Be A Doer
Matthew 7: 24 - 27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Here Jesus used the analogy of two houses. One that was built on a solid foundation and the other was not. What was he teaching? Well, he doesn’t care about the foundation of your home. He is concerned with your foundation. He is teaching that we must do what the Word says, not just merely hear the Word. He is teaching us to build a strong foundation. Jesus came to save us and to give us the strong foundation in which to live. Your foundation must be one that can persevere. He has to be able to withstand the storms of this earth. You have to be able to face the trials and tribulations. You have to stand up to the temptations that will be thrown at you. You have to be able to stand firm against persecution. God never promised that a life of a believer would be easy. He promises blessings and rewards beyond what can be received on earth. He promised that your wealth would be in Heaven where nothing can destroy it or steal it. Suffering, persecution, hardship, trials and tribulations are all apart of being a Christian. In order to truly be like Christ we must learn to build a strong foundation and to do the Word.
The foundation we build today must be one of strength. It must be ready and able to stand firm against the storms of tomorrow. And yes, there will be storms. We will face many trials to develop patience in us( James 1:2-4). The suffering we will endure here on earth is nothing compared to the Glory that will be revealed in us(Romans 8:18). We must endure suffering because it builds perseverance which builds character which builds hope(Romans 5:3). In order to build a strong foundation we must endure all things. We must stand firm and be complete and mature.
We must be ready to start doing the Word and stop just hearing it. We must begin to serve as Jesus served. The word has to be brought to life in all that you do whether it be your job, your family, your church, or just walking down the street. Remember that whatever we lose on earth will also be lost in heaven(Matthew 16:19). Jesus taught us how to live life and how to conduct ourselves. He did not just speak them, He lived them. He was the example that we are all to follow.
Imagine for a minute if a person who plays sports, continually heard the words of how to play the game. A basketball player was told how to shoot, and even shown how to shoot. Yet they did not adhere to those words and do them. They would not be able to play the game. They would miss all their shots, they would not know how to defend the basket, and they would not know how to play the game. Do you think Micheal Jordan, Dr. J, or Charles Barkley would have played as they do if they did not do the words they were taught. Or how about an attorney? They go through years of school to learn how to do the job. What if you had an attorney that was taking care of something and instead of doing what they were taught, they did something different? If instead of doing they merely only heard and went off on their own way. Would they win for you? Or say a doctor went to school to learn how to do what is needed to take care of the body. What if they decided that they were only going to hear the words but not adhere to them and do what was taught? Do you think they would be able to help you?
It is imperative that we step beyond the hearing of the Word. We must begin to do what the Word says. In every aspect of life God has given us the knowledge to be a doer of His Word. It is time to start asking yourself in all things, “What would Jesus Do?” It is in the word, every aspect of life is covered somewhere within God’s inspired text. So stop hearing the Word only, and start doing what Jesus would do. It is time that, as a Christian, we start living life everyday doing the Word, not just on Sundays. So, in all that you do go to the Word, go to the Source, and do what is correct according to the Word. God has given us all the knowledge and wisdom needed to live here on this earth. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so starting now you must put off the old and put on the new.
Lets just cover some of the examples that Christ taught us for everyday life. It would be very lengthy to cover all that is life so I will just touch on some key points. You say, "But Pastor, in my Life I am suffering so many trials and tribulations. I am in finaincial straights, lost my job, am sick, marriage failing, addicted to drugs, a drunkard, a prostitute, and the list goes on. Where does God teach me what to do? Well, lets look at these. You see because sin entered the world through one man thus salvation also entered through one man. And through that man, Jesus taught us how to be restored. He taught us how to be all that we can be and to serve. You see it is not an option, it is absolutely a requirement that we serve others. Through serving others we learn how to live, how to be a complete mature Christian. We learn “What would Jesus do”. So lets jump into doing the Word and how to succeed in seeking Christ in ourselves. We must ask. We must seek. Then we must knock on the door(Matthew 7:7). It is not enough to just ask, just seek, or just knock. We must do all three. So, the first step in learning how to do the Word is to ask.
The first step we must do is ask. We must take the need to God and ask for the resolution, whether it be finaincial, healing, change of lifestyle, spouse, housing, all aspects of life. You must ask first. So what is it that is your burden? What is in your life that is needed? What must you do in these situations to be like Christ? What must be done in order for you to be a doer of the Word? You are in the first phase at this point. You are in the asking stage. In all things we must first ask. We must take it to God in prayer and ask for the answers, we must ask for the way. After we have asked then we must seek him.
Seeking the answer is where many seem to fall short. We leave it after we ask for it. We ask God and then we just expect it to all be done. Well, sorry, God doesn’t work that way. We must seek the answers. He has answered your prayers, not always with a yes, but he always answers them. It is up to us to seek those answers and to accept them. Just as any parent here on earth, God sometimes tells us no. So do not assume that all prayers will be answered as a yes. Seek the answers. Seek the Kingdom of God. You must seek out the plan. If you just merely sit around after you have asked and do not seek then you will not know the answer. Living a life in the word is not easy, it is the harder road to take. Remember it is a narrow gate that leads to life(Matthew 7:12-14). The answers have been provided if you will take the time and seek them out. Then after you have taken the time to seek, you must knock at the door.
If you do not knock and ask for the door to be opened it will remain closed. A very basic concept indeed. If I go to a friends house and do not knock the door will never be opened and I will remain outside. It is time to open the door and to come inside. It is time to get in out of the cold and to get where it is warm. God doesn’t intend for us to be on the outside, just as he never intended to stay on the outside(Rev 3:20). So are you ready to truly experience Christ? Are you ready to receive all that is promised? Are you ready to open the door?
In order to become a doer of the Word we must first ask, seek and knock. In all things God provides, however, it is up to you to become a doer of the Word. He will not make you a doer, you must become a doer. God is knocking at the door and asking you to let Him in. It is up to you to open the door and become a doer of the Word. It is your choice to make. He wishes you abundance in all things and stands waiting for you. Today I say to you, stop standing on the outside looking in and come into the kingdom that is yours. Open the door that God is knocking on and allow Him into your heart. He is waiting for you. So come just as you are and through Christ you will be made a new creation. God is patient and waiting. He has a plan and wishes to lavish you with riches beyond this world. He is ready for you to accept eternal life and your rewards in Heaven.
Pastor David Azbell
01/08/04
