WE NEED TO LISTEN TO JESUS AND DO WHAT HE SAYS NON-NEGOTIABLE #2
MATTHEW 7:21-27 21 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 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? 23 Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! 24 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. 25 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. 26 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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
NON-NEGOTIABLES Jesus sets the agenda for the Church; Therefore we need to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, not the human spirit. We need to build for the storm (reality) not for Christian culture (the bubble) therefore; We need to listen to Jesus our Lord and as a community, walk (and at times stumble) in the direction of what he says!
JESUS LEADS US INTO STORMS THAT S REALITY
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. - John A. Shedd
If we want to really know Jesus and be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, we must listen to Jesus and obey him then we will be doing the will of Father. What does Jesus command us to do then?
JOHN 14:15-17 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever 17 the Spirit of truth.
MATTHEW 22:36-40 36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? 37 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
LUKE 10:29-37 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? 37 The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise.
JAMES 1:22-27 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it they will be blessed in what they do.
JAMES 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
WHERE DO WE START? Prayer Right where you are in life By practicing loving our church family
MATTHEW 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
WE NEED TO BUILD FOR THE STORM (REALITY) NOT FOR CHRISTIAN CULTURE (THE BUBBLE) THEREFORE; WE NEED TO LISTEN TO JESUS OUR LORD AND AS A COMMUNITY WALK (AND AT TIMES STUMBLE) IN THE DIRECTION OF WHAT HE SAYS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS We need to listen to Jesus and do what he says How do we personally grow in embodying this non-negotiable? How do we as a church family or in our small groups embody this non-negotiable? What is Jesus saying to our community & where is He at work? What should we be doing to be a part of building his kingdom? What are we doing as a community that we can build on? Are we community that welcomes and regularly does life with sinners outside the church? Do we want to make time to do life with people trapped in sin? Do we have compassion for these people? If so, how do we show it? Do we seek the Holy Spirit s enabling so we can love others as Jesus has loved us? Are we prepared to be rejected by people and slandered and misunderstood because of Jesus and His word? Is Jesus our Lord? Who really is the architect and builder of our lives/house?
WE NEED TO LISTEN TO JESUS AND DO WHAT HE SAYS NON-NEGOTIABLE #2