We Call Him Lord? Series

Let’s see how well you like and know the song “Lord I Lift Your Name On High”.

I will start a phrase and you finish it:

He came from heaven to earth, ……

From the earth to the cross, ………

From the cross to the grave, ………

Lord, ……

(picture) Anybody knows what event this was??

It was a Promise Keeper Event.

I have been to a number of these PK Events including the one in Washington D.C. where about a million men gathered to praise God. It was amazing and exhilarating when we sang “Lord I Lift your Name On High”! Great truths and great song, but what can go wrong with just singing a praise song??

You see, one of the problems of the Promise Keeper Events is that many men would go home after an event and all they would just talk about is going to the next event! Yes many lives were changed, including mine, but there were many who were just there for the hype! How do I know this? You see, Jesus experienced the same thing!

Open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke Chapter 6…..

Look again at v12-13 and v17-v20 with me….

A large crowd of people followed and listened to Jesus; many of them became true Disciples of Christ, but some were just there for the hype.

Jesus warned those who were self-righteous in v24-26; and look again at v40…..

Jesus warned of disrespect and ego. In v41-45, Jesus warned those who were hypocrites, who were just pretending to be disciples.

In our passage today, Jesus directly confronted those who were fakes. How about each one of us, are we real or are we fake Disciples of Christ?

Let’s be real! Read along with me Luke 6:46-49 and learn from Jesus Christ…

The main verse of course is v46, our Scripture of the Week to memorize: "Why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

And so, when one says “I am a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ is my only Savior and Lord” are they really doing what Jesus says? Christians are saved by faith; but remember, faith is more than belief. True faith is taking action in what you believe!

Jesus makes it clear in v47 what we Christians are to do: Hear my words and put them into practice!

And Jesus gave a picture of what this looks like; Jesus gave a metaphor.

A person who hears Jesus’ words and put’s them to practice is like a person who builds a house on a solid foundation which will be able to handle the storms!

A person who does not do what Jesus says is like a person who builds a house with poor foundation which collapses when hit by storms.

For those of us who are picture learners, here’s a drawing of what those words look like………

The application to one’s life is simple isn’t it? When one does not do what Jesus says, their lives will fail when troubles come around! The good news of course is the opposite is true: When one does do what Jesus says, their lives will stand strong even when troubles come!

However, did you notice that Jesus never said that troubles will not come around? As a matter of fact, Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble!” God’s promise through Jesus Christ is not a trouble-free life but a life of victory in spite of troubles! Troubles will come! How are our foundations?

How are we doing? Do you sense a strong life even when troubles are present?

Strong lives are about knowing God’s Word and doing them!

Lives can only be strong when built on a good foundation. What is the basic foundation that every person need? Because people are eternal beings, the main foundation for every person’s life is where they will spend eternity when they leave this world. Do you know for sure where you are going when you die or when Jesus returns to earth? What did Jesus say in John 3:16…….

Know, believe, and trust Jesus Christ alone for your eternal life.

Now of course the main foundation a person has to know is how to be saved from eternal judgment, but, was Jesus just teaching about eternal life??

Most of us know how to be saved from our sins; but what about specific areas of our lives as we live here on earth? God does not promise trouble-free lives but He does promise victory in every aspect of our lives!

Just like for our eternal lives, Specific areas of our lives will fail if we don’t do what Jesus says about those areas.

May I suggest that we do an inventory of our lives and ask the question, “Am I doing what Jesus said for specific areas of my life?”