"A Life Built To Last," Luke 6:46-49, Matthew 7:24-27

My motive in preaching this sermon to challenge those of us who are busy building to check our the materials and see if our work is in vain or is not. It is to tragedy and sadness of building a life that will only get us through the now, where we are only popular among people, when our power is only good for this world. It is my goal reminds us of the to show the seriousness of Paul's words: "If in this life Christ, we are miserable." of all men sermon on in most (I Corinthians This is the recorded only we have hope 15: 19) the mount as by that physician Dr. Luke. 1 sharing some paradoxes and parables with His disciples. He Jesus had been wants them to be clear in their minds that Kingdom of Heaven was not to be taken lightly and that ones part in that kingdom would have to measure up to heavenly standards. He tells them that the eternal spiritual life is far different from the temporary earthly life and the the outcome would be different as well. emptiness then. Laughter today could bring weeping tomorrow. Just because one speaks well of you does not means you are what they Fullness now could mean say. The blind cannot lead the blind. It's hard to see the small faults in another persons eye when you own huge ones yourself. You can tell the tree by the 2 fruit that it bears. gives further instructions on what is required if we are to build our houses so that they will last. First, a life Then, Jesus Second, a last is constructed through built to last starts with God. life built to obedience. Thirdly, a life built to last survives the storms. few minutes to try to help understand the power of this sermon Give us for a God. me a life built to last. It starts with why call ye me not the things that I Jesus asked "And Lord, Lord, and do say?" Will you hear me when I tell you that if you do not start with God, you do not have a starting place. You may be going through the motions but you are not going anywhere. You are just 3 marking time until the storms of your way. I like the way The Bible puts it in Genesis 1: 1: "In " and John 1: 1-3 the beginning God destruction come ... assures us "In the beginning was Word, and the Word the Word was was God. The with the God, and same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." If you are going to build a life that will last false professions, hypocritical walking, disobedience living, and wayward actions will not get it done. Psalm 127: 1 tells us: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. It must not start with material spiritual things. things but "But seek ye first the 4 " .. kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33) For God is glorious and lovely. He is omnipotent, omniscience, and omnipresent. He is sovereign and trustworthy. I tell you again a life built to last starts with God. Furthermore, constructed is a a life built to last is through obedience. There foundation for the house that will last. That foundation must be laid if the going to stand. dig deep in order to dig house is You have to and find it. It is not on the surface. It is not the smooth ground that permits sand to up between your toes. It has been buried by the passing of time as the wind blew sand up against it and corne around it until it 5 covered it up. It is withstood the passing of time and is still good for eternity. It is unrnoveable. That why I sing every now and them: "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is shifting, sinking sand. " You must not only hear what God has to say, you must do it. The prophet said, "It is better to obey than to sacrifice." (I 22) We must little boy ridding his Samuel 15: obey like the tricycle round and round and round the block. A curious policeman stopped him and asked why he kept going around and around. The little boy answered, "Cause, I'm running away form horne." The more curious policeman asked, "Well, why do you keep going around the same block." The little boy answered, 6 "Because my morn said that I am not allowed to cross the street." God has told us that if we want must not build on life that will last, we the sands of sin and a wickedness and disobedience. Finally, a life built to last survives Can I tell you that sooner the storm is going to corne, the the storms. or later, tornadoes are turning, the flood waters rise, the winds will whistle, the snow will fall, the hurricanes will make their will way to your shore. If your life is shallow and built on shifting sands, and resting on depending on delusions-your life will not stand. false trusts, and if you are secure on Jesus and hope But that Rock called is built on nothing less, you will be immoveable and able to 7 · "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as stand. you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (I Corinthians 15: much 58) He as The storms of Jesus' life started when was born and tried to have Him killed, but He stood. They tried to Him time and time They called Him but He stood. again, stone but He stood. and abused Him, tried Him illegally names They and crucified Him rugged Even when they on an cross, but He stood. old buried Him in another man's tomb, He got up the third day morning with all power in His hands. He of death and the grave. 8 won the victory WISDOM OF THE YEARS I TIMOTHY 5: 1-2 people guide for what to believe and how to behavior. Solomon writes, "Now wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4: 7) "How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver." (proverbs 16: 16) "He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. (Proverbs 19: 8) to say the least, god wants us to have wisdom and to act responsibly in our community. There is a new video being unveiled today that is the life experiences of seven of our elders as they share the wisdom they have gathered over the years. So I thought I might lift up a little of that wisdom for all of us to The Bible is the book of wisdom. In it of God. It tells us and is one finds the Word of God for the our remember. 33: keep Him first. Matthew 6: it up: "But seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness and all these 11 be added unto you." First, the old folks taught us to get God in sums things ...?o Po a N e. b o \J e. s"""fl"J fofir 4 I(e...d... --:p.--p>.r l_j ,-o..y (/1' I -k..a. """!Jrv.tfy fr-t;.ya,v -n. # [..j+J H{lI -I-rj (Ab(,\Jt- q/l) -tI..;j- I ('if R P lives and to our .'t C4 It) /..''7 /J.f1''afJ} 8 W -rt.a. LJ. yo ,'J hl", Nf v,'-h« AJ<Jiv e. 41'/ w"",+c-h woy-J.._ ;tP-I1,.G J2,..o+-V-5 j,1"q-f/, h,ij ftf.. hlA,vJlj.) W J. "'r y# STANDING AT THE THRESHOLD Psalm 84 times, the people of In Old Testament God got seriously in trouble with God because they would rather build houses for themselves than for the Lord .. Not only that but they built them with fine cedar while neglecting to do anything for the Lord. They have the best of intention but they just keep putting it off. Imagine you have built a new house, just moved in, and the Lord knocked on your door to say, "Because you have misplaced your priorities, you will work hard to make money that you will put in pockets with holes." "You have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not 1 enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages, to put into a bad with holes." (Haggai condition. 1: 6) Oh, what a sad by the sons of Korah, sweeter than the joy of the wine Here in Psalm 84 press, the Pearl of Psalms. If the Psalm 23 is the most popular, the Psalm 130 the most joyful, the Psalm 119 the most deeply experimental, the 51 Psalm the most plaintive, then this Psalm 84 is the most sweet Psalms of peace. These of Korah are sons different and have their to the Chief Musician own sing accompanied by the Philistine lute. Listen as they lift their voices to shout song to 2 . of exquisite beauty, of the captivating loveliness, of the comely magnificence of the house built for God. They acknowledge that it will not last forever. F or it is a tabernacle designed for the time being. Look at them standing yonder on the threshold ready to enter. First, there is beauty and wonder standing on the thresho d of the house of God. (1-4) It is something special to the behold. In fact, to behold it is to want urgently to share it. It makes one homesick to see tabernacle and come this wonderful imagine what is yet to that will last from everlasting to everlasting. These sons of Korah hunger and thirst and yearn and cry out to dwell in the house of the Lord. Even the least 3 horne, nesting, laying their and hatching their young in the of birds eggs, are at living God. Here one can fi d fit expression for the longing spirit standing on the threshold. presence of the Threshold is the doorsill, the entrance, opening for the beginning. There is nothing more beautiful and refreshing than the ready gathering of believers for worship. What better place to stand than the that dedicated to adoration of God! Those who draw and near to God magnify Him standing worship on the threshold. Second, there is strength standing on (5-8) What a wonderful passage of Scripture. It reminds us that this Christian journey will not always be the threshold. 4 . \ easy. There will be dry places but some trees thrive and grow in dry places. We through the valley of weeping shall corne out rejoicing on the must all go . but we other side. Those whose hearts are set holy worship make dry places into wells of living water. God rains down blessings of plenty, waters our parched ground, causing us to on God's house and take root and grow strong. That which seems a hindrance becomes a furtherance, misery turns into pleasure, productive. We move on from strength to strength Strength to believe,. strength to obey, strength to suffer, and ultimately strength to die. Those who are children of the King must always be advancing from one degree of barren becomes ... 5 grace to another. God is our strength. Third, there is protection stand on the threshold. refuge and as we (9-11) Our invitation must be to have others look on help in times of not us that they are to look the Master and find trouble. It is upon, for we are weak travelers. He is our all sufficient Shield and the Anointed One. It is not lifetime year but ONE DAY in the Lord's courts that is better than one a or one thousand elsewhere. The very least with God is better than the most of anything else without Him. The Psalmist is he would rather be liberty to wickedness, by bound to duty than be free to sin, be confined by love than tied to . saying, a post than at 6 \ by loose to hate, be limited win to disgrace. grace than at Jonah decided he would rather be preaching in Nineveh than in the prodigal belly of would rather go back home than eat like swine. Peter a fish. The would rather feed son heep than be sifted like wheat. I would rather be the least in Kingdom of God than the greatest in the world. I would rather be a servant in the king in hell. "I had rather a doorkeeper in the house of my God, heaven than be a that to dwell in the tents of wickedness. F or the Lord God is walk and shield; the grace and glory; no good will he withhold form them that Lord will thing a sun give uprightly." (lOb-II) ( " 7 - '