Sermon Nuggets Mon Aug 15
Verses
Matt 7:24-29
24 "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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
(NIV)
House building
In 1174 the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work bell tower for a Cathedral the tower was to be eight-stories and 185-foot-tall tall. There was just one "little" problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the foundation was far too shallow to adequately hold the structure! And sure enough, before long the whole structure had begun to tilt... and it continued to tilt... until finally the architect and the builders realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again. It took 176 years to build the Tower of Pisa and during that time many things were done to try and compensate for the "tilt. Foundation was shored up; the upper levels were even built at an angle to try to make the top of the tower look straight. Nothing worked. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 18 feet away from where it should be. One day, experts say, it will fall and all because it wasn’t built on the right foundation.
Jesus gives us an illustration of a wise man and foolish man. The conclusion all related to the foundation upon which they build their houses. Jesus knew houses. He was a carpenter. No doubt he had seen storms cause houses to fall due to their poor foundation.
As is common he takes an earthly story and brings out a heavenly meaning, which is how one person defined a parable. Jesus laid down instructions on kingdom living. It is impossible to live up to. But with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can see better the heart of God and the attitudes within that Jesus demonstrated in living to the glory of His Father who is in heaven.
Now here comes the conclusion of Jesus’ sermon. Are you going to hear only, or are your going to do something about what you’ve listened to? Those who listen politely are contrasted with those who decide to go with God completely. There is a cost and there are alternatives. Which shall it be for you?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Aug 16
Notice the Similarities.
The parable of the wise and foolish man indicates some similarities between the two. Jesus compared them to people who hear his message. It is easy to nod in agreement with the Sermon on the Mount but there is powerful stuff there, most of which gets ignored.
Each man saw the need of a house and built one. There are quality made homes and those which are quickly put together. They might look the same from the outside. So what might be the same is the outward appearance.
The implication is both the wise and the foolish hear the message. Being a hearer is better than not listening at all. There are people we are told in the Bible that are not even hearers. Some have no opportunity because we haven’t obeyed the Lord and evangelized our world. Some have no one to tell them and we must promote missions and evangelism. The call to missions and evangelism it to give everyone a chance to hear.
I think we have many church attenders that hear the message of Jesus repeatedly. They may be part of the church, part of a congregation, part of the fellowship. They may read their Bibles, pray, buy Christian literature, and books. From outward appearances you cannot any difference just like you can’t tell a house that is well built and one that is on a strong foundation without further investigation. One that is quickly slapped together and on sand will fall. On the outside you cannot tell a difference.
That is how it is with people looking for religion. They may think it is all the same. But everyone needs a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All other beliefs and practices are counterfeit.
There are other similarities. The floods came and smote the house. Here in a very literal sense there came rains. Indeed the adjectives are plan The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against the house. Each description builds on the previous one. Both experiences are similar. I am reminded of the verse. “the Lord causes the sun to sun and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust” There is no religious discrimination. It rains and streams rise winds blow and houses are put under stress.
Jesus is not telling us how to find a safe, comfortable setting or an ideal atmosphere where life remains non-threatening and where the climate is wonderfully calm and supportive. What he is telling us that we must face reality, that life is difficult, we will have to face the storms and accept the pain and discomfort and the heartaches.
Many storms bring violence, tragedies. But there are more difficulties in our fallen world which affect us all. We witness all types of catastrophes sickness, illness, disease, misfortune, and the unexpected death in each and everyone’s life. I wish I could tell you to be a Christian is to have no more problems. but I hear many a preacher speak the opposite. I still hear so many people asking, “Why did this happen to me?” meaning that I am a believer in Jesus I should be given special treatment from circumstances here on earth? Regardless of faith, color, or creed, size or money you will have sunshine and rain, some will have floods and tornados. some more than others. Things that will affect the country, the county, the state will affect all citizens in it, but it was brought to their very homes. The stream and river broke again that very house. What they built was being threatened personally and individually. Hard times came. The storm did not by-pass either home.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Aug 17
Verses- Luke 6:48-49
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
Notice the Differences.
