Transformative Calling: Being Salt and Light
Summary
### Summary
Welcome to Highlands Fellowship! Today marks the beginning of a new series on the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. This series will be accompanied by a spiritual formation course at each of our campuses. We are diving deep into the teachings of Jesus, starting with the transformative message found in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which speaks to the new creation we become in Christ. This transformation is not just for us but for us to help others experience as well.
In today's passage, Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This means we are to make things better and brighter for those around us. Jesus emphasizes that we are not just to be salt and light but that we already are. This calling can seem overwhelming, but it starts with small, intentional actions. Mother Teresa's wisdom reminds us that big changes start with small steps.
We explored four key moments when transformation happens in our lives: when we hurt enough that we have to change, when we see enough that we are inspired to change, when we learn enough that we want to change, and when we receive enough that we are able to change. These moments are foundational for living out our calling as salt and light.
To be effective in this calling, we must value people, add value to their lives, live out godly values, and share these values with others. Valuing people means seeing them as Jesus does, with inherent worth and dignity. Adding value involves practical actions that improve others' lives. Living out godly values makes us attractive to others and provides a stable foundation for our lives. Sharing these values helps to transform not just our lives but the lives of those around us.
Paul's example in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 shows us the importance of serving others and adapting to meet their needs. Our perspective towards others determines our attitude and actions. When we see people as valuable, we are compelled to serve them, putting their needs above our own.
In conclusion, being salt and light involves intentional, daily actions that reflect the love and values of Jesus. As we engage with the Sermon on the Mount, let's commit to not just having good intentions but to acting on them, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to make a difference in our world.
### Key Takeaways
1. Transformation in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that in Christ, we are new creations. This transformation is not just for our benefit but for us to help others experience the same life-changing power. Our journey with Jesus is a continuous story of transformation that extends beyond our lives. [03:13]
2. Being Salt and Light: Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). This means making things better and brighter for those around us. Our influence starts with small, intentional actions that reflect Jesus' love and values. [06:07]
3. Moments of Change: We change when we hurt enough that we have to, see enough that we are inspired to, learn enough that we want to, and receive enough that we are able to. These moments are crucial for our spiritual growth and effectiveness in living out our calling. [12:03]
4. Valuing and Adding Value to People: Valuing people means seeing them as Jesus does, with inherent worth and dignity. Adding value involves practical actions that improve others' lives. This creates a connection and influence that can lead to transformation. [16:15]
5. Living and Sharing Godly Values: Living out godly values makes us attractive to others and provides a stable foundation for our lives. Sharing these values helps to transform not just our lives but the lives of those around us. This is essential for being effective salt and light in the world. [25:08]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:06] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount Series
[03:13] - Transformation in Christ
[04:43] - The Call to Be Salt and Light
[06:07] - Understanding Our Purpose
[07:32] - Starting Small to Make a Big Impact
[08:57] - The Challenge of Change
[10:32] - When Do We Change?
[12:03] - Four Moments of Change
[13:27] - How to Be Salt and Light
[14:47] - Valuing People
[16:15] - Adding Value to People
[19:03] - Practical Ways to Add Value
[22:05] - Serving Others Like Paul
[23:47] - Living Out Godly Values
[25:08] - Sharing Godly Values
[28:12] - Making a Difference in People's Lives
[29:44] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here."
