Sermon Central
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A Solid Foundation
Contributed by Nick Scarpa on May 24, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: If we try to live the Christian life on a foundation other than that of Christ Jesus, we will not remain steadfast and committed to true Christian living. We will fail to bring God the glory.
A Solid Foundation
The leaning tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall. Scientists travel yearly to measure the building’s slow descent.
They report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch per year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb.
They estimate by the year 2007 the 810 year old tower will have leaned too far and will collapse onto the nearby restaurant, which happens to be where Scientists now gather to discuss their findings.
Pisa = marshy land
This gives us a clue why the tower began to lean even before it was completed.
Also, it’s foundation is only 10’ deep!
A solid foundation is important to the longevity of a building’s life.
It is also crucial to the life and health of a church and our life in Christ.
This morning we going to talk about our foundation. We are going to take a look at it from God’s perspective and see what we can do to patch up the cracks and make sure it is solid!
PRAY
Most of us are probably familiar with the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew‘s gospel, but in Luke 6 we have what’s known as the sermon on the plain, (not in a plane!) on a level ground.
There are many similarities between these two sermons, but there are some main differences. The most notably is that Matthew states that Jesus was on a mountainside when he gave the sermon, whereas Luke’s account states that he was on a level place.
It’s clear that he went up on a mountain to pray all night, chose his twelve disciples and then came down to a level place to preach.
In Luke’s gospel, he left out the Jewish sections which would not pertain to the gentiles.
Jesus preached this sermon to the multitudes as well as to His apostles, and His message applies to us today.
When we get to verses 46-49, our key scripture verses today, Jesus turns his focus to obedience and he rebukes those who claim to be his followers but do not obey his teachings.
Let’s read LUKE 6:46-49
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 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.”
Jesus’ words in verse 46 cut to the core. He’s basically saying to them,
“Why do you call me Lord, but do not obey me?”
He is talking to his followers. What kind of faith and trust is this?
You call me Lord, you call me master, and yet you will not do the things I tell you? How much this sounds like our world today. People like being called Christians as long as it does not inconvenience them.
The Barna Research group gathers statistics on Christian America and reported the following information in 2002:
85% of Americans claim to be Christian
8 out of 10 people consider themselves to be Christian
It’s apparent that many do not really have a relationship with Christ
A majority of these do not agree with the teachings of the bible
Many do not believe in spiritual beings, or in hell
How many people who don’t agree with the bible are going to do what is expected of them?
Dr. B.J. Miller once said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it!”
It’s one thing to disregard the teachings of the bible, but these people in Luke were calling Jesus Lord.
To call Jesus Lord means we have made a commitment to Him as master of our lives.
Why would these people call him Lord, but then refuse to obey his teachings?
The things he taught were meant to help them. His true followers applied His teachings to their lives.
This reminds me of a story about a great athlete.
Roger Staubach who led the Dallas Cowboys to the Superbowl in 1971 admitted that he struggled with accepting his assignment. Coach Tom Landry called in every play and the only time Staubach was allowed to call a play was in an emergency.
