House on the Rock

Matthew 7:21-29

New International Version (NIV)

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Suggested Hymns and Songs:

Jesus is Lord

I’m want to serve the purpose of God

Don’t build your house on Sandy Ground

The wise man built his house upon a rock

Speak O Lord as we come to you (S Townend)

Blessed be the name

In Christ alone.

Series of Addresses throughout the service

Those of you who are familiar with this hymn ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds’ will know the very next word that comes after:

My Shepherd, Brother, Friend,

My Prophet, Priest and King. . .

It is in fact:-

My LORD.

The word LORD means Master, Ruler… a name given in the bible to refer to Jesus and God

Have you ever played this party game: (paper on back)Imagine this paper is on your back and I am trying to give you clues as to who it is.

Lord is his correct title
He sits on a throne
Everyone stands in awe of him and his giftedness
Music sounds at the very mention of his name
People hang on his every word, he has absolute authority
He is qualified to speak
He passes judgment and makes the ultimate decisions
People bow down and worship him

Who is it? You could be forgiven for thinking I am talking about Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I’m actually talking about Jesus.

I don’t know if you saw last night’s finals of ‘I’ll do anything’. I love that show, but there’s one part I really can’t stand, and that’s when they play that music ‘Daa da da da da daaaah~~~~, and the judges bow before him, and mock worshipping him.

BUT Andrew Lloyd Webber only lords it over his little part of the world, in his line of work, on television and in London theatres.

Christians worship Jesus for exactly the same reasons (as above), but Jesus has been given the ULTIMATE AUTHORTY by God…over ALL nations. So it says in Matthew 28, we read that he commands that ALL should be baptized. He is the MASTER, we his servants and we are to obey him and follow ALL his teaching, if Jesus truly is our Lord. (Hymn: Jesus is Lord)

Second hymn: about service: It’s is a radical song for a radical people. It’s not one to be sung lightly because God takes us at our word! “I so much want to serve you in this world Lord. What’s on your heart? Tell me what to do.!”

The BIG question is ‘Do we really WANT TO KNOW what is on God’s heart for us? Do we really want to put our faith into action?

If we say that Jesus is LORD of our lives, we should want to imitate him and follow his example, and obey his teaching.

‘Not everyone who says ‘Lord , Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of God,’said Jesus, ‘but only he who does the will of my Father”!’ Let’s listen to this reading from Matthew’s gospel.

Reading: Matthew 7. 21-end

Intro to Song; Don’t build your house

You’ve just heard the GRAND FINALE of what we call Jesus finest sermon...one he preached on a mountain top. The summary, the bringing together of everything he was trying to teach the people on that mountain. So this reading is something to get excited about! It’s Jesus in the pulpit; him preaching this vision of what God’s kingdom on earth could look like. This is how he lived HIS life, when he lived among us.

He is the SOLID ROCK upon which to build our lives.

It’s a pen portrait of him! This next song tells us that we had better build upon this Rock!

Introduction to drama:

Now it’s not often that we hear testimonies in church these days, but I know that people who have attended the recent J John talks have appreciated them; they can be so uplifting and inspiring. Well a short while ago someone offered to tell their story of faith, and I’m so grateful to him this morning.

Could that be him I wonder? He’s a bit late. Would someone invite him in?

If our faith is REAL; our love for God REAL, then we will want to put our faith into action.

DRAMA:

Mr Muck: A drama about commitment (or should I say lack of it).

Enter a man wearing a raincoat, with a string tied round his waist as a belt. He looks dishevelled, has muddy boots on his feet and doesn’t look at all clean…and yet he believes in soap. In his large plastic bag, he carries a range of empty soap boxes. (all mentioned in the drama) They are numbered, so he can lift each one out as he mentions them, and he will show them to the audience and then place them on a table.

Hello, my name is Mr Muck,

I want to tell you about something that has really changed my life.

The main focus in my life used to be dirt, but now since I’ve discovered soap, I can’t stop talking about it.

Soap is so special to me.

Do you catch my DREFT? There I go, bringing soap into the conversation.

Let me tell you my story? But you’ll have to help me out ‘cos sometimes I’m lost for words?

Well really it all happened in a FLASH.

It all started the other day with this girl in the local corner shop.

She was standing behind the counter waiting to SURF me.

I went up to her and she said “I know just what you need”.

I thought oh me LUX in. She must fancy me.

I was completely BOLD over.

I felt like a real MR MUSCLE.

She told me how soap could really change my life…RESCUE me! Nay…REVIVE me!

I’ve never looked back.

From that point on, soap meant everything to me. I really discovered something to SHOUT* about.

And now I just want to tell everybody about the life~changing message of soap. It doesn’t matter if folk think I’m SIMPLE.

So the first thing I did, was go to me DAZ house, to tell me mam and dad.

I thought I’ll BOUNCE my message off them, and see what they say!

I said to them “I’ve brought you some real words of COMFORT”

And I told them how soap could make all their problems VANISH.

My dad said to me “Son that’s a real PEARL of wisdom and I’m sure it will SHIELD me for the rest of my life.”

My dad said to me mam “Here go and rub that soap on your PALM OLIVE, it’ll do you the world of good.”

She looked at me with her bathroom cream cleanser in her hand and said “Hold on a JIF.” (aside…Only it’s CIF now)

“You come in here and go on at us about soap, but you still look as dirty as ever to me”.

That was the FINISH*, as far as I was concerned, I had enough!

So I said to her. “Well you don’t expect me to wash in it do you?

Do you?”

Addresses cont’d

I feel I should say thank you to Mr Muck, but I’m not sure what for.

We could take the easy way and just ignore Jesus’ teaching and build on shifting sand. Unfortunately if we do, all that we have built will quite simply NOT STAND when trouble of any kind comes, or persecution or when Jesus comes as Judge at the end of time.

What does it look like to build on sand? Have you ever looked at the exact opposite of those words from Jesus sermon on the mountain? To study the opposites could well help us see ourselves as we really can be, as individuals, as a community, as a nation within our world.

Intro to song:

Let’s ask God to speak to our hearts this morning, asking him what he wants to say to us. In order to do this I would like to sing a song you won’t know, but as you hear it and familiarize yourself with it, please join in when you feel led you to, and make this prayer your own.

Hymn: Speak O Lord

Pope John Paul I was probably the most Christ like pope ever known. He did not live long in office sadly, but he was very wise and compassionate leader. When he was younger, his father gave him one piece of advice he never forgot: he said to him, ‘Each time that the fork in the road comes up, ask yourself, ‘Now what would Jesus do in this case?’

And that’s what this Quiz is all about, to ask ourselves , ‘What would Jesus do or say in this situation.’

QUIZ:

I already have some team leaders.

John (Joseph? ECC? Longest serving member? Problem solver?) ~ the Egg heads

Hannah~ the children who are putting down roots tentatively, testing the ground, seeing what they believe… the Potato heads.

Steve~ the young intelligent ones with all the brains, judging by all the exams they do ~ the Big heads

1) The ability to feel for others and act on their behalf

One Sunday , just before the service is about to begin, the door creaks opens and in walks a character, just like Mr Muck. He saunters right down the centre aisle, with the entire congregation staring at him, and he sits on the carpet at the front of all the pews. The Church Warden, a fine upright person, feels that he is required to do something about this man. What would Jesus do if he were the Church Warden?

(True story told to us by a visiting bishop, Jack Nicolls, Bishop of Sheffield). The Church Warden actually went up to sit on the carpet next to the man, took his own shoes off and sat beside him throughout the service.)

2) To be merciful and compassionate

I want you to imagine a freezing cold day in Romania. The missionary, is suitably dressed to face the sub zero temperatures. She is carrying a bag of food, and is being taken to the place where the street children can be found. She is shown to the sewers, and the heavy manhole cover is lifted back for her. A carer shouts for the orphans and their little faces slowly appear from beneath the ground, and out they come. What would Jesus have done if he were the missionary?

(This story is in fact rue. In fact it was only when this new missionary got home, she broke down in tears because she had not thought to give one of the children her coat, )

3)To do what’s right, even though it means being ridiculed.

A young teenager was in a coffee bar with all his friends. Later in the evening he stood up and said he had to be in by ten. Everyone laughed and jeered at him and called him names. If this young person were Jesus what would he do ? Would he have bowed to peer pressure and sat down again?

(True story, though I’m not sure of the source. The boy turned to his friends and said with a smile on his face, ‘Yeah, but my mam loves me, and off he went home’

4)To possess a gentle humble spirit

An evangelist/speaker is due to give a sermon based upon ‘Love in Action’ to a packed audience in a large marquee. However as he drives away from the house, his wife is on his mind. They had an argument just before he left, and he knows his wife will be probably crying in the kitchen on her own. But he is already slightly late to get there in time to prepare for his meeting. What would Jesus do in his place?

(True story, this man was an important religious figure ? And he felt Jesus saying to him, right you go off to your meeting without me, and I’ll be here comforting your wife in the kitchen)

5) To care deeply about what is right and just, and not be afraid to speak out.

A priest once stood in a pulpit and began to preach to his people, on the subject of World Poverty. He opened with these words. ’30,000 people die every single day, because of poverty, and no-one !*!$% cares! He used a swear word. As his congregation left church, every single one complained and some told him in no uncertain terms, that if he swore in church again, he would be asked to leave. What would Jesus have said to them?

Again a story I heard which they said was true. It’s an interesting fact that the cost of weapons of war throughout the world rose to just over £500 million pounds ($1000 million) in last year alone. It takes 40p per DAY to feed, house, clothe & educate one child in India, Africa, or Indonesia. What is Jesus be saying to us today?

That’s one for us to think about! Thank you to our teams.

End of quiz add up scores.

Addresses cont’d

If Jesus is Lord of our lives, then we will want to show our love and regard for him, with a faith which shows itself in action for him..

Obedience is crucial to the teaching of Jesus. Jesus did not teach merely to inform us, to enlarge our reservoir of knowledge. Jesus did not teach merely to entertain us, to make us feel good for the moment. Jesus taught the disciples to change them, to transform them!

Can we honestly say, ‘I’d do anything’ …. for him?

If the tempests should ever come, or if the darkness ever closes in on us,

will we stand firm with our faith built on the Rock?

Hymn: Blessed be the name

Prayers

The grace

Final hymn: In Christ alone.