Introduction:
A.
One of a child’s first Bible
stories is the wise man and foolish man building the house… Not often do we tell them
that story is parallel to their life…
B.
At school is where some of life’s
biggest tests are experienced…
Do you know what it is like being at school in
this day and time? Rebellion,
immodesty, ungrateful, violence, cheating, etc. It’s a
challenge!!!
C.
Usually young people like a challenge...
In any sport, game, XBOX, Playstation, etc., young people
are very competitive, and if you place a challenge in
front of them, it is an incentive to move them…
D.
One thing that
challenges young people at school is LIFESTYLE… Young people are looking for a Lifestyle.
School exposes them to so many “ways of life”, and they
often want to pick out their friends lifestyle
to be theirs, rather than picking out a scriptural lifestyle and
using it….
E.
What young people need in school is
a LIFESTYLE few in school pick, it is the pattern in the sermon-on-the-mount…
Instead of “experimentation” to see what something is
like, how it feels, and face the dangers
of “experimentation”, look at and apply this lifestyle laid
out which stands the test of life…
Discussion:
I.
Hope Among Those
Without Hope
A.
Several people at school are
dealing with drug problems, abusive parents, divorce parents, and
worldly parents who make very little time for them.
Many talk about being lonely, empty, and meaningless. Their
actions
involve cursing, disgust, jealousy, ungrateful, laziness,
rebellious, independent, and arrogance..
B.
All many of them look forward to is
a night out to “conquer” a girl, Friday night football,
“hanging” at the mall, or another basketball practice…
They will make it through school with perfect attendance, a
championship, first chair in the
trumpet section, secretary of the class, and a diploma and wonder what have
I done? What
difference have I made??
Why am I not happy??
C.
Where happiness should be is Matt
5:1-12… It
is a lifestyle counter to what you see in school.
It is not dependent upon what happens to you to make you
happy. It is how you
handle what happens to you…
D.
Happiness is being at the end of your rope, not at the top of
the ladder (v.3)…
It is losing what means most, not having all you want (v.4)…
It is being content with what you have, not always gaining
more (v.5)…
It is a good appetite for God, not satisfying your own lust
(v.6)..
It is genuine care for others, not looking out for # 1 (v.7)…
It is a heart right with God, not pleasing self (v.8)…
It is being right with God, not everybody liking them (v.9,10)…
E.
These qualities laid the foundation for application to the
remainder of the sermon. Note how the rest of the sermon applies to you and school.
II.
Making an Impression (Matt
6:1-18)
A.
There are people at school who are daily trying to make an
impression on you as to who they want you to think they are.
Some act religious, but have no motivation to live
spiritual lives.
B.
It has been said that young people are impressionable people.
Therefore why can you be the one who makes the impression…
Not all in outward formality to impress everyone that you
are religious, but give, pray, or fast because you know it makes you
better before God…
C.
Josiah was young man who made a difference
(2
Chron 34).. He
was impressionable and an impressionist.
He found in the law something he needed to do, then
encouraged others to do the same…
D.
Do not pretend… Live
authentically, genuinely (1
Tim 1:5)… Become the same inwardly that you outwardly show or tell about yourself
religiously…
III.
Keep Yourself Pure (Matt
5:27-32)
A.
Teachers are awe
struck by the immoral behavior of students & “can’t
understand why they would….”
B.
Teen pregnancy and who is doing what is heard about more than
who won the soccer game or who the player of the game was….
C.
People at school will talk about how bad teen pregnancy,
adultery, & divorce are, & they declare “I’m not going to do it”, but fail to remove the
influence which leads to it…
That’s the message here…
D.
Mental adultery, fornication, etc. are the games people are
playing at school on the internet, TV, movies, print,
conversation, etc… It
is one thing to do it. It
is another thing to think about doing it.
That is the problem. Those
at school who say they “won’t do it” are the ones reading
& watching it…
E.
Purity is natural. It
is not just a “girl problem”.
It is not an ancient concept.
To avoid impurity you not only say “NO” & despise
impurity, you respect yourself. Exercise self-control as v.28-30
says… Cut off what is causing the indecency, teen pregnancy,
and adultery…
F.
You have to take some radical steps.
It is a bloody battle.
Stay away from the movies, stop wearing the clothes, sell the TV, give up the cable, pick
better friends, refuse to go to the dance, walk the other way…
G.
Too many lives are broken at school for failing to exercise
purity… Don’t
sell your purity for a minute, In mind or body…
Keep relationships pure…
While everyone else is telling you what they want in a date or marriage, you be the one who looks first
at purity in yourself, then keep it in your date and mate…
IV.
