Sermon #38 Luke Sermons

Title: What Is Your Foundation?

Text: Luke 6:46-49

Subject: True and False Religion

Date: Sunday Evening – October 1, 2000

Tape # W-3b

Readings: Office: Merle Hart Auditorium: James Jordan

Introduction:

God saves sinners by free grace alone. We are not saved by what we will, or by what we do.

· Election is by grace.

· Redemption is the work of God’s grace.

· Regeneration is the work of free grace alone.

· We are kept and preserved in grace by grace alone.

I hope you understand the doctrine of Scripture in this matter of salvation. From start to finish, “Salvation is of the Lord!” A spiritually dead sinner has no more to do with the work of the new birth than Lazarus did with his resurrection from the dead.

But that does not mean that sinners are passive in the experience of grace. God does not knock a man in the head and drag him to heaven, whether he wants to go or not. That is not the doctrine of Scripture. God makes his people willing in the day of his power, and graciously causes his chosen to come to Christ.

(Psalms 65:4) "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple."

(Psalms 110:3) "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."

In Luke chapter 6, verses 46-49, our Lord Jesus describes two groups of hearers. He describes two kinds of religious people: Those who are saved and those who think they are saved, though they are lost.

(Luke 6:46-49) "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? {47} Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: {48} He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. {49} But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."

In these verses, the Son of God describes true believers, those who have been made wise by grace, as a people who do some things, a people who, being quickened by his grace, called by his Spirit, and drawn with the cords of love, have been made to want Christ and seek him with all their hearts. Therefore, they hear his Word gladly, do his bidding diligently. Digging deep, they have discovered the Foundation. They build upon the Foundation. And having built upon the Foundation, they stand.

He also describes religious fools. The religious fool (Matt. 7:26) is one who does not take the things of God seriously. He hears the gospel, just like the wise man does; but everything with him is froth and folly. His religion is all on the surface, superficial, and fake. With him, there is no digging, no building, and no standing.

Tonight, I have question for you to consider. I want you to deal with it honestly. – What Is Your Foundation? Is your soul built upon a foundation of earth and sand, or are you built upon the Rock, Christ Jesus?

Proposition: Saved sinners are built upon and build upon the Foundation God has laid in Zion, Christ Jesus.

Hear, now, what the Son of God teaches us in these four verses of Scripture.

I. Religion without Christ is a very common thing.

(Luke 6:46) "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

The visible church has always been a mixed multitude. Tares grow wherever wheat is sown. Goats graze in the same field with sheep. Wherever you find gold, you are sure to find fool’s gold. While he walked and preached in this world, the Son of God himself had many followers who were his disciples in word only, many who pretended to honor him by calling him Lord, but were yet rebels and refused to obey him.

This is the evil which our Lord exposes in verse 46. It has always been a painful fact, throughout the history of the church, that multitudes profess faith in Christ who do not know him. Multitudes wear his name and use it, who do not follow him.

(Isaiah 29:13) "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"

(Ezekiel 33:31) "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness."

(Matthew 15:8-9) "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. {9} But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

(James 1:22) "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Nothing is more soul numbing, nothing is more dangerous to your soul, nothing is more damning than religion without Christ. Nothing is more likely to keep you from Christ than deluding yourself into thinking you have him when you do not. Nothing in all the world is more treacherous to your soul than a mere form of godliness. Nothing is more likely to keep you from seeking refuge than a refuge of lies.

(Isaiah 28:14-20) "Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. {15} Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: {16} Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. {17} Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. {18} And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. {19} From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. {20} For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."

II. True faith is an earnest heart pursuit of Christ.

· Those who are born of God know their need of Christ and seek him with all their hearts.

(Jeremiah 29:12-13) "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. {13} And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

(Philippians 3:7-14) "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. {8} Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, {9} And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: {10} That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; {11} If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. {12} Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. {13} Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, {14} I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

When a sinner knows his need of Christ, when he is fleeing from the wrath of God, when the gaping jaws of hell are before him, when God fixes it so that he is at his wits end and must either have Christ or die forever, he is in dead earnestness. There is nothing half-hearted, indifferent, or careless about him.

A. Every true believer is characterized by three things (v. 47).

(Luke 6:47) "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:"

1. Believers are sinners who come to Christ as their Priest, their Savior, trusting him alone for acceptance with God.

2. Believers are people who hear Christ’s words as their Prophet, as their Teacher.

3. Believers are people who obey Christ as their King, as their Lord and Master.

B. The Lord Jesus describes the believer as a wise man, who builds his house upon the rock.

(Luke 6:47-48) "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: {48} He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."

1. He believes on the Rock.

2. He digs deep, sparing nothing, refusing to build upon any foundation other than that foundation which God has laid, Christ Jesus.

(Isaiah 28:16) "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."

(Romans 9:33) "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

(Romans 10:11) "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

(1 Peter 2:6) "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

3. The house that is built upon the Rock Christ Jesus is stable and secure.

Floods of heresies, streams of adversity, winds of troubles, temptations, and trials beat vehemently upon the house, but cannot shake it!

III. False faith is shallow, superficial, and unstable (v. 49).

(Luke 6:49) "But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."

Notice how our Lord describes the religion of the one who merely professes but does not have faith in him. His religion is a house built upon the shifting sands of the earth.

· Emotionalism

· Excitement

· Intellectualism

· Tradition

· Decisionism

A. It is a house quickly built.

B. The house may look very impressive.

C. But when floods of heresies, streams of adversity, and winds of troubles, trials, and temptations beat upon the house, it falls. Why?

1. There is no more to the house than what could be seen – No Foundation.

2. There is nothing for the house to hold to – No foundation.

Application: Christ is the Foundation God has laid. Will you stumble over him, or build upon him? God help you to build on him.

(1 Corinthians 1:30-31) "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: {31} That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."