Add A Lot of Salt

Add a Lot of Salt

Matthew 5:13

Jesus gave the Beatitudes to speak of the character of the believer then shares how that character should impact the world.

Agents of Change

The beginning of evangelism is understanding the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals, and showing compassion and empathy.

Leading people to faith in Christ is relational.

Our value comes from our purpose; not our vocation, wealth, education, race or other personal attributes.

The Beatitudes have a purpose outside the internal change of the individual.

·         A “metaphor” is the use of a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea in place of another by way of suggesting a likeness or analogy between them.

·         In this case, the two different kinds of objects which are likened to each other are Christians and salt.

I. The Peculiar People Addressed - “You”

·         From the Latin peculiaris, meaning personal, unlike others

II. The Substance of Believers - "are the salt”

·         Not "have the salt" but are the salt - The power of our lives to do God's purpose is not in     something we possess but something we are.
·        Little is much when God is in it. 
·         We are to be picture frames within which Jesus Christ is to be seen.

The uses of "salt"

·         Heating

·         Preservative

·         Purifies

·         Seasons

III. The Place of Application - "of the earth"

·         Whatever else Jesus may have meant, one thing is obvious — that as Christians we have a responsibility to the people about us.

IV. The Requirement of Infiltration for Effectiveness

·         Five words in scripture for church all showing penetration: Salt, Light, Fire, Yeast, Keys.

V. The Possibility of Losing Its Value - "but if the salt has become tasteless”

·         Salt is always salt - the degree of effectiveness is questioned.

How can salt become tasteless?
·         By exposure without application
·         By becoming adulterated losing its purity

VI. The Danger of Destruction "It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

• People will either walk on you or draw from you when you "show your salt."