Feet on the Rock

Today on the life with Jeannie Greer is God's mercy feels like his anger but it is always his mercy that shapes our foundations now because you understand that at death will go to find out that there's only one foundation. That last forever. Only one foundation were building a life on and that is Christ and Christ alone. The fact that hard journey you in these times of uncertainty at their very life seems shaken actually a perfect time to make sure that we are building on a foundation that will endure that are subject today on Senate life with pastor Jeannie Greer and I'm your host Molly bit of edge energy will be diving into one of Jesus's most recognized parables. It's a story about two men who built identical houses with tragically different results. The only difference foundation.

We are beginning a brand-new, highly relevant series to start off this new year titled In-Stat and pastor JD is opening the gospel of Luke to remind us that as we step out in faith, we commit to do what ever God calls us to do and to go wherever he calls us to go. God doesn't tell us what the entire journey will look like he simply calls us to take a step of faith another and then another and were going to learn how to walk in step with him now. As always, grab your Bible and join Pastor JD with today's message titled, one of the gatherings you probably tell a story that I thought explain what God might be doing with some of us during the season. Let me repeat it just for those of you who either were not one of our outdoor gatherings, or you were paying attention because I would like it sets up the passage were going to look at this weekend as well as the whole series that were about to get into. I was a very simple story that I told about a lumberjack would going out into the woods to cut down some trees change soul and I was about to take down the first tree would notice that those bird that was building a nest in the top of one of the trees we was about to cut down when not wanting to destroy that bird's habitat. He pulled out a sledgehammer and he began to begin to smack with with the sledgehammer.

The base of the tree.

Of course, of course, the bird got very annoyed and the bird flew also and he noticed that the bird begin to build a nest in the next tree that was right next to that one and so he repeated the process for the sledgehammer and the bird moved again to another tree. This whole dance one on 10 or 12 different times is the bird begin to build a nest in one place and lumberjack would attack the tree and ignore the bird to get him to move until eventually the bird fled the forest altogether and begin to construct the nest in the side of a rockface, I told you I said imagine how annoyed the bird was at the lumberjack wondering what in the world. A lumberjack have against the bird. Why is he continuing to attack wherever I'm building my mess. But from our vantage point, we can see that it was compassion, not cruelty that was making them do this because he knew that that if you build this vast number build its nest in the tree that was going to cut down and so is compassion that caused him to attack his trees before they were cut down and I explained to you that I feel like what's happening the last several months is is is that for many of us when it comes to lockdown when it comes to covert bleeding comes to financial pressure.

Some of us are under when it comes to health scare when it even comes to this election.

There are moments where God seems to be attacking our foundation but we see that it is not. It is not cruelty on his behalf. It is mercy. It is mercy because God is trying to show us that all these places that we build our foundation are not really going to endure the chainsaws of judgment, and it is his mercy that shakes us and wakes us up and asks us what are you trusting in my question is has he been doing that with you has he been asking you over the last several months is what you are building your life on going to last.

Listen, I want to say this, it is God's mercy.

It feels like his anger but it is always his mercy that shakes our foundations now because you understand that at death were all going to find out that there's only one foundation. That last forever. Only one foundation were building a life on and that is Christ and Christ alone was I often love to repeat here, only one life to live will soon be passed only what's done for Christ will last you realize this vaccine or not we are all going to die eventually, rich or poor were all gonna die Republican or Democrat.

This whole generation of Americans is going to die. By the way this election season drugs running along the Republican wish that was sooner rather than later a man right but eventually were all going to die and we all need Jesus. Luke chapter 6 of you got your Bible with you this weekend and your homerun grab it and press pause in the if you're at home and run grab your Bible watch Bible your phone to look at the six number one look at what Jesus is most recognized parables. This parable is about two men two men who built nearly identical houses geographically close to each other but on two different kinds of foundations. One man whom Jesus calls foolish, builds his house right up on the same issue you a great view of the water and he was excited about it right up there in the sand. The other Jesus calls a wise man pulls back his house a few dozen yards we guess and I did. That's we could build his house on the rock. I want us to look at this story in context, because in context. Jesus is telling it both as a warning and a promise a warning and a promise.

Luke 643.

A good tree misses the context of that sort tree doesn't produce bad fruit. On the other hand, the battery number is different.

