The Church at Dyers Creek
970 Highway 79,   Dover TN 37058   
Phone: (931) 232-4855

    As You Like It
    Matthew 5:13-16
    February 19, 2012

           A man walks up to a vending machine, puts in a couple of coins, and presses the buttons labeled, "coffee, double
    cream, sugar." No cup drops down, but the nozzles go into action sending forth coffee, cream, and sugar. After the
    proper amounts are down the drain, the machine turns off. "Now that's real automation," says the man. "This thing even
    drinks it for you." That's how some of us want our faith. We want to put a few coins in and let the rest be taken care of
    automatically. But there's no such thing as automated prayers or devotion or service. Jesus calls for personal
    discipline—which, by the way, is why we're called "disciples."

           After opening the Sermon on the Mount with the eight Beatitudes, Jesus explains how He expects His disciples to
    impact this world, all by referring to two very interesting metaphors: salt and light.

           Salt was so important in the ancient world that it was often used as a medium of exchange. One of its vital uses
    until recent years was as a preservative. In societies that hadn't developed the technology of refrigeration, salt could be
    rubbed into meat or fish to slow their decay. And we as His disciples, He says, are the salt of the earth. So many think
    Jesus was here indicating the influence His disciples should have on the moral decay of a fallen world—as a
    preservative. On the other hand, salt is also an essential element in our diet, ingested as a seasoning added to food.
    Again, we as His disciples, He says, are the salt of the earth. So many also think Jesus was here indicating that His
    disciples should provide a God-enhanced seasoning to this world by their very presence. In either case, Jesus wants
    us to know that as we go out into the world as salt, we must realize that the proof of the reality of our profession is in the
    nature of our lives. It's all in how we live! Imposters will be found out for what they are. They have nothing to offer the
    world because they're no different from the world. And in the end, even the world will turn on them for their arrogant
    hypocrisy! How do we live out the love of Christ? The challenge for us is to examine our nature and to confess honestly
    whether or not we've been transformed—changed—by the love and grace and mercy of God.

           If you know anything at all about the Bible, you know that light is an important and oft repeated theme. By its very
    nature, it does two things: it provides light and it removes darkness. So in the same way as Jesus' life and message of
    salvation bring light to those in darkness, we as His disciples are to be a living demonstration of God's work in this
    world; we're to be His light in this world of darkness. As His light in this world, we're to be a living testimony to those in
    the world who do not yet have that light. Our good works are produced by the light and life that comes from God. Don't
    ever be fooled into thinking that they're of our own making. And they're not for our own glory either, by the way. The chief
    aim of all our good works is that those who see us in action—those who watch us living out our Christian lives—will
    glorify God. We're like the moon that reflects the light of the sun. We can't take credit for the light; but we can reflect it!
    God pours His light out upon us, and our job is to reflect that light on the dark world in which we live.

           We are the salt of the earth. By referring to us as such, Jesus makes it clear that our lives are important in and to
    this world. But with this calling, Jesus also issues a warning. If a seasoning has no flavor, it has no value. Instead of
    salt, we become like rice cakes: something with a flat Styrofoam texture but absolutely no taste! If as believers we
    make no effort to affect the world around us, we're of little value to God. And if we're too much like the world, we're
    worthless. As Christians, we should not blend in with everyone else. Instead, we should affect others positively, just
    like seasoning brings out the best flavor in food.

           We are the light of the world. Though thirty-five miles away, I can look east from our front porch and usually see the
    glow of the lights of Clarksville. You just can't hide a city that's sitting on top of a mountain! At night, its light shoots out
    for miles! In the same way, if we live for Christ, we will glow like light in the night, showing others at least in some small
    measure what Christ is like.

           Unfortunately though, we run upon too many ways to hide our light. We hide our light by being quiet when we
    should speak. We hide our light by not explaining our light to others. We must declare the saving message of the
    Gospel! People can't change until they have heard the message—the source of our changed life. But how are we doing
    in living out the light? The old adage is so true—that actions speak louder than words. We must show by our lives that
    we are different. Otherwise we're still hiding our light from the world. We can hide our light by denying the light's impact
    on our lives. We can hide our light by going along with the crowd. We can hide our light by letting sin dim our light. We
    can hide our light by ignoring the needs of others.

