Just Do It

A Nike ad campaign in the 90s aimed at selling product, especially Jordan shoes! When I looked at this commercial I believed if I have his shoes then I can play like him! But I was sadly mistaken! I did not understand the message behind the video. And Nike did not care about making it clear for little ol me. It took more than being familiar with the ad and wearing the shoes. I missed out on a couple of inches of height, I did not work as hard as Michael Jordan, and I was just uncoordinated when it came to basketball skills in general. Shame on them for making me believe that “It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!” Everyone cannot dunk, everyone cannot break ankles, everyone cannot shoot jumpers from half court. But everyone can be obedient to God.

God does not set a standard that we cannot reach.

God also does not force us to live by that same standard either.

But God does give us assurance that we can adopt His will for our lives

He does give us the Holy Spirit to aid us in the obedience to His will.

And most importantly when we really look at it, it is for our benefit!

Psalm 34:8 ESV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

If we would just taste of the Lord we will see that we will be able to withstand the storms of life that are sure to come. Not AVOID but withstand.

Today we begin at the end of the sermon on the mount. Mostly because Randy Harris and Scott set it up that way. But there is another reason why. I like to look at it this way. When I was a child I would read Goosebumps books and they would begin a series of choose your own ending stories. And there were times when you would make dumb decisions and end up with a lame ending. So what I would do is, I would skip to the endings, flipping through the pages, and when I found one that I liked I would work my way backwards and read the story that way. We are going to start off at the end here today because I believe and agree with Randy and Scott in this…

“The end of the sermon provides a clue to the question that determines how you read the whole sermon. The question is this: Can you do this?”

I believe that the sermon of Jesus is within the ability of all of God’s people. Turn your Bible’s with me to Matthew 7:24-29

Matthew 7:24–29 ESV

“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.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Wise

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

“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.

Interesting Words

Wise- pertaining to understanding resulting from insight and wisdom

Built- to make or erect any kind of construction

House- Building or place where one dwells

Rock- Bedrock in contrast with separate pieces of rock normally referred to as "lithos”

“Hard impacted material that lies under everywhere”

V25

Rain, rivers, wind. Things are intensifying against the house.

But because of what it stands on it does not collapse

7:24- Therefore everyone who hears these of my words and does/carry out/accomplish them will be similar to a wise (pertaining to understanding resulting from insight and wisdom) man who built (to make or erect any kind of construction) his house (building or place where one dwells) upon the rock (bedrock in contrast with separate pieces of rock normally referred to as “lithos”)

25- And the rain came down and the rivers(we see floods in English) came and the winds blew and hit against THAT house and it did not collapse for it had been constructed upon the rock (bedrock)

The Fool

Matthew 7:26–27 ESV

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.”

V26

The foolish hear too!

But does not DO

Foolish- Foolish or stupid

Sand-

It is very possible to build your house on an unstable foundation.

BLM

Patriotism

MAGA

Me Too

But what do you do

When you have an enemy

When your marriage is about to end

When your children want to do physical harm to themselves

THESE ARE THE RAIN, FLOODS, AND WINDS OF LIFE THAT COME!

Transvalue- to reevaluate especially on a basis that repudiates accepted standards.

26- And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do/carry out/accomplish them will be like a foolish (foolish, stupid) who built his house upon the sand

27- And the rain fell and the rivers came and the winds blew and hit against THAT house and it collapsed and great (the upper range of a scale of extent) was its fall (figurative extension with the implication of having formerly held a position of eminence)

The Crowds Reaction

Matthew 7:28–29 ESV

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

V28

astonished- to be so amazed as to be practically overwhelmed. To be greatly astounded.

V29

Authority- The right to control or govern over

Scribes- A person who has acquired a high level of education in a certain body of literature or discipline.

28- And it happened when Jesus had finished THESE words the crowds were amazed (to be so amazed as to be practically overwhelmed. To be greatly astounded) at his teaching

29- For he taught them as one who had authority (the right to control or govern over) and not as a their scribes (a person who has acquired a high level of education in a certain body of literature or discipline.)

Can I Do This?

It is not a question of ability, it is a question of will…