A Change Agent for Christ
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING:- Earlier this week I posted on my FB page I GOT A TESTIMONY and I told how God orchestrated an encounter this week with 2 young men as I came out of Dollartree, one of whom was a Muslim. The encounter ended up with prayer and the young Muslim guy crying and wanting to be Baptized. I received many comments from people about the testimony and many encouraging words and I praise God for them. I received one comment from a friend of mine an immensely powerful woman of God whom I had the privilege of worshipping with, in service the first year my wife and I moved here to Florida. Her name is Prophetess Jackie Betty and in her comment, she said, “I hear the word CATALYST” and that resonated something down on the inside and I just had to get it out. Sister Jackie Betty thank you for listening to God and planting the seed for this message.
If you have listened to the messages I have preached especially over the past few months you will have noticed how I have mentioned how it’s time to be the church, to stop being so religious, to be the church, wake up and do what God has called us to do. I genuinely believe the traditional ways of church are at a changing point in the way we effectively deal with the world. Unfortunately, church has become an entity that is better known by what we do not like or agree with than what we believe. In the eyes of the sinner have become a conservative faction that is contentious instead of a loving, caring witness for our Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s time for a change. It’s time for the people of God to stand up and be a Change Agent for Christ.
PRAYER:-
SCRIPTURES:- John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”.
Matthew 5:13 says “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men”.
DEFINITION: - a substance or element, either simple or compound, which plays a role accelerator in a chemical reaction determined, that occurs without altering at all the end product of the same without either losing their own mass the process. Catalyst is the causing or the speeding up of a chemical reaction by the presence of a substance that does not itself change. A person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic.
EXAMPLES:- The catalytic converter in a car contains platinum, which serves as a catalyst to change carbon monoxide, which is toxic, into carbon dioxide.
TEXT: - John 3:17 said “God sent His Son into the world in order that the world might be saved through Him”. God sent His son into the world to be a Catalyst, an agent of change that would cause the world not to be condemned but saved through Him, Jesus the catalyst, the change agent.
Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to make possible the salvation of the world. He came to make a change, not in the political structure as people were hoping for, but to make a change in the people to change them from an enemy of God to sons of God.
WATCH THIS:- The very announcement of the birth of Jesus changed things, Mary was changed young woman espoused to be married to a pregnant young woman. Mary and Joseph had their lives changed from a quite life into an adventure of faith, commitment, and service that no doubt was different then what they had planned.
The birth of Jesus caused King Herod to panic and drove families with male children 2 years of age and younger into a level of grief unimaginable. However; His birth brought to a hopeless nation, peace on earth, and good will toward men.
Jesus’ interactions with people changed their circumstances and life in astounding ways, the disciples went from being fishermen, tax collector’s, and physicians to being the foundation of the church. Blind Bartimaeus was changed from living in darkness to receiving his sight, the woman with the issue of blood was changed from being an outcast that was literally dying to being called a daughter of God.
The demonic possessed man that couldn’t be chained with fetters and lived among the tombs was changed into an example to the rest of the city of what God can do. The woman of Nain was changed from a grieving mother to a mother full of joy unspeakable full of glory when Jesus touched her dead sons coffin and changed her situation. The 10 lepers were changed from being unclean to clean.
Jesus’ mission was to save the world and every person who chooses to put their trust in Him.
Understand Jesus didn’t just point the way to a set of ideals or moral principles, He promised when we were born again by his spirit he would come to live inside us, guiding and empowering us to live meaningful and godly lives – Colossians 1:27 says “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”. Luke 4:18 says this is Jesus talking “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”. That’s Change!
The Jesus says in John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father”. And because I go to the Father he tells us in Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men”.
WATCH THIS:- Salt is a catalyst for fire. In the world of Jesus, a bed of salt was placed in the communal ovens which were used to bake bread and other items. The bed of salt became a catalyst for the fire. In the 1st century people placed flat plates of salt on the bottom of their earth ovens which would activate the fire. Salt had a catalytic effect on the fuel causing it to burn.
EXPLAIN:- Let me explain this so you will understand what being a change agent for Christ is really all about. In Jesus’ time and especially in that area trees were not so abundant so needless to say wood wasn’t the fuel of choice. Dung was used, dung is animal waste (doo doo) dung stinks. Dung doesn’t burn it makes a stinking mess, but when formed into a ball or patty and placed on a bed of salt, the salt would cause a change within the dung causing the dung to burn allowing for bread to be made. That’s the meaning of Job 28:5 “As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire”.
We are meant to bring a change in people’s lives and in the world. We are to cause an effect that will ignite a fire of restoration in the souls of mankind.
WATCH THIS:- When Jesus said Ye are the salt of the earth He was making a proclamation and expectation. A proclamation is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. So, He was announcing to the disciples, and the world that those then and for us who would be in the future of that time who are His disciples are Catalyst / Change Agents for this dark sin sick world.
He is expecting for us to start something, to ignite a fire in people, to be the catalyst transforming the stinking mess of the world to burn for reconciliation with God. For we all have been given the ministry of reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation”.
Salt makes things palatable. He expects us to present the Word of God in such a way that people will desire to eat it. So many times, we as the church have been so dogmatic, so holier than thou, so religiously uptight and present the gospel in such a way that people refuse to eat. Nullifying O Taste and see that the Lord is Good.
