Allen Jackson - A New Beginning - Part 1
I want to extend the invitation. I’ve only got a few more days left before we’re gonna move on, but for a long time now, for several years, I invite you at the beginning of the year to read your Bible with us and certainly I wanna extend that. But this year we took a little different tack. I’ve asked you not only to commit to read your Bible, but I suggested we start with the Gospels and an invitation just around the Gospels. There’s only four: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They’re very short books. You’re familiar with most of the characters and many of the places. The story around Jesus’s life is a part of culture. I mean, most of us that are just marginally aware know something that happened in Bethlehem or Jerusalem.
And so the Gospels have a familiarity to them, but with about 10 to 15 minute investment a day, you can read through all four Gospels in just about 60 days. So what I’ve asked you to do is not just raise your hand and say, «I’m gonna read the Bible or read the Gospels». I’ve asked you to invite some people to read it with you. If you have younger children at home, read it with them. You probably won’t make it every day if your life is like most of ours. But let’s say your goal is to read it and you only made it four days a week. You’re four days a week ahead of not reading it. I know you’re busy. I know there’s demands on your time. I know many of the excuses. I’m sure I don’t know them all, but I know many of them. Read it anyway.
All right, invite a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor. Let’s see just how many people will join us in reading through the Gospels. No, I’ve already told you when we get done with the Gospels, I’m gonna ask you to read the rest of the New Testament with me. We’ll have it done by Memorial Day. It’s not a huge lift, folks. I’m not talking about war and peace. This isn’t a Dostoevsky novel. This is just the New Testament. But let’s start with the Gospels. Have you invited somebody? I’ve been inviting, every platform I have been given an opportunity to speak to, I’ve been inviting people to do this. I have an agenda. I believe it will bring good things to your life. I believe it will bring good things to your home, and I believe it could bring the blessing of God to us as a people.
Folks, we don’t have a political problem nearly as much as we have a spiritual problem. And if we can encourage people, invite them, join us, walk with them, whatever that looks like, you’re far more likely to keep a commitment, any commitment, if you make it with another person. If you say to yourself, «I think tomorrow I will diet,» you’ll wake up ravenous and think, «Well, today I’m gonna lay in some extra stores 'cause tomorrow I may diet». But if you tell two people, «Tomorrow, let’s all of us decide we’re gonna eat less,» it’s harder to show up with a dozen donuts under your arm. Use that same imagination and read your Bible with some friends. At least read the Gospels with us.
I believe the Lord will honor it in your life and our lives and in ways I don’t even know how to articulate. That’s really my prayer. We’ve been praying that as our offertory prayer and I don’t wanna turn loose of it yet. It’s too important. I asked some other larger groups to do this with us and they weren’t particularly interested. Doesn’t surprise me. I got it. But I have seen that we’ve been doing this as a congregation for more than a decade and I’m not aware of any other single thing that’s been as transformational. It just changes us. Now I also find we’re terribly resistant to doing something collectively. «Pastor, I’m reading the Bible, but I’m not following our plan». Okay, it’s all right. «You know, I don’t have to read it like systematically every day».
Okay, but I can tell you there is something that is very significant. I had a conversation with a friend this week and he looked at me said, «You know Matthew 25», 'cause it was our portion for the day. And off he went with something that was real to him out of Matthew 25 that morning. And it didn’t require any other background or any other explanation. And if we multiply that across a whole community of people or across even a broader group of people, there’s something significant in that. Just humble yourself and let’s read along for a bit. We’ve been working through a study with the general title of «Stormproof Foundations».
And in this session I wanna talk a bit about a new beginning.mI love the beginning of years. I always liked the beginning of a semester in school, those brief few hours before I was behind. I always have that same sense of anticipation at the beginning of the year. You get a fresh calendar and all of those things. This particular weekend, really exponentially so, we’re on the precipice of a change of administrations in our nation. That’s become something that’s far more tenuous than it once was. You can give the Lord a hand. You know, for all the rhetoric about doing it peacefully and if you’re paying attention and you’re watching it all, almost the exact opposite happens and what we have discovered is we can no longer take for granted things that we have taken for granted most of my life.
Fair elections, the opportunity to vote, simple things. But we are on the the precipice of a change of administrations, and, with that, there’s always a sense of hope and anticipation or dread, depending on where you stand on the spectrum of ideas, but this weekend in particular Kathy and I, we had a number of invitations to be in Washington this weekend for some part of the inaugural festivities and I learned a lot about it just from the invitations. I knew they had a lot of parties, but I didn’t know they were expensive. And I declined a couple and they said, «Well, we will pay for your tickets». And I’m so stupid. I didn’t know there was a ticket, but thank you. And what was in me was a very real sense that it was more important to be here this weekend. And I don’t say that lightly.
I think what happens with the people of God in these next few months is even more significant than what will happen in the political realm. And I’m not suggesting that politics isn’t important. It has a place and a role. I’m not denying that. But I can assure you without significant spiritual realignment and transformation, no changes implemented by politicians are sustainable. You see that every time there’s a change of administration; there’s a great roll back of whatever their agendas were. And if you’re of the opinion that a biblical worldview should influence our lives and our schools and our universities and how we conduct ourselves, then it’s not a long step to say the church has to be different because we’ve been witnessing for several decades the most precipitous decline of the influence of the Christian values, Judeo-Christian values, in the history of the church.
