Wednesday 1 March 2017

Sermon Sunday 26 February: Is life easy?

This Sunday Norma talked to us about this painful question. She asked us to reflect on.....
  • Is life easy in SA?
  • Is life easy for us, here in Hogsback?
She related personal stories from her childhood when despite her parents severe health challenges , her father still prayed: "Thank you Father, that You are so good to us......."

So how did he manage that?  Matt 7:24-27 give us the answer.

We know storms here on the mountain: broken trees blocking roads, blocking the pass, blocked gutters, hail that destroy gardens, Tyume tributaries flooding their banks, no electricity.....

Jesus tells the story of a house that had been exposed to such a storm where the rain lashed down and the stream rose while the wind blew against the the house. Yet, it did not give way. Why? It was built on a rock......THE ROCK.

This is the secret that Jesus shared with the crowds on the side of the mountain so many years ago. He wants to share this with us this morning. What does He say?
  1.  Build on the rock .......
    Choose your foundation carefully
    Build in good times, while the sun shines and the plaster can dry completely
    In other words: Build in time, don't wait till life becomes difficult, tight, full of worries and anxiety. Build in time.....

  2. Practice daily to withstand hardship
    Doing something over 6 weeks, daily, becomes a natural habit
    If not in practice, hardships will push you over.

Norma shared an anecdote from her personal life: When she was visiting her kids in Denmark last August, Troy, her grandson, got very sick with chickenpox. With his low resistance and immune deficiency, it became an overwhelming infection. As young as he is (3 years old) he asked his father: " Daddy pray for Troy......I am not feeling well"

Because as a family they know where their strength and power lies....in times when life is at its worst, when they are in a critical moment, they know to who & where to turn to.

       3. Stay in touch with the Builder, who maintains everything.....
           walls, roof, Windows foundations


Don't become slack on maintenance. You may think that you have a smart house.....your faith is fine because years ago you gave your life to God......but, it is not enough when the storms come today.

Your maintenance must be in place. Stay in regular touch with the Builder.

Do we choose hardship, suffering, difficult times? Of course not. But why then does God allow these things to happen to us?

Rom. 5: 3 - 4
"....we know that suffering produces perseverance,
perseverance, character
And character hope"

Who is speaking here ? Paul
Does he know what he's referring to? Indeed he does!! He was a man that knows hardship, persecution, suffering .....
  • He was unjustly charged with treason. Acts 18:13
  • Jews tried to dis-credit him...... Acts 21: 28-29
  • He was shipwrecked
  • He was beaten
  • He was imprisoned in Rome
But.....

He had built in time, on the rock.
He had practiced his faith
He was daily in touch with his Builder

Psalm 1:
The tree that is planted next to the stream ( the water source, the life- giving source)
That tree - grew
- bore fruit
- flourished

Whether there were droughts, hail, storms

Are you planted, built.....on a rock? Then even if life is not easy, you will be safe! 

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