Christians are called to be the "salt of the earth," embodying qualities of silence, secrecy, sacrifice, and savoriness in their lives. Like salt, believers should work silently and secretly, losing their own identity to enhance and preserve what is good, rather than being "good for nothing." The sermon emphasizes that true Christian impact comes not from outward show but from a sacrificial, inward transformation that blesses others and glorifies God. Ultimately, believers are challenged to examine whether their lives are actively preserving good and adding flavor, or if they have lost their savor and become useless.
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Thank you, sir. I was over in Botswana for a part last year. year when we were in Africa and I went along to a teacher's training college where we were able to get in and see what the Wendy's folk who were training with the teachers were the Lord and they sang this little chorus of course most of their senior education is in English so you'll understand if you understand and they sang this little chorus I found out afterwards that it's become quite a popular sort of folk melody some of you know it wasn't written so I'm told as a folk melody The last verse you will see is our Christian verse, and that's the key one.
Some of us know it. We learned it last week. I think it has something to say. Let me be a little kinder. Let me be a little blinder to the thoughts of those around me. Let me praise a little more. Let me be when I am weary just a little bit more, cheery. Think a little more of others and a little less of me. like this. I can't sing like the choir, but it goes something like this. Thank you. Let me be a little kinder. Let me be a little blinder. To the folks of those around me, let me praise a little more.
Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery. others and the little less of me well it goes something like that come on will you help me let's really try if you don't know it sing la la la la if you're sitting at the back and you can't see the words it serves your right for sitting in the back so are you ready here we go oh let me be a little kinder oh let me be a Oh, let me praise a little more.
Oh, let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery. Take a little more of others and a little less of me. Oh, let me be a little braver When temptation bids me way too Let me try a little harder Don't be all that I know me Let me be I will all be well When the power is revealed And you all are My neighbor And the little that all Now let's sing it out and the men and friends from behind them take control of God's devices bring them back to the river of the river running sea for the God of all creation it's the one who brought salvation it's the
one who saved our freedom Thank you very much. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. I wouldn't mind you another job another day. I say, if every one of us goes from this conference determined to be a little kinder, a little blinder for the thoughts of those around us, to praise a little more. Did you get that now? You know, to praise a little more. I've got a strong feeling it's going to be well done. worth our while being here really and if we haven't been as kind as we should and if we haven't been as blind as we should well forgive us give us another chance and and let us seek to be it just a word of prayer oh God and father thou hast given us thy holy son and thou hast given us to make him real to our hearts thy holy spirit and thou hast given us that we might know how we should walk in this scene by holy scriptures and we pray now as we open them that by the holy spirit we
may see something of that holy son and be determined to live for him for jesus sake amen i want to read three short portions of the word of God please I want to read a verse in the fifth chapter of Matthew I want to read a verse in the ninth chapter of Mark and in the 14th chapter of the gospel according to Luke first of all if I may the fifth chapter of the gospel according to Matthew most of you of course have gathered already what's on my heart Matthew chapter 5 and I would like to read verse 13 if I may The Lord Jesus is speaking.
Ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt hath lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of man. The ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, please. Mark chapter 9. First 50, the last verse of the chapter. Salt is good. I like that.
Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in your cells and have peace one with another the 14th chapter of the gospel according to Luke please Luke chapter 14 we will read verse 34 salt is good but if the salt half lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dung hill, but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. May the Lord just add his blessing to these three so well-known and very blessed, challenging portions of his word. I trust I do not sound unkind, for having just sung the little chorus I don't want to be unkind I would like to be a little kinder and a little blinder to the thoughts of those around me but I wonder if I may ask you a question I want to ask myself a question as well am I good or am I good for nothing could I repeat that you see the Lord Jesus said salt was good.
But if the salt hath lost its savor, it's good for nothing. And please, not guilty, I didn't say it. The Lord Jesus said, Ye are the salt of the earth. Are we good? Or are we good for nothing? There is one thing that I have proved, as I have read the Word of God, that as far as God is concerned, in Christian experience, there are no graves. It is either white or black. It is either darkness or light.
