Matthew 5:13
A question that has been raised in my heart for some time now is this, “Is my church impact minded?”
To impact something means to have an affect or to make an impression that would cause a change upon something. God has called us to make a positive impact where we are. This is what Jesus asked us to do, this is what the first century church did and this is what we are supposed to do. The first century church in Acts 2 were able to make an impact on their world. But they did not stop there. The first century church understood the principle of multiplication. They understood that there needed to be a natural process of multiplication. They birthed new Christians and new churches through evangelism and discipleship.
They had the understanding that “Believers begat other believers.” The church has to reproduce itself or it will die. The very first church started out with a congregation of 120 people and then grew very rapidly to around 30,000. God is not just pleased when a church has large numbers in attendance, God is pleased when a church, regardless of its size is being the salt and the light in the community.
Jesus told us that we are supposed to be salt and light in Matthew 5:13.”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 by men. ”
If we are not making an impact, if we are not being salt and light as a church we might as well close the doors and sell the church and give the money to a ministry that is making an impact.
God has called us to be salt
Benefits of Salt:
1. Preserves
2. Purifies
3. Flavors
4. Penetrates
5. Melts Ice
6. Cleanses
7. Lingering Influence
8. Seasons in Many Ways
9. Creates Thirst
10. Adds Values
11. Irritates When Necessary
12. Heals
13. Stings
14. Influences in many ways
15. Useful in numerous products
16. Inexpensive but valuable
17. Necessary for life
18. Use it or lose its effects
19. Universally Available
20. Trans-cultural
21. Shows no bias
22. Stimulates hunger
23. Created by God
1. Salt is distinctive. It is totally different from the food or object upon which it is put.
The power of salt lies in this difference. Believers, just as salt, are to be different from the world. The power of their lives and their testimony lies in their being different and distinctive. We are to be “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
2. Salt preserves. It keeps things from going bad and decaying.
It cleanses and disinfects. Believers, just as salt, are to cleanse and preserve the world. We are to disinfect the world and keep the germs of the world from causing things to go bad. We are to save the world from corruption.
3. Salt penetrates. It inserts a new quality, substance, and life.
It changes that upon which it is put. Believers are likewise to penetrate the world and insert a new life into it.
4. Salt flavors. It influences the taste of things.
It takes a bland, tasteless food and makes it relishing.
We are to so flavor and influence the world for Christ. They are to take the bland and the tasteless and salt them and make them relishing within the world.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
5. Salt is quiet. It is visible, but it works silently, making no noise whatsoever during its work.
Believers, the salt of the earth, are to work quietly and discreetly.
“Let it [your behavior] be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:4).
6. Salt spreads. Its flavor spreads all about.
A sprinkle of salt has a widespread effect. A believer’s salt spreads far and wide.
7. Salt is irrepressible. Once applied, it cannot be stopped.
A believer’s salt, his testimony, is irrepressible; it cannot be stopped.
“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
The believer’s place of ministry is here on Earth. There is a sense in which the church is the salt factory and the world is the marketplace for the salt. Too much salt is being stored and locked up at the church. There is not enough salt being sent out into the marketplace.