Why?

Why me?
Why him?
Why us?
Why now?

Have you ever asked why?

Have you ever asked why not?

Why not me?

Why not him?

Why not us?

Why not now?

Being a believer 

does not give us an insurance policy against

trials

troubles

tribulation

temptations

Jesus is brutally honest:

"I have said these things to you, 

that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation. 

But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Jesus asks us "Why".

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ 

and not do what I tell you?"

Valid question.

"Everyone who comes to Me 

and hears My words 

and does them," 

Everyone.

Not just the "super saints"

not just those who are "naturally compliant",

but everyone who comes to Jesus

is invited to

hear His words

and is challenged to do them.

"I will show you what he is like:"

The one who hears and does-

"he is like a man building a house," 

building a house-

something we live in,

starts with a foundation.

Our faith is where we live.

"who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock." 

Living a life of faith in God happens on purpose.

We have to dig deep,

we have to study,

His word is our blueprint,

our pattern,

our guide,

we have to practice what we learn.

"And when a flood arose," 

And when,

not if,

the flood comes-

"the stream broke against that house" 

when,

not if,

our faith in God is pushed against-

"and could not shake it," 

"the proof is in the pudding".

If we have dug deep,

if our foundation is solid,

our faith may be rattled,

our reactions may be messy,

things may be a little scattered,

but our faith and trust in God cannot be shaken,

dislodged,

removed.

"because it had been well built." 

Our faith-

our foundation-

what our life is built on-

is exposed 

by the streams

the floods

the trials.

Before the storms come,

while it is calm,

dig deep.

Lay a foundation built on truth

so that when the floods come,

the house, your faith, stands

because the foundation is well built.

"But the one who hears and does not do them" 

Simply hearing,

simply knowing the word

is not enough.

we have to practice what we hear.

"is like a man who built a house on the ground 

without a foundation." 

Hearing and not doing

is like a careless contractor-

he knows what he needs to do,

but his focus is cutting corners

and taking the easy way.

Digging deep foundations,

building solid houses

is costly.

It takes hard work,

concentration

investment

planning

effort

time.

"When the stream broke against it," 

The floods will come.

"immediately it fell," 

The floods reveal what we have built our faith on.

"and the ruin of that house was great."

If our faith is not founded

on hearing and doing what Jesus' Words say,

when the floods come 

our house,

our faith,

will fall.

The result is ruin.

Luke 6:46-49