Download YE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH PRESENTED AT THE

YE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH
PRESENTED AT THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, OJOTA DISTRICT WITNESSES RALLY
HOLDING JUNE 9TH & 10TH 2012
BIBLE: MATTHEW 5: 13 – 16
A. SONGS
1.
Complete, complete, complete in Him
We are complete in Him
Complete, complete, complete in Him
We are complete in Him
The fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in my
heart, The fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in
heart, The fullness of the Godhead body it dwelleth in
life Oh, I am complete in him
2.
By the power of anointing every yoke must break
3.
In the Name of Jesus every knee must bow
B. TESTIMONIES
1.
I am a Barcelona FC fan, simply for its “Total Ball Possession” and fluent pattern of play. You must
not give your enemy (devil) breathing space. The ball of life must be under your control (of the
Lord).
2.
The Witnesses / Youth Movement (including TACSFON) is the biggest and the best thing that
happened in the history of TAC worldwide. It is the future of TAC. It is the Bible Academy where
other churches acquire their star players and that is very good. The topic is apt for this
congregation of gangling bubbling youths.
3.
My 51 years life history is 3-staged. I don’t deserve salvation, but Jesus gave it to me by grace
(FOC). Like Chelsea’s 2012 UCL title. “I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy”.
C.
THE VARIOUS NAMES GOD GIVES HIS CHILDREN IN THE BIBLE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Sheep – The Lord is my shepherd.....Ps 23.1; My sheep wandered on the mountains......Ez 34:6
Brethren – all you are brethren.....Matt 23:8
Little ones / Children – Ye are gods, and children of the living God.....
Light – Ye are the light of the world.....Matt 5:14........God himself is light.......1 Jn 1:5
Salt – Ye are the salt of the earth.......Matt 5:13
God – ye are gods and the children of the most high......Ps 82:6 i.e. you are leaders, judges and
prophets appointed and energized to by the word of God
When Jesus gives us the name of "salt", He is reminding us that we have the opportunity and the
responsibility to be an influence in the world. It is interesting that these verses actually follow the Beatitudes.
D. “THE LEAST COMMANDMENTS” (Matthew 5: 10)
In the 10 Beatitudes, Jesus gives some qualities that ought to be present in every citizen in the
Kingdom:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Poor in spirit – theirs is the kingdom of God
They that mourn – they shall be comforted
The meek – they shall inherit the earth
They which hunger & thirst after righteousness – they shall be filled
The merciful – they shall obtain mercy
The pure in heart – they shall see God
The peacemakers – they shall be called the children of God
They which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake – theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner evil against you falsely,
for Jesus’ sake.
10. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you. No revenging, no defending but rejoicing.
When we are possessed of these characteristics, we will be a positive influence and we will make a difference
in the world around us. When we are living out the standards of the Lord Jesus in our lives, we will be like salt
and like light. Now, light is an external quality that enables one to see. Just as a glistening, limestone city
sitting high on a hillside cannot be hidden for the light coming from its walls, so the Christian who shines with
the brilliance of the Lord Jesus cannot be hidden from the view of the world. In other words, your testimony
will get out on you. Those around you will see it and be touched by it.
Today, I would like to zero in on the idea of our being called "salt." In this one verse, Jesus makes three
statements that need to be considered and understood by every child of God this day. Let's take the time to
look together at them as we consider the thought Ye Are The Salt Of The Earth.
I.
A DESCRIPTION TO ANALYZE
People in general do not realize the importance of salt in maintaining the life and health of their bodies. An
exact percentage of it is always present in our bloodstream, and any great deviation from this amount can
result in sickness and even death. Salt is a sustainer of other life, too. For this reason sea water will support
many more organisms than fresh water. As a preservative, it retards spoilage. Also it is a splendid condiment,
adding zest and savour to our food.
Salt in the Scriptures is described as:
1. A symbol of a binding covenant (Lev. 2:13) your
offering must be salted and of sweet aroma. Salt
matters have broken many marriages
5. A promoter of peace (Mark 9:50) Romans 12:18
Live in peace with all men. Have peace with one
another. Do not revenge.
