Matthew 5:13–16 | Salt and Light

Sermon Notes

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Preacher: Jeremiah Fyffe
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1. SALT
a. PRESERVATIVE:
i. Salt changes the environment.
ii. Salt gathers in clumps, but salt scatters into meat.
iii. Imagine the work of salt in decaying meat
b. FLAVOR ENHANCER:
c. SALTINESS OR WORTHLESSNESS:

2. LIGHT
a. WHAT DOES LIGHT DO?
i. Shines
ii. Reflects the light of the True Light.
iii. Walks in Holiness

3. THE HARSH REALITY OF SALT AND LIGHT IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS AND DECAY
a. Salt in Rotten Meat
b. Light in a Dark World

John 15:8
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Job 6:6
Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt,

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Matthew 23:15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

John 1:6-9
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 8:12
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Lloyd-Jones
What if the church engaged in Christian living with evangelistic fervour?

chemistry.about.com
Basically, salt works by drying food. Salt absorbs water from foods, making the environment too dry to support harmful mold or bacteria.

todayifoundout.com
The extra salt has other effects as well though, outside of simply making things more salty. Particularly, adding salt to foods helps certain molecules in those foods more easily release into the air, thus helping the aroma of the food, which is important in our perception of taste.

C.S. Lewis describes Aslan:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
at the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.

A. W. Pink
This figure plainly warns the minister of his pressing need of fortitude. It is “salt” and not sugar candy he is to employ: something which the ungodly will be more inclined to spit out than swallow with a smile, something which is calculated to bring water to the eyes rather than laughter to the lips.

A. W. Pink
Hereby each one may see what he is in himself by nature: depraved and corrupt, as unsavoury flesh and stinking carrion in the nostrils of God, or else what need of salt?