RULES AND BOUNDARIES

RULES AND BOUNDARIES

by Pastor Mark Taylor

Matthew 7:21-27

Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus gives a parable of two men, one wise and one foolish that built their house. One built on solid rock and the other built on sand. 

The man who built on solid rock lived with security. Security is closely related to freedom. Each man had the freedom to build on whatever foundation he desired. 

When you build your life on Jesus you have a rock solid foundation to construct the rest of your life. Only the person who builds his life on Christ is secure, all other ground is sinking sand. The life build on Christ is delivered from fear. The life grounded in Jesus has no need to fear the present or the future.

It is the rules and boundaries that make sports an exciting game. Take away the rules and boundaries and you have no game. Even so in the Christian life God’s commandments are given for our own good. God gave us boundaries to keep us safe and remove confusion from our lives. Without rules and boundaries your life would be in constant chaos and all relationships would implode. 

God has set boundaries for your own good. When you know the boundaries and practice them you enjoy a fun filled life. When you know and practice boundaries you enjoy freedom and security.

God has given everyone the freedom to choose. You can choose to stay within His boundaries or go outside His boundaries. It is in that true freedom to choose that you find authentic love.  Whether it is your relationship to God or to others if you take away freedom you take away love. It is only when you are free to chose and disagree that you are free to love.  God designed the entire creation for freedom. We were not created to control each other we were created to love each other freely.  Where there is extreme control and abuse there is not love. Boundaries are not something you set on another person. They are something you set on yourself.

It is possible to live without boundaries. The devil will try to fool you into thinking that living without boundaries is the way to freedom.  Breaking outside of boundaries can be dangerous.  One word gives the key to “freedom.” That one word is obedience. You can know about the commandments and boundaries God has given. You can brag on how much you know about spiritual truths, but the important thing to Jesus: “Are you walking the talk.” 

Jesus is speaking of the absolute necessity of building your life on the right kind of foundation. Because the foundation is what holds everything up; it’s what holds everything together. No matter what quality of materials you use; no matter how carefully you join the frame together; no matter how skilled your craftsmen may be – if the foundation isn’t solid and stable, your “house” will lack integrity. Over time, cracks will develop in the walls. The windows will stick. The roof will leak. And sooner or later, the storms of life will bring it crashing down, and everything you’ve worked so hard to build will be lost.

Both the wise man and the foolish man build a great house. Both worked hard. One was wise and the other foolish. Why? The wise man build on a solid foundation and the foolish man build on sand.

Jesus gives you the choice where you will build your life. You can build on temporary sand. You can disregard His teachings. Or you can choose to build your life on Christ the solid rock. You build on a solid foundation by -Obeying the teachings of Christ

-Paying attention to the building codes – regular pray,  Bible study, worship, small group fellowship and by  Making choices that honor and please the Lord.

People who live without boundaries often lack self-control. Paul wrote to Timothy, "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For godliness is profitable not only in the this life but also in the age to come." (I Tim. 4:7,8) The Bible teaches us, "When to say Yes, when to say No and when to take control of your life." 

Limits and boundaries are good for everyone, know your limits, know how far you can go.  This is true in how you treat yourself and how you allow others to treat you.  This is true about the way you treat your health and it is true about moral decisions you make.

There is a spiritual law of sowing and reaping.  When you set boundaries in your life and build it on a good foundation, you will reap good things  When you do not follow the boundaries God has set for you because He loves you, you will reap the natural consequences of your decisions.

Start today planting good seed so that you will have a good harvest.  Reinforce your foundation so that your life will be able to withstand the storms of life.