Obedience: Evidence of a Strong Foundation (Part 1 of 2)

Movie sets often look impressive from the right angle with an artistic touch, dusty trail can be turned into a whistle stop in the wild West. But when you look behind the fa�ade, what you find is a totally different story today on Truth for Life weekend will discover that it's similarly possible for someone to appear to possess faith that is admirable, but that actually lacks a real foundation.

Alistair Begg is teaching from Luke chapter 6 verses 46 through 49. Summarize the instruction of these few verses in just a sentence.

It is as foolish and dangerous to hear the teaching of Jesus without obeying it as it is to build a house, minus foundations for a number of weeks now we have been searched by the instruction of Jesus contain far as in this sermon which Luke records for eyes from the beginning of the 20th verse of the chapter in the few verses preceding the 20th verse, Luke has identified Florida's nature of Jesus congregation in the delivering of this message and I want to remind you of the fact that those who were listening to Jesus comprised according to verse 17 of the chapter.

First of all, a large crowd of his disciples and then accompanying then a great number of people who had come to hear him, and with the expectation that they would be healed of their diseases and what was then that Jesus did when he had these followers before him well.

He essentially explained to them the basis upon which men and women might justifiably refer to Jesus as their Lord and Master, you wanted them to be in no doubt whatsoever. Men, not simply to say that Jesus is Lord, but also to make much of that in their lifestyle to so in the course of the sermon he has provided a number of characteristics that will be emblematic of those who are able, with integrity to declare the Lordship of Jesus Christ remind you of them again purposefully for emphasis to bow beneath his Lordship is as we have seen to embrace the reversal of values which are prominent in our culture it is to price what the world thinks pitiable and to question what the world deems desirable. In other words, there will be a sense of dissonance in the child of God.

With so much that flushes over that individual.

I would've the culture of our day without. It is in terms of a worldview or in terms of language or in terms of emphasis or in terms of the degeneration of moral values and absolutes, the child of God who is able to see with clarity and conviction.

Jesus Christ is Lord, to me will know in their lives, not 100% success but a growing awareness of the fact I and different from this. I used to be happy to go along with this.

I used to be able to speak in this way I used to be able to laugh at these jokes. I used to be able to listen to this. Phil. But now something is happened and I believe that Jesus is Lord of my life.

Reversal of value.

Those who are able to justifiably declare the Lordship of Jesus will also display a love that is quite exceptional. Not the kind of love relationship that is found in the average PTA meeting. I kind of, I'll scratch your back if you scratch my common courtesies of interaction not the kind of relationships that can be found at the local bar or pub. Not the kind of thing that you find in the fraternal relationships of people who enjoy sporting events together. If that is all you know said Jesus and there is no credit whatsoever and that pagans are able to relate to one another in that way. But no, he says, the love that you will manifest is the love of my father who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, and therefore those who declare my Lordship and know it to be true will be those who are the very embodiment of an increased understanding of kindness and forgiveness the same time, it will be marked by an integrity which recognizes that only good fruit comes from good trees and bad trees produce bad fruit, which is prepared to face up to the challenge that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and it will, as we see now in these concluding verses of the chapter be made perfectly. Playing in a life of genuine obedience. Now I want also to remind you of one other thing, and leading into this and that is of what we've seen of Jesus in the early studies in the earlier chapters and everything, particularly to what was said and recorded in the 34th verse of chapter 2 in the blessing of Simeon. Remember when Mary and Joseph take Jesus into the temple as Luke records it in the second chapter and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

In other words, this little boy says Simeon is going to grow up to represent a crossroads in the lives of men and women there will be those who in responding to him will rise to all that eternal life may mean and there will be others who, in rejecting him will fall into the awful emptiness of eternity without God.

When John the Baptist stands on the stage and points the way to Jesus you find in the 17th verse of chapter 3. The makes essentially the same point. Speaking of the one who will come and baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He says of Jesus, his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire of these are the great absolutes of heaven and hell that are being referred to.

And Jesus says John and says Simeon and says the Bible stands as it where as a crossroads in the face of eternity, and in a moment in time commends himself to the minds of his listeners and says to them, if you will bow beneath my Lordship then I will gather you up as the Betty wheat and you will live in eternity with me if you refused to bow to my Lordship then I will cast you aside as the chaff and you will spend eternity without me.

And indeed all of the message of this sermon is cast within the immensity of that eternal perspective gathering with the Jesus crowd being able to see all the Jesus words singing all the Jesus songs is no ticket of admission into heaven as were going to see and it is that fact which gives this closing paragraph is most chilling impact. What I want to do is notice the question and then the illustration and then a word of application.

First of all, you will notice the question which Jesus asks is concise. Verse 46.

Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say which part of that is difficult to understand. Luke chapter 6 verse 46. Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do when I say what a warning. This contains what an investigation it conducts what an examination it demand. This is like going through a biblical CAT scan and the contrast you will notice is between our lips and our lives is between saying and doing.

It is been between the individual who is able to call him Lord and have the same time does not do what a profession of Lordship demands. It is further unbearable profession is accompanied by moral obedience of the striking nature of this contrast is borne out in another section of the New Testament in Matthew's gospel and in chapter 7 when Jesus preaching a sermon. There actually used more than the language that he employs. On this occasion in delivering the sermon and it is a qualitative and helpful to turn to answer turn back a couple of books to Matthew chapter 7 in verse 21 and notice how Jesus applies the notion on this occasion that Matthew records for us. Not everyone he says, who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven while than the people would have several. Who is going to enter the kingdom of heaven. If it's not the people who say, Lord, Lord, because we thought it was important to say, Lord, Lord, and we've been saying, Lord, Lord, is not the Lord, Lord, group goes into heaven who goes into heaven also sees as the only people going to heaven are the ones who do the will of my father who is in heaven. If I said I want you to understand that on that day. That is the day when we stand before the bar of his judgment. Many people many people will say, Lord, Lord, then we prophesy in your name and then your name drive out demons and perform many miracles, then I will tell them plainly.

I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers. Let's lay down is foundational what we I think understand as a congregation, namely the importance of making available profession of faith.

Clearly, the Bible teaches that, for example, if we do nothing other than Romans chapter 10 in verse nine we would know that Paul says to the church at Rome if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and I was if you give a verbal profession of the Lordship of Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, then you will be say when he writes to the Corinthian believers. He points out that it is impossible to say Jesus is Lord any sense of reality and integrity except by the enabling of the spirit of God, no one he says can say Jesus is Lord, but by the holy spirit.

So the words of Jesus here are not setting aside in any aspect. The importance indeed the necessity of our being able to make a verbal profession of our faith and trust in Jesus. I did it clear with our lips that Jesus is Lord. However what Jesus is saying is this, it is distinctly possible to make a verbal profession which is unreal, even a particularly striking verbal profession. Notice here in Matthew seven that these individuals were declaring the Lordship of Jesus Christ in a way that was first of all, gracious, gracious, the word Lord itself was an expression of grace and of courtesy.

It was also an expression that was Orthodox because they referred to him as Lord. At least in a fledgling awareness of the fact that this Jesus was more than a man that he was actually the Messiah, also the expressed his Lordship in a way that was enthusiastic if I Jesus, as it will be plenty of you would say that it Lord, Lord, and I was thinking to see and once they said it twice and they said of her emphasis because they were enthusiastic and sink your Lord, your Lord. Also, you will notice that their statements were public because they were able to make it in a way that people understood what they were saying. And furthermore, it is clear that there declaration of the Lordship of Christ was, not only public but it was dramatic. We prophesy in your name. We drove out demons in your name perform miracles. Now here is it possible for somebody to perform miracles and drive out demons and do all these things and then to hear Jesus say, depart from me, I don't have a clue you are.

You come from the Department of evildoers casts. This is the answer to much that we see around us, the people coming and saying you know these people must be a Orthodox because look at the dramatic things that are doing. Look at the incredible claims that are making should be be unsettled by this, should we be surprised by this should be seek to overturn know because Jesus made it perfectly clear that the signs and wonders would be done by false Christ's if you if you question that you can read Jesus words himself in Matthew 2424 for false Christ's and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect if that were possibly sissy I told you ahead of time.

Doubly dimwitted.

He said don't think that giftedness equals an understanding of Lordship. Don't think that because a man is a tremendous preacher that he is necessarily living on the Lordship of Christ. That's what he say don't you. If God has apparently gifted you.

Although the source of the gift maybe somewhere else completely.

Don't you try and adjudicate on yourself on the strength of the dramatic things you able to do because, says Jesus on the day of judgment.

There were people there will be people who stand up and say Jesus. I know I'm coming into your kingdom because after all, I said, Lord, Lord, and I did this and this.

I was in my profession absolutely clear I was Orthodox Paul when he concerns himself with it in writing to the Thessalonians.

He makes the same thing absolutely clear in two Thessalonians to nine and 10.

The same emphasis on an overlooked emphasis in our day.

I wanted to but nevertheless a biblical emphasis the coming of the lawless one.

He says will be in reference to the Antichrist in accord with the work of Satan and how will the work of Satan be displayed. Answer in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing, swine emphasis on the Bible, both for the individual in examining our lives before God and in assessing the effectiveness of the import of ministry as it is exercised by others is directly related to the holiness of our lives and to the obedience of our hearts and not to the apparent exceptional nature of our gifts this when he saying there will be people on that day who say to me. We said this and we did this, I will say sorry I don't have you on my last sorry your name isn't in the ear.

