Matthew 5:13-16

http://biblehub.com/parallelgospels/The_Sermon_on_the_Mount.htm

God calls His disciples to have an impact on the world around them.  If we live the kind of life that Jesus described in the beatitudes; we will impact the world in powerful ways.  The blessings of God always have a threefold purpose.  First, they give us hope for eternal rewards.  Second, they impact others by attracting them to the Lord.  Third, they bring glory to God because He is honored by our obedience and worshiped by those who recognize His power at work in and through our lives.  The way of the world is one of instant gratification, self-centeredness and idolatry.  God’s call on our lives is focused on eternity, the well-being of others and the glory of God.  God wants us to worship Him with joyful hearts and He wants us to share and spread that joy to the world so that all the nations might have the joy of worshiping God.  God’s will for His disciples is that they have a positive impact on the people with whom they come in contact so they too can worship Him.  There are basically two ways that God calls us to impact the world.

THE CALL OF PRESERVATION: The world in which we live has been corrupted by sin.  The sins of man promote self-destruction and insight the wrath of God.  Satan has one goal for humanity: destruction.  Sin separates us from God for all of eternity because it results in death and eternal condemnation.  Jesus calls His disciples to impact the world around them by being “salt.”  There are many possible ways to interpret what Jesus meant by being the salt of the earth.  Salt had many different purposes during the times of Jesus and each of these qualities have potential correlation to how God wants His disciples to live.  We know salt primarily as a spice to enhance the flavor of food.  Certainly, as believers, we should improve the world in which we live.  Salt has a purifying effect which is why we often soak an injured portion of our body in salt water.  God wants us to work in a way that purifies the world around us.  Salt was commonly used in the middle east as a means of provoking thirst, thereby preventing dehydration in a very arid climate.  The example of our lives should impact the world by provoking a hunger and thirst for righteousness.  However, I believe the quality of salt to which Jesus was primarily referring was salt’s ability to preserve foods from spoiling.  In a world without refrigeration the only means of preserving meat was with salt.  The destructive results of sin in this world are to be retarded by the impact of our lives on the individuals as well as the society at large.  The example of our lives should cause people to turn from their sin and embrace the cross of Christ as their only hope for salvation from sin.  The Gospel is the only means by which the corruption of sin can be thwarted.  If those who profess to be believers become corrupted by sin they end up repelling people from the Gospel instead of attracting them to the Gospel.  They become useless and will come under the judgment of both God and man.  The Pharisees were having this kind of negative impact.  God calls His disciples to be different.  He wants us to be holy and pure and to apply the Gospel to the hearts of the people in this world so they can be free from the corruption of sin and condemnation before God.  He wants us to be instruments of transformation in the world.

THE CALL OF PROCLAMATION: The world in which we live is blinded by the darkness of sin.  Men search in vain for a solution for their sin within themselves or the world system in which they live.  All of the goodness of self-righteous men and the religions invented by men only serve to deepen the darkness in which all of humanity without Christ abides.  God call His disciples to change all of that by being lights in this world.  The only way to expel darkness is with light.  The example of our lives should shine in stark contrast to the sinfulness that surrounds us.  Jesus says that the proper place for light is to be like a city on a hill or on top of a light stand.  Believers are not to be afraid of the dark.  Too often, believers become intimidated by the threats of persecution or fear of rejection by the sinful world.  We take the light of the Gospel and hide it under the baskets of our homes and churches where we feel safe and secure.  God has not called us to keep ourselves safe from the impact of the darkness; He has called us to expel the darkness that has infected the hearts of men and the nations of the world by openly and boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The works of our lives and the message in our mouth should have a profound impact on the world.  They should see the transformation that has taken place in our lives; the way we have been changed from sinners to saints and glorify God for all He has done.  They should hear the testimony of the truth of the Gospel flowing from our lips and by the supernatural power of God be transformed from worshipers of idols to worshipers of the one and only God.


APPLICATION: Impact the world in which we live by setting people free from the corruption of sin and preserving them for all of eternity in the presence of God through the truth of the Gospel.  Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel or afraid to proclaim the Gospel.  Our lives must be shining examples of the transforming work of God’s Word and Spirit.  Our lips must be faithful witness of the truth of the Gospel so that people from all of the nations of the world might join us in worshiping our Lord.

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