READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l To be Christ’s witnesses at work is to be salt and light in a depraved world. “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (v16)
THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WORK
- God Himself Is a Worker – He who created the universe, the earth and all therein including human beings in six days, rested on the seventh, and expects us to likewise follow a Work-Rest rhythm.
- God Calls Us to Cultivate What He Has Created – No matter the season of life, God has assigned specific work for all. Whether salaried or unpaid, even students, homemakers and retirees have their work cut out for them – to build on everything good He had started.
- God’s Perfectly Designed Gift of Work Is Corrupted – Sin dehumanises thinking and attitude towards work; creates structural unemployment and demands a workaholic lifestyle.Everyday work can become sweat, toil, drudgery, even futile, meaningless and unjust.
HOPE FOR CHRIST’S DISCIPLES IN A FALLEN WORLD
Set apart for God, work for a disciple becomes a holy calling. People are drawn to seek God by their positive witness – through good works and wise, successful navigation of turbulent waters in a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world. Without sounding spiritual, salt-and-light disciples (v13-16) attract others to the Almighty by their God-honouring lifestyles. With unconditional, persistent good deeds; warm, sincere care and prayer for the needy, they show the love of Jesus by accompanying their talk with action.
- We who are the Church, are the SALT OF THE EARTH. (v13a) We are to individually and collectively consider our worth as salt.
a)Do we season, preserve and disinfect whatever or whoever needs our attention e.g. help to heal hurting relationships?
b)Are our giving and service acceptable offerings of worship to the LORD?
c)Are we obeying Jesus to be ‘salty’ disciples who draw others to Him by serving them with Christlikeness; by making our encounters flavourful so they would want to know Him? - Jesus warns that salt having lost its saltiness cannot be restored. Being useless, they get “trampled under people’s feet”. (v13b) Scientifically, pure salt cannot lose its saltiness. To be pure salt – having the character of a disciple and not merely an external appearance, Jesus instructs, “Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50 ESV) A great disciple, according to the LORD, is a servant to all. Neither self-seeking nor wanting the limelight, they guard against losing their saltiness by swiftly eradicating sin from their lives, and are not driven at work to ask, “What’s in it for me?”
- Jesus calls His disciples to give light to all as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-15) – To shine in darkness where many are in bondage of fear, abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism, gambling, fornication, pornography and adultery; to reveal righteousness from wrongdoing and truth from falsehood. Christ witnesses shun the darkness by abiding in Him to receive and reflect His Light of Life (John 8:12) wherever they work every day.
- When the Son-Light of Jesus shines on His faithful disciples, remarkable things happen. Directed by the Spirit’s indwelling, hearts begin to love the LORD. Marriages are restored, spite turns to nurture, destruction transforms to good purpose, and toxic environments are neutralised. Disciples shine as GOD’S LIGHT AT WORK to
a) Expose darkness – by appropriately revealing practices that displease God e.g. false teaching, corruption, dishonest practices, gossip, racism
b) Bring changes to the work environment – sinfulness transforms into righteousness when the Light of our lives impact others to repent and surrender to Jesus as LORD
c) Help others grow and heal – language, attitudes and actions among friends, family and co-workers change for the better when they come to know Jesus and grow in God’s goodness because of our witness
d) Inspire the spiritually lethargic to arise – when they observe God’s mercy, peace and justice as we interact graciously and righteously with others
e) Warm those who are cold – with fellowship, comfort and encouragement. Wesley’s course on Conversational Evangelism by wefriends@wesleymc.org equips disciples with listening and speaking skills that help others hear clearly their witness of Christ.
Till God’s work for us is finished, our faithful witness of His goodness will draw others to Jesus as Saviour and LORD. Relentlessly pursuing Jesus to be His Salt and Light brings blessed assurance of peace in Christ – and makes us His Joyful witnesses at work.
(Sermon notes by Marjorie Tan)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. List the three spiritual truths about the theological understanding of work.
a. How does each speak to you about your work, which is a gift from God?
b. How have your attitudes or behaviours open doors for you to witness for Jesus?
2. “As salt is useful to people and society at large in many ways, so must Jesus’ disciples be a blessing to people around them at work.”
a. How can my discipleship as salt make me a blessing to people around me?
b. Am I like salt that brings healing between family members or people who are in hurting relationships?
c. What opportunities are there to model Christlikeness by serving individuals, especially non-Christians?
3. “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” (Mk 9:50)
a. What is it about the disciples that might cause them to lose their saltiness? (Mk 9:33-50)
b. “A person characterised by acedia is driven not by altruism but by the mere cost-benefit analysis of “what’s in it for me.”
i. To what extent is this true for you at work?
ii. What intentional steps can you take to guard against the sin of acedia?
4. “Jesus is the True Light who shines on us every day. His disciples as light of the world must reflect His light.”
a. What would you tell people about Jesus as the True Light?
b. How have you been shining as light to:
i. expose darkness?
ii. give off light?
iii. help others grow?
iv. wake people from their slumber?
v. warm those who are cold?
