Essence Of The Gospel!

The Essence of the Gospel!

Happy Sabbath North Shore Church, “I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord, and the humble shall hear thereof and be glad, let us magnify the Lord and exalt his name together”

Happy Sabbath North shore as this is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Shout out to the Shepherd of this house Pastor Jonathan Burnett, his wife and children, his Pastoral Team, Pastor Felipe, and his wife, all the Elders and the Elder Walker, Thanks for the invitation. Apologies that my wife couldn’t be here with me today. She is in Arizona visiting my two high school children at TTA, I was at the Pastors Health Retreat at Camp Akita, and then on early Thursday morning she left for Arizona. I do know that she has been and is praying for me this Sabbath. Shout out to Elder Turner if he is in the house today. Shout out to the Young people! We always say they are the future of the church, but I disagree with that, They are the church, come on say amen, somebody!

Let's get into the word of God and If you can please stand with me for the reading of God's word and the invitation of the Holy Spirit in this place. Prayer!

Once again thanks to Elder Walker for the invitation and today must be my lucky day as your Pastor has given me 1:45 mn in his Pulpit to share this word, which will get us out today at about 2:00 pm, Amen. Today I want to speak on the subject of “The Essence of the Gospel.” Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount ends his message with a parable, we know that Jesus spoke in parables according to Matthew 13 Jesus said to some people it has been given the secrets of heaven but not all, in other words, those who were spiritually enlightening would gain more insight and those that were not would remain without insight! this parable is about two construction workers who both were very good at building. They have been in the church for quite some time. They both have held offices in the church, they have had a lot of time to build relationships with people in the church and out and now they are building a house. One chooses to follow the words of Jesus and that makes sense for one to listen as evidenced by the crowds flocking and following him by the hundreds and thousands.

The other builder who was a respected member of the church, looked like a Christian, has all the lingo of a Christian, has been a member of the church for quite some time yet he hasn’t been following the words of Jesus. Often he has been the loudest one during the sermon with his Amens preachers, most outspoken in the board meeting yet he doesn’t listen to the words of the creator of heaven and earth. My concern is that many of our churches here in America have gone from Sanctuaries to stadiums and every week all the fans come to the stadium where they cheer for Jesus but have no interest in following the words of Jesus. The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t interested in doing what Jesus says for us to do in his word! I believe this to be true, the reality is many of us have been around Jesus but don’t know Jesus. You can memorize the 23rd Psalms and not know the Sheperd, you can know the word and yet not Know the God of the word .The reality is many of us are around Jesus but we don’t really know Jesus for ourselves. Many of us want to be close to Jesus, close enough to get all the benefits but not so close that it requires anything from us! Many of us are in awe of ourselves of the fact that we have been SDA for 30, 40 50 years and that we are 3rdand fourth Generation SDA But we have forgotten how to stay in a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with the community. We know when it is Sabbath how to act in church, we know all the right words to say when we are upfront we have become accustomed to going with the flow, and we've been hanging around Jesus so long that are formalities are more from an I know standpoint than from my heart and my relationship with Jesus. I know some of you are asking the question where is he going with this, I’m, in the text: the Text says Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom, but he that doeth the will of the father. So let us get some background!

In verses 13-14, Jesus teaches about the way to Heaven, saying that there are two gates and they carry their own destiny i.e. - life or destruction. In verses 15-23 we are told by Jesus not to be deceived by false prophets or by the way things appear or even what we hear. He tells us to concentrate and in verse 21b we read “ but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven Those who say, "One religion is as good as another” and "We’re all trying to get to the same place” are wrong!

(24-27), Jesus teaches that God’s will is performed by; “Therfore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock". Jesus illustrates this truth with "a wise man" and "a foolish man."The key word in this parable is "THEREFORE". When Jesus says THERFORE it is because there are only two ways for us to go, we can listen to those who will deceive and inevitably destroy (the broad road) or we can listen to Jesus and be one of the few to gain life (the narrow road). The word THEREFORE in this context then, equals BECAUSE~ because if we don’t listen to Jesus and accept what he tells us, then we know what the alternatives will be.The simple issue then is this: Are you listening to Jesus or someone else?

