If you would, let's turn to Matthew
7. Matthew 7. Matthew 7 and verses 24 through 27. Verse 24,
Matthew 7. Therefore, whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a
wise man which built his house upon a rock. And 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. And
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. And 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. What do we see here when we look
at this parable? We see work being done. We see
two scenarios, if you will, where someone is working. The one is
building, looking to build on a foundation of rock. And the
word means a mass of rock. We are not talking about a little
pebble here. We are talking about a rock that
is immovable and it is big enough to support what you put on it.
The other example is someone who does not care where they
build. They're just building a house and they don't care where
it's built or what it's built on. Recently, Florida had a hurricane,
and if any of you seen the pictures or photos and stuff, there was
this one photo of where the sand had just come out from under
one house that was on the shoreline there, and the house was just
kind of dangling there. The storm came with the rain,
and the winds blew, and the flooding came, and the foundation of that
house did not stand up to the storm because it could not. That
house had not completely fallen, but it obviously was not livable
after that storm. It was uninhabitable. Here we
have a parable by our Lord picturing this type of thing, but let's
look at the words in Luke 6 of this same parable. Luke 6, verses
47 to 49, Luke 6. Luke 6, verses 47 through 49. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth
my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like.
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and
laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the
stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it,
for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth and doeth
not is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon
the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently, and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. We see here that the one, the
main labor we see here is digging down deep to find the rock for
a foundation. This one dug deep, it says. These are who were like this,
know that their house will not stand if a storm comes and they
do not have, if they do not have a solid foundation. These are
indicated in the verse, as these are indicated in the verse, will
not stop until they find that rock, that foundation. The house was in no way what
caused the storms with the wind and rain and flooding to not
be able to affect it. It was simply the foundation
that it was built on. The other is that one who has
no foundation other than his own building or house. With no
foundation, the storm has no problem in tearing it apart.
Here Christ is talking about the foundation that a person
has, the foundation they are built on. The rock here is Jesus
Christ. And as Joe mentioned last week,
I believe it was, in scripture we read in several places that
Jesus Christ is the rock. That immovable, unchangeable
object that we can place our trust and our hope in. If our
trust is in anything else, then our foundation is sand. The storms
will come with the rain, the wind, and the flooding. Our Lord
here in this passage, which in Matthew covers a few chapters,
but our Lord said much more than just this parable when he told
them this parable. He was referring back to those
things he had said previously. So we need to take those into
account. And I want to see why is it that there are some who
build on a foundation and some who feel they do not need any
foundation at all. I will not include everything
in the preceding verses in Matthew from chapter five to chapter
seven, but I will hit a few highlights. So I want to look at those who
are built on a rock and those who are built on sand. So number
one, those who are built on a rock. Back in Matthew five, and we
can also read this in Luke six, but our Lord talks to his disciples
and gives us what folks call the Beatitudes. Christ says there
is blessings to these he describes here, and keep in mind this is
part of his sayings to his disciples. These are those who are built
on a rock. Blessed are they who are poor
in spirit. These are those who are beggars.
They know they are separated from God without hope in the
world, apart from an act of mercy and grace from him, who is full
of grace and truth. These people did not start out
this way. They did not decide to be this
way. They did not will to become this
way. These people who are poor in
spirit were made to be this way by the one who gives them riches
beyond what they could even imagine. It says, theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. They are joint heirs with Christ
the Rock. Romans 8, 16, and 17 says, the
Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may
be also glorified together. These beggars, those who are
poor in spirit, are ones that God saves. He will bring you
to a place where you have nowhere to turn, no one that can help
in this situation, and you will begin to beg God to help you. Then we have those who mourn.
What do these mourn? They mourn for their corruption,
their own deadness. They mourn their sin against
God. They mourn their situation as they are born in Adam. They see that what they have
done and what they do will in no way gain them favor before
God. They mourn that they have put
themselves into this place and that God has all the power and
the right to damn them in hell forever. This is not a feeling
sorry for themselves such as the world might do. but it is
a godly sorrow that worketh repentance. Then we have those who hunger
and thirst after righteousness. They hunger and thirst after
righteousness because they have none. They know if they are to
stand before a thrice holy God, they must be righteous as he
is righteous. But when they see themselves,
they know they will not stand before him on their own. They
hunger and thirst for righteousness that is not their own. It makes
them cry out, oh, that I might have the righteousness of God.
Those who are merciful. These who are merciful are those
who have been shown mercy. They know they do not deserve
mercy, but God has given them mercy. They remember the pit
from whence they was digged. They do not do this perfectly,
but by His mighty hand upon them, they know that if God has shown
them mercy, He can show mercy to anyone else if it so pleases
Him. Those who are pure in heart,
pure because they have been given this pure heart, knowing that
the heart they bring is deceitful and evil. Psalm 118 says, it
is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. God has taught them how high
he is and how low man is. He teaches his own directly the
following in Matthew 15, 18 through 20. But those things which proceed
out of the mouth come forth from the heart. and they defile the
man. For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies. These are the things which defile
a man. I cannot of my own self in any
way have a pure heart. I cannot work it up and I cannot
do anything to change the corrupt heart that I'm born with. Only
God can create in me a new heart. Then we have the peacemakers.
