6/26/24-Day 26-Sermon on the Mount Devotional
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{Alan’s thoughts} are in these brackets
Day 26-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.” - Matthew 7:24-29 NIV
“Matthew Henry says, “It is possible for people to admire good preaching, and yet to remain in ignorance and unbelief; to be astonished, and yet not sanctified.” Amazement at Christ’s authority is not enough, today’s passage reveals. We must build our lives on the solid foundation of His teaching…Our good works do not merit salvation, but real trust in Christ is not present in our hearts without the corresponding obedience of faith (Rom. 1:5; James 2:14–26).”
“Building on Christ, Henry also says, means that we are always seeking “to conform to all the rules of his holy religion, and thus depend entirely on him for assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and count everything but loss and rubbish that [we] may gain Christ, and be found in him.” May our confession of Jesus’ authority translate into the doing of His words.”
“In endeavoring to serve Jesus, we see how far we fall short of His demands, confessing that our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 5:20). This poverty of spirit (v. 3) drives us to the cross where Jesus picks us up, making us more sorrowful for sin and more ready to obey. This is what it means to build our lives on Christ’s words.”
{There’s a clear distinction between believing in something & trusting in. This holds true with God & with Jesus. When we “believe in” one of the things we are saying is we really hope it’s true but aren’t going to do anything to act as if it is true, to prove it true or false for that matter. When Paul said ‘Show me your faith & I’ll show you my works’ he was attempting to squash the debate of what was more important. The Church of Christ has been damaged the most by people who convinced themselves of their belief in Jesus while not surrendering their lives to Him, not trusting in Him. They spoke faith with their mouths yet lived a life not trusting in Him. When we are doing this we are on the wide path that leads to destruction mentioned previously.
Today’s passage has warning & promise built in. If we speak, & for that matter look like faith, yet never trust in our actions, in our changed & repented-ness when the winds blow, the rain comes & the streams rise we will buckle. This is because our words of faith are just warm air in the wind. As a matter of fact, warm air in the wind is how tornados & hurricanes are formed. When we do the will of God, become obedient to His guidance & word, we are the building that is built on solid ground that cannot be blown or flooded away. The wind & the flood don’t like the structure that’s solid, it does everything it can to destroy it plus winds & floods are slowed down by its obstructions. The promise is both negative & positive. Negatively the promise is that we will fall, we will bend & break when the tides of social acceptance & personal desires come. Positively, when we trust in Jesus by enacting His will & word in our lives we will not fall when personal desire & social acceptance comes. Choosing to follow Jesus will be enough & all we ever want.
The question we should be asking ourselves is ‘Do we speak the love of God yet display something different?’ ‘Do we profess our faith in Him yet have dark corners of our hearts & minds where we don’t trust Him at all?’ When people ask me how they can grow closer to God I tell them ‘First of all you will never be closer to Him than you are now. To be more intimate with Him, to know Him better, what areas of your life are you being disobedient to His word?’ Obedience not study, obedience not church attendance, obedience not “believe in” is how are known by the Father. So to wrap up this devotional, ‘What areas of our lives has God given His guidance that we haven’t followed?’ ‘What, in our lives, are we struggling with that we need to lay at His Cross & patiently, with expectance, wait for His answer?’
Papa,
There are areas of my life that I know about & that I don’t know about that I bring to the foot of Your cross. While my intimacy with you has grown over our few years there’s more that You offer. Stop my tongue from speaking belief in & faith in you when my trusting doesn’t match. Make my feet match your heart, make my words be light & salt, make my thoughts be transformed by the actions of Your love. In the matchless & never-ending name of Jesus Amen}