Foundation

Why do we fail?

I’ve been in the church for 15 years. 10 of them I struggled with pornography, 7 of them I fought alcoholism, and still I’m fighting anger and failing tests of faith. Why do I keep failing?

I don’t love God enough, I’m not disciplined, I don’t like to read so I’m not in my word, someone made me mad so I made poor decisions, I’m ungrateful, I have too much pride, etc.

Matthew 7:24–27 (NIV)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Ultimately we fail because our foundation is not PUTTING INTO PRACTICE what Jesus SAID.

It’s not because we don’t hear

Proverbs 9 (NIV)

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city,

4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.”

7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. 8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. 9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...

Matthew 7:28–29 (NIV)

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

...and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

13 Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.

Out of wisdom God created all things, through creation you can see Him, wisdom (a foundation built on Jesus) is not hiding under a basket. The problem is foolishness is also shouting from the rooftops.

2 Callings

Wisdom says; glorify God, do not hate or demean your brother, do not look lustfully, do not get divorced, do not swear an oath, do not seek revenge, love your enemies, give to the needy, pray, forgive, do not seek the approval of others, store treasures in heaven NOT on earth, do not worry but seek the kingdom, do not judge before you look at yourself, AND don’t take the most travelled path - find the narrow path that few people take and go down that one.

Foolishness says; take it and hide it.

Why am I failing? Going through this list every failure I’ve had is because I wasn’t practicing one of these principles.

Give Up Now! D.L Moody

Dr. Andrew Bonar told me how, in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn’t get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then they can’t jump back again, and the shepherd hears them bleating in distress. They may be there for days, until they have eaten all the grass. The shepherd will wait until they are so faint they cannot stand, and then they will put a rope around him, and he will go over and pull that sheep up out of the jaws of death.

“Why don’t they go down there when the sheep first gets there?” I asked.

“Ah!” he said, “they are so very foolish they would dash right over the precipice and be killed if they did!”

And that is the way with men; they won’t go back to God till they have no friends and have lost everything. If you are a wanderer I tell you that the Good Shepherd will bring you back the moment you have given up trying to save yourself and are willing to let Him save you His own way.