Luke 6:43-49 “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
Text Acts 11:26 “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
In Luke 6:43-49, Jesus will use three examples to illustrate the revealing truth about consistency! In verses 43-44, we have the consistency of creation. Within God’s creation, a plant always produces fruit after its own kind! When you inspect fruit, you always know what kind of plant it came from. In verses 45-46, we have the consistency of conduct. The habits of a man are dictated by the heart of a man. If a man’s heart is the depository of good and beneficial things, the habits of that man will be good and beneficial to all. In verse 46, Jesus points out the inconsistency of a person’s lips and a person’s life! The truth is, there was no inconsistency! While the lips had given Jesus the title, the life had failed to give Him the throne; thus revealing the heart of a rebel. In verses 47-49, we have the consistency of construction. When a structure is built upon the proper foundation, it will weather the adversities of life. While it may not be immediate, great ruin awaits all that choose not the proper foundation. The truth is, consistency reveals the real you. It was told that Alexander the Great had difficulty sleeping one night so he took the opportunity to walk through the camp. As he passed among the tents, he came upon a sentry that had fallen asleep at his post. The young man awoke as the great general walked toward him. Everyone knew the offense was punishable by death. Seeing the fear in the young man’s eye, the general asked the officer his name. The young man replied, Alexander. The general looked the young man in the eye and said, “Change your conduct or change your name!” What does consistency say about you?