Rock or Sand (Matthew 7:24-29)

Holy Father. the words that we have proclaimed together and the

words that we have listened to and received Saved the word

Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who illuminates, those words,

father, they're in our midst. You've given us these means of

Grace. Our heart beats harder and

faster, as we listen to that Anthem as we reflect upon the

truth of that love. So amazing.

So Divine of Love Like No Other a love that we as people would

never give and could never give you gave us your savior, Our

Savior Jesus, your son. He did everything that was

necessary. Fulfilling all that was

required, that all who would trust in him will have eternal

life and we have gathered as your people today.

Jesus, we've gathered to bring you praise, we are seeking to

build our life on you. The true foundation.

Father, we know the temptation. To build on something else on

someone else. So today, we pray, holy spirit

that you would make it clear for all who are here, all who are

listening or watching watching even at a later date, this

service. That all who come all who listen

could leave this day knowing where they stand with you. and

what that means and why that matters now and for all

eternity, The Holy Spirit. Do what only you can do.

Change each of us. We pray in.

Christ's holy name. Amen.

Please stand for the reading of God's word.

We are coming to the final words that Jesus preached in his

Sermon on the Mount. And as a preacher, we along with

Paul been in this series for over a year.

And I don't know how many years the Lord will keep me on Earth

and how many years he will Keep Me In a Pulpit, but I don't know

if I'll ever have the privilege of preaching.

The Sermon on the Mount again, this series, maybe, maybe not, I

don't know. So to come to this place where

this is the last hour we're going to look at this, passage

is pretty sweet and tender. Jesus spoke these words over a

year ago we shared with you, the very first beatitude and we've

walked slowly through it. The way Jesus Christ sends this

sermon is profound, he is making it very clear to those who were

listening then and to those who are listening today, even in

this very Sanctuary that you are either in Christ and eternally

secure or you are not in Christ and not eternally secure.

There is no hybrid. There is no mix Jesus wants

there to be no confusion. So he gives us these final words

that are so powerful in the image.

So great. So listen as I read and then

preach verse 24 of Matthew 7, everyone then who hears these

words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his

house on the rock, the rain fell and the floods came, and the

winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall

because It had been founded on the Rock and everyone who hears

these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish

man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell and the

floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house.

And it fell and great was the fall of it.

When Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were

astonished at his teaching for he was teaching them as one who

had Authority. And not as their scribes.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God, please be

seated. Is Jesus moves towards the end

of his sermon recorded in Matthew 5, 6.

And 7. It's not a very long sermon.

He gives us several. Chronic contrast.

They begin earlier in chapter 7. When he says there is, there are

two gates and these two gates lead to two different roads.

There is a narrow gate. That gives entrance to a narrow

road that leads to life. That is life now and life for

eternity and there is a wide gate that leads to a wide road.

That leads to destruction destruction now and then

ultimately in eternity. He then goes on to speak of the

wise or true prophet, and the false prophet, and the good

tree, and the bad tree and then where we were last week, he

speaks of the one who gives a fuck.

False Proclamation. Lord Lord.

But it's false. They've not ultimately

surrendered their life to Christ.

And Jesus tells us he will say to them on that day of judgment

away from me. I never knew you.

That's a frightening Passage. I preached it last week, I

encourage you to listen. and then he comes to this place

where he says now, there are two builders These contrasts that

Jesus is making a really important because they have to

do with judgment. They have to do with eternity

and living in the culture. The Bible Belt, we have a grave

Temptation and that is to have false assurance.

False Assurance looks so much, like, the real thing that many

people are deceived at, Jesus was protecting against this then

and the same word protects us against it now.

And one thing that we have to understand is that these two

pictures, the wide Road, the narrow road, the true Prophet,

the false prophet the good trees, a bad tree, the one who's

building on the Rock and the one is building on the, on the sand.

These two pictures represent only two types.

You You are either in Christ or you are not in Christ.

There is no hybrid and where we live.

And the Buckle of the Bible Belt, where there's so much

cultured cultural Christianity or nominal Christianity, where

people might say the right thing, even make a profession of

Faith but never truly surrender to Christ.

These words are important. Here's one example.

Many people tend to think that the wide Road and the narrow

road are parallel paths, I can be in the narrow road.

