1 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,760 All right, good evening. Would you open your Bible, 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,040 please, to the book of Matthew in the New Testament in chapter 3 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,000 5, We'll pick up where we left off after breaking last week for 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,600 Mother's Day. The title of tonight's message, 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:24,240 salt and light, very familiar verses for us. 6 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:30,680 And then as a sub heading restored to restore Matthew 5, 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:37,120 verses 13 through to 16, we're in what is called the Sermon on 8 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,720 the Mount, probably the most famous sermon ever in the 9 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,120 history of humanity. The crowd, you could picture 10 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,400 them gathered there in the Galilee region, some thousands 11 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,720 in number, specifically the disciples of the audience. 12 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,320 But there are multitudes who are overhearing this and then by 13 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,840 application it is to anyone who is a citizen of the Kingdom of 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,040 heaven that Jesus has been teaching and preaching. 15 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,680 Now we get to these words in Matthew 5. 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,840 We had a look at the beatitudes last week last time. 17 00:01:11,960 --> 00:01:17,000 Now we find Matthew 5 verse 13 and Jesus says you are the salt 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,560 of the earth. But if the salt loses its 19 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,120 flavour, how shall it be seasoned? 20 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,080 It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled 21 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:34,880 under foot by men. You are the light of the world. 22 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:42,400 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden around that 23 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,000 region. In the Galilee, there's a number 24 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,640 of cities that are on these sort of mountainous areas. 25 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:54,200 Typically the limestone walls and roofs and structures by by 26 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,640 night time would be lit up with the sun. 27 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,280 But certainly at night time it's it's hard to miss for those of 28 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,080 us that have been in a tour of that Galilee region. 29 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:07,280 Even the cities that are there today, you have to be blind 30 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:13,120 Freddie to miss them. City on a hill cannot be hidden, 31 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:18,480 verse 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,440 but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the 33 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,400 house. Let your light so shine before 34 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,840 men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in 35 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:33,840 heaven. This is God's word. 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,520 Let's pray again, Father, we with heads bowed and eyes 37 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,840 closed, Now we gather in this holy sacred moment to hear from 38 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,720 you. We pray and ask that you would 39 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:50,760 remove any thoughts that might distract us, that we would be 40 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:56,240 able to devote our attention to what it is that you have in your 41 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,840 word for us tonight. That Holy Spirit, you would make 42 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,520 it apparent and clear to us that we would be able to live this 43 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:09,440 out and apply it and enjoy the blessing and the privilege being 44 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,960 a part of what you've called us to in Jesus name, Amen. 45 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,080 So we've been thinking as we've been travelling through this 46 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,320 Gospel of Matthew about Matthew's purpose for his 47 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,520 audience, the Jewish readers of this. 48 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:25,360 And it is all about pointing out that this Jesus of Nazareth is 49 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,800 the fulfilment of the promise that he was all the way back in 50 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:34,480 the garden promised by God to Adam and to Eve that he would be 51 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,160 the seed that would overcome and reverse the curse. 52 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,880 And then on later in Genesis, Abraham, that out of his 53 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,440 descendants would come seed through which humanity would be 54 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,680 saved. And then on through the promises 55 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,680 to the people of Israel under various prophets and under 56 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,360 various kings. And now there's Jesus of 57 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,760 Nazareth is the Messiah, is the promised one. 58 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,440 This is all the way through Matthew's declaration, Matthew 59 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,440 chapter one. We saw that Matthew chapter 2. 60 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,640 We saw that chapter 3 and then Jesus has picked up where John 61 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,360 the Baptist left off and he's been preaching of repentance for 62 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,160 the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 63 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,959 And now with Matthew 5 here before us and this crowd 64 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:20,040 gathered, Jesus is giving the Kingdom manifesto. 65 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:23,880 Here is what it looks like to be a citizen of the Kingdom of 66 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,760 heaven that he has been preaching and teaching about 67 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,720 that once repentance leads you to it. 68 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,920 Now this is what the the character and conduct of the 69 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,000 citizens of the Kingdom of heaven will be like. 70 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,840 And he says you are the salt of the earth. 71 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,440 You are the light of the world. And this is not just a religious 72 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,520 tale here. These are not just some wise 73 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:48,640 words that Jesus is declaring. It is a completion of the great 74 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,600 story that God has been revealing to humanity. 75 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:53,960 It runs its course all through the Scriptures. 76 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,160 And we're going to read a number of passages at the beginning of 77 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,040 this message tonight, and I'll ask you to turn there in in a 78 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,000 moment. You see at the heart of this 79 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,600 story is a loving creation and then of a fallen humanity of 80 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,760 Adam and Eve resisting and rebelling against God and then 81 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,840 of God bringing about his redemptive plan and then 82 00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:17,800 ultimately restoration of humanity and a holy righteous 83 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:25,080 God being forever combined together, enjoying that union 84 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,480 once more that was broken in the garden. 85 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,680 And right from the beginning in the Beatitudes, Jesus shows us 86 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,320 this, we learnt last time, is that God helps those who cannot 87 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:38,200 help themselves. And so he says, blessed are the 88 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:42,320 poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn. 89 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,120 Blessed are the meek. Not blessed are the powerful, 90 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:51,040 not blessed are the self sufficient, not blessed are the 91 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,320 the knowledgeable or those that have it all together. 