MESSAGE NOTES
Firm Foundation Matthew 7:24-29
Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount is by far his most famous teachings and the most challenging for us. In it, Jesus lays out what he envisions for the new humanity to live. His standards are high, but His grace is suEicient. Kingdom living is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, but it will take our yielding to Jesus as Lord & Savior and putting His teaching into practice.
Matthew 7:24-29
We are inundated with information. The world’s accumulative knowledge is doubling every 12 hours. With all of this information, we find ourselves paralyzed to act upon what we learn. Following Jesus, however, requires that we don’t just acquire knowledge, but we put it into practice.
Matthew 7:24
“Put into practice” – Greek word poieō meaning to make, to do, to act upon.
This Greek word is found 22 times in the Sermon on the Mount and 10 of those are found within the outro to the sermon in Matthew 7:13-29.
Matthew 7:17-18 poieō is translated “bear” as in the kind of fruit a tree produces. When our actions do not match the message we proclaim, it makes us hypocrites. James 1:22
Compare the second house. Matthew 7:26.
James 2:15-17
Matthew 7:21-23. Poieō shows up as “perform”. If actions are what show faith, why are these actions seen in a bad light?
Many times, we are intoxicated by the power of Jesus, or drunk on His blessings, but we ignore the everyday small acts of obedience a life in Christ requires.
Both houses will look the same on the outside. What reveals the foundation is the storm that comes. Storms in life are inevitable. John 16:33.
Building our lives on Jesus, putting His teachings into practice, prepares us for the storms of life. How we prepare for these storms determines our outcomes.
Colossians 3:8-10
Putting Jesus’ teachings into practice orients our lives around Christ making Him the priority. His grace may cover us when we fail to follow faithfully, but if He is our King, then we will obey His teachings.
It’s the small everyday practices that form us spiritually. The consistent actions of gathering at church, reading scripture, and praying transform us to be like Jesus.
Actions are not the end, they are the means of transformation. The end is Jesus. To be with Him, to be like Him, and to do what He did.
Matthew 7:28-29
Recognize Jesus’ authority in your life.
If you want your life built on Christ, then how do you put Him first in your daily life for you and your family? When we realize that what we do is what Is forming us, we need to ask ourselves what are the things you need to start doing? What do you need to stop doing? And for many of you, what do you need to continue doing?
If your house has been built on sand, it’s never too late to start rebuilding on Christ.
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.
1. What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
2. What is diEicult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
3. What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?
4. What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?