As far as God is concerned, it is either death or light. It is either love or hate. It is either good or good for nothing. And I've been searching my heart as I've been preparing as to whether before God himself I would have to say, Lord, really, I'm good for nothing. Isn't it remarkable how simple the Lord is in his greatest of statements? You know, it's only men who make theology difficult. The Lord makes it extremely simple. you remember the story of the young man who was in his first charge they came down to speak to the Sunday school anniversary his professor from college and when he arrived knowing that the professor had an aptitude to use large words he said sir my boys and girls are very simple you will be simple won't you so he rose to speak to the children and having read the scripture Sure, he said, now boys and girls, I would like to give you a summary of what I have said.
The young minister pulled his coat hair. Sure, he said, the boys and girls won't understand what a summary is. So gazing over his glasses, he said, I'm told that maybe the word summary will be a little difficult. Could I explain it to you? A summary? Well, you see, it's an abbreviated synopsis. you know that's what theologians do with simple summaries they make them abbreviated synopsis assesses really they did it the Lord never did that did he would I be right in saying this that no one ever knitted their brow and wondered what he meant when he spake to them without immediately he gave them an answer oh there were some words he used they couldn't like grass, and they said, How can it be so?
Then immediately he had an answer for them. The Lord Jesus spoke in the simplest of terms. What was it? The poet said, Lillies, vines and corn, The sparrow and the raven, and words So natural and So wise, Were on men's hearts Engraven. and bread and flaps and cloth and eggs and fish and candles see the whole familiar world is most divinely handled how the Lord Jesus took things with which we are so familiar and preached the greatest of sermons and every one of us in this little gathering tonight we are familiar with salt and he said ye are the sort of the earth.
Now I want to say, if I may, these four very simple things about the action of sorts. Things that are so simple that the moment I start saying them, you could finish them. And I don't want any one of you to say, well, I've heard that all before, because I expect you have, I know not whether you have, but I expect you have. But the four simple actions of sort, first of all, salt is silent. Have you ever heard salt work? When you've placed it upon your dinner, let your dinner say, Oh! Salt is silent.
The second obvious thing I want to say is that salt is not only silent, but salt is secret. If you place salt upon meat before long, before long, that salt begins to work, but the wonder of it is this, that you don't see it work, you don't know what's happening, it is secret. The third thing, of course, I must say, is salt is not only silent, and salt is not only secret, but salt is sacrificial. five minutes time and you couldn't see it was there the salt is lost it has been taken into the thing on which it has been placed you cannot see it it dips itself up that something else may have its taste that something else may be glanced it's sacrificial you don't have fish and chips over here as much as we do do you do I say salt is not only silent and secret and sacrificial
but salt is savory have you ever tried fish and chips without salt insipid have you ever tried to live without the Lord Jesus life gets desperately insipid ye are the salt of the earth brethren sisters if there is one thing that should thrill every Christian under the sound of my voice it is this that God has given to you and me the blessed privilege of being the salt of the earth first of all the action of salt is silent it's a remarkable fact isn't it how nature's mightiest forces work in silence There would be then that nature's mightiest forces work in silence, the sun that shines.
The dew that falls, the seed that shoots, or how silent, and yet what mighty forces. Why as you and I have been enjoying the sun during the past days, and I've noticed some of you've been enjoying the shade as well. But as you've been enjoying the sun, all the mighty force of that which is in the heavens, there are great vast stretches of this earth that can grow nothing, produce nothing for the good of man as it stands now, simply because the warmth of the sun shines not upon it. I have a letter from my wife, of course I have letter most days but I had a letter from my wife I think it was Thursday's letter or something like that and in the course of my letter you know when you write you ask all sorts of things don't you and I was asking how the garden was getting on and I asked we've got a greenhouse there how the tomatoes were doing and she wrote back and said the tomatoes are as green as when you went away no Sun we've had a wet wet wet season I say how blessed is the Sun how important is
the Sun and yet it works so silently there's no noise with it there's no shout I say the dew of the morning to walk out of a tent if one is camping and walk across the field and find your feet just damp and you wonder where it's come from it's fallen from the very heavens so silently it never woke you up and let what power what force to replenish the earth the seed that shoots the great mystery of our God there is something you can't see you can't measure you can't weigh it's called lust and it'll break a concrete slab it'll knock down a building that seed that shoots what power brethren sisters I want to say this the first thing about salt is that it works and it works silently and I love the glorious words don't you of the 30th chapter of Isaiah in quietness and in strength I
say in quietness and in confidence will be your strength this is what God is saying there's a very lovely story of dr. Campbell Dr. Campbell Morgan was there with his sons having dinner. And after dinner they began to discuss, all of them great preachers, they began to discuss who was the greatest preacher in the family. And of course the boys suggested this and that and the other was the greatest sermon that had been preached, but after a while they came to the conclusion that they had to bow to the fact that the greatest creature in the family was Campbell Morgan, Dr.
