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HOW ARE YOU AT BUILDING YOUR LIFE?
June 10, 2007 Jay Davis Robison MATTHEW 7:24-29
It was just over 38 years ago that an arsonist burned church to ground
Wedding had happened here night before, youth on lock in
About 4 a.m. Amy Brown thought Jeff playing tattle on him
What she heard stained glass popping out entire building engulfed
Thinking about how we are building your life
Jesus shared an illustration about it
Today we are looking at weathering storms in life
1. Everybody is BUILDING A LIFE
Jesus told of 2 builders who put up a house
Houses look the same when sun was shining,
Have you ever said, “That person doesn’t go to church or give any
thought to God and he seems to get along as well as I do.”
Just like from all indications know people who seem to be getting
along fine. They have no major problems, good job, no $$ trouble
or problems in family, seem happy living the “good life.”
All this with no time for God. Have other priorities.
Weekends are spent doing other things.
Sure I BELIEVE in God, I’m a basically GOOD person.
Don’t have time for church God Maybe will get to it some day.”
So does it really matter how we build our lives?
Does it really matter if serve God? Matter if we receive Jesus?
Why should I bother anyhow? Getting along fine building life
How build life Man ordered blueprint for building birdhouse online.
He gets blueprints but they were blueprints for a sailboat.
Sailboat keeps blowing out of the tree. Wrote letter to company
demanding his money back, they sent $$ w\note.
We are sorry about mistake, but you aren’t near as mad as the guy
who tried to go sailing in a birdhouse.
Can you build one more house . .
Elderly carpenter was ready to retire.
Told employer-contractor of his plans; would miss the paycheck,
but wanted to be with family. They could get by.
Contractor was sorry to see good worker go asked if he’d build
one more house as a personal favor.
Carpenter said yes, but in no time easy to see heart was not in it.
He resorted to shoddy workmanship used inferior materials.
Was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When carpenter finished work builder came to inspect the house,
contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
"This is your house," he said, "my gift to you." What a shock!
If he’d only known building own house, he would have done it
differently. Now had to live in home he built none too well.
Like the plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."
Your life today is result of your attitudes and choices in the past.
Life tomorrow will be result of attitudes & choices make today.
2. The Sun DOES NOT ALWAYS SHINE
Jesus probably speaking to vast crowds of people on a sunny day.
As they gathered may have been no hint of a storm coming up.
But Jesus is warning them, “The sun doesn’t always shine,”
So tells us of 2 houses 1 built carefully on solid rock 1 on sand
Both look good. Both houses faced TERRIBLE STORMS
Rain & wind blew. storms reveal quality of workmanships.
Storm was coming in from all directions not just a little bit of rain.
Storm is a threat to our safety, shakes all we are
When sun doesn’t shine how do we handle the storms?
Rock to w\stand anything.
Some storms sure to come: “I found a lump.” “We’re downsizing.”
“I’m leaving.” “We’ve chosen someone else.” “Your car is totaled.” Maybe it’s depression, grief, $$ troubles
Sooner or later ALL of us go through a storm in our life.
None of us is immune rain fell on both houses.
Storms may blow the church off course.
In all of life’s storms, we must…..Be sure of our foundation,
What storms are in your life today?
Jesus taught us that we can trust God through storms
VIDEO PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM
3. Your foundation WILL SOON BE APPARENT
When rains and storms come foundation will show
A lot harder to build on a rock than to build upon sand
The foundations are not readily apparent before the storm
Why would people build on the sand?
IT’S EASIER, MORE POPULAR, STUBBORNNESS
Maybe thoughtless, find out about self when storms come
Just too much effort. Don’t have the time.
Maybe waterfront scenery is more attractive to others.
Beach houses have higher social status than cliff houses.
Foolish builder built on sand. Just threw it up
And the house collapsed And great was it’s fall Vs 27 NKJV
Ever seen anybody lose it all, to addiction, or gambling
Or an affair that started in flirtation,
Heighten importance of making right choices about one’s way of life
David Garland The proper response to Jesus is not amazement
but obedience. What distinguishes true Christianity from every
other religion its foundation, its ultimate source of authority.
Changes how you live, airplane flying in storm was some turbulence
Shaking the plane. A businessman was sitting next to a little lady
who was knitting and singing. So shook up about storm he said,
don’t you think it’d be a good time for praying instead of singing.
She said, I did my praying before the Storm broke.
That is a life that will stand, has love relationship with God.
Shipbuilders back in days of sailboats would prepare masts for ships.
would go to forest & find appropriate tree, clear out all surrounding
trees leave that one standing, leaving it exposed to wind and storms.
As tree continued to mature, it would gain strength.
Kind of strength it would need to withstand up in storms at sea . Tree would never gain that strength if it was left among other trees.
It developed strength because of the storms.
If we build our lives on Jesus & his words, when storms come,
we not only survive, we’ll gain strength.
How do I build my life on the rock?
I Cor. 3:9-11 For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field,
you are God’s building. By grace God gave me, laid a foundation
as an expert builder and someone else is building on it.
But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is CHRIST JESUS.” You’ve got to start by receiving Him into your life. That’s where the foundation begins.
There is a difference between HEARING
& PUTTING INTO PRACTICE
May have watched surgery on TV does not make you Dr.
Jesus challenges us to listen to all that he has said. To really listen.
To really absorb it. And then to live it, like he lived it.
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. Vs 25 the Message
Jas 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the Word & so deceive yourselves.
DO WHAT IT SAYS. That person will be blessed in what he does.”
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. ISAIAH 26:3-4 NLT
Allow your Sunday to touch YOUR MONDAY
Many people cannot connect their faith to their daily lives.
Sunday does not touch their Monday. Sunday separate compartment
(1)Pray during the week about your daily concerns. Pray in your own words. Just “Talk” to God as you would to a friend.
(2) Tell a friend how God answered one of your prayers.
(3) Ask the Blessing over your food today.
(4) Sing a chorus as you drive down the road.
(5) Attend a Bible study this week.
(6) Read a Psalm. Ask God to speak to you specifically through the words you are reading. Ask yourself, “What is God saying to me.”
(7) Meet with one other person to pray about some specific needs. Write your concern down in a notebook. Put the date on it. Write down the answer. Keep a record of what God is doing in your life.
“ Don’t just “tack them on to your life on Sunday morning.”
Jesus demanded A LOT FROM HIS FOLLOWERS
When building contractor begins a building get large earth mover
Drill down to solid rock base then pour concrete pillars on rock
Will then build his foundation on that.
That people should listen and do as he says
When storms come beat against our life, our structure fools no one, especially God. Building on rock requires care & effort. We must consider cost involved in following Jesus. We want to count cost of building a good foundation for life. It will not always be easiest thing to do
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. Vs 28-29 NLT
HOW ARE YOU AT BUILDING YOUR LIFE?
June 10, 2007 Jay Davis Robison MATTHEW 7:24-29
1. Everybody is
Each house
Can you build one more house . .
2. The Sun
Both houses faced
What storms are in your life today?
3. Your foundation
Why would people build on the sand?
And great was it’s fall Vs 27 NKJV
The proper response to Jesus is not amazement but obedience
David Garland
How do I build my life on the rock?
There is a difference between and
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. Vs 25 the Message
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. ISAIAH 26:3-4 NLT
Allow your Sunday to touch
Jesus demanded
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. Vs 28-29
