Salt and Light
Weekly Reading
Monday: John 10
Tuesday: Leviticus 25
Wednesday: John 11
Thursday: John 12
Friday: Leviticus 26
Saturday: Psalm 64-66, Proverbs 14
Sunday: 2 Chronicles 10-21
Tuesday: Leviticus 25
Wednesday: John 11
Thursday: John 12
Friday: Leviticus 26
Saturday: Psalm 64-66, Proverbs 14
Sunday: 2 Chronicles 10-21
Sermon Notes
Key Passage: Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 5:10-12
John 8:12
John 3:19-20
Psalm 119:105
Isaiah 42:6
John 1:4-5
Ephesians 5:8
1 John 1:5-9
There is a distinction between the people of God and the people of the World.
When we live out that distinction, we bring life to the world and glory to God.
"Salt was the ancient equivalent of refrigeration. If you wanted to stop meat or fish from decaying, you could rub in salt and make it edible for longer. This was the main reason why salt was so valuable. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, which (as an interesting but thoroughly irrelevant aside) is the origin of our word salary. Disciples of Jesus, in this sense, are sent into the world to keep it from decay, preserving its goodness and preventing it from becoming corrupted or ruined, which is a helpful thing to bear in mind as we go to work every day. Salt does not just savor. It saves." - Andrew Wilson, God of All Things
"To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us." - Tim and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage
Matthew 5:10-12
John 8:12
John 3:19-20
Psalm 119:105
Isaiah 42:6
John 1:4-5
Ephesians 5:8
1 John 1:5-9
There is a distinction between the people of God and the people of the World.
When we live out that distinction, we bring life to the world and glory to God.
"Salt was the ancient equivalent of refrigeration. If you wanted to stop meat or fish from decaying, you could rub in salt and make it edible for longer. This was the main reason why salt was so valuable. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, which (as an interesting but thoroughly irrelevant aside) is the origin of our word salary. Disciples of Jesus, in this sense, are sent into the world to keep it from decay, preserving its goodness and preventing it from becoming corrupted or ruined, which is a helpful thing to bear in mind as we go to work every day. Salt does not just savor. It saves." - Andrew Wilson, God of All Things
"To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us." - Tim and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage
Discussion Questions
3DQ - 3 discipleship questions to ask each other: What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it? How can I help?
1. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in the passage or the sermon?
2. In Matthew 5, Jesus’s teaching implies there are distinctions between the people of God and the people of the world. As you reflect on this idea, list out as many of these distinctions as possible (e.g. the people of the world live by greed but God’s people live by generosity).
3. Jesus reminds us that we are salt. Salt is used to flavor and preserve:
a. What ‘flavor’ do you bring to the world around you? Reflect on this with your home group. b. How are Christians meant to preserve the world from decay (what does this look like)?
4. Jesus said that we are “light” in the world - what does that mean?
5. Romans 10:14 reminds us there is an active role to play in God’s mission for the believer as salt and light:
a. Does the gospel I preach and teach have a natural dependency to cause people who hear it to become full time students of Jesus?
b. Would those who believe it become his apprentices as the natural “next step”?
c. What can we reasonably expect would result from people actually believing the substance of my message?
6. 1 John 1:7 reminds us that walking in the light leads to fellowship with one another - how can we encourage each other to walk in the light with one another?
1. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in the passage or the sermon?
2. In Matthew 5, Jesus’s teaching implies there are distinctions between the people of God and the people of the world. As you reflect on this idea, list out as many of these distinctions as possible (e.g. the people of the world live by greed but God’s people live by generosity).
3. Jesus reminds us that we are salt. Salt is used to flavor and preserve:
a. What ‘flavor’ do you bring to the world around you? Reflect on this with your home group. b. How are Christians meant to preserve the world from decay (what does this look like)?
4. Jesus said that we are “light” in the world - what does that mean?
5. Romans 10:14 reminds us there is an active role to play in God’s mission for the believer as salt and light:
a. Does the gospel I preach and teach have a natural dependency to cause people who hear it to become full time students of Jesus?
b. Would those who believe it become his apprentices as the natural “next step”?
c. What can we reasonably expect would result from people actually believing the substance of my message?
6. 1 John 1:7 reminds us that walking in the light leads to fellowship with one another - how can we encourage each other to walk in the light with one another?
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