Lot: The Man Who Lingered

Building The Right Way

Matthew 7:24-29

Introduction

Grenfell Tower was a residential tower block in London that experienced a tragic fire in June 2017. The fire started in one of the lower floors and rapidly spread throughout the building, engulfing it in flames. Tragically, 72 people lost their lives in the fire, and many others were injured.

The exact cause of the Grenfell Tower fire was multifaceted and involved various factors.

One significant aspect was the use of combustible cladding materials on the exterior of the building, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Other factors, such as inadequate fire safety measures within the building and the response of emergency services, also played a role.

The use of inappropriate materials was one of several contributing factors highlighted in investigations into the tragedy.

The Grenfell Tower fire shows how crucial it is to construct buildings carefully and with the right materials.

Title: Building The Right Way

Matthew 7:24–29 NIV

24 “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. 25 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. 26 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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

It is significant that Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. Throughout the long day Jesus had been preaching to the vast multitude. They listened to Him with amazement and awe. But Jesus warned them that that was not enough.

He ends with this parable of the wise and foolish builders as an illustrative challenge and conclusion to the SM and He says;

Matthew 7:24 NIV

24 “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.

It is never enough simply to listen to the words of Jesus, even if we listen with respect.

James 1:22 NIV

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

If His words are to have any genuine effect in our lives we must not only hear them but also act upon them. We must incorporate them in the events of our day-to-day living. Jesus’ teaching is not sufficient, being His disciple requires action.

To make His point clear, Jesus told a story about two builders who each built a house. Inside and outside, the houses looked very similar. But, Jesus said, the big difference was in the foundations: one house was built on rock, and the other was built on sand.

When Jesus spoke about houses and foundations he knew what he was talking about. He was a carpenter by trade and His family was most likely in the construction business. He knew houses; He knew the building trade.

The people listening to Jesus understood why building on rock was better than building on sand. However, in ancient Palestine, few wanted to live on the rocky hills because it was hard work to prepare the land and carry materials up the slope.

Living in the hills also made travel harder, and getting water was inconvenient. Winters were colder up there too. Most people preferred to build their homes by the river where the scenery was nicer, water was easy to get, and houses were protected from cold winds. Although flooding was a risk, for most of the year, the small streams usually flowed gently down the hillsides into the nearby river.

But occasionally, a severe flood would happen due to a combination of heavy snow, quick melting, and heavy rain. This would cause a sudden, powerful flood that destroyed everything in its path. Entire villages would be washed away, and many houses would be completely ruined.

That’s the image drawn here in Matthew 7. It comes from the life of these people gathered around Jesus on that day He delivered this sermon. Jesus was not simply telling a story. On the contrary, Jesus was talking about a situation that was very real in the life of the people.

What are some lessons that we may conclude from this story?

I. First, it suggests that We are all involved in building, and that the house that we build is constructed according to a set of rules.

Let me ask you something. What rules are you going to use to build your house?

There are many rules when it comes to construction. You ask someone in the construction or architectural business and they will tell you that the construction business has a bunch of complicated rules. These rules are made, changed, and understood by lots of different people, like builders, architects, engineers, electricians, fire marshals, and inspectors. And they all have their own set of rules on the construction site.

In our church or as Christians, we all speak the same language and follow the same rules, which you can find in this book (holding up the Bible). If you're planning to build a house, I recommend starting by reading from the fifth chapter to the end of the seventh chapter of the book of Matthew. Jesus said that to build a strong house, you need a solid foundation.

And there's nothing more solid to build your life on than the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, found in these pages.

The Sermon has been called the Christian Magna Carta, the Christian Manifesto, the Design for Life, and the Rules for Christian Living. It contains the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Golden Rule. It deals with murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, revenge, and worry. It gives instructions on prayer, giving to the poor, fasting, judging others, and saving money.

Just listen to this list of phrases from the Sermon on the Mount that have echoed through the ages: Blessed are the poor in Spirit You Are the Salt of the earth You are the light of the world Let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No” If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also Love your enemies When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing Our Father, which art in heaven… Where your treasure is there your heart will be also You cannot serve God and mammon Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself Do not judge, or you too will be judged Do not throw your pearls before swines Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find… Do to others what you would have them do to you Enter the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction Wolves in sheep’s clothing By their fruit you will recognise them

Is it surprising that when Jesus finished saying these things that Matthew says,

Matthew 7:28 NIV

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

So, it's not a coincidence when Jesus finishes teaching by talking about two kinds of people: wise ones who build their houses on rocks, and foolish ones who build on sand. I believe Jesus means that we decide what kind of people we become. You and I both are building our houses. Each of us is like a builder constructing our own life. We might blame external causes for who we are, but in the end, it's our choices that shape us.

Everyday of our life, either consciously or unconsciously, we are involved in building.

The crucial question is, will we build according to the timeless teachings of Jesus or will we build on the sands of this world? Who is the wise person? He is the one who anchors his life upon the word of God.

II. Secondly, Everyone must occupy the house they build.

Some property can be rented or leased, but not our souls. In the end, there's only one person you have to live with: yourself.

Edwin Markham (Poet) wrote a fitting story called "The Builder," which many of us have probably heard.

A certain rich man wanted to help someone and noticed a poor carpenter living in terrible conditions with his large family. The rich man sent for the carpenter and placed in his hands the blueprint for a nice home. He ordered that the house be made beautifully and sturdy, and that the best materials be used, regardless of the cost. He further explained that he was going on an extended trip and wanted the house completed when he returned.

