Sermon Tone Analysis

Salty Disciples

We are called to be salty disciples

What do I mean by that?

When we think about Salt we often think about the practical applications of salt in our day.

Salt tastes good - it flavors food

Salt preserves

Salt has medicinal purposes - it purifies

As we look through the bible we will see that salt was used for those same practical applications - we find salt mentioned for flavor, we see salt mentioned for preserving food, and we see salt mentioned to purify or to cleanse.

As followers of Christ our lives, our words, our thoughts, out actions, our relationships should be seasoned with salt - which means, they ought to be pleasing to the father.

yet, we also see salt used as a metaphor for our lives.

And our relationship with God.

Throughout the bible we find salt mentioned for flavor, we see salt mentioned for cleansing and preserving,

And here in our passage this morning we see Jesus telling his disciples that they are to be salty, and we’ll explore what this means

Salt also has a distinguishing element to it.

We know if food needs salt

We know if there is too much salt on food

Saltiness is the purpose of salt.

without its saltiness salt is worth nothing

Look with me at

Salt is good, Jesus says

As long as salt maintains its saltiness.

Salt without its distinctive saltiness is of no value to anyone

The saltiness of salt is good for flavor, but if it looses its saltiness there is no point of putting salt on your food

If salt looses it saltiness it is no longer good for preserving nor purifying.

It is the saltiness of Salt that provides the a distinguishing element of salt

We know if food needs salt

We know if there is too much salt on food

Saltiness is the purpose of salt.

without its saltiness salt is worth nothing

Throughout the Bible we see that Salt is an important substance that represents some powerful truths

How is salt understood in the bible?

Sacrificial System

For example, in Leviticus we see that salt was used for sacrifices

Salt was used for sacrifices

We see in the Leviticus God giving Moses detailed instruction about the sacrificial system.

We often think of the sacrificial system always being about our guilt before God and out need for atonement.

And though this is part of the sacrificial system, thats not the only part

There are dozens of different types of sacrifices many of which are joyous occasions where the whole family comes to the feast and offers a sacrifice to God

There were sacrifices that happened daily, monthly, yearly and on special occasions

Every time Salt was used in sacrifices it was for a sacrifice of worship

Daily sacrifice that included grains and oils that were then cooked together as food for God and for priest and for the family.

What this sacrifice signified was God’s people feasting with God himself.

And the salt was used for God’s enjoyment.

These sacrifices of worship were joyous occasions and the salt used in the grain sacrifice to enhance the experience.

And the salt was called, “the salt of the covenant” which represents the everlasting worship of God.

Salt was used for preservation

And this everlasting covenant is a covenant that is pleasing to God, it tastes good and God and his people enjoy it.

The Jew’s used to say, “the World cannot survive without salt”

And now, Jesus is calling his people to be that salt

This is a vivid reminder that salt was used in the ancient world because it preserved food from rotting.

Salt was used for purification

Ezekiel talks about Salt being used to cleans or wash the people of God.

Ezekiel talks about Salt being used to cleans or wash the people of God.

The Jew’s used to say, “the World cannot survive without salt”

This is a vivid reminder that salt was used in the ancient world because it preserved food from rotting.

So as salty disciples we should be living sacrifices pleasing and acceptable to God.

Seeking to flavor, preserve and purify all things for the glory of God.

And we should be about preservation.

The People of God are preserved by putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

We should be be about the purification of all things, that God through us might be purifying relationships, workplaces, social settings, hobbies, homes and everything else.

The People of God are preserved by putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

To live lives of faith that preserve our souls we do battle with sin, we do battle with temptation - we live lives

To live lives of faith that preserve our souls we do battle with sin, we do battle with temptation - we live lives

So what are the traits of a Salty Disciple?

Salty Disciples Flavor the World

One of the most effective way Christians can flavor the world for Christ is by living at peace with one another.

One of the most effective way Christians can flavor the world for Christ is by living at peace with one another.

Christian unity is of upmost importance in the New Testament.

It is one of the greatest themes in Paul’s letter and the other NT letters as well.

And what we find in our passage this morning is the disciples not living at peace with someone who has been casting out demons in the name of Christ.

Look with me at...

-41

The sticky irony of the disciples complaint

Look what they say in verse 38, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

The disciples are trying to stop someone from successfully casting out demons in the name of Christ because he was not following them.

This is humorous because these same disciples were unable to cast out the demon from the boy only 10 verses ago.

And now they are trying to prevent this man from doing the works of Christ because he is not with them.

How does Jesus respond to the disciples protest?

“Do not stop him”

mark 9 39-

why?

Jesus gives three reasons

first, no one who does miracles in my name will be able to soon afterward speak evil of me

in other words, the one who does miracles in my name is moving toward me, not away from me.

They are experiencing the power of God

Second, Whoever is not against us is for us

Third, for whoever gives you a cup of water because you are Christ’s will never lose his reward

What Jesus is saying is that though this other man is not following Jesus with the disciples he is still part of God’s people.

He is still part of the covenant people.

The disciples are falling into tribalistic tendencies.

Which is what Christ has come to abolish.

You see, we often fall into this same mentality.

thinking that other believers who do church differently, who have different theological views than us are somehow not true followers of Jesus.

I am not talking false teachers, i’m not talking about cults, and i’m not talking about those who proclaim a false gospel.

The bible is clear that there are many who claim Christ and all the while are leading people away from truth of the gospel.

What I am talking about is seeing people who believe in the scriptures, who believe in gospel, who believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life - yet differ on

theological points

gifts of the spirit

modes of the sacraments

eschatological views

culture