February 24, 2025 • 42 mins
In this compelling episode, we dive into the invaluable insights from the Sermon on the Mount, guided by Christian Henry, our youth and young adult pastor. Through engaging anecdotes and practical applications, Pastor Henry emphasizes the importance of building our lives on Christ, the ultimate foundation that withstands the trials and uncertainties of the world.
Listeners will explore the key lessons from the Beatitudes, discovering how the teachings of Jesus challenge conventional ideals and inspire a life of humility, mercy, and peace. With an engaging storytelling style, the episode specifically addresses modern worries like anxiety, social justice, and personal integrity, illustrating how these themes resonate deeply in our current context.
By reflecting on the metaphor of the wise and foolish builders, the narrative reshapes our understanding of faith in action, urging us to focus on the things we can control—our devotion to God and love for others. The episode culminates in a heartfelt invitation for those seeking to strengthen their foundation in Jesus, demonstrating that true faith transcends mere words and requires an active commitment to living out His teachings.
Join us in this enriching conversation, and don’t forget to engage by subscribing, leaving a rating, or sharing your thoughts with us! Your journey of faith is not just an individual pursuit; it’s one we share together in community. Let’s build a stronger foundation—together.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Amen.
How y'all doing this morning?
Good, good, you're awake.
Y'all are a lot warmer than ourfirst service.
I'll tell you that Literallyour heat was out over there in
that sanctuary so we were chilly.
I was up preaching in athree-piece suit and I was still
shivering as I was preaching.
But hey y'all, it is good to behere this morning.
I am Christian Henry.
Just like Pastor Chip said, Iget to be the youth and young
(00:23):
adult pastor here, and so, sinceI have the mic right now, young
adults come hang out at ourhouse.
This evening we have a youngadult gathering.
If you want to know the addressand everything, just come up
and ask me.
Not that I think any of youwill follow me home or anything,
but I would just like topersonally give you my address
and kind of give you theinformation for that.
But we're gonna have pizza,wings and video games.
It's gonna be good.
(00:43):
We're gonna have some retrostuff like Mario Kart.
It's gonna be great.
So I'd love just to open up ourhome.
God has blessed us with arental home here that we've been
able to find and settle in, andwe'd love to just be able to be
good stewards of our house, andso we'd love to invite y'all
over.
So, as like y'all saw in the, wehad a great D-NOW weekend.
(01:03):
In fact we're gonna baptizeMiss Hannah Perry this morning.
She's up in our front.
Everybody.
Give Miss Hannah a round ofapplause.
It's exciting.
Man.
The Lord is working.
It's so good.
There were students from thatweekend who are choosing to
rededicate their lives.
They're choosing to even maybefollow into ministry.
We've had some students thatare interested in being a youth
(01:24):
pastor or a student pastor, apastor.
I don't know who in their rightmind would choose that line of
work, but God calls us and he'sinto crazies.
So I'm excited.
This morning I get to preach onthe Sermon on the Mount.
So this morning you're going toget to hear a sermon on the
Sermon on the Mount.
All right, now it is an alreadyperfect sermon, so I don't know
(01:45):
who in their right mind wouldever try to follow that.
But I'm going to because it'sthe next sermon on our series
and Pastorship asked me to.
So I get the privilege to tryto do that try to preach a
perfect sermon.
In fact, I saw recently where apastor walked through the
Sermon on the Mount with hischurch, verse by verse, and it
(02:07):
took them over 52 hours.
52 hours, verse by verse,sermon on the Mount.
So Powder Springs buckle up.
I hope you brought yoursleeping bags.
I hope you're ready for amulti-generational lock-in.
It's gonna be great.
We're gonna be here for thenext two days.
And no, we're not.
We're not doing that at all.
There's a lot of spiritual prepthat even takes me to do a youth
(02:27):
lock-in, so let alone amulti-generational lock-in.
I don't know that I have thebandwidth for that right now,
but it is daunting.
It's humbling to try to preachthe Sermon on the Mount.
It's an already perfect sermon.
It broadens the horizons ofeverything Jesus preaches on
every single topic that you canimagine in the Sermon on the
Mount, and so it's both humblingand encouraging for the fact
(02:53):
that God allows us to do this,that he gave us his word, and so
this morning we're gonna be inMatthew 5, 6, and 7.
If you have your Bible with youand I hope you do we're gonna
be there.
But, like I said, it's dauntingto get into this sermon to
preach already perfect sermon.
It's like wearing putting on anumber 23 jersey, stepping into
(03:13):
a pair of Jordans having thelast name Jordan, while being a
four foot 11 skinny kid whocan't make a layup right.
That's kind of a preacherversion of trying to preach
Jesus' sermon on the mount.
However, god is good and hedelights in this stuff.
There's something that he justloves about, in fact at D-NOW
there was this really cool partof that weekend where we were
(03:34):
singing and we were worshipingand the band just stopped
playing all together and theyjust stopped singing all
together and you could just hear200, 250 plus students just
singing out to the Lord, rightTo see that a generation is not
lost, right.
So I know so many generationswould think man, this next
generation, they're lost,they're hopeless, they're
confused, but there is so muchclarity found in Jesus.
(03:55):
This generation's found, and sothis generation is eager to
learn, this generation is eagerto grow, and you got them right
here.
You've got future pastors here.
You've got future missionarieshere.
You've got future leaders ofthis church, and I would even
say not even future leaders, butleaders now that we have
students who are stepping up anddoing stuff right now and young
adults who are leading the way,and God delights in all the
(04:18):
generations that come to worship.
And so we're gonna start in anodd place out of the Sermon on
the Mount.
We're gonna start towards theend.
Really, at the end we're gonnabe in Matthew, chapter seven,
verse 24 through 27.
So if you have your Bibles youcan read with me.
It's building their house onthe rock, it says.
Everyone, then, who hears thesewords of mine and does them
(04:40):
will be like a wise man whobuilt his house on the rock and
the rain fell and the floodscame and the winds blew and beat
on that house, but it did notfall because it had been founded
on the rock.
Then everyone who hears thesewords of mine and does not do
them will be like a foolish manwho built his house on the sand
and the rain fell and the floodscame and the winds blew and
(05:00):
beat against the house and fell,and great was the fall of it.
Let us pray, heavenly Father.
We pray this morning just tohave humble hearts.
God, as we open up your word,as we pray, as we seek you, god,
I pray that that same spiritthat empowered the church in the
beginning, god, the same spiritthat preached to us, that
teaches us, that helps us, god,I pray that would just flow
(05:22):
through me and that would giveus a heart to understand and
ears open to receive your wordthis morning.
So I pray all this in Jesus'name, amen, amen, y'all.
Well, again, last week PastorChip challenged us.
We got a challenge last weekabout the invites, the power of
the invite, and he used thisparable, the parable of the king
sending out invitations of thisfeast, of this wedding, of this
(05:45):
great ceremony.
And we saw kind of in thatstory there were a lot that
rejected it, even to the pointwhere they killed the son, and
so they went on to just startinviting everybody right, it
doesn't matter, don't worryabout the ones that I sent the
invite out to Just startinviting everybody.
And so there were those thatrejected the invite, and then
there were those that rejectedthe invite, and then there were
those who accepted the invite,and there was the one that we
(06:07):
see at the end of the story thatsaid you're not here for the
right reason.
You've taken the invite or,excuse me, you didn't even have
the invite and you came into thepresence uninvited and God
banished him.
And so we see this invite, wesee this challenge that
pastorship gave us and itchallenges us this week.
(06:27):
So odds are, if you're here forthe first time this week.
Welcome, welcome to FirstBaptist, powder Springs.
But you may be here because ofthe challenge, maybe a friend
invited you, maybe a familymember invited you, and so we
don't want you to think you're aproject from that.
We don't want you to think, ohwell, they're just trying to
mark off or check off aspiritual box of their to-do
list.
No, you are here and you areinvited because they love you,
(06:49):
right?
If I truly believe that thereis a life after this life and
then there is eternal separationin hell from Jesus, without
accepting that invite, right,without accepting that Savior,
if I truly love somebody, I'mgonna invite them.
And so, if you're here becauseof that invite, just know that
you're loved, just know that youhave a church that loves you
and someone who loves you enoughto send out that invite.
(07:11):
See, but what comes with theinvite?
I think there comes anotherquestion who are we inviting
them to?
What are we inviting them to?
Right, because, look, I know,just like the verse says, taste
and see that the Lord is good,right, psalm 34,.
I believe that word is true,just like the amount of
recommendations that I've gottenon restaurants to go to here in
Powder Springs, the amount ofbarbecue joints that I've been
(07:33):
to.
I'm a believer in the Martin'sbiscuit.
That thing is that chickenbiscuit's phenomenal right.
So I know that y'all, wheny'all say hey, taste and see
about the restaurants and seethat it is good, you send that
invite out.
But I also think that we're achurch that says hey, taste and
see that the Lord is good.
I wanna give you an invite Cometo Powder Springs, come to
First Baptist with us.
We want you to hear the goodnews.
(07:57):
And so in this invite, I thinkof the story of the woman at the
well.
Maybe you're familiar with thestory, the woman at the well.
She would go to the well at theheat of the day, every single
day, because she had lived inadultery, she had five husbands,
she wasn't faithful, she hadnot followed Jesus at all right,
Did not follow God, did notthink honestly that worship
reserved for a woman like herright To be a woman like her,
(08:21):
not to be this high statusJewish person at the time.
And she goes to the well, andwho does she meet?
She meets Jesus, and Jesus doesnot condemn her.
He tells her that she shows herher sins, but then he invites
her into something.
He invites her to the life, theliving water, to where she
won't thirst anymore.
And her response was not tokeep that to herself, but she
(08:42):
left and she told everybody.