Sunday or whenever my weekly Bible study meets but the rest

of the week I'm in the wide Road and I'm just kind of walking

this path. One foot in the narrow road, one

foot and the wide Road, they go side by side.

So it's possible. That is a lie.

These roads are not parallel roads.

They're not parallel paths, the wide road.

Goes that direction and the narrow road.

Goes that direction. Try walking both.

You can't do it. I'm not trying to be silly.

It's Impossible, you are either on the narrow road and you're

moving in Christ towards eternal life or you are on the wide

Road, leading towards destruction and ultimately

Eternal destruction. If you never turn.

There's not a hybrid. There is not a I can do both,

that's one of the great deceptions of Satan particular

in a culture like this. Last Sunday.

I know many of you were gone on spring break.

I read something written by Arthur W pink, want to read it

again because it's so powerful. And describing his perspective

as a theologian is what he was really thinking deeply about

culture and the word of God in the midst of culture.

He said this never were there. So many millions of nominal

Christians on Earth and nominal means non-believer.

Ultimately, it means cold syrup. We might say.

Yeah, I am this but it's not a True Believer.

It's the ones who would say Lord Lord.

And Jesus say you never surrendered your life to me.

I never knew you never were there.

So many millions of nominal Christians on Earth as there are

today and never was there. Such a small percentage of real

ones. We seriously doubt, whether

there has ever been a time in the history of this Christian

error. When there were such multitudes

of deceived Souls, Within the churches who verily believe that

all is well with their souls. When in fact, the wrath of God

abideth on them and then he added this and we know of no

single thing better calculated to undeceive them than a fool

and faithful exposition of these closing verses of our Lord's,

Sermon on the Mount, And he's right.

I was three years old, when he wrote that.

It Was Written in 1969, have things gotten better.

Have people really taken Jesus more seriously, have they really

surrendered all of who they are to the one who really is the

Lord. Those who follow Jesus to that

mountain side, who were listening to that day, were

listening audibly to the voice of God.

They were listening audibly as their eyes set sight on the

Living. God, who is the word?

And even at the end of that sermon, Jesus gives these very

profound illustrations. And he's the one who says, many

of you will say, Lord, Lord. And I will say, I never knew you

Jesus doesn't want anyone to be deceived.

He doesn't want anyone to know. Or think that they are in him

when they're really not. And so, he gives us these

incredible illustrations and he ends with us 12.

Builders two houses, two foundations two, radically

different responses What I want to do this morning at first is

focus on the similarities between the two.

They're easy to see but also very easy to miss.

The first similarity is this. They're both building houses now

because of the world we live in and the kind of houses that are

all around us, you might be building your own, maybe you've

built your own, maybe have a dream house.

Think about how they're listening to this.

These are simple homes that are coming to their imagination.

Even if those who are present have money, they would never

build much more than a two-story, very functional

house. It was not ornate unless you

were royalty. It was simply to meet the needs

that you have Add provision, so, Jesus closes illustration by

saying there are two Builders and their building to house, has

picture of these houses. As being very, very similar to

one another. In the minds of those listening,

these two, Builders building, two houses have this in common,

they heard the very same thing verse 24.

Jesus says this, everyone then who hears these words of mine

and does them will be like a wise, man.

Who built his house on the rock. Now, look with me at verse 26

and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do

them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

These two Builders heard the same words from the same mouth

from the same, man. When Jesus says these words,

he's talking about the words of his sermon, that began with the

Beatitudes blessed are the poor in spirit.

For theirs is the kingdom of God.

God. These are the words, Jesus is

talking about. So the builders that you

Builders building to house has heard the same message, second,

or thirdly, the two, Builders building, two houses, having

listened to the same message are now going to experience the same

realities. They're going to experience

storms, there is going to be rain.

There is going to be flooding, there's going to be winds, look

with me at verse 25. Five of the wise Builder and the

rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on

that house. And then in verse 27, and the

rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat

against that house, these Builders building to house has

heard the same words from the same man.

And now have experienced, or will experience the storms last

thing. They have in common, they both

have built on foundations, the foundations are mentioned.

And as the foundations are mentioned, the similarities end

The differences in the foundations are described by

Jesus. Look with me at verse 24.