They desire peace with God. They have been given peace with
God by Jesus Christ, and they desire to have peace with him,
laying down their weapons against him. They are shown the sovereign
God, that one who does as he pleases, and they know that their
fighting against him is useless. Not only do they desire this
for themselves, but knowing who they are by nature, they desire
this for others as well. So they want peace for them as
well. Knowing that peace only comes
through Jesus Christ and nothing of what they do. These who are
peacemakers know that their only peace is found in Jesus Christ. For this they stand and can find
no other place to do this. They stand on Him being our peace
with God. Persecuted for righteousness.
They have no righteousness of their own. They are persecuted
for the righteousness of Christ. They hold to Christ being the
righteousness of God without the law. They are persecuted
for this because this is where they stand and can stand no other
place except that rock which is the shore foundation. These
are they who are reviled and persecuted. These who are reviled,
not because of their righteousness, their goodness, or anything to
do with them, but because of their holding to the sovereign
God in the face of Jesus Christ. These will have great reward,
it says. Those who are built on a rock
and not built on that rock by their own doing. They are built
by God and fixed up upon Christ. Hebrews 3, 4 says, for every
house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God. We cannot read this passage and
think that we can build anything of any worth. It must be him
that builds it. But we have read that those who
hear his word and do them are like one who digs deep, that
we read in Luke. They are given it by God to search
him out, although in doing this, he has already found them. He
does this to teach them the glories of Christ. First Peter two and
verse five says, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual
house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. If we do anything, it will be
by Jesus Christ. We can do nothing on our own.
If we think we can or we are looking for our works to gain
us something before him, we are not digging down deep for that
rock. So what about those who have
built this house on a sand? So number two, those who are
built on sand. Sand is that which typifies the
works of fallen man. His house is built on nothing
but earth. Luke says, like a man without
foundation built a house, built a house upon the earth. No foundation
whatsoever. Christ speaks of those who do
this back in Matthew 7 verses 21 through 23. 21 through 23. Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in
thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. They will speak one day to Jesus
Christ and say, Lord, we have done all these things, so you
must accept us. They will think that they actually
could do the works commanded of God on their own. I'm not
saying that we do not do works of God. We do do works of God.
But if we do them, it is because he works in us both the will
and to do of his good pleasure. But this doing is all because
of what Jesus Christ has done. These here will cry out to him
and call him Lord, Lord. They will acknowledge him as
Lord, but then they begin to speak of what they have done. What you and I do will in no
way be able to withstand the judgment of God, that stormy
judgment. Christ also tells us in Matthew
7, verses 13 and 14, he says, enter ye in at the straight gate,
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is
the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it. People are too proud to bow down
to Jesus Christ as their only hope, their only rock, that one
who can withstand the storm for them. They want to seek out what
they can do. Christ says that the way to destruction
is wide, laid out flat, easy to get in. It's not hard to go
through this gate. It's laid flat and wide open.
It is easy to find this way to destruction. He says it's broad. There's enough room for everyone.
You get the idea of a massive crowd getting in here in whatever
way they think is best. Remember our Lord in Capernaum
after probably thousands of others left when Christ told them that
no one comes to me that is Jesus Christ except it were given him
of the Father. He then said to the disciples
in John 6, 67, then Jesus said unto the 12, will ye also go
away? There are multitudes who find
it easy to leave Jesus Christ and go their own way. This is
the broad way. What do we read in Proverbs 21,
2? Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord
pondereth the hearts. You have a lot of religions who
are certainly stuck on their own way, but it even got to the
point that so many people, so many religions are tolerant of
other religions, except for the true religion, I should say.
The thought is, as long as you think of God, as long as you
talk about God, or say God, then you're okay. Let's not make waves
over the details. As long as God is involved, then
you're okay. But the problem is, God is not
involved in this world's religion. Some might say, what makes you
think he is in your religion? I can only say I know this because
this book tells me so. It says that Jesus Christ is
the truth, the way, and the life, and no man comes to the Father
but by him. If you reject Christ as your
righteousness before God, then you reject God. You're on the
broad way. Saying Jesus or believing on
Jesus is not it. You will bow down to him or you're
on the broad way. Your way will carry you to your
final death, and that is that broad way. That way that does
not look to Christ for what he has done to bring you into communion
with him, it looks to those works that you gained for his favor. that you try to do to gain his
favor. Those who are building upon the sand, those who have
no foundation to weather the storm will hear these words from
Jesus Christ himself. I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that worketh
iniquity. The house will have a great fall,
never to be recovered again because there was no foundation. There
was no rock. We must worship God in spirit
and in truth. For this, we must have a house
built on a rock. If we are one of those who have
a house whose builder and maker is God, then the foundation of
that house is of God. That foundation is Jesus Christ. Christ fulfilled, that is he
leveled up or satisfied the law in Matthew 5, 17 we read. Think
not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am
not come to destroy but to fulfill. And I think of a dry measuring
cup, you know, you fill it up and you have a knife and you
kind of level it off at the top and it's perfectly even. You can't get anything else in
it. It's done, complete, nothing else to do. Verse 18 says, for
verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall not in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Is that by us? This is what Jesus
Christ did concerning the law. He leveled it up. He obeyed the
law perfectly. This he did because he always
pleased the Father. He could do nothing but fulfill
the law this way. But he is in fact the righteousness
of God without the law. This law was not against Jesus
Christ. The law testified of Jesus Christ. What did he do to fulfill the
law, to level that law up? He fulfilled the demands of the
law by being made a curse and sin for his people. What had
to be fulfilled was paying the penalty of that sin against me,
that I sinned against the law. The law demanded payment and
Christ fulfilled it. He leveled it up for his people.
