The Wise Builder

Website Editor • Jul 15, 2020

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." - Matthew 7:24-29

From Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Matthew 7:24-29:

For the past 23 weeks, our church has been going verse by verse through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We have studied every Beatitude, every teaching, every verse. 

He tells us, "everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

Jesus wraps up His sermon with eternity in mind. If we build our lives on the right foundation, they will stand the test of time. If we fill our hearts and minds with Jesus' instruction and we do the work He's asking of us, we anchor ourselves to the solid rock that is our Lord Jesus Christ -- now and forever.

In this, Jesus calls us to not only a better destination, but also a better journey. Our lives should look different than the world around us; we are called to a higher righteousness and a higher obedience. Our lives may not all look the same, but if build them on the right foundation, they will be united in giving glory to God. Lives with this purpose are eternal.

So, how can we be like the wise builder?

We can hear and do the will of God. Jesus makes it clear that obedience follows heart change. If we are only hearing the word of God and not living it out, we must check ourselves (see: "The Narrow Path" sermon from last week). James 1:22 says it well, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Not all who think they belong to God are truly His.

We can dig deep and build well. There are no shortcuts to walking on the Narrow Path that God calls us to. To walk with Him is to obey Him and seek Him daily. Jesus is after our hearts and His desire is for our hearts to long for Him more than anything else. To dig deep and build well is to study His Word, to talk with Him, and to seek His kingdom above anything else.

We can remain confident when storms come. If we are not firmly anchored in the truths of God's Word, we are more likely to lose confidence when trials come. When we acknowledge that God is in control no matter the circumstance, we are unshakeable.

We can find assurance in obedience. 1 John 2:3-6 says, "And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says "I know Him" but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says He abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked."

Jesus wants us to know with absolute certainty the path we are on. The way we can be sure of that is by how well we obey. Certainly, there is none among us who obeys perfectly. But, we must examine if our lives show progress in the direction of Christlikeness.

Are you growing in likeness to Him, or not?

….Are you poor in spirit? Do you mourn? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Are you merciful? Are you pure in heart? Are you a peacemaker? Are you being persecuted?

….Are you saltier than the world around you? Are you being a light in a dark world? Are you avoiding anger and lust? Do you let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no? Do you turn the other cheek? Do you love your enemies?

…Do you give and pray right way? Are you storing up your treasure in heaven? Are you seeking His kingdom? Are you choosing trust over worry?

…Are you going to the Father with all of your needs? Are you treating other people as yourself?

…Are you walking the path that leads to life? Are you discerning and judging others fairly? Is there fruit in your life?

….Do you hear the word of the Lord and obey it?

-

Let us be a church of wise builders.
Watch this sermon, here.

Jesus is Much More Better

15 May, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:12-21 Adam ruined it for everyone —sin came into the world through Adam —death came into the world through sin —death spread to all men because all sinned “God has always dealt with mankind through a head and representative. The whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of what has happened because of Adam, and what has happened and will yet happen because of Christ.” —Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Jesus is the true and better Adam “Cranfield explains, ‘That one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles, utterly beyond human comprehension.’ The final word from God could have been “Condemned, on the basis of many trespasses.” Instead, it is “Justified, through the gift of Jesus’ righteousness.” That is why Paul declares that the gift is “much more” or “much better” than the result of Adam’s trespass.” —Daniel M. Doriani, Romans Through Jesus grace abounds and grace reigns Discipleship Questions: What are some reasons we might not like the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? What can help us embrace the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? How does that idea set us up for the good news about Jesus and what He accomplished? How does the truth from this passage build our assurance of our salvation? In what ways is what Jesus did much more powerful and better than what Adam brought us? How have you experienced the reign of grace in your life despite the reign of sin and death in the world? How can we experience the reign of grace through Jesus in everyday life?

No Fear of Judgment

08 May, 2024
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:6-11 God has already done the work needed to save us He took the initiative “God has addressed the cause of the offense… Although he is the offended party, God has removed the offense. God has extended “the olive branch.” -Jay Smith He justified us He reconciled us Reconciliation is an objective event that God accomplished by removing the barrier of sin that separated himself from humanity. This result is independent of humanity’s response although it formed the basis for an individual’s subjective appropriation.” Jay Smith Appropriate: “To set apart for or assign to a particular recipient.” Christians need not fear judgment day 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?

The Joy of Justification

29 Apr, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:1-5 We find joy in the blessings brought by justification —peace with God —access to God’s grace Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —hope of the glory of God “Christian hope is not uncertain, like our ordinary everyday hopes about the weather or our health; it is a joyful and confident expectation which rests on the promises of God, as we saw in the case of Abraham. And the object of our hope is the glory of God (2), namely his radiant splendor which will in the end be fully displayed. —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans We can even find joy in our sufferings “Various kinds of sufferings will come to us, but we can rejoice in them when we recognize that they serve a purpose: to develop our Christian character. In verses 3b–4 Paul shows how a godly response to suffering can initiate a series of virtues, culminating, strikingly, in hope. Note, however, that Paul is not saying that we should rejoice because of suffering. Evil things are still just that—evil—and we never should be happy about them. But by looking beyond the suffering to its divinely intended end, we still can rejoice in the midst of them.” —Douglas J. Moo, Encountering the Book of Romans —suffering produces endurance “ We know this, especially from the experience of God’s people in every generation. Suffering produces perseverance ( hypomonē , endurance). We could not learn endurance without suffering, because without suffering there would be nothing to endure.” —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans —endurance builds character —character gives us confident hope Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?
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