Are You Worth Your Salt?by Evangelist John de Vries11-28-04 Out Of The Salt Shaker - Matt 5:13
We are the undeserved recipients of the “Glorious Gospel”JUSTICE is getting what we deserve MERCY is not getting what we deserve GRACE is getting what we don’t deserve ELECTRIC CHAIR METAPHORGet to live, get out of prison, become the governor,
winning lottery ticket We are to be the Salt of the earth and the Light of the world Matt 5:13-17 plus NIV study notes Mark 9:50 “ “ “ “ Luke 14:34, 35 “ “ “ “ Are you worth your Salt?
We are not to separate (cut ourselves off from) the world We would be no better than a CULT Who then would reach the rest of this lost world? We are SET APART from the world, but this SET APART speaks of the condition of our hearts as well as of our eternal destination. We are called to be IN the world but not OF the world (John 17) A growing sentiment among God’s people today is... To REMOVE ourselves To RETREAT from the world To INSULATE ourselves from our surroundings DevotionalBut how then do we ENGAGE the culture around us? Are we to simply SURRENDER? EXAMPLE: Christian mother has ministry to inner city kids=> watches MTV with her daughters JESUS prayer for his disciples, and by the extension us, was NOT that GOD take us OUT of this world but that He protect us from the evil one while we remain in it. Let’s take a look at JOHN 17:14-18 plus (2) NIV study notes Recurring Theme in Scripture: STAND wherever you have been placed, BUT STAND FOR GOD Let’s turn to 1 Corinth 7:17-24 John Piper’s Book pgs. 133, 134, 135 ASIDE: IF ALL GO WHO SENDS?
Stay at home Mom who raises a Godly family VS Billy Graham
(2 MM saved) “Well
done good and faithful servant” to BOTH. Recurring Theme in Scripture: STAND wherever you have been
placed, BUT STAND FOR GOD Examples: Soldiers and Tax Collectors after baptized by John the Baptist Luke 3:12-14 Man with Demons driven out by Jesus Mark 5: 18-20 Samaritan woman at the well – went to get her friends John 4:39-42 Cornelius the Roman Centurion in Acts 10:45 plus NIV study Note for verse 45
Perfect Example is Daniel in captivity in Babylon Daniel 6 vv: 3, 5, 7, and 10 Interesting: Babylon is a metaphor today for all that is evil. A sinful place. His enemies knew exactly how to undermine him because his Faith in God was always on display
Judges 8: “Fence-sitters” receive same judgment as non-believers Done simply refuse the “call” when it comes? Look what happened to Jonah: Jonah: refused God’s call to go and preach His message to the Ninevites The GOSPEL is not only FOR US but also it is also IN US and once in us it works THRU US. We, as Christians, are a Supernatural Race of people whom God lives IN and THRU. God can use you in a way He can use nobody else. PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE by Rick Warren Your S.H.A.P.E. 1 Samuel 15:22 “To obey is better than sacrifice”.
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