2. Matthew 5:13-16: "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 underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
3. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: "Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say about the transformation that occurs when someone is in Christ? How does this transformation extend beyond our own lives? [03:13]
2. According to Matthew 5:13-16, what are the two metaphors Jesus uses to describe His followers, and what do these metaphors imply about our role in the world? [06:07]
3. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, how does Paul describe his approach to serving others and adapting to their needs? What is his ultimate goal in doing so? [22:05]
4. What are the four key moments when transformation happens in our lives as mentioned in the sermon? [12:03]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of being a "new creation" in 2 Corinthians 5:17 challenge our understanding of personal transformation and its impact on others? [03:13]
2. What practical steps can we take to ensure we are living as the "salt of the earth" and "light of the world" as described in Matthew 5:13-16? [06:07]
3. How does Paul's willingness to adapt to different groups of people in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 reflect the importance of valuing and adding value to others? [22:05]
4. Reflect on the four moments of change mentioned in the sermon. Which of these moments have you experienced in your own life, and how did they lead to transformation? [12:03]
#### Application Questions
1. In what ways can you actively live out the transformation described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 in your daily life? Think of one specific area where you can demonstrate this change. [03:13]
2. Jesus calls us to be the salt and light in Matthew 5:13-16. Identify one small, intentional action you can take this week to make things better and brighter for someone around you. [06:07]
3. Consider Paul's example in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. How can you adapt your approach to better serve and connect with someone in your life who has different needs or perspectives? [22:05]
4. Reflect on a time when you experienced one of the four moments of change (hurt, inspiration, learning, receiving). How did this moment impact your spiritual growth, and how can you use this experience to help others? [12:03]
5. Valuing people is essential to being effective salt and light. Think of someone you may have overlooked or undervalued. What practical steps can you take to show them their inherent worth and dignity this week? [16:15]
6. Adding value to others involves practical actions. Identify one person in your life who could benefit from a specific act of kindness or support. What will you do to add value to their life this week? [19:03]
7. Living out godly values makes us attractive to others. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to focus on this month. What specific action can you take to cultivate this value in your interactions with others? [23:47]
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation in Christ
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are reminded that in Christ, we become new creations. This transformation is not just for our benefit but also for us to help others experience the same life-changing power. Our journey with Jesus is a continuous story of transformation that extends beyond our lives. This new identity in Christ empowers us to live differently, to reflect His love and grace in our daily interactions, and to be agents of change in the world around us. Embracing this transformation means allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, making us more like Jesus every day. [03:13]
Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: What specific areas of your life do you need to surrender to Christ to fully embrace your new identity in Him?
Day 2: Being Salt and Light
Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as seen in Matthew 5:13-16. This means making things better and brighter for those around us. Our influence starts with small, intentional actions that reflect Jesus' love and values. We are not just called to be salt and light; we already are. This calling can seem overwhelming, but it begins with small steps, like acts of kindness, words of encouragement, and living out our faith authentically. By doing so, we can have a profound impact on the lives of those around us. [06:07]
Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV): "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Reflection: What small, intentional action can you take today to be salt and light in your community?
Day 3: Moments of Change
We experience transformation in our lives during four key moments: when we hurt enough that we have to change, when we see enough that we are inspired to change, when we learn enough that we want to change, and when we receive enough that we are able to change. These moments are crucial for our spiritual growth and effectiveness in living out our calling. Recognizing these moments helps us to be more aware of God's work in our lives and to respond to His leading with openness and willingness to change. [12:03]
James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent moment of change in your life. How did it impact your faith and your relationship with God?
Day 4: Valuing and Adding Value to People
Valuing people means seeing them as Jesus does, with inherent worth and dignity. Adding value involves practical actions that improve others' lives. This creates a connection and influence that can lead to transformation. When we value people, we are compelled to serve them, putting their needs above our own. This perspective aligns our actions with Jesus' teachings and helps us to build meaningful relationships that reflect His love. [16:15]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: Who in your life can you intentionally add value to today? What practical action can you take to show them their worth?
Day 5: Living and Sharing Godly Values
Living out godly values makes us attractive to others and provides a stable foundation for our lives. Sharing these values helps to transform not just our lives but the lives of those around us. This is essential for being effective salt and light in the world. By embodying the values of Jesus, such as love, kindness, humility, and integrity, we become a living testimony of His grace and truth. Sharing these values with others can inspire and encourage them to seek a deeper relationship with God. [25:08]
1 Peter 2:12 (ESV): "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
Reflection: What godly value do you need to focus on living out more consistently? How can you share this value with someone in your life today?
