Salt & Light

1. Salt & Light Matt 5.13-16 The Church at Mesquite

2. Matthew 5 Matthew 5.13 Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savor wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. The Church at Mesquite

3. Matthew 5 Matthew 5.14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your FATHER which is in Heaven (KJV). The Church at Mesquite

4. Matthew 5 Notice: JESUS’ proclamation that HIS followers were to be Salt & Light immediately proceeds the conditional eschatological promises of the Beatitudes (vs. 3-10) and the preparing lesson found in vs. 11-12 The Church at Mesquite

5. Matthew 5 Notice: In this we note that the solution that JESUS provided for religious indifference, spiritual apathy, and social injustice was for HIS followers to be Salt & Light The Church at Mesquite

6. Matthew 5 Notice: This is significant because the same GOD who created man is the same GOD that created the earth (which is where the element of Salt is found) and Light which was created during the creation of the earth (cf. Genesis 1) The Church at Mesquite

7. Matthew 5 Notice: Thus we find that JESUS was well aware of the elemental qualities of Salt & Light, and compared HIS followers to those qualities The Church at Mesquite

8. Matthew 5 If we are going to fully recognize the implications of JESUS’ call for HIS disciples to be Salt & Light, we must initially note the historical significance of these elements The Church at Mesquite

9. Salt Historically, Salt has had great significance in humanity: The Church at Mesquite

10. Salt Historically, Salt has had great significance in humanity: Wars have been fought over Salt The Church at Mesquite

11. Salt Historically, Salt has had great significance in humanity: Wars have been fought over Salt Salt has been a major trade commodity The Church at Mesquite

12. Salt Historically, Salt has had great significance in humanity: Wars have been fought over Salt Salt has been a major trade commodity The Romans were paid partially in Salt The Church at Mesquite

13. Salt As it relates to the text: The Church at Mesquite

14. Salt As it relates to the text: Salt represents purity The Church at Mesquite

15. Salt As it relates to the text: Salt represents purity Salt is a preservative The Church at Mesquite

16. Salt As it relates to the text: Salt represents purity Salt is a preservative Salt is a seasoning The Church at Mesquite

17. Salt Salt as a preservative The Church at Mesquite

18. Salt Salt as a preservative Remember now that in JESUS’ day they did not have refrigerators and other mechanical means to preserve food, thus salt was one of the ways that preservation took place The Church at Mesquite

19. Salt Salt as a preservative Preserve: To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect The Church at Mesquite

20. Salt Salt as a preservative Preserve: To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect To keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged The Church at Mesquite

21. Salt Salt as a preservative Preserve: To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect To keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged To keep or maintain intact The Church at Mesquite

22. Salt Salt as a preservative Preserve: To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect To keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged To keep or maintain intact To prepare for future use, as by canning or salting The Church at Mesquite

23. Salt Salt as a preservative With these considerations we note that JESUS was telling HIS disciples (followers) that they had the responsibility of: The Church at Mesquite

24. Salt Salt as a preservative With these considerations we note that JESUS was telling HIS disciples (followers) that they had the responsibility of: Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people The Church at Mesquite

25. Salt Salt as a preservative With these considerations we note that JESUS was telling HIS disciples (followers) that they had the responsibility of: Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people Keeping people in perfect or unaltered condition The Church at Mesquite

26. Salt Salt as a preservative With these considerations we note that JESUS was telling HIS disciples (followers) that they had the responsibility of: Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people Keeping people in perfect or unaltered condition Keeping people intact The Church at Mesquite

27. Salt Salt as a preservative With these considerations we note that JESUS was telling HIS disciples (followers) that they had the responsibility of: Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people Keeping people in perfect or unaltered condition Keeping people intact Preparing people for GOD’s future use The Church at Mesquite

28. Salt Salt as a preservative Thus we find that JESUS was telling HIS followers that they had a responsibility to make a difference in the society that they lived in The Church at Mesquite

29. Salt Salt as a preservative Remember, based upon vs. 11-12 that JESUS’ disciples were responsible for: Fighting against spiritual apathy Fighting against religious indifference Fighting against accepted social injustices The Church at Mesquite

30. Salt Salt as a preservative Thus we find that the weapon that JESUS called them to use to fight spiritual apathy, religious indifference, and social injustices was the salt that they had in them The Church at Mesquite

31. Salt Salt as a preservative JESUS called for HIS disciples to fight spiritual apathy, religious indifference, and social injustices by protecting people, keeping them in an unaltered condition, keeping them intact, and preparing them for GOD’s future use The Church at Mesquite

32. Salt Salt as a preservative Two questions that we must consider: Where would JESUS’ followers get this Salt from? The Church at Mesquite

33. Salt Salt as a preservative Two questions that we must consider: Where would JESUS’ followers get this Salt from? Who or what are JESUS’ followers protecting people from? The Church at Mesquite

34. Salt Salt as a preservative Where would JESUS’ followers get this Salt from? JESUS HIMself The Church at Mesquite

35. Salt Salt as a preservative As JESUS was teaching HIS followers HE was teaching them how to walk in HIS SPIRIT The Church at Mesquite

36. Salt Salt as a preservative As JESUS was teaching HIS followers HE was teaching them how to walk in HIS SPIRIT By following JESUS and exemplifying HIM to people HIS followers would show how GOD would have them live their lives The Church at Mesquite

37. Salt Salt as a preservative Who or what are JESUS’ followers protecting people from? The Church at Mesquite

38. Salt Salt as a preservative Who or what are JESUS’ followers protecting people from? The world, more specifically…the devil The Church at Mesquite

39. Salt Salt as a preservative As we have considered the historical and literary contextual implications of JESUS’ call for HIS followers or disciples to preserve society, we do well to know how JESUS’ call relates to HIS followers today (Christians) The Church at Mesquite

40. Salt Salt as a preservative Just was as it was for our 1st century predecessors, we have a responsibility to preserve society The Church at Mesquite

41. Salt Salt as a preservative As JESUS’ followers we have been called to walk in HIS SPIRIT, and fight against the impact that the devil has on the world The Church at Mesquite

42. Salt Salt as a preservative Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people The Church at Mesquite

43. Salt Salt as a preservative Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people How can we effectively do this? The Church at Mesquite

44. Salt Salt as a preservative Maintaining people’s safety from injury, peril, or harm; protecting people How can we effectively do this? By exemplifying how people should live their lives The Church at Mesquite

45. Salt Salt as a preservative 1 Timothy 4.12 Let no man despise your youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity The Church at Mesquite

46. Salt Salt as a preservative 1 Timothy 4.12 Be an example in how you talk, how you carry yourself, how you love, how you reveal the spirit that you have in you, how you express your faith, your pure lifestyle The Church at Mesquite

47. Salt Salt as a preservative 1 Timothy 4.12 We can preserve people by exemplifying or showing people how GOD called us to live The Church at Mesquite

48. Salt Salt as a preservative 1 Timothy 4.12 But rather than preserving people by exemplifying CHRIST many so called Christians are living as if they do not know CHRIST, carrying themselves like the unsaved people of the world The Church at Mesquite

49. Salt Salt as a preservative Keeping people in perfect or unaltered condition The Church at Mesquite

50. Salt Salt as a preservative Keeping people in perfect or unaltered condition How can we effectively do this? The Church at Mesquite