A GRAIN OF SALT
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART VI
INTRO: The phrase “taken with a grain of salt” is an old time expression meaning that one is skeptical of something else. For example, if the detective was gathering details about a crime scene, and a suspicious person told an odd story, the story would be taken “with a grain of salt” (it would be good to have an actual crime story here in which the guilty party told a crazy story).
TRANSITION: We live in a skeptical world. People seem to trust in themselves but have a real problem putting faith in anything else, especially God. So in order to have them believe that the story of Jesus and the Bible is much more than something to be taken “with a grain of salt,” we must become like salt.
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
1. PRESERVES.
Bible Verse: Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life, will preserve it.
The Picture: Picture us as a giant slab of meat (not a great visual I know). But imagine the day we accepted Christ we were like a giant piece of meat. Left alone, the meat goes bad, but what keeps it for a long long time? Preservatives. Salt.
Antibacterial: Salt is specifically called an antibacterial because when placed on a food item, it prevents the increase of bacteria. Because there are no more bacterial, the food is not going to spoil by stopping mould from growing on the item (we can see now why people in history were very superstitious with salt, they did not know why, but they knew there was a healing/preserving effect with salt).
How do we preserve? By being HOLY.
Society Example: Over the last 50 years, our society has allowed USA to become full of bacteria & mould.
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand: use to be music of rebellion (now what is on MTV).
Gone with the Wind was often band cause of 1 cuss word (now cuss words are all over TV and in all forms)
Parents use to be shown in separate bedrooms (now people hardly dating are shown doing anything)
A Sinning Church: Rainbow Covenant Christian Ministries (right here in St. Louis). They claim to be a “real ministry serving a real Jesus, reaching real people, keeping it real.” And they fanatically proclaim that homosexuality is normal and should be encouraged. And there are 5000 or so of these “churches/ministries” around the world now. It is unbelievable.
It’s NOT holy. Are we? Think through our lives for a second, when it comes to Christ, in our attempts to be “real” have we become “unholy?”
2. PURIFIES.
Bible Verse: Numbers 19:20a
But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person must be cut off from the community, because he has polluted the sanctuary of the Lord…
Explanation on Purifying:
“Israel had an elaborate purification and cleansing system in the Old Testament. Under the Mosaic Law the holiness of Israel was from the first recognized as moral separation from sin, but it was expressed outwardly by separation from objects designated unclean. Uncleanness contracted through contact with such objects required cleansing. Unclean utensils and clothing were washed in running water; but if a porous earthen vessel became unclean, it had to be destroyed. Metal was sometimes cleansed by passing it through the fire.
People who had become unclean had to separate themselves from the congregation, the length of time depending on the nature of the uncleanness. They were to wash themselves in water, and the more serious forms of uncleanness they were required to offer sacrifice. For persons unclean through leprosy or through touching a corpse, more elaborate cleansing by sprinkling with water mingled with blood or ashes was required.
The unclean Israelite who would not purify himself was cut off from the assembly, because he had defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. (Numbers 19:19-20) In extreme cases you could be executed, if you did not purify yourself.”
-Pastor Richard Laue
The Good News: By dying on the cross, Christ died for us, so we can appear before the Lord with no blemish.
The Tough News: God asks us to purify our lives, and that is not always easy to do.
How Does Salt Purify? Salt purifies by dropping in just small doses into water. For example, to purify a spa system, drop in enough salt to make it about as salty as half a human teardrop. The pump then shoots it through a filtration system so that the salt is pumped to all parts (can draw a picture of a small pool, a standing filter system, and tubes connecting them). Notice how when salt is dropped in, purity is only a matter of time.
Okay, I Want to Purify, Where Do I Drop In My “Salt”? Begin with your eyes (explain maybe using a drawing of a person’s eyes and how what goes in affects their mind and their heart). The process is the same. Job 31:1 states I made a covenant with my eyes.
Example of Bad Eyes (New York): As a female shopper exited a convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police had apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the cruiser and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes Officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from."
3. SEASONS.
Bible Verse: Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this present world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and pleasing and perfect.
God is good!!! And if we live our lives right…then we will season people, and they will want to be like us
What is Your Favorite Seasoning? (give some time for an answer here, & be prepared to know what your own is, mine is oregano, and I always have it placed on sub sandwiches when I am at Subway, try it).
