The Dream Team, Part 3
Type: Sunday Morning Service
Series: The Dream Team
Sermon: Part 3 - The Winning Strategy #1
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
In a world that often rewards arrogance and revenge, Jesus calls His people to live distinctly as “the salt of the earth,” anchored in covenant identity, collective value, and a clear purpose. Living salty means embodying meekness and mercy, preserving what is good, cleansing what is broken, and adding Christ-like flavor that makes people thirsty for God. When the church refuses apathy and compromise, it becomes a powerful, united force for healing, freedom, and renewal in society.
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Additional Info
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You Are the Salt of the Earth: Identity, Value, and Purpose
The world can feel like a losing game—conflict, confusion, and deep division. Yet Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:13 cut through the noise with stunning clarity: “You are the salt of the earth.” In one line, He offers a strategy for renewal rooted in knowing who you are, embracing the power of “we,” and living out a redemptive purpose wherever you are.
Know Your Identity
Salt is not a costume to put on; it’s who you are in Christ. In Scripture, salt is tied to covenant—enduring, unbreakable, and personal (2 Chronicles 13:5). That means followers of Jesus are bound to Him and set apart for His purposes. This identity reshapes how we think and live: in meekness and mercy (Matthew 5:5, 7), we reflect Jesus and are transformed “with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Identity fuels action. We become before we do.
Embrace Your Value—Together
In the ancient world, salt was precious—so valuable it shaped economies and even pay (“salary” traces to “salt”). When Jesus says “you” (plural) are the salt of the earth, He declares the collective church indispensable. United, we bring health and stability to our communities. The church is not a trivial garnish; it is essential for human flourishing, like sodium balancing the body or electrolytes reviving an exhausted athlete.
Live Your Purpose: Cleanse, Preserve, and Flavor
Salt cleanses. Throughout history, Christians have entered places of pain to bring healing—consider the birth of hospitals out of Christian compassion and care. Salt preserves. In a decaying world, the church slows moral rot—standing in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30), confronting injustice like human trafficking, and engaging every sector of society with integrity and courage. Salt adds flavor. Words and actions “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6) lift the ordinary, bring joy to the weary, and make people thirsty for the living water of Jesus.
Avoid Losing Impact
Salt doesn’t chemically lose saltiness, but it can be so mixed with impurities that it becomes useless (Matthew 5:13b). Compromise, apathy, fear, and doubt dilute our witness. Renewed identity, shared mission, and purposeful action restore our edge.
A Comeback Story
What looks like halftime deficit can become a comeback. As the people of Jesus step into their covenant identity, link arms in unity, and live out their purpose with meekness, mercy, and courageous love, communities change. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17)—and freedom spreads when the church lives salty.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Opening: Share a time when a small action from someone else made a big difference in your day.
Read: Matthew 5:13; Matthew 5:5, 7; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18; 2 Chronicles 13:5; Colossians 4:6; 2 Kings 2:19–22; Ezekiel 22:30.
Discuss:
What parts of the “salt” metaphor stand out to you most—covenant, cleansing, preserving, or flavor? Why?
How does knowing your identity in Christ shape your daily decisions?
Where do you see decay or “infection” in our community that needs a cleansing, preserving, or flavorful Christian presence?
What does meekness and mercy look like in your relationships this week (home, work, online)?
How can we stay “salty” and avoid compromise or apathy?
Prayer: Pray for courage, unity, and practical ways to bring healing and flavor to specific people and places.
Action Step: As a group, choose one tangible project this month (e.g., support an anti-trafficking ministry, serve at a local shelter, write encouragement notes to public servants, or volunteer on a church Dream Team).