92 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:01,400 Blessed are the broken, the needy, the unexpected, and the 93 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,440 undeserving. That's where we're at. 94 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:04,520 That's what we've been looking at. 95 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,520 And Jesus says to them and to you and I tonight, blessed are 96 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,960 you or how happy are you literally is what blessed means. 97 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,560 And this is the wonder of gracious redemption. 98 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,720 And we saw the example from the Old Testament of the people of 99 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,080 Israel, but all the way back under the Old Covenant that God 100 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,800 had picked Israel not because they were a glorious people, not 101 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,160 because they were numerous in number, not because they had 102 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,360 anything in their possession that God wanted or needed or 103 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,480 desired, but because of God's grace. 104 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,240 He picked them. Deuteronomy 7 verse 7 tells us 105 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,400 that He chose them precisely because they were the fewest of 106 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,400 all peoples. And then Moses, having this 107 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,680 message from God, reminds the people that unless you get all 108 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,440 puffed up and think that you're pretty special because God chose 109 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,200 you, remember you are a stiff necked people. 110 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,920 You spoke to them. And over and over the Bible 111 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,280 tells us that God delights to show grace to the unexpected and 112 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:10,160 the undeserving. That's often where people stop 113 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,520 in the understanding of the story. 114 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,640 Redemption, you see, is not the end of the storyline. 115 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,600 Restoration is. Restoration follows. 116 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,760 And in Jesus, God does not just redeem us from the penalty and 117 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,480 power of sin, but that is true, and that is very real. 118 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,120 But then he begins the process of restoring us and the world 119 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,240 around us back to the intended state before the brokenness of 120 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,920 sin entered. And yes, the ultimate fulfilment 121 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:47,000 of this is in the future when Christ returns and makes old 122 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,080 things new. But that restoration has already 123 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,920 begun in the lives of his people, you and I. 124 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:56,920 So let me show you this pattern clearly in Scripture so we 125 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,000 understand what Jesus is teaching in our text to us 126 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,400 tonight. So flick with me in your Bible 127 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,080 back to the very first book in the Bible, the book of Genesis. 128 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:17,760 In Chapter 1 we see creation. In Genesis one verse 26 to 28 129 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,280 and then God said, let us, it's trinitarian language. 130 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:28,920 Let us make man in our image according to our likeness, and 131 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:34,400 let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds 132 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,000 of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over 133 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,039 every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 134 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:46,440 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God. 135 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:51,440 He created him, male and female. He created them. 136 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:56,080 And then look at this. Then God blessed them, and God 137 00:08:56,080 --> 00:09:01,880 said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and 138 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,120 subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of 139 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,440 the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing 140 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,600 that moves on the earth. From the beginning, in this 141 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,960 loving, glorious creation, God placed humanity into the earth 142 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,800 to have dominion, to Co rule, to partner with God in his goodness 143 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,560 throughout the earth. Be fruitful and multiply. 144 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:30,840 And he He pronounced this blessing over humanity, male and 145 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,640 female, adamant and Eve. But then there is the fall. 146 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,880 Moving ahead to Genesis chapter 3. 147 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,440 You know the story, but we'll read these verses, specifically 148 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,640 verse 17 to 19. The result, the consequence of 149 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,160 the rebellion of Adam and Eve against God's word. 150 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,320 Then to Adam, he said, this is God because you have heeded the 151 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,640 voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I 152 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,200 commanded you, saying you shall not eat of it. 153 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:06,120 Cursed is the ground for your sake in toil you shall eat of it 154 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,760 all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it 155 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,320 shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the 156 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:19,800 field in the sweat of your face. You shall eat bread till you 157 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,920 return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. 158 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:28,440 For dust you are, and to dust you shall return and sin. 159 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,840 The rebellion of Adam and Eve against a holy, righteous God 160 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,160 brings a curse. We've just read of it. 161 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,320 Hardship to come upon this world and this earth. 162 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,200 And we experienced that today. The toil of our labour, the 163 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:46,880 frustration, the angst, the tension of living in this world 164 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:51,240 in which we find ourselves. By the sweat of your face, God 165 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,720 said you shall eat bread. Oh, we know it. 166 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:59,080 Monday is here before we know it for many of us, until you return 167 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,880 to the ground, alienation from God and ultimately death. 168 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:07,880 But look, jump ahead. We're studying Exodus now. 169 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:13,680 Move into Exodus chapter 19 as we start to see the fulfilment 170 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:18,120 of God's promises and plans that He gave to Abraham and then on 171 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,800 to his descendants as they're exiting out of Egypt and into 172 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:27,120 the promised land. And after centuries of slavery, 173 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:32,080 God dramatically rescues Israel, His chosen people. 