When an individual thinks about what they are going to do with their life they are affected by the words that they hear from various sources including parents, family members, and friends. All of them think they have just the right direction for you to take. And there is a host of other people who would like for you to spend your money, or your parents money, to get you to where you think you want to go.
But considering how to get the things you want in this life on earth is quite different than finding out how to live your life with satisfaction. Being satisfied no matter what things you might have or not have in life is important. Learning to live life so that the storms and changes that come in life do not overthrow you is the most satisfying thing you can learn. Our text this morning deals with this important topic.
Matthew 7:24-29 (NASB)
[24] 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.
[25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
[26] 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.
[27] The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell and great was its fall.
[28] When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
[29] for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
I love this story Jesus told about building a house on a foundation of sand or on a foundation of rock. In this account Jesus teaches two simple points of theology.
1. The Theology of wisdom.
2. The Theology of a fool.
Let's take a closer look.
Matthew 7:24-29 (NASB)
[24] 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.
Verse 24 shows us the theology of wisdom.
- Hearing and acting are compared to building a house.
- Christ's words are compared to a rock that forms the foundation for the house being built. We will talk about that rock in a little bit.
Jesus goes on to talk about the results of building on this Rock.
[25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Notice multiple storms come upon the house indicating two important truths:
1. The passage of time
2. The troubles of a lifetime
I love the little saying, "This too shall pass." It is a simple way to say that if your circumstances in life are good right now, just remember that they will not stay that way. And if the circumstances of your life are bad right now, just remember they will not stay that way. One thing that I have learned in the 60+ years I have been on this earth is that just about the time I think I have things the way I want them something comes up to change my circumstances and I seem to be climbing another mountain.
But on the other hand, if the circumstances of my life are rotten, they will not remain that way forever. What makes following Christ so rewarding is the fact that even if most of the circumstances of my life seem to be dismal, there is an eternal reward coming. This is what Christ was trying to get across in this passage. Building our lives on the foundation of the words of Christ assures us that we can survive the rotten circumstances of life. The rotten circumstances of life are not fun, and they are not pretty, but we can have a hope of better days in spite of them.
The house stood because it was built on the Rock. Remember...
- Building represents hearing and acting upon.
- The Rock represents the words of Christ.
A successful life, one that weathers the nasty circumstances of life, is built on the Rock which represents the words of Christ.
[26] 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.
If verse 24 is the Theology of a wise man then verse 26 is the theology of a fool.
- Hearing and lack of action are compared to building a house on sand.
- Choosing not to act on Christ's words means that one acts on their own choice their own word or truth. This word or truth is compared to sand.
Again, Jesus wants to make sure that people understand the results of following the theology of a fool.
[27] The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell and great was its fall.
Again, notice the mention of multiple storms which come upon the house indicating two important truths:
1. The passage of time
2. The troubles of a lifetime
Jesus' mention of two houses being built on two different kinds of foundations was primarily to teach us about the foundation we should build our lives upon. But it also indicates that the storms of life come on all houses indicating that the storms of life come on everyone, not just the unrighteous, but on the righteous as well.
The storms of life are going to come no matter who we are. It does not matter what our station in life might be, there will be storms. Jesus is trying to teach us how we can weather the storms of life over the passage of a lifetime.
The house built on sand came crashing down because it did not have the right kind of foundation. It is important to remember this in context.
- Building on the sand represents hearing and choosing not to take action.
- The sand represents the choice of a man or a woman to live by their own words or truth instead of the truth of Jesus' words.
A life that eventually comes crashing down because of the onslaught of the nasty circumstances of life, is built on sand.
[28] When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;
[29] for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
If you look at the meaning of the Greek word for authority used here in verse 29, you get a real picture of what Jesus was trying to get across to the people. The MSG says that Jesus lived what He was teaching and that is what made Him different from the Scribes. This passage is all about Jesus taking ownership of the words His Father in Heaven told Him. He lived out His Father's will in daily living, He didn't just preach about it. In other words, He heard His Father's words and acted on them. This is what He wants us to get. To hear and act upon His words.
Now there is incredible truth in this passage but it leaves me asking an important question. What is the meaning of the rock? Verse 24 gives us a hint but not much detail.
Matthew 7:24 (NASB)
[24] 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.
Verse 24 shows that the words of Christ are compared to the rock.
But we only looked at a limited amount of the context that this passage is found in. You see this passage is at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount and it must be looked at in that context. In the weeks ahead we are going to be looking at that context in detail.
But before we go there, let's look at how Jesus further developed this analogy of the rock later in His ministry here on earth.
Matthew 16:13-18 (NASB)
[13] Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
[14] And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
[15] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
[16] Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
[17] And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
[18] I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Now we could spend a lot of time looking at the details contained in this passage because there is a lot here. But for now we will limit ourselves to the topic at hand. We are trying to understand what the rock is that we should build the foundations of our lives on.
Here Jesus says to Peter, "...upon this rock I will build My church." Here is the rock again, but what was He telling Peter? What would Peter have understood this rock to be? Peter has just answered Jesus' question about who the disciples thought He was. God reveals to Peter that Jesus is "...the Christ, or messiah, Son of the living God."
Then Jesus declares that this is not something that anyone told Peter. It is not something Peter made up. These are the words of God the Father, Jesus' Father in Heaven. That's the rock that Jesus will build His church on, Peter's confession that Jesus is Messiah which was revealed to him by God in Heaven above. The words of God are the rock that forms the foundation of the church.
It is important to realize that this is not a single isolated event of a word spoken by God from Heaven. This word of God is the very fiber of our being, it is the very fiber of our universe. Through His prophets down through the ages God has been revealing His message about Messiah. The very words of God sustain the universe.
- Without it we could not breathe.
- Without the Word of God the stars would grow cold.
- Without it the oceans would fly away.
John said it better than I can say it, listen to his words.
John 1:1-14 (NASB)
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] He was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
[4] In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
[5] The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
[6] There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7] He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
[8] He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
[9] There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
[10] He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
[11] He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
[12] But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
[13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
[14] And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
It could not be any clearer that Jesus is the rock that forms the foundation of the church. Not an institution, not the doctrines and teachings of men, not some isolated expression of a word from God, but the very fiber of the universe. Jesus is the Word and that Word is the rock that the church is built on.
But how does that play out in the moment to moment life of a sinful man here on earth? I can only speak from personal experience.
- Giving in to temptation and the prevenient Grace of God that kept drawing me back to Him
- My call from God at age 13
- My first personal encounter
- My salvation experience
- My second call from God
- My failed first marriage
- My call from God to Pastor Mt. View
- My struggle to lead the way God wants me to lead
- My struggle to preach the way God wants me to preach
But in all of the nasty and wonderful circumstances of my life there was, and still is, this rock that I have tried my best to cling too. Sometimes I am hanging on to this rock by my fingernails. But God always comes along to grab my wrists and stand me up straight. Sometimes I have slipped off but God always offers to help me back on. But know this, the rock is solid, and it is sure, and it is reliable, and it will never fail those who choose to build their live on it.
NASB - New American Standard Bible (NASB). Cedar Rapids: Laridian, 2002