Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?

It’s a little wet up here. Every time I should … Anyway, it gets really slick on this terrazzo floor when it’s wet. So if I fall, just act like nothing happened, okay? Good morning. Good morning. Yeah, my name’s Chris Papolo. Once again, I’m the senior pastor here at St. Mark. And yeah, it’s good to be with you guys. We need to jump right into it because we have a lot to get to today. We’re in a series called Questions Jesus Wants to Ask You. And the whole kind of idea behind this series is he’s a rabbi, which is a fancy word for teacher. And we’re disciples, which is a fancy word for students. And so as his students, we’re letting our teacher ask us some questions because it’s things he wants to teach us. And we’re discovering what it is along the way. And today class is in session because he’s going to ask us a question.

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And I don’t know if this question applies to you, but if you ever struggle to start doing the right thing, today’s question is for you. If you ever struggle with trying to stop doing the wrong thing, today’s question is for you. If you ever feel like you get caught up in the same sin or mistake over and over, today’s question is for you. If you ever do something and then afterwards you are wrought with guilt and shame and self-loathing and you’re angry at yourself, today’s question is for you. If you ever watch other people living what seems to be this abundant and full life in Jesus and you don’t feel that way and it feels like you missed the boat somehow today’s question is for you. And really, I think today’s question is for all of us because we all feel that way at some point in time.

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The question he’s going to ask us is about why we call him Lord and don’t do what he asks. And what’s the reason? And it’s a hard question. And I promise today what we’re going to talk about, you will discover kind of why we keep tripping up the surprising solution and why it evades and alludes us so often. And whether or not you’ll change, I don’t know, but I guarantee that you will at least begin thinking differently about your actions and what you do or fail to do. And before warned, okay, just a heads up, this is going to be a little bit more philosophical today, literally. We’re going to get into some theory and think a little bit deeper and just have some new thoughts on this topic. And I apologize, but it means that you need to lean in a little bit more than I think usual.

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But sometimes you have to have … I mean, if what we’re doing is not working, we should try something new. New thoughts require new ideas or new solutions require new thoughts. And so just bear with me as we get philosophical, eventually it will get practical. I promise by the end of this, we’re going to get very practical on tools that you can use to begin living the life that God asks of you. So this question that Jesus asks comes, what you just heard from Grant, it comes in this thing called the Sermon on the Plane. And maybe you’ve heard of the Sermon on the Mount, that’s like more of a famous account, the Sermon on the Mount. And during that, he gives all these beatitudes and all these different teachings and stuff like that. And the sermon on the plane is similar, but different. It’s kind of like if you follow a band and you go and you watch a show at a concert at one city and then you trade bootlegs with somebody else who saw a show at Virginia Beach and it’s like the same band, but it’s a different night.

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And it sounds the same, but there’s some things that make it distinct. That’s kind of what happens when you compare the sermon on the mount with the sermon on the plane. There’s things that are similar but different. And it’s kind of interesting to look at the two counts side by side. And in the sermon on the plane, like you just heard, he goes through these beatitudes that are a little unique. And then he goes through just kind of quick hit teachings on how to live this thing called the kingdom of God. And again, because this is his primary teaching method, Jesus uses questions. And the first thing he starts talking about is loving your enemies and he asks the question.

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Get it working here. The question he asks is, if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? And you can kind of feel like everyone in the crowd is like, “Oh, that’s good.” And they start taking notes, they lean forward. “Okay, I should love my enemies.That’s what I need to be working on. “And then before they can even like finish writing, Jesus moves on to the next topic and he starts talking about generosity and he says,” If you lend to others and expect repayment, what credit is that to you? “And they’re like, ” Oh, love your enemies. Okay. “And be generous. Okay, gosh, and don’t expect repayment, just give … Okay. And then before they can even catch their breath, he moves on to the next topic and saying,” By the way, don’t be judgmental. “And he says the famous words of, ” Why do you look at the spec in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

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“And they’re like, ” Yeah, well, goodness, judgmental. Okay, so forgive my enemies, be generous, stop being judgmental. I don’t know if I can do all this. “You get the sense that this rapid fire of questions and topics is supposed to make us feel overwhelmed, that we’re supposed to go, ” Oh, I don’t know if I can do A, let alone B and C, this is really hard That’s the point. Elsewhere in one of the other biographies of Jesus, people hear these teachings and then they go, “Well, this is impossible. Who can do this? ” And Jesus is like, “Exactly, because this is about me, not you guys.” And Jesus is trying to show us our need for a savior.

