Why Call Me Lord

OCTOBER 30, 2022 STUDY NOTES LUKE 6:46-49 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES WHY CALL ME LORD? INTRODUCTION This is a very simple passage of scripture, a very meaningful passage of scripture One that is easy to read and understand, you can read it in just a few seconds It is not a passage that requires a Greek word study for better understanding Jesus is speaking and His words are included in what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount” You need to read that sermon and take a close look at your daily life, the sermon is about life Jesus is teaching us how to live today, how to prepare for tomorrow, how to be ready for eternity In these verses He is bringing His sermon to a conclusion (Matthew 5,6,7) (Mt. 7:24-27) He closes His message with a warning of “Accountability,” we are accountable unto God Throughout the Bible we are taught that we are accountable to God for what we have heard The Bible teaches us to pay close attention when we know that God’s Word is being spoken We are to read, study, and hear the Word of God for the purpose of learning how to live We are to live according to the will of God, which is taught in the Word of God (Don’t neglect it) We are to obey so that we can be blessed and be a blessing to others (Obey God’s Word daily) In this passage Jesus shows us the importance of the daily obedient path of Godly living To listen, to learn, and to live what we have learned is the answer to the storms of life Everyone wants an answer to the storms of life, what can we do in our days of difficulty? Jesus uses a house, a foundation, and a flood to teach us how important obedience to God is THE HOUSE represents our daily life, our personal life, life at home and with family Life at work, our career and job, our daily duties, our time of leisure and our hobbies Life related to our church and our daily ministry as a Christian, the house represents our total life Each-and every area of our daily life must be well built and soundly constructed There are too many poorly constructed lives today, the world we are living in today reveals it Everywhere you look you see lives that are falling apart because of the storms of life In one area or the other, personal, home, family, job, they are falling apart in all areas of life THE FOUNDATION represents what you do with the Word of God, obey, or disobey There are only two possible foundations obedience or disobedience to the teachings of Jesus Are you reading the Bible daily? Are you learning and obeying what you are reading? THE FLOOD represents the trials and temptations of life, the things that test our daily life It is the times of trials and troubles that reveal how important God’s Word is to our daily life OUR DAILY LIFE, we are all building a daily life, we must know how to build that life Our world knows how to build everything else, but it fails to build a happy satisfied life Internet can inform the world in a brief period-of time of anything that happens anywhere The computer can answer questions in a moment of time concerning many issues of life But no worldly system of man has the answer to the real problem of our life, a sinful nature Our world today is an educated and informed world that continues to be troubled and shattered Jesus gives us the answer to a troubled, shattered, and sin defeated life Jesus compares the building of an earthly house with the building of an eternal life Two old sayings fit this passage concerning our obedience to the Bible for daily living: (1) Christian practice what you preach (2) Christian live what you have learned How many church goers today don’t do either? Many are not attempting to learn the Bible In Matthew’s account one builder is called a “wise man” and the other a “foolish man” (7:24-27) The “wise man” built his house on a rock, the “foolish man” built his house on the sand Page 1 of 6 The foolish man was sincere, sinful, satisfied, until the storm came, and he realized he was stupid How important is it to obey God’s Word? Listen to Jesus--Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? In verse 46 Jesus ask a direct question, each one of us must give a direct answer Why would anyone call Jesus, “Lord” and not do what He says? What is the point of doing that? “Lord” is a title of respect, Jesus deserves glory, honor, respect, and obedience, He is “Lord” Jesus speaks to those who claim to acknowledge allegiance to Jesus by saying “Lord, Lord” The cry of double allegiance emphasizes the fact that as “Lord” He is to be the Master of our life Jesus is showing that some want to claim they know Him but not commit to living for Him They want to identify with Christ and Christianity without living a daily Christian life Many say, “I don’t know what I would do without Him,” and live their daily life without Him To truthfully call Jesus, “Lord, Lord” means that you have committed your life to Jesus If you claim to be a Christian, you must be committed to follow Him as the “Lord” of your life To give your life to Jesus for salvation is to commit your life to living the life He gives you It does not matter how often you call his name in church, singing, praying, and proclaiming faith Your daily life must reveal that He is the “LORD” of your life every day of your life You must daily love the Lord and obey Him, Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Saul had a good question for Jesus, Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Read the Bible, it will tell you what you must do) The day that Saul met Jesus he committed his life to obeying Jesus and living for his Lord Saul later became known as the Apostle Paul who lived a daily life of faith, 2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (Paul said, I have obeyed my Lord) Paul experienced what Jesus is teaching in Luke 6 and he was crowned with righteousness, 2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (Loving Him is obeying His commandments today waiting for the day of His return) Saved and lost are accountable unto God for the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus In previous days God spoke through the prophets, Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (Days of the Old Testament) But Jesus is the last word from God, Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; That is why all Christians will stand before the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” 2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (Accountability) We