It says in Matthew or, excuse me, john 4, 29 through 30, it says
come and see a man who told meeverything that I did.
Can this be the Christ Talkingabout the crowds?
They went out of town and theywere coming to him, and so her
invite sparked all of that.
Did not matter what she haddone, it didn't matter what her
(09:02):
status was, it didn't matterwhat she had done.
It didn't matter what herstatus was.
It didn't matter what she haddone in her past life.
No, the old her was gone andthe new invite to be with Jesus
was what mattered the most.
There, I think of Luke, chapter10, mary, the sister of Martha,
sits at the feet of Jesus.
Right, this Hebrew idiom to saythat she didn't just sit at his
feet, she walked with himwherever he went.
Wherever Jesus commanded her togo, she went.
(09:22):
Whatever Jesus said, shelistened to Every single word.
She clung to the feet of Jesusand sat at the feet of Jesus.
So now let's look at the endhere in Matthew, chapter seven
again.
It says now, all those who hearthese words of mine and does
them will be like a wise man whobuilt his house on the rock.
You see, james, the brother ofJesus, who really started out as
(09:44):
a skeptic, says in James 1, 22,.
He says don't just be hearersof the word, but be doers of the
word.
You see, because if we come inhere every Sunday and we hear
these words and we go to Sundayschool and we even read our
Bibles one-on-one, we have quiettime with Jesus, but we only
ever hear those words and wenever do the words, then we're
useless.
Jesus wants us to be useful andhas created us to be useful
(10:08):
because we're created in theimage of God.
So obviously, because we'restarting at the end of the
sermon, we need to look back andsee what those words are, and
so I'm not gonna be able tocover all those things Right
again.
We'd be here for 50 plus hours,and as much as I'm sure you all
want that we plus hours, and asmuch as I'm sure you all want
that, we're not gonna do thatthis morning.
So I just wanna look at nine,really nine areas that Jesus
(10:30):
covers in the Sermon on theMount.
The first one that we see issocial justice and inequality.
We look at these Beatitudes,these attitude statements that
we see in Matthew, chapter five,at the very beginning.
We see where he has like thisupside down kingdom.
It's the peacemakers, it's themeek, it's the merciful, it's
those who don't force and don'tuse power, it's those who submit
(10:52):
their lives to Jesus.
He says when you submit yourlife to me, then you'll be
elevated To make much of Jesus,to make less of ourselves In a
world and honestly, our world isstill the same now.
Our world is all about hey,make much of yourself and make
much of your name, because whenyou can make yourself a brand or
you can make yourself known outthere, then the world will love
you.
But Jesus says no, no, no, itdoesn't matter what the world
(11:13):
says.
When you submit to me, wheneveryou give your life to me,
whenever you submit to othersand love others, then that's how
you're elevated in the kingdom.
The second thing we see isinfluence and responsibility.
Almost a byproduct of theBeatitudes is that you will have
influence and responsibility.
Once you've tasted and seenthat the Lord is good, it is
(11:33):
your job to go and tell othersabout how good God is, and it's
not a job, it's an obligation.
It's a wonderful privilege togo and tell people about Jesus.
You know I don't want a rock tocry out for me to go and tell
people about Jesus.
You know I don't want a rock tocry out for me.
I'll be glad to step up and goand tell people about Jesus
Because it's not a have to, it'sa get to.
And so, in the influence andthe responsibility of being salt
(11:54):
and light means that we'regonna be exposed into the dark
world.
But to be light there and to besalt there means that we speak
truth and life into a dark,decaying world.
The third thing we see is ethicsand personal integrity.
With that responsibility, withthat influence, with those
beatitudes, there's higherrighteousness that we, as
(12:14):
Christians, are called to live aseparate life, to be set apart.
Even in the Old Testament, whenGod spoke to his people, he
told them be holy, for I am holy.
You see, as Christians, we'renot to look like the rest of the
world.
What's the difference betweenus and them if we don't look
different, if we don't actdifferent?
And again, not out of anobligation but as just a fruit
(12:34):
of the Spirit, is to live thatway.
Number four we see here charityand economic justice giving to
the needy, loving those aroundus that don't have quite enough,
those who need us, who needsomething.
Right, jesus was the best giverand we're called to be like
Jesus and ultimately, obviouslythere's charity and economic
(12:57):
justice, there's the financialpart of it, but love, love is
not a finite resource, right, wedon't just love somebody and
not love the other.
We are called to love everybodyand we're gonna even talk about
that a little bit with lovingour enemies.
The other thing we see ismental health and anxiety.
Do not worry, says Jesus.
A lot easier said than done,and again we'll talk about that
(13:19):
one here in a little bit.
Prayer and spirituality that weare mind, body and spirit, that
we are spiritual beings right,as many would probably say in
our society, that almost havethis post-Christian view of life
, this post-Jesus view of life.
We are a spiritual being tooright, that we are given ways to
connect with our Lord andSavior, and that's through
(13:39):
prayer and fasting and thecertain spiritual disciplines
that we have, and those are good, but again, not a way that gets
us to heaven.
Another thing we see ismaterialism and consumerism.
We are a very materialistic andconsumeristic world, right?
All of us, even those of us whomay be a little more generous
than others, we're stillmaterialistic and consumeristic.
We love our stuff.
(14:01):
How many of y'all have everwatched the show on HGTV or I
don't even know what it's on,but Extreme Hoarders right?
Just YouTube that it will messyou up.
And to think about some of thestuff that people just keep to
the point where they can't evenwalk in their house.
They're just keeping stuff andconsuming stuff, and it's got to
a point where it's a mess, andso in our hearts there's only so
(14:21):
much room in our hearts.
We're either gonna have it fullof junk and full of stuff in
this world or we're gonna letJesus have our hearts.
The other thing we see is fakenews and leadership
accountability.
I'm not talking about fake newspolitically.
I'm talking about falseprophets, false teachers, those
who do and say things in thename of Jesus but they don't
know the person of Jesus.
(14:41):
The other thing is foundationsfor a meaningful life, what I'm
really gonna end and begin withabout the wise and the foolish
builders.
So, again, when someone saysthat the Bible is this old,
archaic book that doesn't speakinto our world, then, quite
frankly, they haven't read itfor themselves.
But good news for you and forme we can show them that.
We can show them what it meansto know Jesus.
(15:02):
But Jesus speaks into everysingle modern day topic, modern
day value, modern day fill inthe blank, because Jesus is here
forever.
So Jesus covers and teaches onevery single topic that you can
think of.
And so, again, what I reallywanna do this morning is just
kinda pick up where Pastor Chipleft off last week with the
invites.
And what are we inviting themto Really, who are we inviting
(15:25):
them to?
And so the first thing that Iwould love to look at, being
salt and light in this world andspeaking some truth into a dark
and decaying world, would beanxiety and stress.
Matthew, chapter six, is whereJesus addresses anxiety and
stress.
And so what does Jesus sayabout this problem?
(15:47):
It's simple really.
He says don't be right, don'tbe stressed, don't be worried,
don't be worried, don't beanxious.
Again, much easier said thandone.
But that's not all that he says.
He says some stuff before.
But just to kind of use thisexample and I can because she
loves me and she's in the frontrow my wife Laura, we are two
different kinds of people andyou probably know this.
(16:09):
If you're married and even ifyou're not married, maybe it's
like a sibling thing or just afriendship thing there is one
who is usually an overthinker,and then there's usually
Christian, who's an underthinker, right, who doesn't think
probably enough.
And so that was us in ourrelationship and that is us in
our relationship.
Most of the time is that sheoverthinks things and I
underthink things, and togetherwe balance each other out.
(16:30):
But there are times whereshe'll be stressed and there'll
be rightful reasons for her tobe almost in that situation.
And my thought to her, my wordssometimes to her, which are not
the right words, are why areyou stressed?
Don't worry about it, right?
Just really, just honestly,just too chill, right.
And so that's just been us, andso we've done a really good job
in marriage at leveling eachother out, right.
(16:51):
She's given me, like this goodinnate sense of not worry but
work, and I have, hopefully Imean she's done a pretty good
job of it, you know, notstressing about the things that
she used to stress about, and sothat's the beauty of marriage
there.
That has nothing to do with mysermon there, but that's just
another tip for you on marriage.
And so Jesus says don't bestressed.
He says don't worry.
He talks about the importanceof not worrying about food,
(17:13):
about clothing, about yourfuture.
And the things that he talksabout in our modern struggles
would be mental health, jobinsecurity, financial stress,
identity and overall stressThings, again, that are not
reserved for just the30-year-old who works in
corporate America or on WallStreet or has a hamster wheel of
a job.
I mean, how many of y'all haveever seen a three-year-old lose
(17:36):
their minds over not being ableto tie their shoes Right, or
like some of the toddlermeltdowns that make no sense in
our brains?
That's just worry and stress.
That's just how they channel it.
That's just their worry andthat's their stress.
And I'm sure God looks at usthe same way when we're
stressing about money and we'restressing about finances.
I'm sure God, in all of hislove and his wisdom to us, is
(17:57):
thinking I don't know why you'reworrying about that.
I got you son, I got youdaughter, but we do, we stress.
So it's for the 30-year-old,it's for the three-year-old,
it's for the billionaire right,the billionaire who doesn't
think he has enough money.
(18:17):
Worry is just worship in thewrong direction.
Worry is just worship in thewrong direction.
Think about this.
Satan used worry for the veryfirst sin, when Adam and Eve
were in the garden.
All things were great and Godhad set up a rule and said were
in the garden, all things weregreat and God had set up a rule
and said hey, the garden isyours, but this one tree, this
(18:38):
one fruit, don't touch it, don'teat of it, make sure you don't
eat of it, but I've given youeverything else.
The serpent swoops in andcauses her to worry.
He causes her to stress.
He says did God really say thatyou'll die, right?
Did God really?
Is he really trying to hold outon you?
You've got everything but thisone fruit.
And so what was Eve's thoughtthere?
(18:59):
Well, I guess maybe God isholding out on me.
I guess God does not wantwhat's best for me, because this
talking snake sounds prettyreasonable right now.
Right, this fruit, I want it.
And so he causes her to worryand stress.
He want it.
And so he causes her to worryand stress.
He causes her to think maybeGod is not going to provide for
(19:19):
me which is maybe not a fruitfor us, but maybe it's a
paycheck.
Maybe it's not a paycheck.
Maybe it's the worry and thestress of I don't know what I'm
going to do after college.
I don't know what I'm going todo with my family member who I
can't stand them and I don'tknow what to do with them and I
don't know how to talk tocollege.
I don't know what I'm gonna dowith my family member who I
can't stand them and I don'tknow what to do with them and I
don't know how to talk to them.
And it's just this worry of thewhat if.
But we worry and we put all ofour hope in that future that's
(19:43):
not even written, instead of theSavior, who has already written
our future right, who is in theend, who's already secured it
all, and so worry again is justworship in the wrong hands.
It's important to see whatJesus was preaching about before
his words, prior to this, wherehe says do not be anxious.
He addresses a few thingsbefore this.
He talks about giving to theneedy, about generosity.
(20:05):
He talks about prayer as alifestyle.
He talks about fasting, abouthow you starve the flesh and you
starve the world and you starvethe enemy in order to be closer
to Jesus these disciplines andthen he talks about prioritizing
God over money and possessions.
You see, because wheneveryou're generous, when you think
about others more, wheneveryou're living a life of prayer
(20:25):
and you're spending that timewith God, and whenever you're
fasting and you're destroyingthe things of this world
essentially and feeding thethings of God and you're
destroying the things of thisworld essentially and feeding
the things of God and you'respending time with him and
you've prioritized him overmoney and possessions, you're
gonna worry a lot less, becausethe closer you are to the source
of life, you're gonna haveabundant life.
But the further away you arefrom God and that source of life
(20:46):
, you're gonna feel stressed,you're gonna feel like it's
never enough.
Because that's the way that wewere created.
We were created as imagebearers of God, to be close to
God.
Then he says do not worry.
See, there's a difference againbetween a godly, innate sense
of responsibility and an ungodlysense of hopelessness and
(21:07):
laziness.
You see, because I kind ofshared there that there are two
kinds of people in a marriage.
There were two kinds of peoplethere in the first sin too.
One was an overthinker in Eve,where she sinned, but right
there with Eve was Adam theunderthinker, the one who was
passive, who didn't step up andprotect his wife, who said
nothing.
He didn't step up and wheneverall this was going on, he just
(21:30):
kind of sat back and didn't letit consume him.
You see, because we tend to beone of the extreme when it comes
to worry, we tend to worry toomuch or we tend to not rely on
God at all and just don't care.
We just choose apathy orwhatever.
And so God has told us andgives us the gift of work, the
(21:50):
gift of relying on God, the giftof his word.
You see, pressure isn't sinful,that innate sense to provide
and work is not bad, but it'swhen that feeling isn't being
guided into godly responsibility.
You have a problem.
See, don't equate, don't worrywith, don't work.
See, god gave us the ability to.
You see what happens wheneverwe don't work, or we overthink,
(22:16):
or we're overanxious we tend totake it out on each other, we
tend to butt heads, we tend tocause fights and worry.
I mean all the fights in thepast, wars and things that take
place are all over what Power,over influence, over finances,
over different things that wewanna have control over, and so
they cause what we're gonna talkabout next conflict and
(22:36):
division, something that we canprobably all relate to in some
sense.
In Matthew, chapter five, versenine in the Beatitudes, he
talks about the peacemaker.
He said blessed are thepeacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God or sons anddaughters of God, saying those
(22:57):
who make peace in this world aregonna be the ones who are heirs
of the kingdom, which wastotally opposite in this world.
People, then, if you wanted tobe an heir to the throne, if you
wanted to have absolute power,you crushed people beneath you,
you made a way for yourself, youdid everything for yourself,
you crushed those to get on topand Jesus said no, no, it's
(23:20):
making peace in those places ofconflict, it's making peace in
those places of division.
You see, in a world that wasthen and is now dominated by
force and power, jesus' truthhas not changed one single bit
that he's called us to love eachother.
In Matthew 5, 21 through 26,jesus gives a section of a
sermon to what conflict anddivision really does, saying
(23:42):
that, even in a burst of angerat the red lights right, how
many of y'all have been angry ata red light?
Or in a traffic stop, or maybeat your spouse this morning as
you were getting ready forchurch because the kids weren't
getting ready.
They were crazy, they werescreaming and you just felt like
neither one was helping out andit was just anger.
Right, we didn't have thatproblem this morning because I
was already here and she alreadygot the kids ready, so we're
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good on that sense.
But every other Sunday morningthat's usually a point of
conflict.
So there's anger that occurs inall of this.
There is anger that occurs inall of this.
And see, what Jesus wants us toknow is anger is not something
that we can just kind of get ridof with, just turning well, it
is turning the other cheek, butit's just getting rid of of not
doing anything about it.
He wants us to know that anger,right, has to be tackled.
(24:26):
It has to be given to Jesus, ithas to be God.
I'm angry right now.
I need to surrender this.
It has to be God.
I'm angry right now.
I need to surrender this.
It takes making peace in thoseangry times and, you see, anger
is sin.
That's, again, too often lookedover.
In Matthew 5, 43 through 48,jesus addresses what loving your
enemies really looks like.
It doesn't mean walking awayand still wanting the worst for
(24:49):
them right, because you can be10 feet from them, you can be
100 feet from them, you can be1,000 feet from them and you can
still hate them.
No, what loving your enemymeans is, it's praying for them.
It's actively praying for them,it's actively wanting good for
them.
It's actively wanting to seethem at their best lives,
because their best lives canonly be found in Jesus.
Our scripture tells us that wedon't wrestle with flesh and
(25:10):
blood.
We wrestle against theseprincipalities, we wrestle
against darkness, and so I knowthat's hard.
And how do all of theseconflicts and divisions apply to
us?
Well, there's a few examples,modern examples that I can think
of Political divisions, familyconflicts and the good old
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social media outrage.
Right, the good old hate text.
And the good old social mediaoutrage, right, the good old
hate text.
So are any of those familiarwith any of you?
No, not at all.
I didn't think so.
Right, of course not.
You would never, ever, ever getmad at someone who had a
different political view thanyou.
Definitely not here, notanybody here.
You would never, ever, ever getmad at a family member who does
(25:51):
not remember your kid'sbirthday, but they show up when
it's convenient to them.
You would never get mad at them, right for that.
You'd never get angry at them.
And you would definitely neverget angry on Facebook and spout
off some rant of somebody whohas a different opinion than you
do.
Nobody would ever do that.
I would definitely never dothat.
I would definitely never getmad on anybody on the internet
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for a silly little reason.
Right, we all do.
Right, if we're all honest withourselves, we all know that we
get into that.
We get into anger, we get intoconflict, we get into division.
And you see, anger, again, isnot just a difference of
opinions.
Some people would like to thinkthat it's just a difference of
opinions, but anger is, in itssense, true sense, demonic.
(26:33):
It's truly demonic.
It's a little more covert thanwitchcraft.
Anger and malice and rage is alittle more covert than
witchcraft.
Right, because you seepreachers get angry, you see
good Christian guys and girlsget angry.
But it's still.
Its destination is stilldestruction.
Right, it's still.
Sin is sin, is sin.
And so what Jesus wants us todo is repent of our sins,
(26:58):
whatever the sin may be.
It may be witchcraft, it may beanger, it may be lust, it may
be whatever it is, but Jesus hascalled us to repent.
So repent of your anger, besalt and light, be useful in
this kingdom, but be useful forthe right reason, be useful for
Jesus and the right reason thatis fake spirituality and
show-off religion is what we'regoing to talk about next Fake
(27:18):
religion or fake spiritualityand show-off religion?
You see, jesus addresses thisproblem, along with a list full
of others, but I think it'simportant for us to read and
understand these Right.
Spirituality and religion arenot bad things, but when those
things are not rooted in Jesus,then they become bad things.
You know, some people will say,well, I'm not a Christian, but
I'm spiritual.
I don't want any part of thatspirit.
(27:40):
Right, if it's not the HolySpirit, I don't want any part of
that spirit.
And some people will say, well,I'm spiritual or I'm not really
religious, but I'm a Christian.
And I would say it's both.
Christianity is a religion inrelationship, it's spending time
with Jesus.
There are certain things thatwe do as Christians that would
categorize as a religion, butthey're not bad things.
You see, when they're rooted infollowing Jesus and his word,
(28:01):
they're good things.
In Matthew 6, one through 18,jesus preaches on giving and
praying and fasting and all thespiritual disciplines, things
that, by nature of followingJesus, come from spending real
time with him at his word.
You see, we don't do goodthings and we don't read it
because we have to, we don'tpray because we think that's
going to get us to heaven.
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You see, and I kind of grew upin that sense Not that that was
what my parents taught me oreven my church taught me, but
that was like this almost innatesense that I had that if I do
good things and I read my Bibleand I go to VBS and I perform my
very best in church, then Iwill get heaven and then I'll be
with Jesus forever.
But never in this word doesJesus say that.
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This is why it's so importantto know what, really who we're
inviting people to when it comesto church.
Don't live the life right, butnever know the one who is the
way, the truth and the life.
Jesus.
All these words Jesus spokewere targeted to congregation.
Then Think about it.
It's the Sermon on the Mount.
