Foundations

Jesus’ Sermon

Jesus is telling us about the Kingdom of God

V 20 blessed are the poor in spirit

hungry for righteousness

cry over their sin

Then He is telling us about the supernatural

Holy Spirit’s power to do the impossible

Love our enemies

feed our enemies

pray for our enemies

give to those who steal from you

Holy Spirits power not to be judgmental

to get rid of the sin in your life

so you are able to with righteous compassion judge others

Now Jesus will end His sermon with a challenge

what is your foundation?

how good your house looks is not going to help in the end

there are a lot of christian music stars who have “deconstructed” their faith

also there are megachurch pastors doing the same thing

there are a lot of evangelical giants that are beginning to show their true colors

By Jessie Golem, Huffington Post

I Was a Hardcore Christian, But This Is Why I Lost My Faith My decision to leave the Christian faith didn't just happen because of a few negative conversations, or a few isolated events -- my decision was made because I realized (and experienced) that the Christian faith, for many, wasn't a welcome place for the oppressed, and that, in fact, has been, and in many different ways, continues to be, an agent of oppression for many people. Five years ago, there would be no way in hell that I could ever conceive of leaving the Christian faith. But here I am today. Friends have asked me why, and how, someone who was as zealous a Christian as I could so intentionally and deliberately leave the faith, that I decided, I am in a good, and secure place.

this person went to church Had faith in the establishment

this person was a zealous person for equality and social justice

and when things were not what she had hoped she left

Her house was not on a foundation

the flood waters rose and swept her house away

it does not matter how zealous you are for your religion

If your house is not on a good foundation it is worthless

Jesus is comparing the world religions and their promises to

the Truth

unless your faith is in Jesus and what he did on the cross

to bring you from your helpless estate

your house will collapse

Read Luke 6 46-49 .

A “Jesus Follower”

V 46

in the time of Jesus there were many people who followed

there were many people who respected Jesus as a great teacher

there were many people who called Him Rabbi

they call Him Lord/ master but do not do what I say

do what I say??

I thought

Ephesians 2:8–9 (LSB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.

V 47

but but but what about ...

John 3:16 LSB

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus is saying you call me Lord

you call me your master

but you don’t do

what does doing have to do with a firm foundation

V 47 48

Lets look at what James says

James 1:22–23 (LSB)

But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

James 1:24 LSB

for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was.

James is going to correlate faith with works

if you have true faith in Jesus

it will be evident by our works

James 2:14 LSB

What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

James 2:17 LSB

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself.

Ephesians 2:10 LSB

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The result of our faith is Good Works

God has given us good works to do

God leads in those good works

Philippians 2:13 (LSB)

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (NLT)For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

When people are calling Jesus Lord

when the say I’m a follower of Jesus

but their lives do not reflect that fact

when they have a life of sin

and hang onto the fact that they said a prayer years ago

and rely on once saved always saved

and continue a life of sin

or their faith is in the institution and not Jesus

Foundation

our foundation is Jesus the cornerstone of our faith

and the reason that we do the works of God is

as a believer we are redeemed

what does this mean?

as all humans we are slaves

I know we don’t want to think like that

but we are either slaves of sin and satan

or we are slaves of Righteousness and God

as slaves we have no control about it

we have no control over who are slave master is

the children of Israel were slaves of Egypt

there was nothing they could do for themselves

when the time was right God intervened and freed the Israelites from slavery of Egypt

and at that time God became their Owner/ King

well it is the same for us as Children of God

in order for a person to go from being a slave to sin

to being a slave of Righteousness is..

a person has to be bought

a redemption price has to be paid

a ransom payment is to be made

to be released from the bondage

John 8:34 LSB

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Romans 3:24 LSB

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 9:12 LSB

and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy places once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

1 Timothy 2:5–6 (LSB)

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all

we were purchased with the precious blood of the lamb

1 Peter 1:18–19 LSB

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

and because of this we now are a slave of righteousness

Hebrews 9:14 (LSB)

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

our new master is God

our solid foundation is Jesus our redeemer

we want to serve Him

we want to show our love and appreciation

our works are again the product of God

Philippians 2:13 LSB

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Your Foundation

do you even have a foundation?

V 49 when the waters of judgement hit your house will it collapse?

wash away down stream and be destroyed?

is your faith in the organization?

or is your foundation on the Lord Jesus Christ

who shed His blood for the redemption of souls

to buy people from slavery of satan

it is time to put a foundation under your house

wont you put your trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross?