UNSHAKABLE – Part 1
February 7, 2010 • Chris Goins • Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49
Here are the extended notes from this morning's message at a2 Church. As always, you can download the podcast of the message on our church website at a2church.org/messages or on iTunes by typing "a2 Church" into the iTunes Store Search Engine and clicking on the a2 Church Podcast.
Here are the extended notes...
Built To Last
UNSHAKABLE – Part 1
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT), Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.
IMPORTANT: This story isn’t about Christians and non-Christians. It’s about authentic Christians and “posers.” Jesus made this plain in Luke 6:46.
Luke 6:46 (ESV), Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?
The Similarities:
1. These guys basically wanted the same thing.
• The “house” represents my life.
• The foundation represents the core beliefs, convictions, values, dreams and choices that make me who I am.
2. They built in the same general location.
3. On the surface, both houses looked pretty much the same.
The Five Stages of Decline (How The Mighty Fall by Jim Collins):
Stage 1: Hubris (pride or arrogance) born of success.
Stage 2: The undisciplined pursuit of more.
Stage 3: Denial of risk, peril or danger.
Stage 4: Grasping for salvation (or a quick fix or miracle drug).
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or death.
4. Both houses experienced the same storm. They went through the same tests.
Three Basic Tests:
1. “rain fell” – The routine junk that just sort of happens in life like sickness, loss, failure, disappointment…
2. “floods came” – A world system that comes against everything we stand for and believe… (See 1 John 2:16)
1 John 2:16, For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the world.
3. “winds blew and beat on that house” – Strategic and definite attacks coordinated and carried out by the evil one or his “junior assistants.”
The Big Differences:
1. Basic decisions about how to build.
Matthew 7:24 (NLT), Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Luke 6:47-48a (NLT), I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who DIGS DEEP and lays the FOUNDATION on solid rock.
Three Important Questions:
• Am I willing to take the time to get wise counsel about how to build?
• Am I willing to take the time to dig deep and do the work necessary to lay a solid foundation?
• Am I willing to actually live out or put into action the stuff I say that I believe?
Luke 6:46-47 (NLT), So why do you keep calling me `Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?”
2. A sense of peace, security and rock solid faith even in the middle of crisis.
Psalm 112:6-8 (ESV), For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
How To Build A Life That Lasts:
1. Dig deep. Know what you believe and why you believe it.
Luke 6:47-48a (NLT), I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.
Theology – the stuff we believe about God…
Doctrine – the meaning of the story God is writing in the world. It’s the explanation of what He’s done, why He’s done it and why it matters to you and me.
Orthodoxy – Right beliefs and convictions about God and His Word… Beliefs and convictions that are established on the truths clearly taught in the Bible and affirmed in the historic creeds of the Christian faith.
And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
“We do not have a strong church today, nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have allowed their minds to become conformed to the "spirit of this age," with its mechanistic, godless thinking. They have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him. Ask an average Christian to talk about God. After getting past the expected answers you will find that his god is a little god of vacillating sentiments. He is a god who would like to save the world, but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part He has left His children to fend for themselves in a dangerous environment.
Such a god is not the God of the Bible… The God of the Bible is not weak; He is strong! He is all-mighty. Nothing happens without his permission or apart from his purposes… Nothing disturbs or puzzles Him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore, those who know Him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish His own desirable purposes in their lives.” ~ James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, pages 25-26.
2. Just do it! Put the stuff you know into action.
Luke 6:46 (NLT), So why do you keep calling me `Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?
Luke 6:47-48 (MSG), These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. 48 “If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last.
3. Stay focused! It’s all about Jesus. It’s always about Jesus. It’s only about Jesus.
Isaiah 28:16 (NLT), Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.”
Closing:
Do you remember the story of The Three Little Pigs.
The three pigs left home, and each built a house for himself. The houses were each made of different materials, with different degrees of structural integrity.
All three houses looked great…at first. But when the wolf came and challenged the pigs in the two homes that were built rather hastily, he huffed and puffed and blew their homes down.
The third pig was wiser. His house took a little longer to build. He followed the local “wolf proofing” building codes. But he felt good about the structural integrity of his house when it was finally completed. In fact, his brothers felt great about it because they had some place to run to when their homes came crashing down. When the three of them stood behind those solid walls, that had been established upon a firm foundation, the house endured all the huffing and puffing and did not blow down.
Here’s the moral of the story. Houses that lack a solid foundation and structural integrity won’t stand up to the invasion of the enemy. Houses built on a solid foundation, with the right materials and workmanship will. It’s the same with our lives. Lives that aren’t built upon a firm foundation won’t possibly withstand the enemy’s attack. Lives built on a firm foundation and with the right materials can handle anything the enemy brings against them.
