House on the Risen Son (Doing)

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the flood waters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.  But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (Luke 6:46-49)

In our previous segments we’ve talked about coming to Jesus. We’ve looked at how he desires us to be hearing him speak. Now, we want to look at a third aspect of  the wise builder: doing. So many today shout “legalism” or “Pharisee” anytime they are told they must obey or do something. We are sometimes sold an imitation gospel here in the USA, one that says all you have to do is come, ask Jesus in your heart, and then; you’ll prosper, achieve your divine destiny, etc… However, Jesus assures us that unless we do something about what we hear as we are coming to him, we are building on unstable ground.

Here, in Luke 6 this doing, the third leg on our tripod, has the same connotations as coming and hearing- it’s a continuous doing.  I want to keep repeating this: coming, hearing, and doing are continuous, a right now ongoing thing. Jesus said his disciples are not just the ones who hear his word but do it. It is those who are coming, are hearing, and finally, are doing that are his disciples. Remember he asked, “Why do you call me Lord and don’t obey me?” You see, when you study the Bible you find out that “being” and “doing” are always linked. If you really are what you say you are you will do his word and not just hear it. Jesus says he who keeps my word, continues in my word, who obeys and does my word; this one is my disciple. None of us are perfect my brothers & sisters, but the New Testament clearly teaches that a disciple is one who is doing the word.

 James 1:22 tells us that the  one who hears and does not do is deceived. Remember how I said that the Greek, here in our Luke 6 text, showed that this coming, hearing, and doing, was something we did ourselves, for ourselves? Well this being deceived is the same type of word. The one who is merely going to the Bible, hearing the words of the Lord, and not doing them, are right now, present tense, walking in deception which they have brought upon themselves. You know, some people enjoy hearing the word of the Lord. Some people enjoy being convicted. I think of Herod who was moved when he would listen to John the Baptist  preach, but; he never did anything about it!!  I want to drive this home: Jesus is telling us that as disciples we must be coming to Him for the word, continuously hearing His word, and continuously doing His word. Pastor Dennis Hall mentions that Christ, while on earth, enjoyed constant communion with the Father as he continuously sought him in times of isolated intimacy. Jesus continuously came to the Father, heard him speak, and then did what he said. And so it is with us- You can’t only come, you have to hear. You can’t only hear you have to do. (One thing we need to remember is that unless this doing flows out of  the intimacy of coming to him we can easily wind up wind up like the Pharisees.)

Let’s come to Jesus and put into practice the things we hear from him. As we do, we will dig deep and build our house on the risen Son of God.