Being Useful to God

You've probably heard refer to someone as "the salt of the earth" but do you know what that means or where the phrase originates? We can find the answer in Matthew 5:13 where Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”

1. What is the salt of the earth?
A. Jesus addressing the disciples.
B. What does “You are the salt of the earth” mean?
What did salt do?
It added flavor.
It preserved food.
It drew out contaminants. (Particularly in biblical times, God told His people to draw out the blood of an animal before they ate the meat. He was protecting them because blood contains contaminants. Similarly, today, when we are ill and we go to the doctor, one of the first things they do is draw blood.)

How are the followers of Jesus the salt of the earth?

Let's look at The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-11):

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

How are we, as the church, living out the beatitudes in our society?
How are we doing living them out toward one another (believers)?

2. Why does being salt of earth matter?
A. Saltless believers are useless to the Kingdom of God
Reversing the beatitudes, Romans 3:10-18
B. Living self-focused lives, Galalations 5:19-21 (works of the flesh)

According to Jesus, we have two options:
1) Live a life that is focused on the Kingdom of God by humbling our thoughts, opinions, attitudes, and actions to what was spoken by Jesus in Matthew 5. OR
2) Live life as we think, choose, and feel, becoming useless to the Kingdom of God.

Which life will you choose to live today?