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So he gives us these rapid fire things and things we should do through questions, and then he gets to a fourth question. He’s looking at a group of people who are shifting in their seat and uneasy, “I can’t forgive my enemies and be generous and not be judgmental and and. ” And he looks at him, he’s like, “So why do you guys call me Lord, Lord?” And now do what I say. Why do you think? You call me Lord, Lord, lip service, you call me Jesus, you hail me, and then you walk out the door and get on with your lifestyle. Nothing changed. Why don’t you practice what you preach, guys? Why are you hypocrites?

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And before they can even answer, Jesus doesn’t do this all the time. Sometimes he gives questions and he wants us to wrestle for an answer. This time he spares us the suspense and gives us the answer. So as soon as he asks this question, and this is so important, don’t miss this, this is the question that then precedes this little parable he gives, but it’s all in relationship couched an umbrella under this question. Why do you call me Lord and not do what I say? And then he tells this famous story of two builders and two houses and he says, “That’s for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.” I will show you what they are like. They’re like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house, but could not shake it because it was well built.

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When I was a kid in Sunday school, there was, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the rains came.

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It’s the song that I grew up with of the wise man built his house on the rock, but the foolish man built his house on the sand and that’s where Jesus goes next. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. And again, the story of the two houses is in relationship to this question. Why do you call me Lord Lord and not do what I say?

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We have such a hard time with this parable because of the way we listen to this. There’s two guys, they’re indiscriminate from one another. There’s nothing special about it. It’s just guy A, guy B. One’s not more talented than the other. One’s not more obedient than the other. They’re just two people. And what they build is not that different. What the materials they use isn’t different. It’s a house. Their skill isn’t different. It’s a house and the storm is the same. Following Jesus doesn’t mean you won’t have storms and not following Jesus doesn’t mean you won’t have storms either. It’s life.

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What’s different? It’s not what they do. What’s different? It’s their foundation. Rock and sand. And we hear this story and we want so bad for the difference to be what they do. The wise man and the foolish man are not made wise and foolish by what they do. The difference is where they build their foundation and this eludes us. We want so much to be about our actions and our choices. And it’s not … He doesn’t tell a parable about two guys that build a house and one’s a wise builder who has all the right materials and he builds a good house and this house is not OSHA approved. That’s why it falls down. That’s not how the story goes. The difference is their foundation. You and I listen to this story influenced by this guy right here.

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That’s Socrates or a statue of Socrates. We are Western thinkers, heavily, heavily influenced by Greek thoughts. It is kind of impossible to fully understand how much influence that guy has had over you and the way you think, whether you like it or not. He’s one of the most five influential people in human history. And the way we think in Western culture is because of him. It is Socrates. And one of the things Socrates said, and I told you philosophy, like we’re going to get philosophical. Do not tune me out because the application is awesome. Okay? We’ve got to have new thoughts to have new solutions. Okay? So Socrates, one of the things Socrates said is basically, you are what you do.

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More specifically, his quote is, “You are what you do, therefore excellence is a habit.” And this makes sense to us. I want to be rich. I save a lot of money. I want to be poor. I spend a lot of money, right? And we think, yeah, this makes a lot of sense. On the surface, it seems true. It’s almost like a true conclusion with the wrong premise. We tend to think if I want to be a jogger, I need to jog. If I want to be a writer, I need to write. If I want to be healthy, I have to stop smoking, right? That’s the way we think. Very linear cause and effect. It seems to make sense. There’s some problems. First of all is how quickly we bail out when setbacks happen, right? So if I’m a jogger and if I want to be a jogger and I miss a couple days of jogging, well, I guess I’m not a jogger.