174 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,680 Verse one, Exodus 19, In the third month, after the children 175 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:41,680 of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day 176 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,600 they came to the wilderness of Sinai, for they had departed 177 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,600 from Refadim and come to the wilderness of Sinai and camped 178 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,520 in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before 179 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,040 the mountain, and Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to 180 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:59,360 him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the House 181 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:04,200 of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, You have seen what I 182 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:09,400 did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings and 183 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:14,280 brought you to myself. God did for them what they could 184 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,160 never do, nor hope to do or achieve for themselves. 185 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,480 God helps those who cannot help themselves. 186 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,520 He did it back then for the people of Israel, and this is 187 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:28,200 indicative of His restorative plan for all of humanity before 188 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,080 we read on of what it is that God had planned for the people 189 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:36,800 of Israel to be fulfilling, having chosen them, verses 5 and 190 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:41,200 6, God's purpose for them is revealed now. 191 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:46,200 Therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice, keep My covenant, 192 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:49,120 then you shall be a special treasure to Me. 193 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:54,480 Above all people. The earth is mine, and look at 194 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,000 what thou ought to be. You shall be to Me a Kingdom of 195 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:03,640 priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you 196 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,520 shall speak to the children of Israel. 197 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,080 So the idea is that God chose the people of Israel and they 198 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:16,000 were to be His representatives, His priests on earth, to reveal 199 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,680 to the rest of humanity what life is like to be lived, loving 200 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:21,680 the Lord, worshipping him, honouring him. 201 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:26,320 And in so doing they to be a point of attraction to to 202 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,200 people, to the surrounding nations, particularly to come 203 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,160 and find out who this great God of Israel is that they worship, 204 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,520 that they honour. You know the story that they 205 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,760 failed continually again and again and again in that, in that 206 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:46,240 restoration representing him to the world, extending his rule to 207 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,920 the nations and move ahead in your Bible to Isaiah 61. 208 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:55,440 For this is what Jesus is now preaching and declaring to the 209 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,480 people gathered as He has been speaking and preaching of 210 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,800 repent. For the Kingdom of heaven is at 211 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,440 hand. And remember in Luke chapter 4 212 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,560 when he stood up in the synagogue and read these very 213 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:10,840 words out of Isaiah 61. This is now this same beautiful 214 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,920 pattern that Jesus is quoting at the launch of his ministry and 215 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,040 that He is revealing to those who are His followers, to those 216 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,400 who are citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. 217 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,400 Isaiah 61 verse one. The Spirit of the Lord God is 218 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:30,400 upon me because the Lord has anointed me to what? 219 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,400 To preach good tidings to the poor. 220 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:38,880 He has sent me to heal the broken hearted beatitudes, to 221 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:43,640 proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to 222 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:48,440 those who are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. 223 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:55,000 The day of vengeance of our God to comfort all whom on to 224 00:14:55,000 --> 00:15:00,400 console those who mourn in Zion to give them I love this beauty 225 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:06,000 for ashes, oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise 226 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:11,320 for the spirit of heaviness that the result they may be called 227 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,640 trees of righteousness. The planting of the Lord. 228 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,680 He may be glorified. You're going to see so many 229 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,880 similarities to what we look at in Matthew 5 out of this. 230 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:27,840 And now look at this. Isaiah 61. 231 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,240 Four to six shifts to restoration. 232 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,640 They shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the 233 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,200 former desolations. They shall repair the ruined 234 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,360 cities, the desolations of many generations. 235 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,600 Verse 5. Strangers shall stand and feed 236 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,800 your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall be your 237 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:55,000 ploughman and your vine dresses. But look, verse 6, you shall be 238 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,400 named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants 239 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,400 of our God. You shall eat the riches of the 240 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,560 Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. 241 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:13,120 And then the New Testament takes up this language and applies 242 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,480 this directly to us, taking from Jesus now in the Sermon on the 243 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,360 Mountain, building on it into other passages, applying this 244 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:26,200 directly to you and I as the church, as God's representatives 245 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,640 here on earth in one Peter chapter 2, verses 9:00 to 12:00. 246 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,080 But you are a chosen race. Oh, does that not sound similar? 247 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:42,840 A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own 248 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,680 possession. Why? 249 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,680 So that you may proclaim the excellence of him who has called 250 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,040 you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 251 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:55,440 You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. 252 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:02,480 And then in Revelation chapter 1 verse five and six, it says, and 253 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:09,319 he has made us to be a Kingdom priest to his God and Father in 254 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:13,839 Revelation 5 verses 9 and 10. And you have made them to be a 255 00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:18,000 Kingdom and priest to our God, and they will reign upon the 256 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,960 earth. In Revelation 20, verse 4 speaks 257 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,560 of those who will reign with Christ Jesus. 258 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,440 So now you can move back to Matthew 5 verses 13 to 16, 259 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:35,360 laying a bit of a foundation here, building upon what is the 260 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:38,680 story of the Bible all the way through that Jesus is grabbing a 261 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,760 hold of and declaring to those gathered into you and I tonight. 