Speaker 1: 0:00

And welcome to our Madison Church online audience. We're so glad that you're joining us. In case you didn't know, we had a power outage last week, which is why there's no footage of anything that happened. Instead of meeting down here, for those of you who were here, you know that we met upstairs with about 100 candles lit and did like a little acoustic candlelight service in September, and so that's what was last week. We will see if we can get Jason back in to record his message. It was a really great talk. It would be great to be able to make that available, but as of right now, it doesn't exist.

Speaker 1: 0:34

And so we are in part three of a series Finding your Place and Purpose in which we're going through the gospel of Luke and exploring how Jesus's ministry from 2,000 years ago didn't going through the gospel of Luke, and exploring how Jesus's ministry from 2,000 years ago didn't just impact the lives of his disciples or those first followers, but how his ministry affects us and impacts us today in Madison, wisconsin. And so each week we're unpacking what it means to find our place and purpose in God's plan and how that has to do, and it ties right in with Jesus's mission. The first week of the series we look how Jesus's mission started. So this is the third installment going through Luke. But the first installment Jesus is born. He is here, he's been prophesied and now he's here. The second one is about Jesus being empowered to do the work he has been called to do.

Speaker 1: 1:25

And how we start this series is Jesus's mission starts. He steps into public ministry with boldness and purpose. He reads from the scroll of Isaiah in his hometown synagogue, proclaiming that he was sent to bring good news to the poor. He proclaimed that he was supposed to bring freedom for the captives and healing for the oppressed. And this wasn't just about words. It was a declaration of who Jesus was and is and what he came to do and what he continues to do. This didn't go over very well for those of you who were here a couple weeks ago. You remember that they tried to kill him over this message, and so he had to relocate where he was doing ministry. And then last week we dove into this idea of discovering your calling, where we witnessed Jesus. Call ordinary fishermen, people like Simon, peter, james and John, to follow him and become fishers of men. Jesus didn't call religious elites. He didn't call people with impressive resumes who had the best degrees and the best career portfolio. Rather, he chose normal, everyday people like you and me, and through their stories, we reflected on how Jesus calls us to find our true purpose in following him, not because we have it all together, but because he sees the potential in us and calls us up and out and forward on his mission.

Speaker 1: 2:51

Now, here today, we're going to talk about building on solid ground, and I want to ask the question, and I want to keep this question at the front of your mind today are we building our lives on a foundation that will last? That's the question that we must ask today. Jesus' Sermon on the Plain, as Luke calls it, matthew calls it the Sermon on the Mount, but offers us wisdom for life, teaching us how to live with purpose, grounded in Christ-like kingdom values. And so today we're going to cover this whole chapter very quickly. We're going to go over the Beatitudes, explore the challenge of what Jesus tells us to do, which is love our enemies, and we're going to hear Jesus's parable about a wise and foolish builder. Jesus invites us to listen to his words, but not just to listen. Remember, up until this point in Luke, we've been talking about how, anywhere Jesus teaches, work is also done, people are healed, and so let's explore these teachings and how we can apply them to our own life today, beginning with Luke, chapter 6, verse 20.

Speaker 1: 4:02

Jesus turned to his disciples and said God blesses you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh. What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of man? When that happens, be happy, yes, leap for joy, for great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. Treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Speaker 1: 4:47

I want to make the argument this morning that we shouldn't just smile and nod our head at this amazing teaching. I want it to shock us a little bit to our core, because everything Jesus says is fundamentally upside down. There's an element of shock here, especially 2,000 years ago, but it should still be today. Why? Because think about how in the US, how you all, how I am conditioned to see favor and blessing as something that is tied and directly correlated with my wealth, my success, my comfort and my recognition. My success, my comfort and my recognition. But here Jesus flips that narrative. He speaks directly to his disciples and, may I remind you, most of them gave up their careers, their livelihood, to follow Jesus. He's speaking directly to them. Maybe Jesus got the sense that some of them were having second thoughts. Maybe some of them were thinking second thoughts. Maybe some of them were thinking about picking those nets up again, because this way of Jesus wasn't founded on wealth, success, comfort or recognition.

Speaker 1: 5:55

And in their world and ours, think about this poverty, hunger, grief, persecution. Well, those certainly seem like signs of failure and loss. It's not like any of you on your Instagram or TikTok bios say hey, this is my name, I'm poor, I'm hungry, I'm really sad and nobody really likes me. We don't lead with that, and that's the shock that needs to happen here, because what Jesus is saying is, yes, these things poverty, hunger, grief and persecution are actually not terrible. Think about that for a moment and also think about this in this whole section here you can read the rest of it. I'm just using a little clip here.

Speaker 1: 6:44

But Jesus isn't dismissing your suffering, he's not gaslighting you. He's not dismissing it and saying, hey, don't worry about it. He doesn't romanticize hardship. Sometimes I think we do that in the church world too. We romanticize hardship I'm going through a tough time and we try to make it really luxurious and looking like that, like this is going to be a great story someday. Jesus doesn't do that either. He doesn't downplay hunger or being poor or suffering.

Speaker 1: 7:13

What he is communicating in this message, with these words, is that true blessing is not found in the absence of difficulty, but in the presence of God amidst it. When you are suffering, true blessing of the Christian faith is that God is there with you and, as we've talked in this whole series, whether you feel it or not, the promise is you and I discover the riches of God's grace In our hunger, whether it's our hunger for justice, our hunger for truth and our hunger for hope. We are filled by God's promises, and it's in our sorrow, your darkest moments, that you find God's unexplainable joy breaking through. And I know that for some of you, whether you're watching online listening or you're here in the room, I know that this hits home because you are walking through a season that could be described as a season of poverty, a season of grief. Perhaps you feel overlooked, mistreated or mocked because of your faith or something else about you. Jesus's words to you today are not just that God sees you and not just that God hasn't forgotten about you, but that Jesus is here, with you. In there, you are blessed, not because of the pain itself, but because God's kingdom is breaking through in the middle of your challenges and your suffering.

Speaker 1: 8:59

This teaching gives us a completely different perspective on blessing, and it is a kingdom perspective. So, on the one hand, the world celebrates those who have more those bigger houses, those nicer cars, more in savings, nicer vacations, whatever it might be but a kingdom perspective celebrates those who trust God with less. The world praises success and comfort, but Jesus calls us to find our security in him, even during hardship, and for those who are persecuted and following him. Jesus tells us to do something that I would almost roll my eyes at in person. He tells us to leap for joy, jump for joy, not because you're rejected, but because God's reward is more significant than you can even imagine. I know you think God's promises are good, but Jesus is saying they're even better than that. And so what do you do? You have a bigger imagination, right, and you have a bigger vision and you're like, oh God, it's gonna be even better than that. Jesus says, nope, it's even better. And what he's telling you is, no matter how good you think it is, you're not even scratching the surface of God's promises for you, and how good they are. This is the upside down kingdom in which you and I are invited to participate in today. You and I are invited to participate in. Today.

Speaker 1: 10:25

We move on to verse 27. I tell you who are willing to listen love your enemies. Do good for those who hate you, bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. And if someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks. And when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Speaker 1: 11:00

This is another one of those passages. We smile, we nod yes, love our enemies, especially you, especially you, especially you. You all love your enemies. Meanwhile, can I begin to tell you about that guy who cut me off in traffic today and how angry that makes me. Let me tell you about my neighbor who always does this one thing that really makes me mad. Well, I love my enemies. Sure, I pray for those overseas who I don't know, but I read in the headlines that they're really awful people and, yeah, I love them. But those who I know my boss, who is constantly giving me bad jobs because he doesn't like me, my coworkers who mock me behind my back like no, I'm not going to love them, but you definitely should. And it's hypocritical. It's the hypocrisy that Jesus will call out later in this passage.