My Language
(Matt
5:21-26; 33-37; 7:1-6)
A.
Most people will not talk about murder, but they will talk
about who & how much they “hate” someone…
Matt
5:21-26 speaks about those who have so much anger they call
people names have a deep hatred. That is the root of murder.
Killing would be the next step…
B.
This is why so much violence at school exists… What happens
to teenagers with anger is the same thing that happens to adults
with anger… People
have this “attitude” as if looks could kill.
They belittle you, call you a fool, make you feel worthless, and that is not far
for murder… Stop
the words and avoid the bitterness in order to stop the murder and
revenge… Notice
what Matt
5:43-48 says about enemies…
C.
Matt
5:33-37.. There
is a lot of swearing in school, a lot of promising, but how many
keep their word. How many will be responsible to follow through
with their promises… Honor
your word. Keep your promises. Be
truthful in your conversation.
Do not commit to something you’ll not do.
Do not say “I will”, then change your mind.
Who can trust you?
D.
Blaming appears to be problem area at school.
Some students think they’re “victims”…
They say, “My teacher has something against me”.
“If my coach wouldn’t make these crazy rules”. “My
friends put me on this guilt trip…”,
“My parents don’t like me…”
E.
Listen to Matt
7:1-6… Stop
making all these accusations, blaming, condemnations, and
judgments about people. Stop
trying to find fault with everyone and everything else but you…
Each man sins can not be blamed on the previous generation (Ezek
18:19,20). Be honest enough to admit your mistake.
V.
What Lasts ?
(Matt
6:19-34)
A.
To the young people - Of the last purchase you made, how long
do you think it will last? The
CD, clothes, IPOD, video game, ice cream, camera, book, etc. Is the most favorite thing you had 6 months ago still your favorite?
1 year ago? 3
yrs. ago?
B.
Whatever you think the most of your heart will be there…
Some worry about what is going to happen to what they think
is suppose to last along time, so they get people to watch it,
guard it, lock it, hide it, cover it, wash it, paint it, and hold it…
C.
If you are in Christ, those “things” you worry about and
think lasts will get in your way
(v.24).
Let your mind focus on what lasts (v.19).
Remember God (Ecc
12:1). That will matter more when you get old, can’t hear, can’t see, and someone has to
take your teeth out to clean them…
God last longer…
D.
What Jesus says in v.25-34
is something we can examine in 5 questions…
(1) What is really important?
(2) How much control do you have over your skin, hair, or
height? (3) How
are others doing in worse circumstances?
(4) Isn’t it best to live in day-to-day compartments?
(5) Isn’t God big enough to handle the toughest situations…
My son’s poster, “Do your best. Give God the rest”
Seek Him First (v.33)…
VI.
Who Are You ?
(Matt
7:15-29)
A.
What is your greatest achievement so far in school?
Make it through Mrs. Appleberry’s History class,
“survive” English, make the baseball team, make it through the
year without getting beat up, make it in the top 10% of your class, perfect attendance, or
be on a team that beats your biggest rival???
B.
Your greatest achievement is choosing the right gate (v.13,14).. The majority go the wide way. It is the most popular, but
it’s not the best… You
have to pick. As most
young people think, “It’s my life”… God’s not going to let you get by without
choosing.
C.
Your greatest achievement will be to “fake” your
Christianity or for it to be “real” (v.15-23).
If you are tired of hypocrisy, be real…
Your greatest achievement will be to have a faith of your
own, not one that hinges on disaster or desperately seeks out the preacher or
always asks your parents. Have
a faith that is built upon Jesus and His authority (v.28,29)…
D.
Never let that faith go…
Never stop doing what is right even when the pressure is to
give in or give up and no matter how much the pressure is at school
(Heb
3,4).. Be an example (Matt
5:13-16; 1 Tim 4:12)
E.
Be
advised, if your faith is not in Jesus’ authority, “great will be the fall thereof” (v.27)… Judgment!!!!
F.
Throughout this whole message on the mountain, Jesus is
saying if you are serious about the kingdom get ready for some
changes… Heart changes, because religion is not on the
surface… It does
not avoid the study and practice of the word Jesus delivers, it applies
it… “be doers of
the word and not hearers only”
(Jas
1:22)…
G.
You may look at the story of building the house as important
to “success”, “happiness”, “peace of mind”,
“fulfillment”, etc. or whatever your heart is longing to
achieve. But each house shows the way people try to achieve their success, happiness, etc….
It depends on your choice of foundations….
H.
It is decision
time…. What is your
choice?... Be
a Christian….
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
Franklin
Church of Christ
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