse 3. For we once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hating and hateful, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness of God, our Savior, and His love for mankind appeared, he saved us. Now just look up for a minute. Why would I be gracious to a person who doesn't deserve it? Because I used to be messed up like they are. And God graciously fixed me up out of his kindness. The reason I'd be kind to them is because God's been kind to me. I know what it's like to be them because I was them. But God in his love through Jesus Christ. He saved me not by works of righteousness, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the regenerating, that's making new work of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. We're justified by grace, verse 7, so that we can be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. You know what that is? That's a big blessing. God was kind to me that causes me to want to be kind to them, even though they're mistreating me. So good deeds and good attitudes and a good gospel message of what God did for me. He fixed me up. He can fix you up. Now, let me tell you what that is. That's powerful in a corrupt culture. And that's what Christians are. That's what preserves, that's what promotes, and that's what inhibits. Can you say amen? All right. I've got two left and I got two minutes. So let me finish. And actually that's probably five minutes late. Let me give you the last two.
Number three as the salt of the earth you are a provider of pleasure. You're a pleasing seasoning. Salt is a seasoning and it promotes satisfaction. It makes things tasty, not tasteless. Salt has a powerful ability to add flavor to things. It makes things better, more enjoyable. I know the doctor doesn't want you to do it, but salt promotes flavor, whether it's steak, watermelon, or the white of an egg. Listen to Job chapter 6, verse 6. Job asked this. In it he says, this is tasteless food eaten without salt.?Or is there flavor or taste in the white of an egg? And everybody said, no, there is no flavor in the white of an egg. And tasteless food is not eaten without seasoning. And he goes on to say, my soul refuses to touch them...the tasteless stuff. They're like loathsome food to me. Because food without salt and flavor is loathsome, and he's applying that to his life. My life without the salt and seasoning and pleasure is not worth living. He's saying it has the power to bring pleasure, and he's saying, my life is stripped of life and no longer desirable, and life without seasoning is not palatable. And I'm going to argue that part of the reason people take their life in our culture is they don't see any reason to live. And what a Christian is, is the seasoning that says, oh yes, there is. Oh yes, there is. Because they see in us by relationship with us, by the sheer attitudes. They see our joy when there's no reason to be joyful. We bring stuff to the table that the culture needs. We're an addition that makes life better. We bring hope to a depressed world, comfort to a hurting world, peace to a worried and angry world. Real joy to a vain, shallow, frustrated, addicted world. We bring real love to a selfish and self-consumed world. We bring clarity and sense to a confused, chaotic, and I don't get this world. And we bring life to a dying world. Can you say amen? Listen, your neighborhood needs you to bring what only you can bring. We're high concentrate seasoning that should make everything we touch better. Our neighborhood, our ball club, our office, our committees.Wherever it is we frequent. They ought to be better because we're there. We're the fragrance of Christ in a culture that's dying. And we bring life to some. And we're a fragrance of death to others. Listen, when Constantine passed away, he made the Christian religion the religion of the Empire. And the guy who followed him...his name was Julian. And the first thing Julian did was bring back the old gods. Let me tell you why he did that in his own words. He said, have you looked at these Christians closely?...hollow eyed, pale cheeked, flat breasted. They brood their lives away. The sun shines for them, but they do not see it. The earth offers them its fullness, but they don't desire it. All they desire to do is renounce to suffer, that they may come to die. Do you know what he just said? As Julian saw Christianity, they took the life out of life. And as the salt of the earth we're to bring life to life.Fourthly, finally and simply. As the salt of the earth, the Christian is to be a provoker of thirst, passion for God. The fourth property and characteristic of salt. You know this. It makes you thirsty. Traditionally, in my pastoral ministry in Birmingham, there's a little Chinese restaurant up the street. After the two morning services, I would call them, and I would ride up and I'd pick up my order. I did it so often that I did not need to tell San my order. I'd go up, pick it up, bring it back to my office. Family tradition. We'd eat Chinese in my office. Family would go home. I'd study for the evening service. But what the afternoon consisted of was not only books, but bottles of water. Because that meal made me thirsty. And what I'd like to plant is a seed in your heart as we conclude, at least my part of this service. Is you're to be a Christian who causes people to want what you have. Thirsty for the life you possess because of the salt that you bring. Potent present Christians should cause people to say, I'm thirsty for the water of life. Where do I find it? So my prayer for you is that the Christian that you display to others will make the gospel not only credible, but you'll make God wantable. You're the salt of the earth. You are something. You need to be something. And the guarantee is...your life is going to mean something. You're not impotent if you're potent.
Father, thank you for the opportunity to open your Word today.The thought is compelling and the thought is encouraging. The reality is convicting and the potential is motivating. Lord, I pray for Hickory Bible Church that this will be the Saltiest church in town. And I pray that in Jesus name, Amen.
