Matthew 7:24-29. Building Your House
When we took our family to Florida on holiday, we hired a car. One day we were driving along a motorway when suddenly there was a gigantic downpour, it was the heaviest rain we have ever seen. The wipers couldn’t cope. We were all scared, we couldn’t see anything so had to pull over.
In 1859 the Great Welsh Storm occurred. This was wild and ferocious, many people dying.
Yet these storms are relatively insignificant compared to the harrowing storm we read about in this passage. This storm will be the end of all storms. We have now come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus is saying that it is now the time for decision. He has explained that there are two possible roads we can travel along in life, the broad, easy road or the hard, narrow way. The narrow way leads to life, to heaven, but the broad way leads to destruction. He is calling on all his listeners to make a choice. Jesus knows that there are some who pay lip service to him, say the right words and even do good things but in their hearts they are not really his servants.
Jesus has just warned us to beware of the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ who seems to be a loving pastor but in fact leads his followers away from relying on Jesus and so leads them to destruction.
So this is the climax of the sermon. Jesus is challenging us all to hear what he has to say and make a decision to either follow him and what he teaches or go our own way and ignore him. There is no middle way. As in any countdown we hear 3,2,1, blast off. Jesus gives us three similarities, two differences and one choice.
Three similarities
His first point is that all those in the crowd listening to him have much in common, they all hear what Jesus has to say and all are building their lives.
a. We all hear the same words:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine. . . “ Matthew 7:24
“But everyone who hears these words of mine . . .” Matthew 8:26
There were many people listening to Jesus’ sermon, they all heard his words. They heard that he had come to fulfil the law and the prophets, they heard that God calls them to be as perfect as the Father, and they all heard that they should enter through the narrow gate. The problem wasn’t that they hadn’t heard. Today there are many who have heard what Jesus taught.
b. We all build similar houses.
A casual observer would not see major differences in the two types of houses. The build quality is similar. This is so important. Jesus is saying that those he doesn’t know can have very attractive lives. They are pleasant people, they mingle with Christians, they may go to church, they may treat others with kindness, they may even say their prayers, although seldom will they mean ‘Your will be done’. They don’t appear to be the scum of the earth but are lovely people so why does it matter that they built their lives on a different foundation?
c. We will all face this storm
Jesus says it does matter very much for this reason. All people will eventually face the same horrendous storm. It is not if, but when. The same rain and the same wind will beat upon that house. This warning is relevant for us all. None of us, however godly we are, are able to avoid this storm. We will all have a foretaste of it during our lives with the various problems we face but this ultimate storm is coming to us all.
Jesus’ teaching about not being angry, not lustful, not given to worry and learning to share, do help us face the problems of this life but Jesus is warning us about the final judgment:
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment . . . “ Hebrews 9:27
This has been an underlying theme of all this sermon:
“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,” Matthew 7:2
“. . . broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” Matthew 7:13
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 7:19
“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:23
It would be very odd for Jesus to suddenly changed the thrust of what he is saying.
Earlier in Genesis we read of a deluge that brought judgment on all people when only Noah and his family were saved. According to the Genesis account, God brought the global flood to judge humanity because the earth had become consumed by wickedness and violence.
God said through Ezekiel that he had had enough of their so called spirituality which was an outer whitewash on lives that were utterly self-centred:
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it[a] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it,” Ezekiel 13:13-15
The storm of God’s judgment will wash away all pretence and our real selves will be laid bare before God! The Bible demands that we all take this seriously.
Jonathan Edwards
In 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He said God calls us to repent of our sins, and if we fail to do so, we can expect God’s judgment, either in this life or in the life to come. His sermon was so powerful, that people wept as he preached and they shouted out,
“What must I do to escape God’s judgment?”
We seldom hear sermons like that anymore. As a result, some have lost sight of God as holy and just who judges us for our ungodly actions. Yet the Bible is full of teaching about God’s judgment of hypocritical religious yet godless people.
The last chapter of Isaiah contrasts the judgment of God on those who reject his rule with the glory of those who love and follow him.
“They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” Isaiah 66:3-4
The author of Psalm 99 invites us to celebrate God’s holiness and majesty. He wrote,
“The LORD is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake! The LORD sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy! Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness.”
The Bible is clear that God expects us to live righteously and to treat others with fairness. We all fall short of this ideal, and the only way to find acceptance by God is by putting our faith in Jesus the Christ who bore our sins in his own body on the cross. God gladly forgives all who come to Him in faith. Once He has redeemed us, he calls on all his people to spend our lives living for Him, sharing the Gospel, and working for peace, justice, and righteousness.
Two differences
Very different foundations
The faith that we build our lives on affects everything else. There are two possibilities, the rock or sand. When children in Sunday School are asked:
“What does the rock represent?”
The usual response is:
“Jesus, of course.”
But look at what Jesus actually says:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matthew 7:24,26
This is so important. If we say ‘Jesus’ we can reinvent the Jesus we want to follow and in practice follow our own homemade faith. To follow God always means to obey his word. The final chapter of the book of Isaiah emphasises this:
“These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
“Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word.” Isaiah 66:5
Psalm 19 emphasises that God speaks to us through his word and that this is utterly reliable:
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7
The Bible gives understanding:
“The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalm 19:8
God’s word gives us joy and wisdom:
“The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.” Psalm 19:9
Fearing God always results in following Scripture which reliably teaches us how God thinks:
“They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” Psalm 19:10
No wonder God’s words are so precious, yet also so encouraging to God’s people:
“By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm:19:11
God’s people are warned not to be hypocrites but to live as God teaches. Incidentally Psalm 19 also teaches us that God’s word is never in conflict with the world he has made. God’s world also speaks to us:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2
The foundation Jesus expects us to build our lives upon is what he has taught us in his Word. We must build our lives on the rock.
