A Dash of SALT (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio and outline from the August 15, 2021 sermon, “A Dash of SALT”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Goshen Christian Church.

Text: Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50

What does the world need? I would guess most Christians would answer that the world needs Jesus. If we bring it closer to home and ask what does your community, your workplace, your home need, I suspect we would have a similar response. But how about if we ask what each of those needs from you? Since they need Jesus and Jesus has called each of us as His followers to be the salt of the earth, perhaps what they need from you is a dash of:

Service. Galatians 6:9-10
- Looking to Jesus as our example, we discover that His life was about serving His Father and serving people. We add the flavor of Jesus to the lives of others when we serve them in the name of Jesus. This dash of service needs to become natural for us regardless of what we perceive the immediate outcome to be. Simple acts of kindness and service go a long way toward helping others get a taste of Jesus that keeps them looking for more.
Acceptance. Romans 15:7
- Giving a dash of acceptance to the people around you is a very Jesus-like trait, but one that often becomes complicated in our mind. Jesus was a master at accepting the person while calling for a transformation that involved a turning away from sin. God calls each of us to accept one another just as we have been accepted by Him. God’s love was extended to us even in the midst of our sin and transgressions with the call to be washed and purified by the blood of His Son through the wonder of grace. We flavor our community with Jesus when we learn to accept people and call them to become a work in progress in the hands of the Master.
Listening. James 1:19-20
- In a world that is increasingly divided in every way imaginable, a dash of listening can go a long ways toward making Jesus known. In a world filled with people so quick to become angry at every social media post and news media report that they disagree with, we would do well to heed the words of James to be “quick to listen”. Often when we are willing to listen, we discover that our differences are not as great as they might first appear. In a culture filled with people crying out to be heard, we can add Christ-like flavor when we choose to practice the art of listening.
Truth. Ephesians 4:15, John 17:17
- Service, acceptance, and listening are all great things but they only bring hope for eternal change when accompanied by truth. In the midst of division and conflict, we must choose to submit to Christ as head of all things and the One who is truth. Jesus prayed that the Father would sanctify His followers by truth and declared that the source of that truth was God’s Word. Yes, the salt of truth may sting a bit in a world filled with open wounds but when the truth is delivered in a loving atmosphere of service, acceptance, and listening, healing can take place that makes the good news of Jesus truly be seen as good news.