“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” - Jesus (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus finishes His sermon with a VBS song. I am sure all of us have at one time or another participated in this song and the hand motions that accompany it. From a young age, we learn the importance of building on solid ground. As an engineer, these words have an even clearer meaning for me.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given the basis for His ministry and the foundation for all the other teaching that is contained in the New Testament. His teaching in these three chapters is the Magna Carta, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the Christian faith. When He finishes teaching, He gives the people the choice of accepting or rejecting His words and tells them outcome of their choice. Wise will stand, foolish will fall. Wise listen and put into action, foolish ignores and rejects. But the choice was theirs and it is ours.
He says to us that our lives are not going to be without trouble. The floods will come, the winds will blow, our houses will take a beating and the choice we make for our foundation will determine the outcome of the troubles. If we base our lives on the truth that is found in Him... bring on the rain. If we reject His truth and base our lives on something else... trouble will devastate. You have seen it. I have too. People that haven't built their lives on the Solid Rock of Jesus fold under the load of this life. People whose lives are built on Him standing strong against the winds of cancer or the rain of job lose.
But His message goes further than this life only! He is calling us to faith that leads to a life hereafter. Sure we are going to have a better life here... and that is worth living for! But Paul tells the church in Corinth, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. Jesus has better things planned of us now and eternally. The question for each of us is clear, are we wise or foolish? We will listen and do or will we ignore and fall? Just as in every other scripture, He leaves the choice to us. So...
Wise or Foolish?
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Lord, Lord...
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus draws a stark contrast between those who do the will of the Father and those that don't. If you don't obey His will, you practice lawlessness. You are a law breaker! He tells us that many of those people, maybe many of us don't even recognize that we are spiritual criminals. We go through life doing things that make us look like we are disciples, but we are not. That should wake us up... right now! He declares that these people will not make it to heaven. That should shake us up... right now!
He draws a line of distinction between those that "do His Father's will" and those that "do religious things". We can call Him Lord, yet our lives not reflect His Lordship. He is not on the throne... something or someone else is. Jesus says that when that happens; when we say or do one thing yet our hearts indicate another, then we are law breakers. Or... we call Him Lord and give Him the reins of our lives and obey the Father. These two lives might even look the same on the outside, but where it counts (in the heart) it is dramatically different.
Every time I read these verses I get a little nervous. Some will stand before Him in the judgment and believe with all their hearts that they did many things in His name and that they are entitled to a "well done my good and faithful servant". Instead they will get, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" The difference in these two lives is one is outward action and the other is inward change. Of course the inward change produces outward action! But outward action does not necessarily produce inward change. I can hate my neighbor and still treat him properly. I can lust after my secretary and not have an affair with her.
Jesus is winding up his sermon with this conclusion... being His true disciple means that "who we are" and "whose we are" has changed. He is getting to the "heart" of the matter. Take a moment an go back and read the sermon again (beginning with chapter 5) with this view in mind. Everything He has said is richer and fuller and deeper. We can spend our lives doing many good things and still be unchanged by the Christ. Many do it... and that is tragic. May we seek the renewed mind, the changed heart, the born again nature and then serve from that position. That changes everything! May God bless you in your following Him.
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus draws a stark contrast between those who do the will of the Father and those that don't. If you don't obey His will, you practice lawlessness. You are a law breaker! He tells us that many of those people, maybe many of us don't even recognize that we are spiritual criminals. We go through life doing things that make us look like we are disciples, but we are not. That should wake us up... right now! He declares that these people will not make it to heaven. That should shake us up... right now!
He draws a line of distinction between those that "do His Father's will" and those that "do religious things". We can call Him Lord, yet our lives not reflect His Lordship. He is not on the throne... something or someone else is. Jesus says that when that happens; when we say or do one thing yet our hearts indicate another, then we are law breakers. Or... we call Him Lord and give Him the reins of our lives and obey the Father. These two lives might even look the same on the outside, but where it counts (in the heart) it is dramatically different.
Every time I read these verses I get a little nervous. Some will stand before Him in the judgment and believe with all their hearts that they did many things in His name and that they are entitled to a "well done my good and faithful servant". Instead they will get, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" The difference in these two lives is one is outward action and the other is inward change. Of course the inward change produces outward action! But outward action does not necessarily produce inward change. I can hate my neighbor and still treat him properly. I can lust after my secretary and not have an affair with her.