There's a congregation, thosethat had heard God's words,
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those who hadn't, men and women,kids, it didn't matter, they
were all a part of thiscongregation and Jesus was
speaking to them then, as he'sspeaking to us now, and so I
want you to just imagine Judasin this moment.
You know we talked about thisfalse spirituality, this fake
religion, all these things.
I want you to think about Judasin this moment.
On the outside, judas was thestar, you know, kid of the class
(29:29):
.
See, I'm sure he was at everysingle Bible study with Jesus.
I'm sure he was at every singleevent that Jesus put on.
I'm sure that he was in all theSunday school groups that Jesus
put on.
I'm sure he did everythingright and I'm sure he cast out
demons and prayed and helpedperform these miracles in the
name of Jesus.
But what we see about the lifeof Judas is that he never knew
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the person of Jesus, he neversubmitted his life to Jesus and
you see, yet Jesus keptpreaching to him, giving him
chance after chance after chance.
He loved Judas and Jesus lovesyou and Jesus loves that person
in your life who maybe you seeas a Judas, or you see as too
(30:12):
far gone, or you see as someonewho they're hopeless right and
there's no way that Jesus wouldlove that person.
I promise you he does.
I promise you Jesus loves thatperson.
You see what the devil lovesmore than an out in the open
worshiper of Satan is a followeror a false follower of Jesus,
someone who does things in thename of Jesus, someone who
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thinks that they're saved andthey're believed but they've
never actually submitted theirlives to Jesus.
He loves that because it's morecovert.
See, imagine living your entirelives inviting people to church
, attending every single service, leading Sunday school groups
for the Lord, doing all of thegood church things.
Lord forbid being behind apulpit and preaching every
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single Sunday in the name ofJesus, but never knowing the
person of Jesus, because it'spossible.
What he says here in Matthew,chapter seven, in his Sermon on
the Mount, are words that youand I never, ever want to hear.
He says on that day, many ofyou will say to me Lord, lord,
did we not prophesy in your nameand cast out demons in your
(31:17):
name and do many mighty works inyour name?
And then I will declare to themI never knew you.
Depart from me, you, workers oflawlessness.
You see, they thought they werefollowing Jesus because they
were doing good in the name ofJesus, but they never knew Jesus
at all.
And so what I don't want thismorning is to be an existential
crisis where you came in hereand you thought, man, I'm on
(31:39):
fire for Jesus, I know Jesus.
And then you leave scared todeath.
That is not my goal at all.
My goal is simple.
It's just to tell you the goodnews.
And if you already know thegood news and you've given your
life to Jesus, then you are ason and daughter of God.
You are a rightful heir to that.
And so here's the good news.
In all this, the gospel is notexclusive at all.
You don't have to look acertain way, you don't have to
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go to church for X amount ofyears, you don't have to do
anything to get salvation.
Jesus did it all.
You see, jesus did not die foryou to be good.
He died so that you would besaved.
He did not die for you to begood.
He died so that you would besaved.
Now, goodness is a fruit of theSpirit and you will be good
(32:28):
from salvation.
But goodness does not get youinto heaven.
You see, that's where we get itwrong, and I'm sorry if you
grew up thinking that right, ifyou were like me and you, kind
of like, formed that thought inyour head that as long as, again
, I didn't cuss or drink orsmoke or fool around before I
got married, as long as I gavemoney to the church, as long as
I showed up to everything andlooked the part and did the
right thing, then I would getinto heaven.
Friend, I'm here to tell youthat it says none of that in
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this book.
The goodness is not therequirement to get into heaven.
Money is not a requirement toget into heaven.
Your deeds are not arequirement to get you into
heaven.
Only Jesus can get you there.
Only Jesus saves.
And so now these things againare good.
Now please don't leave here andthink, man, that new youth
pastor's saying go live like aheathen.
(33:11):
It's not what I said at all.
I'm saying goodness again is afruit of the Spirit, is that you
will be good after salvation.
But don't put the cart beforethe horse.
You see, I think the gospel canbe summed up by this story the
crucifixion of Jesus.
In Luke, chapter 23, we see thestory of Jesus and the two
thieves on the cross, and onethief was hurling insults at him
(33:33):
and cursing Jesus and mockinghim and saying hey, if you are
the Messiah, if you are God,then get us down, save yourself,
save us Almost like a you oweus because if you're gonna be
God, be a real God to me, be myGod right, be the God that I
wanna create.
And so the other one that wason the cross, who, as far as we
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know, didn't go to Sunday schoolor do anything good either, he
just looked at Jesus and he saidJesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.
And the good news for him washe heard.
Truly, I say to you today, youwill be with me in paradise,
because the gospel is this.
It says in Romans 6.23,.
For the wages of sin is death.
You see, that other one on thecross who was up there and was
(34:17):
hurling insults at Jesus, hiswages, what he earned in his
foundation, was death because heonly ever trusted in himself
and trusted in man and trustedin possessions.
And so his wage, his earning,was hell forever.
You see, the other man who wason the cross had the good news
of Romans 6.23.
It says but the gift of God iseternal life in Christ Jesus.
(34:41):
That was his wage, that was hisreward, not because he did it,
but because he put his faith inJesus.
Who did it?
You see, this is why Jesus saysif you build your life on his
words and work with the cross.
Your foundation cannot beshaken.
So my question for you is whereor who or what is your
foundation?
Because we all have afoundation of some kind.
(35:02):
Your foundation may be yoursavings account, your foundation
may be your beautiful family,your foundation may be your job,
and all those things are goodand can be tools for the kingdom
of Jesus, but those are notJesus, and so we're gonna look
at this.
My goal again today was to notgive you an existential crisis,
as it was.
To say this If you believe inJesus and you've made him your
(35:23):
Lord and Savior, then you aresaved, but if you're not, it's
not too late.
I wanna tell you a story tokind of sum this up.
There was a tightrope walker inthe early I guess it was 20th
century, late 19th century.
His name was Charles Blondin.
You may have heard this storybefore, but he was a tightrope
walker and he would walk on topfrom building to building and he
(35:43):
would go from one end to theother and he would ask the
audience.
He would say how many of youbelieve that I can do this?
And so he would take one endand he'd walk from one end to
the other, get from one end.
I'd hype the crowd up and hewould say how many of y'all
think I can do it backwards?
And the crowd would go crazyand they loved it and he would
walk backwards.
And then he said how many ofy'all think I can walk from one
(36:05):
end to the other with awheelbarrow?
And they went crazy.
They went wild.
They knew he could do it.
Like, we believe in you, webelieve you can do it.
And he said how many of y'allthink I can put somebody in this
wheelbarrow and walk from oneend to the other?
And they went crazy.
And then he asked who's gettingin?
And it fell silent.
The audience was silent, yousee, because there's a
(36:27):
difference in believing that hecould do it and believing in him
enough to get in thewheelbarrow and watch him do it.
You see, some of us willbelieve that Jesus was a real
person and that his words aregood and that going to church is
good and that doing all thisstuff is good.
But Jesus says it's believingin him is what saves us.
It's putting our faith, ourtrust, our life in him is what
(36:48):
saves us.
You see, scripture tells usthat even the demons believe and
shudder, demons shudder,believe.
Demons have doctrine.
They know the word better thananybody.
Demons shudder.
They have emotions better thananybody, but they're not saved
because emotions and theology donot get you into heaven.
(37:10):
Jesus does.
So my question is are youwilling to get into the
wheelbarrow?
Are you willing to give yourlife to Jesus?
Are you willing to trust himwith everything?
Because I promise you you canask any other believer it's
worth it To put your faith inJesus is so worth it.
I don't have enough faith tonot have faith.
(37:30):
I don't have enough faith tonot trust in Jesus, because I
can't imagine where my lifewould be without him.
And so if that's you here todayand you want to accept Jesus
and you want to have thatconversation and you want to
spend time with Jesus, but youjust don't know where to start,
or you just don't know how tostart, but you know that you
need to give your life to him,I'd love to pray for you this
morning.
I'd love to just kind of answerany questions and I'll be here
(37:53):
at the end of the service andPastor Chip will be here and
others that are on staff andleaders here, I'm sure, would
love to talk with you aboutfollowing Jesus.
Can I pray for you this morning, heavenly Father, we love you
and God.
Right now, I pray that ifthere's anybody in this room who
has not given their life to you, anybody who has not gotten in
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the wheelbarrow and said Lord, Itrust you with my everything
and you be my everything, lord,I pray that they would Lord, I
pray that they would Lord, Ipray that they would realize
that in their wages, in theirfoundation of this world, it's
all gonna crumble, it's allgonna come to an end, but, god,
I pray that they would put theirfaith in Jesus.
I pray that we give their lifeto Jesus, because only Jesus is
(38:34):
the firm foundation that doesn'tgo away.
Only Jesus is the firmfoundation that can't be shaken.
God, where sickness andfinancial stresses and death,
lord, come in and shake us up.
God, I thank you for being theauthor and perfecter of life and
everything.
Lord, I pray for that person inthis room who is struggling
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with that right now, that personwho is wanting to seek you and
wanting to find you.
God, I know that you arefaithful because it says when we
draw near to you, you will drawnear to us.
So draw near to us this morning.
I pray this in Jesus' name amen.
Well, y'all put your handstogether.
If there's anybody in this roomthat accepted Jesus prayed that
prayer, and if you meant thatprayer, we'd love to celebrate
(39:15):
with you.
And hey, the water's warm,we're gonna baptize this morning
.
If that's you, if God's putthat on your heart, the water's
warm, we're gonna baptize thismorning.
If that's you, if God's putthat on your heart, it's not too
late, we'd love to baptize you.
We would love to walk throughthat with you.
And so, again, it wasn't thewords of that, it's not even
baptism, as we're gonna see.
It's not what saves us, it'sJesus.
And then there are fruits thatcome after, and warmer.
