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DATE |
CHURCH |
SUBJECT |
PREACHER |
BIBLE
REF. |
|
01.06.08 |
All Saints' Church |
If We Love God We
Will Obey Him |
Rev. Tony Higton |
Matthew 7:21-29 |
|
I always remember an experience I
had as a boy on holiday in Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast
in the 1950s. At the far North end of the beach there was an
RAF bombing range, littered with debris from shells and bombs.
There were two quite large empty buildings on the beach made out
of concrete blocks and both of them had sunk to almost 45degrees
from horizontal in the sand. I always remember them when I read
what Jesus said about building our lives on sand in Matthew 7.
It is an unreliable, even treacherous foundation.
But what did Jesus mean about
building “the house of your life” on sand or on rock? The answer
is not only challenging but quite shocking. Building your life
on the rock means building it on obedience to God, he says.
I want to draw three things out of
his teaching. Firstly:
Christianity is obeying God, not just churchgoing
In Britain churchgoing is a
minority activity. There is probably a much greater commitment
on the part of churchgoers than there used to be when churches
were better-attended. Surely that is a good thing. Well, yes,
but Jesus requires more than that. He says: “Not everyone who
says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
(verse 21).
We use the word “Lord” of Jesus
many times in church – in the liturgy and the hymns. But Jesus
is saying that simply knowing and reciting the liturgy and the
hymns is not enough. We can call him “Lord” until we’re blue in
the face and still not enter the kingdom of heaven. It is only
if we obey him as Lord and not just call him Lord that we shall
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Sunday religion is not enough.
Jesus requires a sincere daily commitment to him in obedience.
On the Day of Judgment God won’t ask us how many hymns we’ve
sung or prayers we’ve recited, but much we have shown our love
for him by obeying him.
Secondly, he says:
Christianity is obeying God, not just miracle-working
Wow! That’s quite a statement! One
would have thought that anyone who could heal in the name of
Jesus or set people free from evil in his name or prophesy in
his name or perform miracles in his name would be very close to
God and acceptable to him.
But Jesus says that if it isn’t
based on showing love for God by obeying him day by day it
doesn’t mean entry into the kingdom of heaven. In fact Jesus
says he will speak strongly to such people:
“Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me,
you evildoers!' (verse 22-23).
Thirdly, Jesus says:
Christianity is obeying God, not just hearing
I have met many Christians who know
their Bibles well. They read it regularly on their own and in
housegroups. They listen carefully to biblical sermons. They can
quote chapter and verse. They may actually have deliberately
memorized it. They rather look down on others, including
Ministers, who don’t know the Bible very well (there are many
such!). They have a high view of its authority and might even
use the words “inerrant” and “infallible” of it.
But Jesus says that even this is
not enough: “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does
not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his
house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash." (verses 26-27).
Judgment Day is not a Scripture
exam. God won’t ask us how much of the Bible we have read and
remembered, but rather how much of it we have obeyed. It’s all
about showing our love to God by obeying him.
Finally, Jesus says:
Christianity is obeying God, not just living
It isn’t enough simply to get on
with our lives, relating to loved ones, taking careful
decisions, overcoming problems and challenges. Our priority must
be to love God and to show that love by obeying him. Our main
guide in so doing will be the Bible and the church fellowship
will help us to understand it and put it into practice. Only
then will we be building the house of our life on the rock and
can we be confident of entering the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus says: “Therefore everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a
wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down,
the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the
rock.” (verses 24-25)
Conclusion
- So we need
to:
- Get to know
the Bible.
- Think about
what we learn
- Ask for God’s
help
- Put it into
practice: repenting of failure and low standards and seeking
to know how to please God.
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