In this pericope, Jesus tells of two builders who each construct a house. One builder chooses to build his house on a solid rock foundation, while the other builder chooses to build his house on sand. The process of building the houses is similar, but the crucial difference lies in the foundation upon which they are built.

In the scriptures, we are told of two men, each with identical elements who are builders and they intend to build a house, each chooses a different area to construct his own house. We should remember that Jesus is not talking about building literal houses on literal rock and sand, but about lives -Discipleship, establishing values, an doing the will of the father!

Another set of identical elements in the story is the life situations of the two builders. Each of them has to go through a storm, which neither of them can avoid. The storm is one, which they cannot escape . They both feel the down-pouring rain that increases to flood level and the sting of the wind that hits with horrendous velocity.

What is your house built on? How is your relationship with North Shore Church with Jesus? Is your relationship based on Faith and total trust in God, or are you more dependent on yourself and your knowledge? For those of us who Trust and Obey Jesus We must get to a place in our walk where we have to learn to trust God even if we can't trace him. Or is your relationship based on sand, that Shakey Ground? When a storm comes, with heavy rain, those bills and health issues, family problems and kids acting out and your boss getting on your nerves and strong winds, the house built on Jesus the solid Rock will never forsake you, and the rock which is Jesus will see you through every situation that house will stand firm and remains unaffected.

Jesus is not telling us how to find a safe, comfortable setting or an ideal atmosphere where life remains non-threatening and where the climate is wonderfully calm and supportive. What he is fact doing is telling us that we must face reality, that life is difficult, we will have to face the storms and accept the pain and discomfort and the heartaches. BUT HE IS ALWAYS NEAR! Just when I need him Most! The two builders are different kinds of people. - They build their houses in totally different manners. One chooses to build on the solid rock; the other, on the sand. The first builder is the type who does more than hear what Christ has to say; he acts upon the words and the truth of Jesus, his discipleship is threaded into the fabric of his life:

The second builder hears the same thing, but he stops. He deliberately does not act upon what he hears. The first build is called "WISE" the second is called "FOOLISH" (James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

We make following Jesus so hard when it's really simple, all the heavy lifting was done at the cross when Jesus died for you and me and carried all of our sins on his shoulders : We work to hard to much forgetting that Jesus Paid it all!

Some people are not following the words of JESUS but just going with the flow, not spending time in the word or SOP, we do read and still read the SOP correct? . It's not just reading but doing the words of Jesus, that will allow us to eat from the tree of life. Sometimes I think we have the wrong concept about discipleship. In the same way, professing Christians (both the genuine and the spurious) often look alike. You cannot easily tell which is which. Both appear to be building Christian lives. Jesus is not contrasting professing Christians with non-Christians who make no profession. On the contrary, what is common to both spiritual housebuilders is that they hear these words of mine. So both are members of the visible Christians in the church and community. Both read the Bible, go to church, listen to sermons and buy Christian literature. The reason you often cannot tell the difference between them is that the deep foundations of their lives are hidden from view.

The real question is not whether they hear Christ’s teaching (nor even whether they respect or believe it), but whether they do what they hear. Only a storm will reveal the truth. Sometimes a storm of crisis or calamity betrays what manner of person we are, for ‘true piety is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it comes to the trial’

Romans 10:17 faith Comes by hearing, hearing comes by the word of God. The more we read and live out God's word the stronger our foundation will be because our faith is growing. How many of you want to hear well done my good and faithful servant? that house built on your job and income and your smarts will collapse and be destroyed by the force of the storm. Sometimes I think we have the wrong concept about discipleship.

Our lives must have a solid foundation, grounded in obedience to God's teachings, and they can withstand the challenges and trials that come their way. We have to live out the words of Jesus, Jesus has told us to do several things, he said Love the Lord your God with all your heart, Love your neighbor, he said do unto others as you want done unto you, he also said GO! We have to remember that we have an entire world outside of this church.