Justice is satisfied, God is satisfied. Because of what Christ
did, God is satisfied with me. I am in him and he fulfilled
it completely. God's people fulfill the law
by faith, that is, the faith of Christ given to me, which
enables me to believe him to the saving of my soul. Romans
3.31, very familiar to us. Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish
the law. We establish or hold up the law
by believing who Jesus Christ is and what he has done. I'm
seeing some foundation there, aren't you? Yes, sir. A shore
foundation, a rock that is immovable and vast. I want my building
to be built on that. Yes. What about you? We are His,
bought with a price. We are servants of Jesus Christ,
not to the law. We fulfill the law by faith in
Christ. Believing what he has done is
what satisfied God on our behalf. Believing that what he has done
has satisfied God. For us to now think we can do
anything to satisfy God on our own is to build upon your own
way, and your own way is sand. To keep his sayings is to believe
him and what he has done. What he has done is fulfilled
the law of God on our behalf. Believing this and knowing him
does not make us want to break his law, although we do daily,
we do hourly. Believing him and knowing him
makes us want to bow down to him and worship him. It makes
us want to dig down deep to find that rock. When I think of this
passage in Luke where it says, he is like a man which built
a house and dig deep, I'm reminded of that message that Mike Walker
preached that he titled, The Violent Take It By Force. And
if you would, let's turn over to Genesis 32. I wanna read that,
Genesis 32. Verses 22 through 31. This is that time when Jacob
was going to meet Esau and this was after the time where he stole
the birthright from him, and that is Jacob stole the birthright
from Esau. So they're about to go over to
see Esau, because Esau has returned, but Jacob sends everyone else
over first. So Genesis 32, verse 22. And he rose up that night and
took his two wives and his two women servants and his 11 sons
and passed over the four Jacob. And he took them and sent them
over the brook, and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left
alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of
the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him,
he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's
thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said,
Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is
thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said,
Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince
hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him. And Jacob
called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen God face
to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Peniel,
the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. When you meet God, all those
who are his will meet God in the face of Jesus Christ. Face
to face in the gospel. But when you meet him, it will
not all be pie in the sky. Jacob wrestled all night, and
this is a long time to wrestle with someone, but Jacob knew
he needed blessing from this one. When you see him face to
face, you will hold on for dear life as the saying goes. No one
will be able to talk you out of it. You will take it by force. This is not saying we force God
to do something. We just see here that a man confronted
by God on purpose, he causes that man to dig down deep for
that foundation. This blessing will come with
a limp because he will touch the hollow of your thigh. It
was painful for Jacob and it is painful to all of his people
because he will make you to know who he is and who you are. And
I don't mean that you'll have physical pain, although you may
have physical pain at the time. I'm talking about you will be
poor in spirit. It will make you mourn, and it
will make you hunger and thirst after righteousness. But although
you are halted, you know by His grace and through Jesus Christ
you are blessed. It is the foundation for your
soul. And I want to turn to one more place. Turn with me over
to James 1. James 1. James 1, starting in verse 17. James 1, verses 17, and that's
just after Hebrews. James 1, chapter 17, verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow
to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness
of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word which is able to save your souls. But be ye
doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholding his natural
face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself and
goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man
he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty and continueth therein, He being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed. We are told here that we should
be swift to hear. That is, we should be ready or
prompt to hear. Don't be lazy about it. Look
for it. Expect it. Be swift to hear his
word, the gospel of our salvation. Slow to think, slow to speak.
and think about what you're saying, in other words. Slow to the wrath
because man's wrath is against God. Wherefore lay apart all
these evil things and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
or that is the implanted word. Remember the parable of the seed
and the sower? That last type of ground, which
is a good and honest heart, that's what Christ tells us. That heart
that is given by him, that seed falls into that ground and takes
root, deep root. But this word will save your
soul. If you look in the glass and
come away and think you are a pretty good fellow, then you have forgotten
what manner of man you are. If you walk away and think that
now your works is what matters, then you have forgotten what
manner of man you are. We look to that perfect law of
liberty, What is that perfect law of liberty? The gospel. Jesus Christ has done it all
and there is nothing else left for me to do. That is a sure
foundation. That is a rock that will keep
you to the day of Jesus Christ. On Christ, the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand. Amen. Dear old God, thank you for allowing
us to be here today. Dear Lord, Apply these words
to our hearts. In Christ's name, amen.