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Matthew 5:13; 5:5; 5:7 (Sermon on the Mount)
Spoken early in Jesus’ ministry in Galilee under Roman occupation, the Sermon on the Mount reframed kingdom life for a marginalized people. “Salt” was precious in the ancient Near East for preserving food, disinfecting wounds, sealing covenants, and enhancing flavor, making Jesus’ metaphor vivid and practical. “Meekness” in that culture implied strength under control, not weakness; “mercy” called for covenantal compassion in a harsh world.2 Chronicles 13:5 (Covenant of Salt)
Abijah addresses Jeroboam amid divided monarchy tensions (Judah vs. Israel). A “covenant of salt” symbolized permanence and loyalty, likely linked to the durability and preserving nature of salt and its presence in offerings.2 Corinthians 3:17–18
Written by Paul to the church in Corinth (mid-first century), these verses contrast the old covenant (Moses’ veiled glory) with the Spirit’s transforming work in the new covenant. Freedom and ongoing transformation anchor Christian identity and ethics.Colossians 4:6
Paul’s instructions to the Colossian church (in a syncretistic, Roman city) call believers to wise, gracious speech “seasoned with salt,” suggesting words that preserve truth, add grace, and invite thirst for the gospel.2 Kings 2:19–22
In the early ministry of Elisha (9th century BC), salt is cast into a poisoned spring at Jericho. The miracle dramatizes God’s power to cleanse and restore what is corrupt, using a familiar preserving agent to display divine renewal.Ezekiel 22:30
Ezekiel, prophesying during the Babylonian crisis, laments the absence of someone to “stand in the gap” for the land. It underscores God’s search for intercessors and reformers who will preserve a community from judgment. -
Theme: You Are the Salt!
Introduction (5 min): Show a salt shaker. Ask: What does salt do? (Makes food taste better, helps preserve, heals.) Say: Jesus says YOU are like salt—He made you to help the world!Scripture (5 min): Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:6 (read from an age-appropriate version).
Key Idea: When we follow Jesus, our words and actions help people and point them to God.Craft (7 min): “Salt Light Jar”
Materials: Small clear plastic cup/jar, glue stick, colored tissue paper bits, a pinch of table salt, LED tea light.
Instructions: Glue tissue around the jar, sprinkle a tiny bit of salt onto the glue for sparkle, place the tea light inside.
Talk: This jar reminds us to brighten and “season” our world.
Game (5 min): “Flavor Finders”
Place 3 cups: one plain cracker, one lightly salted cracker, one lemon water cup.
Kids taste a tiny bit (with parental permission) and guess which has salt.
Lesson: Salt makes a difference—so do you!
Discussion Questions (5 min):
How can your words be kind and “salty”?
What is one helpful thing you can do at school this week?
Who needs encouragement today?
Wrap-Up & Prayer (3 min):
Pray: “Jesus, help us bring Your kindness, courage, and joy wherever we go. Make our words gentle and our hearts brave. Amen.” -
Good morning. It's good to see all of you here today. And we're in the middle of a series entitled The Dream Team where I hopefully am encouraging you to be a participant in what it is God wants to do, especially as we are approaching the times that we live in. Things are challenging and difficult. I'm reminded of a story from back in 2003 when I was coaching the boys basketball team. that my son played for in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we had had some good seasons. He was now a junior in high school. We had had some winning seasons. But this particular year, 2002-2003, we won the league champions and we were undefeated. It was quite an accomplishment. There were teams in that division that we'd never even beaten before. And that year we beat them all two different times. And then we went to the regional tournament. And at the regional tournament, we ended up walking away with the first place trophy. We got to go to the very number one on here and stand on that and receive our awards. And we were number one in the region. And with that, you got an invitation to the state tournament in Reno, Nevada. And so we were excited to go. And we got there and had some early successes in the early rounds. We made it all the way to the championship game. We were 28-3 at that time. We knew that we were going to be the champions of the state. Unfortunately, the other team didn't know that. Because at halftime, we were behind by 17 points. We had never even been behind more than 10 points the entire season. And we had like 50 boys in the high school. and the other teams that we had trailed had 2,000 or more boys in their high schools. And so we were wondering what in the world is going on? We knew we were in trouble. Well, in Matthew chapter 5, the disciples feel like they're in trouble. They're looking for a way out of their situation. The Romans have occupied Israel for decades. There's demonic activity everywhere. The Jewish religious system is at its