Foundations-The Right Cornerstone

Foundations Series

“A Foundation That Won’t Fall”

Matt 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

These words from Jesus as He wraps up His spectacular Sermon on the Mount are all about whether or not you have built your life on the right foundation.

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We all know the importance of a foundation.

You’ve likely never heard of someone building a new house who said they didn’t care about the foundation...

Because everyone knows a house or building are only as strong as the foundation they’re built on!

The Bible has lots to say about foundations!

For instance, Paul the Apostle wrote, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.”

Now, listen to his warning, “But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:10-11).

So the foundation a Christian builds his or her life on is Jesus Christ and what He taught, which He called “These sayings of Mine.”

Now today I want to talk about the most important thing of all in laying the right foundation—that is, choosing the right Cornerstone...

The Bible says that Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian’s life: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19-20).

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Now, in the Bible, a cornerstone was the first stone put in place in the construction of a building.

The cornerstone was important because all of the other stones were set in relation to that one stone...

The cornerstone literally determined the position of the entire structure.

As the cornerstone went, so went the building!

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So when it comes to your life, if your cornerstone is Jesus then all the other issues of life—everything your life consists of and revolves around, will line up with Him!

This is why it’s so important that the cornerstone you choose is the right one—because if you choose the wrong cornerstone, your whole life will point in the wrong direction!

And I want to emphasize, the cornerstone is not just Jesus as Savior, it’s Jesus as TEACHER—building your life around what He taught!

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Now, the Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6) pretty much sums up all that Jesus had to say about living godly and victoriously.

It is the greatest sermon ever preached!

It contains everything we need to know about weathering the storms of life, how to live victoriously, and how to be ready to one day meet God.

Some of the things Jesus addresses are:

-surviving persecution,

-witnessing to a wicked world

-avoiding the trap of bitterness

-controlling killer emotions like anger

-the power of forgiveness

-reconciliation

-freedom from lust

-the sanctity of marriage

-how to defeat evil

-what real love looks like

-the greatest prayer teaching of all time

-freedom from greed

-freedom from worry

-Fairness in judging others

-right priorities

-the right road and the wrong road

-how to spot a wolf

-fake faith

-And how to be ready for the coming judgment

And it ends with the story of two men who built a house—one on a sand foundation, and the other on a rock foundation.

The FOUNDATION represents the bedrock principles and beliefs you build your life around....

While the HOUSE represents the rest of your life—money, children, career, pursuits, relationships—everything that comprises your existence on earth.

The house built on the rock foundation “did not fall” in times of testing and stress.

The house built on the sand foundation “fell, and great was its fall.”

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So first, let’s talk about:

The foundation of sand

A foundation of sand is any lifestyle that is not built around Jesus.

A “SAND” foundation might be:

Materialism—living to accumulate money, things and stuff.

False teaching—any philosophy or way of life that is not centered around Jesus.

Living for yourself—it’s all about you and there’s no room for God.

False hope—you have placed your hope and trust in things that fail you in the end.

Jesus said he is a “foolish man” who lays any foundation other than Him.

Now, the wisdom of the foundation we choose is rarely told at the beginning of life, it’s told at the end when the results are in, when your years are used up, and time is run out.

You ask, “Was my foundation worth it, was it true, did it deliver what I expected!?”

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We don’t have to look far in our Christ-rejecting culture for examples of people who built their foundation on sand...

All around us are those who built on the sand of money and fame, only to have that foundation fail them...

We’ve recently, and sadly, seen some high profile stories of famous people who checked out by taking their own lives through disillusionment and despair.

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I read recently of world-famous author Jack Higgins, who is one of the leading novelists of our time.

He’s written around 90-100 books, is a multi-millionaire, and lives on a beautiful island.

He was asked in an interview what he wished someone had told him when he was younger.

His response: “I wish someone had told me that when you get to the top, there’s nothing there.”

I hear in those words the pain of a man who built his foundation on sand.

Let me guarantee you, if you follow Jesus for a lifetime you will never reach the end saying, “There’s nothing here!”

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The wisest man who ever lived, aside from Christ Himself, was King Solomon, who vividly describes the consequences of choosing a wrong foundation:

“Vanity of vanities! All [that is done without God’s guidance] is vanity [futile, meaningless—a wisp of smoke, a vapor that vanishes, merely chasing the wind]” (Ecc. 1:2).

So this is the foundation of SAND.

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And then Jesus spoke of:

II. The foundation built on a rock

Jesus says that the same rain, wind, and floods that slammed against the house with a sand foundation strike the house with a rock foundation—but this house doesn’t collapse and crash.

This is the one who chooses Jesus to be the chief cornerstone and build their life around Him and His teaching.

He is at the center, He is number one—He is to them like the sun in our own solar system around which all the other planets revolve.

Not only is He their SAVIOR, He is their TEACHER...

Jesus stressed THEY DO what He taught: “Whoever hears these sayings of mine and DOES THEM, I will liken him to a wise man who builds his house on the rock.”

In Lukes account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: “Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them,” is the wise man who builds his house on a rock. (Lk. 6:46-48)

Listen: If we don’t DO His teachings, He’s not truly our chief Cornerstone.

For instance, when I practice FORGIVENESS like He taught, only then am I placed solidly on the rock that protects me from the rain, wind, and flood of bitterness.

When I practice SEEKING FIRST His kingdom, ONLY then am I protected from chasing after other gods and things that don’t matter.

It’s when I practice CASTING MY NEEDS onto God and trusting Him to provide for me that I am protected from the torment of WORRY.

I’m not fully on the Rock unless Jesus is both my Savior and the Teacher whose teachings I obey!

LET’S PRAY