Seeing the chance to make a huge profit, the carpenter used cheap materials, he hired inexperienced workers at low wages, and covered mistakes with paint. When the rich man returned the carpenter handed him the keys to the house and told him that his instructions had been carried out to the letter. Good, replied the rich man as he returned the keys to him. For the house that you have been building is yours. You and your family are to live in it. In the years that followed, concluded Markham, the builder often regretted that he had cheated himself.

You and I are building houses with either good or poor-quality material. We are either following the rules or taking shortcuts.

Jesus warned us to build our houses wisely, because the keys are going to be handed to us and we are going to have to live with what we have created.

The apostle Paul warned the Christians in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 3:10 NETBFEN

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds.

Paul says Let every man heed how he builds.

The poet R. L. Sharp put it like this:

Isn’t it strange that important people like princes and kings, and even clowns in circuses, along with common people like you and me, are all building something that lasts forever? Each of us gets a bag of tools, a lump of clay, and a book of rules, and then we have to decide: will we make something that trips others up or helps them move forward?

When it comes to your spiritual life, the best foundation to build on is Jesus. He paid a high price to save you from your sins, so you could have eternal life and be close to God.

Let’s remember, everyone must occupy the house they build.

III. Third, the parable suggests The real test in life comes when the storms are upon us.

Why is a set of rules important?

Because one day the storms will come and our lives will be tested.

The famous English historian Allister McCook once described Henry VIII by saying: He did his best when everything was going smoothly.

Well, couldn’t that be said of all of us? Who isn’t at his best when things are going well? The test is how we hold up during the storms of life. It's interesting that Jesus makes it clear that both houses faced storms, not just one. Neither was sparred. This is an important lesson to remember because some people think religion will protect them from problems. That religion represents a kind of divine insurance policy against trouble.

But in Jesus' story, both houses faced the storm, showing that troubles can affect anyone, regardless of their beliefs.

But I probably don't need to convince many of you about what Jesus said, because you've experienced it firsthand. Because you have been there.

You know what it's like to have one of life’s storms that hits you hard and leaves you feeling overwhelmed.

Last week we saw the disciples in the boat with Jesus and were afraid of the storm. These are disciples following Jesus’ instructions and with Jesus and yet they still face a storm on the sea of Galilee.

Whether it's dealing with illness, losing someone you love, family issues, problems in your marriage, trouble at work, or financial struggles—most of you have been through it. You understand how scary and devastating these storms can be. You know how frightening and shattering the storms can be.

If you've never had any storms come in your life, that's great! But Jesus warned us not to only prepare for good times. Nobody escapes life's storms, whether they're good or bad. The storm hits everyone, no exceptions.

Our scripture says the storm came and it beat against both houses.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed thousands of homes in South Florida. Yet in an area where the wreckage looked like a war zone, one house remained standing, still firmly anchored to its foundation.

When a reporter asked the homeowner why his house had not been blown away, he replied, "I built this house myself. I also built it according to the Florida state building regulations/rules.

When it said to use specific-sized roof trusses, I used those. I was told that a house built according to the regulations/rules could withstand a hurricane-- and mine did.

Let me ask you: How has your house/life handled difficult times? Every house gets tested. The difference isn't in the storms; it's in the foundation the house is built on. I've seen many people in crisis run back to the church, trying to find faith, but it's not that simple.

It's foolish to think you can start building a strong foundation in the middle of a storm. When life is overwhelming, it's too late. The time to build is in the time of calm, during ordinary day-to-day living. C. S. Lewis, a famous theologian and writer, learned an important truth when his wife died. He wrote about this in his book *A Grief Observed*. He felt a deep loneliness he had never known before. He tried to tell himself that he was happy before he got married and could be happy again, but memories of his wife kept bringing back the pain.

During this time of grief, C. S. Lewis turned to God and relied on the inner strength that God had been equipping him with for so many years. He wrote, “You never know how much you believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death to you. I realised that if my house collapsed with this one mighty blow, it was indeed a house of cards.”

C.S.Lewis realised that if his life fell apart after this one terrible event, it wasn't built on a solid foundation. But his life didn't collapse because he had built it on the solid rock of God's word.

Jesus ended his story with a serious warning. There was another house, one built upon the sand, and it couldn't handle the pressure. “And great was its fall,” Jesus said. This is a warning for those who think they can live however they want without facing consequences.

It is my hope today that all of you—in the process of constructing your eternal house—would build according to the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, and that you would build on the only one true foundation--Jesus Christ our Lord.

Building The Right Way

Conclusion:

Let's think about the story Jesus told about the Wise and Foolish Builders in Matthew 7. It teaches us an important lesson about how we live our lives.

Just as the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire highlighted the consequences of inadequate construction, Jesus warns us about the dangers of building our lives on shaky foundations. Our choices shape how strong and resilient we are spiritually.

Jesus doesn't just want us to hear His teachings; He wants us to follow them. He wants us to put them in practice. Our faith isn't just about listening; it's about doing what God wants us to do. We must build our lives on the solid rock of His truth, as revealed in Scripture.

We're all like builders, constructing our lives with every decision we make.

Are we following God's plan for our lives, or are we taking shortcuts that might lead to trouble later on?

Life is full of challenges that test our faith, like sickness, loss or hard times. But if we build our lives on God's truth, we can stay strong even when things get tough.

Just like a strong building can withstand a storm, our lives can stay strong when they're built on God's truth. Let's listen to Jesus' warning and make sure our lives are grounded in Him. When tough times come, our faith will help us stand strong and bring glory to God.