height. And it appears like the common everyday person is so far behind that they will never ever be able to come back and win the game. Well, Jesus said something in the midst of this that kind of alarmed them. He said, you are the of the earth. In other words, the same way that we addressed our championship team. They're down by 17. They're thinking, you know what? We're going to run into the locker room and we're going to pout. Did you know what we did? We huddled right out at midcourt. We didn't even go into the locker room. We huddled and said, this is how we're going to come back and win this game. Because we know you've got it in you. Jesus is huddling. in Matthew chapter 5 with his disciples. And he's saying, guess what? I'm getting ready to unleash the greatest strategy the world has ever seen. And we are going to win this battle in the name of Jesus Christ. Who can say amen? And he goes, the way we're going to win it is you're the salt of the earth. You guys got your salt packets? Let me see him wave them at me. Wave your salt packet at me. Yeah, there you go. There you go. I mean, you were walking on in and you were thinking you were getting a steak. dinner today, right? Put a little salt and pepper on it and everything's going to be good. Well, hopefully, spiritually speaking, that's what you're about to receive. Because Jesus said, you are the salt of the earth. And in those seven simple words, he unleashed a strategy that we are still working on today. And here are the three things I want you to understand. Number one, Jesus is saying, if you want to be a part of the winning team and the winning strategy, Know Your Identity. Say Identity. Mr. Wilson of Dennis the Menace fame noticed that after 40 years with the Postal Service and now upon retirement, he felt like he had lost his identity. About that time, he opened a piece of mail claiming that his identity had been stolen. Dennis the Menace overheard the whole monologue, so he asked, well, which is it? Mr. Wilson, did someone steal your identity or did you lose your identity? Well, many Christians I've discovered do not know who they are in Christ. We need to understand who we are. And Jesus isn't saying that you should act like salt. Jesus isn't saying you should strive to be salt. Jesus says you are the salt. Say salt. are the salt of the earth. This is your identity as God's dream team members. We might call ourselves the Oxford AOG salts. I know, not a very intimidating mascot, is it? I guess I have to get out a salt shaker or something, and this is who we are, you know? I'd rather be a gator, or I guess I'd rather be a bull or something like that. That. Assault. Something's wrong with that. At first glance, I'm sure the disciples are thinking the same thing. What is Jesus even talking about? And this is what I think He wants us all to understand. We need to realize that we have to be something before we can do something. We have to realize that we are something in Christ Jesus. before we're busy about doing the work of Jesus Christ. So that means the winning strategy begins by being in relationship with God. Now you might be thinking again, Pastor, I don't get the connection with salt. Well, in biblical times, salt was considered a mark of friendship. When two people shared salt, they were bound to look after one another's welfare. Even if they were previously enemies. Salt also was used to bind a covenant. So when parties came together, they were bound in what was like a form of notarization. Parties would eat salt in the presence of witnesses to confirm any covenants that they were making. Listen to 2 Chronicles 13, verse 5. This is Abijah, one of the heirs of David. And listen to what he says to Jeroboam. Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the dominion of Israel to David forever to him and his sons by a covenant of salt? So in ancient Hebrew culture, a covenant of salt signified an enduring, binding, and unbreakable agreement. That's what Abijah is reminding Jeroboam of. The biblical law even mandated the inclusion of salt in all grain offerings. Again, focusing on the covenant relationship between God and man. So by using this metaphor, Jesus is declaring that the disciples, and by extension the church, is in an eternal, non-breakable covenant who can say amen. You're in an unbreakable covenant with God. He is your father. You are His child, His son, His daughter. And so what we need to understand is by virtue of being a child of God, God wants us to act and to think and to behave differently. The winning strategy is about being different from the world. When Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth, He's saying you are distinct. He's saying you are set apart. He's saying that you might be in the world, but you are not of the world. Your true citizenship is in heaven. So the Sermon on the Mount then is a playbook. And it contains the game plan. It contains the attitudes and behaviors and actions that make us salty in the world in which we live today. And the end result of that is we become changed or transformed in the very image of Jesus Christ himself. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, and we all who with unveiled faces contemplates the Lord's glory. So all that means is the more that we look at Jesus, the more we read the New Testament, the more time we spend in prayer, The more time we gather together as a body of believers and worship and think about God. This is what it says. We will be transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Again, if you're wondering what that looks like, the Sermon on the Mount is this game plan that we all need. And in this game plan, I can't go over the whole thing. You don't have time. But let me give you just two simple things to contemplate as we progress through this sermon. Number one is this. Jesus declared, blessed are the meek. Say meek. Blessed are the meek. This seems opposite to what the world believes today. The world sees meekness as weakness. The world values pride and braggadocious and arrogance. If you watched the football game on Thursday night, at the very beginning, beginning of the game, one player from the Philadelphia Eagles spit on the opposing quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Completely disrespected him. Completely condescended towards him. And yet there are talking heads that were saying that all he was doing was exerting his dominance and showing him who the boss was. That's what's valued in the world today. But God is saying, if you want to really make a difference? If you want to touch this world, it's through meekness. It's through a gentle spirit. It's through an attitude of humility where you actually value other people, their ideas, their attitudes. Even when they might be a little different than you, at least you value the person in their personhood. Jesus also declares, blessed are the merciful. Again, I don't see a lot of mercy in the world, I see revenge. I see attacks. I see impatience. I see mean-spiritedness. And that's in the church. That's in the church. Why are there so many divorces in the church? Why are there so many church splits? Why are there so many people quitting churches and going other places? Because they lack mercy. Mercy is a compassion of the soul. It's a fruit of the Spirit. The person who possesses mercy makes the case for the other person. If in our marriages we actually made the case for our spouse, there'd be far less spouses. We give other people the benefit of the doubt. We give them a break once in a while because we are filled with mercy. Mercy is a gracious disposition towards our fellow human beings. I found this out this week. I didn't know this before. The U.S. Navy has a ship called the Mercy. Do you guys know this? We have a ship called the Mercy and it's a floating hospital and when it arrived in Asia to aid tsunami victims in 2006, It reshaped the opinions that Indonesian Muslims had of America. Wow! In fact, it was so successful that the Navy agreed to regularly deploy the Mercy to various places around the world. One leader said this, The Mercy may be the most powerful ship the Navy owns. Why? Because Mercy, according to Jesus, than force. I could say something about all of the beatitudes and all of the behaviors in those three chapters, but we'll save that for another day. Number two is this. Embrace your value. And I'm not talking about what I talked about last week. Last week I said every single one of you is a masterpiece. Every single one of you is God's workmanship, God's design, and because of that you're all priceless. But that's not what Jesus is talking about here. Here he's saying that together we're even better. Together and working collectively, we have more power to impact the world for God's kingdom than we can even by ourselves. Jesus is telling us that the church is invaluable. You might say, where are you getting this? Well, you are the salt of the earth. That word you in the Greek is in the plural form. Jesus is talking to all of his disciples at that time. And by extension, that means he's talking to each and every one of us. Here's the problem for us in the 21st century. We do not see salt as valuable. As a matter of fact, Robin ordered these salt packets, and I think we got around 400 of them for 10 bucks. And so how valuable really is salt if you can get 400 packets for 10 bucks? or a big canister of it for one or two dollars. It can't be worth that much. But listen, in Jesus' time, salt was highly valued. It was an expensive commodity that literally shaped economies and influenced trade and caused wars. At one point in world history, salt and gold were of equivalent value. It was so valuable, it was actually used as a form of currency. The word salary derives from the Latin word for salt, solarium, and this is where we get this phrase, he or she is worth their salt. Yeah. Do you know someone worth their salt? So the historical and economic importance of salt is crucial in understanding what Jesus is trying to communicate here. He's telling His followers that they're not some trivial, unimportant