Sermon

The Final Exam - Luke 6:43-49

Calvary Boise Sermons

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  1. This is the. End of what I have considered a

  2. wonderful sermon series in the Gospel of Luke's account of

  3. Jesus famous sermon that is called often the Sermon on the

  4. plane. And what a wonderful study it's

  5. been. As we concluded this morning.

  6. We'll look at the final. Passage of Scripture that we

  7. have yet to. Examine and we'll also just kind

  8. of. Look back to what we have.

  9. Been discussing so far and to start us in that regard I will

  10. remind you something that has been stated a few times that

  11. this sermon is not Jesus giving instructions on how to enter

  12. into the Kingdom of. God, this is a.

  13. Sermon that when studied. It is clear that Jesus.

  14. Is giving a. Portrait of what a true

  15. disciple. Someone who's in the Kingdom

  16. will look like. And how they will behave towards

  17. others and how ultimately. They will live and grow to

  18. become more and more and more like Jesus himself.

  19. And so as we conclude the sermon series, we will end with Jesus

  20. really giving an examination for.

  21. Who is? A Kingdom person and who isn't

  22. and? If I had to ask you.

  23. The question This will be the question of the sermon.

  24. Are you? A devoted disciple of Christ,

  25. Are you a. Kingdom Person does your.

  26. Life show a portrait of. The sermon on the plane and.

  27. If you are. Like most of our country, the

  28. reports on how you would answer. That are probably a little.

  29. Inflated just in the room this size it's probably an overstated

  30. fact that the common polling the percentages of people in our

  31. country that say they're Christian do not actually match

  32. the cultural impact that Christianity Christianity has So

  33. there's a disconnect from profession in reality and the

  34. same disconnect is probably true anytime that.

  35. The gospel is preached to. An audience of just.

  36. A couple people. You know, if you had to answer

  37. that question, you are in fact doing many things that would

  38. give you a head start on answering yes.

  39. You're. A A believer, A follower, a

  40. disciple of Jesus, you are. Listening to this proposition in

  41. church, after all. Which is a great start.

  42. To Seeking Jesus and you just finished singing some incredible

  43. songs about Jesus. And if you didn't sing, at least

  44. you tolerated. Those of us who.

  45. Did and all of our faults and errors and you're now sitting

  46. patiently and eagerly through a sermon and many of you will, you

  47. know, maybe even get something out of the sermon and say you

  48. liked the sermon so you look good on.

  49. Paper, but as we will discuss this.

  50. Morning in the final message is that.

  51. Looks. Can be deceiving that.

  52. How we present ourselves. Is not.

  53. Actually, who we are and. To get that lesson, we'll look

  54. at. Two specific parables that

  55. you've probably heard. Before if you spent any time

  56. around church, but before we look at them appropriately, I

  57. can start with maybe a living parable that comes from my own

  58. life. My wife recently decided to get

  59. a. Watch to buy herself a watch.

  60. For reasons that were good, she told me she wanted to watch so

  61. that. She would have to.

  62. Look at her phone less. I don't know if you have noticed

  63. that even checking your phone for the time can turn into all

  64. other sorts of things that you weren't actually expecting or

  65. meaning to do on the phone. So if you can just limit the

  66. amount of times you look at the thing, you can limit the amount

  67. of times the thing tells you what to do.

  68. So she buys herself a. Watch and and she shows it to me

  69. and she says I. Realized that the watch I bought

  70. is actually it looks just like a six. $1000 designer watch and I

  71. said how much do you pay for it? She said don't worry, I only

  72. paid. $30.00 for it. It's a replica.

  73. And. Some of you have probably.

  74. No doubt bought something that was meant to look a lot fancier

  75. than it was, because it's kind of nice to own nice things, even

  76. if you can't afford them. And if you haven't let me, let

  77. me. Reveal to you just how.

  78. Alluring the Counterfeit Goods Market is in research in

  79. preparation for this sermon, I found out that the counterfeit

  80. good. Annual revenue is about to.

  81. Cross $1 trillion globally so if even if it's not you buying

  82. designer bags and fake watches and knock.

  83. Off shoes. There must be somebody out there

  84. that thinks it's worth the counterfeit product and and the.

