High Seas 1 - Jonah Series

Dakota Community Church

July 3, 2011

Summer on the High Seas 1 - Jonah

Luke 6:46-49

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

a. What is the foundation?

Sound doctrine: hearing, knowing, practicing; the words of Jesus

Your life is the house – the words of Jesus heard and practiced is the foundation of rock

Jesus takes the time to address the lukewarm – those building on any other foundation

b. Why is the foundation important?

Eventually there will be a storm with your name on it.

Luke 6:49

…a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

I was 33 years old before I faced my first foundation exposing torrent.

I was in my forties before I could admit that my house was built on sand and could no longer make excuses for Gods failure to support my theological assumptions.

It was devastating, I wanted to quit, I was drowning in doubt and depression, for a number of years I floundered between various winds of doctrine – until its destruction was complete!

c. How is the foundation established?

I. Come to Jesus – you have to come to Jesus, and keep coming to Him.

What are you coming to?

Rule keeping and ritual

Emotional experience

Vague spirituality

Morality and good works

Scriptural education

John 5:39-40

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

A solid foundation is built by coming to Jesus! THE REST IS SAND!

What are the popular substitute foundations at DCC?

What do we jump to when someone asks about our fellowship?

Youth focus, children’s education, political zeal, social issues – none of these can be allowed to supplant Christ.

II. Hear the words of Jesus

We serve a God who speaks.

We have the written word and the Spirit who never contradicts the written word.

There is no relationship without truth.

III. Put the words of Jesus into practice

We have no foundation if all we hear remains unpracticed.

How the gospel work itself out in your life?

What does what you believe look like?

If the grace of God towards you does not affect the way you live you have likely not been regenerated and you certainly are building on sand!

Today’s text:

Jonah 1:1 – 3:3

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)