substance, but they are necessary. They are invaluable. They are a foundational component to all, say all, all of human society. Sounds kind of weird, doesn't it? Especially with all the attacks that we get. With all the condensation. Condescending Nature. Not water, okay? But condescending towards us. That we get towards us. I mean, the world at times seems to hate us. I mean, you can see it on the news sometimes. You see it in politics sometimes. I mean, did you see this Senator Cain recently saying that our rights do not come from a Creator? He said that on national television this week. That they come from Him basically. that he gets to decide what our rights are going to be. There's no God is basically what he was saying. But God is saying that salt is necessary for the survival of even men like him. The church is that important. Do you know salt helps maintain fluid balance in the body? And because of this, it helps basic body functions like proper blood pressure, circulation, organ function. My father-in-law, probably about 20 years ago, his doctor said, you have to go on a low-sodium diet. How many of you doctors told you low-sodium diet? Let me see your hands. Low-sodium diet. That's probably most of us. Take the salt out. Take the salt out. Take the salt out. That's all we ever hear. That's what he heard. And he heard this. You need to drink more water. You need to drink more water. You need to drink more He started getting tired and he started kind of losing a little bit of the skip in his step He started getting a little irritable at the same time and and one day He just started getting confused like he didn't know where he was And so my mother-in-law calls the the emts and they show up and and they rush him to the hospital And the first thing they do is they put him on a saline solution drip what's saline? It's salt. And within 20 minutes, he's back to normal. And they're like, what in the world? We thought you had a stroke. We thought you were going to a coma. Something crazy had to be going on here. And they did all kinds of tests. And this is what they concluded. He drank so much water and was on such a low sodium diet that he'd flushed all of the sodium out of his body, which caused his organs to start shutting down. Isn't that crazy? We need salt. This is the whole reason for the invention of Gatorade. I mean, the University of Florida, they actually came up with a product that works. They discovered that when their football players were playing in the heat and they wanted to drink water and replenish, it wasn't working. And it wasn't working because they needed salt and sugar. Salt is an electrolyte and it needed to be placed in that water so that the salt was put back into the system along with the fluids and it made them actually perform so much better that they were able to commercially market and sell Gatorade. It's the number one sports drink in the world today. All because we need salt. Isn't that interesting? Salt is also essential just for good health. We know that salt aids in absorption of other nutrients. And ironically, we've been told to eliminate it from our diets. Listen to this. Within the last year, new study. They studied over 100 different cultures around the world. The cultures that had the highest salt content had the healthiest people. Disclaimer, I didn't tell you to go get a bunch of salt now, right? Don't go crazy. Pastor Tom said we can eat all the salt we want. I did not say that. There's way more wrongs with the American diet and just a little bit too much salt. It's processed foods. It's all that kind of stuff. My point is simply this, that you can't do without salt and the world can't do without the church. Who can say amen? We are greatly needed in the world in which we live. Third, live your purpose. About 10 years ago, CVS came out with this major declaration. You guys know CVS, right? The pharmacy? They said 10 years ago, we are no longer going to sell cigarettes because it is contrary to our purpose. And our purpose is taking care of people's health. Now, because they made that statement and that decision to no longer sell cigarettes, they lost $2 billion in sales. $2 billion. But they started living according to their purpose. You are the salt of the earth. There's a number of things He wants you to glean from that. Number one is this, like salt, our purpose is to be a cleansing influence in society. In Jesus' day, salt was a recognized disinfectant and antiseptic used to prevent and to halt infection. In the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha actually used salt to purify purify poisoned and bitter water. So the idea is that through our collective lives, we bring health, purity, disinfectant to our society. Now listen, when I say pouring salt into the wound, what's the first thing you think of? Ouch. I've heard a couple people say, ouch, ouch. And because of that, the phrase pouring salt into the wound has become a negative phrase. Oh, don't pour salt into the wound. But on the Roman battlefield, you know what the first thing