May 24, 2021
Evening Service

This morning we looked at three important points that Jesus taught that we need to have a good understanding of as we are following along that path that He is leading us.  The first was learning to be “fruit inspectors.”  We need to pray that God would grant us the gift of “Discerning the spirits” so that we will be able to know the difference between good and evil.  Paul told Timothy this in his second letter to him.

2Ti 2:15-19 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (16)  But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.  (17)  And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, (18) who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.  (19)  Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

            We are to be diligent to study the scriptures to be able to know how to “rightly divide the word of truth.”  Paul warns us to stay away from “profane and idle babblings” which our world today is full of.  Those teachings lead us nowhere good.  There is always a new way to do everything that is improved even how we are to view God and our relationship with Him.  This of course is not true.

 

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

            The Lord Jesus does not change and neither does His word.  That is the reason we can build upon Him as a firm foundation; He never changes.  Returning to verse 19 of what Paul wrote to Timothy: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."  We who are standing on that foundation are called to be known by God and to depart from iniquity.  It is a relationship that causes us to change our ways.  We need to examine our own lives and “inspect our own fruit” to see if our testimony matches our lifestyle.

            The second point follows suit with that scripture in that following Jesus is not a religion or rules and regulations, it is a relationship with the One who created us and died for our sins.  It is not the things that we have done or not done that will keep us out of heaven, it is the fact that Jesus “never knew us.”  We need to honestly open our hearts up to Him and surrender our will to His; to be crucified with Him and to be resurrected to the “newness of life.”  We must be able to understand this point and be able to share that with non-believers as we witness to them.   Following Jesus does not place us into bondage, but sets us free to worship God in “Spirit and in Truth” as we were created to do.  We win by surrendering!

            The third point spun off of that as Jesus told that parable comparing those who build upon the Rock and those who build upon the sand.  “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”  We all must be careful to be sure our feet are standing upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His teachings which never fail.  Jesus said this:

 

 Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

            Everything else will fail you, but the words, teachings and promises of Jesus will last for eternity.  It is the one “sure thing” that we can bet our life on and we need to do just that.  Jesus calls us to bet it all:

 

 

Mat 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (25)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  (26)  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

            All other decisions we make in our lives pale in comparison to our decision to follow Jesus.  Our relationship with Him should take priority over everything else in our lives.  Seek Him first. 

            Tonight I wanted to finish up this study on the Sermon on the Mount with the final verses in chapter 7.  Matthew completed his writing on this with this statement:

 

Mat 7:28-29 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, (29) for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

            The teachers of the religious law often cited traditions and quoted authorities to support the arguments and their interpretations of scripture.  They built themselves up by naming teachers they had studied under feeling that gave their teaching some kind of authority.  The people were amazed that Jesus spoke in a whole new way.  Jesus did not have to quote others and rely upon them to vilify His teachings because He spoke with a new authority, His own.  He did not have to quote others, because He was and is the original Word.

 

Joh 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  (4)  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

            He is, was, and always will be THE authority “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  Paul wrote this to the Colossian church:

 

Col 1:15-18   He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  (16)  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  (17)  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  (18)  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

            There is no going above Jesus’ head to file a complaint, He is preeminent over all things.  That is why He is the foundation, the Rock, that we must build our lives upon.  There exists nothing greater or even comparable to our God as He is the Creator of all things.  At His Word all things were created.

 

Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

            His words hold the ultimate authority and oh what it must have been like to stand and hear Jesus speak in that manner.  We will see that when we begin chapter 8 with the healing of the leper and the centurion’s servant.  The story that most come to my mind is that of the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus as He was teaching.  They returned empty handed.

 

Joh 7:45-46 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  (46)  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"

            As the officers listened they quickly realized that this Man spoke like no one else.  He spoke with love, compassion and authority.  His wisdom surpassed all others and no question ever tripped Him up, but He often amazed those who asked with His answers.

            As we all have decided to follow Jesus, never lose sight of who He is.  He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings!  He is the Creator of all things and nothing is outside His control.  Though He is so big, He is still ever present with you to hear you when you call on Him.  It can be hard to wrap our minds around the vastness of God and His nearness to us.  Isn’t that the perfect combination though?  A God who is so powerful that nothing is impossible for Him, but a God so compassionate that He never leaves us or forsakes us.  As He speaks to us in the days ahead listen more closely than ever before.  Allow the Word to transform you into the person He created you to be.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing to us a small portion of Your greatness.  Help us to grasp as much of that as we can handle.  Thank You for always being near to us and help us to always be ready to listen and obey when You call.