must pay attention to what God has said through His Son, Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. (Go in one ear and out the other, for some it happens every Sunday) If you are going to call Jesus “LORD,” then obey what He says because He is “Lord” Jesus tells us of those who do not the things which I say? Many people keep calling Him Lord and never put into practice what He says (2 Cor 5:17) If you do not live your daily life according to the teaching of Jesus, you are not being truthful You are not speaking the truth, you are being dishonest, you are playing the role of a hypocrite Speech is no substitute for service, your mouth is no substitute for ministry Words alone will not fulfill your Christian duty, your walk must agree with your talk Conversation only will not convince anyone of your commitment to Christ James agrees with Jesus, if you are going to call Jesus “LORD,” do something for the “LORD” Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Many people today who are afraid of being cheated in life are cheating themselves out of life Page 2 of 6 A “say-so” faith without works of obedience is a lifeless faith, Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (That faith) If your faith in Christ is not an obedient faith it is useless, and you are living a worthless life Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? A “say-so,” “do nothing” faith is vain and worthless, the storms of life will prove that to be true Which is what Jesus is now going to explain by comparing two house builders Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: His point is “everyone” who comes to me, “anyone” who comes to me, “all” who come to me The thought is come to Him because of who He is, be sure you know who He is, He is “Lord” Jesus is speaking of those who “keep” coming to Him in-order to “keep” on hearing from Him Coming to Jesus to hear Him should mean that you have come to Jesus to obey Him as “Lord” You want to keep hearing so that you will keep on obeying Him You continually come to Jesus to listen, to learn from Him, and to live daily for Him Be sure you hear what Jesus said, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, We have the “Written Word” of God that we might hear the “Living Word” of God No one has ever had a better opportunity to hear the Word of God than Americans do today Today you can hear the Word of God through radio, T.V., tapes, videos, films, books, internet Even though you must be careful and be sure that what you are hearing is the Word of God Christians should find a local church that teaches the Word of God and be faithful to that church Don’t neglect church, Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Many are neglecting their faithfulness to church because they do not see the day) Come to church to hear the Word of God and go away from the church to live the Word of God Obedience to Jesus as “LORD” is a must, “if” we obey Him we have the promise of blessings Throughout the Bible you will find “If-Then,” there is a blessing for Christians “IF” we obey There is still hope for America “IF,” 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (Obedience is important) Jesus explains what the obedient life to Him is like, I will shew you to whom he is like: The Christian that obeys the Lord is compared to a certain house builder Everyone would like to be the kind of person Jesus describes Everyday people wanting to be this kind of person go to medical doctors and psychiatrist They go to counselors, support groups, conferences, retreats, and there is nothing wrong with that They read books, listen to tapes, watch videos, search the internet seeking what Jesus describes Searching for the life that Jesus describes as the result of coming to Him, hearing, and obeying Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. The man knew how important the building of a house was, it was a major investment of life Here is a man who was thinking, planning, and preparing for the future as many are today Do you understand how important your decisions for today are? They take you into the future Do you realize that everything will not be the same as today, either for good or bad Weather patterns are a good comparison to the pattern of daily life, especially recent months Days can be cool, cold, or hot, days can be wet or dry, days can be fair or stormy, all are possible Weather patterns change, they do not last forever, storms will come and could be severe Daily life is like that, but unlike the weather, it rarely has a forecast of what will happen next Page 3 of 6 Life is a major investment, the decisions you make daily are of utmost importance We need to consider each-and every day how valuable life is, how important daily living is The man who was building his house put forth an all-out effort to have the best of life “And digged deep,” He digs, he keeps digging, he dug deep until he came to solid ground His effort is a picture of perseverance, his determination is a description of discipline Christians are to be steadfast in the Lord’s work, don’t get discouraged or depressed, don’t quit 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The Christian who loves and obeys the Lord will endure and be happy, Jas 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, (compassonite) and of tender mercy. Being obedient to the Lord’s work will not always be an easy path, but it will be worthwhile It can be just like the man who “digged deep,” time consuming, hard work, and a great effort The house builder knew that the answer to the security of the house was a solid rock foundation Christians must learn that life has-to be built upon a solid foundation, Jesus is that foundation, 1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. The house builder knew there was no other place to build, “And laid the foundation on a rock” All-of the hard work will be worth it, the effort that he put forth will prove to be worth it The effort and hard work you put forth to learn about Christ and to live for Christ will pay off There is no other worthwhile foundation to build a life upon, but the world is still trying others Obeying Christ will never be a disappointment to you, 1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (Following Jesus will never lead to failure) You will never be ashamed of a life that is built upon Christ, Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (“Ashamed” is the same word translated “confounded” in 