Two Foundations

A message summary of January 10, 2016 from Columbus Morgan:

One thing that Jesus brings attention to in Luke Chapter 6 is His foundation.  It is very important to understand.

In my past, I have worked in the restaurant business for much of my life, and I understand the importance of service.  This message is not about working in a restaurant, but it is about service, and it will be about discipleship.

In Luke Chapter 6, Jesus’ popularity is soaring.  There were many crowds that formed around them, and Jesus was providing instruction to his disciples:

Luke 6:40

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

There is no way to follow Jesus unless you enter into a Trainer-trainee relationship.

When a person is asked about what it means to be a Christian, you will likely receive many different answers.  There are many who call themselves Christian but there is no interest in entering into a Trainer-trainee relationship.  In order to be a true follower of Christ, Jesus must train you.

Christianity without discipleship, is lethal.

Jesus told His disciples that if they follow His teaching, then they will follow Him.

In order to be taught by Jesus, there must be a desire to be changed.

Luke 6:47-48

I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

That firm foundation is a solid rock of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

It will be a well-built house that resides in Christ.  Building on the bedrock of Christ will be solid, and the training that a person experiences will rely upon the foundation of Christ in order to grow and develop in the training.  Anything less than a firm foundation, including choosing not to take instruction, will not allow for the proper growth or development.

Luke 6:49

But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!

When Jesus was speaking to the disciples, He was speaking to the Twelve, and He also spoke to the seventy others who were disciples.  Two groups heard His words and listened.  One group chose to follow Him, while the other separated from Jesus.

James 1:22

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Developing a heart for God means making the declaration that you will follow the Lord (and even repeating these words as often as necessary to yourself to remind yourself of the determination needed to stay with it).

Why do we not do what God says?

“I don’t like being told what to do.  I like doing things my way.”

“I’m happy to do things my way and I don’t need to change anything.”

“I don’t want to trust You and Your Word, Lord.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.

Jesus gives us some things that He wants us to work with that are tough to do (but they can still be done):

Love your enemies; specifically, those who even persecute you.

God will work on your heart in developing you to be able to do this.  This is a trust issue about Christ and what He means to you.  It is a very deep-seated issue for many.  This is a very important aspect of discipleship and the Trainer-trainee relationship.

Jeremiah 33:1-3

While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: “The Lord who made the earth, the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name, says this: Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

Psalm 91:15

When he calls out to Me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and give him honor.

God wants those who are following Him to call on Him, and He promises that He will answer.

What God is asking for us to do is to let go of the things that we hold dear and give our lives to Him.

You will have completed your training when we become like Him; therefore, you are still in training right now.

The training that you will receive from God will change your life and change your family because you choose to submit to Him and listen to His Word.

Consider the Lord’s Prayer as a way of life and putting it into practice.

Matthew 6:9-13

 “Therefore, you should pray like this:

I want that to be my prayer.  I want it to be the prayer of the church.  I want that to be everyone’s prayer.

There is a work that is waiting to be done in your life.

Philippians 1:6

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

As you become trained, Jesus Christ wants to develop you to be a trainer yourself.  There is a Great Commission that is waiting to be carried out.

Matthew 28:19-20

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

By making disciples, we are coaching and encouraging others to have the desire to seek God in everything.

God will create opportunities for you to share Christ as you commit to following Jesus.  He can make you a person of grace before others who may not deserve grace.  He can make you as a person who is merciful to those who do not deserve mercy.  He can make you to be a messenger for Christ.

Take the time to get quiet with the Lord and examine where you are in Jesus Christ.  God will show you, and then you can take it from there.