Each tree is known by its own fruit pigs are gathered from thorn bushes or grapes picked from a bramble bush.

Of course, not the kind of fruit which they got the tree is consistent with the root of that tree you want to know what kind of tree it is my pick one of the fruits and if it's an apple and that's an apple tree it if it's the use Jesus as analogy. It's a great knowing that it is a great divide. A good person in the same way. Verse 45 a good person. A righteous person a godly person with a godly heart produces good out of the good that is stored up in his heart, an evil person on the other hand, produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart dislike tree produce, fruit, so a person produces a verbal fruit and an action fruit.

Verse 46 Jesus continues.

Why is it that you call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things that I say that it make any sense. Verse 47. I'll show you what somebody is like who comes to me. Here's my words and acts on them. This is in contrast to the person who says Lord Lorber that not you do what Jesus says in verse 48 he's like a man build the house, dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn't shake it because it was well built with one who hears and does not act what he's like a man who built his house on the sand without a foundation.

The river crashed against it and immediately collapsed the destruction of that house was great. When interpreting the Bible. Context is always the story of the wise man the foolish man is in a section of Scripture where Jesus is warning us about something. The question you should ask is what is he warning us about what you read backwards in the chapter you will see that he is talking to a bunch of religious people and he is warning them that a lot of people a lot of religious people think they're right with God, but they're actually wrong. I think it's important for you to note that this passage in this passage Jesus is not talking about those people who are flagrantly hypocritical who live a double life of fake church on the weekend while sleeping around or doing drugs are cheating on their taxes.

No Jesus, his main audience here is look earlier in the chapter Pharisees and a bunch of religious Jews he's talking about sincere religious people active people, people who, in our context go to church and will involve, but are self deceived to you should ask what are the qualities that Jesus identifies of the self deceived religious person, I will give you three of them first number 43 verse 43. They do not bear spiritual fruit. When I say all the right things and they hang out in all the right places in the house.

Sure looks like it's a good house it as religious decor all over it and it looks greater that that that the tree is in the right garden. It's right there among all the other treason looks great, but when you look closely at their lives. Jesus, as you will see that the evidence of an encounter with God is not there. Now what am I talking about when I say the evidence of an encounter with God. Well, I would talking about the evidence of the new birth, a growing love for Jesus, a desire to be with Jesus a love for Jesus is people are growing dislike of sin and attraction to Christ likeness. These things don't all appear in you at once. But somebody who is really right with God and filled with God will see evidences of the growth of those things within them, even if that growth is gradual. Just like if you were wondering whether somebody that was unconscious was alive, you would check their pulse and their breath to see if they were actually alive. These things show you these kinds of spiritual breath and spiritual polls show you with their spiritual life at work with in you. One of my favorite analogies that I've used for this over the years with you is is is well. The wind was really boisterous earlier MRI and I a lot of things I might my house was without power for several hours time say that I was able to locate a place where the power line had been cut, and I noticed that a tree had cut it you got it down, split the wiring.

I just returned USA.

I wonder if if there still electricity coming out of that wire. It's a big one. It's like one once comes right out of the transformer so I grab that damn what you think it up on the right my mouth and I'm like oh yeah, I feel it I feel the current yeah you know an eye on us. I can deftly tell there's electricity still come through that right you will look back at me and say you are a liar because if that wire was actually live. If that amount electricity you just entered your body you be different right as of right now you be you and you look different.

You would want different. You would taught different you would smell different everything about you would be different. That would be obvious truth. Well the same way, if the power of God has come into your life. Jesus says, then definitely going to look different. While different talk different everything about you give a difference to the question Jesus is asking you is, does your life show the evidence of God's work inside of you. Are you growing in your love for Jesus argues zealous to see other people come to know him. It is impossible to actually believe the gospel, and not yearn to see others that you love come to know it is your belief in the gospel is not. There are your compassion for others. If not there.

If you're not actively telling them about Jesus about this. Are you finding the commands of Christ burdensome or are you drawn toward those even when they're difficult. Are you one of those people who are like you know there is all the stuff I want to do out there in the world and always will be doable. Mother friends are doing. I will be out there put on the Christian Dragon to stay in here and I don't want to break the rules and I know that's breaking the rules, but I really my heart desires to be out there you're here at church but but are you here for the right reason. That's a way to think about it, are you here because you love the people of God and because you love the word of God brought you here because you think it'll make your mom happy brought you here because I heard that I'm here because mom maybe be here okay so yeah that's pretty good about 12 years old and is going to change after that but are you here because you think you think it will make God love you more is that the motivation that you have for coming.

