Settling for Sand

One before me and it will not matter used to call me Lord, I know your heart and the evidence that you did not care about my word is that my work never made it into your life. She's claiming here to be the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 33 verse 22 for the Lord is our job.

Jesus is just talking about a sermon here. He's talking about a future some come to the final lesson course of life we all decide what kind of foundation we will build our actions in our lives upon Jesus commands us to build our lives on the foundation of his inspired word. He compares that solid foundation to the Sandy on even shifting foundations of the world for us. Our foundation is the unmovable, unshakable, unchanging foundation of both the person and the preaching of Jesus. Today's message is called settling for same.

I invite you one last time to chapter 6 in the gospel by Luke and I want you to notice that Jesus is going to change his tone's demeanor as far as I could tell. I imagine him here beginning the point his finger that individuals in the crowd were now in verse 46 through the end of the chapter, but let's just take a look at this first phrase which Jesus now says, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you why do you notice that now the word Lord can be understood as a title of respect, it would be like calling a man, sir.

In our culture today, but it can also be understood as a claim of deity or divinity. Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you about doing related to what he is telling goes back to the sermon they been listening as you've been preaching for some time and he's been turning everything upside down.

As we learn together.

So now he comes to the end of the sermon and he says why are you calling me Lord with your lips but not with your lifestyle. Now that rather blistering declaration.

Jesus moves on to warn them of a future disaster, not just in this life, but in the life and the like to come in anything to do this by giving them in you.

Although this this is a compelling illustration that closes the sermon and any any creates this this illustration from the lives of two men who were involved in home construction. It is a genuine disciple is constructing a house built to last week in verse 47 everyone who comes to me and hears my words and endows, I will show you what he is like he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream broke against the Houston could not shake it because it had been well built, literally was built to last. Now over in Matthews, parallel account, he simply says the builder built a house Luke here gives us some of the construction details. This builder is digging through the sand digging through the topsoil and laying a foundation on the rock where he reaches is digging down until he reaches that the distinguishing mark between the genuine disciple and the pretender is where they live is what kind of house they live in what it looks like what the materials are they used the building or even the fact that they're both experiencing, perhaps even similar storms.

The distinguishing factor in this illustration is that one of them is anchored to the rock and the other one is anchored to sand the genuine disciple has anchored his life on a rock foundation the rock again refers back to Jesus is opening comments this is the person who hears my word and puts that word into work was this disciple's house is life is tethered to the word.

The words of Christ.

I couldn't help but think of the classic hymn of the faith written in the mid-1700s pastor by the name of John Rippon published a hymnal that included the poem as an aside, John Rippon pastored the same church for 63 years get that I'm only a 3563, which means we have every reason to believe were going to actually finish the gospel by Luke John Rippon matched an anonymous poem to to a secular American melody when he published it but you all recognize, perhaps the lyrics that came from Luke chapter 6 how firm a foundation he Saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say that to you.

He upset to you for refuge to Jesus for that's all that on Jesus have to lean before repose. I will not, I will not desert to his foes. That's all. Though all hell should endeavor to shake. I'll never know.

Never know never for sick know that the Lord shifts our attention to the pretender. The Prof. of Christianity, but not the possessor of Christianity. Verse 49 but the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation when the stream broke against it immediately it fell in the ruin of that house was great. And again. Evidently the builder built a house in the same neighborhood and its implication hears the same style but with the same material. The only thing is, this builder skipped over the foundation part.

He didn't dig through the earth. He just built on top of the dirt Matthew uses the word for sand that would've been that top layer wherever you build the just skipped the foundation built that house on top of the Senate were not told why he would do such a thing. Maybe he wanted to save a little time little effort.

Maybe it was cheaper this way. Maybe you know the latest trend is building on sand.

Maybe other people lived in houses built on sand. Another bad habit of them. Or maybe we've never seen a storm like that in this neighborhood so I'll say the effort and I'm not going to worry about keeping my beloved that before this storm arrives. Each of these houses looked like each other but in this illustration.

The point Jesus is making his is that very point.

Pretenders care more about what they look like what they appear to be in public image is everything.

So don't worry about the foundation what's underground is not nearly as important as what is above ground what people see. And these are the people in this illustration the Jesus is referring to earlier when he says you calling me Lord, Lord Matthews gospel elaborates on the fact that these people are not only interreligious in the vocabulary.

There their religious and their service involve doing all sorts of things in the name of Jesus, but in the final analysis they do not know who Jesus is and they do not care what Jesus says. It's all image. Jesus says that they can be identified as those who know his word, but care nothing about his will. They listen to Jesus here. Give this little lecture, but they're not about to let Jesus change their lifestyle the past few years, church leaders come up with a new term for religious pretenders there called cultural Christians.

Just why they will attend church on a Sunday morning and Monday morning. It will make no difference in the decisions they make in the life they live in the relationships they have.

Jesus will not have his words put into work there faith. James will call in the New Testament is dead now.

This particular author referred to this texture leads gospel by writing. Jesus is not preaching the atheists here.

He's preaching the people who had religion embedded in their lives they could say, Lord, Lord, without any hesitation. So today he writes cultural Christians are not atheists.

They believe Jesus was born in Bethlehem and is mother was Mary. Words like faith and hope hanging in their homes for the core they think prayer should return to schools and appreciate celebrities thanking God during an acceptance speech. They not with undiscerning approval when political candidates and sitting presidents and their speeches with the words, God bless America, but asked who this God is and he will be a generic God, he will be a national mascot. Cheers for the home team a God who never demands repentance, self-sacrifice, obedience or submission to cultural Christians.

Jesus is a lucky charm he someone to put behind the wheel during the crisis, but then left on the side of the road until the next one. Cultural Christians do not tell others about the gospel, because it would be offensive, or too extreme to suggest that someone is a sinner who needs saving, but don't think too poorly of them cultural Christians admire Jesus. They just do not follow as the closing illustration. Jesus is servant, he says you're listening to me preach, but you have no interest in what you practice. Keep in mind it that in this closing illustration. Everything is fine with both homes into one event occurs and it seems to imply that the same event occurs to both homes at the same time and that one event is a storm in this storm reveals everything go back to verse 49 in the middle part when the stream broke against it immediately it fell in the ruin of that house was great.

Interesting. In the original language even is translated in the English text I just read from the English standard version. The last word in Jesus's sermon is this word great it's it's it's the word Mecca that we've adopted by transliterated get into the English language Mecca.

This was a mega catastrophe.

This was a mega collapse. In other words, this is this is an incredible total catastrophe.

I will not paraphrase it by by reading to you. Peterson does it. It is paraphrase that that I think it is a wonderful paraphrase.

He says this Jesus said if you work these words of mine into your life. You're like a carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on Deborah when the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it was built to last, but if you just hear my words, and Bible studies were church and do not work them into your life like a carpenter, who built the house but skip the foundation and when the swollen river came crashing in it collapsed like a house of cards.

It was a total loss. Do you just imagine this scene here on the platter. Jesus is been preaching and and were not given all server manager will directly, just given the cliff notes to his message, but in both Matthew's account and in Luke's account here. This is how Jesus ends his sermon the ruin of that house was great. It was America disaster. End of sermon. There's no blessing. No joy lunch. Have a nice day house was completely destroyed and he walks away. Remember that little chorus you learn. Perhaps if you grew up in the church on this text. You know, the wise man built his house upon the rock and then to get that same universe give those that was the most fun stands in of the foolish man built his house upon the sand foolish man built his house on sand and of the rains came down, the floods came up. The rains came down, the floods came up was there with me.

The rain came down, the floods came up in a house on the sand when is our favorite part splat and discernment splat sermons over this shocking. Some of these people standing here listening to the Lord, and he finishes. I'm sure the wood around. I believe it because John says after the sermon many disciples chose not to follow him anymore. Some believe I would imagine those that chose not to follow were probably among those who would've thought you know my life is not in the disaster that my life never been better. My my house is strong. Things are good in my life. This was the confusion at the outset of Asaph's song and some 73 women he complained to the Lord. Unbelievers who reject you in your glory. There are prospering their growing facts. They have everything they want and he says even in there that they don't suffer pain and then to get to the end of it is as old and I saw there and she Jesus is just talking about this brief life is talking about the life to come with this is more than a sermon. This is all a warning. Now that is a County. He had the words of the Lord Jesus. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but Hugh does the will of my father. You don't get in by working as well. You get in on the evidence that you're going there is you want to do as well. Doesn't mean you get a perfectly completed doesn't mean you're never going to fail.

But this is the direction your toes are pointed and in Jesus eases you to get in the kingdom of heaven. Unless you put my word to work and you need to think for just a moment.

Jesus just said just talking about a coming flood. He's talking about your eternal future. I want you to see the implication here in verse in this verse everyone is says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. But the one who does the will of my father. Not everybody is as it appears here's the implication he is saying I am the gatekeeper to have your say to me Lord, Lord, just as you say that that mean I'm annoyed that Jesus is saying he is letting people.

Who does he think he is audacious. He is a preacher now. He is the ruler of everlasting life. Jesus says further in a minute to say to me on that.

What is what is that mean he isn't even talking about this day he's talking about that day when many people will be in the presence of Jesus.

And when is that will that's the judgment day when all of the unredeemed will stand before the divine judge is described over in Revelation chapter 20 and Jesus is announcing here in his sermon on the plateau that that charge before whom many will one day stand happens to be self you see me now will one day and so far in 2000 years later one day you're going to stand before me and it will not matter.

Then they used to call me Lord, I know your heart and the evidence that you did not care about my word is that my work never made it into your life.

She's claiming here to be the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 33 in verse 22 for the Lord is our job. The Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King.

Jesus is just, you know, talking about a sermon here. He's talking about a future sermon. And he himself will declare this ultimate final crashing devastating collapse.

It may not have happened during the lifetime of these who here will happen then the house of cards will come crumbling down.

This is a severe warning, my friend, this is severe. There is no middle ground here, the life you're living is either going to stand or collapse.

And it all depends.

It all hinges upon what you do with the words of Christ when we describe it this way, you hear the word of Christ today you hear the word of Christ and only Christ perhaps nose in your heart you are saying. I can take it or leave it for you. Hear the word of Christ, and he knows you are saying in your heart. I cannot live without.

That's the difference.

Friend, I urge you today to stop settling for St. your house might look as good as anybody else might've come in here today to hear the word of Christ thinking my life's just fine is just as good as anybody else's. Truth be told, you're building your life on the stuff the sand of earth. I would invite you if that's you, you know in your heart if it is to repent of your sin and invite Jesus Christ today to take a wrecking ball into your life and crash that flimsy house down and build in its place a house painter to the word of Christ. Your only hope.

Your only hope the needy, join the rest of us sinners who been redeemed who who are saying on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is what sinkings say make that read that if you live to the age of 70. That's awfully if you live to the age of seven. Over the course of your lifetime you will have made 1.8 million decisions 1.8 million decisions. That's a lot of decisions big and small for me assure you that one decision one decision will matter more than all of the other millions of decisions combined.

That is the one decision that you get the about the word of Christ blood matter.

Listen to Jesus predict the future of those who believe genuinely and then act upon it already from his sermon once more, everyone who comes to me and hears my words and I will show you what is like is like a man building a house. The and laid the foundation on the when the flood arose, the stream broke against that house, because it had well, by the grace of God in the gospel of Christ which you believe you genuine dislike. You are the last for with that we bring this current series to a close. This is wisdom for the heart.

Stephen Daly has been teaching from Luke six in a series called the sermon on the plateau. If you missed any of the lessons in this series we posted them to our website. If you'd like a CD set of this series we can help you with that if you call today. It's also available on our website or call us at 86 648 Bible or visit wisdom online.org for information between now and our next broadcast.

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Stephen wrote a booklet entitled Blessed assurance unit. He answers the question of whether or not a Christian can lose his salvation. All you need to do is visit wisdom online.org is only right on our homepage that will take you to the next time were with you, Stephen will be in Titus three. Join us for that next time you run wisdom