262 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,080 And that is this. Jesus is calling his disciples 263 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:54,320 ordinary, unexpected, undeserved people, you and I, back to this 264 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:59,800 role of a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 265 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,360 To do that, he uses 2 very simple metaphors that we're 266 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,360 going to unpack that everyone in this audience gathered and 267 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:11,080 hearing Jesus speak would have understood. 268 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,760 You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. 269 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,360 In other words, having been redeemed by grace, blessed are 270 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:22,680 you who are poor in spirit. You are now restored to be the 271 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,880 vehicle through which I can restore and bring restoration 272 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,160 into the world and unto others. And so this is not about trying 273 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:36,120 harder to be good people. This is about living out who we 274 00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:42,000 already are, in and through and because of Jesus the Christ. 275 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:47,280 And so Jesus is activating his redemptive plan, and He has 276 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:54,000 chosen us as his followers, you and me as the vehicles through 277 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,640 which he invites a broken world back to him. 278 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:00,240 Isn't that amazing? God has chosen the foolish 279 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,040 things of the world to confound the wise, the Bible says. 280 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,360 So tonight, let's look at these very powerful metaphors. 281 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,120 You are the salt of the earth. And secondly, you are the light 282 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:12,240 of the world. And my prayer is that the Holy 283 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:17,080 Spirit will stir within our hearts a desire for us to be 284 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,880 exactly that which God has called us to, to be in our 285 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:26,040 homes, in our workplaces, in our communities, in this church, in 286 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:30,720 this nation. Verse 13 again, Matthew 5, you 287 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,040 are the salt of the earth. Salt, understand, was an 288 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,480 essential in the ancient world. Many of you will know this 289 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,840 already, but for those that do not, in the ancient world, the 290 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:48,040 Roman soldiers, part of their salary was to be paid in salt. 291 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,680 In fact, the word in Latin is solarium, where we get our 292 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,880 English word salary from. And maybe you're familiar with 293 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,800 the phrase he's not worth his salt. 294 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,920 That's derived from this custom and practise. 295 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,560 You see, they were paid in salt because salt, in the absence of 296 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:11,720 refrigeration, was used as a preserver on meat to help to. 297 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:17,320 Hold off decay and to prevent that as a purifier, as a flavour 298 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,080 enhancer of many of the things that we know it and and even in 299 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:25,440 the Old Testament of part of covenant making practises in 300 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,160 Scripture it would symbolise this. 301 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,840 We see that in Leviticus it was used for healing. 302 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,520 We know those properties today of stimulating appetite. 303 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,880 In Job chapter 6 verse 6, it declares about the need for salt 304 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,240 and food. So biblical, if you ever find 305 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:46,680 out you go, this needs more salt, pour it on preventing 306 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,320 decay. As I've said, promoting peace. 307 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:54,800 Even Mark Chapter 9 verse 50 and evidencing grace, Colossians 4 308 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,720 verse 6. And so salt being the salt of 309 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,880 the earth. When Jesus speaks of this 310 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,760 metaphor to the people gathered and to you and I tonight, it is 311 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,120 something to do with influence, something to do with character 312 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,520 of conduct. And so tonight we are salt. 313 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,920 And if you're the note taking type, there's a lot of Rs to 314 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,920 help you remember, hopefully some of the aspects and 315 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,360 applications of salt. We are salt because salt 316 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:27,080 restrains salt, wards off rot and decay. 317 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:30,200 As I said back then, in the absence of refrigeration, they 318 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,240 would utilise it to help preserve their meat and 319 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,640 especially you can imagine the armies in marching around and 320 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,480 the military campaigns and those gathered up here in the Galilee 321 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,840 region. It was known for it's fishing 322 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:47,560 industry and they would know heavily the need for salting a 323 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,720 fish, particularly in it's transportation to other parts of 324 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,120 at least the the Israel territories down into Jerusalem 325 00:21:56,120 --> 00:22:01,120 and so on. And so just as salt back then 326 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:06,480 rubbed into meat to help preserve it, the application, 327 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:14,760 the presence and prayers of salty Christians like you and I 328 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:24,520 helps to preserve and to prevent rot and decay in homes, in 329 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:32,160 streets, in neighbourhoods, in communities, in workplaces, in 330 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,960 states like WA and nations like Australia and beyond. 331 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,600 Just as in the book of Genesis chapter 19, if there were 10 332 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,760 righteous people in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, God said 333 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,280 that he would prevent that judgement that was to come. 334 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,520 Remember that dialogue with Abraham. 335 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:57,320 And so in our society, you are the salt of the earth and we 336 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:01,560 need Christians in all spheres and all aspects of society. 337 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,640 Christian mums and dads, obviously Christian students, 338 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,920 Christian teachers. One of the things that many 339 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,040 times when we first become Christians is we, we want to 340 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,200 just detach from the world around us. 341 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,200 And oh, if I could just live in a Christian bubble and, and all 342 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,040 my interactions would just be with, with heavenly Saints. 343 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:25,880 Oh, how glorious and how wonderful my existence would be. 344 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,000 But I don't believe that the Bible teaches us to be monastic 345 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,640 in our living, for we are to be the salt of the earth In this 346 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,120 way and and in that way, then God needs Christian students, 347 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,360 God needs Christian teachers. The world needs Christian 348 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:47,960 teachers, Christian principles, Christian brickies, Christian 349 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:55,200 electricians, Christian lawyers, Christian engineers, Christian 350 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,960 judges in society, nurses, doctors, politicians. 