Let us think about salt.  Salt first of all preserves.  The word of God will also preserve the soul if we give our life to Christ, for the word is where salvation is (Romans 1:16).  If we want to preserve our lives we must give our lives.  (Luke 17:33) “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”  Salt also gives flavor.  As a matter of fact it can have a spicy burning flavor, just as if we have accepted the word in our hearts.   (Jeremiah 20:9) “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”  Finally salt, if enters into an open wound will burn.  The word of God is promised to cut open the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

 The statement, “that was a negative sermon”, is also defined by some as the preacher mentioning things other than salvation.  When the preacher maybe speaks on false teachers.  When someone gets upset at these things they are not thinking of how Christ taught.  If Christ thought someone needed some “name calling” directed at him or her (when it was true), he did so.  (Matthew 15:7-9) “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  Calling someone a hypocrite does not seem nice.  Yet, it was the truth.  Paul told the brethren at the churches of Galatia that he was simply telling them the truth, he then asked if he had become their enemy simply for telling them the truth (Galatians 4:16).  Some brethren and some non-Christians need to consider why they may be offended by truth.  The truth will set one free (John 8:32).  Do those offended not want to be free?

Christ did not hold back when it came to rebuking.  (Matthew 23:8-30) “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.  Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.”

 Now, there are those speakers that try and “settle scores” from the pulpit.  This is not the time, nor the place.  We are told to simply preach the word (II Timothy 4:2).  Those that use the pulpit to throw fits are using the pulpit wrongly.  Yet, there are those that take a sermon filled with book, chapter, and verse and are offended by it.  If you are offended by a sermon full of truth, it is the word burning, maybe you ought to recognize it as a burning and pricking in your heart going on and do that which is right!  Be just like those on the day of Pentecost: (Acts 2:37;41) “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”- B.A.Y.