Have you ever seen pictures of the Dead Sea? Or the salt flats in Utah? They're gorgeous, stunning...
The Dead Sea
Bonneville Salt Flats- Utah
And dead.
There is so much salt in both of these locations that nothing lives, nothing grows. No animals, no plant life, nothing.
Do you see where I'm going with this? There are mega churches around this country where thousands of Christians attend each week. Some churches that have so many members they have to build stadium like seating to fit them all and they have more than one service to accommodate them all. They're stunning structures that are so filled with salt that nothing lives, nothing grows, nothing thrives. Many of these people are Christians on Sunday then go home and do nothing for the Lord the rest of the week. They gather with their Christian friends for church functions. They celebrate birthdays and holidays with Christian friends and family and because there is so much salt, the word of God stagnates. It's so preserved, no one can eat it, digest it. They don't spread the salt around to help those who have no salt, people who are drowning in sin and crying out for a Savior. People who need Jesus, who need salt...and no one is willing to share. Many of these churches neglect the word of God in favor of a more 'friendly' narrative. They speak of love and good feelings while neglecting to speak of sin and repentance. It would seem that there are a lot of people who want to go to church for the warm fuzzy and not be reminded that they're sinners and must change their lives in order to please a just and holy God.
Jesus spent time with sinners- He dined with them, traveled with them, preached to them, loved them. His salt went far and wide, flavored those He came into contact with. He didn't just spend His time in the Synagogues that were elaborate, powerful structures. He mingled with the common man, the sinner, the sick and hurting.
Salt is also good for healing. When a new baby was born back in Jesus' day, the child was rubbed with salt and wrapped in cloths. The salt killed any germs that might make a new baby sick. Wounds were often packed with salt to stave off infection. Jesus was the healing salt and He spread Himself around, helping as many as He could during his short time on Earth. He didn't spend a lot of time with the elite, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the royalty, the rich and famous...He hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, fishermen. His salt was being used, absorbed.
Do you spend time with people outside your church? Outside your comfort zone? Is your church active in the community? Or is your church so salty within itself that it's toxic to growth and life? Has your congregation spent so much money on a beautiful building instead of spending it where the Lord would have it to go? To help those in need? We can worship in a field, in a yard, under a tree, in a broom closet... do we need multi million dollar structures that are beautiful...but toxic?
