Scripture:
Luke 6:46-49 NKJV
[46] “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? [47] Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: [48] He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. [49] But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Observation:
I think about this scripture often. In fact, it’s one that I quote regularly. One of the reasons I refer to Luke chapter 6 verse 46 a lot is because I think that it’s important to count the cost of following Jesus as our LORD, and I believe that starts with having a proper understanding of what that word means. So I looked it up just so we know what we are getting into. The word LORD in the biblical sense is used in a few different ways in the Old Testament it’s used to refer to GOD the Father and honestly is a translation of HIS real name, which is YAHWAH so when you see the word or title LORD in the Old Testament that’s who we are talking about. In the New Testament, however, the word “Lord” is used in two different ways, but I don’t change its meaning. It’s a title of respect to the king’s profits husbands prophets and respectable noble people. So let’s look at it as it refers to Jesus Christ HIMSELF. The word LORD, as it refers to HIM, refers to a person of authority, someone to listen to and follow. So, the question in verse 46 has a very significant meaning, ” Why do you call Me ‘LORD, LORD’ and not do the things I say? Verse 47 goes on to explain how we need to put action to what the LORD is saying. Jesus describes what it looks like to do so, but as I continued to look at the scripture, the next few verses almost didn’t make sense. They kind of seemed out of place, so I had to pray about it to get a better understanding, and here is what I have come up with. If a man builds a foundation on what he knows, it’s like building a foundation on sand. The way the world operates is not the way that GOD operates. So when Jesus says in verse 48 that you have to dig down deep and find something solid to build on, HE is referring to the word of GOD and if we have spent any time in the bible we can see that what HE is referring to is Jesus Christ HIMSELF. Let’s look at John Chapter 1 verse 1 where John says, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was GOD and the word was with GOD, HE was with GOD in the beginning.” The HE in that sentence is referring to Jesus Christ. HE is the very word of GOD. So, back to the question that was asked in verse 46, “Why do you call Me LORD, LORD, but you do not do what I say? What is truly being asked here is this… are you building your foundation on what you know or what the bible says? Because if you are building it on what you know. You’re building it on the sand. Now, back to the word LORD. I believe it’s important to truly understand this word. Because it will change the course of your life. It’s authoritative. So what, Jesus is saying is why do you say I am the authority in your life but you do not do what I say?
Application:
What is your foundation built on? Do you do what you think is right? Do you search the word before you make decisions, or do you go off of your emotions? Can I tell you something… your emotions will deceive you. They are temporary. GOD wants you to go off of an eternal perspective, not a temporal one. Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6 are great tools to get us outside of what we know and on the right track. ” Trust the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your understanding, acknowledge HIM in all your ways, and HE will make your path straight. GOD’S word needs to be our foundation. HE needs to be the authority in our lives. What we think and what we know is limited to what we see and what we feel. We will never make the right decisions if we make them based on our emotions. We have to stand on the word of GOD digging down the root of the problem…. self will. Giving up our will is not easy. We think we know what’s right. We think we have it all figured out. But we don’t. If you are still calling the shots in your life, it’s only a matter of time, and the wind will blow, and the rain will fall, and the crash of your house that has been built on sand will be great. My encouragement for all of us this morning. Is that we dig into GOD’S word and get all the way to the root of the problem… us. Let’s truly surrender to HIS understanding and plan for us. Let’s seek HIS face. Is HE your LORD in title only, or is HE the ultimate authority in your life. HIS desire for all of us is that we lay down our sin and walk away from it. HE is a perfect gentleman. HE will not make you do it, and HE can’t do it for you. All HE can do is say… am I your LORD, then show me that I am the ultimate authority in your life. Turn from that life to the life I have for you. Build your foundation on me, the rock Jesus christ GOD’S living word, do what what HE says, lean not on what you know. You can’t see the whole picture.
Prayer:
Father, you are good, and your plans for us are good. We need you to lead our lives. Because if we are left you our own ways we will make the wrong decisions, and honestly, we just dont want to go down that road anymore. Help us to trust in your ways and to build our foundation on what you say. We do not want to run to our sin for comfort when it only leaves us empty. So we are asking you to fill our cups completely to the top. So that your Holy Spirit is so evident in our lives that it can not be denied. We want to be Spirit Led and bible Fed. You are our LORD. The authority in our lives. We want that to be seen and nothing else. We ask that your word dwell in us richly. That our heart be filled with your direction and that our feet be firmly planted on your path and that our feet be guided by your word. Let our live show that you are our LORD, that you are the authority in our lives. Let us lay down who we think we are and pick up who you say we are. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen.