Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor
We’re all home builders, building the house of our own lives. How we build and the materials we use determine the strength of our house—and the outcome of our life.
Jesus’ story at the end of his Message on the Mountain might be called, “How to Weather the Storms of Life.” But I wonder if that’s what he was really up to? Perhaps he intended something deeper, something more than just what might be the title to a good self-help book. Perhaps he’s actually telling us something about himself and what he is up to?
Check out: GOD’s Story – Wise & Foolish Builders, Matthew 7:24-29
Why did Jesus have to come to trach us how to withstand the storms of life? What’s really going on here?
Imagine…(just for story’s sake) that there is a God who once upon a time created a good world full of living things all co-existing in intricately interdependent ecosystems. Some of these living things were very much like God himself—created in his image. He put them in charge of his whole creation. Part of their god-like nature was freewill. God’s enemy took advantage of their freedom to choose, enticing them to rebel against their creator. They did. And it messed up the whole spiritual/relational/cosmic ecosystem.
Here’s what happened as a result: (see Genesis 3)
- Shame
- Blame
- Infected Creation
- Distorted Relationships
Welcome to life under the CURSE! –where there seems to be one Life Storm after another!
Now, Still imagining?…What if God looked down, saw all this mess & decided to intervene & undo the Curse, to renew & restore his creation to the goodness he pronounced on it at creation?
This is the plot we see unfolding in the Bible, God’s Story.
This was Jesus’ role as the Key Player in God’s Story. The Apostle John tells us: “The reason the Son of God came was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8b)
So if you’re ever wondering what Jesus is up to or where he’s trying to take us, this is it!
And he’s invited us to join him in this incredible calling of undoing the curse! His offer, his invitation to us, is the same to us as it was to the 12: “Come follow me.”
When we do, here’s what we’re signing up for—here’s where Jesus is taking us:
- Following him, partnering with him to destroy the enemy’s work and undo the curse. J
- Now the storms of life, although they still come, do not have the destructive impact on us when we build our life house on the foundation of Jesus, who said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
- Even our enemy looks on as a helpless bystander watching God’s plan to destroy Satan’s work unfold thru us, God’s People! See Ephesians 3:10; 6:12.
Spoiler Alert: Since we have the whole story, we get to see how it turns out. Here’s what we have to look forward to: Someday, “No longer will there be any curse.” (Revelation 22:3)
Putting the words of Jesus into practice is the wise way we build our lives on a sure foundation. This is how we weather the storms of life and partner with him to destroy Satan’s work and undo the effects of the curse in our world.
What better way to live than to build your life on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching, which will not only undo the effects of the curse in your life, but also in your entire world!
Until one day, we all wake up in the new heaven and the new earth and realize, that because we have partnered with Jesus in this life, there is no longer any curse!
With him we have overcome the Storms of Life!
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