Morgan himself. When they had passed their judgment, the doctor said, Boy, you're wrong. You're wrong. The greatest creature in the family is Mother. She'd never been on the platform in her life. Dr. Campbell's wife, so I'm given to understand I cannot verify this fact, but I'm given to understand she have not even spoken at the lady's meeting. And yet, Campbell Morgan, the prince of preachers, said, Mother is the greatest preacher, for in quietness and in confidence she had told forth by her action, by her works, the fact that she was what Jesus said she was, thought, and she'd stopped her boys from doing things that were wrong.
She guided them and cared for them and made them the preachers that they became. Brethren, sisters, one of the tragedies today in assembly life is this, that there has arisen the sort of thought that you cannot be a great Christian unless you're some sort of preacher. May I say this, and say it from the depth of my heart, that God is looking for our silent witness. God is gazing upon Christians today and is saying to you and me, what sort of Christian are you? I have many favorite characters in the Bible.
One of my favorite characters is a man whose name is only mentioned once. Was it not Mr. Spurgeon who said, it takes of grace than Tom can tell to play the second fiddle well. And there are many first fiddles in the orchestra of God. There's many a Paul and a Peter and an Apollo. Many a man who thinks they're that anyway. But isn't it wonderful? It is not just in the first fiddles, but it is in the second fiddles that the tune is kept. And I have a favorite character. His name is Manassan. of Cyprus, an old disciple with whom we were to lodge.
I say, what a statement. What a statement. I've been speaking about Manetan for 25 years and he never, never, never fails to captivate my heart. It's that lovely, lovely story in the 21st chapter of Acts and the 16th verse. The only mention of him in the whole of the Bible, Manetan of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. I don't know a sermon he preached. I don't know a sermon that ever came from his lips. I only know this that silently he acted as salt. Three things about Manassan of Cyprus. First of all, he was a flutter, an old disciple.
I like that, ain't you? Now please, the word old is not associated with his age, it's associated with his discipleship. I know not how old he was. He is not saying an old man, but an old disciple. There's many a young man who's an old disciple, and many an old man who's a young disciple. So you young folk, don't you sit back and say to yourself, he's not talking to me, I can have a little man. I am talking to you. He was an old disciple, and I've never yet met a person who became an old disciple until he was a plodder. A man who kept on living for God amidst all the obstacles of life.
Now he came from Cyprus. You know what that means, don't you? That means that he was right in the centre, right in the very centre of the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas over he knew all about him if he had been like some of us he would have stood back and said look at that the leaders of the church quarreling pool quarreling Barnabas quarreling why I finished with that I'm not wearing there anymore I've heard the folk talk like that haven't you yet despite and his heart must have been broken despite it all he plotted off he plodded on he plodded on silently no preacher living the God he was not only a plodder the nascent of Cyprus an old disciple with whom we were to lodge so he was not only a plodder I say come on let's have a preachers class let's have the second thing first of all he was a plodder that you're out of this better John you couldn't even remember
your own sir so you won't get but there we are now first of all he was a plotter with whom we were to lodge he was well that's very good I never thought of that one thank you that's another point for a sermon but that may be a little more than provider he was a plotter he was he was with whom we were to lodge. Pardon? Yes, I used to spell that with a P, but it was always wrong. Always wrong. My teacher didn't know a T. Always was asking me. I said, with whom we were to lodge, his Christianity was P.
