Building on the Rock: A Life of Resilience
Summary
In Luke chapter 6, Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Plain with a powerful illustration about two types of builders, urging us to build our lives on the unshakable rock of His teachings. This message challenges us to not only hear His words but to act upon them, likening those who do so to a wise builder who digs deep and lays a foundation on solid rock. This foundation ensures that when life's inevitable storms come, our lives remain steadfast and unshaken. The sermon emphasizes the importance of not just calling Jesus "Lord" but truly making Him the Lord of our lives by following His teachings.
Reflecting on the necessity of a strong foundation, I shared a personal story about living in Florida, where homes are built to withstand hurricanes. This serves as a metaphor for our spiritual lives, where we must anticipate and prepare for life's challenges by grounding ourselves in Christ. Just as homes in hurricane-prone areas are constructed with resilience in mind, our lives must be built on the bedrock of Jesus' teachings to withstand spiritual storms.
To dig to the rock, we must first recognize Jesus as Lord, come to Him personally, hear His words, and then do them. This process involves moving beyond mere acknowledgment of Jesus' divinity to actively engaging with Him and His teachings. It's not enough to simply know about Jesus; we must experience Him and allow His words to transform us. This transformation is akin to stepping onto a plane, trusting it to carry us safely, rather than just believing it can fly.
Ultimately, the call is to live out the teachings of Jesus, applying them in our daily lives. This includes loving our enemies, practicing the golden rule, and embodying the light of Christ in the world. By doing so, we ensure that our spiritual house is well-built and capable of withstanding any storm. The promise of Jesus is not a life free from challenges but a life that remains unshakable through them, anchored in His eternal truth.
Key Takeaways:
- Foundation on the Rock: Building our lives on Jesus' teachings is essential for spiritual resilience. Just as homes in hurricane-prone areas are constructed to withstand storms, our lives must be grounded in Christ to endure life's challenges. This foundation ensures that when storms come, we remain steadfast and unshaken. [01:43]
- Recognizing Jesus as Lord: It's crucial to not only call Jesus "Lord" but to truly make Him the Lord of our lives by following His teachings. This involves moving beyond mere acknowledgment of His divinity to actively engaging with Him and His words. [10:20]
- Personal Relationship with Jesus: We must personally come to Jesus, experiencing Him and allowing His words to transform us. This is akin to stepping onto a plane, trusting it to carry us safely, rather than just believing it can fly. [15:35]
- Hearing and Doing Jesus' Words: Knowing Jesus' words deeply is vital, but it's not enough to simply hear them. We must apply them in our daily lives, embodying the light of Christ and living out His teachings, such as the golden rule. [22:36]
- Enduring Life's Storms: The promise of Jesus is not a life free from challenges but a life that remains unshakable through them, anchored in His eternal truth. By building our lives on the rock of Christ, we ensure our spiritual house is well-built and capable of withstanding any storm. [30:10]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:43] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Plain
- [02:53] - Building on the Rock
- [05:06] - Lessons from Florida Homes
- [06:53] - The Empire State Building Analogy
- [08:40] - Four Layers to the Bedrock
- [10:20] - Calling Jesus Lord
- [12:12] - Jesus as the Rock and Lord
- [13:46] - Personal Relationship with Jesus
- [15:35] - Coming to Jesus
- [18:02] - Faith Beyond Theology
- [19:26] - Trusting in Jesus
- [21:19] - Hearing Jesus' Words
- [22:36] - Doing Jesus' Words
- [26:15] - Building a House that Stands
- [30:10] - Enduring Life's Storms
- [31:01] - Hymn: My Hope is Built
- [32:07] - Declaration of Faith
- [33:53] - Conclusion and Worship
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Luke 6:46-49: "But why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he's like. He's like a man building a house who dug deep, laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke out against the house and could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." [01:43]
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the two types of builders Jesus describes in Luke 6:46-49, and what distinguishes them from each other? [01:43]
2. How does the sermon illustrate the importance of building a strong foundation in our spiritual lives? [05:06]
3. What personal story did the pastor share to emphasize the need for spiritual resilience, and how does it relate to the sermon’s message? [05:06]
4. According to the sermon, what are the four layers we must go through to reach the bedrock of Jesus' teachings? [08:40]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does recognizing Jesus as Lord go beyond merely acknowledging His divinity, according to the sermon? [10:20]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that a personal relationship with Jesus is similar to trusting a plane to carry you safely? [19:26]
3. What does the sermon imply about the difference between hearing Jesus' words and doing them, and why is this distinction important? [22:36]
4. How does the sermon use the metaphor of homes built in hurricane-prone areas to explain spiritual preparedness? [05:06]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you call Jesus "Lord" but struggle to follow His teachings? How can you begin to align your actions with His words? [10:20]
2. Consider a time when you faced a personal storm. How did your spiritual foundation hold up, and what steps can you take to strengthen it for future challenges? [30:10]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of coming to Jesus personally. What practical steps can you take this week to deepen your personal relationship with Him? [15:35]
4. Identify one teaching of Jesus that you find challenging to apply in your daily life. What specific actions can you take to start living out this teaching? [26:15]
5. How can you incorporate the practice of hearing and doing Jesus' words into your daily routine? What changes might you need to make to prioritize this? [22:36]
6. Think about a person in your life who might be struggling with their spiritual foundation. How can you support and encourage them to build their life on the rock of Christ? [28:09]
7. Reflect on the metaphor of the plane used in the sermon. What is one area of your life where you need to "step onto the plane" and fully trust Jesus? [19:26]
Devotional
Day 1: Building on the Unshakable Rock
Building our lives on Jesus' teachings is essential for spiritual resilience. Just as homes in hurricane-prone areas are constructed to withstand storms, our lives must be grounded in Christ to endure life's challenges. This foundation ensures that when storms come, we remain steadfast and unshaken. [01:43]
"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built." (Luke 6:48, ESV)
Reflection: What specific teachings of Jesus do you need to focus on to strengthen your spiritual foundation today? How can you begin to incorporate them into your daily life?
