Date: April 27-28, 2013
Series: Christian
Message: Where Are You?
Passage: Matthew 5:13-16
INTRODUCTION – 5 MINUTES
WHAT WAS A TIME SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING IN YOU THAT YOU DIDN’T SEE YOURSELF?
Leader note: Make this as conversational as you can. Think of a time someone affirmed you for something you didn’t even notice. Perhaps it was the ease you accomplished a task, the grace you gave to someone you met, your ability to affirm in tense situations, etc.
OBSERVATION – 20 MINUTES
READ MATTHEW 5:13-16. WHAT DOES JESUS WANT OUR INFLUENCE TO BE?
Leader note: He’s talking to His disciples. A translation of this is “you and only you”.
Commentary:
To be Salt (of the earth):
To be Light (of the world):
To do good deeds (those which are both salt and light) cause people to praise God
Point to God not themselves
Affects other people
When our motivation is to do good for God it brings glory to God
When we do acts for ourselves we get the praise, when we do them for God He does
If they think I’m kind and good people will think God is great.
“If I’m doing good and people aren’t praising God what good is it?”
WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF SALT AND LIGHT (SPECIFICALLY IN JESUS’ TIME)?
Salt:
Healer
Flavor enhancer
Only effective when it comes in contact
Permeates and infects/changes
Preservative – stops rotting/decay
Highlights engagements
It is to be used, worthless by itself
Stops decay – preservative
Flavors – “brings out the God flavors”, adds zest to life
Light:
Distinctive
Reveals what’s around
Allows you to see
Dispels the darkness
Is a signpost/warning (lighthouse)
Lights a path/guides
Is attractive, you are drawn to the light
Reveals/exposes
Eradicates darkness
UNDERSTANDING – 20 MINUTES
WHAT ARE THE EQUIVALENTS OF SALT AND LIGHT TODAY?
Leader note: Consider the descriptions you listed in the question above. What do those qualities accomplish for followers of Jesus?
Salt:
It stands against evil, influences or advances the good
You make the world better by standing against the moral decay
Light
Speak the truth of the Gospel
Show in my actions the truth of the Gospel
Not hide who I am in Christ
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR SALT TO LOSE ITS “SALTINESS”?
If it is diluted, not effective
If it isn’t used – or too much or not enough is used
If it doesn’t come in contact with what it is supposed to
Becomes useless
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR LIGHT TO BE HIDDEN?
Loses its value
Doesn’t reveal everything, only part of what can be seen
Leaves some darkness – doesn’t get rid of it completely
APPLICATION – 20 MINUTES
WHERE IN YOUR LIFE ARE YOU SALT? WHERE DO YOU LOSE YOUR “SALTINESS”?
Leader note: Have your group consider places where they find themselves being salt – stopping the moral decay of their surroundings. Where are they healing relationships and situations instead of breaking them down or adding to their deterioration? And where are they making contact with others to enhance situations, instead of avoiding others?
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF BEING LIGHT? WHERE DO YOU HIDE YOUR LIGHT?
Leader note: Another way to say this would be, “where do you show and tell the gospel?”
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO BE A SALT AND LIGHT CHRISTIAN?
Leader note: One way to answer this is to look at people you may know who live out both salt and light in their life. Another way to look at it is to consider people who are just salt, or just light, and look at the lack of effectiveness they have. Are their deeds bringing praise to God or themselves? What is their motivation? Who are examples of people who are just “salt”? Just “light”? Is it enough that we are just living it? What are the dangers of “not” talking about the gospel? What is the balance of both? What about for you – what would it look like for you to be a salt AND light Christian?
Leader note: Look again at verse 16 from the passage. Talk with your group about what this passage means to them and how they can live it out in their lives as it is really what it means to live a life of salt and light, and the results are about God, not individual.
Pray: As you close your time together, pray for each person to want to be saltier and lightier. Pray that where they are already salt they will add light and where they are light they will add saltiness. Pray that God will convict them of where they are losing their saltiness or hiding their light and they will desire to change.
LIVE IT OUT
WHAT WOULD CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY IF OUR GROUP LIVED AS SALT AND LIGHT?