Luke 6:47,48 fills us in a little more the details of this parable concerning a well built house. Most of the difference comes with the wise man. He was a doer, not just a hearer. Three verbs used to describe the situation- dug, down, deep and laid the foundation on the rock. The other built on the sand.
It is not so much that the foolish man actually believes that sand is a better foundation to build on. It’s just that he simply gives no thought to the importance of a good foundation. In his view, it is the house which is important and not the foundation.
We might apply the parable to our choice of a life long mate. Shall we choose the exciting, popular person even though she/he is arrogant, proud and somewhat flighty or shall we choose the decent, quite and godly person?
The one who digs must make plans for his house. He studies the blueprints and measures out the dimensions carefully. It takes planning. It takes labor; it takes toil and effort to do it right the first time.
I think about the words “dug deep”. Deep digging is contrasted with shallow work. The deeper you go, the less likely something will fall over. To dig is to toil; to deepen is to carry on that toil but more. The deeper you go the more difficult it becomes and the harder ground. To deepen is more than just breaking the surface. It is to be willing to discover more and more.
Then there is the laying of the foundation. Everything depends, not on the construction, but the object upon which the foundation is laid. The foolish man laid his foundation on the sand, the wise man on the rock. That makes all the difference. Sand implies the things which pass away. The foolish man is impatient wanting it done now, quickly and inexpensive. The wise man thinks ahead and makes plans.
Gregory Elder tells a story when he was a kid growing up on the Atlantic Coast. He spent long hours working on intricate sand castles; whole cities would appear beneath his hands. One year, for several days in a row, he was accosted by bullies who smashed his creations. Finally he tried an experiment: He placed cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete in the base of my castles. Then he built the sand kingdoms on top of the rocks. When the local toughs appeared (while he watched from a distance), their bare feet suddenly met their match. There might be other implications for building on rocks.
Many people see the church in grave peril from a variety of dangers: secularism, politics, heresies, or plain old sin. They forget that the church is built upon a Rock (Mt. 16:16), over which the gates of hell itself shall not prevail.”
Jesus is making the point of the difference is between hearing and doing. Doing implies commitment to build well and on the right foundation that will not shake and fall. What is missing? The work, the toil, the planning, and the preparation, the time, the energy, the money, the total commitment to what makes a good house.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Aug 18
Verses Matt 7: 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Luke 6:49b The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
The Consequences
Then came the storm, the flood, and the danger. I guess the difference between the doer and the hearer comes at the end. It says the stream could not shake the house that was built on the rock, because it had been well built. Of the other we read, “And immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great.” That makes all the difference in the world. One house stood as protection as the fortress as a shelter, the other collapsed into nothing, and all was lost because there was no foundation.
Note the description of the fall: "And great was the fall of it." It is great because it will fall forever. It is great because there is no remedy for the fall. Once your eternal house has fallen you are doomed forever
Do you want to know something significant? As an outward observer you probably couldn’t tell much difference between the two houses, or the two men. As they lived and were on display you probably couldn’t tell much difference one thinking he might be smarter because he saved money and got the job done quicker. the one way one person came out as a doer was after the storm. He withstood it, and the other was lost.
It doesn’t matter how elegant the living room, appears how functional the kitchen is, or where we have the remote control garage door openers and entertainment center and Jacuzzis, everything depends on whether the whole structure will withstand the storm.
Jesus is not talking about how to build a house he is fully and clearly talking about building lives by faith on Jesus Christ, himself. Many hear but do not obey.
Don’t just be impressed with words, but what you’ve heard put into action. Be doers of all of this or it will not do you one bit of good. Then you are a wise man, when you walk in his ways, wisdom gives sensibility to one who knows, and security to one who has the power and stability in the circumstance that throw so many, but salvation is for all eternity for we are house builders. What kind of house are you building? “Isn’t it strange That prince and kings and clown that caper in sawdust rings, and common people like you and me are builders for eternity?”
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Aug 19
Verses- Matt 7: 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
The Message
Today concludes the series on the Sermon on the Mount. But Jesus wasn’t just interested in people being impressed with His sermon. He just preached the greatest sermon ever. It still is. When he was done I wonder if people lined up and said, “Jesus that was a real inspiration, thank you so much. We all needed to hear that. Thanks Jesus that was the best sermon I ever heard.”
They did say he spoke with authority and to like the other teachers. The crowd was impressed with the speaker. Because he taught as one who had authority. He said several times, “I tell you”. He could do so only as the Son of the Living God. But hearing the message was not enough. Learning does not take place until it is put into action. Jesus said it first. “Do not be hearers only but doers.”
From the beginning Jesus describes the people of the kingdom, they are people who are poor in spirit, they mourn over their sin, they are meek, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, their merciful, pure in heart, they are peacemakers, and for all that they are persecuted people. Then he goes on to tell the influence followers of Jesus must have. We must be like salt to a world that is decaying holding back ungodliness and unrighteousness.
We will get upset bloggers and responses when we say no to abortion and no to pornography, no to gambling and drug and alcohol and tobacco abuses, and we will get people calling us narrow minded and prudish when we say there is sin that affects us all and we cannot watch it happen without doing something. We must be lights to those around us not only showing corruption in the world, but what righteousness is, not self righteousness, but there is a life in Jesus Christ that is worth living for and worth dying for.
Then Jesus talks about the standard of Scripture for which he fulfills, and in order to enter the kingdom we must have a righteousness that even surpasses the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. To put it bluntly they have outward form of religious activities, you must have a heart change that affects your minds, your thoughts, your motives, your attitudes. Scripture is our standard, the Holy Spirit becomes the change agent in our hearts to make us born again and sanctify us to live and think like Jesus. We not only do not take lives, we learn to control anger and the sins of resentments that tear down others. We not only guard against adultery, but no longer treat other sexes for our own selfish lusting desires. It makes a difference what we read and watch. Jesus people are honest in word and deed, and long suffering even with their enemies.
Following Jesus affects religious activities so when you fast and give and pray, it is from the heart, Not for show, but for right relationships with God. Then he says our secular responsibilities also portray a different attitude than what the world has. Our interests in money and how we spend and use it affects where our hearts really lie. Do we think we are going to live here forever, or in heaven forever. That makes a difference in attitude toward our positions and our priorities. Do we worry about things, or leave those worries to God. Do we turn over our needs to the Lord and trust him to work it out, or to we make the meeting of our needs the prime focus of our existing on this world? We must apply the principles of righteousness to our everyday life.
When it comes to relating to others don’t be judging and being harsh, critical with one another without self evaluation. Then having laid down the application of a changed life. Jesus shows us the provision for having achieved all these by asking, seeking and knocking. If you say the standard is too high and you can’t reach it, then ask and do not stop asking, If you want to grow in your Christian character then Lord will answer if you seek it with you heart. If you want to live in God’s will then knock and keep on knocking and I will assure you, you will discover his will if your heart really want it. That type of praying is far different than the request lists you hear in most praying.
Now in the conclusion of the sermon he tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. How do you want to be treated? Then treat others that same way. The reason is that this is God’s will.
In conclusion listen to what Jesus is telling us. Take it or leave it. You cannot be a follower of Jesus and live according to the selfish pursuits of life and the worldly manners of the people around you. Which is it going to be? The narrow way or the broad way, for most will not follow, most will look righteous and good and holy, but there is no real fruit, most will claim to know the Lord, but only a few actually are followers. In what are you placing your faith? In your good life, or religious activity? Or is it in faith in the works of Jesus Christ and coming poor, broken, sinner asking for God’s healing in your life? For that is the only way that you will be saved? The path of Jesus is to way to eternal life. Are you willing to follow or not.
The greatest decision you will make in this life does not concern this life at all. It concerns the life to come. Many will never make a decision concerning Jesus and their life because they do not think it all that important. To them money is important, fun and friends is important, having a fine car and nice house is important. These things are the building material of their life but they are unwise because they have no foundation but sand. The storm is coming and many of you will find you have built in vain.
Pastor Dale
