Walk Walk Sunday3/25/07

Bible Stories

187: The House Built on the Rock

188: Pool at Bethesda

Memory Verse

• Matt 7:24– “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of

Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Bible Story 187

The House Built on the Rock

Read Matthew 7:24-29

Matthew 7

• 24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Matthew 7

• 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

• 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7

• 28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

•  29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Deep Foundations

• Luke wrote– Dig deep– Lay foundations on rock

• We need deep foundations for Christian experience

• Important because Satan will attack

IMPORTANT: God is Good

• Psalm 73 says God is good– You need to know this

• You will have in your life…– Good times– Bad times

• We can’t understand• Satan comes to attack!

Understanding God?

• We will never fully understand God

• We cannot see the entire picture

• We can only see the small picture

Small Picture

• Alien life form from Mars???

• ET’s long lost brother???

• Or…?!?!?!

Big Picture

• A NOSE?!– Yes, actually my upside

down nose

• Small vs Big– Small

• Confused• Mysterious picture

– Big• Makes sense• A Beautiful Picture

Problems in Life

• Jesus said– Wind will blow– Rain will descend– Floods will come

• We will all have problems– Children of God are not immune from trials

• Peter wrote– Don’t consider it strange when encounter fiery

trials

Our Foundation: Jesus Christ

• Is your life built upon Him?

• Have you dug deep and laid your foundation in Christ?

• Jesus said– He who hears my sayings and does them is

like the wise man who built his house upon the rock

Wise vs Foolish

• Wise man– Hears sayings of

Christ and does them– Secure– House on rock

STOOD FIRM

• Foolish man– Hears sayings of

Christ, does not do them

– False sense of security

– House on sand went SMASH

Bible Story 188

188: Pool at Bethesda

Read John 5:1-15

John 5

• 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5

• 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

John 5

• 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

John 5

• 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

John 5

• 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

• 11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”

John 5

• 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Selecting Stories

• John is selecting stories• John 19 says Jesus did many other things

which were not recorded• Recorded that you may believe Jesus is

the Christ, the son of the living God• By believing, you may have life in his

name• All libraries in the world could not contain

all the things Jesus did

At the Pool

Faith

• Jesus said– All things are possible through him that

believes– Faith has made you whole

• Can activate God’s work on your behalf

Power of Faith

• Jesus came to help those in need of help

• Jesus commanded lame man to do the impossible

• 2 choices for the man– 1) Obey– 2) Argue

• Man chose to obey

God’s Impossible Commands?

• May seem like God gives us impossible command

• Maybe area of life we have struggled with for years

• We argue rather than obey

• If Jesus commands us to do it, and we have the will to do it– He will give us capacity and ability to do it

Cart Before Horse

• IT DOESN’T WORK THIS WAY

• How NOT to become righteous– Outside -> inside

• First try to change actions by ourselves

• Second try to change hearts by ourselves but cannot

• AGAIN IT DOESN’T WORK THIS WAY

Horse Before Cart

• IT DOES WORK• How to become

righteous– Inside -> outside

• First ask Jesus to change our hearts

• Second, our actions will be changed because our hearts are changed

• AGAIN IT DOES WORK

May God richly bless youmy friend!