The question is not whether we say nice, polite, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus; nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying, pondering and memorizing until our minds are stuffed with his teaching; but whether we do what we say and do what we know, in other words whether the lordship of Jesus which we profess is one of our life’s major realities. What Jesus is stressing, however, is that those who truly hear the gospel and profess faith will always obey him, expressing their faith in their works.

The apostles of Jesus never forgot this teaching. It is prominent in their letters. The first letter of John, for example, is full of the perils of a verbal profession: ‘If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie … He who says “I know him” but disobeys his commandments is a liar.’1 The letter of James, on the other hand, is full of the perils of intellectual knowledge. so we have to be ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only’ Jesus told us to

In the process of our Discipleship, we forget to go! What do you mean preacher, we forget to go.

What is it that stops us from being more active in our communities? When I look at the Bible, the Bible says in Luke 15 , it says that Jesus ate with sinners. Have you ever noticed that we as a church we very seldom eat with sinners, . Ive seen us get excited when we are participating or engaged in an activity in the community? Its like the best feeling ever for a church, when we have visitors or you invite a person or two , and for the rest of the congregation if your wondering who they came with all you have to do is watch the smile on the face or faces of the one they are sitting next to and you will know who they came with. Don’t get me wrong, im not saying thats a bad thing to be smiling from ear to ear, Im saying when are we as SDA going to ever get to a place in your church , my church in our church where being connected to others wont be such a random or an every now and then occasional occurrence. We roll out the carpet for one or two people , now once again , I’m not knocking Im about to make a point , you need to know that I’m also speaking to myself and my situation as well!

If you notice, Jesus very seldom gathered the disciples alone to share the word with them. Jesus didn’t choose for his audience, other SDA who already knew the way of life. It was Jesus mission, his work every day to reach the multitudes who were in ignorance and error to his word! In other words Jesus Specialized in truth he gave His lessons of truth where they could reach people in the most dire situations.

I would like for you all to dip into the wells of your minds and see if your discipleship plan is still active. Jesus was always ready to share the truth because he was the Truth, “standing with his hands always outstretched to bless, and in words of warning, and encouragement, seeking to uplift all who would come unto Him. . DA 298.1 “When I read this I see that Jesus was always ready to uplift and encourage the downtrodden, helpless and less fortunate. We in the context of Discipleship seem to be missing something when it comes to community. We spend more time in church with church folks loving on church folks helping church folks, talking with and encouraging church folks than we do in the community! We say we are Christians followers of Jesus , we pray to be like Christ, but yet we are failing to follow his methods. Christ mingled with people, when was the last time you mingled or even talked with your neighbors around your house or church. What is it thats keeping us from being more active in our communities? Being more available even to our family members that don’t know Jesus. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, Jesus didn’t care who he talked with or ate with Here it is Jesus, was minding his own business , talking with the common folks if you will and the rumor mill started rolling. I’m in the text and verse two says that “ This man receives sinners and eats with them” Jesus is eating and sitting with sinners and talk about being a sinner , I don’t know about you but how many of us in the house today are just over joyed at the fact that Jesus is still in the business of eating and sitting with sinners.Me I’m a sinner saved by grace and I thank God for loving and remembering a sinner like me. What about you, do we have any common folk in the house do we have any sinners in the house. The fact that Jesus is still sitting and eating with sinners brings me hope