1 Peter 2:6) A solid and secure life built upon obedience to Christ is something to be proud of in the storm The storms of life will come, “and when the flood arose” (Not “if” but “when”) The flood that came against the house represents the storms of life we face from time to time Those difficult days which bring us to the time of difficult decisions, what are we going to do? The flood represents the stressful situations that test our faith The true test of your faith is not your attendance in a Sunday morning worship service A fair-weather Sunday church service is not the true test of your faith or your life The pressures of life come during the storms of life, storms check our spiritual blood pressure The storms of life test the truth of our life, “the stream beat vehemently upon that house” Storms will come from time to time, some can be predicted, others are totally unexpected They come in various forms and shapes, they are called trials, troubles, and tribulations Life can become a storm of sorrow and a wind of worry in a hurry There are times that we cannot escape the fierceness of the wind or the torrential rain or hail We can get caught in a storm on any given day, we must be prepared before that day comes The storm of sorrow can come from family, friends, or even fellow church members The storm of life can be physical, mental, emotional, financial, or world happenings Christians are not exempt from the storms of life, but Christians can be prepared to face them Our Christian life can be strong enough to stand the storms, “and could not shake it” The flood could not shake the house, shift it around, or take it down stream The house was built on the right foundation with the right building materials It could withstand the storms, it did not fall apart in the time of the storm Our life must be built upon the right foundation, “for it was founded upon a rock” The foundation for life is Jesus Christ, the “Solid Rock” (1 Corinthians 10:4) Page 4 of 6 Obeying Jesus daily is preparing for the storms of life we may face today or any day You must be standing strong in the faith before the storms of life come (Ephesians 6:10-18) When the storms of life come you will be glad that you have learned the Word of God You will be glad that you are living today according to what you have learned You will be glad that you took the time to go to Sunday School You will even be glad that you stayed awake during the Sunday morning sermon You will be glad that you were faithful to church, strengthened by Christian fellowship You can dig no deeper than the Word of God or stand no stronger than faith in God’s Word Hell itself, cannot overcome the obedient Christian, Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Christian, you are the church, the local church needs you to be faithful) The rock that Jesus promised is the faith in Him, trusting your life to Him, obeying His Word The promise is to those who commit their life to Jesus and follow Him as “Lord” of their life Our testimony should be like that of the Thessalonians, 1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (Faith that works, love that labors, hope that endures the storms of life) Now we have the contrast, Jesus describes the house that won’t stand the storm Luk 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Jesus describes the person who hears the Word of God and does not obey what he hears The one who is living a life of disobedience toward God He does not have to commit what man calls ungodly acts to be disobedient toward the Lord He can be guilty of the sin of omission, the sin of doing nothing for the Lord When God’s Word goes in one ear and out the other and is never allowed to enter the heart Jesus compares that person to the one building a house upon a solid rock foundation (vs. 48) Verse 49 is a person who attempts to build a house “without a foundation” Which describes a “self-righteous” attitude, attempting to live according to his own righteousness A self-sufficient attitude satisfied with his self-trained talents and his personal capabilities (I can) Thinking “I” believe in God, but “I” can make it on my own, “I” can do my thing my way A Christian cannot build a strong spiritual life by just calling Jesus, “Lord” You must allow Jesus to be the “Lord of your Life” You have heard it said, “Jesus is Lord of all or “He is not Lord at all” The truth is, Jesus “is” Lord, He alone “is” Lord, but He must be your Lord, the Lord of your life If not, listen to Jesus, He tells us the result of facing the storms of life without a foundation The storm in verse 48 and the storm in verse 49 are the same, faithful Christians are not exempt Each will face the same stress upon life and experience the same test of faith The life that has not been obedient to God’s Word will not stand against the storm The storm could not shake the life built upon obedience to God and His Word But when the storm came against the life lived in disobedience to God, “it immediately fell” Everyday people who claim to be Christians fall apart, go to pieces, in the-midst of the storm Everyone is building a house called “life,” to live is to build, some wise, some foolish Everyone who hears the Word of God is going to build based upon what they do after hearing In this passage the house represents the life that people are building The houses may look the same, safe and sound, up to a certain point they are the same They each hear, they each build, they each face the same storms It will be the storms of life that reveal the difference in the life of the person Christians sit together in church, sing the same songs, shake the same hands, hug the same necks Page 5 of 6 They hear the same prayers, listen to the same sermons, and then leave to face the same storms No one escapes the storms of life storms will come at some time to all of us Then comes the difference, one life will stand strong, the other will collapse, will fall apart The Christian life built upon obedience to God’s Word will still be standing after the storm The life that has not been faithful to God and His Word will collapse when the storm comes Throughout my years in the ministry, I have witnessed many examples of each life The storms of life will come, be sure your house stands upon the “Lordship of Jesus Christ” How important is a life of obedience to the commands of Jesus How important is obedience to the “Great Commission?” (Matt 28:18-20?) Listen to the song, it gives us the answer Page 6 of 6