What Kind Of Life Are You Building? Series

What Kind of Life Are You Building?

Luke 6:17-49

Introduction

We are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount, surely one of the most profound messages in our Bible. Today’s text presents a Sermon on the Plain. “He went down with them and stood on a level place…” Lk 6:17. There are many similarities and few differences in the two. Both sermons begin with blessings and end with houses built on rocky or poor foundations. In between, there is much about loving enemies, giving generously, judging righteously. These are either the same sermon, or two similar sermons. If this presents a core of the teachings of Jesus, one would expect that he presented these ideas more than once.

The setting of this sermon is a time when Jesus was healing many (6:17-19).

Luke 6:17-19

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Last week we studied the calling of the disciples and the emphasis on hearing Jesus’ call. This week the emphasis remains on hearing Jesus.

Luke 6:46-49

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are 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.”

The two builders that conclude Jesus’ sermon indicate to us that He is teaching us how to build the life that honors Jesus. The theme woven in through the sermon is faith, a theme that continues through the next two chapters. How do we build a life of faith?

1. BUILD A LIFE OF FAITH (6:20-26)

Luke presents four beatitudes, Matthew presents eight. Both present real life struggles with promised rewards or blessings when approached with faith. (6:20-23)

Luke 6:20-23

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets."

The poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted are all given promise of relief from their struggles. In Luke’s account, the sermon seems to focus more on physical situations with physical rewards. But these are not just physical conditions but spiritual realities. The poor in spirit recognize their dependence on God, the hungry long for righteousness, and the persecuted endure for the sake of Christ. These rewards come when we build our life with faith. When I trust Jesus to see me through the struggles of life, I can look for a time when I find relief and reward. Persevere in faith through the valleys of life.

Trust Jesus to avoid the trap of appearances. (6:24-26)

Luke 6:24-26

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Four woes for those who build life without faith/trust. The rich, well fed, laughing, and the well thought of can live life without the aid of God - so they think! This isn’t an instruction to avoid money, food, laughter, and a good reputation. Those are not sinful. Why are they woes?

-They tempt us to fail to rely upon self, not God.

-They warn us against being self-satisfied and focused on worldly comfort.

-They teach us that we invite divine judgment instead of blessing when we build a life without God.

Barclay: “The people whom Jesus called happy the world would call wretched; and the people Jesus called wretched the world would call happy. … The challenge of the Beatitudes is, ‘Will you be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way.”