Rooted: Application

Sep 30, 2017 by: Sam Hestorff| Series: Rooted
Scripture: Matthew 7:24–27

We are a couple of weeks into a series entitled Rooted and throughout this series we’re going to be asking the question . . . What would it be like if you had an amazing, out of the box, kind of faith?

The kind of faith that no matter what happened you trusted God.  What would that even look like?

Well, when you read the narrative of scripture, what you see is this amazing story of God trying to build into people an extraordinary, out of the box, are you kidding me confidence in him.

The pattern is this . . . relationship built on trust followed by rules/guidelines/covenant.

In other words, “Now that you trust me and we’ve established a relationship with one another, here’s how we will live in that relationship. 

And these rules are designed to create deep roots so that when things in life get a little difficult . . . and they will . . . you will be grounded in trust that I am your God and you are my people.

In the beginning, God created humanity out of his own image and placed them in the garden where they had a relationship built on trust and an understanding that you are the creator and I am the created and that everything You do is for the good.

God gave them rules as to how they would live in relationship with one another in the Garden.

And the break between God and humanity wasn’t because they did 3 out of 4, so God said, “Too bad, so sad . . . now get out.”  The thing that broke the relationship was our refusal to trust God. 

And ever since then, God has been reworking the trust thing.

In the Old Testament, God created the nation of Israel to show the rest of the world what it was like to be in relationship with Him.  And long before he gave the ten commandments . . . he reached into Egypt and said to Israel “Trust me and let me deliver you out bondage.”

And when he did, they were like, “Wow, what a great God!  We trust you.”

Once they had established a trust based relationship, God said . . . “Now, here are some rules that will help us deepen our relationship with one another.”

So, when we get to the New Testament, we shouldn’t be surprised that the driving message is God saying, “I want you to put your trust in me because I’m trying to re-establish a relationship between us.”

So, if you were to ask me what I think God is doing in your life or where is God leading you . . . I can always tell you that he’s trying to teach you to trust him because that is the essence of relationship. 

Good, healthy relationships are built on trust.  If there is trust . . . the relationship can thrive.  If there is a lack of trust, the relationship will struggle.   

God wants you to build deep roots of trust, so that when things get tough . . . and they will . . . your relationship with God remains strong.

So, over the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at some of the things that will help us get rooted in our relationship with God.  Today we’ll be talking about the root of practical application.

Let’s listen to our text this morning . . . READ Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus is at a point in his ministry that he is exceedingly busy!

Everywhere he went, people followed him; some are hurt, some are tired, some are sick and in pain, some fought with demons, some were broken and addicted, and many have been looked down on by the church and sent to the fringes of society. 

When Jesus saw all the people crowded around, he went up on a mountain and he sat down to teach them.  He began, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit.  Blessed are those who mourn.  Blessed are the meek. “ 

On and on he went, naming many of the desperate situations in which those people found themselves and saying the most radical thing . . . In the painful, desperate, hopeless parts of life, you are blessed.

And then he goes on, not only are you blessed but you are the salt of the earth and light of the world.

In other words, they were people standing in the need of God.  And standing in the need of God is the way toward blessedness because in those broken cracks of our lives, we are able to let God’s light in to bless us and make us whole.  

And it’s those same cracks that allow God’s light out as we become salt and light, pointing others toward hope and life through Jesus . . . isn’t that beautiful?

But then . . . Jesus got real.

This section is usually known as the “re-writing of the Law” but Jesus makes it clear that he didn’t come to re-write the law but rather he came to fulfill it.  Hang on to that because we’ll swing back to it later.

He starts out each of these sections by saying, “You heard it said back in the day, but I’m saying . . .”

Basically, Jesus is calling the people back to the image of Moses and the 10 commandments.  But the 10 Commandments were old news for the people gathered on that mountain with Jesus.

Yes, the 10 commandments were the Law but people felt disconnected from them because the religious guys had prioritized law over relationship.  So, these words, which were designed to deepen the roots of the relationship with God had become the cause of much of their pain.

