Reference

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon Notes

I. ___________ (v. 13)

A. Salt of the __________ (v. 13a)

B. The _____________of salt (v. 13b)

1. ____________

2. ____________

3. ____________ hardened hearts 

II. ____________ (v. 14-16)

A. Light of the ___________ (v. 14-15)

How is light used? 

1. ______________ (v. 14b)

2. ______________ (v. 15)

B. Let your ______________ shine (v. 16)

Going Deeper

  1. To review, read Matthew 5:3-12. Craig Keener says: “A disciple who rejects the beatitudes’ values is like tasteless salt: worthless.”
  2. What is salt useful for? Read Colossians 4:6. How can you make your speech saltier this week (not “salty” in a negative way!)?
  3. Salt is a preservative. How has our culture become rotten? What are specific ways you can be salt in the world this week?
  4. Read Mark 9:40. How can we have salt among ourselves (see end of the verse)? What do you need to do to be a peace with one another?
  5. Read Matthew 5:14-15. What are we called to do?
  6. Light in OT: Read Isa. 42:6; 49:6; Lk. 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23. Read Jn. 5:35. How was John the Baptist a light? How can we be light this week?
  7. William Barclay said, “A man’s Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men.” Is your Christianity visible to others? How will you make it more visible through good works this week?
  8. Douglas S. O’Donnell says, “When Christians live out the living Word of God—whether it is a command from the Sermon on the Mount, elsewhere in the Gospels, or anything taught by the apostles
    in the rest of the New Testament (also including the moral laws of the Old Testament)—non-Christians start to see the beauty, attractiveness, and truthfulness of Jesus Christ.”
  9. John Stott describes how we can be light: “We are to be our true Christian selves, openly living the life described in the Beatitudes, and not ashamed of Christ.”
  10. Read 1 Peter 2:9-12. What has God done for us? How are we to live in response?
  11. Sometimes the reaction to salt and light is persecution! Go back and read Matthew 5:11-12. Douglas O’Donnell says: Note the word “persecute” in verse 11 and the word “persecuted” in verses 10, 12. Christians will be persecuted. But persecuted for what? Is it for doing something evil or wrong (see 1 Peter 4:15)? No. Is it for being difficult, obnoxious, fanatical, overzealous, or foolish? No. How about for fighting for a cause, even a good one, a religious-political one? No. What about for just being good, noble, or self-sacrificing? No, certainly not that. In fact, the world generally praises and esteems and even loves people like that—the Nelson Mandela’s and Mother Theresa’s. In these verses the reason is clear: Christians are persecuted for identifying with Christ and acting like him, that is, they are persecuted “on…account” of him (v. 11) and “for righteousness’ sake” (v. 10). What is O’Donnell’s point?
  12. Read 2 Tim. 3:12; Phil. 1:29. If this is our expectation, how does it change the way we look at persecution?
  13. John Stott makes three points to summarize this passage:
    1. There is a fundamental difference between Christians and non-Christians, between the church and the world.
    2. We must accept the responsibility which this distinction puts upon us.
    3. We must see our Christian responsibility as twofold. Stott says: “Salt and light have one thing in common: they give and expand themselves – and thus are the opposite of any and every kind of self-centered religiosity.” How will you apply these principles this week?
  14. Take time to pray – ask God to help you be salt and light this week.