Mind = Blown Lesson 10: Do you have a firm foundation? [ Reader: group leader] We have been following Jesus through Matthew 5, 6, and 7. It s been quite a journey! Jesus take us places we never expected us to go and makes us uncomfortable along the way. His words in the Sermon on the Mount are direct and unapologetic. He clearly shows us who He is and asks us to follow Him, at the cost of everything including and especially ourselves. He continues to illustrate the logic defying principles of what it means to be in His Kingdom. He strips away all of our worldly understanding and offers us something better: Himself. And He makes no qualms about telling us where we stand if we don t follow Him. He simply asks us to decide. Do you want to go with Him and build your life upon His immovable foundation or do you want build upon the shifting sands of this world? Let s pray as we consider that question. [ Leader prays ] [ Reader: person with the craziest pattern or most colorful socks today]
The people that were hearing the Sermon on the Mount were just like you and I. Some of them were rich, some poor, and some were middle class. There were scholars, peasants, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. Some were tired. Some were hungry and some never wanted for anything financially. There were those in the crowd that followed the letter of the law and those who were lawless. All walks of life were present then as there are now. Yet, there was a common thread that bound them to each other and it reaches across time to bind them to us. It was the need for a Savior. No matter what our standing in society is, or what our situation may be, we will never enter the perfect Kingdom of God as long as we have a single imperfection. As Jesus stood he recited the law and then went on to describe how we needed to live. Matthew 5:38-41 says, You have heard it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. The reaction to this had to be very similar to what it is when we hear it now. Minds were blown. What!? Why!? How!? and But Lord, you don t understand! and I can t! It doesn t make sense. The world says if someone strikes you, you strike back or at the very least, defend yourself. Our nature says this, as well. And when we are forced into doing something, the last thing we want is to offer to do more. This is just one example of the upside down nature of God s Kingdom. People were still standing there trying to wrap their minds around how being poor and meek could be a blessing when Jesus started teaching us about praying for our enemies and blessing those who curse us! The world Jesus was describing is not one that we are familiar with, outside of Him. [ Reader : the person with the shortest hair or almost no hair] Matthew 5:43-45 You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Then, verse 45 begins with a very key phrase: that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
We know how to be children of the world. The Bible tells us in Psalm 51:5: For I was born a sinner yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. In Ephesians 2:2 we see: You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Romans 3:23 further reveals: For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God s glorious standard. These verses show us much about humanity. We are fallen. Imperfect. Again We know how to be children of the world. It is in us from birth. The thing we need is the teacher, the Savior, the perfect sacrifice. We need Jesus to show us how to become children of God. [ Reader : group leader] Question 1 : How do you feel about the fact that the Bible tells us we are born sinners? Does this cause any conflict within you? Question 2 : Do you think you have a teachable spirit? Are you willing to learn from Jesus and really hear His words? Question 3 : Are you willing to trust in God, even when you don t understand the why of something? Question 4: Can you think of a time when God asked you to do something that didn t make sense to you? (Such as blessing an enemy?) How did you respond? [ Reade r: the person who exercised today or most recently] We have a difficult time grasping the things that Jesus teaches. We are humans and only have a human view of things. We don t really understand that Jesus death was necessary to bring life to us all or how meekness and surrender actually equal strength. It is counter intuitive to believe things like, when I am weak, I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10). Our world admires dominance and rewards power, yet our King, the Savior of the world humbled Himself and submitted Himself to the will of the Father and died in our place, so that we could live. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is known for the phrase God is dead. He believed that humans no longer needed a deity for a moral reference point or compass, and that society would eventually turn into one without objective truths, beliefs or
values. He also believed that there were great creative possibilities that would fully develop once God was out of the picture. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/god_is_dead ) There are many that would agree with him. Human nature believes itself to be the center of the universe. The unbelieving world feels that humanity has things figured out and that we have no need for the superstition of God. When confronted with the words of Christ, people cannot logically accept the truth of Jesus without eyes that have been opened by God, and understanding given by the Holy Spirit. It sounds strange! It makes no sense! I Corinthians 2:14 states: The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Watch Video: OSU Wexner Center If you visit the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, you might be confused at first glance. You would see uneven towers, stairways that lead to nowhere, bizarre angles and bare scaffolding. It was built as a reflection of the architect s view of life as he saw it: one without purpose, design, or meaning. Famous Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias heard this about the building s design and immediately asked, Did he do the same with the foundation? [ Reade r: group leader] Question 1 : How do you think the Christian life appears to those outside the Kingdom? Question 2 : What comes to mind when we think of the word foundation? In terms of buildings and structures, how important is the foundation? (If there are any builders or others familiar with construction, please elaborate on this for us!) Question 3 : Has anyone ever had foundation repairs on their home? What kinds of problems did you see that led up to the work being done? What would have happened if the foundation had not been repaired? Question 4 : In building terms, what is the cornerstone and why is it important? Watch Video: Foundation [ Reader: the person with the most building experience]
Definition of Cornerstone (or foundation stone): This concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Now that we know how important the cornerstone and the foundation is to a building or structure, we read these Scriptures with more understanding: Isaiah 28:16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. Matthew 7: 24-29 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. 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. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. [ Reader : the person who got up earliest this morning] 1 Peter 2:4-9 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced. Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. And, He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.