Speaker 1: 11:47

Don't be a hypocrite and understand that even what Jesus is doing would have been very difficult for the Jewish audience listening. And let me explain why. Because in the Old Testament, by law, you were required to love your neighbor. It wasn't an option. You have to love your neighbor. It's part of God's law. But let me point out in the entire Old Testament you can look at it all you want Genesis through Malachi Fact, check me, google it, ask ChatGPT but there is no command to love your enemies, should you?

Speaker 1: 12:23

Sure, if you want to? I guess it's not explicitly written, though. Do you want to? I guess it's not explicitly written though. Do you have to love your neighbors? Yes, love your enemies. It's up to you and then Jesus comes on the scene and says now don't just love your neighbors, but you got to love your enemies. I want you to think about how many of the psalms that you read and maybe you find comfort in. You know you're having a bad time, a bad day. You're thinking about that person who irritates you and you read the Psalms and in the Psalms David writes Lord, strike down my enemy. And you're like yes, lord, praise God. I need that. Today Jesus is saying no, no, no, no, no. Don't do that.

Speaker 1: 13:02

Jesus changes the rule. He says avoid revenge, avoid hatred and actively love, and not just love, but bless those who harm you, whether it's on purpose or not. This is a radical love. This is the radical love that God has extended to you. This is the radical love that God has extended to you and to me and to those people who hurt us. It doesn't make sense in the world and that's how you know. It is a Christ-like kingdom love, because it doesn't look like any other love on earth. It is not conditional on how people treat you. It's conditional on the God who is doing a work inside of you. I do not fall to the level of my enemies, I rise to the level of my Savior.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Now Jesus gives three specific examples, or gives a couple of specific examples. He says if someone slaps you on the cheek, turn. The other one and I want to explain this a little bit is that if you were to slap someone on the cheek, you weren't trying to knock their teeth out. You weren't trying to beat them up. This wasn't a physical altercation that you hoped to win. This wasn't a bar fight. This was about humiliation.

Speaker 1: 14:21

You'd be at the grocery store, the market, and you'd walk up to someone and you'd slap them like that and it makes a loud well, that didn't, but makes a loud popping sound. And everyone looks and you just humiliated this person and in this culture similar to ours, shame and guilt were everything. And so you'd go up and you'd humiliate someone. You'd want to get them back right, wouldn't you want to have revenge? You'd want to state your side of the story. But Jesus says no, not with my followers. Turn the other cheek. Let them do it again, not because you're a coward, but because in doing so, you show the world that our dignity is not determined by the person who slaps you or the world around you, but your identity is rooted as children of God. You see, no matter what they do to you, what I've done for you outweighs that. So when they try to take it away from you, show them that they cannot Offer them the other cheek.

Speaker 1: 15:29

He goes further If someone demands your coat, give them your shirt too. He's saying give generously, even when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable. Why? Because mercy, love and grace should dominate our lives. Jesus is not talking about a personal faith that is tucked away in my heart. I said the prayer, I invited Jesus into this little home in my heart. I opened the door. Now he's in there. I shut the door, I locked it and now you know I have faith, because I check the box every now and then. He's not communicating that at all. He's talking about a faith that is loud, a faith that is loud, a faith that is communicated by your actions. It's a faith that will inconvenience you, it is a faith that will challenge you and it's a faith that calls you to love even when it's hard.

Speaker 1: 16:17

And the specific analogy of if someone takes your coat off from your shirt understand that for most people just normal people living 2,000 years ago, this audience they had one shirt and one coat. So if somebody took your coat, at least you still had your shirt. But he's saying, no, give them that as well. And so he's talking to people who did not have the means to replace these items. They couldn't just order it on Amazon, run to Walmart and pick up some new ones. They gave everything. They had literally the shirt off their back. And again, how shameful would that be to give someone your shirt and then walk through town shirtless because you gave them everything. This is what Jesus calls us to.

Speaker 1: 17:00

And then, further down, and coming back to this idea of where are we building our own foundation, jesus says I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching and then follows it. Sidebar in modern day Christianity, we do the first two things rather well in our churches. Someone comes to me yes, we're good at showing up to church on Sunday, we're good at checking it out. We're here, check the box when someone listens to my teachings sure, I can do that too. You're all here today I'm not trying to put you down, but let's not forget this last part and then follows it. You don't just show up and you don't just listen, but what do you do when you leave. Jesus wants to know.

Speaker 1: 17:48

This is like a person who building a house, who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is built well. Jesus gives us what is probably a really powerful image for them 2,000 years ago and not so much a powerful image for us today, in the era of excavators and modern machinery and modern power tools and blueprints and everything that we have going on. We're like why would you build your house somewhere that didn't have a good foundation? Some of you who buy a house, you're like you're going down to the basement for one reason only, and it's to look at the foundation. Some of you who buy a house, you're like you're going down to the basement for one reason only, and it's to look at the foundation. And we do that and we can make. Well, you might make a decision Like I don't want to buy this house because there's a huge crack in the foundation, but back then this was a sign of wealth.

Speaker 1: 18:36

I want you to think about it. Would it, 2,000 years ago, have been easier to build a house on sand or dirt? You didn't have an excavator, so you're doing this by hand. Right, you might have had some tools they weren't power tools, and so it would have just made economic sense to build it on some dirt. But what Jesus is saying is you build it on the stone, and again, you would have needed great wealth. But he says that is what people who follow my message do. It will not be easy. Carving out stone to build a house by hand is difficult. It will be challenging. That is what he is saying. It is not convenient.

Speaker 1: 19:19

And for those of you following Jesus, you're saying I'm really trying to build my life on his teachings and his will. You say why is it so hard? Because it's like building a house on stone. It's hard, it's inconvenient. But what does Jesus say? He says this is the kind of faith that lasts the storms of life. This is the kind of faith in which I can tell you to let someone slap you on the other cheek and you will not lose your faith. This is the kind of faith in which you can be hungry and poor and things don't make sense, and it still lasts.

Speaker 1: 19:56

And for some of us here today who are going through a difficult time and we find our faith getting blown in the wind left and right. It is time to stop and ask the question where have I been building my foundation? Did I do it on the sand because it was most convenient? Did I do it on the sand because it was most accessible, or have I gone out of my way to find some stone to build my faith? You see, one is easy now, but it is not sustainable later, and the other is hard now but will help you survive the storms of life.

Speaker 1: 20:38

Jesus calls us to trust him even when life is complicated. It does mean making sacrifices, it means letting go of things that we've held onto for comfort and security, but in the end, building our lives on Jesus is the only way to live with real and lasting purpose, because he knows what's best for me and he knows what's best for you. So his ways lead us to life not just here and now, but for eternity. And so back to the original question that I've wanted so hard to keep in front of you all day Are we building our lives on a foundation that'll last? Are we digging deep and laying a foundation on the solid rock of Jesus even though it's hard, or are we taking shortcuts and building on shifting ground. Jesus clarifies that when we build our lives on him, we can stand firm no matter what storms of life are thrown our way.

Speaker 1: 21:45

So here are a few challenges for those of us who are asking the question what am I building my life on your foundation? Perhaps that's where you're at today. I need to shift my foundation. I need to embrace kingdom values, radical love and purposeful living. Reflecting on Jesus' teachings from today, I want to challenge you to examine the foundation, not just this morning, but tomorrow and this week. Jesus calls us to embrace radical kingdom values, radical love and radical purposeful living. And for us to do that, we will have to reframe our view of success and comfort. We'll have to reframe our view of what is success and comfort, because Jesus gives us a radical, different perspective on success. He tells us that real success in this life is not about the wealth that you have or the status that you possess, but it is about relying on God, living humbly and using what we have to serve others.

Speaker 1: 22:46

Paul echoes this when he urges Timothy, a pastor, to teach those who are rich in his church not to trust their money, but in God. Paul says teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this, they will be storing up their treasure as what A good foundation for the future, so that they may experience true life. What does that mean? If you want to build a foundation that is on Jesus, that is in the stone, generosity is required, and no, I'm not just talking about the money that you give to Madison Church.