John started his masterfully concise manner says that is what better Christian profession could be given than this. Here are people who call Jesus Lord with courtesy orthodoxy and enthusiasm in private devotion and in public ministry can be wrong with this, in itself, nothing.

I did everything is wrong because it is talk without truth profession without reality. It will not save them on the day of judgment.

So the question is clear why do you call me Lord, Lord, do not do what I say no apparently mighty works of ministry or no grumbling up and accumulating religious and Jesus language will be able to disguise the private behavior of our life's for the real test of those who name the name of the Lord says Paul in letters not invade for one instant, the chilling demand of this the real evidence of those who name the name of the Lord is what that they are part from iniquity that the evidence is not that they live perfect lives, but that it is when they are confronted by the peculiar clutches that make demands upon them, they say all know why not's. Because of the Lordship of Christ, not a moralism that is external power that rises up from within 100% success no disappointments. Yes declension's yes faltering's bumbling's yes a long way from what we need to be yes, but a long way from what we were. Yes, we have turned from idols to serve the living and the true God were different. That's the question, and it's clear notice than the illustration. The question is concise.

The illustration is clear and when you come to this illustration of Jesus gives you will notice that he changes the contrast the contrast in the question is between saying and doing the contrast in the illustration is between hearing and doing. Why do you say this and don't do this and then he says let me give you an illustration of the person who hears, but it doesn't do on the person who hears and who adopts and illustrates it in the familiar story of the two builders.

There are a number builders here this morning and I have to be very careful lest I betray my ignorance of any nature of building by seeking to delve into an illustration that you would be better able to use than I that I think it's safe to say that if we had gone down the road and seeing these two homes under construction. At least once they had begun to bear testimony to their frame or to the structures of the walls.

We would not have been aware of any difference between the two structures we might have wondered why it was that in the earlier days before the walls had begun to come up. The first individual had only spend so much time down under the ground. We even said to ourselves, you know, I must make a mental note that if ever I build a house.

I want to go with the second builder because the first builder seem to waste a dreadful amount of time and I'm sure he is being paid by the hour and I don't want him down there digging in the foundations all the time.

I like a builder who can get started immediately. Everyone in my neighborhood can see that the house is coming up quickly and successfully second chat we might've said to herself is far more efficient, and he's obviously faster, no apparent difference, though, once the walls began to rise. So what then gave testimony to the difference in the structures well were told when the day the rain came when the river burst its banks when the wind beat against the structures, then and only then the fundamental fatal difference between the two became apparent the one with the foundations verse 48 says good not be shaken because it was well-built because the man had dug down deep he laid the foundation on the rock.

And yet the one without foundation in verse 49, collapsed like a pack of cards.

What a wonderful teacher. Jesus is everyone can understand this anybody was a Lego set can understand this anybody was any notion at all of raising something above the ground, knows the importance of putting it in properly when it is a mailbox or a lamppost or whatever else it is resolving following CDs, mailboxes lying around like dead dogs and part of the problem is that whoever decided that he was putting it up some Saturday afternoon was so excited to show his wife how quickly he managed to get it in place and that it would only take very small amount of wind for the lie over looking absolutely pathetic. Just as his building price was and his wife understood and she said to him over breakfast one morning. Do not think it would've been better to dig down a little further portable concrete and put the thing and so that I don't have to get out of my car and lie down on one site in order to get my mail's he survived it for a while there it looked just as good as her neighbors across the street, lawyers and didn't find, there was no apparent difference between the two of them until this dreadful storm blew down the street and then it is obvious to all. So it is that professing Christians tend to look much the same from the outside.

That is an uncomfortable but sensual morning from Alastair Bragg that proclaiming faith in Christ is worthless unless it actually spurs us to love and good deeds listing to Truth for Life weekend as we begin to prepare for Easter.

We want to encourage you to read a brand-new book written by Sinclair Ferguson titled lessons from the upper room in this book Sinclair gives us a vivid look at the intimate exchange between Jesus and his disciples during their final Passover meal. Sinclair unpacks the remarkable details given in John's Gospel as he describes the evening before Jesus was crucified as the scene unfolds, Jesus is washing the disciples feet predicts his own betrayal. He tells about his coming death, and he promises the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Sinclair skillfully navigates us through the emotions, the meaning and the implications of this extraordinary dialogue.

You can find out more about the book lessons from the upper room when you visit our website at Truth for Life.Bob Lapine thanks for listing. Join us next weekend when we'll find out why the Bible is a dangerous book like church can be a dangerous place to be. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life for the learning is prolific