Quotes
1. "As Christ followers, we are to do everything that we can to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, so that he can then do this life-changing work within them. We've got to realize that when we become a Christ follower, we are not the end of the story. We're not the end of the story. We are part of the story. And it will continue on as we die off in years to come. I mean, it will continue on. And that's a really, really, really good thing. It doesn't end with me. It continues with me." [03:13] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "So when I read that passage of scripture, I realized that God has a plan for me and he has a plan for you. He has a plan for each one of us. Each one of you who's listening to this message today, you're going to have a plan for me. You're going to have a plan for you. He's got a plan for you. And his plan is for you to change your world, not to change necessarily the entire world. All right. So he's got a plan for you to change your world. But sometimes when we think of it as the entire world, it can be a little bit of a struggle for us." [06:07] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The challenge we have in changing the world, that we live in, is that we have to be such positive influences on the people in our lives that we attract them to want to have change in their lives or to see a transformation take place and really a moment of transformation that will be a defining moment for them. And that's why Jesus shares this in the Sermon on the Mount and says, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. He didn't say you are to be. Salt or you are to be light. He said, you are the salt. You are the light. Like you make things better. You make things brighter for people." [10:32] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We change when we heard enough that we have to, we change when we've seen enough that we're inspired to. We also change when we, when we learn enough that we want to, we learn enough that we want to. One, one thing that I have enjoyed so much about my time in ministry, is when people learn God's word and what he desires for Christ followers to do, and then people actually do it. I love it when that happens. It's like they get into the Bible and they spend time with other believers. And because of what they learn, they want to change. They want to change." [12:03] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you want to be solid, if you want to be light, and you're asking yourselves, how can I be the salt and light in my world? Well, I've got four things for you. Number one is this. You must value people. You must value people. And it's in valuing people that you connect with them. And this is the connecting link. So as we change our world, as we serve, it all begins with valuing people. And by the way, if you want to be like Jesus, well, maybe, maybe I should ask you if you want to be like Jesus. I mean, how many of you want to be like Jesus? Anybody? Anybody? Well, that's great. Okay. Almost all of you, almost everyone wants to be like Jesus. And if you want to be Christ-like in the way that you live, and people ask me all the time, how do I start? Well, you start very simple. Do what Jesus did. Do what Jesus did. And Jesus valued people. That's what he did. He valued everyone." [14:47] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "So salt and light means I value people. That's the first step. That's the connecting link. So here's the second part of salt and light, and that is that I add value to people. So it's one thing to just value and appreciate people, but it's another thing to say, now, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to add value to them. I'm going to do something that I'm not going to do. I'm going to add value to that adds value to them. And just like valuing people brings connection, you begin to influence people when you add value to their lives. I mean, think about this for just a moment, okay? Just think about it. Think about the people in your life that have added value to you. Think about that. I can think of quite a few people who continually add value into my life. And when a person adds value to you, it gives them a proper influence within your life." [19:03] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "My perspective toward you determines my attitude toward you. All right? My perspective toward you determines my attitude toward you. Okay? You see, how we view things is how we end up doing them. Perspective is everything. So don't miss this. So if I see you as weak, I'll help you. If I see you as broken, I'll fix you. But if I see you as valuable, I'm going to serve you. I'm going to serve you. You see, in the first two scenarios, I'm still on top. I got you out of the ditch. You know what I'm saying? Like, I pulled you out. It's like, okay, well, thank you so much. Oh my, it's so good. Thank you for being here for me, you know? And you see, even when I'm helping you, it can still be about me. But when I see you as valuable, as a person of value, I serve you. I serve you. Do you see what I've purposely done? I've now put myself beneath you. And that is the attitude and the posture that truly changes lives." [22:05] (70 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "If you want to live as salt and light, you must live out godly values. You've got to live out godly values. And it's one thing to value people. It's one thing to... Add value to people. But it's an entirely different thing when we begin to actually live out these godly values in our own lives. And this is what makes us attractive to people, when they see us living out these incredible values that God has given us in His Word. So I want us to look at a passage of Scripture in the book of Galatians in chapter five. So we'll look at the fruits of the Spirit, okay? We've looked at these before. We're going to look at them again. We're also going to look at them today. So Galatians chapter five, verse 22 through 23 says this, but the fruit of the Spirit is what? It says that we have love, joy, peace, forbearance, or patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. It says against such things, there is no law." [23:47] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. This can be absolutely life-changing if you allow it to infiltrate your life and actually live by it. It's in times like these that we begin to understand that salt and light transformation begins, it begins with godly values. And one of the things that is so important about godly values is that they create stability within us. Like they create this stability really within our lives and they begin to anchor our lives. And transformation begins on the inside. And what I've discovered, and this is so important, is that if you have godly values on the inside, you need less validation on the outside. But if you lack, if I lack godly values inside of me, I'm going to seek validation outside of me." [26:39] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Do you ever feel deep down in your heart that you want to make a difference in people's lives? Do you feel that? I believe with all my heart that you want to make a difference in people's lives. And I believe with all my heart that you want to make a difference in people's lives. I believe that you are going to do great things for God. I believe that with everything in me. You see, every one of us, we are created to be our brother's keeper. That's what we were created for. We were created to make a difference in people's lives. We were created to be the salt and to be the light. And every one of us, I believe we have deep down in our hearts a desire to really make a difference in the lives of the people that are around us." [28:12] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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