Digging Deep

ME

I remember when I was 18 years old and my friend Frankie and I were going to take our ACT tests. Many of our friends had already taken the test and had warned us that it was very difficult. They even suggested that we get study guides to prepare for the test.

Frankie and I had always gotten pretty good grades and never had any problems on standardized tests, so we ignored these suggestions and decided that the best way to approach this test was to be totally relaxed so the night before the test, we stayed up into the wee hours of the morning partying.

The day came for the test and we had to drive 45 miles to the city to take it. We could both barely stay awake during the drive, let alone the test. Needless to say, I bombed the test and so did Frankie. We both ended up getting study guides and taking the test again, separately, after a good night’s sleep.

Transition: Have you ever done something like this?

WE

Maybe it wasn’t your ACT or SAT test but I’m willing to bet if you think hard enough you can think of an instance where you put forth minimal effort and ended up failing.

Maybe you bought some new furniture or appliance and thought you could put it together because you have done it before, so you pitch the instructions and about halfway through you realize that was a big mistake.

Or maybe you had a disastrous job interview because you didn’t take time to prepare for it.

Whatever the case, I think most of us have had some experience where we just didn’t dig quite deep enough.

We are in this series called “Under Construction” where we are talking about becoming the best God-glorifying versions of ourselves. And today we are going get very deep.

Turn to the person next to you and say, “It’s about to get deep in here.”

Transition: To help us understand this concept we are going to turn to God’s word. So if you have a bible, etc.

GOD

Matthew 7:24–27 NLT

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Jesus starts by comparing a person that listens and follows his teaching is like a person that builds there house on a solid rock. Notice that Jesus says listens and follows. It’s not enough just to listen, there also has to be some action.

To illustrate this point farther, I can use an example from my own life. If my wife (Collene) says to me that the hot water is not working, it is very easy for me to hear her, but I have a choice. I can do something about it or totally ignore it. And chances are if I ignore it, I will be sleeping on a rock.

You see, I think as Christians and followers of Christ, we have the listening to his teaching down pat. It’s easy to come in and listen to a sermon, read the Bible, or listen to a podcast and hear the teachings of Jesus, but it is much more difficult to follow those teachings.

Let me give you some examples:

Matthew 5:43–44 NLT

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Matthew 5:27–28 NLT

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:21–22 NLT

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Matthew 7:1–2 NLT

1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

These are easy to hear, but difficult to follow.

Listening and following are necessary for a solid foundation.

Jesus then goes on to say that a house built on this solid rock will go through some storms. There will be torrential rain. Floodwaters will rise. Winds will beat against the house in all directions. Jesus states that having a solid foundation doesn’t exempt us from facing some rough storms.

A house built on a solid foundation will not collapse during the storm.

Here we see that the term bedrock is used. Bedrock is the solid, intact part of the earth's crust, the outer layer 20 to 25 miles thick that rests on the earth's mantle. To put that distance in perspective, it is like driving from Winona to St Charles. That is digging deep.

A solid foundation requires deeper digging.

Jesus then compares the person that doesn’t listen and obey to someone that builds their house on the sand. Notice that both houses go through torrential storms, but the one built on sand suffers a mighty crash.

It doesn’t take much to knock over a sand castle.

Transition: So how do we dig deep with Jesus and build this solid foundation?

YOU

1. Do the will of the Father.

Matthew 7:21–23 NLT

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

This is probably the question that I get asked the most as a pastor. “What is God’s will for my life?”

The easiest way I can answer that question is Total Surrender.

Romans 12:1–2 NLT

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

If you want to learn God’s will for your life it starts with total surrender.

Surrender of everything. Imagine every area of your life has a key and the door to that area is locked. Total surrender is handing over every key to God. Your financial key, your thought key, your emotional key. Give them all to God and give him the access to redecorate.

What key are you holding on to?

2. Know Jesus intimately.

Get to know Jesus intimately. This can only really happen after total surrender. When you know someone intimately, your heart’s mesh. You become passionate about what they are passionate about. What breaks their heart breaks your heart.

Philippians 3:7–11 NLT

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Spend time with Jesus. Read His Word. Pray and ask Him to show you His heart. Practice living in the Presence of Him. Don’t segregate your church life and personal life. Talk to him like you would a friend or parent during the day.

Learn to suffer with him. Let every moment of suffering you face take you back to the cross.

Transition: Can you imagine how digging deep like this would transform our lives?

US

Jesus promises that if we do the hard work, dig deep, and build on a solid foundation, we will not collapse.

I know I have hit many storms in my life. I’m going through one right now and if I’m honest my house was in danger of collapsing. Theres some cracks in my foundation. Maybe that is where you are this morning.

Can I encourage you by saying it’s not too late to dig deeper? We all need to dig deep. It’s going to be hard work, but the return on investment is going to be so worth it.

How do you need to dig deep this morning?

(Call up Worship Team)

Are you doing the will of the Father?

Do you know what God’s will for your life is? If not, have you surrendered everything to him?

What key are you holding on to?

Do you know Jesus intimately?

Is your suffering taking you back to the cross?