The Isles of Scilly are infamous for shipwrecks. Bishop Rock Lighthouse, built in 1858, is a famous and extremely remote lighthouse located 4 miles west of the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, England. Known by the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest island with a building on it, it stands in the path of heavy Atlantic swells. It is 50 meters tall. It has withstood countless storms yet stands there to be a light to guide ships in the area. It would have been much cheaper and simpler to have built it on the sandy beach but that would have been stupid. It would not have remained standing and would have been much less use as a guide to others in trouble.
Jesus is clearly asking us to determine what the foundation of our lives is - is it my ideas, or even my church or is it what Jesus teaches us in his word and that we are committed to obey?Am I relying on the promises of God or on my activities and my beliefs?
Very different outcomes
Those who have built their lives on Christ are utterly secure:
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:25
What God promises we can rely on. We are safe because we have been saved. This is the promise of God. The verse from Hebrews that reminds us that we all face judgment continues:
“. . . so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28
No wonder the crowds were so amazed at the end of the Sermon. They had never heard teaching like this:
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Matthew 7:28-29
Those who turn to live under the authority of Jesus are already safe from God’s judgment. Jesus took our judgment on himself on that cross. We therefore have nothing to fear about our acceptance by God although there is still a judgment we will face which is on how we have lived for our Lord.
Those who have refused to build their lives on God’s rock but opted for ‘shifting sands’ will eventually face disaster.
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:27
What a catastrophic crash that will be. God’s judgment is final. There will be no appeal and he judges fairly, knowing all the facts. That house that we built on the sand seemed so attractive but it will fall.
This warning is for all of us. There are many stories of people claiming to follow Christ but whose private lives reveal the very opposite, with fraud, sexual scandal, anger and dishonesty. Jesus is warning us all not to rely on an outward religiosity but only on our genuine relationship with Christ which will be seen in our obedience to his Word.
This is a loving warning - it does matter how we respond to the Word of God.
One Vital Choice
When we stand before God at the end of time he will ask each of us:
“What did you do with my words, with what I told you?”
Jesus talks about God with great authority being in a unique position to do so. His challenge is unique. He doesn’t ask us if we regularly gather to listen to his Word but whether we have lived as he teaches, with his priorities. He wants followers who produce fruit for him.
What does this mean, to produce fruit? Have I taken seriously what he says about hateful thoughts, lust, skin-deep, outward religion that I practice for others to see? Am I laying up treasure in heaven? Am I doing good to others so they also may give glory to God?
If all we have learned from this sermon is that we need to pull our socks up as Christians and be more diligent and distinctive, then we have missed the point. Jesus is saying that no-one has reached God’s standard righteousness.
“Be perfect . . .”
The bar is far higher than we can dream. God wants us to understand how dependant we are on him and on his grace. Who does God bless?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .”
When we see our desperate need for forgiveness we will come on bended knee before our Saviour and beg for his mercy. Only then will we fall into line behind him and start living for his glory.
To ‘do my words’ cannot mean that it is only by obeying every command and by living completely righteously, as none of us have done this, even though it is now the Christian’s desire. The only choice we have is to take refuge in Christ and come to him empty handed. Our good deeds offer nothing to our salvation, this depends solely on God’s mercy that we have to ask for. Our only contribution to our salvation is to admit our short-comings, our sin.
The narrow road is not easy, we may be scoffed at and overlooked, but travelling on Jesus’ path is the only sure foundation. Our only hope is to keep relying on him for the righteousness we need to be acceptable to God. We are clothed with his righteous robe, given as a gift. The apostle John keeps reminding us that the key to salvation is to love Jesus, that is to love God. This is what ‘belief' in Jesus originally meant - it is much more than an intellectual assent to certain doctrines. . To believe in Jesus means to love him. Such love will be shown by obedience to his word.
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:1-5
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21
There were so-called disciples then, and who still exist today, who are happy to listen to Jesus and think he is admirable but feel it is a bit extreme to say that we are helpless. Such people will talk the talk and even seem to walk the walk. They may even be Christian preachers but inwardly they have not submitted to Christ’s rule. They have not come to him ‘poor in spirit’.
After the Great Storm in Wales in 1859 a historian wrote these words:
“Throughout the night of the 25th of October, waves and wind battered with unrelenting fury against the coast, assuming near hurricane proportions. Nearly 150 ships were wrecked that night. Well over 800 people died in the storm, over half of them on the Royal Charter steamer that was driven onto the rocks at Anglesey after returning from Australia. The next year, 1860, the Met. office brought in a gale warning system. It did not prevent storms battering against the Welsh Coast, but it did at least warn people to take shelter.”
Jesus has given us his loving warning about the coming crisis of judgment and is urging us to build our lives on him alone. There is no hope other than the death of Jesus, he has become the substitute for our sin. He was the ultimate sacrifice for sin; animal and another sacrifices are no longer needed for us to be forgiven. Jesus is the authority of God and not to comply with what he says is surely the height of folly.
However if we do decide to build our lives on Jesus and rely on him alone, we are assured that we are safe and need have no fear for our eternal security. The psalmist had this confidence:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:1-3
This is indeed ‘good news’, this is the gospel.
BVP
