Societies Change When We Do | Week 4 | Indivisible Series

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:13–16 NASB 1995 

Believers today are called to be preserving forces and guiding lights in a decaying world. But this impact flows not from programs or platforms, but from personal transformation through discipleship. If we want to change society, we must start by letting Jesus change us.

You are the salt of the earth!

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.~ Matthew 5:13 NASB 1995 

• Identity comes before action.

  • Jesus doesn’t say try to be salt, He says you are salt. Discipleship is not earning identity; it’s living from it.

• Salt = preservation, purity, covenant faithfulness.

  • Roman “salarium” = salary
  • Used in Jewish sacrifices and covenants (Leviticus 2:13)
  • Salt prevented decay and symbolized enduring loyalty to God
  • You preserve what’s holy and slow down decay.
  • God uses faithful believers to delay cultural rot through truth and holiness.

• Losing Saltiness = Losing Influence

  • “Tasteless” from mōros (foolish/dull); it’s a pun. Salt can’t chemically lose saltiness, but it can become useless when diluted.
  • In the Mishnah, corrupted salt was thrown on paths and roofs to prevent growth, to be trampled and to be discarded.
  • The world will either be preserved by us, or we will be trampled by the world.
  • Compromise kills influence.
  • Losing distinctiveness = losing power to impact. Like tasteless salt, compromised faith is rejected by both culture and God.
  • Principle: Salt without saltiness = Profession without power.

You Are The Light Of The Word

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ~ Matthew 5:14-15 NASB

• Your Identity Is Light
  • This is not something to attain, it’s something to maintain
  • You are the light because you’re united with the Light of the World
    • John 8:12 NASB 1995 – ¹² Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
• Earth & World
  • Salt of EARTH – Literal earth, soil, land, territory, physical domain
  • Light of WORLD – The ordered world, human society, moral systems, civilizations
    • The Earth is what you AFFECT (preservation)
    • The WORLD is what you CONFRONT (darkness)
  • “Light” in Hebrew thought = life, purity, direction (Isaiah 49:6, Psalm 119:105)
  • We don’t generate light, we reflect it like the moon reflects the sun.
• You were “set” to shine
  • You’re not randomly placed, Your family, job, gym = your hill
    • God has set you in a visible place, whether you feel qualified or not.
  • Sepphoris – Remodeled by Herod Antipas when Jesus was growing up. “Ornament of Galilee” with a theater, paved streets, Romans villas, aqueducts, and bustling trade hub.
    • Highly probable that Jesus did construction there with his father, Only 1 hour walk.
• Stop dimming your light. 
  • Hiding your light due to fear, shame, or compromise robs the world of its witness.
  • Shine through truth, love, courage, and consistency.
  • “To All your house” – A Hebrew idiom implying influence within your sphere-family, household, community.
  • This is a picture of evangelistic living, disciples who live out loud their faith, pushing back darkness wherever they are placed.
  • What basket is hiding your flame? fear? shame? career? relationship? compromise?
• Live a visible life. 
  • Discipleship isn’t just theology, it’s presence in dark places
• Jesus radically redefines influence and visibility.
  • He entrusts global transformation not to emperors or philosophers, but to disciples living out
    the kingdom of heaven.

Let Your Light Shine Before Others

Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.~ Matthew 5:16 NASB 1995 

•  Discipleship is imitation
  • Talmid in Jewish tradition = not just a student, but an imitator (life, speech, tone.)
    • Luke 6:40 NIV – A student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
  • Jesus calls His disciples not only to follow but to be transformed into light bearers, reflecting His nature.
    • 2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB 1995 – But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
    • To a first-century Jew, to follow a rabbi was to surrender your former life and reorient everything around the rabbi’s way.
  • All disciples are followers, but not all followers are disciples

• Shine Through Good,  Beautiful Works
  • To “shine” is not the outcome of performance, but the outcome of proximity.
    • Just as the moon shines by reflection the sun, so a disciple shines by reflecting the Son.
  • Not just a random acts, intentional works of mercy, truth, and justice
    • Think: kindness to enemies, justice for the poor, integrity when tempted, boldness in truth.
• God Gets The Glory
  • People shouldn’t just admire your character, they should glorify your Father
  • This is lifestyle evangelism, not spotlight performance.
  • Ask: “Will this decision or action cause someone to glorify God?

Connection To Discipleship & Societal Transformation: 

 But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ~ 1 John 1:7 NASB 1995

• “Fellowship with one another” refers to fellowship among disciples, and this horizontal fellowship is the fruit of ver]cal fellowship with God
• Being discipled = Becoming someone who reflects Jesus so clearly that others can see their way to Him.
  • If you’re walking in light, others can walk by your light.
  • If you’re being transformed, your lifestyle testifies.
  • When you’re hidden away or compromised the world stumbles in darkness.

The church doesn’t need a bigger stage… it needs brighter lamps.

Application of Message:

• Be visible, not private.
  • Your faith is meant to be public not hidden.
  • Tell your story.
• Influence with integrity
  • Maintain distinctiveness, not comforting to worldly values but preserving truth and purity.
• Shine to glory, not impress
  • Make it about God’s fam, not your brand.
  • Good works don’t save us, but they point others to the One who does.
• Personal discipleship leads to cultural influence
  • You want to change a city? Start with yourself

Four Next Steps

1. Share Your Story
   • wearecrossing.com/story
2. Group Link
   • Step into community. Be discipled. Shine together.
3. Baptism
   • Publicly declare the light of Jesus is in you.
4. Dream Team
   • Use your gifts to serve and influence others. Don’t hide what God gave you.

“When you walk IN the light… others can walk BY your light… until they FIND the light…and begin to walk IN the light.”

Words of Knowledge:

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone with an intestinal fistula.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone with an injured patella.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone that has been diagnosed with hepatitis.

We believe someone is having issues with their pancreas, and the Lord wants to heal you today.