Practical. He was a plodder, but he was practical. With whom we were to lodge, I say, brethren and sisters, can I say this to you? Because I have stayed in the homes of so many of God's dear people over the years, I want to tell you that this is the work of salt. Silent. No one knows anything about it. But the work of God is being done. And I want publicly to say thank you to every home in which you're the person who owns the home in which I've stayed. I've stayed in mansions of buildings.
And I've stayed in little terraced houses that are a little more than a butt in a bed where I've had to get out of the bed and lie on the floor because I couldn't go to sleep in the bed. And every one of them has been given me by God. And I praise God for every one of them. There's a need today for Christian practice. not just Christian preaching. I say, let's get the laugh one, shall we? An old disciple with whom we were to lodge. But it's preceded with these words. They are brought with them one Manassan of Cyprus, an old disciple with whom we were to lodge.
So I'm going to suggest that Manassan was not only a plodder, he was not only practical, in with them so I'm going to suggest he was speak up sir a partner very good that's another point I've got can I ask you something who are the people you like mixing with who are the folk you like as your companions thank you I think he was a pleasant man don't you they could have left him home and said we'll bring paul to your house but they wanted his company come on manathan walk with us i don't know about you but brethren sisters if ever there was a need for pleasant christians it's the day in which we live there are some of you good folk you go about with a face as long as a fiddle and a black tie down the middle and you think you've got all the worries in the world on your shoulders let's remember this that god says in his word cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will forsake it.
Oh, please, he doesn't expect us to go around grinning like Cheshire cats, as I would say in my country. But I tell you what he does expect us to do. He expects our Christianity to go a little bit deeper than just our skin, to give us the joy in our hearts. And this is a silent work, isn't it? A silent work. We had the other evening a dear lady who's working here in charge of the dining hall, and sang to us. And as she came up here, I couldn't help it. I looked at her. I said, all that's the happy ladies. Have you seen them? The happy lady. I wonder how many of us she'd look at and say, by those are the happy people. I don't know about you.
I have to keep sometimes chatty with folk that are not too pleasant, but I like the pleasant ones. You watch the folk I mix with here. I say, the brethren sisters hear the salt of the earth and salt works silently oh that our witness a silent witness not a preaching witness but a silent witness may men and women look at us and say there are men and women who are working and working for God but I said that salt was not only silent it was secret it was secret you know they put salt on something and immediately it begins to work You can't see it carry on its business, but it does, it begins to work.
And most of our lives are in secret, aren't they? Is it wonderful that God takes note? Isn't it wonderful the work is done if we are right with God? I had a little experiment today. I hope I didn't embarrass anyone, because you know I've never embarrassed anyone, really. But I didn't want to embarrass anyone. But I went to quite a number of you. young and older and I said to tell me could you give me the names of the disciples you know there was only one person our good brother mr. Siler from Siler City and mayor of Siler City where is it but he was the only one I think that had it right I had it right because I had it written down I did not ask asked that question to embarrass any one of you I asked it because I want to press that point tonight is it remarkable that there are some people the disciples of the Lord who did so much for our God who were in the very birth pains of the Christian church men who went forth and proclaimed the glad and glorious message of
Jesus Christ that we know the name of Peter and we know the name of Matthew and we know the name of Bartholomew and we know the name but there are some we don't know their names we have to look it up and yet their work was as great as the work of the greatest we know and I want to say this I'll go into an assembly and I come away and they say you know brother so and so in that assembly well no I only know the brother that wrote me you know and his name was mr. well something of the other isn't it grand that God knows all our names is it wonderful that there's a work going on and God wants us to work even though it may not be in the forward place we may not be in the front of the battle God is saying I want you like salt to work work in secret if you will but work for there's coming a day when it will be revealed is there a dear sister here a dear brother here and day by day as you move amongst men you drop a track here and you say a word there and you feel I'm so insignificant in the things of God you're not you're not you're not God
said you're the salt of the earth he didn't say make yourself salt he said you are salt and there's something being done for God if we know God but would you notice please that not only is thought silent. It not only is thought secret, but the wonder to my heart is that thought is sacrificial. When you put thought on something, as I've reminded you, it loses itself. It loses its identity. You cannot see it. It's soaked up into that on which it has been placed.
