Ryan Sim - July 10, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - Foundations

Yesterday we saw one truth from Jesus' story about foundations in life: that we all build on one foundation or another. Truth 2: Difficult times will come to all. We are all subject to the same rains, winds. Both houses face the same problems, but their foundations are differently equipped to withstand such pressures. IF built on sand, then great was its fall. If my identity is based on a stock portfolio, then when the market drops, my life falls apart. If my identity is built on my physical health or beauty, the moment I get older, or get a bad diagnosis, I’m shaken. I can’t be who I thought I was forever. If my identity is on my kids becoming what I expect, I can ride high when things are good. I can be proud of their accomplishments, and so on. But that good life is easily shaken. If they make bad choices, don’t choose a prestigious career, I'm done and can do little to fix the situation. But if my identity is not on kids, but on God, following Jesus to him, then it’s built on rock. Then if my kids make bad choices, my identity is not shaken. I will be heartbroken, but by knowing who I am and that my foundation is on a solid rock, I will be able to reach out a hand to help them while they sink in sand. If my stock portfolio drops, I will be able to live on, knowing that I’ve invested in eternal treasure, and didn’t wrap myself up in that financial identity to the point of unnecessary risk. As my body begins to age or sustains injuries or illness, I can see it all in perspective. My life is built on my relationship with God, and my body is meant to serve that purpose. I’m not here to serve my body. We'll see tomorrow how that looks in practice. Question: How can foundations in life crumble? What kinds of winds or rains expose their sandiness? We meet for coffee every Wednesday night at Starbucks in the Chapters Store in Ajax, in Durham Region just East of Toronto. Maybe we'll see you there?

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From Series: "Sermon on the Mount"

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There is some teaching, especially when it’s unoriginal and shallow, that you can take under advisement. You can simply say, “That’s interesting” and then move on with your life.

We read stuff like this all the time. Magazine articles. Newspaper. Blogs. Facebook posts. Some people are very skilled at rehashing other people’s research in entertaining and interesting ways.

I often read things that are of little value to me. They’re just interesting, and not going to change my life.

I hope the Sermon on the Mount we’ve been studying is not that way for you.

We saw last week – hearing and living these words is like building upon a stone foundation for life. Hearing and ignoring these words is like building on a sand
foundation that washes away.

How you hear the Sermon on the Mount is like the difference between a wedding announcement and invitation.

With a wedding announcement in the newspaper or on Facebook, you say, “Oh, look, they’re getting married, how nice”.

An invitation is quite different, since it has your name on it. It’s for you. We want you to come.

The Kingdom of heaven is often described as a party, and it would be a party with the most original, profound teacher ever at its centre. The very source of truth, wisdom is the attraction.

His way of life would now be the only reality. The kingdom he’s been describing, would be there in living colour.

He’s issued that invitation to you. Come to my kingdom, my celebration, my party. And this is not just a future reality, somewhere else. It’s something we are called to start practicing now, really living it out, to be ready for the full production .

Life on earth is meant to be a practice party, and you’re invited.

We’re establishing a new church, or Christian community, in Ajax – and it will be built on the model of a party with Jesus at the center.

It will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. We’re planning our first party for this fall.

Challenge: We’re running a poll right now, that you can find in our app or here on our web site: bit.ly/15B2yry Tell us what kind of party you could RSVP to!

Watch the Video: : http://vimeo.com/70141643