Audio of Sermon:

June 3, 2012 AM Sermon

Sermon:

Matthew 5:13-16

“Salt and Light”

On Sunday morning, June 3, we will begin a series of sermons that highlight Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew 5-7).

The Sermon on the Mount contains instructions for following Christ.  It begins with the Beatitudes, a list of unlikely character traits that Jesus highlights as leading to blessing.  In the rest of the discourse, Jesus includes instructions about a wide variety of issues including prayer, marriage, judgment, the Old Testament law, lust, and loving your enemies.

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells his disciples that they should be “salt and light” in the world.  His description may be odd to us, but it tells us at least two things:

First, salt and light add value by preserving, adding flavor, and offering guidance.  Christ’s followers have a mission to serve and be a blessing.

Second, Jesus says they are to be in the world.  Jesus’ mission compels His followers to be outwardly mobile, rather than inwardly protective.  We are not called to be a sheltered community of people who are only seeing inner peace.  Rather, we are to actively seek to be Christ’s presence in a world that is often hostile toward Him and His Kingdom.