They stumble because they do not obey God s Word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. [ Reader : group leader] *The point of the teaching is to point to the teacher. Question 1 : In Matthew 7:24-29, who is like a wise man? Who is like a fool? Question 2 : Whose words did Jesus say a wise man should hear and obey? Question 3 : In 1 Peter 2: 4-9, why did people stumble? Question 4 : How do these verses describe believers? Jesus makes sure that He directs our attention to Himself as the Cornerstone. The other prophets, and even scribes and Pharisees quoted each other, but Jesus points the way back to Himself and the Father. This is the speaking with authority referred to in Matthew 7:29. Some of us are familiar with these passages: Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. The people who knew where Jesus came from had to be freaking out! Here was a man from their area, who was raised by people they knew, who worked with His hands, and was now standing on a hillside proclaiming Himself to be the Messiah! [ Reader : the person who has been the most quiet tonight] If you have spent much time in the church, you might recognize that there are many references to The Solid Rock and having a firm foundation. Here are links to several songs you may know (You could go there now or check them out at home): Norton Hall Band "My Hope Is Built Wise Man Built His House Without this solid foundation in Christ, we are lost.
*A secure future requires both hearing and doing. We all love to hear the good things the Bible has to say. It is full of good news. We may even hear and agree with some of the hard truths. We may sit in church and nod and smile and say Amen when we hear about loving our enemies and feeding the poor. But if when we leave, we do nothing about what we have heard, then the hearing was in vain. There is a valley of indecision between hearing and doing where good Christians go to die. Pastor Rob King, Vineyard Cincinnati Church This is hard to hear, even now. People will sometimes leave a church if what they hear isn t pleasing. Jesus words were not fancy or meant to please. They were spoken to reveal God s plan for reconciliation with Him and we must choose. Just as there were those who left the Sermon on the Mount because it wasn t what they wanted to hear, there are those who continue to stumble over the rock that is Christ. 2 Timothy 4:3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. We would love to be able to hear things and not have to act. The doing is so very hard, and we aren t even capable of it without the Lord. But sermons and Bible studies don t make a bit of difference if they never leave our minds and drop into our hearts and propel us into action. If we don t live what we know of Christ and we don t touch the lives of those around us, we are useless. James 1:21-25 says: So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don t just listen to God s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. WE ARE BLESSED IN THE DOING! NOT THE HEARING! It is in the act of doing that we grow and change.
Faith without works is dead. (James 2:26) This is not speaking of working for salvation. That work was done by Christ and offered to us. It speaks of a living faith that flows out of our salvation, reaches out to others and takes action. True faith in Jesus Christ can t help but change us. Our faith impacts our lives and moves us to do the things that Jesus commands. We do work for the Lord because we love Him and this love moves through us in the form of action. It is very much like loving one of our family members. If we say, I love you but never show it, is it really love? [ Reader : group leader] *When we don t put His words into practice, we build our life on the sand. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. When we hear this verse, if we only focus on the love portion (which shows God s mercy and grace) and never looked at the action (the crucifixion), we would have a very incomplete picture. We LOVE to hear of God s love! We jump around in the Bible sometimes, clinging to our favorite verses about love, mercy, grace, and goodness and they make us feel so good. If we never visit the blood, death, and sacrifice that took place because of our wretchedness, we never come to an understanding of our need for a Savior, the true cost of our salvation or the depth of God s great love for us. Our sinful state is so serious and grievous that God took action and sent His only Son to die a bloody, terrible death on the cross for us. He asks us to pick up our cross and die to ourselves daily and follow Him. This requires obedience, faithfulness, and action on our part. He asks us to repent. There is a hell and our God is just. We can t finish reading John 3:16 without hearing that we will perish without the blood of Christ covering our sins. When we hear the Sermon on the Mount, we are rightly convicted. We can be honest and bring our failures before God and ask Him for forgiveness or we can go back to a verse on joy and mercy and not change a thing. Being able to approach God with our shortcomings IS mercy and grace. We need the Word of God to show us everything. We need the Bible s encouragement and we need it to show us where we don t measure up. It reminds us of the wrath of God as well as the love of God. It calls us to action, to
repentance, to obedience. We draw near to God and rely on His strength to change us and call us out on the water, just like Peter. (Matthew 12:29) Question 1 : When you hear that building the foundation and truly following Christ requires action, how do you feel? Question 2 : When you study God s Word or hear a sermon, are you usually moved to take action? Question 3 : Can you think of a time you felt God was asking you to do something for Him? If so, how did you respond? [ Reader : the person who has moved the fewest times in their life] *Building your life on a strong foundation is not easy. Coming to Jesus does not mean that everything is easy or that there is no pain. Coming into His Kingdom doesn t mean that your problems go away. He doesn t tell us that if we just trust and believe enough that life won t happen to you. The Scriptures do not say that. He promises us that when the storms come, He will be with us and we will be on an immovable foundation. It isn t easy, but if we come to Him, we will not be shaken. It isn t easy to take the steps He asks us to take in our lives. It s hard to build a business that reflects the Sermon on the mount and still compete in the global market, or to raise godly children or have a successful marriage in this world today. He does not promise easy. He gives us each other, the body of Christ, to walk beside one another, to pray and to lift each other up during the journey. He gives us His very Spirit to guide us and live within us. He gives us access to Him through prayer and His word. We have everything we need to withstand the storms. *Jesus reminds us that storms are a part of life. Sometimes a storm comes because of something we ve done, or because we are surrounded by crazy or destructive people. Bad things may happen because the world is fallen or it may be an attack of the enemy and sometimes we don t know the difference or why. Paul endured A LOT of storms! He was whipped five times, shipwrecked three times, repeatedly imprisoned, beaten and mistreated, and even bitten by a poisonous snake.
