Loving the Sermon but Hating the Message
Luke 6:47-49 NKJV
47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them,
I will show you whom he is like:
48 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 beat vehemently against that house,
and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth
without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."
47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them,
I will show you whom he is like:
James 1:21-22 NKJV
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,
and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Oswald Chambers: One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.
NCV 22 Do what God's teaching says;
when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.
23 Those who hear God's teaching and do nothing
are like people who look at themselves in a mirror.
24 They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like.
You listen, you get fed, you come to the altar (maybe even cry)
Then a few days later (or even mere hours…)
you forget what it was that God was dealing with you about
or what you told Him you’d do
How much of our Christian lives are wasted,
repeating the same promises to God, over and over again,
without ever DOING anything differently!?
25 But the truly happy people
are those who carefully study God's perfect law that makes people free,
and they continue to study it.
They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God's teaching says.
Those who do this will be made happy.
Mark 6:17-20 NKJV
17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.
18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not;
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
(GNB) Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him,
even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him.
(NLV) … He liked to listen to John preach. But when he did, he became troubled.
Herod liked listening to John preach! He liked it!
But when he did,
he became troubled.
he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him
Sermon after sermon, he went to hear John the Baptist
Sermon after sermon his heart was troubled and convicted
Acts 24:23-27 NKJV
23 So he (Felix) commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty,
and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.
24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish,
he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come,
Felix was afraid and answered,
"Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."
26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul,
that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix;
and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
He calls for Paul, and hears him preach.
KJV- Felix trembled
He was moved by Paul’s preaching. He felt conviction and the fear of God
NET 26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money,
and for this reason he sent for Paul as often as possible and talked with him.
27 After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix,
and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Felix sent for Paul often
Felix went to Paul’s church… for two years
Two years of listening to Paul preach, two years of feeling God’s conviction
Pastor R: “Shaken but not stirred”
Hebrews 6:7-12 NKJV
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it,
and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;
8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed,
whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.
10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
NIV 7
• Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
• But land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.
In the end it will be burned.
We drink in the word of God. We hear and hear and hear.
But we’re only producing a crop of weeds.
11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end,
in order to make your hope sure.
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those
who through faith and patience
inherit what has been promised.
We become lazy, we lose our diligence---we don’t want our Christianity to cost us anything
Doug Raymer: Ways that people practice religion that costs them nothing.
One way to get by on the cheap in Christianity…
is to determine the bare minimum of effort
that you think is required of a practicing Christian, and not do anymore more than that.
• How many services can you miss and still be considered faithful?
• How little can you give and not stir you conscience?
• How little can you study and still call yourself a disciple?
Still another way is to do what the Lord says only when it suits you.
• Be honest, but only when there is no reason not to be honest.
• Be nice to others, but only when they make it easy.
• Stay faithful to your spouse, but only when no one tempting you.
• Stay married, but only as long as you still want to be married.
• Listen to the sermons, but only as long as you like what you hear. Religion will never cost you anything.
Text- Luke 6:45-49 (NIV)
45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
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 makes a clear distinction between
• he who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice
• he who hears my words and does not put them into practice
"Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
