Build Your House Well!
Living the Life: Foundations • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsBuild your life upon Jesus your rock, and no storm can take you down.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Vision 2020: Living the Life —
I am going to show you a movie clip in just a moment.
I think we can all agree: one of the most important things everyone needs to live a somewhat normal life is food — another important thing is shelter. We need food in our stomachs and a roof over our head. A roof over our head means we live in a house, apartment, tent, hut…something that shelters us from the outside elements.
One of the most important things everyone needs to live a somewhat normal life is food — another important thing is shelter. We need food in our stomachs and a roof over our head. A roof over our head means we live in a house, apartment, tent, hut…something that shelters us from the outside elements.
I don’t think I would want to do it, but some folks buy fixer-upper homes. Sometimes this works out well and sometimes it doesn’t
Video clip: The Money Pit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFwBptAlvlQ
Last week’s big idea: God speaks — your happiness is bound up in your attitude and response to what He says. “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” How do we view and respond to God’s Word?
Last week’s big idea: God speaks — your happiness is bound up in your attitude and response to what He says. “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” How do we view and respond to 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.”
Mt
Prayer
Last week’s big idea: God speaks and your happiness is bound up in your attitude and response to what He says. “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” How do we view and respond to God’s Word?
The week before that the big idea was: In order to stay under God’s covering, let us make intentional and thankful prayer as natural and important as breathing. Prayer, speaking to and listening to God — an intimate relationship with Him is essential. How is your prayer life?
If we consistently read, meditate and act upon God’s Word…and if we consistently seek Him in prayer and time in His presence, He will speak to us…lead us, bless us, and correct us when we need it. If we build our life upon His truth and how we respond to it…we will have a strong foundation. We will experience what it means to live the life He intends for us to live.
Exposition - background of the Sermon on the Mount
Build your life upon Jesus your rock, and no storm can take you down.
Transitional: The key to surviving…and thriving in the storms of life, is to make right choices that are grounded in a right attitude.
Exposition - background of the Sermon on the Mount
Early one in Jesus’ ministry, you can find Him making His way throughout the region of Galilee preaching the good news and healing the people that came to him with various diseases and problems.
Large crowds followed Him, so one day He went up to the side of a mountain, sat down, and began to teach His disciples — the crowd followed
In , Jesus revealed who we are in Him (skim): not by our righteousness but by His grace.
In , Jesus presented powerful principles about our relationship with God
In , Jesus presented powerful principles about our relationship with others
He ended chapter 7 this way
“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. 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. 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Prayer
If we build our life upon His truth and how we respond to it…we will have a strong foundation. We will experience what it means to live the life He intends for us to live.
Mt. 7:
Build your life upon Jesus your rock, and no storm can take you down.
Interrogatory: What happens to your faith and your relationship with Jesus when you face life’s storms?
Transitional: The key to surviving…and thriving in the storms of life, is to make right choices that are grounded in a right attitude.
Our Relationship With God Reveals Our Heart
Our Relationship With God Reveals Our Heart
Who should get the credit for any good thing you do?
Who should get the credit for any good thing you do?
Hypocrisy Leads to Destruction
Hypocrisy Leads to Destruction
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
When you give to the poor or needy…don’t make it a big public event so that everyone can see how generous you are
“Don’t sound a trumpet before you…like the hypocrites do, in the streets and in the synagogues.” (Mt. 6:2)
— to be seen by men…they have their reward
Don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing…help anonymously
…And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (6:4b)
Your Father will get the credit…people will likely thank God for His provision…instead of thanking you
...our relationship with God reveals the condition of our heart
Who is the object of your affection
Who is the object of your affection
…yourself or God…yourself or others?
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Mt. 6
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
....your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (6:6b)
Don’t make a show of your prayers…the more spiritual you try to look, the more unspiritual you really are
Of course we can pray in public…this is common in scripture and it is good, if done with the right heart and attitude
But if we don’t have a personal prayer life…our public prayers will be a bit of a sham....ouch
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Mt. 6:
Who is the object of your affection?
Who is the object of your affection?
When you are fasting…keep it to yourself — don’t make a big deal out of the sacrifice you are making, or how weak you feel, etc.
“And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (6:18b)
...our relationship with God reveals the condition of our heart - in addition...
Our Relationship With People Reveals Our Heart
Our Relationship With People Reveals Our Heart
You are not the judge
You are not the judge
Jesus told them “Do not judge — you will be measured by the same measure you use to judge others”
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Treat people the way you want to be treated
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Mt. 7
do unto others as you would have them do unto you (7:12)
do unto others as you would have them do unto you (7:12)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Mt 7:7-
God gives us the best of who He is and what He possesses
Good fathers give good things to their children, just as God gives good things to us
Therefore, we can willingly and sincerely treat people the way we wish to be treated, knowing that our father will take care of us…even if we give everything away to help someone else.
our relationship with people reveals our heart — one more thing...
Our Response to the Words of Jesus Reveals Our Heart
Our Response to the Words of Jesus Reveals Our Heart
I have another video clip to show you — but the real question today is whether or not we are willing to SUBMIT to the plan of God
Are we willing to not only read/hear the words of God…but are we willing to put them into practice?
“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.
Video Clip: House on the Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Bkct-OMyA
Video Clip: House on the Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Bkct-OMyA
“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.
Mt.
Our Response to the Words of Jesus Reveals Our Heart
Our Response to the Words of Jesus Reveals Our Heart
Living by Jesus’ Words Builds a Rock-Solid Foundation
Living by Jesus’ Words Builds a Rock-Solid Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Bkct-OMyA
Living by Jesus’ Words Builds a Rock-Solid Foundation
…the wise man not only hears Jesus’ words…but puts them into practice
2020 Vision: Living the Life
When the winds and rains come…when the waves crash over…our house will stand
Choosing not to live by Jesus’ Words brings disaster
Choosing not to live by Jesus’ Words brings disaster
The rains, wind and waves overcome the house and it collapses because it is not built upon Christ, the solid Rock…the foundation of true life
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE
Build your life upon Jesus your rock, and no storm can take you down.
Build your life upon Jesus your rock, and no storm can take you down.
Use the correct building materials
The Word of God
The Spirit of God
A heart that is willing to submit to and act upon God’s Living Word
Reject pride and look forward to God’s rewards
God sees what you do in secret and He will reward you