2. A healing and cleansing aid (2 Ki. 2:20-21) Elisha
healed the waters using salt (word of God) in a
new cruse (depicting the sinless body of Christ)
6. An evidence of grace (Col. 4:6) Let the word of
your mouth be with grace, seasoned with salt so
you may know how to answer every man.
3. A stimulant to the appetite (Job 6:6) Nobody
eats food without salt
4. A preventive of decay (Luke 14:34-35) it
prevents decay. Can salt itself decay?
QUALITIES OF SALT THAT CHRISTIANS MUST POSSESS
A. Our Preserving Ability - Salt wards off rot and decay! It is rubbed into meat in an effort to preserve it.) Sodom and
Gomorrah - Gen. 19. They could have been saved by the preserving influence of just 10 righteous men. So it is in America
today! I am convinced that the presence and the prayers of "salty" Christians has done more to preserve this nation than
anything else we could name. It is the righteousness of God's children that made America great and it is what keeps this
country from being judged today, Pro. 14:34.
B. Our Penetrating Ability - Salt will penetrate and infiltrate whatever it touches. It is an aggressive substance. The early
church - Acts 8:1, 4; Acts 17:6 penetrated everywhere preaching the word and turning the world upside down. I believe
that we have been called by the Lord to be an active force in the world around us. The church should be a militant army
charging the very gates of Hell, Matt. 16:18.
C. Our Purifying Ability - Salt has remarkable cleansing ability. 2 Kings 2:19-22 - Elisha cleansed the waters and the land at
Jericho with salt. In ancient times, newborn babies were washed in salt to cleanse their bodies and to give firmness to
their skin, Eze. 16:4. Salt in a wound can cleanse the area. Often, Christians have a purifying effect on the world around
them. They ought to behave differently when the child of God walks up. Don't be offended if they stop talking when you
come around. Just thank God that you are acting as a purifying force in the world around you. Every meat offering was to
be made with salt - Lev. 2:13. So it is with our lives. We are to offer our lives as an offering (a living sacrifice) to the Lord,
Rom. 12:1-2. When we do, it proves that we are worth our salt!
D. Our Pleasing Ability - Bringing out the best. Salt blends and adds flavour to food. In fact, there are some foods that are
better off not eaten, if there is no salt! So too, the Christian should flavour the world around him. As salt, we are to so live
our lives that we bring out the best in those around us. That is what Jesus did time and again, and that is what you and I
are supposed to be doing for His glory! Phil. 1:27
E. Our Poisoning Ability - Salt kills some things! Ever poured salt on a snail or earthworm? Salt poured on a lawn will kill
the grass. Too much salt is not good for your blood pressure. Abimelech, in Judges 9:45, took a city and then sowed the
city with salt to prevent the ground from being used to grow crops. He killed the fields with salt. By the same token, when
true Christianity is sowed into the lives, homes and communities of the world, some things will be put to death. We can
make an impact on our world by the very fact that Christianity is pure poison to sin. When Jesus comes into a life,
drinking, cussing, fighting, hating, killing, drugging, loose living, etc, are all put to death in the name of Jesus - 2 Cor. 5:17.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.
F. Our Promoting Ability - Salt creates a thirst for water in those who are exposed to it! As salt, the Christian has the
wonderful opportunity to promote a thirst for Jesus in the world. Remember what the Lord told us? He said that out of
our bellies would flow rivers of living water - John 7:37-38 when we live as Christians should live. When we take the call of
Jesus seriously and live right, look right, act right, talk right, worship right, dress right, etc. Then we have the ability to
create a thirst for Jesus in the hearts of those around us. When that happens, we can point men to Jesus and share with
them the water of life. Sadly, most Christians do not promote thirst, but ridicule instead. Too often, we live substandard
immoral lives and the world sees it and says, "Why should I receive Jesus? I live just as good as that crowd down at the
church!" Fact is, they are often right! Let's so live that we ever prove them wrong. Our lives must be above reproach if we
are to create a thirst for God in the world around us!
We must never give anyone cause to say, "If that is a Christian, then I never want to be one." Instead, our lives ought to
motivate people to say, "That is what I want my life to be."
G. Our Proven Ability - Salt changes nearly everything it touches - food, ice, etc. We are called to be thermostats and not
thermometers in the world around us. We are to be the instruments that God can use to implement change in a wicked
world. When genuine, New Testament Christianity touches this sinful, wicked world, there will be change of some variety.
We just need to be sure that we are changing the world and not the other way around! The modern mentality, "We have
to be like the world to win the world." We'll win more if we are like Jesus!
II. A DANGER TO AVOID
A. Salt was very valuable in the ancient world. So valuable, in fact, that the Roman Legions were often paid their wages
in salt. This payment was called the "salarium." (Ill. The is where the expression, "Not worth his salt." comes from!)
B. It was possible for salt in that day to lose its flavor. The salt used then was far different from that which we see today.
Our salt is a chemical compound called chloride of sodium or sodium chloride. The salt used in the ancient world was
either mined from the salt cliffs along the Dead Sea, which were 7 miles long and several hundred feet high, or it was
evaporated from the waters of the Dead Sea. Either way, it was always mixed with mineral or vegetable matter. When
this substance was exposed to the elements or when it touched the earth, the salt lost its salty taste. Even the surface salt
that was dug from the cliffs was discarded because exposure to he light rendered it tasteless. This tasteless salt also lost
all the qualities that made it so valuable and sought after to begin with.
C. It is possible for Christians to loose their saltiness as well. This happens to us when we, just like salt in ancient times,
come into too close contact with the world. When we get to be more like the world than we are like the Lord, then we
have lost that thing that sets us apart and makes us valuable to the Lord's Kingdom work. Too often, we allow our wells
to get filled with junk!. The Event in Gen. 26:15-18. When we allow our wells to be filled with the world's junk than we are
practically useless to the Lord and His Kingdom work!)
III. A DESTINY TO ABHOR
A. In ancient times, when salt lost its savor, it was then taken out and cast into the footpaths. It was used much as gravel
is in our day. Its only purpose then was to kill out the weeds that might grow in the road, and for men to walk on to keep
their sandals out of the mud. Literally, it was to be trodden under the foot of men.
B. Every Christian in this room needs to understand that when we lose our saltiness and when we cease to function as salt
in the world, then we too have become good for nothing, and while we cannot lose our salvation, we can most certainly
lose our usefulness to the Lord and to His work. When this happens, we have become something to be trodden upon and
treated with contempt! When we are living for the Lord, men may not like us, but there is often a certain respect for the
stand we take and for the testimony that we possess. When we allow our testimony to become tainted by sin and the
world, then men will walk upon our testimony and we become absolutely useless to the Lord as a vessel of witness.
C. I do not know about you, but I do not want to wind up being cast out as a vessel by the Lord. I would like for my life to
be useful to Him. I would like for Him to be able to use my life to bring others to Himself. I really would like to be a
blessing and a light for the Lord. I believe that every child of God in this auditorium wants to be a salty Christian for the
glory of God. Paul knew that the potential always existed for him to be a castaway - 1 Cor. 9:27. I see that potential in my
life as well, and I do not want that. How about you?)
Conclusion: As you consider your life this evening, can you honestly say that your life is like salt in the world? There is a
tremendous need for every Child of God to be all that God wants them to be in these days. We have seen enough
falsehood, hypocrisy and weak living to do us, and the world, a lifetime. We need to be about the business of purifying,
preserving, penetrating, pleasing and promoting so that the Lord can use our lives and our testimonies for His glory.
I pray that God will help us to be Salty Christians and not salt-less christians. Amen.
ELDER C. O. AYODEJI OGUNYINKA
08023286553 [email protected]
JUNE 9 2012