  85. Trade off is you get the look for a lot less cost.

  86. And of course the message is it's alluring, not.

  87. Because we're all so fashionable.

  88. Because there's something. In the human heart.

  89. That likes to have the product at a discount price.

  90. And so if you can't relate to the designer fashion

  91. counterfeits, maybe you can relate to some other area.

  92. Of your life if you're. Really honest about some of the

  93. work you've put your hands to or some of the ways you're living

  94. your life and the way that it's presented.

  95. If you were. Really honest, you would admit

  96. that there is some counterfeit to your own.

  97. Very life. You know, if you've ever posted

  98. anything on social media. Ever.

  99. Have you ever? Been tempted to find an angle

  100. that looks a little bit better than the reality of the moment.

  101. Of course we all have. There's an entire phrase called

  102. Instagram verse reality because so many people present a life

  103. that is nowhere near reality. It's counterfeit if you've ever

  104. gone to. School Have you ever worked so

  105. hard just to get the grade? Knowing that you were going to

  106. forget everything, that the grade is not actually an A

  107. grade, does not actually mean that you're an expert on the

  108. topic, that you present yourself as an A student, knowing that

  109. behind the scenes you know nothing.

  110. It's happened to all of us, and even more sincerely.

  111. Have you ever? Been part of a relationship.

  112. That looks good on paper or? Would look good from the outside

  113. looking in, but you know that inside it's tearing apart at the

  114. seams. But you present yourself as a

  115. way to pass the eye test the counterfeit can.

  116. Pass the eye test but. It doesn't pass the test of

  117. time. And with these things in mind,

  118. maybe with a stirring in your heart that you.

  119. Yourself have an allure to this. We now get an entire message of

  120. Jesus. That foolishly.

  121. We can do that with. Our spirituality with our

  122. devotion. To Jesus with.

  123. Who we actually are, right? Here in this moment, seeking God

  124. outwardly, but maybe not necessarily from our hearts.

  125. And so that is where we will conclude the Sermon on the

  126. Mount. Who?

  127. Is really. A Kingdom person and for this.

  128. Jesus will give us a couple of tests an.

  129. Examination of our of the. Depths of our life.

  130. Through some parables. So let's just read the first.

  131. Parable and then we'll. We'll stop and discuss starting.

  132. In Luke chapter 6 verse. 43 Jesus says for a good tree does.

    Luke 6 chapter mention

  133. Not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear.

  134. Good fruit for every tree is. Known by its own.

  135. Fruit for. Men do not gather figs from

  136. thorns, nor do they. Gather grapes.

  137. From a Bramble Bush. Likewise a good.

  138. Man out of the good. Treasure of his heart.

  139. Brings forth good and an evil man out.

  140. Of the evil treasure of his heart.

  141. Brings forth evil. For out of the abundance.

  142. Of. The heart.

  143. His mouth speaks and then Jesus comes to the question.

  144. Of the hour, why do you call me Lord?

  145. Lord and. Do not do.

  146. The. Things which I say.

  147. Why do you sit? Under the teaching, but take.

  148. It or leave it? Why?

  149. Do you come to church and the Holy Spirit convicts you, but

  150. there's no real change in your life or in the purposes of what

  151. we've been doing all summer long?

  152. Why do you hear? The portrait of what it looks

  153. like to follow Jesus. And have a life that looks so

  154. disconnected from the. Call that Christ would place.

  155. On his followers. Looks can be.

  156. Deceiving and so for. This we have our first parable.

  157. It is, in fact. 2 trees that. If it weren't for the produce or

  158. what was coming out of them, they may look very similar.

  159. He says for a good. Tree does not bear bad fruit,

  160. nor does a. Bad tree bear good fruit.

  161. Now I'm sure I know there are probably thousands of actual

  162. different type. Of seeds.

  163. That turn into trees and trees that produce either thorns or

  164. fruit. But for the purposes of what?

  165. Jesus is going to describe. He says they're.

  166. Essentially two types of trees. There are good trees that have

  167. nutrition. Something of value that you can

  168. get from the tree. And there are bad trees, thorny,

  169. poisonous trees, and the only way you know the difference.

  170. Is to wait what? Happens with the test of time,

  171. he says in verse 44 for every. Tree is.

  172. Known by its own fruit, don't gather.

  173. Figs. From a thorn Bush.

  174. Nor do they gather. Grapes from a Bramble tree, so

  175. you wait to see what comes out of the tree.

  176. In other words, the nature the the DNA nature of the tree is

  177. going to tell you what kind of tree.

  178. It. Is and.

  179. I always get to go. Before the congregation in the

  180. preparation for the sermon, so. There's ways that this word has

  181. already given. Me some insight of just.

  182. How this all works so last night.

  183. There was a family of our. Church that had a had.

  184. A fruit picking party. It's perfect.

  185. It's like they have fruit. Trees in their backyard and they

  186. have more fruit than they know what to do with.

  187. So the idea, I guess, is if you bite people.

  188. Over and give them some Peaches, then they'll come back and give

  189. you some pies. I don't.

  190. Know if that's your theory but I think it's a good idea.

  191. But I I loved the story of. Them buying their home and

  192. inheriting some trees. That for all they could tell.

  193. Were mysterious. They didn't know what kind of

  194. trees they bought, but the test of time revealed that a fruit.

  195. Tree will always produce the. Same fruit.

  196. So. For them, after the season

  197. unfolded and it bore fruit. They said that's a Peachtree

  198. and. That's a Cherry Tree, and now we

  199. know from here on and forever, that's the kind of tree.

  200. That we have. And as we take the parable.

  201. Further, I'll just pause. Just for a teaching moment that

  202. Jesus says each tree is known by its own fruit and the the

  203. picture you might. Be be seeing.

  204. Is like an orchard of. Peach.

  205. Trees and a tree in the midst of an orchard.

  206. Of Peach trees is still. Only known by its own fruit,

  207. meaning there could be an entire orchard of certain fruit bearing

  208. trees and one Bramble Bush, and that Bush will never by

  209. association bear fruit. I.

  210. Look out and I see an orchard of people seeking God and each.

  211. Tree will be known. By its own fruit.

  212. You will not become a fruit bearing tree just by sitting in

  213. the orchard of trees. And I will also.

  214. Say, just as a practical. Teaching moment that Jesus

  215. offering us this amazing test by which we can discern things is a

  216. great. Tool for your spiritual tool

  217. belt. To.

  218. To be able to discern. Things by this practical testing

  219. of the fruit will. Work.

  220. In your life as you grow in your maturity of in Christ.

  221. There's all. Sorts of things that maybe the

  222. results are mixed or the OR uncertain as.

  223. Of yet, but you can. Wait, and how do things stand up

  224. to the test of time as being nutritious or poisonous in your

  225. life? I think of a.

  226. Very low hanging. Fruit in this example, you know,

  227. 10 years ago, I think the the. Jury was probably still out.

  228. On the social media machine, whether it was.

  229. Good. For, you know, social networking

  230. and keeping people in touch and, and certainly there are some

  231. benefits of that, but. I don't think.

  232. Anyone can debate any longer whether or not kids of a certain

  233. age should go anywhere near it the the generation before us

  234. has. Tried that.

  235. And it turned out to be nothing but thorns turned into all sorts

  236. of depression and body image issues.

  237. And now we can say the test of time has shown us.

  238. That that fruit is. No good.

  239. Let us not do it any further. I know the same for me and and

  240. just the consumption of news. There was a time where it was

  241. like. What do we do with?

  242. This amazing ability to be in touch with everything all at

  243. once, everywhere. And for me, I have realized that

  244. if I. Start my day.

  245. With headline news of every issue going on in every place in

  246. the world, it is not the most spiritually peaceful.

  247. Day that I'm. Going to have.

  248. There's not a lot I can do with that.

  249. So I've tested that fruit and it.

  250. Turned out to be thorny, but I can tell you, and I encourage

  251. you to test this fruit in your life.

  252. When I start my day with the peace of the Lord's presence.

  253. When I start my day with the Word.

  254. That bears a lot. Of fruit in my life, I find that

  255. those days seem to be me walking in more power and grace of God.

  256. This is just for your life. What is the test of fruit, say?

  257. About the things that you're engaging in with your own life,

  258. It's a. Good spiritual tool for your

  259. tool belt, but that's. Not where Jesus ends the

  260. parable. He's not just giving us a

  261. parable. So that we could discern.

  262. Things he's. Actually going to teach us about

  263. who we are, about why. It is sometimes we can seek him

  264. and not follow him. So that there we.

  265. Would understand The parable is going to tell us not just about

  266. trees, but about humans. Look what?

  267. He says verse 45 likewise a good.

  268. Man out of the good. Treasure of his heart.

  269. Brings forth good and evil, An evil man out of the evil.

  270. Treasure of his heart brings. Forth.

  271. Evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his.

  272. Mouth speaks. There are two types of trees.

  273. And the nature of the tree. Will reveal whether it's good.

  274. And nutritious or bad and dangerous.

  275. And in the end, although there are all sorts of personality

  276. types and different ethnicities, there are lots of different

  277. types of people. For the purposes of right.

  278. Now to answer the question, are you a Kingdom person?

  279. There are two. Types of people there are good

  280. out of. The abundance of the heart flows

  281. good and evil in in a more biblical.

  282. Stated way, there are the righteous and.

  283. The unrighteous and the nature. Of who you are, your heart will

  284. reveal your fruit, for out of the abundance of the heart.

  285. His mouth speaks. Your life.

  286. And the fruit. Of your life has to do with your

  287. heart this is what Jesus is really after in.

  288. All of his lessons and now as he.

  289. Gives the test and the. Examination of our life.

  290. Are you a Kingdom person? He doesn't want to start.

  291. With the way your life looks, he.

  292. Want to start he wants to start with the nature of who you are

  293. righteous or unrighteous, good or evil and this is where we.

  294. Start to get the precursors of a great gospel.

  295. Moment of the sermon. But for every great gospel.

  296. Moment the good news that we can actually have a heart that is

  297. after God's own heart. For every gospel.

  298. Moment we have to start. Where the gospel starts by

  299. saying. Every person apart from the

  300. grace of God. Is wicked to their core.

  301. Sorry if this is your first. Time at church, But that's where

  302. the message. Always has to begin.

  303. The. Message starts with the core of

  304. who you are, the. Nature.

  305. Of who you are apart from. God's grace and his regenerate

  306. power in your life is. That you are a bad tree.

  307. We all are. All have fallen.

  308. Sin all. Have fallen short and.

  309. And sin fallen short of the glory of God.

  310. For this lesson. We can actually see another

  311. picture in the life of Jesus. Remember last week?

  312. As we talked about. Judgement and condemnation.

  313. There's just a a whole culture that.

  314. Jesus was preaching that lesson into.

  315. Of people that judged him. And condemned him for

  316. everything. And one of those?

  317. Stories is found in Mark Chapter 7.

    Mark 7 chapter mention

  318. When? Jesus and his disciples come to

  319. eat in a in a mixed group. Of people, some very religious,

  320. like Pharisees. And some not.

  321. And Jesus comes, and they watch his every move.

  322. And they notice that when Jesus and his disciples come to eat,

  323. they don't mess around with the ceremonial washing of hands.

  324. And during this time, everything was under the microscope and

  325. the. Pharisees watched Jesus every

  326. move. And he decided to not obey one

  327. of the traditions of man, which is to go through all of these

  328. different ceremonial washes. Not to say he didn't cleanse his

  329. hands, but they said they wanted special.

  330. Washing. And in the ceremonial washing,

  331. you wash your hands and you do it again, and you do it so

  332. everyone can see. And then you wash the cup and

  333. the outside of the cup and the inside of the dish and the

  334. outside of the dish. And it was all.

  335. Presented as such a way. To show everyone around you how

  336. ceremonial, religiously clean you were.

  337. And as Jesus decides not to do this tradition, the Pharisees

  338. and scribe said to him, Why do your disciples not walk?

  339. According to the tradition of. Elders and they eat with

  340. unwashed hands, we. Are so addicted to.

  341. The surface examination of good, evil, clean, unclean, religious

  342. and irreligious and what? Jesus says to these people is

  343. what we all have to. Hear it is not what comes out of

  344. you that defiles you. It's not what?

  345. Goes into you. It's what?

  346. Comes out of you. That defiles you.

  347. And he gives them a lesson on the actual need from cleansing

  348. is not your hands, but your heart.

  349. Mark Chapter 7, verse 6. He answered and said to them.

    Mark 7:6

  350. Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites as it is written.

  351. That people honor me with their lips.

  352. But their heart is far. From me, they honor me this.

  353. Is the Lord prophesying through Isaiah?

  354. That there would be a time when people do everything they can to

  355. be externally. Religious, but they have

  356. nothing. Surrendered in their heart to

  357. God. And then he goes on to say from

  358. within out. Of the heart of men.

  359. Proceed evil. Thoughts.

  360. Adulteries. Fornications, murders, thefts,

  361. covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, and evil.

  362. Eye, blasphemy, pride and foolishness, all these evil

  363. things. Come from within and defile a

  364. man. We spent.

  365. We spent. So much time.

  366. Worried about the external view of our lives?

  367. And Jesus says. But what does your heart?

  368. Say about. Your life.

  369. And now we re ask the question of the sermon.

  370. Why do they call him Lord? Lord.

  371. And not do what? He says.

  372. This is where the sermon will give some of you answers.

  373. As to why? Maybe you listen to the

  374. teachings. You.

  375. Sit under the teachings. You even say good sermon and

  376. your life has no effective change to make it more like.

  377. Jesus to those around you, why? Don't you do?

  378. What he tells you to do. The answer is fundamentally

  379. because you can't. This.

  380. Is not a sermon of good. Advice to go try to do better

  381. with. Your nature determines your

  382. fruit and if you have a nature. That is full of all of this evil

  383. and hard heartedness. Against God, you are not going

  384. to produce obedience to the things that He calls.

  385. You to do that are so far. Beyond your nature.

  386. The heart is deceitful above all things and.

  387. Desperately wicked. Your nature is not to hear the

  388. message of the Sermon on the Mount and say, sounds great.

  389. Your nature is to hear it and say.

  390. That's not what I would do. In.

  391. Fact it is designed. To push you beyond what you

  392. would normally do. To push the.

  393. Boundaries of love so far beyond what you're comfortable with in

  394. your nature. That's why he says.

  395. Why do you say? You love your friends, but not

  396. your enemies. Anyone could do that?

  397. It's. Within your nature to.

  398. Love the people you already love.

  399. It's within your nature to. Like people who are good to you.

  400. And to dislike. People who are not.

  401. Good to you. But to be a tree to.

  402. Be a new natured person that bears fruit that makes.

  403. You look like Jesus will. Require you.

  404. To. Have a new nature.

  405. Here's. How William Temple puts it, it

  406. is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear and telling

  407. me to write 1 like that. Those are Shakespeare plays and.

  408. Shakespeare could do it. I can't.

  409. It's also no good showing me a life.

  410. Like the life of. Jesus and telling me to live.

  411. A life like that, Jesus could do it.

  412. I can't. Jesus can love his enemies.

  413. Jesus can endure the shame for the joy set before him.

  414. You can't. But.

  415. The quote goes on. But if the genius of.

  416. Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could.

  417. Write plays like his. And if the spirit.

  418. Of Jesus could come. And live in me, then I could

  419. live a. Life like.

  420. His This entire sermon series is meant to humble us to the point

  421. of crying out for a new heart and.

  422. By God's grace. His word promises us.

  423. That that's exactly what. His design is the Prophet.

  424. Ezekiel says I. Will give you a new heart and

  425. put a new spirit within you. I will.

  426. Take your heart of stone out of your flesh.

  427. And give you a heart. Of flesh.

  428. A new heart. This.

  429. Sermon is not a sermon that tells.

  430. You how to get. Into the Kingdom.

  431. It is a sermon that describes someone who is already in it

  432. describes someone who is born again.

  433. Who? Has taken their old thorny and

  434. sinful and evil nature and put it into the baptismal waters,

  435. signifying the death to the old man, and come out of the

  436. baptismal waters signifying a new life in Christ.

  437. For those of you who are. Not born again.

  438. If you read the Sermon on the Mount and try to do this, you.

  439. Will fail. You do.

  440. Not have a nature to love like this and.

  441. For all of us who do believe in the.

  442. Same spirit that rose Christ from the grave now lives in us

  443. to. Display the power of God.

  444. Remember the disclaimer from our guest speaker, Pastor Paul.

  445. Disclaimer. Do not try in the flesh.

  446. The only way any of this works is if we are.

  447. Spirit people, if we cry out as. We pray for our enemies, for the

  448. power. Of the Spirit to love them.

  449. John chapter 15 says I am the vine Jesus.

    John 15 chapter mention

  450. Speaking to his disciples, you. Are the branches.

  451. He who abides in. Me and I in him.

  452. Will. Bear much fruit, and here is one

  453. of those underlined verse of the Bible.

  454. Memorize it. Do not try to read and do the

  455. Sermon on the Mount without this theology in your heart.

  456. For without me. You can do nothing.

  457. This. Is not a sermon of good advice.

  458. This is not a series. Of practical life.

  459. Tips to make your relationships just a little bit better This is

  460. a sermon that requires. You.

  461. To utterly depend on the person of Jesus, abiding in Him to bear

  462. any fruit and humbly admitting that apart from Christ in your

  463. life you can do nothing. Why don't you do what He calls?

  464. You to do. Why do you call him Lord?

  465. Why do you come to church? Why do you sing the songs?

  466. Why do you listen to sermons and your life is unaffected?

  467. Because you have no power. To live this apart from the

  468. power of God in you. Some.

  469. Of you need a refreshment of the holy.

  470. Spirit to live like Jesus. And then he says.

  471. To. Give us an answer on this

  472. question. What does it look to?

  473. Like. To abide in Him, abiding means

  474. to remain in Him. Abiding means that He is now

  475. your lifeblood, like the vine and branch.

  476. The word becomes the lamp. Unto your feet, His presence

  477. becomes nourishment to your soul.

  478. You're abiding in Him as one would abide with a relationship

  479. with someone they love. In other words, abiding in Him

  480. means to love Him with your whole life.

  481. And that's why Jesus says if you love me.

  482. You. Will keep my commandments.

  483. There's the answer. If you love the Lord, you will

  484. do what he says. Which brings us back to the

  485. question, Why do you call me Lord and do not do the things

  486. which I say? Lord.

  487. Means. A.

  488. Position of authority. To call out to God as Lord is

  489. at. Least with your mouth to declare

  490. him the the King, the one who when he says things, he has

  491. authority. That you will do it.

  492. And and for just. A quick.

  493. Pause on this idea. I think we have to speak.

  494. Into the culture that we're swimming in right now.

  495. Because to call someone Lord means to.

  496. To submit in obedience to them and and we live in a world.

  497. Where the word obedience. Is colliding with another common

  498. word that is so much easier. For us to accept.

  499. In our life and and that is the word influence.

  500. Obedience and influence are very different.

  501. We. Live in a world of influence.

  502. Where we all probably have 5. 1015 voices in our algorithm

  503. designed to. Tell you what you want.

  504. To hear and give you advice. With persuasion, that is up to

  505. you whether you follow. And that is very different than

  506. obedience the influencer asks you to like.

  507. Things. Obedience.

  508. Requires you to obey the command.

  509. The influence asks you to follow with no commitment.

  510. Obedience unto Christ means follow.

  511. With a cross unto. Death.

  512. And of course, influencers will offer.

  513. You all sorts of good. Advice and all of us have been

  514. trained by the culture to. Take the advice we like.

  515. And to to reject. The advice we don't like?

  516. And it's all up to us. But Jesus.

  517. Is not an influencer. We cried out in just this

  518. morning. We cried out to Jesus.

  519. As. The Lord of all things.

  520. The. Creator of Heaven and Earth.

  521. The visible. Image of the invisible God.

  522. Who comes to live a perfect life, Laid down his life, died

  523. on the cross. Savior of humanity. 1st.

  524. Fruit of the new creation, sitting at the right home, right

  525. hand of the Father in heaven. He how?

  526. Could we ever water? Him down to be another voice on

  527. the Internet. That we choose where he fits.

  528. In with the other likable characters on the feed.

  529. Why? Do we do this well?

  530. It's the same reason that we like counterfeit.

  531. You can have what? Appears to be the product.

  532. At a fraction of the cost it. Is very costly to actually obey.

  533. And think about what we've covered in these weeks and the

  534. sermon and the plane, Jesus. Calls us to love those who

  535. revile you and. That's expensive.

