Building on the Cornerstone

Ever find yourself saying “No good deed goes unpunished”? No matter how good your intentions seemed at the time, whatever you thought was going to be good blows up in your face.

Ministry is often messy, and almost never simple. We are not perfect, and will make mistakes and face obstacles. Ministry is going to be difficult. Following Jesus will often result in opposition, but with opposition comes an opportunity to grow in our faith and character. It is in this opposition that we can rest on the solid foundation that is Jesus.

Let’s explore two types of grace. First is cheap grace – grace that we consume without any effort, without any cost to us. But at the end of the sermon on the mount, Jesus calls us to another type of grace – to a costly grace. After laying out how we are to live, how we are to be mindful of our hearts, words and actions, Jesus clearly says that we are to act in these ways. That if we don’t follow these teachings, we are as foolish as a person building on sand.

Jesus clearly states that we are to live this sermon – every day. We are not to be simply consumers of grace, we are to hear and obey. It is time to get on it – to serve and love as Jesus has called us to do – wherever we are. This is costly grace.

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This classic song is one that so many can sing by heart – Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me. And here lies the song’s true message. We all can sing it – Jesus loves each and every one of us. If we can accept this, this will change how we interact and treat one another. If I accept that Jesus loves me, than I must accept that Jesus loves you. And I must then love you, just as he commands that we do. We need to do this more, to love one another, as Jesus loved us (John 13:34). Even more so, we are called to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). In living out these commandments, we fulfill Jesus’ call that we will be known as Christians by our Love (John 13:35).

The message this week was shared by Tim Henkel.

We need prayer in our journey to follow Jesus. And Jesus already knew that we would struggle with prayer, so he taught us how to pray. During the sermon on the mount, Jesus clearly lays out how we should pray starting with these words: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:1-15).

In providing us with these words, Jesus not only gives us a powerful prayer, but lays out the framework from which we can build our own prayers. Praying as Jesus taught us is to approach our holy loving Father for our daily needs and forgiveness. It is to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. When we pray this we, we can remain focused on what Jesus wanted us to focus on.

As Jesus speaks to his followers on the mount, he contrasts interpretations of old testament writing with His word (Matthew 5:17-48). He speaks with authority over these things, and cuts straight to the heart. Jesus makes clear that it is not just ones actions but the heart and mind behind those actions. It is the heart that prompts all kinds of behavior, and the heart we must focus on.

If we are to be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), then we must love as He loves. We must work to separate church and hate. True discipleship to Jesus, requires a focus on the attitude of the heart which flows into a witness to the world that produces a life of righteousness that fulfills God’s will for our lives.