foundations and storms (matt 7:24-27)

Matthew 7:24-27

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

• What is the difference? Two men are mentioned, wise and foolish. What's the difference between them? They're both listening to the words of Jesus but the wise man acts on it, he obeys Jesus.he doesn't just agree with the principles, he surrenders his life. Are you just listening to Jesus or are you listening and following?
• What's the foundation? Both men build houses. The difference is the foundation. the wise man builds his house on the rock - Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only sure foundation to build our lives upon. If we are building on anything else, money, career, relationships, reputation, we are building on sand. The house may look just as good, but it's moments away from collapsing - you lose your job and it's gone, your marriage is in trouble and it's gone.
• What's the result? We tend to think that building your house on the rock means that the storm doesn't come but that is no the picture painted here. Both men, both houses get hit by rain, floods and wind. Being a Christian does not mean the storms will not come. It doesn't mean that you wont suffer or face difficulties. The promise is not that you will have an easy life. It is that the storm wont be the end of you, you will stand in it, you have hope in it.

a party not a job interview (Matt 7:21-23)

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness"

There are people who call themselves Christians but they are not. there are people who believe they are Christians but they are not. Jesus makes it clear that the test is not what you say, or even what you do, but whether you know him. Entering eternal life with Jesus is not like a job interview where our CV is examined to see whether we've made it. The people described in these verses are doing a lot of things, and doing them in Jesus' name. They've got a way better CV than the one I could present to Jesus, but he sends them away because he doesn't know them. It's not a job interview but a party, where what matters is whether you know the host. If I show up at a house for a party, I don't expect to get in because I've presented my partying CV to a stranger who is hosting it, but I expect to get in because I know the host.

Obedience is a fruit of knowing Jesus and that is more than just saying the right things. Don't focus on doing things for Jesus, focus on Jesus himself.

going through the motions

Amos 5:21-23

21 "I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
your assemblies are a stench to me.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Strong words from God! He despises their religious activities. He hates them doing the very things he had prescribed - festivals, offerings, sacrifices, songs. What had happened that these things had become a "stench" to God? 

The people were performing all the religious practices but were corrupt. They hated people who worked for justice or told the truth (5:10). They exploited the poor to increase their own wealth (5:11). They oppressed the innocent, took bribes and did not give justice to the poor (5:12). They were selfish and self-serving, willing to exploit others in the process but would turn up at the temple and think that going through the motions would mean they were alright with God. That is what God despises.

"impurity of heart vitiated all their works, and this was the reason that God rejected every thing which the Jews thought available for holiness" Calvin

Turning up on a Sunday does not make you right with God. Giving up something for lent does not make you acceptable before Him. Giving money, reading the Bible, praying, trying hard to be nice to people, supporting charities, not drinking, not smoking, not swearing, even working for justice does not restore your broken relationship with him if your heart is still turned in on itself. You can do the right things with the wrong motivation and God doesn't accept it. Consider the condition of your heart, not just what you do. You need more than a change in behaviour, we need a heart transplant

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh

recognising fruit (matt7:16-20)

Matthew 7:16-20

You will recognise them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognise them by their fruits.

If the false prophets are difficult to recognise because they come dressed as sheep, then how do we know them? Jesus repeats the point a number of times - by their fruits. This might not be immediately obvious, but the inward position of a person will eventually be revealed, it will come out. The tree might not look diseased until the bad fruit appears. A teacher may look good, say the right sort of things, even use the bible, but if the fruit is bad, it shows the condition of the heart. What is the fruit we should be looking for? Not worldly standards like popularity but the sort of thing Jesus has been talking about in the sermon on the mount - humility, meekness, selflessness, repentance, truth, seeking God. This stuff will be difficult to evaluate if we are not living life with people. If we are living life alongside each other, then the fruit is seen.

undercover false prophets (matt 7:15)

Matthew 7:15

beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

To beware of false prophets is a common warning in the NT but are we actually doing it? It seems like we are aware of the possibility of false prophets in theory but don't really expect to encounter them, even though the bible says that it's almost certain that we will! To beware is to be on the look out for them - it's not a witch hunt but it does mean that we evaluate and judge (!) what people are saying. 

These wolves look like sheep. If they looked like wolves there wouldn't be much of a problem. The problem is not that they will be teaching crazy stuff because we'd probably notice. The danger is that they will seem plausible, they will seem attractive, what they are saying will sound like something that we want to be true. Jesus pulls no punches, they are ravenous wolves and we are in danger.

going with the crowd (matt 7:13-14)

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Conventional wisdom is powerful. We tend to think that whatever most people do is most likely to be the right thing, whatever the majority of people think is probably correct. If it's suggested that we might be wrong on something we take comfort in the fact that others believe the same thing as us. But what if the majority is wrong? What if the conventional view that God probably exists but it doesn't matter much is wrong? What if the prevailing view that there can't just be one way to God is untrue? 

The truth of a particular statement is independent of the number of people who agree with it. Look for truth, but don't just go along with the crowd.

a loving father (matt7:9-11)

Matthew 7:9-11

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

We are not trying to persuade God to be good to us. He is a loving Father who loves to give good gifts. Even as sinners, we care for and provide for our children so we can expect God to do that but in a perfect way that we could never manage. So, if we think God is withholding something for us, think of the reasons you might withhold something from a child - in their best interests. The child may be upset at the time, but the parent knows more about the bigger picture. God knows our needs better than we do and can be trusted.

suffering

This is not a well thought out response to the question of suffering but just a couple of ideas that I've been thinking about recently.

1 - The fact that we recognise that such a thing as suffering exists points to a compassionate and just God. Pure natural selection would see us at least uninterested if not happy about the latest tragedy involving the loss of life as it represents less competition for resources for those of us who have survived. instead of seeing tragedies as survival of the fittest we are deeply affected by them. We have a sense of justice because God, who is Just gave it to us. We have a sense of compassion because God, who is Compassion, gave it to us.

2 - The worst case of innocent suffering is seen at the cross where Jesus who did nothing wrong and didn't truly deserved our worship, received every form of suffering imaginable. Did that appear unjust? Yes. Could the Father have intervened? Yes. Why didn't he? Because there was something bigger going on. In the midst of the worst case of suffering imaginable, God knew what he was doing. He still does.