  536. That will cost you potentially slander on your name.

  537. It'll cost you your. Ability to set the record.

  538. Straight and retaliate at times. Jesus has called us to pray for

  539. those who speak evil. Against us, that's expensive.

  540. Though we. All want a good reputation.

  541. Don't we all want people to be? Nice to us with their words.

  542. It's costly to turn. The other cheek Jesus.

  543. Says to to. Give our material goods with no

  544. expectation. Expectation of return in fact.

  545. He says give more. Than what's even asked?

  546. Well, it's it will cost. You expensive material goods to

  547. live like. Jesus.

  548. Jesus says that we are to. Be people of forgiveness

  549. Forgiveness must be the most expensive commodity in the

  550. world. Forgiveness came at the cost.

  551. Of Christ at the cross it cost. Jesus, his life it will cost.

  552. You some pain to forgive people. It will cost you some valid

  553. retribution or some fleshly revenge.

  554. It will be very expensive. To live out the sermon.

  555. On the mount. So he says count the cost.

  556. Anyone who wants to follow me, it'll cost you.

  557. It's. So much easier to go with the

  558. knock off route. Coming to church on Sunday,

  559. listening to a sermon, giving the pastor a thumbs up, and

  560. listening to Christian radio on your commute to work and having

  561. otherwise a completely unaffected life Cost you

  562. nothing. Cost you no friends, cost you no

  563. reputation. It cost you no plans that you

  564. submitted to God that you otherwise wouldn't have.

  565. I love what Dietrich. Bonhoeffer says grace.

  566. Is free. Let's not confuse any of this

  567. with the gift of God. 'S grave to save us, but.

  568. It isn't cheap. It's costly because it costs a

  569. man. A life and it is grace.

  570. Because it gives a. Man, the only true life you can

  571. ever live. And so we come back once again.

  572. To. The question of the hour.

  573. Why would we? Call him Lord.

  574. Why would we be Christian at church and not in our hearts?

  575. Well, some of us have. Not been born again by the power

  576. of the Spirit some. Of us are.

  577. Unwilling to actually pay. The cost of what it.

  578. Means to follow him and I think the fundamental question that

  579. every one of us. Every disciple of Christ has

  580. ever had to overcome the. Temptation to get wrong Every

  581. moment where God is calling you to take a step of faith, there

  582. is a fundamental question in every one of your hearts.

  583. And it is. If I trust God with my.

  584. Life will it actually turn out good if I do things God's way

  585. and I and I actually go against the grain of just the normal way

  586. of living in the world? Of this culture, will it

  587. actually work? And for that question.

  588. We'll look at this last parable very quickly.

  589. You've all heard it. I.

  590. Don't need to teach it to you, you memorized it in Sunday

  591. school, but it answers the question.

  592. Verse. 47 Whoever comes to me and hears my saying and does

  593. them. This is the question.

  594. What? If I.

  595. I've come to Jesus. He told me what to do.

  596. What? If you actually do it, Jesus

  597. says, I'll show you what you're like.

  598. You're like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the

  599. foundation on the rock. And when the flood?

  600. Arose the stream. Beat vehemently against that

  601. house and could not shake it. For it was.

  602. Founded on the Rock. What Jesus is assuring.

  603. His disciples of. You will.

  604. You will. Need a new nature?

  605. It will. I'm taking you beyond where you

  606. would ever go on your own. You're going to have to trust me

  607. with the way. That I teach you how to love

  608. people. It's going to violate some.

  609. Of your senses. But if?

  610. You listen to my words and you do them and you go deep down

  611. into the foundations of your life.

  612. You don't just, you know, sprinkle them again here and

  613. there. You have, you know, a little bit

  614. of Jesus plan, a little bit of your plan.

  615. But you, you take them, and it's the foundation of everything.

  616. He says your life will be tested just like everything.

  617. And what he promises you is it doesn't matter about the eye

  618. test anymore. You will.

  619. Pass the test of time. When the storm comes and the

  620. rain falls and the trials of life.

  621. Just. Press on you and it presses on

  622. your family. It presses on your marriage.

  623. It presses on your friendships. It presses.

  624. On your choices with with how you've handled your wealth, your

  625. money, your decisions of life. Jesus says if you build a life

  626. the way I tell you to build it. You're going to stand the test

  627. of time. He had to give a very.