UNSHAKABLE – Part 1
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT), Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.
IMPORTANT: This story isn’t about Christians and non-Christians. It’s about authentic Christians and “posers.” Jesus made this plain in Luke 6:46.
Luke 6:46 (ESV), Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?
The Similarities:
1. These guys basically wanted the same thing.
• The “house” represents my life.
• The foundation represents the core beliefs, convictions, values, dreams and choices that make me who I am.
2. They built in the same general location.
3. On the surface, both houses looked pretty much the same.
The Five Stages of Decline (How The Mighty Fall by Jim Collins):
Stage 1: Hubris (pride or arrogance) born of success.
Stage 2: The undisciplined pursuit of more.
Stage 3: Denial of risk, peril or danger.
Stage 4: Grasping for salvation (or a quick fix or miracle drug).
Stage 5: Capitulation to irrelevance or death.
4. Both houses experienced the same storm. They went through the same tests.
Three Basic Tests:
1. “rain fell” – The routine junk that just sort of happens in life like sickness, loss, failure, disappointment…
2. “floods came” – A world system that comes against everything we stand for and believe… (See 1 John 2:16)
1 John 2:16, For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the world.
3. “winds blew and beat on that house” – Strategic and definite attacks coordinated and carried out by the evil one or his “junior assistants.”
The Big Differences:
1. Basic decisions about how to build.
Matthew 7:24 (NLT), Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Luke 6:47-48a (NLT), I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who DIGS DEEP and lays the FOUNDATION on solid rock.
Three Important Questions:
• Am I willing to take the time to get wise counsel about how to build?
• Am I willing to take the time to dig deep and do the work necessary to lay a solid foundation?
• Am I willing to actually live out or put into action the stuff I say that I believe?
Luke 6:46-47 (NLT), So why do you keep calling me `Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?”
2. A sense of peace, security and rock solid faith even in the middle of crisis.
Psalm 112:6-8 (ESV), For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
How To Build A Life That Lasts:
1. Dig deep. Know what you believe and why you believe it.
Luke 6:47-48a (NLT), I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.
Theology – the stuff we believe about God…
Doctrine – the meaning of the story God is writing in the world. It’s the explanation of what He’s done, why He’s done it and why it matters to you and me.
Orthodoxy – Right beliefs and convictions about God and His Word… Beliefs and convictions that are established on the truths clearly taught in the Bible and affirmed in the historic creeds of the Christian faith.
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
“We do not have a strong church today, nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have allowed their minds to become conformed to the "spirit of this age," with its mechanistic, godless thinking. They have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him. Ask an average Christian to talk about God. After getting past the expected answers you will find that his god is a little god of vacillating sentiments. He is a god who would like to save the world, but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part He has left His children to fend for themselves in a dangerous environment.
Such a god is not the God of the Bible… The God of the Bible is not weak; He is strong! He is all-mighty. Nothing happens without his permission or apart from his purposes… Nothing disturbs or puzzles Him. His purposes are always accomplished. Therefore, those who know Him rightly act with boldness, assured that God is with them to accomplish His own desirable purposes in their lives.” ~ James Montgomery Boice, Foundations of the Christian Faith, pages 25-26.
2. Just do it! Put the stuff you know into action.
Luke 6:46 (NLT), So why do you keep calling me `Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?
Luke 6:47-48 (MSG), These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. 48 “If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last.
3. Stay focused! It’s all about Jesus. It’s always about Jesus. It’s only about Jesus.
Isaiah 28:16 (NLT), Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.”
Closing:
Do you remember the story of The Three Little Pigs.
The three pigs left home, and each built a house for himself. The houses were each made of different materials, with different degrees of structural integrity.
All three houses looked great…at first. But when the wolf came and challenged the pigs in the two homes that were built rather hastily, he huffed and puffed and blew their homes down.
The third pig was wiser. His house took a little longer to build. He followed the local “wolf proofing” building codes. But he felt good about the structural integrity of his house when it was finally completed. In fact, his brothers felt great about it because they had some place to run to when their homes came crashing down. When the three of them stood behind those solid walls, that had been established upon a firm foundation, the house endured all the huffing and puffing and did not blow down.
Here’s the moral of the story. Houses that lack a solid foundation and structural integrity won’t stand up to the invasion of the enemy. Houses built on a solid foundation, with the right materials and workmanship will. It’s the same with our lives. Lives that aren’t built upon a firm foundation won’t possibly withstand the enemy’s attack. Lives built on a firm foundation and with the right materials can handle anything the enemy brings against them.
Are you UNSHAKABLE? Are you "built to last"?
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