So, Jesus comes in and shakes it up to re-connect people to God and throughout this passage, he echoes the words found in Micah 6:8; “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you God.”

He starts his instructional guide with the topic of murder. Pretty much gets straight to it.

Don’t murder each other; that’s a given. But also . . . if you’re angry with one another, deal with it.

Don’t call each other names . . . or talk about each other behind their back, or post negative things about each other on social media . . . but deal with your issue. 

In fact, if you come to church and the offering plate comes around and you have anger towards someone, don’t put anything in the plate but get up and find that person you’re angry with and work things out with them and then come back to church and work things out with God.

After his words about murder, Jesus moves on to the next exciting topic: adultery, divorce and lust! This section does not rank high on Jesus’ most loved sayings.

But what He is saying is that relationships are important so do the work to strengthen them.

  • Don’t cheat on your spouse.
  • And if you do get a divorce, treat the other person in the honorable way.
  • And if you look at another person with the intent of violating them-you know better.
  • Come on man, get it together.

Also, when you say you’re going to do something . . . do it!

  • If you say yes, then respond with yes.
  • If you say no, then respond with no.

In other words, don’t reply “maybe” on an Evite.  We all know what that means- you’re just waiting to see if something better comes along . . . don’t do that!  You’re not being honest and that doesn’t build relationships rooted in trust.

Finally, he gets into a little love language, thank goodness.  Live generously with what you have been given—live in a way that doesn’t make sense.  

If someone annoys you and you consider that person an enemy, guess what . . . don’t hate them, or carry a grudge against them but rather love them and pray for them.  

Let them bring out the best in you as you proactively work to bring about reconciliation and redemption through the brokenness of the relationship.

When you do this, that’s when you’re living out of your blessedness.  That’s when you’re living as salt and light.

This whole section of scripture is about broken relationships . . . and God wooing people back in to a trust based relationship with him and with each other.

What makes our world more like the Kingdom of God . . . is when we decide to live out of our blessedness . . . which offers salt and light and God’s love and grace to the world.

Our most basic call as people of God is to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.

He wraps it up with the words we heard read earlier . . .

Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

If you want to have an extraordinary, out of the box, are you kidding me kind of faith, the kind of faith that seeps into every part of your life so that no matter what happens you trust God . . . then you’ve got to do these things to strengthen the roots.

You can’t just show up to church and listen to the sermon and take notes.  Somehow thinking that attendance and note taking is what makes the difference.

Jesus is saying, “If you don’t do this stuff, it’s not going to make any difference because the thing that is going to blow up your faith is not hearing, it’s not understanding . . . it’s doing something with it.”

I mean, it’s one thing to believe in nutrition; it’s another thing to eat healthy, right?

Same with exercise.  Believing in exercise, or reading about exercise, or joining a gym, or meeting with a trainer, or buying really-cool exercise clothes, or wearing yoga pants everywhere you go . . . isn’t going to do one bit of good until you apply it.

You’ve got to show up and apply it. 

If you don’t apply it, you’re like the one who has built their entire life on a foundation that will not survive a storm.  It may look perfect for a few days, weeks, months, or years but eventually something is going to come along and undermine it.

But everyone who hears the words of Jesus and puts them in to practice is like a wise man, woman, teenager, student, senior adult, single adult, young married, engaged adult who builds their house on a solid foundation. 

But here’s the deal . . . this stuff is hard, isn’t it?  There are times that what he is asking of us seems impossible.  And I think that’s the point.

Remember what I said earlier? Jesus didn’t come to re-write the law or get rid of the law . . . he came to fulfill the law.  And he did that by living among us, and dying for us.

And when we are broken, when we are standing in the need of God . . . we are on the path toward blessedness because it is in those broken cracks of our lives that we are able to let God’s light in to bless us and make us whole. 

So, when life gets difficult . . . and it will . . . and you don’t think you can live up to these rules and guidelines . . . and you will . . . you will be drawn back to the cross because that is the foundation upon which we build.  And as you lean heavily into the cross, your roots will grow even deeper.

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