Pastor Terry Cheek Th.D.

www.theinspiringword.org

August 2017 will conclude our study of the Lords Sermon on the Mount our scripture this month will come from Matthew 7:24-29. Let’s set our heart towards understanding the foundations we build upon! That means our article will be refreshed with a different article each month or maybe another series. We’ll pray about and I ask that you join us as we seek Gods direction as we serve Him.

The Lord gives us a contrasting comparison from Matthew 7:24-29. A wise builder and a foolish builder. The difference isn’t found in the people or in the material. The difference between the two builders is found in the foundations they laid. The narrative applies to character building. We’re all doing that, building our character, and our character reflects the foundation we used to create it.

The wise man or woman will read and prayerfully seek the Lords guidance to understand the face value of the Sermon on the Mount and build their character upon those values. Those values began with the Beatitudes and progress through the daily behavior, worship, prayer, discipleship and even evangelism of those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be these values which determine our character in our daily lives. The man or woman who takes seriously the Sermon on the Mount will find their desire to be salvation, sanctification and service. Likewise, the very same people will hunger for God’s word, desiring not just an understanding but heavenly revelation as they study.

In contrast, the foolish man or woman will be exposed to the Lords words yet they will choose to discount them. He or she will convince themselves the Lords words on the Mount are for the other folks. They may choose to evade the sermon altogether. Possibly saying the teaching is for the Jewish people and not the church or it is too strict and impractical, some may even feel it is for Christ’s future kingdom.

There is much to be concerned about with the foolish folks who discount or diminish the Lords words. Sadly, some find distasteful or confrontational, there is no opportunity for retaliation, rivalry or redress of those we feel have wronged us. We are even counseled against using civil action to our advantage. This teaching of Jesus strikes at the root of our pride!

Do you realize we have just studied the largest body of Christ’s teaching that is recorded consecutively in Scripture? The Holy Spirit has preserved for us the Lords words so that we may learn them, apply them and obey them. Have you realized the essence of the Lords message is repeated over again in the epistles? For example, we find in James 5:12 the prohibition of oaths. In 1 Corinthians 6:7 the teaching of nonresistance. In Romans 12:20 we find love toward enemies. In 2 Corinthians 6:5 we read of fasting. In James 2:13 we are reminded of an unforgiving spirit, while in James 5:1 we are reminded to renunciate wealth. Last but not least we find in 1 Thessalonians 2:12 we are to seek the Kingdom of God! The words of Christ is the rock on which we are to build our character upon, when testing come, not if, our foundation will be everything.

May I mention this briefly. A foundation of sand is nothing more than the philosophy of man trying to sell their goods to unsuspecting folks looking for the easy way out. There isn’t an easy way. Our sin nature eliminated that for us. While we embrace Darwinism, humanism, Marxism, Socialism, secular Psychology and the mystic religions and dogmas which have arisen over the past 2000 years we drive ourselves farther away from the God of our creation and salvation. If you find yourselves embracing these, repent, right now. Seek the Lord while He may be found.

In verses 28-29 we see the astonishment of the multitudes who heard this great sermon. Never before had they heard anything like this. The Rabbis were famous for giving wearisome, false and frivolous expositions of God’s law, they constantly referred to what other teachers had said, in other words the tradition of previous generations had gained authority over God’s word.

Jesus came and delivered His Sermon on the Mount and blew away the tradition of man. Jesus spoke with the authority of the living God, and those listening had to face the contrast of His teaching with that of the current religious teaching.