  628. Similar message to his. Disciples as he was walking.

  629. Towards the cross. So he was.

  630. Walking towards the. Trial of those 3.

  631. And a half years all climaxing to his death on a cross.

  632. And he says to them, I've spoken to you that in me you'll have

  633. peace in the world. You're going to have trouble.

  634. You're going to have trouble. What's?

  635. The foundation of your life. He says be of good cheer.

  636. I I have overcome the world. His blueprint for life will

  637. overcome everything and he gives a second part of.

  638. This which is for all of us. Some of you might dangerously

  639. say, OK Jesus it it sounds like it would work.

  640. What about the alternative? Jesus is not only assuring you

  641. that his. Way his blueprint for your life.

  642. The foundation of your life built on Him will stand the test

  643. of time through every trial and tribulation.

  644. He's also going to warn us that it is the only way.

  645. It's not one of the ways. There's not another blueprint

  646. that you can ever build your life on that will not be built

  647. on shifting sand and your life will fall apart.

  648. Verse. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who

  649. built a house on the earth without a foundation, against

  650. which the stream beat vehemently and immediately.

  651. It fell and. The ruin of that house.

  652. Was great. The house looks the same until

  653. the test comes, and sometimes you'll hear a translation that

  654. says the foolish man built his house upon the sand.

  655. I actually love this translation, he says.

  656. Anyone who hears my words and doesn't do them is like a man

  657. who built his house on the earth.

  658. Just the ways of this world. Just.

  659. Living your life, doing everything according to your

  660. plans for your earthly little existence in the blink of an eye

  661. for this culture in these times, and you're building your life on

  662. earth, and the things of this earth are going to fade away.

  663. What is the? Foundation of your life there's

  664. so many things that this world. Will distract you with just to.

  665. Make it through the week, make it through another season,

  666. another year, and Jesus says you build on anything but.

  667. His words for your life. And you will fall.

  668. So I'll conclude with this, he says.

  669. Whoever comes to me and hears my saying and does them.

  670. He is a wise person. These are the three things to

  671. end our sermon series. Whoever comes to me, those are

  672. those. Who seek What is?

  673. What would Jesus say here? What does the word say?

  674. You guys are coming to hear. The words of Christ spoken.

  675. But it's not enough just to come.

  676. He says whoever comes to me. And hears me.

  677. Which is a disqualifier for some of you.

  678. Some. People, no doubt, have come to

  679. church and that's all they're here for.

  680. It came to satisfy the invite of a friend or they.

  681. Get a little social. Time in and they didn't come to

  682. hear but if. Those of you who came.

  683. And you actually want to know what the word?

  684. Says says. You come, you seek me, and you

  685. hear, and this is how you are a Kingdom fruit bearing person, he

  686. says. Whoever comes to me, whoever

  687. hears my sayings and then he. Does them.

  688. This is the key to your life. Seek Jesus.

  689. Become one of his sheep, he says.

  690. My sheep know his voice. Seek Him and listen to His word.

  691. It'll speak to you, allow the Spirit to speak to you as the

  692. Word is preached. Seek him through prayer and give

  693. a still. Moment for his still.

  694. And small voice to speak to your heart and when he speaks to you.

  695. Here is how to have a life that bears fruit.

  696. Unto eternity do. Whatever He tells you to do, by

  697. the power of the Holy Spirit. If you hear his words.

  698. And you do them. Your life will.

  699. Stand. Through every storm so.

  700. We'll conclude our entire sermon series with this.

  701. It's almost a benediction of promise.

  702. For. Every one of us as we wrestle

  703. the question if I give my life to Jesus.

  704. Every detail to the depths of the.

  705. Foundation of my life. Will it be good?

  706. Just bless you with this, the Lord.

  707. Is my shepherd. I.

  708. Shall not want He makes me to lie down in green pastures he

  709. leads. Me besides the still waters,

  710. surely. Goodness and mercy shall follow

  711. you. All the days of your life.

  712. And you will dwell in the House of the Lord for all of eternity.

  713. Amen. Do what he says to you.

  714. Goodness and mercy will follow and you will be with him

  715. forever. Thanks for joining us today.

  716. If you would like to watch the full service, check out the link

  717. in the description. For next steps and to learn

  718. more, visit calvaryboise.com.