351 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:04,680 God help us to be the salt of the earth, to restrain, to ward 352 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,920 off the rot and decay of sin in the world around us. 353 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:14,600 And did you know that in Australia today, godly believers 354 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,680 are doing more to hold back moral decay than we often 355 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,840 realise? You know, on Wednesday when we 356 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,720 gathered to pray together as a church. 357 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:29,200 That's part of that holding back of salt being salty, of praying 358 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,080 for God's will to be done here on earth as in heaven. 359 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,520 For if we as the salt of the earth do not pray such prayers, 360 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:41,880 no one else will, and the rot and decay of sin in society will 361 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,960 continue to contaminate. And in that same vein, salt it 362 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,280 reaches, you know, when you put salt in things, well, it 363 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,120 permeates through, does it not? I don't know if you've 364 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:57,280 accidentally put what you thought was sugar into a cup of 365 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,600 tea or on your cereal and you've actually done the salt instead. 366 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,480 Oh, you know all about it, don't you? 367 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:09,000 The early church we read and when we studied through the book 368 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,640 of Acts, they scattered throughout the Roman Empire in 369 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,440 that 1st century. And what were they able to do as 370 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:21,040 the salt of the earth permeate throughout the known world at 371 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,440 that time? And they turned the world upside 372 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,680 down is what it says of them in Acts 1 chapters, Acts 81 and 373 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,080 four and 17 and 6. And so too, as salt of the 374 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,480 earth, our lives are to permeate through with the Gospel. 375 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,600 Salt refines. Thirdly, you are the salt of the 376 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,400 earth. Jesus said, well, salt refines. 377 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,800 There's a a purifying ability with salt. 378 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:54,440 You know if you have a wound or a cut and you go swimming in the 379 00:25:54,440 --> 00:26:00,280 ocean or again talking back to this tour of Israel, when you 380 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:06,600 take a dunk in the Dead Sea, they in fact warn you and tell 381 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,360 you don't shave the day before. You'll know all about it when 382 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:13,880 you go in. The salt has this cleansing and 383 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,240 purifying capacity to it. If you ever have any dental 384 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,080 work, you'll often do a salt rinse and gargle right? 385 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,320 To flush out and to cleanse. In the Bible we see examples of 386 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,520 that again and again. Elisha used salt to heal the 387 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,520 waters at Jericho. Newborns in Ezekiel were washed 388 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,160 in salt. And similarly, you and I, as 389 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,560 Christians, as the salt of the earth, are to have a purifying 390 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,680 effect. You are the salt of the earth, 391 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,480 Jesus said. And so be thankful if people 392 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,360 when they come across you, change their conversation. 393 00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:52,240 As a a believer, you walk in. There should be a difference 394 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:56,360 when people come across you and I as believers, as the salt of 395 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:58,600 the earth. And so thank God for that 396 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,840 purifying refining force at work in and through you in the world 397 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,240 as salt refines as a purifying ability. 398 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,840 Salt also relishes. Salt brings out the best in 399 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,120 food, in flavours. You and I, we know when we eat 400 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:16,360 and when we taste something. Wow, this needs salt. 401 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,760 And ironically many times in in baking and sometimes sweet 402 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:25,200 things, adding salt can help enhance the sweetness of it has 403 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,640 more of the opposite effects. It helps in flavouring 404 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,880 Christians then should be the flavour in the world around 405 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:36,680 them, bringing out the best in people for God's glory. 406 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,920 I was reading in my devotion this morning out of the book of 407 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,080 Ruth and here is an example of that. 408 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,640 This idea of salt, relishing a salt breathing, bringing out 409 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,840 flavour. When we're first introduced to 410 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:54,440 Boaz, Boaz, his first words he says to people as, as those who 411 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,160 are working and labouring in his fields, the Lord bless you. 412 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,160 And the response back is the Lord bless you too, Boaz. 413 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,760 It's like the moment that Boaz arrives onto the scene, he 414 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,640 brings the presence of the Lord with him. 415 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,640 And may that be true with you and I, rather than people going, 416 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:16,320 oh, here comes that Christian, may it be that we bring out the 417 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,440 flavour and the best in people. Oh man, I'm so glad that you're 418 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,760 here. You're like a breath of fresh 419 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,920 air in this workplace. We need more people like you. 420 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,560 Do you know of anyone needing a job? 421 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,800 Salt relishes. It brings out the best. 422 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:38,800 In conjunction with that, salt resists. 423 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,560 There's a poisoning ability to salt too. 424 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,400 Have you ever used salt around the house as a weed killer? 425 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,680 Pour over the cracks in your paving to stop the weeds from 426 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,960 coming up. Ever, kids? 427 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,200 Here's one for you. Poured salt on a slug? 428 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:03,440 Not that I've ever done that. I've read about that in the Old 429 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,920 Testament. In ancient times, when people 430 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,560 would be conquered in battle, one of the means to further 431 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:15,240 defeat them was to sow their fields with salt, to render them 432 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,320 infertile, for growing further agriculture and for their 433 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,800 recovery to make those fields useless. 434 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,960 And so in this way, true Christians and true Christianity 435 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:31,080 is to be as poison to sin as salt. 436 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,280 Then there will be certain things in our lives and in our 437 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,640 homes, in our communities that will be put to death as a 438 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:43,600 consequence of Christ in US, that will be resisted because of 439 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,280 Christ in US. And so when Christ enters a 440 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:52,120 life, holy saltiness begins to kill sinful desires. 