SERMON
February 8, 2026
Matthew 5:13-20
1. INVOCATION
2. OPENING PRAYER
3. BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR TEXT FOR TODAY…LET’S TAKE A JOURNEY BACK TO A SMALL VILLAGE THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT…WE HEAR THAT A MAN IS PEAKING OVER ON A MOUNTAIN…HE’S BEEN HEALING PEOPLE OF ALL SORTS OF DISEASES AND CASTING OUT EVIL SPIRITS ALSO…SO WE GATHER OUR FAMILY TO GO AND LISTEN.
4. WE HAVE HEARD THIS MAN…THIS MAN CALLED JESUS…WHO IS CLAIMING TO BE THE PROMISED MESSIAH…THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD WHIO HAS GONE THROUGH A LIST OF RATHER CRAZY THINGS ABOUT BEING BLESSED…9 TO BE EXACT….
5. THAT WE ARE “BLESSED” TO BE:
+ POOR IN SPIRIT
+ THOSE WHO MOURN
+ THOSE WHO ARE MEEK
+ THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST
+THOSE WHO ARE MERCIFUL
+ THOSE WHO ARE PURE IN HEART
+ THOSE WHO ARE PEACEMAKERS
+ THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED
+ BLESSED ARE THOSE OF YOU WHEN PEOPLE REVILE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU AND UTTER ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU
6. THEN HE ENDS THIS LONG LIST OF BLESSINGS…I’M STILL NOT SURE I WOULD CALL THEM BLESSINGS…AND SAYS, “REJOICE AND BE GLAD…FOR YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN…” BUT WHAT ABOUT HERE ON EARTH…RIGHT NOW?
7.THEN WE HEAR HIM SAYING TO US TODAY…”THAT WE ARE TO BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH.”
8. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS SIMPLE AND YET POWERFUL STATEMENT FROM JESUS…WE NEED A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON.
9. SALT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE COMMODITIES BACK AT THE TIME
OF JEUS.
10. THE GREEKS BELIEVED THERE WAS SOMETHING DIVINE CONTAINED IN SALT.
11. THE ROMANS HAD SUCH A VALUE ON SALT THAT THEY WOULD PAY THEIR SOLDIERS IN SALT
12. THAT IS WHERE WE GET THE WORD “SOLDIER”…”SAL-DARE” WITH THE MEANING OF “TO GIVE SALT.”
13. WE ALSO GET THE WORD “SALARY”
14. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WHEN IT WAS THE TIME FOR YOU TO GET PAID YOUR BOSS CAME UP TO YOU AND SAID…”SORRY, WE CAN’T PAY YOU FULLY IN CASH…SO HERE IS A “CUP OF SALT.”
15. AS YOU ALL KNOW…SALT WAS ALSO USED AS A “PRESERVING AGENT” USED MOSTLY PRIOR TO REFRIGERATION.
16. SALT WAS ALSO USED AS A LARGE PART OF OFFERINGS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
17. MOSES IN LEVITICUS 2:13 WAS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ISRAELITES FOR THEIR OFFERINGS THAT THEY WOULD BRING TO THE TEMPLE…HE SAID TO OFFER UP THEIR SALT ALSO
18. THE KEY HERE IS JESUS SAYS THAT “WE ARE THE SALT”…WE AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST “ARE” THE SALT OF THE EARTH…WE HAVE VALUE…GREAT VALUE TO GOD AND WE TO SHARE THAT WITH OTHERS.
19. NOW I HAVE TO ADMIT…I DIDN’T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT SALT SO I HAD TO DO A GOOGLE SEARCH…AND LET ME TELL YOU…IT WAS DEEP..
20. AT THE TIME OF JESUS…THERE WERE TWO KINDS OF SALT.
21. THE FIRST KIND WAS “PURE” THROUGH EVAPORATION BUT THE MAJORITY WAS TAKEN FROM THE DEAD SEA AND IT CONTAINED A LOT OF IMPURITIES…THEY RESEMBLED SALT BUT THEY WEREN’T
22. SO FARMERS WOULD GET THIS STUFF AND THEY WOULD HAVE HUGE PILES BEHIND THEIR HOMES AND THEY WOULD MIX IT WITH FERTILIZER TO USE IN THEIR FIELDS.
23. A SMALL AMOUNT BENEFITED THE SOIL AND THE CROPS…BUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SOMETIMES IS THAT HEAVY RAINS WOULD COME AND POUR DOWN ON THAT PILE OF SALT AND WASY WAY THE TRUE/GOOD SALT AND THEY WOULD BE LEFT WITH THE HARDENED USESLESS SUBSTANCE THAT COULDN’T BE USED IN THE FIELDS BECAUSE IT WOULD HARDEN THE SOILD SO GUESS WHAT IT WAS USED FOR??
24. THEY WOULD THROW IT OUT IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES TO MAKE A PATH…IT WOULD HARDEN AND BECOME ALMOST LIKE A SIDEWALK FOR PEOPLE TO WALK ON.