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And thank y'all for making thisplace so special.
Continue to invite, continue tosit at the feet of Jesus,
because I promise you he's goodand he's worth it.
Let's pray, heavenly Father, welove you, we thank you, god.
I pray right now as we go intoa time of worship, god, that you
would just be with us, god, asour hearts have shifted from the
word to worship.
I pray, lord, that we would notleave everything that you've
spoken to us in the sermon thismorning, but, god, we would take
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it.
We would take both the inviteand the invitee.
Lord, I pray that we would justgo out into our world that is
so dark and decaying and justspeak life, speak heaven into
those places and speak thegospel of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus, I prayamen.
Amen.
How y'all doing this morning?
Good, good, you're awake.
Y'all are a lot warmer than ourfirst service.
I'll tell you that Literallyour heat was out over there in
that sanctuary so we were chilly.
I was up preaching in athree-piece suit and I was still
shivering as I was preaching.
But hey y'all, it is good to behere this morning.
I am Christian Henry.
Just like Pastor Chip said, Iget to be the youth and young
(00:23):
adult pastor here, and so, sinceI have the mic right now, young
adults come hang out at ourhouse.
This evening we have a youngadult gathering.
If you want to know the addressand everything, just come up
and ask me.
Not that I think any of youwill follow me home or anything,
but I would just like topersonally give you my address
and kind of give you theinformation for that.
But we're gonna have pizza,wings and video games.
It's gonna be good.
(00:43):
We're gonna have some retrostuff like Mario Kart.
It's gonna be great.
So I'd love just to open up ourhome.
God has blessed us with arental home here that we've been
able to find and settle in, andwe'd love to just be able to be
good stewards of our house, andso we'd love to invite y'all
over.
So, as like y'all saw in the, wehad a great D-NOW weekend.
(01:03):
In fact we're gonna baptizeMiss Hannah Perry this morning.
She's up in our front.
Everybody.
Give Miss Hannah a round ofapplause.
It's exciting.
Man.
The Lord is working.
It's so good.
There were students from thatweekend who are choosing to
rededicate their lives.
They're choosing to even maybefollow into ministry.
We've had some students thatare interested in being a youth
(01:24):
pastor or a student pastor, apastor.
I don't know who in their rightmind would choose that line of
work, but God calls us and he'sinto crazies.
So I'm excited.
This morning I get to preach onthe Sermon on the Mount.
So this morning you're going toget to hear a sermon on the
Sermon on the Mount.
All right, now it is an alreadyperfect sermon, so I don't know
(01:45):
who in their right mind wouldever try to follow that.
But I'm going to because it'sthe next sermon on our series
and Pastorship asked me to.
So I get the privilege to tryto do that try to preach a
perfect sermon.
In fact, I saw recently where apastor walked through the
Sermon on the Mount with hischurch, verse by verse, and it
(02:07):
took them over 52 hours.
52 hours, verse by verse,sermon on the Mount.
So Powder Springs buckle up.
I hope you brought yoursleeping bags.
I hope you're ready for amulti-generational lock-in.
It's gonna be great.
We're gonna be here for thenext two days.
And no, we're not.
We're not doing that at all.
There's a lot of spiritual prepthat even takes me to do a youth
(02:27):
lock-in, so let alone amulti-generational lock-in.
I don't know that I have thebandwidth for that right now,
but it is daunting.
It's humbling to try to preachthe Sermon on the Mount.
It's an already perfect sermon.
It broadens the horizons ofeverything Jesus preaches on
every single topic that you canimagine in the Sermon on the
Mount, and so it's both humblingand encouraging for the fact
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that God allows us to do this,that he gave us his word, and so
this morning we're gonna be inMatthew 5, 6, and 7.
If you have your Bible with youand I hope you do we're gonna
be there.
But, like I said, it's dauntingto get into this sermon to
preach already perfect sermon.
It's like wearing putting on anumber 23 jersey, stepping into
(03:13):
a pair of Jordans having thelast name Jordan, while being a
four foot 11 skinny kid whocan't make a layup right.
That's kind of a preacherversion of trying to preach
Jesus' sermon on the mount.
However, god is good and hedelights in this stuff.
There's something that he justloves about, in fact at D-NOW
there was this really cool partof that weekend where we were
(03:34):
singing and we were worshipingand the band just stopped
playing all together and theyjust stopped singing all
together and you could just hear200, 250 plus students just
singing out to the Lord, rightTo see that a generation is not
lost, right.
So I know so many generationswould think man, this next
generation, they're lost,they're hopeless, they're
confused, but there is so muchclarity found in Jesus.
(03:55):
This generation's found, and sothis generation is eager to
learn, this generation is eagerto grow, and you got them right
here.
You've got future pastors here.
You've got future missionarieshere.
You've got future leaders ofthis church, and I would even
say not even future leaders, butleaders now that we have
students who are stepping up anddoing stuff right now and young
adults who are leading the way,and God delights in all the
(04:18):
generations that come to worship.
And so we're gonna start in anodd place out of the Sermon on
the Mount.
We're gonna start towards theend.
Really, at the end we're gonnabe in Matthew, chapter seven,
verse 24 through 27.
So if you have your Bibles youcan read with me.
It's building their house onthe rock, it says.
Everyone, then, who hears thesewords of mine and does them
(04:40):
will be like a wise man whobuilt his house on the rock and
the rain fell and the floodscame and the winds blew and beat
on that house, but it did notfall because it had been founded
on the rock.
Then everyone who hears thesewords of mine and does not do
them will be like a foolish manwho built his house on the sand
and the rain fell and the floodscame and the winds blew and
(05:00):
beat against the house and fell,and great was the fall of it.
Let us pray, heavenly Father.
We pray this morning just tohave humble hearts.
God, as we open up your word,as we pray, as we seek you, god,
I pray that that same spiritthat empowered the church in the
beginning, god, the same spiritthat preached to us, that
teaches us, that helps us, god,I pray that would just flow
(05:22):
through me and that would giveus a heart to understand and
ears open to receive your wordthis morning.
So I pray all this in Jesus'name, amen, amen, y'all.
Well, again, last week PastorChip challenged us.
We got a challenge last weekabout the invites, the power of
the invite, and he used thisparable, the parable of the king
sending out invitations of thisfeast, of this wedding, of this
(05:45):
great ceremony.
And we saw kind of in thatstory there were a lot that
rejected it, even to the pointwhere they killed the son, and
so they went on to just startinviting everybody right, it
doesn't matter, don't worryabout the ones that I sent the
invite out to Just startinviting everybody.
And so there were those thatrejected the invite, and then
there were those that rejectedthe invite, and then there were
those who accepted the invite,and there was the one that we
(06:07):
see at the end of the story thatsaid you're not here for the
right reason.
You've taken the invite or,excuse me, you didn't even have
the invite and you came into thepresence uninvited and God
banished him.
And so we see this invite, wesee this challenge that
pastorship gave us and itchallenges us this week.
(06:27):
So odds are, if you're here forthe first time this week.
Welcome, welcome to FirstBaptist, powder Springs.
But you may be here because ofthe challenge, maybe a friend
invited you, maybe a familymember invited you, and so we
don't want you to think you're aproject from that.
We don't want you to think, ohwell, they're just trying to
mark off or check off aspiritual box of their to-do
list.
No, you are here and you areinvited because they love you,
(06:49):
right?
If I truly believe that thereis a life after this life and
then there is eternal separationin hell from Jesus, without
accepting that invite, right,without accepting that Savior,
if I truly love somebody, I'mgonna invite them.
And so, if you're here becauseof that invite, just know that
you're loved, just know that youhave a church that loves you
and someone who loves you enoughto send out that invite.
(07:11):
See, but what comes with theinvite?
I think there comes anotherquestion who are we inviting
them to?
What are we inviting them to?
Right, because, look, I know,just like the verse says, taste
and see that the Lord is good,right, psalm 34,.
I believe that word is true,just like the amount of
recommendations that I've gottenon restaurants to go to here in
Powder Springs, the amount ofbarbecue joints that I've been
(07:33):
to.
I'm a believer in the Martin'sbiscuit.
That thing is that chickenbiscuit's phenomenal right.
So I know that y'all, wheny'all say hey, taste and see
about the restaurants and seethat it is good, you send that
invite out.
But I also think that we're achurch that says hey, taste and
see that the Lord is good.
I wanna give you an invite Cometo Powder Springs, come to
First Baptist with us.
We want you to hear the goodnews.
(07:57):
And so in this invite, I thinkof the story of the woman at the
well.
Maybe you're familiar with thestory, the woman at the well.
She would go to the well at theheat of the day, every single
day, because she had lived inadultery, she had five husbands,
she wasn't faithful, she hadnot followed Jesus at all right,
Did not follow God, did notthink honestly that worship
reserved for a woman like herright To be a woman like her,
(08:21):
not to be this high statusJewish person at the time.
And she goes to the well, andwho does she meet?
She meets Jesus, and Jesus doesnot condemn her.
He tells her that she shows herher sins, but then he invites
her into something.
He invites her to the life, theliving water, to where she
won't thirst anymore.
And her response was not tokeep that to herself, but she
(08:42):
left and she told everybody.
It says in Matthew or, excuse me, john 4, 29 through 30, it says
come and see a man who told meeverything that I did.
Can this be the Christ Talkingabout the crowds?
They went out of town and theywere coming to him, and so her
invite sparked all of that.
Did not matter what she haddone, it didn't matter what her
(09:02):
status was, it didn't matterwhat she had done.
It didn't matter what herstatus was.
It didn't matter what she haddone in her past life.
No, the old her was gone andthe new invite to be with Jesus
was what mattered the most.
There, I think of Luke, chapter10, mary, the sister of Martha,
sits at the feet of Jesus.