I does your heart show evidence of spiritual life to the question, listen to this.

The question is not whether or not you want to go to heaven or hell. Everybody wants to go to heaven.

The question is whether not God's work in your heart so that you want God everybody I know wants to go to heaven.

The question is whether or not you desire to meet God. Once you get there. It's a desire for God, not a desire for heaven. That is the evidence of God's work in you. The question to focus on is not whether you prayed a prayer question to focus on is whether God is change your heart ever to sit like this.

If you were to set a field on fire every venomous snake in that field would slither out of that fire, but the snakes are still venomous even after they fled the field mice. If you get scared enough that that you want to go to hell are you don't want the scorn of other people, then you'll go through the ritual to make sure that you're going to go to heaven but that doesn't mean your hearts changed any of your hearts really changed. It means that people can see it. If I ask you whether or not you are Christian. Don't tell me about a prayer that you prayed to escape hell tell me about the evidence of God at work in your life and nothing to show itself in spiritual fruit fruit. The people closest to you can see, not fruit you put on when you come to church often said this way. If your friends who know you away from church cannot see plainly that your born-again if they would not say oh yeah she's different when you're probably not born-again. If your mom cannot give us clear evidence of your born-again it's probably because you haven't been to the first characteristic is these people don't show spiritual fruit. The second characteristic verse 46 they don't do what Jesus says this was a little bit more straightforward with these religious people have done to Jesus as a fire escape or helper a miracle worker, a religious model a cultural icon, but they're not fully surrendered to do what he says these are what you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I said you know what Lord meets the areas I see this happen most often in our church happens in regard to somebody's finances. No worship Jesus all day long, but it will not obey him.

There were, as it pertains to the surrender of their career or their dreams.

You want to be a good moral person.

You will be religious person but you want to have ultimate control the trajectory of your life. Have you ever come to a point where you say Jesus all that I am all that I have all that ever hope to be.

I write now and forever surrender to you just put down your life like a blank check for Jesus. If not on her much Bible you know how many songs you know he's not sure. Lord maybe it's in regards to some relationship that you will surrender you one Jesus you want to be apart from Jesus, but you don't want to give up that relationship. Or maybe it's regarding some other command that you just don't want to obey offering forgiveness to somebody or for owning up to the truth.

Jesus says Luke 646. Why would you call me Lord, Lord, and not do the things that I'm saying anything you like to kiss these two words in this regard. These doors never go together.

No Lord. They just they don't make any sense together.

If you were going to write say no, it means he's not really a Lord so there's any area of your life right now that you're saying no when he's not actually her Lord and if there's any area of your life when you do say no to him or if he is Lord she is me.

That means you take a no off table where my dad used to say when I was a kid, is he's not Lord of all these not Lord at all and every heart there is a throne and across in your heart, there's a throne and across. If you are on the throne you put Jesus on the cross, Jesus is on the throne.

While that means you gotta be on the cross. Right now he's in the Lord or is not that there's no in your life and he's not really Lord first characteristic Albert spiritual fruit second characteristic. They don't they don't do what Jesus says.

Third characteristic verse 49. Their faith falls apart in the storm. This is where the story really ties in to be up to point some people miss it. Jesus's point is dinner that the third two houses look like from a distance. You would assume there exactly the same. It was what was below the surface that was different. One was built on the rock and the other was built on the sand in the storm revealed that the point is that there are people whose lives look alike, you understand that right they go to the same church in the same small group might be in the same family. They believe all the same things they limit the same morals but one's faith is real one is not what reveals that third little test Jesus gives you is storm their people whose walk with Jesus is fine until he gets heart until God advances in prayer the way they want and answered her until it gets really unpopular with their friends to do what Jesus wants, or until be obedience to Jesus means walk away from something that you really want me understand that we love to talk about Jesus coming to Jesus is fulfillment and peace and healing and salvation, and it it it's great for your marriage and it is all of those things you understand at some point obedience to Jesus is going to take you hundred and 80° opposite of the direction that you think you want to go and in that moment it will be revealed in that moment whether Jesus is actually her Lord are not, but in here in this moment here about his house at the same whether or not your hope is in him or whether it is and what you think he will do for you as long as he keeps up his end of the contract. For many people, religious people have learned that their hope is not really in God. Their hope is is and what he will do for them. The difference in there to get revealed by the storm. When God doesn't do or it's not easier.