Day 2: Recognizing Jesus as Lord
It's crucial to not only call Jesus "Lord" but to truly make Him the Lord of our lives by following His teachings. This involves moving beyond mere acknowledgment of His divinity to actively engaging with Him and His words. [10:20]
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life are you acknowledging Jesus as Lord but not fully submitting to His guidance? What steps can you take to align your actions with His teachings?
Day 3: Personal Relationship with Jesus
We must personally come to Jesus, experiencing Him and allowing His words to transform us. This is akin to stepping onto a plane, trusting it to carry us safely, rather than just believing it can fly. [15:35]
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8, ESV)
Reflection: How can you deepen your personal relationship with Jesus today? What practical steps can you take to experience His presence more fully in your life?
Day 4: Hearing and Doing Jesus' Words
Knowing Jesus' words deeply is vital, but it's not enough to simply hear them. We must apply them in our daily lives, embodying the light of Christ and living out His teachings, such as the golden rule. [22:36]
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one teaching of Jesus that you have heard but not yet put into practice. What is one concrete action you can take today to live out this teaching?
Day 5: Enduring Life's Storms
The promise of Jesus is not a life free from challenges but a life that remains unshakable through them, anchored in His eternal truth. By building our lives on the rock of Christ, we ensure our spiritual house is well-built and capable of withstanding any storm. [30:10]
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:2-3, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a current challenge or storm in your life. How can you rely on Jesus' teachings to remain steadfast and unshaken through this trial? What promise of God can you hold onto during this time?
Quotes
1. "But the sermon ends with a stark warning of two types of builders. And Marie did a great job of talking about David, where he's talking about that God is my Savior. And he's talking about that God is my Savior. And he's talking about that God is my rock. Because Jesus grabs this rock language here all throughout the Bible where God is described as a rock and then challenges us to dig down deep that we might build our lives on him, namely on the rock of Christ Jesus, on his word." ([00:00:47] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "And so be like that house whose foundation is built on you and on your teaching that we would stand when the storms of this life hit us. God, I pray for anyone walking through a storm right now who's experiencing it, that today would give them the means and the grace to persevere and not to fall. And for each one of us, Lord, that we would anticipate future storms and hear this word today and prepare this day in light of that day that we might stand. We thank you, Jesus, that you are unshakable." ([00:03:27] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "If you're going to build a home there, you should anticipate hurricanes, he's saying. You should anticipate flooding, and you should build your homes to prepare for them. Well, Jesus gives us a similar warning at the end of the Sermon on the Plain where he says, when floods come, how you built your house and what you build your house on will determine the outcome of whether your house will stand or whether it will fall in the flood and be swept away." ([00:06:36] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "And Jesus says we should build our lives on the bedrock. Who and whom is the bedrock? It is Jesus and his teaching. And so with these four layers in mind, I have four leggers for us from this text to see whether we're actually hitting rock bottom, whether we made it to the bedrock of Jesus for the building of our house. So here are the four layers. To dig to the rock, first we must call Jesus Lord." ([00:09:14] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "He's rebuking people for calling him Lord, Lord, and not doing what the Lord says to do, right? Keep in mind this whole sermon, if you want to look back at verse 17, it says, He came down with them, with whom the apostles, right, the 12, stood on a level place. That's where we get the title, the Sermon on the Plain, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of all people from everywhere, right? So we have a crowd of thousands of people potentially here, but in the crowd are his disciples and the 12, including those who are leaning in. And to decide whether they want to follow Jesus as Lord." ([00:10:36] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "Jesus won't be put up on a pantheon of gods and say, I like Jesus a little bit more than the rest, but they all good, right? He always holds himself up and says, in this story and elsewhere, you have to listen to me or your house will be obliterated. Those are some bold claims for our lives, and either they're true or they're not. Or they're not. They're true. That's what Jesus is saying. You have to call him Lord, and we'll look at how we follow him as Lord in a moment, but he is Lord. He's not crazy here. He's saying he is the rock. He is Lord." ([00:14:28] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "And until I step onto a plane, I haven't really exercised any personal faith in planes, right? If I'm like, I believe planes fly, but I've never even gotten caught dead on one of those things, right? It's not until you step into the plane and feel it carry the weight, right, and take you where you need to go. And true saving faith is like that, where we exercise. We don't just believe about Jesus. We believe in Jesus. We get into Christ. We step onto the plane." ([00:20:05] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "Jesus wants you to believe in him. He wants you to get onto the plane and entrust your life to him in such a way that if you were to jump from the plane, putting everything on the line to say, Jesus will carry me to safety. That's what it means to come to Jesus, to believe in Jesus." ([00:20:41] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "Now this is where Jesus has been going with this whole sermon, right, up to this climax at the end. He's like, you heard the whole thing, and there's two kinds of lives here, just like there were two kinds of trees earlier, remember the evil and the good tree, right? He's like, there's two kinds of builders in this world. Those who hear and apply it, and those who hear and do nothing." ([00:21:46] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "Jesus Christ is the same, my Bible says, yesterday, today, and forever. Which means the Jesus that we worship in 2024 is the same Jesus that preached this sermon thousands of years ago, amen? Jesus will not be made into our image. We must be made into Jesus's image, which means we need the word of Christ to wash over our lives again and again and again." ([00:24:01] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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