441 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:56,920 You are the salt of the earth, the next one. 442 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,680 Have you not found this? That salt rouses salt crows. 443 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:05,480 Salt creates thirst. Bought that big box of popcorn 444 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:09,000 at the movies, doused, soaked in salt. 445 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,360 It's like we've been soaking in there for months. 446 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:18,000 Then you eat it and you say I need a big jug of Coke. 447 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:20,800 And they've got you exactly where they want you, right? 448 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,720 Because you go and pay the $500 it costs for that icy Coke. 449 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,480 But if you go into the ocean, you go swimming, you go surfing, 450 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,400 you spend a bit of time around salt, you get thirsty. 451 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,200 In fact, back in the agricultural sense, and many of 452 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:39,760 you might know this, that salt blocks are often used to 453 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:44,280 stimulate thirst for cattle, to encourage them to be drinking. 454 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:50,440 And so you and I, the way that we live as the salt of the 455 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:58,360 earth, is to cause people to be thirsty for Jesus, to stimulate 456 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:04,080 a desire within them to have and to enjoy and experience what we 457 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,600 know to be from and because of Jesus Christ in US. 458 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:14,240 I want what you've got and there's a difference in you in 459 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:18,120 in the way that you handle stress or this problem or this 460 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,720 situation or I know what you're going through and and I've been 461 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,240 through it as well, but there's something different, something I 462 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:27,720 just can't quite figure it out with you. 463 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,280 What's the difference? And then you've created and 464 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,920 stimulated thirst and then for Jesus in you, you're the salt of 465 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:39,120 the earth. Live so distinctly for people to 466 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:43,920 say I want what you have, not the opposite that. 467 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,520 Well, if that's Christianity, I don't want any part of it. 468 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,800 And salt lastly, reforms, you see, salt it, it changes 469 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:58,600 everything it touches, put it into food, organic materials, 470 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,040 etcetera. And, and in this fashion, in 471 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,080 this way, you and I, as the salt of the earth, are to be a lot 472 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:08,320 more like a thermostat than a thermometer, but to be agents of 473 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:11,160 change in this world in which we live. 474 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:17,240 And we will find ourselves winning more for Jesus. 475 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,040 If we're living and being like Jesus is the salt of the earth, 476 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:29,360 then by becoming like the world you are the salt of the earth, 477 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,400 he says. Then he offers this warning. 478 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,880 But if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be 479 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,880 seasoned? Is then good for nothing but to 480 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:43,160 be thrown out and trampled under foot by men so there is a danger 481 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:48,320 to avoid. Salt back then was more common 482 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:53,080 of losing its flavour or savour, not quite as pure as our 483 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,600 chemically processed version today. 484 00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:01,080 Ancient salt back then often mined or through evaporation, 485 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,720 and so as a consequence mixed with some impurities, other 486 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:10,080 minerals or sort of vegetable matter, and would often become 487 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,800 useless if exposed to certain elements or in contact with, 488 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,120 listen to this, the earth, the world. 489 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,920 So the idea is this for you and I, in losing our saltiness when 490 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:26,800 we get too close and too much like the world in which we live 491 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,240 and less like Christ, we lose our distinctiveness and our 492 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:36,720 usefulness and our saltiness, which led to a destiny to a poor 493 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,240 tasteless salt was then back then thrown out and trampled 494 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,040 under foot. Well, this is good for nothing. 495 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:43,640 I can't use it for these purposes. 496 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,880 So I'll just throw it out on the pathway to be trampled under 497 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,640 foot. And maybe it might suppress some 498 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:53,240 weeds, maybe it might provide a little grip as we walk and and 499 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,920 travel through these paths. But it was trod under foot. 500 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,880 It lost its purpose, became effectively good for nothing. 501 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:06,720 Jesus said Paul in fact feared this becoming a castaway in his 502 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,120 faith in one Corinthians 9 verse 27. 503 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,679 You are the salt of the earth, Jesus said. 504 00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:15,960 But the second metaphor, he said you are the light of the world. 505 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:21,760 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden and on through. 506 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:27,040 But hang on a minute, Israel. I thought the Bible said that 507 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:29,840 Jesus is the light. In fact, Jesus himself said that 508 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,120 in John 8 verse 12. I am the light of the world. 509 00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:37,400 He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light 510 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:39,360 of life. What is it? 511 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:44,560 Is Jesus the light or are you the light of the world? 512 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,360 Remember what I said at the beginning that you and I have 513 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:53,280 been restored to be partners, Co labourers in this restoration 514 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,880 process that Jesus is bringing into the world. 515 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,160 And think of it this way, of Jesus being the light, the main 516 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,280 source and of you and I being reflectors of the light of 517 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,600 Christ. And it is the light of Christ in 518 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:09,240 us that so shines forth out into the world. 519 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:13,560 And in this way, we are not like the sun, we're not like the 520 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,480 stars in the heavens, but we are more like the moon. 521 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,280 The moon has no light in and of itself, does it? 522 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:22,840 The moon draws its light. How? 523 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,080 By being a reflection of the sun. 524 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,320 Now it's interesting to take that metaphor and extend it out 525 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,240 even further. When is the moon dimmed? 526 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,280 When does the moon lose its light? 