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I want to be a writer. I miss writing for a couple days. I guess I’m not a writer. I slip up and have a cigarette. Well, I guess I’m a smoker. I’m not healthy. And it’s the incredible guilt and shame associated with the Socratic way of thinking that you are what you do because when I fail, it’s not that I did bad, it’s that I am bad.

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And what has been found to be true, far more. Research is catching up. Science is catching up. Experiment after experiment is catching up. It’s not that you are what you do. It’s that you do what you are. What you believe you are, that’s what you end up doing. So if you believe you’re a jogger and you miss a day of jogging, good jogging tomorrow because I’m a jogger. You miss a day of writing? I’ll write tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’m not going to smoke because I’m healthy. This is why when you join the military, they put you in a uniform, shave your head and give you a new title because they want you to think and act like a soldier. They want you to believe what you are because you do what you believe you are far more than you are what you do.

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And when it comes to things of faith, well, that’s where it gets interesting. Because if I want to be more forgiving of my enemies, if I want to be more generous, if I want to be less judgmental, if I’m thinking like Socrates, well, I got to forgive, I got to forgive, I got to forgive. And when I fail to do that, I guess that means I’m not a forgiving person. Or I need to be generous. I need to give. I need to give. And I hold back money. I guess I’m greedy. Or when the other examples, whatever it could be, whatever kind of thing you sin you’re wrestling with, when you fail to do it, I guess it means I’m not that thing. And that’s why we trip up again and again and again, trying to do what God asks us in failing because we’re thinking like Socrates, that I am what I do.

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And it’s not about your actions, guys. It’s not what material you use to build. It’s what you build on. It’s foundational. Your foundation matters so much more than the materials you use or what you do. It’s your identity. That’s what Jesus is saying. It’s not that you are what you do. It’s that you do what you are. And this is where it gets wild. One more shift here, one more turn, and then we’ll get practical because in the Christian faith, you know who you are? Jesus says you are what I do. Watch this. You’re perfect because he was perfect.

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You’re forgiven because he died for you. You have eternal life because he rose from the dead. You are a child of God because he baptized you in his name, in the waters of baptism. It’s what he did, not what you do. That’s your identity. That’s who you are. The Apostle Paul talks about how your life is hid in Christ. Hidden. In Galatians 2:20, we read it earlier this year. “The life I now live, I no longer live. For I have been crucified with Christ. The life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

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“You are what Jesus did. You’re holy because Jesus was holy. You’re righteous because Jesus was righteous. You’re forgiven because Jesus died for you. Now, go live like it because it’s not that you are what you do. It’s that you do what you believe you are. This is huge. So instead of trying to forgive my enemies, I’m going to try to forgive and try to forgive. Remember that your identity, your foundation is you are forgiven. Now go forgive. Instead of trying to be generous, trying to be generous, trying not to be greedy, try to be generous. Remember that you are royalty heirs to the kingdom of heaven. Go live like it.

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Instead of trying not to be judgmental, try not to be judgmental. Remember, you’re forgiven. You’re accepted. Go and do likewise. Let me put some real teeth on this, okay? Let’s say you struggle with lust. And once again, you fell into a pornography loop. Real enough yet? When you think like Socrates, you think that’s just who I am. I can’t. I’m lustful. I am bad. Shame. That’s what Socrates does to our brains. But Jesus, he tells you, you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are members of Christ’s body. So go and live like it. And that changes the way you address the temptation. It gives you a strength that’s beyond you because you believe who you are first. You’re not trying to build on a sandy foundation. And when you fail, you’re forgiven and you’re free to try again.

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And watch which one finally overcomes lust. All right? Another one. Let’s say you gossip and you just … It’s just so delicious. You love tasty morsels. You love talking about other people. Oh. You watch TMZ and Us Weekly and … You love all that. Other people’s demise makes you … And you know you shouldn’t. If you think like Socrates, “Well, I’m going to try not to gossip, try not to gossip, try not to gossip.” And then you fall short and you’re like, “I guess I’m judgmental. I guess I’m a gossiper. I guess I like tearing people down. That’s who I am.” But if you live like Jesus tells you and that you do what you are and you are what he did, well, you start with your identity.

