Start Your Day With God

Background

If we havent had the pleasure of meeting my name John Colunga and I have the privilege to serve here as lead pastor

I also have the privilige of bringing todays message from God’s word

If you have your Bible, please turn to Matthew 7:24-29

Today, we will following up our message from last week that came from 1 Peter 3

It was in this message that our vision was cast for the New Year

The New Day Pasadena Vision - To pursue healthy growth through unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heartedness, humility; and will seek and pursue peace within the church and the world

We are to grow spiritually both individually as a church

And I will say this should be our goal every day until we die

But in todays world as there is so much going on, It is easy for the church to get caught up in various ministries, and other things that can take away from church health

This is why we will have our health at the forefront of all that we do

Before we add a ministry we will evaluate our health and ensure that it is in line with our vision

We will be sure that the ministry itself is cohesive and condusive to our vision

What we do want to impliment immediately are action steps to ensure that we grow spiritually

And so today, we start a new sermon series called “The New Day way”

For the next three weeks we will talk about three action steps that we can impliment immediately

And the sermon series isn’t to say that we are right and everyone else is wrong

All we are saying, is that as New Day Church, we will push and encourage these three action steps

So today, we start with the first one which is “Start your day with God”.

As New Day Church, we are going to encourage everyone to start your day with God.

Our scriptural text for today is Matthew 7:24-29

Please stand for the reading of God’s word

““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

This is the word of our Lord, you may now be seated

Sermon on the Mount

Our text today was written by the apostle Matthew

And the text we just read is the ending of what is called, the sermon on the mount

This sermon starts out with the beatitudes (Blesed are those)

He then talks about bein the salt of the earth and a light here on earth

He tells that He has come to fulfill the law, not aboloish it

He talks about anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation

To love your enemies, give to the needy, how to pray, fast, and lay up treasures in heaven

Do not be anxious, judgemental,

To ask and it shall be given, to do as you would like to be done to you

And then he gives two warning - to beware of false prophets and then to be ware of your own heart

And to me, this is the scariest verse in scripture

Matthew 7:21-23 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

We must remember to seek out God’s will and not our own

We must remember to seek to glorify God and not ourself

We must remember that our hearts should be in a relationship with Jesus and not dependant on our work

And so this scary passage is alieved, it is followed up, by our text today.

Being hearers and doers

““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

In life, this picture of having a firm foundation is applied to many different scenarious

I am not making this up, Marianne and I had a meeting with our financial advisor this week and used this analogy

That no one looks at a house and say, “Wow what a great foundation you have”

There is nothing flashy about foundation but it is essential

And so in his analogy he said that our insurance and savings is our foundation that protects us when hard times come

And that our action plan to achieve our financial goals is the flashy thing we like to talk about which makes up the rest of the house

Well here we find that we are to be doers of the word and not just listeners

Jesus knew what he was talking about - Jesus was a carpenter

Carpenters in those days didnt just build cabinets but they built houses

Jesus understood this from experience but he also knew that the people understood this

That the people would not buy a house that isnt built on firm ground

It’s not flashy but it is wise to buy or build a house with a firm foundation

Its not flashy but it is wise to do what Jesus teaches

It’s not flashy but it is wise to be in God’s word everyday to know what we are suppossed to do

In context, Jesus is speaking to a group of people and he is telling them, what you just heard, you would be wise to do

And in order for those people to hear they had to get up and walk to the mountaon side to hear Jesus

It is a beautiful thing that we do not have to walk 5 miles everyday to hear God’s word

God’s breath, God’s will, God’s design is found in the Bible

And in this country, in this city, in this church the Bible is accessible to us

We take it for granted our access and ease of availability of the Bible

I follow many global organizations and many of them are pleading for donations to make the bible accessible to those in other countries who do not have one, do not have access to one, and might even be persecuted for having one!

The Bible is currently restricted, heavily restricted, or outright illegal in 52 countries

I have the bible app on my phone, on my ipad, a bible in my backpack, 15 in my office, and who knows how many inside our church

And yet there can be times where outside of my sermon prep, or school studies, I hadnt made personal time to sit down and intentionally read on my own for my own spiritual growth. I am guilty of this. I am not perfect. There is no excuse

More often than not, my own excuse is that I am too busy.

And many times, as believers, we talk about how busy we are and how that busieness affects our bible reading

My dafault response right now to “how are you doing” is “I’m staying busy”

We are blessed with school activities or sports activities (kids/parents/grandparents), jobs, second jobs,

We are blessed with good health to go out and volunteer and serve

Maybe you have a family memeber that you take care of, maybe you are in the process of major change in your life

All of this is good, please hear me, I do not think that it is bad to busy

But your business is not a valid or good excuse not be in the word of God

Because if you are not hearing then I gurantee you it is harder to be doing!

And in order to be doing we have to set aside time to be in the word of God, to let it fill us, teach us, rebuke us, to train us in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

God’s breath, God’s word is active and in order for it to be active in your life you must read it

How can the man of God be complete without the Bible? How can he be equipped for every good work apart from the Bible?

