“FOUNDATION IS EVERYTHING”
MATTHEW 7:24-29
"Therefore everyone who hears these words
of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on
the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
slammed against the house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on
the rock.
Everyone who hears these words of Mine
and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed
against that house; and it fell--and great was the fall."
When Jesus had finished these words,
the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having
authority, and not as their scribes" (NASB).
INTRODUCTION
A very short man wanted to drive a nail in his wall to hang
a picture. He stood on a chair, but it was not high enough. His wife placed a
box on the chair, but he was still short of his goal. So a stool was piled on
top of the box. Balancing himself precariously, the do-it-yourself picture
hanger began to tap timidly with his hammer. “Why don’t you hit it hard?” asked
the wife. “You will never drive the nail that way!”
Our hero looked down from his perch to reply, “How can a
man hit anything hard on a shaky foundation like this?”
As we conclude our series on the Sermon on the Mount, I
would like us to explore the topic: "Foundation is Everything."
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has covered many subjects
and themes pertaining to the Kingdom of God. In conclusion, however, Jesus
tells a parable of two builders who build two different houses.
I.
THE HOUSE BUILT ON THE ROCK VV. 24-25
It
is not by accident that Jesus is called the Master Teacher, because He is able
to use ordinary things of life to teach spiritual truths in a way that is very
profound. In verses 21-23, Jesus has drawn a contrast between saying and doing. In this passage He
draws a contrast between hearing and
doing. Hearing is very important. Counselors say that one of the keys to
successful marriage is the ability for spouses to listen to each other. I also
think that the reason some students do not perform well in school is their
refusal to listen to their teachers when they are teaching. I know that some
people have “attention deficiency
disorder” but today, thanks to medical science it can be treated with
medication. Have you sent a child, a friend, a neighbor, a family member to buy
you a specific thing and came back with something else? The bottom line is that
the person was not listening to what you were telling him/her to buy for you.
Hearing therefore is very important, because until you hear what you are told
to do you will do something else. However, Jesus is saying that hearing alone
is not enough. You must act on what you hear from Jesus. In this passage, Jesus
is not teaching salvation by good works and obedience. On the contrary, Jesus
is teaching that those who hear and obey are true disciples of Christ (James
1:22-25).
In order to
draw His point home to His disciples and the crowd who heard His message on the
mountain that day, and to us who are hearing it today, Jesus tells a parable
about two builders, who built on two different foundations. The first builder
built his house on the rock. The second builder built his house on the sand. As
both builders got on with their building, a casual observer would not have
noticed any difference between the two; for the difference was in the
foundations, and foundations are not seen. Probably both builders spent a lot
of money and time on the building. Both houses looked attractive and
substantial. Externally, both houses look erect, firm, and strong. However,
internally and structurally, there is a striking difference between the two.
How can the difference be known? A time of testing, a time of trial will reveal
the difference. Only when a storm breaks out will the difference between the
two foundations come out. So the time of testing came to both houses, rain on
the roof, river flooding on the foundation, and wind battering the walls with
great ferocity and intensity, but the first house did not collapse because it
was built on the rock. The foundation of the first house was solid therefore it
withstood the rain, the flood, and the stormy wind. Let us see what will happen
to the house on the sand.
II.
THE HOUSE BUILT ON THE SAND VV. 26-27
Notice
that the same natural calamity that hit the building on the rock came to the
building that was erected on the sand. However, the building on the sand could
not withstand the stormy gale and it collapsed. The house on the sand came
crushing down. The second house, though it looked impressive on the outside, it
was without foundation, and therefore doomed to destruction.
Anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ will be tested
or tried. As I have always told you if anybody tells you that when you become a
Christian nothing bad will happen to you, that person has lied to you. Satan
will tempt you repeatedly until Christ comes. God will also allow trials to
test your faith whether it is genuine or false. If you study the Bible
carefully, God tested the faith of all the men and women He used. God tested
Abraham, the father of faith to sacrifice his own son Isaac. God tested the
faith of Job when He allowed Satan to inflict calamity in his family and
personal life. God tested Paul by allowing Satan to buffet him with a thorn in
his flesh. God tested Peter when He stood by and allowed him to be thrown into
jail. God permitted His own Son Jesus Christ to be tempted by Satan in the
wilderness before He began His public ministry.
If there
were no trials and temptations in the Christian life, everyone on earth would
become a Christian. Faith would not be faith if there were no challenges to the
Christian life. Whether you are a wise believer or foolish, strain comes to all
in afflictions, disappointments, losses, temptations, fears in thoughts of
dying, and life beyond. How you respond is what matters.
Some
athletes can talk a great game, but
that tells you nothing about their athletic skills. And not every one who talks
about heaven belongs to God’s kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our “walk”
than our “talk.” Jesus wants you to do right, not just say the right words.
Your house, which represents your life, will withstand the storms of life only
if you do what is right instead of just talking about it. Some of you wonder if
you are really Christians. If that is you, start being one. Give your life to
Jesus Christ. Some people talk more about faith if that is you begin showing
your faith in faithful living. Practicing obedience builds on the solid
foundation of Jesus’ words to weather the storms of life.
In this parable, Jesus is not talking about unbelievers who
do not profess faith in Him. He is dealing with professing Christians, the
genuine and the false who on the surface look alike. You cannot easily tell
which is which. Both appear to be building Christian lives. Both are members of
the visible Christian community. Both read the Bible, go to church, listen to
sermons, and buy Christian literature. The reason you cannot tell the
difference between a genuine Christian and a counterfeit one is that the deep
foundations of their lives are hidden from view. The fundamental question is
not whether they hear Christ’s teaching, or even whether they respect or
believe it, but whether they do what they hear. Only a storm will reveal the
truth. Sometimes a storm of crisis or calamity betrays what manner of persons
we are, for true faith is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it
comes to the trial (1 Peter). Sometimes I wonder why some people do not take
time to examine their lives and where they are heading. What amazes me is the
carefulness and proper planning, which some people apply to building a house,
which is temporary, but the same people ignore the building of their lives,
which is eternal. What is life but a “building up of character, habits,
memories, expectations, of powers and weaknesses? Our desire is that what we
build should be secure.” Good people, who do not belong to Jesus Christ, appear
to build well, and feel that their house is well and wisely built on money,
friends, health, successful methods in business—all of which are commendable in
themselves but disastrous without a rock foundation.
It is said that the magnitude of the earthquake that hit
California some years ago, was similar to the one that hit Iran. However, in
California only two or three people died, but in Iran about fifty thousand
died. The difference in the lost of lives lies in the foundations of the
houses. It is said that when you notice a single crack in your house, you don’t
have a major problem. You can easily patch up the crack. However, it is a
different story when you begin to see a crack here and there at the corners of
your house. When there are major cracks in your house there is the likelihood
that the foundation of your house is bad. I believe when you are pretending to
be a Christian, God has a way of telling you that your faith in Christ is not
complete. God does that so that you will faithfully and sincerely give your
life to Jesus Christ. Before the great Day of Judgment comes, God allows
preliminary crises to reveal authentic and inauthentic spirituality. God allows
trials and testing to reveal true Christians and those who are pretending.
Those whose faith is built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ will withstand the
storms of life, but those who build their lives on the shifting sand of love of
praise, power, and respect for custom, money, and fame will be left with a heap
of ruins. Storms of life reveal the authenticity of your faith.
The essence of this parable is whether the Lordship of
Jesus, which you profess, is your life’s major reality. It all boils down to
your obedience to Jesus Christ. Verbal profession alone is not enough to be a
disciple of Jesus Christ. The apostle John says, “If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie
and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:6). He goes on to say, “He who says I know Him but disobeys His
commandments is a liar” (1 John 2:4).
In applying this teaching of Jesus to your life, you need
to consider that the Bible is a dangerous book to read, and that the church is
a dangerous society to join. For in reading the Bible you hear the words of
Christ, and in joining the church you say you believe in Christ. Consequently,
you belong to the company, which Jesus describes as hearing His teaching and
calling Him Lord. Your membership in the local church lays upon you the serious
responsibility of ensuring that what you know and what you say are translated
into what you do. Therefore, professing faith in Jesus Christ and joining His
church has many implications. And the primary implication is your obedience to
Jesus Christ and what His word teaches. Another implication is that Jesus
summons you to renounce the prevailing secular culture in favor of the
Christian counter-culture.
III.
THE REACTION OF THE CROWD VV. 28-29
What
fascinated and struck the crowds, as well as the disciples was the
extraordinary authority of Jesus as a teacher. The crowds were astonished or
dumbfounded at Jesus’ teaching, because He taught them with authority. Jesus
amazed His listeners by the substance, the quality, and the manner of His instruction.
Of course, there had been great teachers like Moses and others who had preceded
Jesus. There were other great teachers who were His contemporaries. What then
was so special about Jesus? Jesus assumed the right to teach absolute truth. He
was a Jew, but His message was not Jewish. What He had to say was not
culturally conditioned in the sense that it was not limited to a particular
people (Jews) or a particular place. His message being absolute, it was
universal. He spoke as one who knew what He was talking about. He reinterpreted
the teachings of Moses. He did not need to quote anyone like the scribes,
because He was the original Word (John 1:1). The scribes were retailers merely
of what others had said. Jesus’ authority is indisputable because He could say,
“You have heard that it was said, but I
say to you.” Jesus was more than a
prophet, because the prophets could not speak with their own authority. Their
favorite phrase was “Thus Says the
LORD” but Jesus spoke with His own
authority.
While I admire the amazement of the crowd about the
authority of Jesus Christ, they were making the very mistake Jesus’ teaching is
attempting to correct. The teaching on the Sermon on the Mount is not meant to
be admired but to be obeyed. Therefore, Jesus is asking you to make a decision.
INVITATION
1. Those who have not given
your life to Jesus Christ there is no need to pretend because Jesus already
knows that you have not been saved. There is no need to be ashamed. Come to Him
as you are and He will receive you and save you unconditionally.
2. Those that have heard from
Jesus but do not follow through what He tells you to do. Jesus requires radical
obedience.
3. Those who need to rededicate
your lives to Jesus Christ. This is the time to do it.
4. Those who are discouraged
in the Christian life. This is a message of hope for you.
If the messages from this blog have been a blessing to you and you want to give to support this ministry, you can write your check to:
KENADARKWA LLC
Kennedy A. Adarkwa, PhD
6402 Redding Court
Arlington, TX 76001
If the messages from this blog have been a blessing to you and you want to give to support this ministry, you can write your check to:
KENADARKWA LLC
Kennedy A. Adarkwa, PhD
6402 Redding Court
Arlington, TX 76001
