· Acknowledgement
· Prayer
· Who is a disciple
· Why Discipleship (Matt 28:19)
· The Sermon on the Mount
· The Two Builders
· Why Do we need a firm foundation
· Three Blocks for Firm Foundation
· Conclusion of three blocks
· Closing Remarks
Who is a disciple?
· A person who believes in the teachings of his master, and practices them.
· Almost great religious leader had disciples eg John the Baptist, Jesus Christ etc.
· Disciple, Discipleship and Discipline all come from a similar root word.
· The life of discipleship is a disciplined life. Discipleship involves real training
· It is the pouring out of lives into another. It is a process, not an event. 2nd Tim 2:2
Why Discipleship?
· It’s impossible for one person to do the work eg. Moses in Numbers 11:14 (not even Jesus)
· Multiplication of workers
· (Moses & the 70, the 12 & the 70, Paul & Timothy)
· Paul boldly proclaimed ‘Imitate me’. Do what I say and do what I do
Why We Need a Firm Foundation
· If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do (Psalm 11:3)
· For the formation of matured character in believers (Ephesians 4:14)
· No building with a weak foundation lasts (Coastal Castles vs Modern buildings)
· Tough times will come our way by way of wind and rain storms
· Crisis; financial, marital or even trial of unanswered prayers
· To help us stand through the tough times
Jesus Christ as our Firm Foundation
· Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone (1st Peter 2:6; Ephesians 2:19 – 22)
· No building with a weak foundation lasts (Coastal Castles vs Modern buildings)
· Some disciples of Jesus departed when he began saying hard things (John 6:60; 66-68)
· Tough times will come our way by way of wind and rain
Building Blocks Necessary for Firm Foundation
Building Block # 1: Relationship with Jesus Christ (Matt 7:22-23)
· Why did Jesus begin the statement with ‘therefore’?
· What does it really mean ‘to know him’?
· To know or to be known?
· Knowledge of the President
· Are we living distinguished lives; different from the world?
· What fruits are we bearing? Matt 7:20
· Christianity is both a public and private acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus Christ (1st John 4:15; Romans 10:9)
Building Block # 2: Obedience to the words of Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:21)
· His words will keep us from SIN (Psalm 119:9, 11)
· Literal meaning of 1st John 3:9 is that a real professing Christian does not sin
· No real Christian will continue to embrace and enjoy the pleasures of sin
· Conviction of the Holy Spirit is like the warning lights in a car’s dashboard
· The Holy Spirit lives within us, and we can't continue to do what we used to do
· Keep God’s Word, it becomes living bread now. Develop an appetite for it. The more you know him, the more you grow.
· The church is more than sermons and bible study. It is Fellowship & Service
· Our belief and our confession in Jesus will result in Jesus changing how we relate to other people (1st John 5:1)
· How do we know that we are loving God’s perfect way? That’s by abiding in His Word (1st John 2:5)
· Hear His Word, keep His commandment and do what He says
Building Block # 3: Perspective of Eternity
· A solid foundation will lead to an eternal future with Christ
· Our lives here are brief, the greater parts are in eternity (James 4:14)
· Seek first the kingdom and its righteousness (Matthew 6:33)
· That priority influences our eternal perspective (1st John 3:2-3, 1st Cor 2:9)
· That hope becomes a firm anchor for our souls
· Heaven’s thoughts become real to us, there will be lots of rejoicing
· Death is not the end of a Christian, it is his door of entry into eternity with the Lord
· Eternal consequences for every action or inaction now,
· Several choices now; but only two predetermined choices after death; Hell or Heaven
· Are you prepared to meet your God (Amos 4:12)
CONCLUSION
· To build your life to last means building for eternity on a foundation of Jesus Christ.
· Do you know Christ? Or do you just know the name and a few things about Christ? Does Christ know you? Are you living as a child of God? Do you exhibit the character of the kingdom?
1. Build a Relationship with Jesus Christ.
· Jesus hated fake religion. Why? Because it kept people from a real relationship with Him. In Matthew 7:20-23, Jesus makes clear that there are many who think they have favour with God but don't, for one simple reason: They don't know Him and He doesn’t either
· To really know Jesus is to have a personal relationship with Him. It's not about faking an appearance at church and going through the motions of doing religious things. It's a personal, intimate friendship with Jesus. That is the first building block for a life that lasts.
2. Be Obedient to the Words of Jesus Christ.
· Every contractor knows just how critical laying a strong foundation is to the stability of a building. Life is no different. We must dig deep into the bedrock of Jesus Christ if we are to weather the storms that will hit our lives.
· What does that mean? It means knowing Christ and His word and doing what we have been taught from His Word. That's why Jesus says in Matthew 7:24, "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock." That's the second building block.
3. Have Eternity in Mind.
You must understand that you were built to live forever. At the same time, you must realize that your physical life is but a vapor and that you will spend infinitely more time in eternity than you spend on this earth.
This knowledge will lead you to live for eternity and to reorder the priorities of your life based on that truth. With that commitment, you have put in place the third building block for a life that lasts.
If you want a life that will last, you will need to have a real knowledge of Jesus Christ and personal relationship with Him, be established in Him and have eternity in mind
Closing Remarks
What if your foundation has already been set up firmly on Jesus Christ, what is next? Let us build on it with the correct materials (1st Corinthians 3:10 – 15)
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