Rome plummeted. They lost an empire. But Christianity only came to the empire late and the decay had already taken deep root. Not so with us. So I like this idea of a new beginning and storm-proof foundations. The bigger picture theme of the discussion is kingdoms in conflict, but I’d like to start with Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 7. He’s giving us some instructions on how to prepare for life. I’m thinking if the King of kings and the Lord of lords is willing to give me a little up close coaching on how to flourish in life, maybe I should pay attention. And that’s precisely what this brief passage has in Matthew 7. Jesus said, «Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them».
I’m gonna read the whole passage and then we’ll come back and unpack it briefly. «Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who’s in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? ' Now I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.' Therefore,» therefore is a summary word. It means «because of what I just said, let me give you the conclusion».
«Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it didn’t fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash».
Thus our title, «Stormproof Foundations». We’re given the opportunity. Jesus gave us a plan, a perspective, some guidelines for how to storm proof your life. You can’t keep storms from coming, but you can make them survivable. I had a conversation with one of the leaders of Samaritan’s Purse on Thursday. They’re building more than 1000 new houses for people who’ve lost them in the floods in Carolina. You can’t keep the storms from coming, but you can build your life on a foundation that will make them survivable.
Now, Jesus gave us some very clear instructions. Let’s go back to verse 19. Jesus presents just two possibilities for every tree. Every tree, he said, that doesn’t bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So there’s two options for trees. Now, God created almost an infinite number of trees, but there’s two options. You’re either gonna bear fruit or be cut down. There’s no third lane. Now, that’s important 'cause that’s the framing of this whole thing. 'Cause when we get to the «how do you stormproof your life»? It starts with a discussion about how to be a sustainable tree. Sustainable farming is very chic. You know, farm to table has become a dining category. The dining category I’m most focused on is fork to mouth, but I’m okay with farm to table. I’m good with that. But the tree… your life and my life, there’s two available options. We’re either going to bear good fruit or we’ll be cut down and used as firewood.
And in verse 20 Jesus gives us a little bit more clarification. He said, «By your fruit, you’ll recognize them». Fruit is the key to identification, not the species, not the denomination, not the worship style, not the wardrobe, not the bank account, not the education, not the IQ, not the physical attributes, not all the things that we use to separate ourselves, not all the characteristics that get pumped into DEI. Those things don’t matter. He said because of the character of your life, there will be a fruitfulness to you and you’ll either bear good fruit or you’re not sustainable. And then he says, in verse 21, something is pretty startling. He said, «Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven».
Well, I don’t know about you, but he’s got my attention. He’s talking to the Jewish people, to the covenant people of God. Their whole lives are invested in the observance of religious rules and rituals. Their diet is defined by that. Their holidays are defined that way. Their physical health is defined that way. They understand themselves to be separate from all other people on earth. And Jesus said that’s really not adequate. There’s more to the story and he gives it to you. Now if you don’t care about entering the kingdom of heaven, you don’t really need to read any further. If that’s of no interest to you, if that’s not on your to-do list, if it doesn’t matter, there’s a biblical description of that.
Jesus gives it to us in the book of Revelation. He says, «Let the one who wants to be righteous be more righteous and let the one who’s wicked be even more wicked». Have the courage to choose. Don’t slouch your way through life. There was a book written some years ago called «Slouching Towards Gomorrah». The title was fascinating to me. Sometimes we act like we don’t have a choice; we’re victims. Folks, evil touches every life, some in far more profound ways than others, but don’t live your life as a victim; choose. The power of God is sufficient to deliver you from any intrusion of evil, anyone. Not saying it’s easy, but it’s possible. Now in verse 22, Jesus gives us the entrance requirement for the kingdom of heaven. He said, «Only he who does the will of my Father. Many will say to me on that day, 'Didn’t we prophesy in your name and drive out demons and perform many miracles? ' And I’ll tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.'»
The interest requirement is «he who does the will of my Father in heaven». We had an enormous school of thought in Christendom that says, «Works don’t matter». «Oh, you’re works-based». «I’m grace-based». You’ve been caught in one of those discussions? Oh, I have. I’ve had to write papers. They meet me up. «Pastor, I know what you said, but let me tell you what I think». Oh, would you? Jesus very clearly is articulating something. I’m not trying to diminish grace, but he said, «The only one gonna enter the kingdom of heaven is he who does the will of my Father in heaven». Well, what about Romans that says, «If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, you’ll be saved»?
I don’t believe Jesus is negating Paul’s explanation. We’re being birthed into the kingdom of God and sustaining a spiritual life are different. We get way heated up about our categories, folks. I don’t want you to be worried about losing your salvation. It’s a fruitless discussion 'cause you won’t really know the answer until it’s too late to amend the outcome. So how about just living every day like it matters. Does that make sense? And Jesus, what he said it was very plain language: «If you don’t intend to do the will of my Father in heaven, you’re not going into the kingdom».
So there is some role for the desire to do the will of God. And then Jesus expresses that it is even more narrower than that. He said, «There will be many», that’s Jesus’s word, not mine. He said, «Many will say to me, 'I prophesied. I drove out demons. I did miracles.'» And that’s not a denigration of prophecy or deliverance or the miraculous. You know, Christians arrive in some goofy places. «See, their healing doesn’t matter unless you’re sick». The larger point is Jesus is saying that group identification is inadequate. You have to decide to bear fruit. You have to have a desire to do the will of God. If you’re using the supernatural as a means of self-promotion, the pursuit of selfish ambition, he said, «Bad fruit. Bad fruit». He said, «I will tell them plainly, 'I don’t know you. You’re an evil doer.'»
Now he’s got my attention, folks. Covenant people doing miraculous things in the context of biblical faith and Jesus says, «I don’t know you». I don’t wanna be in that category. And then the «Therefore». He says, «Therefore» and then there’s this famous little parable that almost everybody that’s ever walked past the church knows. «Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a man who built his house on the rock». Who’s the one that survives the storms? The one who hears the words and puts them into practice. You can’t just hear them. You have to be a practitioner. Well, how do we know if you’re a practitioner? He just told us: «Your life bears good fruit». «Well, I’m more of a student. I’m more of a theoretical. I like to accumulate facts and figures and information and names».
Well, bless your heart. I like to learn too. I could have been a professional student, perhaps, if the Lord had signed off on it. He didn’t. But at the end of the day, we have to put into practice the truth that we know. And Christians are a unique group of folks. We will work really hard to explain that we don’t have to practice what the Word of God says anymore. Please don’t do that. Now, I wanna add to that one more passage. Remember, the goal is how do you stormproof your life. How do you build your life and how do you get into the foundation established so well? Well, one of the more popular approaches to that is just to deny that there’s storms. I don’t believe in the devil. I don’t believe in demons. Christians can’t have a demon. Christians can’t be possessed, and then we start parsing language between possessed… as if we’re not gonna be influenced by evil.
What world are you watching? Well, I enjoy definitions and I think they matter. Words do matter and definitions do matter, but in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10 says, «Finally be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities, against the world powers of this darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand therefore, with the truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet anointed», your feet, I’m sorry, «sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace».
More instructions on what to do in the midst of the storms, how to stand. That’s pretty good coaching these days. It’s not easy to know how to stand. What do you believe? Who do you believe? Where do you go for the truth? What do you do in spite of widespread deception and lies and ungodliness and perversion being sanctioned as appropriate and mainstream? What do you do? Do you be quiet? Do you say something? Do you huddle with a few like-minded people and have a private Bible study about 1st century culture or do you raise your voice and talk about faith in the 21st century? It’s not simple. Well, we have some instructions. Paul says, «First of all to be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength».
That’s verse 10. I love… how are we gonna stand? How are you gonna stormproof your life? We’re gonna have to understand how to be strengthened by the Lord and his vast strength. I don’t believe we’ll make it without that. I don’t believe a one-time interaction with the Lord will be sufficient for you to have the strength you need to stand or we wouldn’t be reminded. Again, I’m not questioning the veracity or the reality or the impact of conversion or the new birth or salvation. I’m very much an advocate. But there are things that come beyond that. I pulled a couple of passages, I won’t read them all, but 2 Timothy 4, this is Paul near the end of his life. He said, «At my first defense, no one came to my support». He’s on trial for his life and his friends abandoned him. That would be difficult.
«Everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength». The Lord gave me strength. There’s all sorts of biblical support for this idea, the angels that ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness. The angel that brought food to Elijah after his confrontation on Mount Carmel and he fled into the desert because Jezebel said she would kill him. Time after time after time, God’s people are strengthened, received strength.
Folks, we better move out of a theoretical faith that puts our bottoms in churches with no sense of application or meaning and learn how to be strengthened by the Lord. Turmoil is upon us. And if you think a new administration is gonna fix this, you’re not paying attention. «Be strengthened by the Lord and his vast strength». Then in verse 11, Paul said, «Put on the full armor of God». It wasn’t a suggestion; it’s a directive. Put on the armor of God. «Well, Pastor», same verse, «Stand against the tactics of the devil».
I have a question. Did you understand? Have you consciously thought about the fact that the devil is a tactician, that he’s a strategist, that he’s not random, he’s not incidental, that he intends your destruction? He plans it; he plots it. If the kingdom of darkness can’t achieve that, they’ll do everything they can to impede, to discourage, to hinder, to resist, to oppose, to diminish. Those are all descriptions we’re given throughout scripture of the impact of evil.
I wanna pray before we go, but I wanna encourage you to begin on a daily basis to maintain your good news list. It’s not just your personal God stories, but the truth of God you see that’s making its way into the public square. It will strengthen your faith and it will help you navigate the confusion.
Father, I thank you that you are the author of truth in life and I pray that you will awaken us to hear your truth, to see it, to recognize it, to understand it, that we may stand in the strength of that life transforming truth. In Jesus’s name, amen.