Right, this Hebrew idiom to saythat she didn't just sit at his
feet, she walked with himwherever he went.
Wherever Jesus commanded her togo, she went.
(09:22):
Whatever Jesus said, shelistened to Every single word.
She clung to the feet of Jesusand sat at the feet of Jesus.
So now let's look at the endhere in Matthew, chapter seven
again.
It says now, all those who hearthese words of mine and does
them will be like a wise man whobuilt his house on the rock.
You see, james, the brother ofJesus, who really started out as
(09:44):
a skeptic, says in James 1, 22,.
He says don't just be hearersof the word, but be doers of the
word.
You see, because if we come inhere every Sunday and we hear
these words and we go to Sundayschool and we even read our
Bibles one-on-one, we have quiettime with Jesus, but we only
ever hear those words and wenever do the words, then we're
useless.
Jesus wants us to be useful andhas created us to be useful
(10:08):
because we're created in theimage of God.
So obviously, because we'restarting at the end of the
sermon, we need to look back andsee what those words are, and
so I'm not gonna be able tocover all those things Right
again.
We'd be here for 50 plus hours,and as much as I'm sure you all
want that we plus hours, and asmuch as I'm sure you all want
that, we're not gonna do thatthis morning.
So I just wanna look at nine,really nine areas that Jesus
(10:30):
covers in the Sermon on theMount.
The first one that we see issocial justice and inequality.
We look at these Beatitudes,these attitude statements that
we see in Matthew, chapter five,at the very beginning.
We see where he has like thisupside down kingdom.
It's the peacemakers, it's themeek, it's the merciful, it's
those who don't force and don'tuse power, it's those who submit
(10:52):
their lives to Jesus.
He says when you submit yourlife to me, then you'll be
elevated To make much of Jesus,to make less of ourselves In a
world and honestly, our world isstill the same now.
Our world is all about hey,make much of yourself and make
much of your name, because whenyou can make yourself a brand or
you can make yourself known outthere, then the world will love
you.
But Jesus says no, no, no, itdoesn't matter what the world
(11:13):
says.
When you submit to me, wheneveryou give your life to me,
whenever you submit to othersand love others, then that's how
you're elevated in the kingdom.
The second thing we see isinfluence and responsibility.
Almost a byproduct of theBeatitudes is that you will have
influence and responsibility.
Once you've tasted and seenthat the Lord is good, it is
(11:33):
your job to go and tell othersabout how good God is, and it's
not a job, it's an obligation.
It's a wonderful privilege togo and tell people about Jesus.
You know I don't want a rock tocry out for me to go and tell
people about Jesus.
You know I don't want a rock tocry out for me.
I'll be glad to step up and goand tell people about Jesus
Because it's not a have to, it'sa get to.
And so, in the influence andthe responsibility of being salt
(11:54):
and light means that we'regonna be exposed into the dark
world.
But to be light there and to besalt there means that we speak
truth and life into a dark,decaying world.
The third thing we see is ethicsand personal integrity.
With that responsibility, withthat influence, with those
beatitudes, there's higherrighteousness that we, as
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Christians, are called to live aseparate life, to be set apart.
Even in the Old Testament, whenGod spoke to his people, he
told them be holy, for I am holy.
You see, as Christians, we'renot to look like the rest of the
world.
What's the difference betweenus and them if we don't look
different, if we don't actdifferent?
And again, not out of anobligation but as just a fruit
(12:34):
of the Spirit, is to live thatway.
Number four we see here charityand economic justice giving to
the needy, loving those aroundus that don't have quite enough,
those who need us, who needsomething.
Right, jesus was the best giverand we're called to be like
Jesus and ultimately, obviouslythere's charity and economic
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justice, there's the financialpart of it, but love, love is
not a finite resource, right, wedon't just love somebody and
not love the other.
We are called to love everybodyand we're gonna even talk about
that a little bit with lovingour enemies.
The other thing we see ismental health and anxiety.
Do not worry, says Jesus.
A lot easier said than done,and again we'll talk about that
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one here in a little bit.
Prayer and spirituality that weare mind, body and spirit, that
we are spiritual beings right,as many would probably say in
our society, that almost havethis post-Christian view of life
, this post-Jesus view of life.
We are a spiritual being tooright, that we are given ways to
connect with our Lord andSavior, and that's through
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prayer and fasting and thecertain spiritual disciplines
that we have, and those are good, but again, not a way that gets
us to heaven.
Another thing we see ismaterialism and consumerism.
We are a very materialistic andconsumeristic world, right?
All of us, even those of us whomay be a little more generous
than others, we're stillmaterialistic and consumeristic.
We love our stuff.
(14:01):
How many of y'all have everwatched the show on HGTV or I
don't even know what it's on,but Extreme Hoarders right?
Just YouTube that it will messyou up.
And to think about some of thestuff that people just keep to
the point where they can't evenwalk in their house.
They're just keeping stuff andconsuming stuff, and it's got to
a point where it's a mess, andso in our hearts there's only so
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much room in our hearts.
We're either gonna have it fullof junk and full of stuff in
this world or we're gonna letJesus have our hearts.
The other thing we see is fakenews and leadership
accountability.
I'm not talking about fake newspolitically.
I'm talking about falseprophets, false teachers, those
who do and say things in thename of Jesus but they don't
know the person of Jesus.
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The other thing is foundationsfor a meaningful life, what I'm
really gonna end and begin withabout the wise and the foolish
builders.
So, again, when someone saysthat the Bible is this old,
archaic book that doesn't speakinto our world, then, quite
frankly, they haven't read itfor themselves.
But good news for you and forme we can show them that.
We can show them what it meansto know Jesus.
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But Jesus speaks into everysingle modern day topic, modern
day value, modern day fill inthe blank, because Jesus is here
forever.
So Jesus covers and teaches onevery single topic that you can
think of.
And so, again, what I reallywanna do this morning is just
kinda pick up where Pastor Chipleft off last week with the
invites.
And what are we inviting themto Really, who are we inviting
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them to?
And so the first thing that Iwould love to look at, being
salt and light in this world andspeaking some truth into a dark
and decaying world, would beanxiety and stress.
Matthew, chapter six, is whereJesus addresses anxiety and
stress.
And so what does Jesus sayabout this problem?
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It's simple really.
He says don't be right, don'tbe stressed, don't be worried,
don't be worried, don't beanxious.
Again, much easier said thandone.
But that's not all that he says.
He says some stuff before.
But just to kind of use thisexample and I can because she
loves me and she's in the frontrow my wife Laura, we are two
different kinds of people andyou probably know this.
(16:09):
If you're married and even ifyou're not married, maybe it's
like a sibling thing or just afriendship thing there is one
who is usually an overthinker,and then there's usually
Christian, who's an underthinker, right, who doesn't think
probably enough.
And so that was us in ourrelationship and that is us in
our relationship.
Most of the time is that sheoverthinks things and I
underthink things, and togetherwe balance each other out.
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But there are times whereshe'll be stressed and there'll
be rightful reasons for her tobe almost in that situation.
And my thought to her, my wordssometimes to her, which are not
the right words, are why areyou stressed?
Don't worry about it, right?
Just really, just honestly,just too chill, right.
And so that's just been us, andso we've done a really good job
in marriage at leveling eachother out, right.
(16:51):
She's given me, like this goodinnate sense of not worry but
work, and I have, hopefully Imean she's done a pretty good
job of it, you know, notstressing about the things that
she used to stress about, and sothat's the beauty of marriage
there.
That has nothing to do with mysermon there, but that's just
another tip for you on marriage.
And so Jesus says don't bestressed.
He says don't worry.
He talks about the importanceof not worrying about food,
(17:13):
about clothing, about yourfuture.
And the things that he talksabout in our modern struggles
would be mental health, jobinsecurity, financial stress,
identity and overall stressThings, again, that are not
reserved for just the30-year-old who works in
corporate America or on WallStreet or has a hamster wheel of
a job.
I mean, how many of y'all haveever seen a three-year-old lose
(17:36):
their minds over not being ableto tie their shoes Right, or
like some of the toddlermeltdowns that make no sense in
our brains?
That's just worry and stress.
That's just how they channel it.
That's just their worry andthat's their stress.
And I'm sure God looks at usthe same way when we're
stressing about money and we'restressing about finances.
I'm sure God, in all of hislove and his wisdom to us, is
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thinking I don't know why you'reworrying about that.
I got you son, I got youdaughter, but we do, we stress.
So it's for the 30-year-old,it's for the three-year-old,
it's for the billionaire right,the billionaire who doesn't
think he has enough money.
(18:17):
Worry is just worship in thewrong direction.
Worry is just worship in thewrong direction.
Think about this.
Satan used worry for the veryfirst sin, when Adam and Eve
were in the garden.
All things were great and Godhad set up a rule and said were
in the garden, all things weregreat and God had set up a rule
and said hey, the garden isyours, but this one tree, this
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one fruit, don't touch it, don'teat of it, make sure you don't
eat of it, but I've given youeverything else.
The serpent swoops in andcauses her to worry.
He causes her to stress.
He says did God really say thatyou'll die, right?
Did God really?
Is he really trying to hold outon you?
You've got everything but thisone fruit.
And so what was Eve's thoughtthere?
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Well, I guess maybe God isholding out on me.
I guess God does not wantwhat's best for me, because this
talking snake sounds prettyreasonable right now.
Right, this fruit, I want it.
And so he causes her to worryand stress.
He want it.
And so he causes her to worryand stress.
He causes her to think maybeGod is not going to provide for
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me which is maybe not a fruitfor us, but maybe it's a
paycheck.
Maybe it's not a paycheck.
Maybe it's the worry and thestress of I don't know what I'm
going to do after college.
I don't know what I'm going todo with my family member who I
can't stand them and I don'tknow what to do with them and I
don't know how to talk tocollege.
I don't know what I'm gonna dowith my family member who I
can't stand them and I don'tknow what to do with them and I
don't know how to talk to them.
And it's just this worry of thewhat if.
But we worry and we put all ofour hope in that future that's
(19:43):
not even written, instead of theSavior, who has already written
our future right, who is in theend, who's already secured it
all, and so worry again is justworship in the wrong hands.
It's important to see whatJesus was preaching about before
his words, prior to this, wherehe says do not be anxious.
He addresses a few thingsbefore this.
He talks about giving to theneedy, about generosity.
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He talks about prayer as alifestyle.
He talks about fasting, abouthow you starve the flesh and you
starve the world and you starvethe enemy in order to be closer
to Jesus these disciplines andthen he talks about prioritizing
God over money and possessions.
You see, because wheneveryou're generous, when you think
about others more, wheneveryou're living a life of prayer
(20:25):
and you're spending that timewith God, and whenever you're
fasting and you're destroyingthe things of this world
essentially and feeding thethings of God and you're
destroying the things of thisworld essentially and feeding
the things of God and you'respending time with him and
you've prioritized him overmoney and possessions, you're
gonna worry a lot less, becausethe closer you are to the source
of life, you're gonna haveabundant life.
But the further away you arefrom God and that source of life
(20:46):
, you're gonna feel stressed,you're gonna feel like it's
never enough.
Because that's the way that wewere created.
We were created as imagebearers of God, to be close to
God.
Then he says do not worry.
See, there's a difference againbetween a godly, innate sense
of responsibility and an ungodlysense of hopelessness and
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laziness.
You see, because I kind ofshared there that there are two
kinds of people in a marriage.
There were two kinds of peoplethere in the first sin too.
One was an overthinker in Eve,where she sinned, but right
there with Eve was Adam theunderthinker, the one who was
passive, who didn't step up andprotect his wife, who said
nothing.
He didn't step up and wheneverall this was going on, he just
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kind of sat back and didn't letit consume him.
You see, because we tend to beone of the extreme when it comes
to worry, we tend to worry toomuch or we tend to not rely on
God at all and just don't care.
We just choose apathy orwhatever.
And so God has told us andgives us the gift of work, the
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gift of relying on God, the giftof his word.
You see, pressure isn't sinful,that innate sense to provide
and work is not bad, but it'swhen that feeling isn't being
guided into godly responsibility.
You have a problem.
See, don't equate, don't worrywith, don't work.
See, god gave us the ability to.
You see what happens wheneverwe don't work, or we overthink,
(22:16):
or we're overanxious we tend totake it out on each other, we
tend to butt heads, we tend tocause fights and worry.
I mean all the fights in thepast, wars and things that take
place are all over what Power,over influence, over finances,
over different things that wewanna have control over, and so
they cause what we're gonna talkabout next conflict and
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division, something that we canprobably all relate to in some
sense.
In Matthew, chapter five, versenine in the Beatitudes, he
talks about the peacemaker.
He said blessed are thepeacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God or sons anddaughters of God, saying those
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who make peace in this world aregonna be the ones who are heirs
of the kingdom, which wastotally opposite in this world.
People, then, if you wanted tobe an heir to the throne, if you
wanted to have absolute power,you crushed people beneath you,
you made a way for yourself, youdid everything for yourself,
you crushed those to get on topand Jesus said no, no, it's
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making peace in those places ofconflict, it's making peace in
those places of division.
You see, in a world that wasthen and is now dominated by
force and power, jesus' truthhas not changed one single bit
that he's called us to love eachother.
In Matthew 5, 21 through 26,jesus gives a section of a
sermon to what conflict anddivision really does, saying
(23:42):
that, even in a burst of angerat the red lights right, how
many of y'all have been angry ata red light?
Or in a traffic stop, or maybeat your spouse this morning as
you were getting ready forchurch because the kids weren't
getting ready.
They were crazy, they werescreaming and you just felt like
neither one was helping out andit was just anger.
Right, we didn't have thatproblem this morning because I
was already here and she alreadygot the kids ready, so we're
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good on that sense.
But every other Sunday morningthat's usually a point of
conflict.
So there's anger that occurs inall of this.
There is anger that occurs inall of this.
And see, what Jesus wants us toknow is anger is not something
that we can just kind of get ridof with, just turning well, it
is turning the other cheek, butit's just getting rid of of not
doing anything about it.
He wants us to know that anger,right, has to be tackled.
(24:26):
It has to be given to Jesus, ithas to be God.
I'm angry right now.
I need to surrender this.
It has to be God.
I'm angry right now.
I need to surrender this.
It takes making peace in thoseangry times and, you see, anger
is sin.
That's, again, too often lookedover.
In Matthew 5, 43 through 48,jesus addresses what loving your
enemies really looks like.
It doesn't mean walking awayand still wanting the worst for
(24:49):
them right, because you can be10 feet from them, you can be
100 feet from them, you can be1,000 feet from them and you can
still hate them.
No, what loving your enemymeans is, it's praying for them.
It's actively praying for them,it's actively wanting good for
them.
It's actively wanting to seethem at their best lives,
because their best lives canonly be found in Jesus.
Our scripture tells us that wedon't wrestle with flesh and
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blood.
We wrestle against theseprincipalities, we wrestle
against darkness, and so I knowthat's hard.
And how do all of theseconflicts and divisions apply to
us?
Well, there's a few examples,modern examples that I can think
of Political divisions, familyconflicts and the good old
(25:30):
social media outrage.
Right, the good old hate text.
And the good old social mediaoutrage, right, the good old
hate text.
So are any of those familiarwith any of you?
No, not at all.
I didn't think so.
Right, of course not.
You would never, ever, ever getmad at someone who had a
different political view thanyou.
Definitely not here, notanybody here.
You would never, ever, ever getmad at a family member who does
(25:51):
not remember your kid'sbirthday, but they show up when
it's convenient to them.
You would never get mad at them, right for that.
You'd never get angry at them.
And you would definitely neverget angry on Facebook and spout
off some rant of somebody whohas a different opinion than you
do.
Nobody would ever do that.
I would definitely never dothat.
I would definitely never getmad on anybody on the internet
(26:13):
for a silly little reason.
Right, we all do.
Right, if we're all honest withourselves, we all know that we
get into that.
We get into anger, we get intoconflict, we get into division.
And you see, anger, again, isnot just a difference of
opinions.
Some people would like to thinkthat it's just a difference of
opinions, but anger is, in itssense, true sense, demonic.
(26:33):
It's truly demonic.
It's a little more covert thanwitchcraft.
Anger and malice and rage is alittle more covert than
witchcraft.
Right, because you seepreachers get angry, you see
good Christian guys and girlsget angry.
But it's still.
Its destination is stilldestruction.
Right, it's still.
Sin is sin, is sin.
And so what Jesus wants us todo is repent of our sins,
(26:58):
whatever the sin may be.
It may be witchcraft, it may beanger, it may be lust, it may
be whatever it is, but Jesus hascalled us to repent.
So repent of your anger, besalt and light, be useful in
this kingdom, but be useful forthe right reason, be useful for
Jesus and the right reason thatis fake spirituality and
show-off religion is what we'regoing to talk about next Fake
(27:18):
religion or fake spiritualityand show-off religion?
You see, jesus addresses thisproblem, along with a list full
of others, but I think it'simportant for us to read and
understand these Right.
Spirituality and religion arenot bad things, but when those
things are not rooted in Jesus,then they become bad things.
You know, some people will say,well, I'm not a Christian, but
I'm spiritual.
I don't want any part of thatspirit.
(27:40):
Right, if it's not the HolySpirit, I don't want any part of
that spirit.
And some people will say, well,I'm spiritual or I'm not really
religious, but I'm a Christian.
And I would say it's both.
Christianity is a religion inrelationship, it's spending time
with Jesus.
There are certain things thatwe do as Christians that would
categorize as a religion, butthey're not bad things.
You see, when they're rooted infollowing Jesus and his word,
(28:01):
they're good things.
In Matthew 6, one through 18,jesus preaches on giving and
praying and fasting and all thespiritual disciplines, things
that, by nature of followingJesus, come from spending real
time with him at his word.
You see, we don't do goodthings and we don't read it
because we have to, we don'tpray because we think that's
going to get us to heaven.
(28:22):
You see, and I kind of grew upin that sense Not that that was
what my parents taught me oreven my church taught me, but
that was like this almost innatesense that I had that if I do
good things and I read my Bibleand I go to VBS and I perform my
very best in church, then Iwill get heaven and then I'll be
with Jesus forever.
But never in this word doesJesus say that.
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This is why it's so importantto know what, really who we're
inviting people to when it comesto church.
Don't live the life right, butnever know the one who is the
way, the truth and the life.
Jesus.
All these words Jesus spokewere targeted to congregation.
Then Think about it.
It's the Sermon on the Mount.
There's a congregation, thosethat had heard God's words,
(29:05):
those who hadn't, men and women,kids, it didn't matter, they
were all a part of thiscongregation and Jesus was
speaking to them then, as he'sspeaking to us now, and so I
want you to just imagine Judasin this moment.
You know we talked about thisfalse spirituality, this fake
religion, all these things.
I want you to think about Judasin this moment.
On the outside, judas was thestar, you know, kid of the class
(29:29):
.
See, I'm sure he was at everysingle Bible study with Jesus.
I'm sure he was at every singleevent that Jesus put on.
I'm sure that he was in all theSunday school groups that Jesus
put on.
I'm sure he did everythingright and I'm sure he cast out
demons and prayed and helpedperform these miracles in the
name of Jesus.
But what we see about the lifeof Judas is that he never knew
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the person of Jesus, he neversubmitted his life to Jesus and
you see, yet Jesus keptpreaching to him, giving him
chance after chance after chance.
