There are many teachings in the discourse of the Sermon on the Mount. It covers about every aspect of pleasing God and the reality of how things are. It answers questions that people keep asking all the while they keep refusing and accepting the answers. Jesus closed the discourse with a story of two men building houses using two different foundations. When the weather came, only one stood.
This is an easy story to understand. A person’s home is his castle. Think of how it would be not to have a home to come home to at the end of the day. That’s why when you buy or build, you make sure it will last. Jesus closed with the important thought that takes us to square one. Without the right foundation, the structure won’t stand. Never lose sight of the foundation and how you’re building your life.
Matthew 7: 24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus posed a thought for us to ponder. How is the foundation of our spiritual life? There is a lot of concern today about the world we live in. We don’t realize how critical a time we’re in. We’ve discussed this hour in Bible studies down through the years, and it’s here. Things are unfolding before our eyes. People are fearful, running to and fro. Our very way of life is being challenged and changed. We are bombarded just like the rains bombarded this house. We’re hit from so many directions that we have a right to be concerned about the world and how things are. The main concern should be self. The world and nation begins with me. It begins with you. We start it all. We need to bring this down to an individual level.
Jesus likens living our lives to the process of building a house. We all know that when we build we start from the ground up. The law of gravity rules building. It’s from the foundation up, not the roof down. Whether we live right or wrong will start with the foundation of our life. One man dug down to rock. It would support what would be put on it. Sand can feel hard and firm. You can build on it, and as long as the weather is all right, it will be okay. It will stand. BUT life is not a bed of roses. There are difficulties. There are storms. There will be good and bad days. We just don’t know what kind of weather will be in our life. That’s why we need the right foundation.
We need the one linked inseparably to the Word of God. We have two choices of foundations. The “you-name-it” foundation is the sand. It’s not consistent. It shifts. The rock is solid. We can build on whichever we choose. The devil offers many ways to live. He tells us we can do whatever we please and still go to heaven. The ways of the world and the devil are sand. They may stand in fair weather, but when the trials and storms come, there will be a great failure. Our lives will be tested—our character, our relationships with the Lord and each other, our testimony. The time we’ve been given and what we do with it is important. Our priorities are important. There are lots of instructions on how to live life, but the blueprint to follow is written in the red blood of Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 3:11 states for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Paul also tells us to take heed how we build on the foundation. Inside the clamor of voices telling us how to live is the voice of the Word, the Rock. As believers we’ve chosen to build on the rock. We can’t be partly on the sand and partly on the rock and expect to survive. Our lives must be in order and plum, set on the bedrock of faith in Jesus Christ. Regardless of how we may be ridiculed, remember others are building on shifting sands and will fall. The book of Revelation tells us about the pouring out of the 7th vial of judgment. Cities of the world will fall under a great earthquake like the world has never known. There will be no place to hide. In Jesus we have a shelter from the storm.
Don’t think about how you used to do or be. Check how you’re doing now. What are you living by? Who are you listening to? If you’re out of kilter, get back in line. We are still in the day of grace and mercy. If you live on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, when the storms come you will be able to stand.
People can build what looks good on the outside, but it must be good on the inside. The man who chose not to build on the rock wasted his time and effort because it went down the drain and completely fell apart. People are falling apart all around us, but we don’t have to. We can make it through Jesus.
Check out your life. Get on the rock. Tune out the voices of everyone but God. Close the other blueprints and put them away. Forever structure your life on the Lord, the only foundation that will not fail!
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 