A sermon by Ps. Ronald Politton on September 10, 2017
Matthew 5:13
We function as salt which means that we have a responsibility to bring ‘flavor’ into the world. This is the identity that has been given to us; we are placed to fight in the war of culture that’s taking place in this world. The church needs to be God’s ambassador. The absolute truth is the Word of God, even when it’s not the same as the point of view of the majority. The truth of God is not based on the majority’s opinion.
If we lost our ‘flavor’ as the salt of the earth, we are useless. Often we think that when we speak up about the truth, people will leave us. But, the Bible says that you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. The truth of God has power to set people free. So, if we don’t take on our responsibility and speak about the Word of God, many people will not be set free.
We learned last week that if the church as salt loses its saltiness, we lose our identity, purpose, and role.
- The loss of quality – identity (Romans 12:2)
We have to possess the characters and principles that Jesus had. It doesn’t matter to me if you come to church with jeans, or with a pink-dyed hair as long as your heart, character, and principles are in alignment with the Word of God. Craig Groeschel said “when you know who you are, you will know what to do”. The book Purpose Driven Life is a best-seller. Why? Because I think people want and need to know their life’s purpose in this world. We know why we are in this world. When we find our purpose, we will know what to do and not to do.
1 Peter 2:9 – we are given privilege and our rights in God has been restored. Through Jesus’s death on the cross, our relationship with the father has also been reconciled. We have been chosen because we have the capacity – just like a city that has been selected to host a large-scale sports game. We are called to be royal priests to pray for and bring nations to God. We walk in the ministry of reconciliation. In every function that we have been called for, we have been prepared for it. We must live in holiness so that we can testify the Word of God to other people through our lives. Do not downgrade sins into ‘issues’. Do not refrain from committing sins only because people may see you. You know your identity as children of God, so whether you are in public or in private, you know you need to guard your heart and maintain your integrity. The church of God will lose its quality or identity when we start mixing our principles with values from this world.
- The loss of usage – purpose, application (Ephesians 2:10)
When we use ourselves for sins, which is contrary to God’s purpose in us, we stray away from our purpose. We are called to go out. Dysfunction is being present without giving influence. To function correctly, we need to bring influence to our community outside of our church. Be useful and be an asset to your community. We are called to become a blessing for our city. We lose our purpose and function when we do not serve our calling as the church of God. Make friends with non-believers. Do not adopt their principles but stand firm in your faith and share the Gospel with them through your words and lifestyle.
- The loss of significance – role
What is the church’s role? Matthew 22:37-40 states the Great Commandment. Matthew 28:19-20 states the Great Commission. These commandment and commission are given to you and me as the church of God. These roles cannot be performed by other entity or organization. God did not call His church to be famous but He called them so that He is made known to other people through His church. This is our role: to serve God’s commandment and commission. Do we bring a difference in your social life or at work? We don’t need too much salt in a dish to make its presence known. Matthew 5:13.