He had trouble with Jews and Gentiles, was in danger in the city and the country, had issues with both believers and non-believers, yet writes from prison: [ Reader : person with the longest hair] Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Storms are going to come, but when they do, the question is: am I on a firm foundation or not? Storms do not create a foundation. They usually just reveal if you have one or not. Some people come through the storms stronger (that doesn t mean without grief or sorrow.) Some do not, because they weren t on solid ground when it hit. Our life can be built on Christ the Rock the Chief Cornerstone. We have this promise: Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Salvation is not just saying a sinner s prayer. It is the willingness to cross a line and enter God s Kingdom. It is choosing to make Jesus your King. You decide to go and struggle and work it all out with Him. You offer him full reign over every area of your life. You invite Him to come in and make you new and then you give Him everything you have. Everything. [ Reader : person to the left of the leader] ACTION STEPS: Action step 1: Read this summary of Pastor Rob King s testimony: Rob spent some years in his youth running from God. He didn t want to live his life for God because he didn t want to be told what to do, and figured God might require something of him. He wanted to live his life how he wanted. He was afraid God might
have him lead something, or that God might ask him to stand in front of people and speak, which was his biggest fear. Rob was in a very dark time, using drugs, and ended up with a chemical imbalance in his brain. He describes it as losing the ability to function or think clearly. He roamed the streets, was arrested multiple times, and had a complete mental breakdown. At one point, he was arrested and taken to a psychiatric hospital because the police didn t know what to do with him. Rob was in such a state that his parents were told he would be in their care the rest of his life. But sometime during this storm he was going through with no foundation, he found himself along the interstate driving and got out and walked into the ditch and fell to his knees out of desperation. As his knees hit the ground, a Scripture he heard in childhood came to him, Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Out of desperation, Rob gave Jesus his life. He had a thought about winter departing and spring coming forth and also about the death of an old Rob and the birth of a new. At that time, he didn t know what it meant or that it was 2 Corinthians 5:17. He just walked out of that ditch in obedience. Rob found himself is in the middle of a nervous breakdown and loving Jesus. He says he wanted to tell the world, but he wasn t fit. He had to stay in the hospital for a while. God used medications, doctors, and touched his mind. Jesus changed his life. He owes the Lord everything and wants Him to have ALL the glory. Rob is not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God that saved himb. (Romans 1:16). If Jesus isn t the Messiah, then we just need to call it quits. But if He is.then we need to give Him everything. [ Reader: person the left of the person who just read] Action step 2 : If you have never asked God to come into your life and be part of His kingdom and you would like to, please pray and believe now: Dear Lord, I know I need a Savior. I believe that you, Jesus, are the Son of God. I can t save myself. Only you can save me. I need you. I believe you died on the cross for me. I believe God made you live again so that I can have life with you. Right now, I confess you as my Lord and Savior, as the one who forgives me and redeems me. My past is forgiven. I have a relationship with you and I am a new creation in you, Jesus. My hope
is in you. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for making me your child. In Jesus name, amen. Action step 3: If you prayed and came into Christ s Kingdom, tell somebody! Pick a trusted Christian and ask them to help you begin your walk. Commit to attending church and learning more about who God is by reading the Bible. There are many resources at church, online, and even apps on your phone to get you started. This is huge and it s best to surround yourself with people who can help! A small group or a friend can pray with you and help keep you accountable. If you have questions, just ask! Action step 4 : If you have been in the Kingdom for some time, but found yourself convicted and know you are on shifting sand, please pray and confess this now to Jesus. Repent of the sin of inaction and ask God s forgiveness and guidance to move forward. There may be something that God has already laid on your heart that you are choosing to ignore. If that is the case, choose to take one step toward that thing today! We know that doing is the hard part, but God will go with you. Action step 5 : If you have identified the sin of inaction, confessed it to God and received forgiveness tell somebody! Allow the body of Christ to work and choose someone to walk with you and help keep you moving toward your goal today.