It's is difficult to fall away from God because your hope was never God was always in God's ability to keep you in sunny weather all the time. Again, the difference in these two lives is not what they believe the houses look the same. The difference in these two is how much their lives are actually built on what they believe it is the one with the solid foundation was the one verse 47 want to solve that issue of one who hears my words and acts on them. According to Jesus, your destiny is not determined by what you say you believe your destiny is determined by what your life demonstrates that you believe friend I hope you will pay attention to this because this is a major theme in Jesus is teaching not everybody who calls him Lord is going to go to heaven. The gospel writer Matthew and his parallel account of the same teaching where he records Jesus told the story of a wise man foolish man in the different kinds of trees.

Jesus adds one of the little story will make reading for you state or local mail. Thank you, Matthew, a quick heavy 721. Not everybody who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven is the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. On that day final day many will say to me Lord Lord Devon profit did we not prophesy in your name cast out demons in your name many mighty works in your name by the lake and lots of new Bible underlined the word says and does what did they say, Lord, Lord, I know that means they got the right theology. They know when to say man then I want to put their hands up and worship and eliminate that spiritual grunt sounded Christian Bateman are talking to each other one says of the spiritual Bateman say Lord, Lord, twice, which is the way of saying I really mean it. Lord, Lord, I mean it won't like this.

Not only do they have zeal in their worship and and and and orthodoxy in their theology. They got zeal in ministry prophesy, which means preached in Jesus name.

They cast out demons in Jesus name, and did miracles in Jesus name translation.

These are not sidelined people now know what kind of church grew up in, but in my church you got picked to be on the demon exorcisms.

One varsity meeting.

Susan sidelined the show.you know 10 minutes to mentally left 10 minutes early, right talk about pastors and elders and deacons ministers small group leaders, missionaries that's using this to be talking about variable diminish your arguing when God calls you and go wherever he you're listening to life with Jeannie Greer.

Today's message is titled feet on the rock, and will pick up where we left off tomorrow if you tendon late or if you'd like to hear this message again. Visit our website and browse their archives just get to Jeannie Greer.com last month we asked our listeners to really take a step of faith and get involved in supporting this ministry financially.

Jeannie wanted to share a little bit about what they're getting accomplished and Molly likely said in December the end of the year is a critical time financially for ministries like Summit life.

We are so grateful for everybody who stepped up and joined with us so that we can close out our year in a solid position that allowed us to take advantage of some ministry opportunities God is giving us.

Listen to this. Thanks to your generosity.

We were able to give some crucial support to a ministry that is taking place with some Afghan people displaced people we been able to expand our reach your Summit life, so that more people in more places can listen we been busy creating more content that hopefully is a blessing not just you but that you can share with others. Again, we just really want to say thank you thank you to everybody who supported us in 2021. It is not an exaggeration to say we could not have done it without you without your love, your support faith in your generosity. It makes us excited for everything that we know God is going to do this ministry in the new year as we continue to seek just to impact people with the gospel to build them up in Jesus and make them multiply and disciple making disciples just go Jeannie one more time by saying it again to everyone who supported us in the month of December.

Thank you for your partnership.

We would not be here without you and you know it's never too late to join us in our mission to bring gospel centered Bible teaching to the radio, TV and Matt you can start off the year by becoming a monthly gospel, partner, or by giving a single gift of $35 or more and you do will say thanks by exclusive resource 2022 Summit life meaner check your schedule and also included Bible verses in the Bible grab this resource today so you can start here off right with God at the center for the summit like planner when you give today by calling 86 thank 335-5220 866-335-5224. You can get a cleaner online Jeannie Greer.com easier. You can mail your donation Jeannie Greer ministry one 2293 Durham, North Carolina 277 Molly vitamin off the year that we should join us tomorrow after Jeannie shows us how life part of our preneed teaching theory join us Tuesday on Greer ministry