Odd Seasonings:
Cardamom: Used in India & Arabic countries. It is the essential ingredient in Arabic coffee.
Jerk: A Jamaican seasoning made from allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers & others. Best when barbecued.
Saffron: made from the stigma of a flower, very expensive. It takes 250,000 flowers to make 1 pound.
Are You a Seasoning? Godly Person Test: I am around a bunch of ungodly people quite often, and you know what, I am convinced that I could say anything in front of them and it would be acceptable (though of course they would be incredibly surprised if I did). But we all have friends that we wouldn’t dare say certain things in front of. Do you have someone like that? (give some time for some answers). That is salt.
Insulation: God wants us to be separate from the world—not locked away like a monk—but insulated like a house. And when we walk around, though we are not visibly super holy like a Pharisee, there ought to be something different people detect about us.
Big HS Question…The Party: Can a mighty warrior for Christ attend HS parties? (allow some time for discussion because this is one of the hot topics youth deal with, but understand that if their goal is to be salt, there really is no way, remember, drugs, sex, alcohol, and every other problem that youth tend to deal with has their roots at the party). Overall, if a person is wanting to be salt, wanting to add flavor to life because of purity, no they cannot.
4. STINGS.
Bible Verse: John 4:13-18
Jesus replied, ““Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. 4:14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” 4:15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 4:16 He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” 4:17 The woman replied, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’ 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”
Jesus’ Style of Witnessing: Here is a unique situation. Jesus is witnessing to a person, and he does not do what the typical person would do. The typical person would tell them how fun church is, mention to them about youth group, talk about all the blessings God has in store for them, how there is a program to help them with whatever. But Jesus doesn’t witness that way. He witnesses by telling the woman of all her sins.
An Irritant: Salt can irritate some people. If we’re honest, it should. If I have an open wound of blood spewing from my knee, salt can be brought in to heal but it stings like heck.
Hydrogen Peroxide: When I was in HS, we had an athletic trainer, but in all reality, it was just a student trainer. And to be honest, he had no idea what to do. On time we had a player named Allen on the team, and he had a major cut, so he went to our student trainer named Jan. After a couple of moments, Allen was screaming unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Jan doused the open wound with hydrogen peroxide.
And that is sometimes the sting Jesus used when witnessing. It’s also called being honest with others.
Bible Verse: John 4:25
The woman said to him, “I know the Messiah is coming” (the one called the Christ); whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
CLOSE: And what does the Sting lead to? A serious discussion about the Messiah, a serious discussion about salvation, and in this particular case, a soul headed to heaven.
Sources:
Laue, Richard. Purifying the Soul. Calvary Bible Church, Burbank, California. March 9, 1997.
Real Crimes Committed By Dumb Criminals. Bored.com. Keyword: Dumb.
Shirley, Jerry. Salty Saints. Grace Baptist Church, Illinois: May 2006.
NAME: ________________________________
A GRAIN OF SALT
A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART VI
PURPOSES OF SALT:
1. _______________________________________
Bible Verse: Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life, will ________________________ it.
Why does salt preserve? ______________________________________________________________
Do society morals provide us believers an excuse? Yes No Depends
Am I salty or non-salty? Salty Not Salty I Dunno
2. _______________________________________
Bible Verse: Numbers 19:20a
But the man who is unclean and does not ________________________________ himself, that person must be cut off from the community, because he has polluted the sanctuary of the Lord…
Explanation on Purifying:
How Does Salt Purify:
Where Do I Begin My Purification Process? ___________________________________
3. _______________________________________
Bible Verse: Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this present world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and ______________________ and perfect.
Odd Seasonings:
The Unofficial Godly Person Test: _____________________________________
Isolation? ___________________________________________________
Historic HS Question: If I’m a Christian, Can I Go To ______________________________? Yes or No
4. ________________________________________
Bible Verse: John 4:13-18
How did Jesus’ witnessing differ from ours? _________________________________________________
Hydrogen Peroxide:
Bible Verse: John 4:25
The woman said to him, “I know the Messiah is coming” (the one called the Christ); whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am _________________________.”