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I’m a child of God. I’m a part of his household. I’m a member of the family of God and those people are my brothers and sisters in Christ for whom Jesus died. So how am I going to speak about them if they’re my brother, if they’re my sister? And when you make a mistake, when you gossip, you’re forgiven and you’re free to try again. Which one do you think will finally overcome gossiping? You know how you get prostitutes, tax collectors, and fishermen to change the world? You stop calling them that. You look at those same prostitutes, tax collectors, and fishermen, and call them your friend.

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You tell them you love them, and that they are now your witnesses to the ends of the earth. And 2,000 years later, the movement is still growing strong because they believed who they are. Their new identity in Jesus. In all the other religions of the world, you change who you are to get God to love you. But in Jesus, God loves you, and it changes who you are. Really, this puts a huge burden then on we need to know our identity. You’ve got to remember who you are, Simba. Remember who you are. Get back to Pride Rock. All right.

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You got to remember who you are. You got to know your identity in Jesus. Don’t assume it. Remember it. Read through it. Think about it. So what I’m going to do is I’m going to show you a screen with a whole bunch of the identities that God gives to you in Jesus. These identities that he just transposes on you in the waters of baptism. This is who you are. And I want you, as we look at this, I want you to think about the sin that keeps tripping you up. The one that you keep going back to again and again, that habit you cannot kick. The way that you fall short of God in this one area again and again and again. Whatever it is for you. Because as you have this in your mind and you read through these identities, one or two or maybe three of these identities are going to go, boom.

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That’s it. That’s the one I need to remind myself that I am. And this week, as you struggle with that habit, as you struggle with that sin, say out loud, “I am that. ” And remind yourself of it and see how it helps you and changes the way you struggle and wrestle.

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Maybe you’ll be victorious. And we’re going to pray through these, okay? So here’s the words. These are the identities that we have in Christ and just a few of them. I ran out of room and I could add more, but then you wouldn’t be able to read it. So I mean, it’s a lot. It’s powerful. Really powerful. Every one of these is you. This is describing you in Christ. So go and live like it. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, I pray for every person in this room. I pray for everyone watching online and everyone who can hear the sound of my voice, God, that you would remind us this day of our identity in Christ.

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As we wrestle against sin and struggle against just falling short of our standard for ourselves, let alone your standard for us, God, as we wrestle with that. I pray this week that you would remind them of their identity in Christ. Maybe it’s an identity they’ve never thought about, or maybe it’s one they’ve forgotten, but Lord, remind them of who they are in Jesus. Remind them that they are your child. Adopt it into your family. Remind them that they are a temple of your Holy Spirit that now lives and dwells and resides within them. Remind them that they’re your friend.

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That you, the king of the universe, would call them a friend. Remind them that they are righteous in your eyes because of the righteousness of Christ. Remind them that they are holy and set apart because you are holy. And remind them that they are beloved, loved impossibly more than they can imagine by you. Remind them, God, they are your ambassador to a world that doesn’t know you and witnesses of you to those who have yet to believe. Remind every person in here of their identity as an heir to the riches of the kingdom of heaven and an heir to all of the promises of God.

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Remind them that they are the light of the world because your light is within them. They are the salt of the earth. Agents of change. Remind them that you chose them. They are chosen. And they are now royalty. They serve you as a priest. They’re forgiven. They’re redeemed. Remind them that they are justified. Remind them that they are members of your body. Remind them that they have a citizenship in heaven first and foremost beyond anything on this earth. Let them know deep in their core that they are a new creation, victorious more than conquerors, and they are free. You have liberated them, Lord. You’ve made them alive because you raised your son, Jesus, from the dead. They are created, bursting and teeming with purpose because they are your workmanship and they abide in you as a branch abides with a vine. And they are your servants.

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Lord, thank you. For who you have made us to be and our identity in Christ. Help us to remember who we are and that we do what you have made us to be. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.