What would it matter?
SLIDE - influence
This morning we are focused on one topic….influence perhaps considered power. It is one of the many words that can easily have a double meaning. It can be used to mean and ability to influence someone or something in a good or bad way …depending on your perspective.
This morning I am limiting our thoughts on influence just a bit. I am not directly talking about physical influence or the influence of parents and teachers.
Not don’t get me wrong, the majority of areas I plan to leave out are monumentally important.
The individual’s influence on friends is incredibility powerful.
The impact of society and the general culture on the citizens in any area is dramatic.
Each of those directions and probably 20 more types of influence would offer us a year of sermons.
But let’s quickly look at some slides to start our minds going this morning. All kinds of people have the ability to influence us….
Slides –
- Some people have political influence
-- Some people end up directing social influence (I should send a letter of apology to Nelson Mandela for showing him with Paris Hilton and Rosy O’Donnell.)
--- Some offer strange influence
---- Influences slide
My point is that depending on our individual perspectives we see these people as offering either good of bad influences. The pictures I used came from Time Magazine’s lost of the 100 most influential people in the world. There were a lot of people in that list I had never heard of. But, for some reason, some place in the world some people yield a lot of power and influence to people on the Time list.
While people technically make up my next set of pictures the images represent groups of people that have power and intentionally try to influence people.
Slides
- Corporations and Brands influence the culture and households.
-- Advertising Influences
--- Influence
The examples I just showed you this morning are very powerful.
However, I want us to put on spiritual blinders and consider just Christian influence and power.
Our scripture this morning comes from Matthew 5:13-16
SLIDE - SCRIPTURE
Matthew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Theses descriptions are given right after the section of Matthew called the Beatitudes where Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven and who is blessed.
Disciples of Jesus Christ are described in two ways in our scripture today.
Salt and Light and Jesus describes the qualities of these common things.
First, He says that we ARE the salt of the earth. Not can be, or should be….we are salt.
Today our doctors tell us to stay away from salt.
But can you enjoy a baked potato or popcorn without salt?
Salt is a simple flavoring that in reality we can not survive without. Our bodies need salt to regulate fluids and organ operation. When we…women cry the tears taste salty. When we sweat on hot summer day’s, salt is in a high concentration on our skin.
An average adult has 250 Grams or 8.8 ounces of salt in the tissues and blood at any given time. The amount is regulated and extra salt is automatically removed from the body. God is a great designer….
Except for the flavor that most of us like and physical need salt is not really all that valuable to us.
But in Jesus’ day it was a bit different. Salt was very valuable. There were all kinds of uses for salt and the demand for salt made it valuable.
What made it valuable? Primarily because of the way it preserves food. Meats of all kinds can be preserved and transported for-sale to other distant places. Fish could be shipped far inland from the sea preserved by salt. A family could store foods safely for extended periods of time.
Salt was valuable enough that Roman soldiers were partly paid in salt. It is said to be from this that we get the word soldier - ’sal dare’, meaning “to give salt.”
The phrase “Not worth his salt,” comes from Roman days and it was considered to be a harsh insult.
Jesus’ description that we are salt is probably less of a complement than a pointed reminder. He explains that salt that looses it salty character or taste is basically useless.
That does not sound very good to me. Jesus is talking to people that he considers salty…flavored, necessary, useful…
If they loose the valuable qualities that set them apart they become useless and basically trash. Maybe to be more specific, they become worldly. They lose the ability to influence flavor or offer preserving …saving qualities.
-- Ok, time for a mental note: Christians should be salty.
Now let’s go on in the scripture. The next verse is another straight statement.
“You ARE the light of the world.”
SLIDE – Light of the World
When we think of being a light what do we think of?
How bright can we be and are we?
I have a tendency to believe that we pretty much think of ourselves as a night light or other small hardly noticeable sources of light.
If you think that maybe you are right. After all we are only human.
Have you ever been in a cave and they guide turn off the lights so you can see what dark looks like?
Wednesday night a couple of weeks back, we were finishing up our Bible study time when the lights went off. I don’t mean that someone flipped the switch. I mean that inside and outside of the church it was dark. The power was off.
After a few seconds, Marion brought out her cell phone and started leading the group to the door. It is amazing how much the dim glow of a cell phone display can make a difference when you are sitting in the dark. When there are steps that you need to get down getting to your car.
A small light can be amazingly helpful and comforting. I hope you will keep that in mind.
The scripture did not say that we were to be the only light to the world. He did not describe the hearers as being a star or as bright as the Sun.
Slide - City on a hill
In the darkness lights that are visible are a comforting sight to travelers. In the darkness people are drawn to the safety of light.
-- your light under a bowl
He says that a person that lights a lamp at night does not selfishly hide the light. The light he is talking about is not just for personal use. He or she is to place the light on a stand so that everyone can share the glow.
We are to share our light in front of other people so that they can see our good deeds. And ultimately praise God in heaven.
-- Ok another mental note, We are the light and we are to share it.
-- So that sounds pretty simple. Be salty and don’t hide our light.
I am left with the question of how well we are doing with those seemingly simple directions.
All my life I have heard that we are to be God’s flavoring, saving all those we come into contact with and how we are to be a light to this world directing those that live in darkness to something better, something eternal.
Salt and light – we are to be influencers. Our influence is to draw and direct the people around us to God.
Last Sunday a few of us went to the transformational conference. The speaker had one question that has been on my mind much of the week. I am paraphrasing, but he asked, What difference would it make if our church was just not here? or If it disappeared for some reason?
I am not talking about a tornado destroys the building. I am talking about if we just walked away. If somehow we dropped all our faith and lived as a person that was neither for or against God.
- What would it matter to our community?
- What influence do we as a church provide to the people around us?
Do those questions start you thinking?
The church is a bit like one of the big companies. It represents a group of beliefs and opportunities.
The church enables the people that are drawn to it basically influenced by it to live and act differently. A church with influence is a church with power. But not like the power of a big corporation or the power of a politician or celebrity.
A church is supposed to exist to share the power of God to change lives. People are drawn to power and influenced to change.
How does a church gain power? If we are all small lights how can our small group make a difference?
Slide - candles
There is not a church that exist without the individuals that gather to bring their small lights together. A church is nothing without the believers that gather for worship and that accept their role as salt and light to a communty.
A church is to act as more of a beacon, a lighthouse so to speak
Slide - Lighthouse
The church is the place we disciples of Jesus Christ gather not to hide the light or to only share our salt with other believers …it is the place where we understand the power that is offered and we go into the world the influence it.
Folks, as Christians, it is our responsibility and privilege to be residents in our community. We are to be good citizens and live by principals and morals that are obvious for people to see. We are to share in the blame and credit for the quality of life in this community.
We are not giving salt and light to the world it the only place we reveal that we are Christians is inside this BOX!
Jesus has accepted us as we were and by his power made us acceptable to God. That is a Great story and if we believe it is true we should want to shar it with someone.
We as citizens of heaven and earth have a unique understanding of two worlds when many around us live in a very dark world. We have the unique ability to understand them.
As a church….as the people of God sitting beside this creek, we have the ability use God’s power to influence people.
But we have to be careful. There is still the ability to influence people in both good and bad ways.
When God’s power is used for good it never runs out. If used for bad it will soon disappear.
If not used at all, then it is wasted and the church has no flavor or light and outsiders will never be drawn into a place of joy and preservation.
This morning I want to ask you to respond to a special challenge. One that I know will allow this church to use God’s power in a healthy way.
I want you to start to improve on your tithe to God. If you just got nervous then you and God have even more to talk about that we are discussing today.
The tithe is more than money. Money is simply a sign of how much you trust and worship God.
-- I want you to give God something far more valuable this week.
I want you to commit to God that you will give Him one full hour of your time.
I am not talking about coming to Sunday worship or Sunday School. I suppose that depends on if you are really giving that time to God or not.
Technically, you should be offering at least that much to God everyday. So, I am asking you to start small. If you happen to already give God a tithe of your time, then consider making an offering of one more hour this week.
I am not going to tell you what to do with that hour. That is between you and God. But let me make a few suggestions:
-Pray about God’s will for our church, for our community, our prayer list
-Call someone that you have not talked to and let them know you care
-Smile and speak to people in the grosery store
-Pay attention to your surroundings and don’t miss the small opportunities
-Offer to pray for someone that is burdened and do in right then
Go to community meetings and participate as a Christian – a good person
Read your Bible and perhaps a devotional
Send a card to someone and include a short written prayer
Visit someone
Ask God what you are to do and listen for His answer
Church family, I want us to be a church of power and influence.
I want our existence to matter to the people living in darkness and pain that are all around us.
We need to take responsibility for the quality of life here in this place and that starts by living in a world of sinners and being different. We are to offer a desirable flavor and a pure light. We can only do that if we love people like Jesus loved and treated people. Then and only then will we really feel the power of God and have the ability to influence people for God.
All glory be to God!
