In this series, we’re trying to wrestle with how significantly Jesus changes a life. Jesus himself described it as someone starting over, being born again.
One of the first Christian leaders, Paul, said it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
This might make it sound like a one time thing, but it’s actually just the beginning of constant transformation. Here’s how Paul put it in Romans 12:1-2 (ESV): “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“
Like when a baby is born, all kinds of development suddenly kickstarts – breathing air, feeding by mouth, seeing unfiltered light, and more. No longer in the womb, a baby’s mind and body start transforming to adapt to a new world.
In coming to earth as Jesus, then dying and rising again to destroy death’s power over humanity, God has reset the world. We can be born afresh into a new world – the kingdom of God.
If you’ve never accepted his offer to reset your life, to make you a new creation, then it’s quite simple. Tell Jesus, then tell someone else.
Start by telling Jesus. Simply pray, and ask him to let you start over. Apologize for all the things you’ve said, done and thought to turn away from him, and tell Jesus you want to turn back to him.
Then tell others. First, let me know, and another Christian in your life who can support you. Then, tell the world, by being baptized. We are about to celebrate Redeemer Church / Redeem the Commute’s first baptism on February 8th, and we’d love for you to be next. This is the way to show on the outside what God is already doing on the inside.
Then follow this series to learn how Jesus intends to transform each area of our lives. How we adapt to the kingdom of God, even in the midst of a world where others haven’t. We’ll look at these key areas of life:
This week, we're looking at foundatinos in life.
Jesus spoke to this in his conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount which we've been exploring. This is our second last week on this theme!
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)
Truth 1: We all build on something in life, and that makes all the difference.
Both guys in this story want the same thing – a house. And they build one.
What’s different is location, location, location.
Just for fun, I recently toured an open house that’s double the price of my own. The house has some premium finishes, sure, but not enough marble and granite to double the price. The price difference was because of the location…the land is what’s most valuable.
Are you happy with where you're building life? We build on all kinds of things: Career, Kids, Sexuality, Power, Control, etc.
We can build some beautiful homes on those foundations, but it's all for nothing if the foundation crumbles and all that beauty falls down.
The foundation in life is the number one decision, upon which all other decisions are dependent. If your foundation decision is about debt reduction, then you'll sacrifice other things to pay down a loan. If it's your kids, then you'll sacrifice travel and independence. These are just examples, of how the foundation impacts other areas of life.
Question: What do you think is the difference between a sand and rock foundation in life? Give some examples.