           Think about it. How are you shining your light? Do you go along with the crowd that's ridiculing an acquaintance—
    maybe even a friend? Are you often rude and disrespectful? Do you give the best service to your customers, whether
    they're customers in Wal-Mart, students at your school, or part of the congregation of your church? When we're
    respectful, courteous, considerate, and service-oriented, the world around us will see that Jesus really does make a
    difference. So be a beacon of truth! Don't shut your light off from the rest of the world.

           I recently heard about a business owner who became interested in Christianity, but he maintained a distance—
    just observing believers for a while. He employed many Christians in his company and watched them like a hawk.
    Later he explained, "I was naturally drawn to God by observing Christian workers who were conscientious and kind and
    thorough and aggressive on the job. But I'll tell you what really impressed me. One day a guy who I knew to be a new
    believer asked if he could see me after work. I agreed to meet with him, but later in the day I started to worry that this
    young religious zealot might be coming to try to convert me, too.

           "I was surprised when he came in my office with his head hanging low and said to me, 'Sir, I'll only take a few
    minutes, but I'm here to ask your forgiveness. Over the years I've worked for you, I've done what a lot of other employees
    do, like borrowing a few company products here and there. And I've taken some extra supplies; I've abused telephone
    privileges; and I've cheated the time clock now and then.

           "He went on, 'But I became a Christian a few months ago and it's real—not the smoke and mirror stuff. In gratitude
    for what Christ has done for me and in obedience to Him, I want to make amends to you and the company for the
    wrongs I've done. So could we figure out a way to do that? If you have to fire me for what I've done, I'll understand. I
    deserve it. Or if you want to dock my pay, dock it whatever figure you think is appropriate. If you want to give me some
    extra work to do on my own time, that'll be okay too. I just want to make things right with God and between us.'" In the
    end, they worked it out. The business owner said that one conversation made a deeper spiritual impact on him than
    anything else ever had.

           That employee didn't influence his boss because he had some clever presentation of the Gospel. He influenced
    him because he was living out a faith that was both authentic and available. We can do that too. Jesus said we could.
    But to do it, we have to be willing to be the good news before we tell the good news.

           Donald McCollough writes that the respect we owe one another ought to be based on our being created in the
    image of God. Clever chapter titles in his book range from "Don't Show Up at the Wedding in a Baseball Cap" to "Kneel
    Down to Speak with Children" to "Leave a Tip Worth Working For." He writes: "I'm more interested in the little things,
    such as remembering to say 'thank you' and to call your mom on Mother's Day. These things may not seem very
    important when compared to the major problems facing our culture. Yet they may be the best place to begin; they may
    be the only honest place to begin. If a person can't remember to say 'thank you' to her housekeeper, it probably won't
    matter much if she writes a major philosophical treatise on kindness; if a person is rude to his family, the angels
    probably won't give a holy rip if he preaches soaring sermons on the nature of love."

           Yes, the church is our haven, our hospital, our training center. It supports and guides and prepares us for life. But
    life is mostly played out beyond these confines. To be salt and light, Jesus sends us out into a world of people who are
    dying without the message of the Gospel. And they're all around us. They're our next-door neighbors, our mail delivery
    person, our children's friends and parents and teachers, our coworkers from the office, our server in the local
    restaurant—people found in the everyday routines and activities of our lives. But by seeing our everyday routines and
    activities transformed by the love of God, they'll be influenced and even led to praise our Father in heaven.

           As salt and light disciples, we're called to be intentional sojourners in this world. To be such, we must know who
    we are and what makes us different. Yes, we must speak the truth of the Gospel for people to know it; but we're called
    to live the truth of the Gospel for people to see that it's real. So be salt in a world that desperately needs seasoning; be
    light in a world that is still reeling in the darkness.

           Let us pray: For Your glory, Lord, make us salt and light in this world that is in such desperate need of Your love
    and grace and mercy. Help us to be examples of what following You looks like; help us to extol Your Gospel of life. In
    Your name.

    Sources
    Tim Bond. "Influencing Your World for Christ" (January 2002)
    Life Application Study Bible: New Living Translation (Tyndale)
    Donald McCullough. Say Please, Say Thank You: The Respect We Owe One Another (Perigee)
    Michael J. Wilkins,. The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (Zondervan)
(Jeff Wallace, pastor)        (Verlon Pritchett, associate pastor)