Children’s spot:
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5: 13
So what’s good about salt?
It’s good on fish and chips, salt brings out the flavour.
Salt preserves food like meat and bacon.
It’s a medicine, salt and water is a good mouth wash. A salt water rinse eases pain from canker sores by gently reducing the alkalinity (and subsequently bacteria) in the mouth.
A grain of salt – a little bit of truth in a story.
A pinch of salt – doubt a person’s word.
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5: 13
A Christian who is honest and truthful, whose word is reliable and keeps God’s Commandments as they are written in the heart.
- 1. God must be first in your life. He is more important than your computer, car, mobile, TV. Even friends or anything else you can think of.
- We worship the One God and He made the world and everything in it.
- Do not dishonour God by using angry or bad words. You should only use God’s name when you are talking to Him or about Him
- Always remember the Lord’s Day Sunday and it should be spent with God and your family
- Always honour your parents by obeying them. Helping them without being asked and spending time with them.
- 6. Always respect life and the lives of others. God gave us life and it is a great gift.
- “Marriage” is a for ever promise between a husband and a wife. Married people should respect their sacred union and stay faithful to each other.
- Do not steal, cheat or take things that do not belong to you. It is harmful God wants us to respect the rights of others.
- Always tell the truth, it hurts others if we lie and say bad things about other people.
- Always be grateful for our life, family, and the home we have and not to be jealous of what other people have. Remember to thank God every day.
2 Sam 11: 1-15 John 6: 1-21
Prayer “Your Word is a lamp to our feet a light to our path”
“Four business men, pillars of their local church, were chatting after dinner one evening. The conversation turned to the subject of honesty and each agreed in turn to reveal their secret weaknesses to one another.
First: “When I’m away from home I sometimes visit dubious nightclubs.”
Second “Although people think I I’m teetotal I sometimes have a drink on the sly.”
Third: “No one knows, but I have a real gambling problem. I can’t keep away from the betting shop.”
Fourth: “Your not going to like this. I’m a dreadful gossip.”
‘Smile Please’ Phil Mason.
I wonder if the disciples felt guilty they had eaten their own food hence the twelve empty baskets, so when Jesus asked them to provide for the people they were concerned that they hadn’t enough money to buy bread for everyone. Andrew had found a lad who had 5 barley loaves and two fish, he said, ”But what are they among so many?” Jesus told his disciples to divided the crowd into groups of 50, small communities. Jesus took the bread and fish and gave thanks to God and a miracle took place before their eyes a huge amount of bread and fish appeared.
In John 16: 14 Jesus said, “All that the Father has is mine,” and here he used the resources available to him from his Father.
The disciples took the bread and fish and fed everyone present, with 12 baskets left over, showing the generosity of God.
Earlier this morning, I saw this account as the pouring out of God’s Spirit at Pentecost. (50 days after Passover)
The conversation in those groups when they heard about Jesus providing this food by performing a miracle, the excitement and joy must have been amazing.
Through the feeding of the 5,000, many were enlightened and recognised him as their prophet and King. In verse 14 they described as ‘the prophet who was to come into the world’ and in verse 15 they wanted to make him their king.
The word of the Psalmist was fulfilled when Jesus fed the people: Psalm 132: 15-18.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself his crown will shed its luster.” RSV Bible
God’s purpose – Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about himself
Standing among the crowd Jesus knew their thoughts and saw their body language, their excitement was gaining momentum they had witnessed a miracle and they wanted to make him their King
,Verse 15 “Perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, and make him their King, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6: 15
So he withdrew went away on his own to the mountain. Jesus knew it was wrong of the people to want to make him their king by insurrection, which was rebellion against the Sanhedrin and God.
On the 8th July Chris spoke of King David’s followers taking revenge on his enemies thinking that they were doing God’s will.
Here perhaps they were thinking in the same way they were doing God’s will or they wanted to shame their leaders into accepting Jesus as the King.
But taking him by force, giving him no choice, they would have led him to break the law to acquire position and power that of a King.
King David used his position and power to conspire against Uriah the husband of Bathsheba, David had an unlawful relationship with Bathsheba and as a result she was with child. He sent Uriah home to sleep with wife but Uriah was an honourable man he couldn’t enjoy the benefits of his position while his men where on the duty on the front line of the battle against the Ammonites.
God saw the heart of King David and was displeased. Whereas, Jesus’ heart wouldn’t allow him to covet position and power by the rebellion of the people.
The Psalmist’s prophecy verse 17. The translation in the Good News Bible v 17 “Here I will make one of David’s descendants a great King: here I will preserve the rule of my chosen King.”
The kingship that was given to King David was for ever
2 Chronicles 13: 5 “Ought you to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt.”
Salt covenants, salt was a symbol of the eternal duration of the covenant.
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy; he was born a king, the wise men from the East came to Herod and asked, “Where is he born King of the Jews?” Jesus died a King. The plaque on the cross bore the title, “The King of the Jews.”
Only this King a descendant of King David God raised from the dead to establish Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant, 31: 33, 34
God says, “I will put my law within them and write it upon their hearts . . . and they all shall know me, from the least to the greatest says the Lord; for I will forgive their sins and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jesus established the New Covenant in his life laid down for the sins of the world, through faith our nature is transformed to feel how God feels about sin. But when we do fall, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9
Heavenly Bread not touched by humanity. We cannot add (salt) anything to the New Covenant it is complete
Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Corinth that Jesus was ‘The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth’, 1 Corinthians 5: 8
Jesus the heavenly bread of life came to earth from heaven pure and sinless, to be broken and scattered from the Passover table across the world.
In Christ we are the salt of the earth.
Sir Cliff Richard a person you would describe as ‘the salt of the earth’ his music has brought the light of the Gospel to millions of people. His life over 4 years has been under the spotlight, but the truth can stand being scrutinised. Telegraph recorded his comments:
“Even though I was under pressure to ‘speak out’, other than to state my innocence, which was easy for me to do as I have never molested anyone in my life, I chose to remain silent.”
So like Jesus Cliff was silent before his accusers and innocent of the charges brought against him.
However, Matthew 5: 13 Jesus said, those who lose their saltiness and will be trodden under the foot. Sadly, the former Bishop of Gloucester Peter Ball was convicted of historical sex abuse.
The Lord calls us to be ‘salt and light’ in a very dark world, our lives are scrutinised judged by the world and brought to the light of God’s Commandments. The Commandments are a real powerful force in the world.
We are a heavenly people the commandments are written in the heart and we are accountable to them.
Prayer
Father God, may our words be always seasoned with salt and please help to walk in the light of your commandments, so that we may stand for Jesus in boldness and in truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen