Simple part 3

Yesterday we continued our Simple series as we talked about the word 'obey'. I know that this word is often misrepresented in church circles. The reason is we often get things backwards in the church. Jesus first started with the invitation to follow and as we follow we have a choice of whether or not to believe. For those of us who have believed that Jesus is who He claimed to be the next step is to obey. God's plan for each of us is to practice His teachings. God wants us to live out the things He taught. Matthew 5 through 7 is a great example. In these chapters Jesus was teaching some hard things to actually practice in this life. Things like, love your enemies, give generously, don't lust, go the extra mile when not asked, etc. At the end of chapter 7 Jesus closes with the parable of the wise and foolish builder. He basically says, if you do the things I just taught you will be like a wise man that built His house on the rock. When the rains, wind and the floods come, you will be able to stand. Jesus was giving us His teaching to actually protect us. The opposite of the person who does not practice His teaching was compared to a foolish man that built His house on sand. The house built on sand was destroyed because there was no foundation. Here is the point: Jesus wants us to obey, not to earn His love but simply because it is the wisest thing to do. When we actually live out God's Word we will be able to survive the storms of life. Obedience is not something God forces us to do against our will. It is something that as believers we want to do because it is the wise thing to do. I hope all of us are practicing the teachings of God's Word in our everyday life. Why? Because we all face storms one time or another. Let's be prepared for those storms by having the right foundation.