Building a Life - Week 3 Serve Him Only 4/16/2023 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like aa 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 aa 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 Review: Week 1: “Follow me.” Submission Death/Sacrifice Immediacy Believer vs Follower Believer Acknowledges Jesus is the Son of God Knows that Salvation is through Christ Understands that God alone is Holy Recognizes God authority and power Comprehends God’s Word as Truth Is “me” centric Follower Acts on what he/she believes Submits to one he/she serves Obeys the commands of the Master Lives as the Master lives Conforms to God’s will There is an eternity of difference between a believer in Jesus Christ and a follower of Jesus Christ Which will you be? Week 2: “Love the Lord your God” Love is not an option for a Follower Love is more than a feeling it is a choice made into the future Love is made real when tested and lived out Genuine Love for God and will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things, and NEVER STOP There is an eternity of difference between having a feeling and loving God as a follower Which will you choose? “Him only shall you serve” God commands worship ONLY Him And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” Luke 4:5–8 Idolatry is SIN Anything can become an IDOL Anything that captures the heart Anything that controls the mind Anything that drives the soul Anything that consumes your strength Idols cause Chaos/Pain What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:1–3 Idols steal God’s glory and their lies lead to death For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:21–25 Idols must be avoided at all costs “Little children keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 Identify Your Idols You’ll sacrifice for it. You’ll spend time on it. You’ll spend money on it. You’ll talk about it (“Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” Luke 6:45). You’ll protect it/defend it. You’ll serve it. You’ll perfect it. You’ll think about it. You’ll worry about it. You’ll get angry when someone blocks you from it or messes with it. You’ll build your schedule around it. Confess Your Idols Repent of Your Idols Choose to Let your mind dwell on new things (Phil. 4:8; Romans 12:2) There is an eternity of difference between where an Idol leads its followers and where God will lead His followers