527 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:40,280 When the world blocks. When the world comes between 528 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:45,600 very interesting you and I, the light is not from us, it is from 529 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,320 Christ. So the power of the light, what 530 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,280 does this light do? When Jesus says you are the 531 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:52,760 light of the world, light dispels it, it conquers 532 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,560 darkness. You, you and I, if we were to 533 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,280 turn out all of these lights in this room become as dark as we 534 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,480 could possibly make it, 1 light would be enough to be evident, 535 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:06,360 sufficient and to effectively dispel to conquer the darkness. 536 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:08,840 Even a tiny light can drive it out. 537 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,680 The Bible tells us that God's word is a lamp. 538 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,840 There's a light you you as the light of the world, you know, as 539 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,040 a godly believer, as a Christian, bring God's light 540 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:25,560 into the darkest of situations. But also one of the benefits of 541 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,560 having light is I don't know if you've ever stumbled around in 542 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:33,040 the darkness and banged into everything is that you reduce 543 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,640 mistakes. I knew that couch was there, and 544 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:40,200 yet I hid it. You turn the light on and you'd 545 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:42,200 have to be a dummy to make that same mistake. 546 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,880 I remember one time we used to bury our compost out in the 547 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,960 backyard and just thinking, oh, it'll be a quick thing. 548 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,880 I took the shovel, began to dig, and it was pretty dark out. 549 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,840 I put my shovel right through the articulation pipe. 550 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,960 Made a mistake? But if you bring the light of 551 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:06,840 Christ into the darkest of situations, man, have you not 552 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:10,160 found God's wisdom coming through and God's blessing and 553 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:16,040 God's capacity? It removes fear, man, don't our 554 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:19,640 our minds run away, our imaginations run wild in the 555 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:23,080 dark. The boogeyman will get me all 556 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,960 sorts of fears, you know, kids and their need for Night Lights 557 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,920 and so on. But bringing the light as the 558 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,080 light of the world, the light of Christ, there's a peace and a 559 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:38,480 comfort that comes. Not only does light dispel in 560 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:41,720 conquering darkness, it revives. Light brings life. 561 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:50,840 If you were to take a plant, reduce its light, that is that 562 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:54,120 it's exposed to, it will eventually die. 563 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,120 But if you were to bring that plant out, and if you're to 564 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:00,400 bring seeds out and they're brought from the dark into 565 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,520 light, there's revival that happens. 566 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,560 It's the same with humans. You know the need for people who 567 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:11,680 live in those regions where syndrome like SAD is a parent 568 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,640 seasonal affective disorder where because of the darkness 569 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,040 and the the length and duration of winter that they're 570 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:21,720 encouraged to have either vitamin D injections or expose 571 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:25,040 themselves to artificial light that would be something like the 572 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:27,920 sun. The need for vitamin D. 573 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:37,600 So the gospel light brings life to dead souls and our witness 574 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:40,760 Christ in US warms sinners hearts and draw is to draw them 575 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:44,640 to salvation. Where are the places of this 576 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:48,280 light to be? In what places has Jesus 577 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,960 intentionally set us as the light of the world? 578 00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:52,560 He says you are the light of the world. 579 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:55,760 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 580 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:00,920 So there's this more corporate collective element to it. 581 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,960 A visible collection of lights was a city on a hill. 582 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:09,680 Again, these limestone cities, they're impossible to hide, as I 583 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:16,280 say in the day, especially on a hill evident, but at night time 584 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:19,640 with all of the various lights of those inhabiting that city, 585 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,520 it would be spotted from miles away. 586 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:27,760 And collectively you and I, as the church, as the body of 587 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:34,800 believers, as a conglomeration of lights, our standards, our 588 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:40,080 worship, our stand with and for Jesus, it impacts and ought to 589 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,640 impact the community like a city on a hill. 590 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:49,160 You've all seen those satellite images of different cities at 591 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:54,840 night time lit up. It shows the impact of how 592 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:59,000 little lights combined together can have such a vast expansive 593 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,800 influence. In fact, you remember that the 594 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,840 city of Perth. Has that history being called 595 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:09,200 the City of Light when astronaut John Glenn in 1962 had his orbit 596 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,920 over and, and there was this thing where everybody was 597 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:17,160 encouraged to light up around the city, their homes and as 598 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,920 many lights as they could for him to be able to see an example 599 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:24,920 of this, this city on a hill and the impact that that has as a 600 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:26,960 collective, a community, a corporate light. 601 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,480 But, but also not only are we to shine our light when we gather 602 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:35,760 together here as the body of believers, but individually, the 603 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,200 light is to be taken wherever we go. 604 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:44,000 And the example that is given here is in the home, these oil 605 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,440 Wicks, these lampstands used in the home since they're not 606 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:52,040 hidden under a bushel. And so you and I at at at home 607 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:58,360 in the workplace, with our friends, not just at church when 608 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,760 we're with other Christians, but wherever we find ourselves 609 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,520 during the week. And not to hide the light of 610 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:09,560 Christ under a bushel. Some people might hide their 611 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,040 light out of fear. Think of the likes of a Joseph 612 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:14,600 of Arimathea in the New Testament. 613 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:20,600 Sometimes we can hide our light out of apathy or, or busyness or 614 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,240 leisure. But in all of those things, it's 615 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:26,440 an example of too much of the world getting in, isn't it? 616 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,880 So we must not separate the sacred and the secular. 617 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,400 Oh, I'm going to shine my light and I'm going to worship Jesus 618 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,480 and glorify him in the church. And well, how good is it to 619 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,160 gather with the believers? And, and yes, that's a wonderful 620 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:45,520 thing to be that, that collective city on a hill, then 621 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,760 the moment that we get home to snuff out the light and hide it 622 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:51,240 under a bushel. And nobody knows all week that 623 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:53,160 I'm a Christian and a follower of Jesus. 624 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,080 Shine everywhere. You are the light of the world. 625 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:00,280 And the purpose of this light. Verse 16. 626 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:04,000 The ultimate reason for this, Where should this light point 627 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:11,600 people to that they may see your good works #1 and glorify your 628 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:14,080 Father in heaven #2? It's to be a witness to the 629 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:18,160 lost. These good works, motivated by 630 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:22,760 love and powered by the Holy Spirit for God's glory, show 631 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:28,520 that our faith is real in US. James picks this up in his 632 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:35,160 epistle of of works revealing our faith at work in US of 633 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:38,960 transformed lives and then ultimately to be a witness to 634 00:42:38,960 --> 00:42:42,000 the Lord that they might what in observing those good works, man, 635 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,600 you're you're the best worker we've got in the workplace. 636 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,320 I I love when you're diligent on a project and and the way that 637 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,880 you do this or that and in other words, it's to bring glory to 638 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:56,200 God in heaven, glorify your Father in heaven. 639 00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:00,680 Our lives are to display the fruit of the Spirit, that all 640 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,400 the glory, all the honour, all the praise is to be brought to 641 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:06,800 Jesus. Think of the example of the 642 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:12,600 gathering demoniac who had set fear in the hearts of all those 643 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:17,320 around, so much so that they chained him in the cemetery. 644 00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:19,760 And then Jesus delivers him and sets him free. 645 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:24,080 And then we have this wonderful story and we're told that he is 646 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:28,880 seated and the people see him, that he is clothed and that he 647 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:33,880 is in his right mind, and the glory is given to God. 648 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,520 Well, the woman at the well, remember her story. 649 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:41,440 Come and see, come and see. And it says that because of the 650 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:45,960 word of the woman, God did a wonderful work in that city, in 651 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,720 that town of Samaria. And people should see and say in 652 00:43:49,720 --> 00:43:55,000 us they serve a great God. I want to know him. 653 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,120 You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world, 654 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,560 Jesus said. Let me finish with this. 655 00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:05,400 I don't know if you know the name DL Moody. 656 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:14,720 DL Moody is a famous evangelist pastor in the United States in 657 00:44:14,720 --> 00:44:21,680 the 1800s and he served the Lord out of Chicago especially, but 658 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:24,080 also did many crusades on into Britain. 659 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,720 But there was a President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, 660 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:34,680 who had an encounter with this DL Moody. 661 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:37,680 He tells the story this way of being in a Barber shop. 662 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:42,920 One time, he says, I was sitting in a barber's chair when I 663 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,360 became aware that a powerful personality had entered the 664 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:51,480 room. A man had come quietly in upon 665 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:56,160 the same errand as myself, to have his hair cut, and sat in 666 00:44:56,160 --> 00:45:01,000 the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered, 667 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:05,520 though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal 668 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:07,760 interest in the man who was serving him. 669 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:12,080 And before I got through with what was being done to me, I was 670 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,440 aware I had attended an evangelistic service. 671 00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:22,040 Because Mr Dr Moody was in that chair, I purposely lingered in 672 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:27,480 the room after he had left and noted the singular effect that 673 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,640 his visit had brought upon the barbershop. 674 00:45:30,720 --> 00:45:35,600 They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but 675 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:38,240 they knew something had elevated their thoughts. 676 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:44,320 And I felt that I had left that place as I should have left a 677 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:49,400 place of worship. That is the kind of salt and 678 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:57,280 light influence that Jesus calls us to when He says you are the 679 00:45:57,280 --> 00:46:00,320 salt of the earth and the light of the world. 680 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,640 I pray that the Lord has spoken to you tonight about your 681 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:10,000 testimony about your life. Is your life being salty? 682 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:16,480 Is your life being bright? Do you have people in your life 683 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:21,480 to pray for and to reach? God has redeemed you and I. 684 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,360 God has restored you and I that we may be the vehicle through 685 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:27,640 which that can extend on out to others. 686 00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:31,880 Let us be salty Christians. Let us be shining lights, 687 00:46:32,240 --> 00:46:36,360 fulfilling our role as a Kingdom of priests in this generation. 688 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,720 For His glory. Let's pray. 689 00:46:39,720 --> 00:46:45,440 Lord God, as we close and finish our time together tonight, we 690 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:48,400 thank you for this teaching Jesus that you gave to your 691 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:52,080 disciples and those gathered there, and for us tonight to 692 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:55,600 hear and to be reminded that we are the salt of the earth, the 693 00:46:55,600 --> 00:47:00,320 light of the world. Please help us to live in such a 694 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:04,920 fashion that honours you. It reflects you. 695 00:47:11,220 --> 00:47:14,900 Move through this church. We pray to impact lives for your 696 00:47:14,900 --> 00:47:19,620 glory. May people see our good works, 697 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:24,200 what you were doing in our midst, and may you be honoured 698 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:26,440 and worshipped and adored as a consequence. 699 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:31,760 And as we live that out where we find ourselves, wherever that 700 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:39,280 may be, in our home, our school, our workplace, whatever clubs, 701 00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:42,520 community groups that we're involved in, in all our 702 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:45,200 interactions, may we be a salt of the earth. 703 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:50,320 Light of the world points and draws people to you, Lord Jesus, 704 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,640 for it's in your name we pray. Amen.