I was just thinking what if Jesus was a member of our SDA churches, better yet what if he was a member of the Board ? How many of you would like that? I mean let’s keep it real,Although we worship him and sing songs about lifting him higher , we say the cliche God is Good and all the time God is Good.I don’t believe some of us would like Jesus being a member of this church. One of the reasons why is Jesus is to radical , too grace filled.Because then you would be forced to speak to those people you don’t speak to ? You know those people you walk pass or those people who aren’t as clean as you or don’t smell like you. I think the church would have a problem with Jesus because all the people we don’t want in the church, the drunks , the homeless and helpless all the people we try to keep out the church he would open the doors of the church for them all and invite them all in. Which is actually what we all should be doing.The pregnant girl you tried to keep out the church for getting pregnant . All the while forgetting that when you were her age or even younger you had some issues with boys and were permiscuiss . That young man that can’t seem to stay out jail . That son or cousin or that husband that will not stop drinking no matter what office he holds in church. Jesus would welcome them into the church .Jesus would pull them in and have the gossiper placed right here in front of the church. Jesus would make some of us cringe with the stuff he would put up with that we wouldn’t. So I’m glad that Jesus is still in the business of hanging out with sinners. If Jesus was a member of our churches,.Jesus would say you don’t need a new church evangelize the community get more relational and I will provide for the church. I’m still in the Bible.The last time I checked if the community was suffering the church was suffering.Jesus would say take care of the poor and those in need .That would make a lot of us uncomfortable having people high and drunk and poor hanging around North Shore SDA. So Those same people we want out the church the ones we want to disfellowship Jesus he would welcome . Notice we get closer in the text,Notice that Jesus is being accused of eating and hanging out with sinners. The Pastors and Elders the ones who knew the word better than anyone else or rather the scribes and Pharisees had brought an accusation on Jesus if you notice they didn’t say he sleeps with women, that wasn’t an issue.They didn’t say he steals the churches money it wasn’t an issue of tithes or thighs that wasn’t the issue. There accusation is Jesus received them and eats with them so once again I’m Glad Jesus still eats with sinners. Let it be said that the North Shore church has opened its doors and they not only clothe, but feed and eat with sinners, we are all save by Gods amazing grace. As I’m reading this it appears that Jesus was a big disappointment, this was not the Idea of the messiah that they we’re looking for.The chosen one doesn’t eat with sinners. I am in the text, I will prove it thru the word.John the one who paved the way for Jesus was a little confused, John had heard that Jesus , I’m in the text Jesus ate and hung out with sinners.Were talking about John the one who when he saw Jesus said “behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” That one specific sin people are still struggling with today, the sin of unbelief. Some people are suffering from believing that they are better than others, buts another sermon for another day.Were talking about John the first cousin of Jesus separated-by six months, the one who leaped in his mother’s womb at the presence of the unborn messiah. John knew exactly who Jesus was yet when he was in prison he heard of the people Jesus was hanging out with, he heard about the places that Jesus would frequent. Lets make sure that other churche and the conference of Illinois hears that North shore Church is hanging out with sinners , not just hanging out but sharing Christ and all his love! John sends his disciples to ask Jesus are you the one. Or shall we look for another. How many of us have that same question on our minds, how many of us want to ask the question is Jesus ever coming? How many of us are secretly doubting that we serve a risen savior? John the same one who proclaimed him had to ask this question. remember the accusation of the Elders. For me ,I’m glad Jesus is still in the business of hanging out with sinners. If If Jesus didn’t hang out with sinners he wouldn’t even been with you on Monday, on Tuesday , on Wednesday. Come on say. Jesus knew who his audience was, The multitude came for different reasons, some came to hear a word, some came to criticize,.I suspect and I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that we’ve got a mixed multitude in the house today.Some of you came to hear a word, some of you came to see if the speaker is theologically errant , some of you may be taking notes as we speak.Todays message is fitting for the season of evangelism that we are in , as this entire chapter deals with people ,family members ,friends , loved ones co-y amen.workers that just may be lost and need a savior.

This man eats wits with sinners , If Jesus did then whats stopping us from doing it? It’s ok I came to today to bowl down some alleys, if I step on some toes , just say ouch then I will know you heard . Pen of Inspiration says , “It is the work of the angels to come close to the tried, the suffering, the tempted. They labor untiringly in behalf of those for whom Christ died. When sinners are led to give themselves to the Saviour, angels bear the tidings heavenward, and there is great rejoicing among the heavenly host.” “Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7. “A report is borne to heaven of every successful effort on our part to dispel the darkness and to spread abroad the knowledge of Christ. As the deed is recounted before the Father, joy thrills through all the heavenly host”. . AA 153.3