Again, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will

be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And everyone. Verse 26, who hears these words

of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who

built his house on the sand. So above The line.

Above-ground these two homes. Look exactly the same.

And that's the danger in the church in churches.

There are people who look exactly the same above the

ground, as others. Who are not true.

Believers, that's the warning. For when you look underneath,

when you begin to examine the foundation, you begin to see the

truth. And the truth is some built on

the Rock notice. It says the rock not Iraq Twice,

The Rock, that's referring to Christ himself.

And the words that he proclaimed, The other built on

sand. So when the reality of those

storms came, do you experience storms?

Not just physical rain, physical Rivers, physical wins.

Emotional health, relational. Mm.

Oh, you know, psycho all of it, we experienced so many things

that come against us, when those storms the world, The Flash, the

devil came against those two structures, those two houses one

stood, And one did not. You are one of these two

Builders. There is no hybrid.

The foundation, Jesus mentions here is himself, it is the rock.

The application of that Foundation, is that those who

hear, and they both heard the same thing, these words the one

who does them in other words obeys, what he's hearing is the

one who builds on the Rock in the rock.

This is the one who says in order for this house to

withstand all that can come against it.

I know I must build. On the Rock.

I must dig down deep. I must go to the place where

nobody else will see it and make sure it's strong.

In the word of God that I heard. That's what I'm going to build.

That's who I'm going to build on the foolish, man.

He heard the same things. But he did not obey.

He simply said, I'm not digging to the Bedrock.

I'm going to do it the way I want to do it.

And that includes many people. in a book titled making all

things new, the late Henry now on talked about living an absurd

wife, and he connected it to being deaf and to listening and

obedience, listen to this being deaf to God's word, Our Lives

become absurd, in the word absurd, we find the Latin word

sir, deuce, That word means death.

A spiritual life requires, learning and listening to God's

word when we learn to listen, truly, listen not just here when

we learn to listen, Our Lives become obedient lives.

The word obedient comes from the Latin word of DeRay. audible

hearing the Latin word ID array, which means listening when we

listen Truly listen. By God's grace, we obey.

And when we do our lives, move from the Absurd.

To the obedient. From the foolish.

To the fruitful. Rowdy in his prayer.

Mentioned Syria and turkey. It's amazing how quickly we can

move on. From a story, with thousands

upon thousands have died. It's heartbreaking. to deceive

those images and know that the death count continues to climb

and will In 1994, on January 17th, our country experienced at

that point. It's most expensive natural

disaster. It was an earthquake called the

Northridge quake in Los Angeles County.

Most people, when I say that immediately go to the San

Francisco earthquake which took place in the fall during the

World Series. It's not the one I'm talking

about. This one happened at 4:31 a.m.

on Martin Luther King jr. Holiday January, 17th, 94. 57

people died. Right now, you're thinking only

57 people. I get that but 57 people died.

they said, if it had not been a federal holiday, And if it had

not been at 4:30 in the morning, they estimated thousands, maybe

even Beyond 10,000 people would have died in this country in

that earthquake and the reason was because of all the

structures that collapsed maybe you remember it.

Now the freeways that collapse bridges, that collapsed.

I was there. My wife and I had gone with my

mother to visit my sister and her husband, and my nephew

Cameron. I've never been in an

earthquake. The Sunday before.

I wish I could tell you. I was in church.

I was not. I was enjoying a la, the

sunshine. The weather in January, I was

literally wearing shorts and running shoes.

Not even a shirt, I know that's gross running.

Overwhelmed by the beauty of this place even thinking, maybe

God would call us here for 31 the earthquake hit and lasted 32

to 33 seconds and 32 to 33 seconds.

The most expensive natural disaster that took 57 lives

happen when it hit. I had no idea what was going on.

My wife had lived in California and Palm Springs for a while,

she was aware of earthquakes. She said, it's an earthquake I

rolled over on top of her and a ceiling fan.

These ceiling fan fell on my back.

It was violent and then it was over until the aftershocks.

It was unbelievable. How violent it was, as soon as

it ended. All you heard were animals

barking. Dogs barking?

Car alarms house alarms going off and explosions?

I mean, you could hear them all over.

There were no lights. 57 people died and it could have been a

lot worse. But of the 57 who died 16 died

in one location, the Northridge Meadow Apartments.

And the reason those people died there was because the fourth

floor, became the third floor, became the second and flattened.

The first in this apartment complex, these apartments had

been built according to code, that's called earthquake.

A proof Engineers have designed buildings.

That can withstand pretty substantial earthquakes.

In this case, the buildings that surrounded that were part of

this complex, they survived, but this one unit did not.

And as the years would follow the investigators, would try to

understand why and this is what happened, human are

intentionally or unintentionally, I don't know.

The blueprints. What was prescribed?

What have been used to build all of these buildings?

And those that stood, this earthquake did that in this one

section? They did not they had the same

blueprints, they read the same blueprints, they heard the same

blueprints, but someone decided to make a compromise or simply

did it out of air. Whatever the case, when the

earthquake hit, when that storm came that That building

collapsed in 16 people died. Knowing what you're supposed to

do. And not doing it is absurd.

Knowing what you can do and what you can prevent and not doing as

foolish. It's building on a Sandy

Foundation. And what Jesus Is Telling those

who are listening then and now is that there is one rock and

there's one Foundation. There is not a hybrid, there's

not more than to you or either a person in Christ, building your

life on the Rock, which means you by his grace and for his

glory are seeking to obey his words, his sermon him who is the

word or you are not doing that, you've heard it if you're here.

You've heard it. And if you decide to reject it,

you're building on so oil that is Sandy that will not withstand

the storm that you have already encountered and will ultimately

encounter. Ultimately encounter meaning

this, that in Antiquity, when an illustration was used for storm,

it often was connected to the idea of judgment, the ultimate

judgment, the day of judgment. That's what Jesus is talking

about. On that day, which we all will

face. There are those who will be in

Christ and there are those who won't be in Christ today.

March 19th 2023, whether you're here or watching and listening

online or listening at another date.

You, as a human being created by God can have the assurance that

you are building your life. Life on the Rock Christ, Jesus.

If you are, I'm going to repeat last week.

Now, it will be because you have made a true profession in Jesus.

You have rested and received him alone for salvation.

Secondly, your life is a life that has the presence of fruit

in it, what that means is, you are taking Jesus at his word and

you're taking him, seriously, it does not mean Perfection, you

can't be perfect, but you have a desire that He's given you as a

new person and that desire that he's given you as a new person.

As you saying, I hunger and thirst for righteousness in the

last hour. A young man came up to me at the

end of the service and he said, can you pray for me?

I said, yes. He said we had spring break,

West week, I slipped. I sin.

I did what I said I wasn't going to do.

I feel sick, I feel sad. I am scared that.

I'm not truly a believer. Have you professed faith in

Christ before? Yes.

You wouldn't be here talking to me.

I don't think if your faith isn't real.

Friends. Do you have that kind of

Courage? Do you have that kind of

assurance? Do you know that?

You know that, you know, He wanted to know that it was a

delight to pray over him. To encourage him to resist to

stand strong, to continue to turn away.

Not only now, but the rest of his life until heaven.

True Believers profess faith in Jesus.

They have the presence of fruitfulness in her life,

according to God's word and they persevere.

Jesus shows us that if you are building your life on Christ,

the foundation, the true Rock, no matter what storm you face,

storms of Doubt, storms of depression, storms of anxiety

story. Terms of relational Strife,

losing a job losing, a loved one loneliness.

Whatever it is in Christ. You will stand because he is

your foundation. Ultimately, you will stand the

day of judgment and be with him forever.

Those who are not in Christ, that is not your promise.

Jesus is very last words were this. just like he said about

the foolish man, the wise man, he said this about the foolish,

the rain fell, The floods came the winds blew and beat against

that house. And it fell.

And great was the fall of it. I actually prefer the

translation that says and it crashed and great was the crash.

Friends, that's the Eternal reality to those who reject the

words of Christ and build on the sand.

Matthew chapter 7 doesn't end with Jesus's words.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Quoted by Matthew instead Jesus. Finishes his sermon.

Matthew picks it up, and here's what Matthew says, verse 28 and

29, and when Jesus finished these sayings the crowds were

astonished, I love that word. They were astonished at his

teaching for he was teaching them as one who had Authority

and not as the scribes but I want to make something very

clear being astonished at Jesus and that his teaching is not

enough. Trusting in Him.

Who is astonishing? Who does astonishing things?

That is the key. It's resting and receiving him

alone as The Rock. If you have professed faith in

him. If that fruit is present in your

life than your persevering, praise God.

If not today may be the day we're in his sovereignty, he

brought you here. The you might hear the truth of

his word, what he said, I want to end with this illustration.

I want you just to listen. Jesus finished the sermon.

It probably took less than 15. 16 17 minutes to speak.

He came down the mountain. Matthew tells us the crowds were

astonished. And then he meets someone.

Matthew 8, picks up. And here's what Matthew says,

just listen picture this when he came down from the mountain, the

great crowds followed him. They were astonished.

And behold a leper came to him and knelt before him.

Remember that when a leper entered into public space they

were commanded to shout out. Unclean unclean.

This man finds his way. Through the crowds.

Near the proximity of the one who was just preaching, very

close to Jesus. So close that he kneels down

before him. And he says these words, Lord,

if you will, you can make me clean.

Jesus stretched out his hand. He didn't have to He did not

have to, he could just said the word.

He stretched out his hand. and he touched the leper, saying I

will Be clean. And immediately, his leprosy was

cleansed. Jesus said to him, see that you

say nothing to anyone but go show yourself to the priest and

offer the gift that Moses commanded for a proof to them.

Jesus is telling him to obey the word of God.

Those who truly listen. And build on the Rock seek to

obey the word of God. Those who don't live absurd

lives. The same hand that touched that

leper. Would soon receive nails.

The within a couple of years of Christ's life.

Those hands that touched so many others would be nailed to a

cross. So that your hands and mind so

that all the Wrath that we all deserved would not come on us,

but would come on him. And the Very one who spoke to

this sermon with his name. Hands nailed to the cross as

feet. Nailed to the cross spoke final

words from the cross saying it is finished.

Jesus Christ. The one who spoke these words is

the word. He is The Rock.

You are either building on him who is the foundation, The Rock.

Or you're not. May the Lord today have mercy.

And if you have surrendered your life to Christ already, may you

leave this place celebrating the Assurance.

You have And if today you're sitting here saying, I'm not

sure. I might not be in Christ, or I

know I'm not. I'm so grateful that you're

here. And I pray that you will take

seriously these words that Jesus spoke.

Two thousand years ago. And will reflect deeply.

What it means to build a life apart from him.

You may not see the need for it right now.

I'm sure many didn't then. But listen to the god of the

universe and what he is saying. To reject him to ignore him to

say, I don't care. It's absurd.

Friends. This is the word.

From the Lord, the word of the Lord.

Father in heaven. Thank you for opening your

mouth. For creating us for creating

this time in the space and for giving us your holy word.

My Heart Lord is. To do nothing that would

distract from the clarity of what you have proclaimed.

Lord, Jesus, I don't want anyone to be falsely assured.

I also don't want anybody to live in shame when they have

been set free, Only You, Holy Spirit can make that clear.

If there are those in our midst, who don't know you, but today

want to rest and receive Jesus alone for salvation friend.

Pray to him now, simply tell him your need for him as a sinner.

and ask him to save you and tell somebody if you were praying

that prayer today, Lord for others.

We are in you and the storms of this life are overwhelming us.

The water is rising the World, the Flesh, and the devil are

coming against us. And sometimes we begin to wonder

what we persevere. One of the signs that we belong

to you, is that we will and we praise you for that.

So, Lord touched deeply. Those in this body who are

feeling the effects of the storm, and let them hear your

voice through your word and spirit.

It that they are secure Lord as we close in a very familiar

song. Please Don't Let It Be us.

Just checking a box. Let us think deeply of these

words that were offering to you who has given us everything.

You indeed, are the rock. Lord Jesus.

We pray this in your Holy Name and All God's people said, amen,

please stand. It that they are secure Lord as

we close in a very familiar song.

Please Don't Let It Be us. Just checking a box.

Let us think deeply of these words that were offering to you

who has given us everything. You indeed, are the rock.

Lord Jesus. We pray this in your Holy Name

and All God's people said, amen, please stand.