Rock or Sand - Matt 7:24-27
February 5, 2023
purpose is to encourage… vision is to Find Family, Jesus, Grace… mission is to build relationships in safe, loving place by teaching, applying gospel of grace…
Rom 1:12… “to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith…”
Psa 68:6… “God places the lonely in families… sets prisoners free… gives joy…”
Phil 3:8… “everything else is worthless compared to knowing Christ…”
Acts 2:42-47… “teaching, fellowship, meals, prayer, sharing, worship… together…”
has to be built on something… something that can handle storms of life… pray…
Psa 89:14… “righteousness, justice, love, truth… are foundation of the throne…”
Isa 54:14… “you will be established on a foundation of righteousness…”
Matt 7:24-27… “house won’t collapse because it’s foundation is on the rock…”
1Cor 3:10-12… “according to grace, I have laid a foundation… it is Jesus…”
Eph 2:19-22… “God’s family… built on foundation… cornerstone is Christ…”
foundation (Websters)… base on which something stands; something that supports something else; undergarment support designed to give the body a more desirable shape…
precisely two choices on which to build your life… rock or sand…
Matt 7:24-27… “everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… rain fell, rivers rose, winds blew… pounded that house, yet it didn’t collapse because its foundation was on the rock… everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand… rain fell, rivers rose, winds blew… and it collapsed with a great crash…”
foundation on which you build is critical… starting point of every decision… AL foundation is Word of God… not etp… not dozens of additional rules and regs…
Num 23:19… “God does not lie… does He promise and not fulfill…”
Psa 119:160… “the entirety of Your word is truth…”
Psa 138:2… “You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word…”
John 1:14… “Word became flesh… one and only Son… full of grace and truth…”
John 14:6… “I am the way… I am the truth… I am the life…”
2Pet 1:21… “no scripture comes from the will of man… but from God thru HS…”
Tradition is a theological teaching distinct from scripture, and it is infallible. It is to be received with the same assent as scripture for it is the word of God. Tradition is superior to scripture. It would suffice without scripture. Scripture is a dead word which is brought to life by tradition. —-
so sad, so wrong… tradition not equal with Word… deprives word of power…
Matt 15:6… “you have made the Word of no effect by your tradition…”
Mark 7:13… “you cancel the Word in order to hand down your tradition…”
akyroo… render void; deprive of force and authority; nullify, invalidate…
Col 2:8… “be careful no one takes you captive thru empty deceit based on human tradition and the basic principles of the world… and not according to Christ…”
When I disagree with something in God’s Word… I just assume I’m wrong. —Francis Chan
the Word… rightly divided… is final authority for direction, decisions, programs…
Isa 5:20… “what sorrow for those who call evil good and good evil…”
Rom 1:16… “not ashamed of Gospel… power of salvation… to all who believe…”
2Tim 2:15… “be approved… not ashamed… rightly dividing word of truth…”
we also believe Sunday morning is not enough… bible study is critical to growth…
Rom 10:14:17… “how can they believe without hearing…”
Rev 1:3… “blessed is the one who reads… blessed is one who listens and obeys…”
Psa 119:45… “I will walk in freedom… because I study your precepts…”
Psa 1:1-3… “meditate on it day and night… whatever he does prospers…”
Phil 4:4-9… “do what you have learned, received, heard, seen in me…”
Four-year survey… 1500 churches… 400,000 people… variety of denominations in all 50 states. Daily discipline of bible reading was #1 predictor of spiritual maturity. Of all the personal spiritual practices: prayer, confession, tithing, journaling, solitude, serving, or worship… one stands out the most in moving people forward in their love for God and others… bible reading. Scripture reflection was twice as powerful as any other discipline in accelerating spiritual growth. —ABS
people often see Jesus as good, loving, patient, kind… but see God as harsh, mean, judgmental, condemning… they’re both good… all the time… studying word helps us know and believe that… how you see God affects how you see yourself…
Psa 119:68… “You are good… what You do is good… teach me Your ways…”
Luke 18:18-19… “no one is good… except God alone…”
Rom 2:4… “don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and patient God is… does this mean nothing… can’t you see His kindness is meant to turn you from sin…”
2Cor 4:1-6… “devil has blinded minds of those who don’t believe… unable to see light of glorious gospel… don’t understand message about Christ, who is exact likeness of God…”
Heb 1:3… “the Son is the exact representation of God’s being…”
Jam 1:17… “whatever is good and perfect comes from God… He never changes…”
Your picture of God is the single greatest influence on your life. Define God and you define yourself. How you see Him affects how you see yourself. —AW Toser
bible is our foundation… bible study builds on that foundation… prayer brings that foundation to life… listen and talk to God… give thanks… get direction… grow…
Col 3:16-17… “whatever you do… in word or deed… give thanks to God…”
Col 4:2… “devote yourselves to prayer… with a thankful heart…”
Psa 25:4-5… “show me the right path… point out the road… lead me by truth…”
Isa 30:21… “your ears will hear a voice saying… this is the way, walk in it…”
Heb 6:1-12… “leave basic teaching… grow to maturity… taste God’s good word…”
1Pet 2:1-3… “desire word… grow up… now that you have tasted God is good…”
personal prayer is almost all thanksgiving… prayer for others are usually requests…
AL built on word… believes in bible study… experiences power of prayer… pray…
Acts 14:3… “confirmed message of grace… by signs and wonders…”
Rom 8:17-32… “co-heirs… freely given all things…”
Rom 15:14-21… “by signs and wonders… I have fully preached the gospel…”
1Cor 2:10-16… “HS helps us understand what has been freely given to us…”
Eph 1:15-19… “I pray constantly… asking God to give you wisdom… and power…”
Col 1:9… “not stopped praying… asking God to give you knowledge of His will…”
The bible is an armory of heavenly weapons… a laboratory of infallible medicines… a mine of exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road… a chart for every sea… a medicine for every malady and a balm for every wound. —Thomas Guthrie