You ever try to feed a baby something it doesn’t like, that little baby will fight you like it is WWIII, but if you change the taste of it and make it palatable, you don’t change the substance but the taste, they will eat it like it going out of style. We need to make sure we present the gospel as palatable, not change what it is but present it differently. Colossians 4:6 says “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man”.
As we interact with others, as we witness to the world, encounter people that God orchestrates in our path let’s remember the goodness a little salt can do. Just how a dash of salt in a dish makes it better, so our speech seasoned just right makes everything taste better.
Salt preserves. Salt was used as a preservative. Rubbed into meat, a little salt would slow decay. This world is dying, morals are decaying, we are to preserve and reverse that process.
According to WebMD, salt has a variety of uses for healing, including a runny nose, heartburn, and a sore throat. So, if salt can bring physical healing when our bodies need relief, we can trust Jesus to bring comfort to our weary hearts. When we think about all the pain around us, people suffering in sin our role in offering salt to a dying world becomes even more vital. We have hope for eternal life because of Christ in us the hope of glory.
People are hurting from the pain of sin and we as salt of the earth have the responsibility of sharing the healing power of Christ with them, that’s being a catalyst for healing.
Salt causes ice to melt. People may be resistant at first to hearing what you have to say when you first try to witness for many different reasons. Their hearts are as frozen as a glacier, but salt lowers the freezing point and causes a change in the ice to water. Salt is used today on icy roads to help bring the temperature down and melt the ice so that when you drive on the road or walk on the sidewalk you have traction.
Ice doesn’t absorb, but when salt is put on ice it changes from being a solid mass that will not absorb to a liquid that will absorb. As salt of the earth we are to present Christ causing the frozen hearts to melt and absorb Jesus. That’s how the young Muslim I spoke to earlier this week was, his heart just melted and he cried out I want to be baptized and live for Jesus.
Jesus was an agent of change in his world and He expects for us to continue to be the salt of the earth today. He doesn’t want for us to be idle, to become complacent and comfortable just sitting in our air-conditioned churches or lose our savor because then we are good only to be trodden under the foot of men.
WATCH THIS:- I came across this short story and felt is was really good for this message. A man walked into a little mom-and-pop grocery store and asked, "Do you sell salt?"
"Ha!" said Pop the proprietor. "Do we sell salt! Just look!" And Pop showed the customer one entire wall of shelves stocked with nothing but salt—Morton salt, iodized salt, kosher salt, sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt, pink salt, seasoning salt, Epsom salts—every kind of salt imaginable.
"Wow!" said the customer.
"You think that's something?" said Pop with a wave of his hand. "That's nothing! Come look." And Pop led the customer to a back room filled with shelves and bins and cartons and barrels and boxes of salt. "Do we sell salt!" he said. "Unbelievable!" said the customer.
"You think that's something?" said Pop. "Come! I'll show you salt!" And Pop led the customer down some steps into a huge basement, five times as large as the previous room, filled every wall, floor to ceiling, with every imaginable form and size and shape of salt—even huge ten-pound salt licks for the cow pasture. "Incredible!" said the customer. "You really do sell salt!"
"No!" said Pop. "That's just the problem! We never sell salt! But that salt salesman—Hoo-boy! Does he sell salt!"
Salt that stays on the shelf doesn't do any good at all.
It’s time to get off the shelf of church as usual, off the shelf of complacency, off the shelf of do nothing and become true salt of the earth.
IMMPACT:- We live in a world where evil dominates the headlines and news media, political chaos seems to reign supreme, coronavirus has people dying, stay at home and social distancing has people stressed to the limits. Racial tensions are escalating, our very own national guards are being used against our own people, sin is running rampant, wrong is being called right, Holiness is mocked, and the church is being laughed at.
Many people are hopeless and alone unable to help themselves out of life’s situations. Suffering a great deal of loss and dealing with confusion. It’s hard to deny that things are becoming increasingly challenging in people’s lives. Struggling with economic struggles, facing foreclosures, sickness and disease threatening our very existence people are living in fear for their very lives, but contrary to what the news media portrays there is a reason to hope and we as the salt of the earth have the opportunity to change the world. It is time to release the Kingdom of God and be the salt of the earth like never before.
God is looking for men and women who long to be bold and bring the Kingdom transforming power to this world. He is looking for people who will be a change agent / catalyst for Christ.
HOW TO BECOME A CHANGE AGENT / CATALYST FOR CHRIST.
Be salt 1st be like Jabez 1 Chronicles 4:10 says “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested”. Jabez prayed with a heart’s desire. We must pray with a heart’s desire to be used by God ask God to enlarge our territory, take me from outside the church walls, take me from religion, take me from mediocrity, take me from sitting on the shelf, and bless me indeed to be the salt of the earth you called me to be. We can’t be satisfied with these 3 and me.
Be salt where you are! No matter what type of work you do, your work can significantly change the world for the better when people see you working with God’s purposes in mind.
Be salt and bring forth a thirst! Like, salt we must produce a thirst in ourselves and others for Christ. Psalm 42:1 says “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”. We must have this desire in us and long to see this desire in others.
Be salt we must live as pure a life as possible so that we can maximize the ability to cause change. We must let our conversation be Holy. We can’t act like the world, talk like the world, and live lie the world and expect to change the world.
Be the salt in your relationships and friendships. Proverbs 18:24 says “man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother”.
Be the salt that inhances flavor and doesn’t inhibit flavor. Understand it wasn't the salt that tasted so good on the corn-on-the-cob, but the salt made the corn taste better. It’s not about us it’s all about Jesus all we do help get the Word to the people.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
