Of Fruit and Foundations: 2016 Gospel of Luke #22
This is an exposition of Luke 6:43-49. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 17, 2016.
Intro:
Biblical faith is not about “decisions.” It’s not a simple matter of deciding you want to change. Deciding your life is getting nowhere so you decide to turn your life over to Jesus. Real biblical faith is not a decision to “try Jesus.” Biblical faith is a matter of coming to the end of yourself. Recognizing that you are a sinner. You are living according to your own will, appetite and desires and thus in opposition to the will of God. Because you stand in opposition to God’s will you are rightly under His divine judgment. Understanding that, you repent of your sin and throw yourself on the mercy of God trusting in Christ alone for salvation. This is all due to the work of God in you and the fruit of that work is a radical transformation. This transformation is referred to as a conversion. Biblical faith isn’t about decisions it is about conversion. It is not about an intellectual choice it is about a fundamental change. Paul said, “If any man is in Christ he is new creation. The old is passed away and everything has become new.”
As our Lord spoke to His newly appointed apostles and the disciples gathered on that level plain, He spoke to them about what it means to follow Him. He set before them a demanding life. A life willing to embrace poverty, hunger, suffering and rejection now in order to gain untold wealth, everlasting satisfaction, great joy and loving acceptance in the life to come. This life demands that we love our enemies by doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, and praying for those who abuse us. None of which we can be done in our own strength and power. Thus this is a life utterly dependent upon divine enabling. Only the power of God can accomplish such an assignment.
Knowing that you are called of God, empowered by His Spirit may cause you to feel you are somehow superior to others. Thus our Lord condemns a judgmental spirit. Calling on His own to have a big-heart, magnanimous spirit that is accepting, forgiving and giving. A life marked by repentance and compassion. One that regularly examines its own motives and actions. Being a true follower of Christ demands careful, honest self-evaluation in light of God’s Word. Our text this morning is found in the 6th chapter of Luke beginning at the 6:43.
Text: Luke 6:43-49
6:37 said, “Judge not, and you will not be judged.”
That was obviously not a ban on judgment as evidenced by the text before us.
He we are being told to take note of, evaluate life by certain standards.
Our Lord is calling us to a lifestyle of discerning, subtle, moral judgement.
As we work through this text I want us to note that…
Thesis: The true believer is not know by the truth he professes but by the life he lives.
The real proof of discipleship is not whether you have heard or even understood what Jesus has said but whether you actually do what He said we should do. The proof is that you live out the commands of the Lord Jesus. The Pharisees who despised the Lord Jesus knew the Scriptures. They could quote Bible all day. The devil himself knows the Scripture he quoted it to Jesus during the wilderness temptations. The genuineness of your faith is not determined by how well you know the Scripture or your firm grasp of systematic theology but does your life reflect the truth of God? Are you living the truth you profess?
One of the keys for this section is found in 6:46, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” It’s not just what you believe, what you know but rather obedience. It’s about living the truth.
Our Lord speaks of fruit inspection and home construction while driving this point home. there are two things I want to point out from this text.
- A man’s conversation reveals the condition of his heart. (6:43-45)
- A man’s obedience reveals the genuineness of his faith. (6:46-49)