Series: Red Letter Living—Living the Words of Jesus. Week 8: Living Life Solid as a Rock
People can believe they believe something that they may not actually believe.
The truth is that beliefs that have no connection to reality, even if they’re sincere, aren’t beliefs at all; they’re delusions.
Following Jesus is what happens when our lives align with what we say we believe about Him.
Jesus is finishing up His amazing message … He has tackled some heavy topics—marriage, divorce, revenge, anger, commitments, justice, and worry, just to name a few—but it’s the conclusion that really shakes me up.
In his wrap-up to the greatest message every preached, Jesus tells us not only how to avoid the sand, but also how to build our lives on the rock: Matthew 7:24a.
So I made it my mission to hear more. But what I had missed was … Matthew 7:24b
It wasn’t enough. I had to use what I learned … put it into action … put into practice. Truth be told, though all the knowledge might have made me smarter, it hadn’t necessarily made me wiser.
TENSION: This is where many followers of Jesus have gotten stuck: They’ve been learning a lot about Jesus but not really following Him. Many Christians become consumed with acquiring knowledge, but then wonder why they still have all the same struggles, the same fears, and the same temptations. In other words, they wonder, “Whose fault is it?”
- “It’s God’s fault!” –based on the (faulty) assumption that God is supposed to take away all temptation, shore up all our weaknesses, remove all our doubts, heal all our sicknesses, and clear all paths to our financial, emotional, physical, and vocational success. After all, He owes me.
- “It’s my fault!” –just need to learn more. I must work harder.
- “It’s the church’s fault!” –If the pastor would just … or if the church would just offer … But when we assume that it’s the church’s responsibility to do everything for us, we’ll always be “church shopping.”
Problem: If education were the issue, Satan would be a great disciple.
While the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the only way to God and that it is His free gift of grace that brings us back to a right relationship with God, it also makes it clear that, once we are saved, we live in partnership with God. And though we stand in grace, we live by faith. In other words, Jesus has saved us, but for a purpose.
Our ability to build a house on the rock is based not on what we learn but on what we do with what we learned. Our opportunity to have an unshakable life when storms come has less to do with what we’ve made note of and more to do with what we’ve made happen. Our participation with God is based not on how much we know but rather on how much we apply what we know.
When we hear the Word of God and put it into practice, then God builds an unshakable life in us. But what makes this difficult is that it requires sacrifice.
Spiritual maturity is directly related to the length of time between hearing the Word of God and doing it. Doing what God has called us to is what it means to follow Jesus.
3 Steps in Living Your Life on a Solid Foundation – Matthew 7:21-27
Step #1: Depart from the Distracted Life – Busyness Must Not Replace Faithfulness (Matthew 7:21-23)
Step #2: Walk in Wisdom – Your Direction is Affected by Your Dedication (Matthew 7:24-25)
Step #3: Divert from Deception – Good Intentions Do Not Replace Right Application (Matthew 7:26-27)
TRUTH: Red Letter Living Demands a Foundation of Hearing & Doing