What does it mean to be the salt of the earth, and how do we maintain “saltiness”? In this sermon clip, Bill Johnson shares from Jesus’ famous words in Matthew 5: “You are the salt of the earth”. Salt enhances flavor, and as we stay connected to God’s heart and purpose for our families and communities, we will add value to the lives of those around us and see His Kingdom “worked in” and established everywhere we go.
so when you and i maintain saltiness
it’s because we’ve maintained a
connection to god’s purposes and plans
in the earth
you are the salt of the earth if the
salt loses its flavor
how shall it be seasoned it is then good
for nothing but to be thrown out and
trampled underfoot by men
in uh in my uh early years of uh or just
a disciple just following jesus
uh when i would come across these verses
i would i would remember that in bible
days
salt was used to preserve meat and so
when i would read you’re the salt of the
earth
i felt the lord was saying then
we are that which helps to preserve
culture or values
those kinds of things in society
that’s what i would refer to as a
secondary truth an implied truth it’s
not the truth jesus brought up
in other words he addresses one thing
but the implication is the second level
that would be the second level
preservation of values uh way of
thinking
jesus said if a salt has lost flavor
salt is for flavor on most of our
kitchen tables we have salt and pepper
pepper changes the flavor of a meal salt
enhances the flavor of a meal
the important thing to think about when
we talk about being salt
is our assignment to add flavor
listen carefully to add flavor to what
already exists in our community
not all invention not all creativity not
all beauty
not all
uh medical inventions not not all those
things come from believers
by design
many of those things come from
unbelievers why because it reigns on the
just and the unjust
if it all came through us we’d become
proud arrogant and want to be in charge
it wouldn’t be healthy for us
so a huge part of being effective as
salt
in a culture
is that we actually
see god’s value
on the unbeliever before they have
placed their faith
in him
he gives them ideas he works through
them
i believe we owe every believer three
levels of honor at least three that i’m
aware of and every human being two
levels of honor
number one every person is created in
the image of god
every person represents an aspect of
god’s
nature
person
that no one else represents
created in the image of god number two
every person has been gifted
by god to function in life
now one may have five talents sums of
money one may have three one may have
one there are varying levels of graces
that god assigned to individuals but
every person has been given something
and it’s it’s prophetic people it’s
people that have a tenderness towards
celebrating and valuing other people if
they can see the gifting and the grace
that is in that individual and to be
able to affirm it to acknowledge it to
celebrate what god has actually put in
and you know to be able to say man i
love how you put colors together i love
how you how you perceive this yard how
you made it look so beautiful i love how
you you seem to connect people every
time i at a dinner at your house you
always put the right people next to the
right people in your in your dinner
party it’s just these little things but
it’s just taking it’s being intentional
to find the treasure that is in somebody
else
salt enhances the flavor that’s already
there
you go to certain cities in our country
you go to austin texas is a great
example they have a unique uh musical
music culture there
you know who decided that
you know there are some cities where it
seems like every furniture manufacturer
in the country is in that area in that
re who decided this area is for
furniture you know i mean i don’t know
who decides that somehow somebody gets a
breakthrough and they attract other
people and they start reveling in the
can i say anointing or grace they got
assigned to a particular area it’s
wisdom for for us to perceive and to see
that which god has designated over a
city over a region and then sow into it
to honor to to um
to value it to celebrate it to
acknowledge it
you’re the salt of the earth
salt that’s lost its flavor that word
flavor there is actually uh the losing
of flavor is actually the word foolish
salt without flavor
the original language is foolish
so what is salt with flavor
it it’s it’s an easy one you just look
to the other side of the corn this is
this is we got one that says foolish the
other side is the opposite
now you’re not going to take the risk
okay all right all right i i realize you
don’t trust me that’s that’s the bottom
line all right
so salt without flavor is foolish salt
with flavor is wisdom it’s actually it’s
not foolish there it is
that’s the safest answer right there
that’s that’s why that’s wisdom
[Music]
not not foolish yeah
think with me about this wisdom is the
mind of christ
wisdom is the mind of christ
wisdom
the jesus in first corinthians uh
chapter one
jesus is the person of wisdom
he is wisdom personified
he is as we’ve called he is perfect
theology he illustrates perfectly the
mind of the father
and so when you and i maintain saltiness
it’s because we’ve maintained a
connection to god’s purposes and plans
in the earth
it’s not just
i can give you good counsel on where to
invest your money or something that
don’t come to me but just an example
just an illustration
it’s not just it’s not just that it’s
it’s the fact that there there is a
sharp edge on my life
that prophetically perceives shifts in
seasons and knows how to position for
them
when that kind of saltiness
is existent in our life that we live
with that kind of intentionality
then the people around you start to
savor
the flavor that you actually bring
to a community
most of us like
to be the salt of the earth
we think of it this way it’s like the
salt shaker we unscrew the top and we
import the entire contents in the corner
of the dinner plate
because we like to be together
you don’t enhance the flavor of the meal
together
this is together we’re in the shaker
we’re about to take the lid off in
another 20 minutes and you’re going to
get sprinkled
there are
there are some of you in certain
neighborhoods that you you don’t even
realize it
but the way you do life your value
system it’s not just preaching on a
soapbox it’s the way you do life so
prophesy identity and purpose into your
community it is salt it is your defining
you are defining the reasoning of god
the reason of god the purpose of god
behind all of our existence
it’s that edginess
that helps to keep you in that place of
radical radical influence
i personally i i’ve been praying for
people to really uh for us to increase
in wisdom i’m going to quit praying for
that i think i’m just going to pray god
make people miserable without it
so that you pray on your own
honestly just the realization oh i need
greater wisdom for this that kind of
dependency that approaching him with
poor in spirit
not approaching him without god at all
approaching him poor in spirit god i
need you to give me that touch of divine
wisdom because i want to represent you
well