Jesus is winding up his sermon with this conclusion... being His true disciple means that "who we are" and "whose we are" has changed. He is getting to the "heart" of the matter. Take a moment an go back and read the sermon again (beginning with chapter 5) with this view in mind. Everything He has said is richer and fuller and deeper. We can spend our lives doing many good things and still be unchanged by the Christ. Many do it... and that is tragic. May we seek the renewed mind, the changed heart, the born again nature and then serve from that position. That changes everything! May God bless you in your following Him.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Fruit Inspectors
"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." Matthew 7:15-20
Watch out for false prophets!! Jesus gives His disciples a strong warning in these few verses. These warnings are echoed by the apostles in their writings as well. We need to understand that until the New Testament was completed and compiled, the gospel message was transmitted orally. God's prophet would show up in a town and teach about the Savior and then do a miracle or two to confirm that they were speaking the truth. (1 Cor 14:22) Ultimately, it was up to the hearer to determine if what they would believe. They couldn't open their Bibles and check out the message.
Jesus tells us that sometimes it is difficult to know who is bringing His truth and who is bringing a lie. He says they look like sheep. They look innocent enough, but He warns that they are really wolves. They come to destroy! Thankfully, He doesn't end His message there. He tells us that we can recognize the true "prophet" and the false "prophet". He says look at their fruit. Check out their lives, their relationships, their marriages... look at what has grown where they planted. He says, "good fruit doesn't come from thorn bushes or thistles".
The identifying marks of each prophet is evident in their lives, in the lives of their followers and in their message. A true prophet will bring about good results; lives changed for the better, peace and harmony, unity and love. It is impossible for the true prophet to bring about bad fruit. The false prophet will bring division, bitterness, greed and the like. He tells us that it is impossible for a bad tree to bear good fruit. It will not happen! Maybe for a short period of time, the appearance of good will disguise the true result; but over time, the bad fruit will become obvious. You've seen it! You know exactly what I am talking about.
As a hearer of the Word, it is our responsibility to be a fruit inspectors. Understand that He is not saying that for someone to tell you truth from God's Word they must be a sinless person. Everyone sins... the preacher sins and the teacher sins. He is calling on us to look at the results of a persons life. Do they live what they teach? Do I see a life filled with blessings? Do you see joy? Today we are blessed to have His Word available to read and study. We need to be like the noble Bereans... Acts 17:10-12. We must compare all teaching with the written Word of God.
Jesus warns us that the results of the life lived as a "bad tree" is certain. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". Death and destruction are the reward promised to that person. It is up to each of us to determine who we will listen to, who we will follow. He gives us the ability to be fruit inspectors. Let's use His Word as the standard. I have been told that those tasked with determining counterfeit currency don't spend their time looking at fakes, they only look at the real cash. When you know what the real thing looks like, the fake is easy to spot. Let's spend our time studying the truth and the lie will be evident.
Wise or foolish?
Watch out for false prophets!! Jesus gives His disciples a strong warning in these few verses. These warnings are echoed by the apostles in their writings as well. We need to understand that until the New Testament was completed and compiled, the gospel message was transmitted orally. God's prophet would show up in a town and teach about the Savior and then do a miracle or two to confirm that they were speaking the truth. (1 Cor 14:22) Ultimately, it was up to the hearer to determine if what they would believe. They couldn't open their Bibles and check out the message.
Jesus tells us that sometimes it is difficult to know who is bringing His truth and who is bringing a lie. He says they look like sheep. They look innocent enough, but He warns that they are really wolves. They come to destroy! Thankfully, He doesn't end His message there. He tells us that we can recognize the true "prophet" and the false "prophet". He says look at their fruit. Check out their lives, their relationships, their marriages... look at what has grown where they planted. He says, "good fruit doesn't come from thorn bushes or thistles".
The identifying marks of each prophet is evident in their lives, in the lives of their followers and in their message. A true prophet will bring about good results; lives changed for the better, peace and harmony, unity and love. It is impossible for the true prophet to bring about bad fruit. The false prophet will bring division, bitterness, greed and the like. He tells us that it is impossible for a bad tree to bear good fruit. It will not happen! Maybe for a short period of time, the appearance of good will disguise the true result; but over time, the bad fruit will become obvious. You've seen it! You know exactly what I am talking about.
As a hearer of the Word, it is our responsibility to be a fruit inspectors. Understand that He is not saying that for someone to tell you truth from God's Word they must be a sinless person. Everyone sins... the preacher sins and the teacher sins. He is calling on us to look at the results of a persons life. Do they live what they teach? Do I see a life filled with blessings? Do you see joy? Today we are blessed to have His Word available to read and study. We need to be like the noble Bereans... Acts 17:10-12. We must compare all teaching with the written Word of God.
Jesus warns us that the results of the life lived as a "bad tree" is certain. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire". Death and destruction are the reward promised to that person. It is up to each of us to determine who we will listen to, who we will follow. He gives us the ability to be fruit inspectors. Let's use His Word as the standard. I have been told that those tasked with determining counterfeit currency don't spend their time looking at fakes, they only look at the real cash. When you know what the real thing looks like, the fake is easy to spot. Let's spend our time studying the truth and the lie will be evident.
Wise or foolish?
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