First of all, I want to give you a Walk Across the Room update. You’ll recall the sermon series by that name at the beginning of the year. One of the topics we spoke about was "Living in 3-D." Living in 3-D involved Developing relationships, Discovering stories, and Discerning appropriate next steps. One of the goals I suggested in seeking to live in "3-D" was to get to know our neighbors better and one of the strategies I mentioned for doing that was to sit outside in the front yard and meet people as they walk by. For Kim and me, sitting outside in the front yard meant buying some chairs for that purpose because our home is like most homes built in America the last few decades. We don’t have a front porch with a swing and chairs to sit in. So, my update is to tell you I’ve purchased the chairs. I even brought one to show you (get out chair, open it and sit in it)! Kim and I thought purple was an appropriate color because we’ll probably listen to the Rockies game while we’re sitting in the front yard. The strategy is to meet the people who walk by, so we bought four chairs—two for Kim and me and two for whoever walks by. Hopefully we’ll have to purchase some more chairs as the relationships grow and a crowd develops! Now, the weather hasn’t been too cooperative yet, but it will soon and we’ll begin sitting out front. I’ll give you periodic updates as to how it’s going. Of course, I encourage you to do the same—not necessarily the same strategy…although I wonder how well you know your neighbors and how well you know their stories and are positioned to Discern next steps in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them. But, I encourage you to live life in "3-D" also where you are Developing relationships, Discovering stories and Discerning next steps toward sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with your neighbors, or your co-workers, or your classmates. And I hope you’ll share updates with me.

The update is appropriate today because our topic, as we transition out of the sermon series on the Beatitudes to a series on the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, is being salt and light to the world. I’ve titled the series, The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached. Please know I suffer no delusions to that being a reference to any of my sermons! It is, of course, a reference to the sermon Jesus gives to his disciples on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee, a sermon we know as the Sermon on the Mount. We begin today with the section that appears in the Sermon immediately after the Beatitudes—a passage about being salt and light to the world. (Read Matthew 5:13-16)

We were tragically reminded this week of the importance of being salt and light to the world. You may not have had this passage in mind as you listened to news about the events occurring at Virginia Tech, but it was another reminder of a horrible darkness that permeates our society. Compounding our shock was the fact that this past week also marked the dates of the Oklahoma City and Columbine tragedies. Images returned of those horrible moments of darkness in our history. Then there was the shooting incident at NASA. We will not and cannot understand what drives someone to take such actions. But, we want to know at whose feet we may lay the blame. Surely each one of us can point to culprits we think are responsible for the darkness that exists in our society.

We need to hear, however, the words of one of my favorite theologians, John Stott. In a sermon on this very passage of salt and light, Stott said about the darkness and decay of our society, "Whose fault is it? Let me put it like this: If the house is dark at night, there is no sense in blaming the house. That’s what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, ‘Where’s the light?’ If meat goes bad, there is no sense blaming the meat. That is what happens when the bacteria are allowed to breed unchecked. The question to ask is, ‘Where’s the salt?’ If society becomes corrupt like a dark night or stinking fish, there’s no sense in blaming society. That’s what happens when fallen human society is left to itself and human evil is unrestrained and unchecked. The question to ask is, ‘Where is the church?’"

Left unchecked, society is going to move toward darkness and decay. If the church is not being salt and light to the world, the movement toward darkness and decay will continue.

I recently saw an ad on TV for a movie. I don’t know if it’s in the theaters or now coming out on video. I can’t even tell you the name of the movie because I have absolutely no interest in seeing it. What I remember is what the marketing execs for the movie apparently thought would sell it to the American public. The ad went something like this: Here’s what the New York Times had to say about [whatever the movie’s name], and then with matching violent scenes from the movie the ad continued: ‘Blam! Blam! Blam! Expletive! Expletive! Expletive! Blam! Blam! Does that make you want to see the movie? I hope not! But, apparently those marketing the movie thought it would sell. It’s further evidence to me about the darkness and decay in our society. And John Stott reminds us that the question to ask is, "Where is the church?"