God is asking you and I, are we prepared to lose our life that we might keep it and we prepared to give up even our identity that God may be glorified that little chorus we've been singing for me to live is Christ to die is more of Christ it's day the tragedy in my own heart is that sometimes oh sometimes friends and sisters God forgive me I find myself maybe more forward than I should think God is saying to you and me tonight I want your life to be laid on the altar for me there is a sacrificial work that I want you to do for me I want you to give yourself for me the name of James Gilmore to any of you who are the followers of mission work will be very familiar James Gilmore went to the University of Glasgow and came out with honors degrees almost everything he touched he passed with absolute honors and
when he had received his degrees and three degrees he received three earned degrees he went to see his professor and said, sir, I'm going to Mongolia. And his professor looked at him and said, going to Mongolia, what are you going to Mongolia for? I'm going to be a missionary. Why, you're a fool. With a mind like you've got, with the brilliance of your intellect, you're a fool to go to Mongolia. There's nothing you can do there as a missionary. Why don't you stay? Why don't you go? you want theology into theology why don't you train those not quite as brilliant in mind as yourself that they may go now he said God has called me to Mongolia and off he went to Mongolia James Gilmore and for 12 years they never saw him for 12 years they never heard from him until in desperation the London Missionary Society under whose auspices he went sent out someone to find James Gilmore and eventually they found him and when they looked at him they thought they were looking at a Mongolia for
he had gone to that land with such a brilliant mind with such great ability and he had so identified himself with the people of Mongolia that they had sent someone to find him and they thought he was a Mongolia when I was in Old Drossan just recently I went to the little cottage where James Gilmore was born. But I can't tell you, brethren, how my heart was stirred as I looked at a little plank on the door side and this is what it was, this is what it said. James Gilmore of Mongolia was born in this cottage and he was born of a likeness of Christ Oh, what a testimony!
He bore the likeness of Christ. And those were not the words, please, of missionaries. Those were the words of Mongolian people. But when he went to a land that had never heard the sweet name of Jesus, he bore the likeness of Christ. I know not, Brother John, do you remember Mr. Duffy, who was in the missionary home in Newport. It was just a little after you'd left Newport, I expect. Mr. Duffy and his wife served in Mongolia for many, many, many years. He originated from New Zealand, tall man taller than I.
Now for many, many years of serving God, captured by the Japanese, thrown into a prisoner of war camp, eventually released, with his health completely broken. And I can't speak personal knowledge of James Gilmore, but I can speak personal knowledge of Mr. Duffy. If ever there was a man who bore the character of the Lord Jesus, it was that man. Brethren, sisters, how about us? Are we identifying ourselves? Are we being engulfed with the one we come in contact with?
Ye are the fault of the earth. But praise God if we come in contact with Christ, we will lose our identity and be a blessing as Christ was to others. But salt is not only silent and secret and sacrificial, but salt is savoury. Salt is that which is added that a taste may be given, that things may be more pleasant. And I want to say that life has been more pleasant to me since I came to know. Jesus Christ. And life, all please, you're listening now, and this is not just words for the sake of saying them, but I want to say that life was more pleasant to me since I came to know the people of Jesus Christ, to come in contact with Christians, to know all sometimes things are said at heart.
We don't mean them to hurt, but we're only human. I only notice that life has become more savoury since I came to know Jesus Christ. Nice to see these young folk here. Let me ask you a question. What is the chemical composition of salt, please? You young folk at school. The chemical composition of salt? Just a moment, please. Just a moment. Doctor, you ought to know, sir, please tell us. Sodium chloride. Is that remarkable? Do you ever take him a couple of minutes to look ever stop to think for one brief moment.
Hydrochloride mixed with sodium becomes sodium chloride salt. You take hydrochloride and pour it on my hand and in half a minute my hand will be burned away. You take hydrochloride and put it in a glass and ask me to drink it, and I'll die an agonizing death in a matter of moments. My blessed God takes hydrochloride acid and places in it sodium.
