Scripture Reference: Luke 6:46-49
Preached at Mount Zion Baptist Church on February 16, 2020
Delivered by Rev. John Daniel Johnson
One of my favorite shows I used to watch is called “Little Big Shots.” The show was similar and older show called “Kids Say the Darnest Things.” If you’ve ever seen one of these shows, you’ll literally roll on the floor laughing at some of these comments that children say. I can honestly say, as a parent myself, if you don’t want it repeated, don’t tell a kid. Also, I’ve learned this. If you don’t want all your secrets revealed, don’t let your child answer your phone.
I do not desire to get my child in trouble with the wife, so I won’t tell you which one it was, but I wanted to share with you what one of my children did. My wife was fast asleep on the couch. Usually when this happens, my children get her cell phone and play games or watch their shows on it. Well as my wife napped, her phone rang. Unfortunately, it was in the hands of one of my children. Before I could run into the living room, I overheard this short conversation. I heard my child explain, “No, my mama can’t talk right now.” My child continued, “She can’t talk because she’s on the couch and she is snoring real loud.” Sadly, that wasn’t even the worst part. She concluded with, “Yeah, my mommy is always sleeping and she always snores real loud too.”
Just a couple of weeks ago, my cellphone rang. I had left the phone in the living room, and told the family I was going to go study in the bedroom. Well one of you, and you know who you are, called. That same child of mine answered the phone and I overheard her statements before I could capture the phone from her hands. She answered the phone and said, “No, my daddy is studying and he don’t want to talk to you.” Again, I apologize for the way she said that.
You know children do have a way of saying things and we as parents standing back, grimising and saying, “I wished they wouldn’t have said that.” If you’re a parent, you’ve all been there at least once in your life. Sometimes, we just wish those words would have not been spoken.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been studying the sayings of Jesus or what some call “the words written in red.” As I began studying these statements, I even had to say to myself, “What Did Jesus Just Say?” It’s not because I’m questioning His Word, but Jesus said some pretty radical statements in Scripture that completely go against human nature.
A quick example of one of these statements is found in the Book of Matthew.
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."
(Matthew 5:44)
Be honest! I bet sometimes we wished that Christ would not have said those words. You know why we wish that. Because we know that Christ’s word is correct. And we know that if we want please Him, we have to obey His Word. Then we read statements like “love your enemies” and “pray for those who persecute you,” we say, Jesus it would be a whole lot easier to serve you if we could just “ignore our enemies” and “ask that those who persecute us will get what’s coming to them.” See, Jesus didn’t say that.
Illustration:
When you are confronted with the truth, what is your reaction? Think about it for a moment. When you stand face to face in front of your bathroom mirror, what is your reaction to what is starting back at you?
Transitional Sentence:
In looking at a few of these radical statements that Christ made I want you to examine your reaction to Christ’s words. When I share with you these statements there are a few different reactions we can have.
First, we can choose to ignore Jesus’ words. We can say, “He probably didn’t mean it like that” or as some people have said, “I don’t think He’s right” and ignore them. Secondly, we can say “Jesus, you said them, and whether I like it or not, I chose to receive your word into my life.”
Turn with me to the 6th Chapter of the Book of Luke. As you find your spot, let me set the background for today’s Scripture.
Scripture Reference:
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
(Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus ends this sermon, which is possibly the condensed version of His message in Matthew 5-7. He closes his sermon with an illustration; an illustration about two entirely different outcomes. One makes the right decision and survives. The other makes the wrong decision, and he is destroyed.
There are a lot of decisions that make daily. You and I both made a decision to wake up and come to church this morning. Our life is made up of daily decisions, and the outcome of those decisions will impact our life. We make decisions about what to wear, whether or not to get more education, whether to bathe or not, whether to go work or not, and whether go in debt or pay off debt. Daily we make these decisions.
Sixteen years ago, a girl whom I had never spoken to or met sent me an email and asked me out on a date. It was a decision that we made, two perfect strangers, to go on a date that night. The outcome of that decision has resulted in 15 years of marriage, three wonderful children, a loving church family, and more blessings from the LORD than I can count.
However, the most important decision that you will ever make in this life is whether you decide to follow the words of Jesus. This decision is so vital that He tells us that there are only two outcomes. One will result in life; the other will resul in death. My friends, I hope you’ve already made that decision to trust in the Word of God, but I want add another verse to this thought.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”
(John 14:23-24)
The word is singular, “my word,” not “my words.” This means that Jesus is thinking of the sum of all that he has taught. We can't pick and choose what we want to accept. We just can ignore certain parts of His Word because it is uncomfortable or against our own personal will. We must obey all of His Word, not just the words that appease us.
Truth of Obedience to Christ's Word
1. Obedience is an act of worship (Roman 12).
2. God rewards obedience
(“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." - Luke 11:28)
3. Obedience is greater than sacrifice.
“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
(1 Samuel 15:22)
4. Disobedience leads to sin
Believers, we are called to keep and obey the Word of the LORD. Not the parts that sound nice to our ears, but all of it. When we read Scripture, and come across a passage that really steps on our toes, we shouldn’t say, “What Did Jesus Just Say?” No, we should immediately know that if I claim to be true disciple of Jesus, I’m going to do as He said. Are we going to fall short? Yes, but I is daily improving. We are to daily mold ourselves into His image.
So what are some of these statements that Christ made that many people today completely ignore?
First is Align Your Priorities
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
(Matthew 6:24)
Second Is To Take Sin Seriously
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."
(Matthew 18:8-9)
Jesus doesn’t play when it comes to sin. He wants total amputation of the things that keep His blessings away.
Third Is To Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
(Matthew 22:37-40)
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
(Matthew 7:12)
Jesus has apparently never met some of the neighbors I’ve had over the years. Not just neighbors but people in my community, church and workplace. Many of these people are hard to love in general, let alone to love as much as I love myself. All that should matter to us is God created us all in His image, and He loves everyone He created. We’re not only asked to do the same, we’re commanded to.
If we can all be truthful, we find some things Jesus said difficult. We can add to and take away, twist and rearrange the phrases so they fit our own selfish purposes. I’m as guilty as any other at doing these things. Yet all I can do is wonder if the things I wish Jesus hadn’t said are really the things He wanted me to hear and do the most.
Fourth Is To Not Be Ashamed of Christ
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
(Luke 9:23-24)
Fifth Is Putting Christ Before Everything
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”
(Luke 14:26)
Sixth Is To Strive For Perfection
"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
(Matthew 5:48)