The church is needed, Christians in the church are needed because they are salt and light to the world. Notice Jesus doesn’t say, "Some of you might be salt and light to the world." Jesus simply says, "You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world." It’s not what we might be, it is what we are…and the salt and light Christians can bring to society is the only hope for the world.

Consider, first of all, the presumption behind Jesus’ statement. This sermon is given early in Jesus’ ministry. The disciples he is speaking to aren’t exactly likely candidates for being salt and light to the world. Yet, the result we know today is that Jesus is being proclaimed throughout the world. From this small band of disciples hearing Jesus’ words and no doubt wondering about how it applies to them…to Jesus being proclaimed as Savior and Lord throughout the whole world. Salt and light indeed! And we are inheritors of the presumptive statement. You are salt and light to the world!

We know that condition of being salt and light is possible only because of Jesus. It’s not based on our abilities, it’s based on the One we serve. In fact, Jesus calls his disciples what he claims for himself, "I am the light of the world," (John 8:12). The salt that brings flavor and preservation to the world, the light that penetrates the darkness in the world will only come from Christ…and through his disciples.

Now, consider what salt and light do. Salt is used for many things, particularly in the time and place that Jesus is speaking. We know that salt brings flavor to food. Christians should bring flavor to life. Sadly, too often people perceive Christians as doing just the opposite. The world needs to see our joy, not our somberness. Christians should bring flavor to life. Salt brings flavor. But, salt was also used in ancient times as a preservative. Meats would be packed in salt to prevent spoiling. God knows our society needs protection from decay. Christians should bring the preserving quality of salt to a decaying society. Light, of course, chases away the darkness. In a society where evil not only loves the darkness, but the darkness seems to be creeping into areas where it once didn’t exist—have you seen some of the video games young people are playing?—Christians need to bring the light of Christ to chase away the darkness.

Know that the salt and light Christians can bring to the world will not always be welcomed. Salt can sting. Evil loves darkness. The world will resist the very thing it needs to prevent decay and rid itself of darkness. But, into the world Christians must go. That’s the thing about salt and light—they’re useful only when mixed with something else. Light is only effective when it enters into darkness. An area flooded with light doesn’t need more light. Darkness needs light and light is useful only when breaking into darkness. In the same way, salt is useful only when mixed into something else. Salt remaining in the shaker isn’t useful. Salt piled high on a plate but inches away from food isn’t useful. Only when mixed into food is salt useful. So it is that followers of Christ must go into the world if they are to be useful.

What do we expect to accomplish by sitting in our purple chairs in our front yard? I don’t exactly know…except to say this: Whatever stories we might discover in the process, I hope, I pray that we might be salt and light to whatever situation we come across. If we discover a story of despair, where the joy of life has been lost because of some tragic situation, I hope and pray we might bring the flavoring of Jesus Christ to that person. If we discover a story of darkness where someone is living on the edge of evil because of their exposure to things that aren’t uplifting and edifying to them, I hope and pray to bring the light of Christ to that family. If someone is flirting with decay in their lives, I hope and pray to bring the preserving quality of Christian salt to that person. I don’t know exactly what we will find out there, but I know we must try. Salt that has lost its usefulness is destined to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. A light that is hidden under a bowl is rendered useless at penetrating the darkness. I don’t know exactly what will happen as we seek to develop these relationships and discover their stories, but I know we cannot be salt and light if we hide inside our home…or inside our church. We are called to be salt and light to the world.

One final aspect of this call from Jesus. It is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. In bringing salt and light to the world, we are called to "let your light shine before others, that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Note the action and result. We are to do good deeds of salt and light to the world, but the result of true salt and light deeds is not that we receive the praise of others, but that God does. We do good deeds, not for our self-glorification, but for God’s. That’s the litmus test for deeds of salt and light—do people see your good deeds and are led to glorify, not you, but our Father in heaven?

So, where in your world can you be salt and light to areas of decay and darkness? I suspect you don’t have to look very far to find such areas. For God’s sake…and for God’s glory, enter into it with the salt and light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.