Do you
remember when you gave your life to Christ? Were you excited? Were you
scared? Did you cry at the convictions of your sins? Did you shout in joy at
the realization that you have been freed?
I remember
my day of salvation but will save that story for another day, but you can be
assured that at 13 years of age I welcomed salvation with
waterworks.
So years
later you and I are all saved, sanctified, Holy ghost filled, some of us are
certified tongue speakers, demon chasers, redeemed, we have done Mizizi, we
even went for a retreat J…….. the list goes on.
Today I want
to take us back to the beginning of the church and to remind us of our core
mandate.
Lets look at
Matthew 5: 13 You are the salt of the earth……..
Matthew 5:
14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden
This was
Jesus teaching his disciples, he was defining to them the nature bestowed
on them. The disciples were young men who had heeded the call just like us, to
leave their fishing nets to stop going by the name fishers of fish but fishers
of men. They were young men who Jesus ‘saved’.
So this is
what Christ is saying to us. “I have saved you,” and this is how I am defining
you: you are the salt. You are the light.
Let’s fast
forward to today: we are saved, we are the salt and we are the light. I would
like to ask us to reflect deeply on those things. Let’s each think of all the
qualities of salt and light, let us look at our individual qualities? Is Shish
salt at her office? Is she a light in the youth ministry where she serves, can
her sisters testify to those qualities? Can Jesus who saved her call her my
salt, my light in the world?
Lets read
the text together with the consequences
Matthew 5: 13-15 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Matthew 5: 13-15 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
There is a
warning that if we lose our saltiness, we will be thrown out and trampled
underfoot.
Let me take
this home;
Christ in
the same Matthew 5 in verse 16 encourages the disciples to let their light
shine before others, that others may see their good deeds and glorify your
Father in heaven.
Christ
before leaving the first church commissioned it in Matthew 28: 9 to go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
It is for
this reason that we got saved. To draw others to Christ, to witness with our
actions and deeds.
Today is the
28th Day of May 2016 and I would like to ask you and I, have you been letting
your light shine or are you hiding it? Have you intentionally shared Christ or
do you want to keep your saltiness to yourself? Have you ever led anyone to
Christ?
We may not
all go preach in church but our offices give us great pulpits, our families are
great places to plant the seed.
Christ
promised to be with us to the very end of the age.