He loved Judas and Jesus lovesyou and Jesus loves that person
in your life who maybe you seeas a Judas, or you see as too
(30:12):
far gone, or you see as someonewho they're hopeless right and
there's no way that Jesus wouldlove that person.
I promise you he does.
I promise you Jesus loves thatperson.
You see what the devil lovesmore than an out in the open
worshiper of Satan is a followeror a false follower of Jesus,
someone who does things in thename of Jesus, someone who
(30:34):
thinks that they're saved andthey're believed but they've
never actually submitted theirlives to Jesus.
He loves that because it's morecovert.
See, imagine living your entirelives inviting people to church
, attending every single service, leading Sunday school groups
for the Lord, doing all of thegood church things.
Lord forbid being behind apulpit and preaching every
(30:56):
single Sunday in the name ofJesus, but never knowing the
person of Jesus, because it'spossible.
What he says here in Matthew,chapter seven, in his Sermon on
the Mount, are words that youand I never, ever want to hear.
He says on that day, many ofyou will say to me Lord, lord,
did we not prophesy in your nameand cast out demons in your
(31:17):
name and do many mighty works inyour name?
And then I will declare to themI never knew you.
Depart from me, you, workers oflawlessness.
You see, they thought they werefollowing Jesus because they
were doing good in the name ofJesus, but they never knew Jesus
at all.
And so what I don't want thismorning is to be an existential
crisis where you came in hereand you thought, man, I'm on
(31:39):
fire for Jesus, I know Jesus.
And then you leave scared todeath.
That is not my goal at all.
My goal is simple.
It's just to tell you the goodnews.
And if you already know thegood news and you've given your
life to Jesus, then you are ason and daughter of God.
You are a rightful heir to that.
And so here's the good news.
In all this, the gospel is notexclusive at all.
You don't have to look acertain way, you don't have to
(32:02):
go to church for X amount ofyears, you don't have to do
anything to get salvation.
Jesus did it all.
You see, jesus did not die foryou to be good.
He died so that you would besaved.
He did not die for you to begood.
He died so that you would besaved.
Now, goodness is a fruit of theSpirit and you will be good
(32:28):
from salvation.
But goodness does not get youinto heaven.
You see, that's where we get itwrong, and I'm sorry if you
grew up thinking that right, ifyou were like me and you, kind
of like, formed that thought inyour head that as long as, again
, I didn't cuss or drink orsmoke or fool around before I
got married, as long as I gavemoney to the church, as long as
I showed up to everything andlooked the part and did the
right thing, then I would getinto heaven.
Friend, I'm here to tell youthat it says none of that in
(32:50):
this book.
The goodness is not therequirement to get into heaven.
Money is not a requirement toget into heaven.
Your deeds are not arequirement to get you into
heaven.
Only Jesus can get you there.
Only Jesus saves.
And so now these things againare good.
Now please don't leave here andthink, man, that new youth
pastor's saying go live like aheathen.
(33:11):
It's not what I said at all.
I'm saying goodness again is afruit of the Spirit, is that you
will be good after salvation.
But don't put the cart beforethe horse.
You see, I think the gospel canbe summed up by this story the
crucifixion of Jesus.
In Luke, chapter 23, we see thestory of Jesus and the two
thieves on the cross, and onethief was hurling insults at him
(33:33):
and cursing Jesus and mockinghim and saying hey, if you are
the Messiah, if you are God,then get us down, save yourself,
save us Almost like a you oweus because if you're gonna be
God, be a real God to me, be myGod right, be the God that I
wanna create.
And so the other one that wason the cross, who, as far as we
(33:54):
know, didn't go to Sunday schoolor do anything good either, he
just looked at Jesus and he saidJesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.
And the good news for him washe heard.
Truly, I say to you today, youwill be with me in paradise,
because the gospel is this.
It says in Romans 6.23,.
For the wages of sin is death.
You see, that other one on thecross who was up there and was
(34:17):
hurling insults at Jesus, hiswages, what he earned in his
foundation, was death because heonly ever trusted in himself
and trusted in man and trustedin possessions.
And so his wage, his earning,was hell forever.
You see, the other man who wason the cross had the good news
of Romans 6.23.
It says but the gift of God iseternal life in Christ Jesus.
(34:41):
That was his wage, that was hisreward, not because he did it,
but because he put his faith inJesus.
Who did it?
You see, this is why Jesus saysif you build your life on his
words and work with the cross.
Your foundation cannot beshaken.
So my question for you is whereor who or what is your
foundation?
Because we all have afoundation of some kind.
(35:02):
Your foundation may be yoursavings account, your foundation
may be your beautiful family,your foundation may be your job,
and all those things are goodand can be tools for the kingdom
of Jesus, but those are notJesus, and so we're gonna look
at this.
My goal again today was to notgive you an existential crisis,
as it was.
To say this If you believe inJesus and you've made him your
(35:23):
Lord and Savior, then you aresaved, but if you're not, it's
not too late.
I wanna tell you a story tokind of sum this up.
There was a tightrope walker inthe early I guess it was 20th
century, late 19th century.
His name was Charles Blondin.
You may have heard this storybefore, but he was a tightrope
walker and he would walk on topfrom building to building and he
(35:43):
would go from one end to theother and he would ask the
audience.
He would say how many of youbelieve that I can do this?
And so he would take one endand he'd walk from one end to
the other, get from one end.
I'd hype the crowd up and hewould say how many of y'all
think I can do it backwards?
And the crowd would go crazyand they loved it and he would
walk backwards.
And then he said how many ofy'all think I can walk from one
(36:05):
end to the other with awheelbarrow?
And they went crazy.
They went wild.
They knew he could do it.
Like, we believe in you, webelieve you can do it.
And he said how many of y'allthink I can put somebody in this
wheelbarrow and walk from oneend to the other?
And they went crazy.
And then he asked who's gettingin?
And it fell silent.
The audience was silent, yousee, because there's a
(36:27):
difference in believing that hecould do it and believing in him
enough to get in thewheelbarrow and watch him do it.
You see, some of us willbelieve that Jesus was a real
person and that his words aregood and that going to church is
good and that doing all thisstuff is good.
But Jesus says it's believingin him is what saves us.
It's putting our faith, ourtrust, our life in him is what
(36:48):
saves us.
You see, scripture tells usthat even the demons believe and
shudder, demons shudder,believe.
Demons have doctrine.
They know the word better thananybody.
Demons shudder.
They have emotions better thananybody, but they're not saved
because emotions and theology donot get you into heaven.
(37:10):
Jesus does.
So my question is are youwilling to get into the
wheelbarrow?
Are you willing to give yourlife to Jesus?
Are you willing to trust himwith everything?
Because I promise you you canask any other believer it's
worth it To put your faith inJesus is so worth it.
I don't have enough faith tonot have faith.
(37:30):
I don't have enough faith tonot trust in Jesus, because I
can't imagine where my lifewould be without him.
And so if that's you here todayand you want to accept Jesus
and you want to have thatconversation and you want to
spend time with Jesus, but youjust don't know where to start,
or you just don't know how tostart, but you know that you
need to give your life to him,I'd love to pray for you this
morning.
I'd love to just kind of answerany questions and I'll be here
(37:53):
at the end of the service andPastor Chip will be here and
others that are on staff andleaders here, I'm sure, would
love to talk with you aboutfollowing Jesus.
Can I pray for you this morning, heavenly Father, we love you
and God.
Right now, I pray that ifthere's anybody in this room who
has not given their life to you, anybody who has not gotten in
(38:14):
the wheelbarrow and said Lord, Itrust you with my everything
and you be my everything, lord,I pray that they would Lord, I
pray that they would Lord, Ipray that they would realize
that in their wages, in theirfoundation of this world, it's
all gonna crumble, it's allgonna come to an end, but, god,
I pray that they would put theirfaith in Jesus.
I pray that we give their lifeto Jesus, because only Jesus is
(38:34):
the firm foundation that doesn'tgo away.
Only Jesus is the firmfoundation that can't be shaken.
God, where sickness andfinancial stresses and death,
lord, come in and shake us up.
God, I thank you for being theauthor and perfecter of life and
everything.
Lord, I pray for that person inthis room who is struggling
(38:54):
with that right now, that personwho is wanting to seek you and
wanting to find you.
God, I know that you arefaithful because it says when we
draw near to you, you will drawnear to us.
So draw near to us this morning.
I pray this in Jesus' name amen.
Well, y'all put your handstogether.
If there's anybody in this roomthat accepted Jesus prayed that
prayer, and if you meant thatprayer, we'd love to celebrate
(39:15):
with you.
And hey, the water's warm,we're gonna baptize this morning
.
If that's you, if God's putthat on your heart, the water's
warm, we're gonna baptize thismorning.
If that's you, if God's putthat on your heart, it's not too
late, we'd love to baptize you.
We would love to walk throughthat with you.
And so, again, it wasn't thewords of that, it's not even
baptism, as we're gonna see.
It's not what saves us, it'sJesus.
And then there are fruits thatcome after, and warmer.
(39:42):
And thank y'all for making thisplace so special.
Continue to invite, continue tosit at the feet of Jesus,
because I promise you he's goodand he's worth it.
Let's pray, heavenly Father, welove you, we thank you, god.
I pray right now as we go intoa time of worship, god, that you
would just be with us, god, asour hearts have shifted from the
word to worship.
I pray, lord, that we would notleave everything that you've
spoken to us in the sermon thismorning, but, god, we would take
(40:05):
it.
We would take both the inviteand the invitee.
Lord, I pray that we would justgo out into our world that is
so dark and decaying and justspeak life, speak heaven into
those places and speak thegospel of Jesus.
In the name of Jesus, I prayamen.
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