Keith Battle - Rock Solid - Part 2

I’m going back to part two of this series today, Rock Solid, as we focus on building or remodeling our homes God’s way. God has a way that is not always like our way, and so we want to spend some time talking about that today. While we have additional people coming into the sanctuary, one of the things I want to do is ask you to do me a favor: tell someone near you, «I’m glad you made it to church today.» Yes, I’m glad you made it to church today! Even though we rode together, I’m glad you made it. Amen? Amen! Tell the people just walking in, «I’m glad you made it.» Amen! Yes, service dog at 11:30, glad you made it. I don’t want any trouble; man, I really don’t want any trouble. Like, he did push-ups this morning—I’m not looking for any conflict. I know you’re looking for a seat, but I want you to stand with me right now and identify where you’re going to sit as we turn to Matthew chapter 7. I want to go back to that book as we continue to unpack this time in God’s word. Matthew chapter 7, beginning in verse 24. Here’s what the Word of God says in the New Living Translation: «Anyone who listens to my teaching"—listen to Jesus—"and follows it is wise. They are like a person who builds a house on solid rock.» And though the rain comes, the floods rise, and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it’s built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. «When the rain and floods come"—somebody say, «when it’s coming"—"and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.» You may be seated.

In part one of this series, you may have noticed some differences. I want to shout out our creative graphic design team; they are adding components to the graphics and the setting each time. Last week, I was talking in a setting that was just framed right—it was in the very early stages of this renovation—and there was different stuff on the stage. This week, they have upgraded, and now we’ve got some drywall in. We’re producing! And we’ve got a little door here in case I want to just walk through it for no reason, just to make a point and act like I’m preaching well. But I can’t get through the door because they have bags behind it. So what a meaningless prop that is! Amen? Then I’ve got a little window here in case I just want to holler at y’all like this— you know what I’m saying—but they told me not to lean on it; it might fall. So, I’m just saying we need more offerings so we can get better props—little props falling down, and I can’t open it anyway. You see, when I get the joke, I just lose my little spot.

In part one, we talked about the importance of not just listening to what God says, but obeying it. That’s the secret sauce. It’s not just hearing it—hearing is important because remember, we hear 25,000 words a day whether we want to or not. So it’s important that we include His words in what we hear, but it’s not enough to hear it; you’ve got to obey it. Listen to how James talks about this. In James chapter 1, he says, «But don’t just listen to God’s word; you must do what it says. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourselves.» The New King James says you’re only deceiving yourself. It’s one thing to deceive other people; it’s a whole different level when you self-deceive. Self-deception comes from people who get a lot of word and preaching and teaching in church but don’t apply it. It gives you a false sense of security because you’re under the word, but you aren’t safe if you aren’t obeying it. You’re not anything; you just have knowledge. Dr. C. Eric Williams says, «A head full of sense and a heart full of sins is a bad combination.» The word of God has to move twelve inches down from your head to your heart to transform your life. It has to become a part of who you are.

Going back to James, it says, «For if you listen to the word and you don’t obey it, it’s like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.» Somebody say forget. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. God will bless you for doing what you’ve heard. But here’s the challenge, y’all: we can’t forget it. It’s so easy to forget what God says because we have so many other influential words in our minds—philosophies and things we’ve picked up along the way from the streets and from family, colloquialisms, and vernacular. Somewhere in there, we’ve got to fill ourselves with what God says because that’s what matters most. That’s what’s going to make us storm-proof. What makes our house stand is obeying what God says.