A Strong Foundation
Matthew 7:24-27
Introduction.
Some of the most expensive areas of real estate are along the coast.
People love oceanfront property.
You’re right by the beach, nice breezes, temperate climate.
What do you think the homeowners insurance rates are like at the beach?
They are so high because the insurance companies are convinced you’ll need it more than other locations.
You have sandy foundations, erosion, hurricanes.
Brethren, let us not build our houses on sand—the cost is so great.
Let us build smarter, build better on a more solid foundation.
Jesus tells us what that foundation is.
In the kids song, the last verse: “so build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is predicated on the realization that our foundation is Christ! (1 Cor. 3:11).
We might say that, based on these teachings, that foundation is His teaching.
This lesson is sort of a capstone of the Sermon on the Mount: On the Rock or on the Sand.
Body.
Building Your House on the Rock.
The importance of this Sermon on the Mount is shown here.
One must hear and do.
Jesus emphasizes hearing throughout the gospel account: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Jesus says this to each of the seven churches of Asia in Revelation: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
From the beginning of the NT to the end, hearing and doing are important.
James has some interesting things to say about that (James 1:22-25).
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
[We are fooling ourselves if we are not doers, just like those who cried, “Lord Lord” in Matt. 7:21.]
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
[Memory is a tricky thing. This simile that James gives always gives me a chuckle. I mean, have you ever walked into a room and forgot why you walked in there? Or had to look at a clock twice because you forgot the time already? We might chuckle at these things, but this can be very sad, too. Many of you are familiar with the struggles Sam and Sara have had with his mother. How many times a day have they had to remind her how long she was living with them—for 10 years! I’m sure that got frustrating. God is like that with us sometimes, patiently, lovingly reminding us of many things. Because of this, let us do the right thing.]
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
[After all, if we do what He says, we will be blessed—perhaps materially, definitely spiritually.]
And this kind of blessing will give us a firm foundation.
This foundation is needed for when times get tough.
Rain, floods, and wind beat on that house.
I don’t pretend to know all the struggles you face.
Some of you are dealing with failing health, some with financial struggles, some with lost loved ones, some with various temptations, and I could go on.
But if we keep in mind His teachings and do them, we will not fail.
Our house will be built on the rock.
Building Your House on the Sand.
What happens when we hear and fail to do?
Well, how has that worked for you so far?
We all at some point or another failed to do something Jesus said here (SotM).
How many of us have ever:
Hated our brother,
Lusted,
Lied,
Struck back,
Hated our enemy,
Showed off,
Prayed improperly,
Held a grudge,
Served another master,
Worried,
Judged improperly,
Failed to ask/seek/knock,
Treat others poorly,
Disregarded the Father’s will?
What is the outcome of doing these things?
The outcome is your house will fall because you have been on that broad way that leads to destruction, and Jesus will say, “Depart from Me.”
That is a high bar to reach, but it teaches us that going that route is not the answer.
Failing to do these things means you have a house of cards.
Every one of us has built something for ourselves.
I don’t mean in just the material sense, but we have built our own support systems both internally and externally.
Externally, we have our friends and family for support, perhaps a therapist.
But some day our friends may forget us and our family may abandon us.
Internally, we try to make sense of the world with our own limited understanding.
We have either made sense of the world with God’s help, or without it.
Without God’s help, our support system, our house, is a house of cards.
Some are weaker in the faith that others.
The weakest among us may fall apart at the first sign of trouble.
We may even lose our faith, stop going to worship, stop studying and praying.
We may stop the things intended to boost our faith.
It is the duty of the stronger to uplift the weaker.
It is the duty of the shepherds to go after the lost sheep.
But despite all our efforts, some fall away.
Ultimately, it is their decision, their choice.
It would be so much easier if they built their house on a stronger foundation.
And that foundation is Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11).
Conclusion.
These concepts found here in the SotM are foundational to Christian living.
David wrote in Psalm 11:3, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
Without a strong foundation built upon these principles, we will fall flat, we will fail.
Since Christ is meant to be our foundation, it’s not as if He falters, fails, or is destroyed.
But we might not be building our house on Him like we ought.
The fault lies with us, not with Him.
If we understand and do these things, we will understand our Lord so much more!
Before you can start building that foundation, you need to make sure of a few things.
You must have the right tools, the Bible.
You must have the right location, in Christ.
You get into Christ by becoming a Christian: HBRCB.
If you are a Christian but haven’t been living like you should: RCP.
You might need help building and maintaining that foundation
If you want us to help you and pray for you, let us know.