Speaker 1: 23:47

What does living generously look like in your daily lives? Start by considering your spending habits. Are you drawn to purchasing big things in the pursuit of comfort and status? Because if you just get the newest phone, this newer car, these clothes, whatever gadget or thing it might be, maybe I'll be happier or more content, but you're building on the sand and in the dirt. You're building in the sand and in the dirt this week. Instead of buying something you don't need, how about you invest it in an experience, to build a relationship or to give to someone else in need, reflect on your lifestyle choices. Is your security constantly tied to upgrading your home, planning your next big vacation? How much money is in the savings account? How might you simplify it this week, maybe redirect your focus from accumulating more stuff to building deeper connections with those around you?

Speaker 1: 24:52

Can you examine where you place your trust? See, generosity, like I said, isn't just about giving money back to the church. But where is your trust? Because I get the sense that for a lot of us and myself am not excluded from this but our security is tied to financial stability. I like having regular paychecks, I like paying my bills on time. I feel anxious when those two things aren't happening and it causes me to pause and ask the question where do I personally put my trust? Is it in my paycheck or is it in God? And the more that I trust God with my finances, the more that foundation strengthens. So this week, for those of us who maybe struggle in the area of generosity, can you reflect on one of those areas that you're holding onto your wealth, no matter how little or how much it is, and find a way to use your resources to bless someone else?

Speaker 1: 25:54

It is important to note that here in the US we can read Paul's words to Timothy and think that that does not apply to you. It applies to Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates or somebody who has a couple million bucks, whoever has a little bit more money than me. That's obviously who Paul is talking about. But I need to point out that the richest person in Timothy's church would be the poorest person at Madison Church. How do I know this? Because they had one outfit and I've been with all of you and I know you got more than that. They didn't have regular, steady income. As a matter of fact, if there was a famine, some of them would have had children and elderly who died. Those were the rich people. And elderly who died those were the rich people. So when Paul is talking to Timothy, he's speaking to every single one of us in the room, whether you make minimum wage or you make $100,000 a year or $200,000 a year, whether you're Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates. He's talking to all of us. None of us get to say we are exempt from what Paul is teaching here. He includes us all.

Speaker 1: 27:00

Another thing we have to do is we have to practice that radical love and mercy. Jesus challenges us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us and to pray. To pray for those who mistreat us, and I don't know if you've ever done that before. It is by far one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines in my own life. When I think of somebody who hurt me a decade ago or 30 years ago, the one kid in fifth grade who beat me up, and I think I got to pray for him and I just don't want to and not only do I got to pray for him. It can't be the psalmist prayer of God, smoke him. It's got to be the God. Show him blessing and show him favor.

Speaker 1: 27:37

Paul reminds us of this Romans 12. Our scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch. This is Eugene Peterson's paraphrase to the message. If he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you. Get the best of evil by doing good.

Speaker 1: 28:00

So this week I encourage you to identify someone in your life who you find difficult to love or perhaps difficult to forgive. Perhaps it's a coworker who frustrates you to no end. Instead of avoiding them, offer help. Find something worth complimenting, even if it feels uncomfortable and perhaps there's unresolved tension with a family member, and maybe this week you can take the first step by reaching out. But I want to state this, as I do anytime I'm talking about offering forgiveness and practicing reconciliation, which is to say that practicing radical love does not mean placing yourself in harmful situations. If someone has been abusive or if a relationship is toxic, love them from a distance by praying for them and releasing the bitterness without sacrificing your well-being. And for some of you who have been harmed in the past, commit to praying for that person, don't necessarily reach out to them. Finally, we can build on Jesus's teachings as our foundation. Jesus clarifies that hearing his words are not enough, that we must live them out. He compares the person who obeys his teaching to someone who builds their house on a solid foundation.

Speaker 1: 29:18

James, the brother of Jesus and an early church leader. He gets this, he echoes it and already the early church is messing it up because he writes don't just listen to God's word, you must do what it says, otherwise you are only fooling yourselves. And I just imagine James would pull if he did have any hair. Most of us wise biblical guys don't, but he'd be pulling his hair out at most of us in the West because we know so much of the Bible. I mean, peter couldn't read and write and we know how to read and write, we know so much of this but we just don't do it. Well, we're hypocrites, we're judgmental, we don't forgive people, we don't extend grace to them, and James would say stop reading. I really feel like he would say that he's kind of saying it right now. Don't just listen. It's like, for the love of my brother, you think he'd ever do that? The love of my brother, the love of God man. He says do what it says. The love of God man, he says do what it says.

Speaker 1: 30:18

And so take a moment, reflect on your own life. Is there an area of your life maybe it's physically, emotionally, financially, sexually in which you have not fully applied Jesus's teachings? Perhaps it's in your decision-making process? Are your choices driven by personal ambition and worldly success, or are they driven by humility and the type of servant leadership Jesus calls his followers to be, not just the pastors and the leaders in church? This week, before making any significant decisions, what if you took the time to pray and ask God what he thinks, what he wants, and maybe expect him to answer and maybe, furthermore, this is getting into uncharted territory for some of you maybe be ready for him to say no. You say but God, it makes so much sense. I get paid more, I can buy the new boat, I can do this, I can do that. And maybe God is saying well, you asked me my opinion and yes, right now that's great, but in 10 years, when that storm hits, your faith is out the window. And so maybe now you say no and it costs you something, but in the process of doing so, you are building your faith on a foundation that elasts.

Speaker 1: 31:39

For a lot of us, it's time management. Our schedule is so full and we are unproactive about it. We're very reactive. We just take the meetings as they come. Yes, yes, yes, yes. We sign up for the things. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And some of you need to take control of your schedule. You need to objectively grab that thing, sit down and start saying no to some things so you can say yes to some other things. And what are some of those other things? Spiritual practices, reading the Bible, praying. That sounds mundane, but, as a pastor, these are some great places to start.

Speaker 1: 32:15

This is like when you go to your doctor for an annual checkup and they ask how are you sleeping and eating? You don't respond to them well, I've been sleeping and eating for 40 years. What does that matter? You don't respond that way. But yet, when it comes to our spiritual nourishment of reading the Bible and praying, we say I've been a Christian for so long I don't need to do those things. Yeah, I pray sometimes. It's probably often for a lot of us, a lot less than we think.

Speaker 1: 32:39

I think we confuse what's reality with what we hope, and for a lot of us it's not even a hope, it's a wish. You see, hope has this idea that it could happen, but I think if we're all reactive, it's not hope. There's no evidence this is ever going to happen. You're wishing. A wish is the same thing as a hope. It just doesn't have any plan or reality attached to it. And I think that this week we need to grab our schedules and to be proactive.

Speaker 1: 33:00

What is one area of your life in which you haven't fully built on Jesus's foundation? Now I'll just wrap it up. Told you I was feisty today. I want to remind you of one central truth, one central truth we keep coming back to Jesus isn't just inviting you to hear his words. He is calling you to build your lives on them. The values of his kingdom often feel upside down, especially when compared to the world's standards, your city's standards, your family's standards, your spouse's standards. Jesus calls you to put every relationship underneath his lordship and to say here's my upside down values. Will you follow it? So we've explored so far what it means living upside down in the kingdom, where blessings come through, trusting God in our hardships. But now comes this moment of decision. What will you do with what you've heard today? Will you build your house on a foundation that will last? Will you take Jesus's teachings and begin to live them out, even when it gets difficult or uncomfortable or unknown, even when it causes some conflict in your relationships?

Speaker 1: 34:26

For some of us today, it means reframing how we view success. It means stepping out in our faith. It might mean extending forgiveness to someone who has hurt you, or choosing to let go of bitterness and interrupting the thought every time you start to feel bitterness to say no, no, no, no. I have forgiven that person. My heart may not feel like I have, but my brain is saying that was an executive decision. We already may, but whatever it is for you, I want to challenge you to just take one tangible step this week. One tangible step this week. And so let's pray together, as we all, I hope collectively, as a community, not just me and my faith, but us and our faith together take a collective step together. We are a community and let's not forget that we support and encourage each other as we strive to align our lives with these teachings of Jesus.