25. SO JESUS WARNS HIS DISCIPLES AND US…THAT IS THE SALT…(POINTING TO SELF)…LOSES ITS FLAVOR…IT’S ZEST FOT GOD…IT IS USELESS AND IS LIKE A PATHWAY FOR PEOPLE TO TRAMPLE ON.
26. SO LET’S FAST FORWARD TO TODAY…FEBRUARY 8 TH , 2026…”SUPER BOWL SUNDAY”…WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US WHEN WE READ JESUS TELLING US THAT WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH?
27. LOOKING BACK AT THE SALT HISTORY LESSON I JUST PUT YOU THROUGH…AND YES THERE WILL BE QUIZE AT THE END OF THE SERMIN…I BELIEVE IT MEANS WE ARE VALUABLE…NOT JUST VALUABLE BUT “HIGHLY VALUABLE!”
28. WE’VE ALL TASTED FOOD AND SAID “PLEASE PASS THE SALT!” MY FATHER WOULD PUT MUCH SALT AND PEPPER ON HIS FOOD EVEN BEFORE HE TASTED IT….I LIKE SALT ON MY FRENCH FRIES SPECIFICALLY
29. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE IS TO MUCH SALT ON OUR FOOD AND YOU END UP DRINKING WATER OR SOMETHING TO WASH IT DOWN…THE KEY IS TO HAVE JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SALT.
30. ASK YOURSELF…WHAT PARTS OF YOUR LIFE ARE WELL SEASONED AND FLAVORFUL?
31. WHAT PARTS ARE BLAND…TASTELESS AND IN NEED OF SALT?
32. AND WHAT IS THE SALT THAT YOU NEED? ARE THERE PARTS OF YOUR LIFE TODAY…LRIGHT NOW THAT YOU …YOU NEED TO REFLECT ON AND ASK YOURSELF “DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH SALT OR MAYBE NOT ENOUGH?”
33. LOOK AT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR SPOUSE…SIGNIFICANT OTHER…YOUR CHILDREN…GRANDCHILDREN…FRIENDS…CO WORKERS THAT NEED SOME SALT?
34. THEN ASK YOURSELF “WHAT KIND? AND HOW MUCH?”
35. REMEMER YOU ARE NOT ONLY THE “SALT OF THE EARTH” BUT WE ARE ALSO “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!”
36. YOU SEE YOU CAN’T TALK ABOUT THE “LIGHT” WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT “THE DARKNESS” THEY ARE BOTH REALITIES IN OUR LIVES
37. THINK ABOUT HOS LIGHT MAKES A DIFFERENCE….AFTER A FEW OR MANY COLD…SNOWY…DARK DARKS HOW WE LONG FOR THE LIGHTS AND ITS WARMTH.
38. PLANTS TURN TOWARDS THE LIGHT…WE TURN ON OUR NIGHT LIGHTS TO LIGHT OUR WAYS IN DARKNESS AND IN FEARS
39. WHAT JESUS IS LIFTING UP WITH THESE METAPHORS ARE “IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU SHINING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO ALL THOSE AROUND YOU
40. THE LIGHT AND SALT OF LOVE…PEACE…MERCY…FORGIVENESS..HOPE…HEALING..COMPASSION?
41. HE TELLS US THAT WE ARE NOT TO HIDE OUR LIGHT…HIS LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL BASKET BUT RATHER PUT IT ON TOP OF A LIGHTSTAND AND “LET IT SHINE…LET IT SHINE!} WE ALL WILL BE SINGING THAT AS OUR CLOSING SONG BUT IT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE TO LET THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINE NOT JUST ON SUNDAYS OR ONCE IN AWHILE…BUT ALL THE TIME!
42. ASK YOURSELF WHAT IS “ILLUMINATING” YOUR LIFE TODAY? WHAT HAS LEFT YOU IN THE DARK? WHAT PARTS OF YOUR LIFE ARE IN NEED OF MORE LIGHT AND SALT?
43. SO THIS WEEK…JUST AS I HAVE GIVEN LITTLE PACKETS OF SALT OUT TO THE CHILDREN…MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A SALT SHAKER AND PLACE IT ON YOUR TABLE…NO YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE IT ON YOUR CEREAL OR YOUR ICE CREAM…BUT MAY IT ALWAYS SERVE AS A VISUAL REMIND THAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE THE “SALT AND LIGHI OF THE WORLD…THE SALT AND LIGHT THAT CHRIST HAS GIFTED TO EACH ONE OF US THROUGH HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION…FROM DEATH TO LIFE…ETERNAL LIFE.
44. JUST THINK ALSO HOW JUST A SMALL PORTION OF YOUR SALT AND LIGHT CAN MAKE A DIFFERNECE IN THE LIFE OF SOMEONE…OR MANY AROUND YOU….
( LET US JOIN TOGETHER IN SINGING “SHINE. JESUS, SHINE” # 671