But you see, scripture is vital to live in the fullness of which God calls us

Scripture is vital to the growth of our spiritual life

Scripture is vital to the health of our spiritual life

So we need to be in the word in order to be doers of the word

Morning Time

Now, I know the first thing some of you thought of when I said, “Start your day with God”

And that is that you have found it easier and it is better for you to do it at night

Maybe after you put the kids to bed, maybe as you unwind from the day, maybe you are a night owl

Great - keep doing it. If that is best for you, we are not asking you to change.

I encourage you to be faithful to that time and defend it

You are not wrong in doing that!

I am going to make the case as to wht we say starting your day with God -

1. you are starting the day with a good posture of putting him first

To start your day with God is to say, God before anything I want to posture myself to put you first

This is going to look different for many of you

There was a saying that was going around and it said, “When you first wake up, grab your bible and not your phone.”

While I like the message, it is unrealistic for me

I am sure some of you can wake up, sit up, and instantly start reading

Once your eyes are opened, “It’s like Good Morning World its going to be a great day!!”

That is my wife! She does read her bible at night and when morning hits she up and ready - if thats you please let her know so she doesnt feel alone

For me, I have to turn off all three of my consecutive alarms, I drag my body to the kitchen and I either hit start on the coffee machine or I take some of my caffine filled pre-workout

I have to walk around and move around to get my blood flowing

I am liable to misremeber/misspeak/or mumble

And then in about 15-20minutes I am ready to start my day and it is at that point when my energy level, mental capacity, my discipline, are at its peak - and it is at that time that I should journal and read my bible

Sometimes I go straight to the gym but thats my resolution that I am starting tomorrow

That before i leave the house for anything, I start my morning with God and in a posture that puts him first

2. It allows you to meditate on your bible reading all day and you can find ways where it applies or can be put in action

Your morning reading can turn into your foundation for the day

To be a hearer in the morning and then a doer throughout the day

To be pro-active in building your house on a rock

3. As daily life hits you, because your morning was founded and started with God, it can be easier to withstand the temptations throughout the day

This is not to say that you are temptation proof, but scripture is clear that when you heed God’s word in your heart, it is a lamp to your path

This goes for challenges, decisions, temtations, and everyday life

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

At the end of the day, wether you read in the morning or at night - we are striving to have a strong faith and foundation

Everyones faith can seem flashy -

But what happens when that faith is tested?

When it is tested, the foundation will be revealed

And if you are not grounded in the word of God, if you are not actively putting into action his will for your life,

YOU WILL BE EXPOSED, it is foolish

Jesus - The Cornerstone

If I were to say who is the church’s one foundation - you might be tempted to say Jesus

There is a hymn which says, “Our church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord”

and I love this hymn and I will sing it everytime it is sung, theologically speaking, it is a slight misrepresentation

Ephesians 2:19-22 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Foundation is the teachings of the apostles and the prophets

Who wrote scripture? Who wrote Jesus’ words

Who were the inspired men God used to bring the Bible?

The apostles and the prophets

Very minor portion of the Bible were written by historians (Luke) or sages (Solomon) proverbs, riddles, songs, psalms

When we are talking about scripture as the foundation, we are talking about God’s word which does include Jesus’ teachings but Jesus himself is not the foundation, rather he is the cornerstone

Isaiah 28:16 “therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’”

Isaiah (Prophet) and now Peter (An apostle) then referrs back to Isaiah in his text

1 Peter 2:4-8 “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

Job 38:4-6 ““Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone,”

Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects. A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner, to guide the workers in their course.

The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational.

Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it.

As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment.

Our foundation, God’s word, is laid because of Jesus being truth

Because of Jesus being the basis of everything we believe

And so we read, And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”

Jesus the cornerstone, being fully God and fully man, preached with authority because he came to bring truth

And if we are not if Gods word, if we doubt the foundation, we are doubting the chief cornerstone

In our passage we find Jesus not saying a wise man builds his house on faoundation, no he builds on a rock, a house with a cornerstone

Build your house on me, who has authority, who is truth,

And then with me and through me you can have a firm foundation, you can learn and grow

John 15:1-11 ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

We must abide in Jesus

Apart from Jesus our deeds are like filthy rags

Apart from Jesus there is only withering, death, and burning

But with Jesus (he doesnt say that we will be blossoming flower that will always be in bloom, always radiant, always beautiful)

The Father who is the vinedresser will prune us, so that we may bear more fruit

Application

No matter if it is morning and evening, it is abundantly clear that we are to be in Gods word with the vine

So pick a time and place - The place is often just as important as the time (away from distractions)

Be disciplined - Go to bed early and wake up early, or dont sleep until you have read the word

Commit - Commit to a reading plan, set a reasonable committment that you can stick too

Incorporate - worship and prayer

We must abide with the vine, with the cornerstone, we must trust in him alone

Announcements

Connect Card - Please fill out and turn it in

February 1st will be our first community group meet

Church workday will be Saturday, January 28th at 9am

Resources - Track for being busy

A couple of different books out there for free (limited copies so please ask and read) (Ask me or scan the QR Code)

New Day Reading Plan - Website, top right tab you will see the BIble reading plan

This is the plan all of the New Day Pastors have committed too and invite you to join us

Starts tomorrow and its a chapter a day

Just as we read today to bless others, I would like to dismiss with a benediction before we leave -

Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Amen

Thank you, you are now dismissed