Building on the right stuff
Notes
Transcript
Intro/Scripture
Intro/Scripture
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“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.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Pray.
Family picture
Luke picture. he is a carbon copy of me.
"My favorite thing in the world is knowledge.”
Do you know what that is?
Yeah it’s like college but you don’t have to be old. Just learning all kinds of things. That’s my favorite.”
Even yesterday at HEB over here across the street. They had a fire truck out in front so that kids could climb in and ask firefighter questions.
One of the big lessons I hope to teach him though and something I have learned the hard way....there is a difference in knowing things and doing something with what you know.
See, a lot of us know a whole lot about Jesus and the faith and Christianity. But as we will see today, there is a difference in knowing and acting on it.
Today, on my first sunday with you, I am charged with landing the plane, bringing us home on the greatest teaching ever given…Not me…the sermon on the mount. It is not the easiest spot for me to begin because Jesus is pretty blunt here with a few warnings and then kind of a dark parable.
This is the most important teaching from Jesus for many reasons. For us we get the Lord’s prayers here, we get the be-attitudes, we get beautiful pictures for what it means to be his followers....light of the world, salt of the earth, we get teaching of morality of what it means to live and be His people. It is Jesus giving this presentation of the economy of the kingdom of heaven.
Two other reasons:
He is the new Moses
He is the authoritative one.
New Moses:
Parallel in Matthew’s gospel here....
5 blocks of teaching (all end with When Jesus finished saying these things…easier to see in your bibles with the red print) they parallel the 5 books of the OT called the Torah. Thought to have been written by Moses
Matthew is laid out that way. Moses leads the people out of Egypt, they go through the Red sea, into the wilderness. Moses goes up on Mt. Siniai to receive the law. Jesus through the waters of baptism, wilderness, on the mount to give this teaching. The fulfilment of the law.
presented as the second moses. The greater Exodus.
The authoritative one:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Matthew 5:21-22 ““You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
“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.
Building a House on Strong Foundation
Building a House on Strong Foundation
The end of this authoritative sermon, this central presentation on the kingdom of heaven and how to be a citizen of it. Ends with this stark parable that I want us to focus on to close out the series.
“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.”
Don’t be foolish
Don’t be foolish
There is an interesting comparison happening here. Notice that Jesus does not say.... the people that build their house on what I say here, they are good. And the ones who don’t, they are bad.
The comparison is intelligence. The person that hears these words and puts them into practice....they are wise. and the ones who do not, they are foolish. In the Greek it is Moros…where we get the word moron.
The people that disregard the teaching of Jesus. When we disregard the teachings of Jesus…there is bad, there is wicked, there is sin, and all of that but that is not what Jesus is highlighting here.
Think about what we have had here:
Be attitudes (which I think is teaching on how to suffer)
murder and anger
adultery and lust
marriage and divorce
being trustworthy in your word
revenge
loving your enemies
Giving to the poor
prayer
fasting
generosity
worrying
judgement
false teaching and people that will lead you astray
What it means to be a true follower
IF YOU DISREGARD THIS TEACHING IT IS IDIOTIC HE SAYS.
YOU ARE LIKE A PERSON THAT BUILDS A HOUSE ON SAND. IT CRUMBLES.
At the end of it Jesus is blunt but he isnt heaping shame. But he is being honest. When you live with anger, lust, when you keep that pet addiction, when you are not generous and hoard, when you live in judgement… things will crumble around you.
My story: I know this well. I grew up in a Christian home. We went to church since I could remember. My dad was southern baptist, my mom’s family was methodist so I guess mom won that one. But when I was a teenager life really got in the way. Church became an option. I was a soccer player so that took precedence. My dad started a business, we got busy. Nothing terrible. but just built around things that in the end does not matter. Then crisis struck. Hardship happened. Business does make it. Brother gets addicted to drugs and ends up in and out of jail, eventually in prison where he is today. My parent’s marriage does not make it. And I hit rock bottom. Everything fell like a house of cards, or like a home built on sand.
(friends you cannot be isolated from other meaningful relationships)
For me personally, I began drinking and partying to cope with all the disillusion of what life is supposed to be. Almost flunk out of college, quit soccer, move home. I eventually end up in jail, DWI. I was lost. Until one day I am waiting tables at On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina in College Station, TX. I was literally on house arrest. Had the ankle bracelet on. There was a season where we had to wear shorts and I would cover it up with large socks. You either knew what it was or thought I had a weird growth or tumor. Fun times. In walks a former youth leader of mine and sits in my section.
Guac live.
She wouldnt take no for an answer.
Jesus saved me in that moment. Through the local church.
THIS IS WHY I WANT TO PLANT. NEW LIFE
Now I didnt walk out of there completely different. God began showing me how to build something different. Since then we have learned to suffer, to endure, to persevere, to love, to be generous. Bit by bit.
Practice makes Perfect
Practice makes Perfect
Here is the kicker. Everything hinges here at the end of the sermon and throughout with not just hearing, listening, not just agreeing what has been said, but actually being obedient to it. Practicing what is heard. This word for practice is Poieo.
This word is used 22 times in the sermon. This word is used in all three warnings here at the end. Some of it gets lost in translation a little.
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Information to action ratio
Neil Postman: (information to action ratio)
“The tie between information and action has been severed. Information is now a commodity that can be bought and sold, or used as a form of entertainment, or worn like a garment to enhance one’s status. It comes indiscriminately, directed at no one in particular, disconnected from usefulness; we are glutted with information, drowning in information, have no control over it, don’t know what to do with it.” -Neil Postman
(think about the Houston news)
There is a gap between the information we receive and what we can and do act on. We are conditioned even to settle with not acting.
How do we break that cycle. How do we break spiritual inertia and begin to engage in what Jesus has called us to? How do we build on the rock?
Quickly I want to offer you three axioms of poieo/obedience
Practicing the Way of the Kingdom
Teaching
Practice
Community
Teaching:
This is a sermon after all. The disciples of Jesus receive information/education. My prayer is that there are folks here that will be cut to the heart. That through the Spirit it would become clear that there is disconnect between what we know and what we do. For some this might be your guacamole live on house arrest moment (without the public shame).
Practice:
But hearing is not doing. We need to walk in obedience. Practice our loyalty to Jesus. Practice through repentance, through discipline like prayer and scripture, practice staying with Jesus.
Jesus is strategic with this parable. It is about a storm that come on both houses. Everyone will face storms and until the storm comes it is hard to see what the foundation is like. But crisis and suffering and hardship reveals where our loyalty is.
Community:
We cannot do this alone. It is not a button we push. God imparts upon us the power to follow him…but I believe more than that he empowers community. Who in your life knows what you are building on? Who knows your fear and insecurity and anxiety, who knows about your joys and what gives you life? Life. Better. Together
First Methodist Conroe let’s be that church together. Building on the rock. Sharing, teaching, inviting. Practicing together. And if we can do that we will be salt of the earth. We will be light of the world. In Conroe and in Willis... For his glory.
In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.