And I take it shortly. It makes the tomatoes. Not tomatoes. Tomatoes. It makes them savoury. I say, I want to say something to you. I can remember as though it was yesterday, although the years have swept by. When to the hydrochloric acid of my life, God poured the sodium of his grace. And the life that had touched things and taken it.
those things the life that have been no blessing to anyone praise God he made it salt and he wants to make your life that is well he made that life salt may I ask ye are the salt of the earth are you good or good for nothing There's only one person that could answer that, you know. I can't answer it, but you can answer it. And I have a Savior who's looking around in this whole world of ours, in the home field, in the foreign field.
He's looking for men and women who are prepared to say, Oh, Lord, add to the hydrochloric acid of my life the sodium of your grace, make me full, enable me to go out. But there's one thing I think we need to remember, you do not put, you do not put on meat that's bad, salt to stop it going bad, but you put salt on that which is good to stop it going bad. I've enjoyed today. Thank you. Thank you for making it a good day.
I've enjoyed it. We've smiled together, we've laughed together. I've marched for my little flag for all time. But I've enjoyed it. Isn't it wonderful that the Church of God jumps over national barriers? Isn't it wonderful we're one in Christ Jesus? And while each one of us would maintain our national entity, yet we're one in Christ. But if I've learned anything today, I've learned this by you're singing by one of some of the things you've said by your praising and prayers that there are many good things in America there are many good things in America as I believe there are many good things in my country God wants to add salt to them to stop them going bad we get sometimes so occupied with that which is bad God says I want you to be the salt of the world the salt of the earth I want you to go forth and stop that which is good from going bad.
I want you in your home life. I want you in your business life. I want you in your college life. I want you in your school life. I want you in your social life to be the salt of the earth. I want you so to yield yourself to Christ. But this day, your independence day, This day might be a day when things are stopped from going bad. My Christian friend, are you good? Or are you good for nothing?
Could we sing the little chorus again? Would that be all right? to be a little kinder, to be a little blinder. All of those around me. Let me praise a little more. Let me be when I am weary. Did you hear that when I saw you yawning away there? Be a little weary. Oh yeah. A little bit more cheer. Hey. Hey. Hey. Come away then, are we ready? Let me be a little kinder.
Let me be a little kinder. Let the song of the Lord come at me. Let me praise the little more. Let me be when I am weary. Just a little bit more. hear me, sing a little book of others, and a little of me. Let me be a little braver, when to think of this we wave, let me try a little harder to be all that I should be.
where to make up with the promise who is we to. Let it be full of my neighbors, and a little of me. Let me let it spread unkindness, seem to win most lost in blindness. Bring my band to living commerce. For the God of creation is the one who Christ's salvation is the one whose name for freedom that is given to you and me.
Shall we pray? Brother Duncan from Burlington, will you ask God's blessing, please? God bless you, Father, with gratitude for us for the time that has been shown up. Amen. We thank you, Father, for by words that are new every morning, and for all that blessed goodness come to you. Help us to be more like this. Amen. Amen. This is Christ of David.
going to keep on witnessing for him and living for him. There's just one thing more and I'm finished. I'd like to call it the service that calls to you and to me. You know, the altars have been reached, but there are more than 16,000 people groups that still need the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that means that a us who are Christians, it has evolved the greatest possibility of praying, of giving, and of going that they might hear.
One of the five missionary martyrs said, Oh, God, keep me from access to Christianity, make me ignitable. And another one said, Oh, God, I'd rather die now than live a life of ease in so sick a world. And I pray that what we have recounted tonight will be used of God to rekindle in every one of us the missionary call and the missionary passion and the missionary concern. I'd be foolish if I tried to give the impression that everybody who's here in this chapel and on the outside has the obligation of going personally to reach one of those groups. But I'm not foolish in saying that every one of us here who is a follower of Jesus Christ responsibility and the call of being involved in order that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ might be ascended to the end of the earth.
And I think my question to you and to me tonight again is, are you and I ready to accept that call? Does the martyrdom of these five fellows in Estonia say anything to you and to me? Yes, I think what it says is exactly what the Apostle Paul says. me need a child on my wife