they did is when somebody got a sword thrust through them? Is they filled it with salt. And yes, it hurt. There was great pain. But you need to understand that the salt literally draws out the bacteria and the infection from the cells and starts making the soldier healthier. And so pouring salt into the wound is what we do sometimes. When we make a stand for Christ, people say, that hurts. But it is for their benefit who can say amen. Let me give you a couple of examples throughout history. Number one, the hospital. Most people don't realize that without the church, there would probably be no hospitals today. The modern world is living under the blessing of the church. of God because we started hospitals because our Savior Jesus healed people. In 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea, bishops of the church were instructed to go out into every city in Christendom and start a hospital. Remember during Roman culture if you were sick they just threw you out the door. You understand that? It was the Christians that took in the sick. It was the Christians that started making a way for them to be taken care of. And at least their pain eased. And then eventually hospitals. The oldest hospital in the world that is still in use is in Paris, France. And it was started by Saint Landry 1,400 years ago. Most of the hospitals in our country were started by the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the Baptists. Some as early as the 1700s. Advent Health. in Orlando was started by a church. St. Joseph's in Tampa was started by a church. Why? All because Jesus healed the sick. We are still healers today. Who can say amen? Number two is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 17 says, For the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Liberty is freedom. Where did they get this idea from? From a book called the Bible. The church was the driving force in western democracies. The church was the driving force in liberating slaves. Why? Because we are the salt of the earth. Listen, every time you join the walk dream team, you're offering the power of salt to this world. Every time that we open up our gym for a shelter, we're offering the power of salt to our community. When you sign up to be a greeter or an usher or a parking lot attendant, when you join any dream team, You are offering salt or health and vitality both to a sister and a brother and to the lost in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. And that's just number one for our purpose. Number two, our purpose is to be a preserving influence. Another use for salt in ancient times was that of a preservative. There were no ice machines, no refrigerators to preserve food. So food would be rubbed with a salt solution. so that it would make it through the winter. Meats specifically, fish, stuff like that. But how many understand that evil hasn't retreated? The world left to itself is on a progressive path towards destruction. Left to itself, societies and cultures all naturally decay. Even slavery itself, which was officially outlawed in the United States in the 1800s, around the world at least about 50 years ago, did you know there are still 40 million slaves in the world today? And most of them are children. And most of them are used for sex slavery. They're sold for as little as $50. On average, they're sold for $90. And then someone uses that little 5-year-old girl, that little teenager for their sexual pleasure until they're so compliant that they will do whatever this person asks and then they rent them out sometimes 30 times a day so some perverted man or woman can fulfill their worldly lusts we have a responsibility as a church and that's why last saturday we stood out here on the 301, and 20-some of us held up signs bringing attention to this atrocity on society that is still taking place, sometimes right under our nose, even in our present community. There are sex slaves. Don't stick your head in the sand. Don't pretend it's not true. It is true. And you can make a difference. You can join our team, The Youth Under the Direction of Pastor Amanda over here is actually taking on Free International as an organization to send funds their way to liberate people from slavery who can say amen. This is something we're doing. We did it last year. We're supporting at least two different groups who have heard the call to action to penetrate society. We've got to penetrate society. a difference. This is why we're doing this stuff. Salt cannot be kept in the salt shaker. It's got to come out. Yes, we make moral stands, but we also have to get involved in every facet of society. We need to be involved in government. We need to be involved in education. We need to be involved in rotary. We need to be involved on softball teams in the community. We need to be involved in retail. We We need to be making movies and going and being a part of the theater and music and all of these different things. The church is supposed to penetrate every nook and cranny and make a difference in this world in the name of Jesus Christ. And when we do, we help prevent decay. When we do, we promote wholeness in our society. Think about it. Verse 30 echoes God's thoughts. So I thought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land that I should not destroy it. But I found no one. Like salt, our purpose is also to be flavor in the world. Everything's not so bold and take a huge stand. Sometimes it's just we add flavor to the world. Have you ever had a dish and said, I need some salt for this thing right here? Did you know that's most people's lives? Most people's lives are dreary, drab, going nowhere. And when a Christian is introduced to them, the opportunity for you to brighten up their day is glorious. Paul tells us that our words and our actions should be seasoned, with salt. It is an amazing comment that he makes there in Colossians, I believe it's chapter 4, that we can be seasoning for the world. Salt can actually bring out the true flavor of a meal. Listen to this. I didn't know this. I'm not a chef, but did you know that salt suppresses bitter tastes on the tongue? Also, by reducing the amount of unbound water, it improves flavor and aroma. 2,000 years ago, Jesus made this statement, you are the salt of the earth, and he knew all of this stuff. He knew that I would be communicating this message in this moment, and that's why he made it. He says, our lives filled with good deeds, hard truth, and fervent love can make this world a tastier place. We can literally elevate humanity. And when we do that, salt makes people thirsty. Isn't that what we want? We want people saying, what have you got? Can I have just a little bit of that? I don't know why you're smiling, but I'm not. I want it to go. And can you help me in some way, shape, or form? I think the church has gone through a rough streak over the last 30 or 40 years. We're behind. It's halftime. And in Matthew 5.13, after he says, you are the salt of the earth, this is what it says. But. Is it up there yet? But. Matthew chapter 5. There it is. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trappled underfoot by men. Now what we know is the salt never loses its flavor. What he was referring to was that people would package Dead Sea salt, specifically back then with clays and gypsum, and other stuff like that. And sometimes the salt would leach out and you'd have nothing of value left. So they'd just throw it on the road. They'd throw it wherever they wanted to throw it and people would walk on it. But the church is forever the salt. But through compromise, apathy, fear, and doubt, we can lose our impact and we can lose our influence i want to go back to that story i started the sermon with at the very beginning we were behind by 17 points at halftime we had that what i called a holy huddle out there at half court and we never even went into the locker room and our players just seemed to develop a new resolve. And so they battled hard in the third quarter and came back. They were down by 11 points. And then in the fourth quarter, we were down by 9, 7, 5, 3. And with one minute to go in the game, we're one point behind. And one of the kids on our team makes a great play, steals the ball, and he starts dribbling down to the other end and somebody just hacks him and fouls him. So with less than a minute to go in the game, he goes to the free throw line and that first free throw goes up and it lands on the front of the rim and I'm telling you, it hangs there forever. Forever. And then it rolled in and the game was tied. The next one he shoots, swish. And we end up winning the state championship of Nevada. With this great 17 point comeback. I believe the church is primed for a comeback. I think God has a plan. And every single one of you is a part of it. Every single one of you has an opportunity to be a part of that team. And this is what I see someday. I see someday Oxford Assembly of God Church getting to elevate here on this platform. And we get to go to number one and we get to hold a team ball, something like this. You see, what I didn't tell you is my high school team was called the Saints. Okay? We were the Saints. And after the game, every player signed it. And to Coach Tom, thanks for the defensive shuffle drill. They hated the defensive shuffle drill. I mean, they had to get down in this position and they had to go like this, sometimes for 15 straight minutes. They said, thanks for the defensive shuffle drill. It worked. 2003 state basketball champions. We're going to stand before God someday. And God is going to dispense awards and rewards. And He's going to look at us and say, well done, good and faithful servant. I want to ask you to stand with us, sing with us as we dismiss this service, and seriously contemplate. Start looking forward to two things. Next week, we're talking about the light of the world, because He says we're the light of the world. And then on the 28th of September, we're signing up to be part of the Dream Team Expo. And we're trying to figure out what part of the team does God have us playing. God bless you guys.
