Foundations Series

SLIDE #1

INTRODUCTION

• Jesus is nearing the end of the Sermon on the Mount message.

• The words He taught in this message were life-changing, as are all of the teachings of Jesus.

• Life would never be the same for those who were in attendance to hear this great message from Jesus, or would life change for those who heard?

• One would think hearing this message from Jesus would indeed turn their lives upside down; however, one would think that ANYONE who listened to the teaching of the Lord would be a different person.

• We will get back to that thought in a bit.

• Life is not always easy, is it? Life is incredible, and I love life; however, life is not always smooth.

• SHOW THE HURRICANE SLIDE! HURRICANE MICHEAL IN FLORIDA OCTOBER 2018.

• When life gets rough, why is it that one person can make it through the difficult times, one marriage can make it through the difficult times of life, but others fall and are destroyed.

• We have all seen the devastation that natural disasters can bring. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, just to name a few.

• When the tornado goes through a town, it seems to look for the mobile home park.

• When you see pictures of the damage any of these disasters leave behind, you will see many homes and buildings destroyed, and you will see others that seem to make it through just fine.

• Why? Why do some buildings survive and earthquake, while others fall? Notice in the picture on the screen. Some buildings look virtually untouched.

• When you look at a building, can you tell which ones will withstand the earthquake and which ones will fall?

• Maybe, but maybe not.

• What is the difference between a building that will withstand the force of an earthquake versus one that will not?

• Is it the way the building looks, in other words, if the building is pretty, will it stand, or is there something more?

• In life, we have to make choices; the most crucial decision we make in life is what I decide to build my life upon.

• Let's turn to Matthew 7:24-25 as we examine the concept of Foundations.

SLIDE #2

Bible Verse

Matthew 7:24-25 (CSB)

24“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

SLIDE #3

1: I. The rock.

Explanation

• The focus Jesus places at the end of the Sermon on the Mount is one of the most critical points of emphasis of the Sermon.

• THEREFORE EVERYONE WHO HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE...

• THESE WORD in the direct context speaks of the Sermon on the Mount; however, this thought applies to all that Jesus spoke and taught.

• The message has been delivered. The message has the potential to change the lives of the listeners. The word Jesus laid before the crowd could turn their world upside down, but the question, what will they do with those words.

• Have you ever heard a sermon or read a book that you were excited about.

• You thought to yourself as you listened or read, I AM GOING TO USE THIS WISDOM IN MY LIFE.

• I cannot tell you how many times I have done this very thing, and I would get excited about a concept, but then what?

• Subtly, Jesus is placing authority on what He says. He is saying that if you do something with what He says, something positive will happen.

• It is one thing to HEAR a message; it is another thing to DO something with that message!

• If you want to change something in your life, what do you need to do?

• Do you need to read a bunch of self-help books?

• If your relationship with your spouse is in tatters, do you need to read a ton of books on relationships?

• Do you need to get a Ph.D. in relationships? Is reading a bunch of books on a subject or receiving higher education on a subject a bad thing?

• I would contend educating yourself is a good thing. I am a strong proponent of education.

• A 2010 study conducted by McCoy and Aamodt compiled divorce rates for 449 occupations in the United States.

• They stated that 16.96% reported they had been in a marital relationship, but we no longer with their spouse (they were either divorced or separated.

• McCoy and Aamodt listed the occupation therapists, all other as having a divorce/separation rate of 24.20%, sociologists as 23.53%, social workers as 23.16%, counselors" as 22.49%, miscellaneous social scientists and workers as 19.65%, and psychologists as 19.30%. (https://pro.psychcentral.com/do-marriage-family-therapists-have-better-marriages/)