In order for heaven to receive this report we have to stop being so Isolated and Insulated and be more about our father’s business. I believe we have the wrong concept on discipleship. true discipleship involves denying oneself, we have it backward because we are denying the community and those around us, e we have taking up our crosses and placed them in the church so no one can see the cross that we are bearing. In Mark 8:34, Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." This means that true discipleship requires self-sacrifice, surrendering one's own desires and priorities, and wholeheartedly following Jesus' teachings and example. Jesus mingled with people. It's hard for most of us to even fathom mingling with some one that's not Adventist. That's why our churches aren't growing, we aren't mingling we are to afraid to talk with them because they swear or drink or smoke . They eat pork and listen to bad music. We have Isolated ourselves to the point where we aren't good for any body but adventist. We've turned witnessing into a fight, Saturday versus Sunday like freddy verses jason. We think it's our responsibility to tell everyone the truth about the Sabbath and state of the dead and healthy food diet that we are forgetting to tell them about Jesus. Jesus is the chain that will link hearts together not your doctrines. We're struggling with a good morning, well you know technically our biblically speaking the evening and the morning consists of a day so it's really the afternoon! If we want to be like Jesus get out and mingle, invite those family members over, Share what Jesus has done for you ! Thats were the power lies not in you fighting about your doctrine and what he believes. Its by our testimonies that people will be won to Christ. It will be by you telling someone you were sick with Cancer and your church prayed and God healed you. My lights and gas were about to be cut off and God stepped in. My son was gang banging and he is a deacon in the church!. I was suffering with depression But God stepped in and I have hope today. People are struggling with anxiety and depression,low self esteem , low self worth , abandonment issues and we are Isolated with the truth in the church! we can help relieve the chains on their feet and hands, but we don’t. That why you need to tell your story, tell your testimony to your neighbor or coworker , tell them what a mighty God we serve , angels bow before him , heaven and earth adore him , what a mighty God we serve. The Bible says that when Christ be lifted up all men will be drawn towards him , not the 28 fundamental beliefs, but Jesus! When we begin to tell our stories to people in our families and communities, Jesus will get the glory . We are to busy fighting over women’s ordination and wedding bands, have you ever thought about what your going to do when Jesus places that Gold crown on your head, oh I don’t wear jewelry. We have to stop majoring in minor and realize that we have the power in Jesus name to bring life and hope to those who in despair. Lift up the name of Jesus.When people in our families and communities see and hear what God has done for us how he has been a way-maker, a miracle worker and promise keeper the light in the darkness a bridge over troubled waters , when people see how we were broken bruised battered and scared but now were trees of righteousness, now we are trophies of Gods victory. In order for us to be relevant we have to get out of these four walls from time to time and mingle. If North shore Church closed down today would the people in this community miss the church ? Would they know we are gone or even care? As disciples of Jesus, we are called to build our lives on a solid foundation, just like a house built on a rock. This foundation is Jesus Himself, who is the cornerstone of our faith. He is the one who provides stability, strength, and direction in our lives

So, how do we adjust our lives to help our spiritual growth and live as true disciples of Jesus? One key aspect is to actively engage with our community. We are not meant to walk this journey alone. We need the support, encouragement, and accountability that comes from being a part of a loving and caring community.

Being connected to our community spiritually means more than just attending church services or events. It involves actively participating in the life of the community, building relationships, and serving one another. It means being there for each other in times of joy and sorrow, praying for one another, and sharing our lives authentically.

Living a life following Jesus also requires us to examine where we are placing our energy and focus. Are we investing our time and resources in things that align with His teachings and values? Or are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by worldly pursuits that lead us away from Him?

Today, on this Community Guest Day, let us recommit ourselves to building our lives on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. Let us embrace the importance of community and actively engage with one another in love and support. And let us adjust our priorities and energy to align with God's purposes for our lives.

CONCLUSION

This then leaves us with just two questions to answer. (1) Is the foundation beneath your life absolutely solid? If it is on Christ, the Rock, it is. If not, it isn’t. (2) Is the life you are building eternally reliable? If your life is solidly resting on Christ, you will ride out the storm, not fearing the flood. If not, the sand will ultimately give way, your life will collapse, and you will sink.

ONLY A LIFE BUILT ON JESUS CHRIST WILL ENDURE.

May we be a community that shines brightly, like a house on a rock, reflecting the love and grace of Jesus to the world around us. Amen.