Kingdom Contrasts: Two Foundations
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 37:43
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24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Two Homes on Two Foundations
I want to paint a picture for you as we dive into the text for today.
The picture I would like to paint two houses built by two different men.
Now picture yourself going and visiting both houses.
By all appearances, the houses look identical.
They are made with the same materials built by the same contractors, and live in the same location.
Now suppose you hear word that a terrible storm ripped through that area.
You would be surprised to hear that one home stood while the other fell.
What made the difference?
Why does one home fall while the other stands?
We come to the last contrast in this section on the Sermon on the Mount.
We could’ve spent a lot longer looking at the historical reality of each of the other three comparisons.
For example, we could’ve spent time looking at the false prophecies that happened.
The false Messiahs not long after Jesus’s resurrection and the downfall of Jerusalem.
But I believe it is this one that most clearly has a specific historical implication for Jesus’ hearers.
The Contrast of Two Foundations.
The Contrast of Two Foundations.
We saw Jesus mentioned last week about “that day” which is the day of judgment.
“That day” or “the Day of the LORD” happens many times throughout Scripture.
The Day of the Lord and the Waters of Judgment
The biblical prophets are kind of like a person that sees a mountain range.
The mountain range would be described as when God‘s judgment is coming.
The unique thing about their prophecies is that if you look at a mountain range it’s tough to discern when a judgment is coming.
But what we know is there is an ultimate day of judgment that is like the peak of the mountain range.
And much like the biblical profits before him, Jesus speaks a prophetic word that would’ve been in the near term scene to the people in his hearing.
Jerusalem would be destroyed 40 years from Jesus’s sermon in A.D. 70.
Jesus was prophetically warning all in His hearing of the EMINENT judgment to come.
But for us there is a broader application of the judgment that is to come.
Notice the way that Isaiah talks about the judgment that is to come when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC.
7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks,
8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”
Isaiah described how the waters of judgment were coming upon Jerusalem.
They tried to find military backing from other nations.
When they should have returned to Yahweh.
But we know what happened to them in 586 BC.
They were destroyed and sent into exile.
This destruction that Isaiah described was like WATERS rushing OVER the rock of Jerusalem.
But then Jesus comes on the scene and isn’t talking about the Rock being Jerusalem.
Along with the prophecies of Isaiah…
Isaiah 28:16 (ESV)
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
The Rock was the City Jerusalem.
The house then is the temple in Jerusalem…
John 2:16 (ESV)
“Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
John 2:19 (ESV)
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Jesus declares that if they tear down the old temple, which was the center of all Jewish thought, He would rebuild the “true temple” which is Himself (Revelation 21:22).
The Rock of the city of the King will not be what Jesus lays down they rest upon.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The Wise Man’s Foundation that Holds.
The Wise Man’s Foundation that Holds.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Now picture I bring you to the scene where this great storm hit these homes.
A striking feature of this parable is the similarities between the two houses.
By all appearances, they were identical.
They were built with the same materials.
Located in the same places.
But oh how their foundations differ.
And picture us being able to ask the owners of the home…
Why is your house standing?
I want to take you first to the wise man.
The wise man is the man that we are told his house stood during the great flood.
What do you think he would tell us?
Do you think he would boast in the superior structure of the house?
Do you think he would boast in the elegance by which he built?
Do you think he would boast in the quality of the supplies by which he built the house?
Now according to Jesus‘s parable, all he could say is the foundation kept it standing.
Now you may wonder, “What makes this foundation rock-solid?”
A rock-solid foundation based in the will of God.
A rock-solid foundation based in the will of God.
As we saw Jesus say last week…
Matthew 7:21 (ESV)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
What is the “will of my Father”?
Matthew 7:24 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…
You need to see the linkage between Jesus’ understanding of the will of God and His Words.
Jesus is asserting that His Words are the will of God.
He is asserting that all of Scripture finds it’s terminus in Him.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
John 8:31–32 (ESV)
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus is calling his followers to a life submitted under the rule and reign of king Jesus.
He called the people then to not follow the ways of the nations in defending themselves against Rome.
And he has called every generation after that to stand upon the rock, which is himself.
Matthew 7:24 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine…
A rock-solid foundation based in Jesus’ authoritative words.
A rock-solid foundation based in Jesus’ authoritative words.
Matthew 7:24 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine…
Jesus does far more than a mere Rabbi.
He is elevating His own words and teaching to the dividing line of HISTORY.
History will be divided by these Words of Him.
Now the skeptic may wonder,
“Did the people in Jesus’ day even see Jesus as authoritative?”
“Certainly the authoritative words of Jesus are only seen well after Jesus’ death?”
Not at all!
That is far from Matthew’s picture.
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
The people of those days had heard messages before.
They likely lived their whole lives hearing messages from scribes and Rabbi’s.
Rather than using Scripture as their foundation, they would site other Rabbi’s.
They did not speak from the authoritative Word of God.
They spoke and debated matters from others scribes and teachers.
Measuring teacher according to other teachers.
“Well this teacher says this, and that teacher says that…”
But Jesus comes and flips this entirely.
He taught them as…
29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus was teaching WITH authority.
Matthew 16:13 (ESV)
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Peter did not grasp the nature of the kingdom of God.
Peter is still convinced it is a kingdom of this world.
After Peter confesses to one of the most beautiful realities in all the gospels, within a few verses.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
Peter rebukes Jesus because he does not think that a King like Him should suffer.
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Jesus rebuke him because he’s setting his mind on the things of earth.
Matthew 7:24 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…
A rock-solid foundation is “hearing” with action.
A rock-solid foundation is “hearing” with action.
Matthew 7:24 (ESV)
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them…
Simply because a person hears the Words of Jesus do not mean anything.
Many people hear the Word of Jesus.
James describes this same reality in another way.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
To be a HEARER ONLY would amount to self-deception.
It would amount to being deceived into thinking you’re a follower when you’re clearly NOT.
But the Christian is NOT a hearer only.
25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
As we’ve seen in the sermon in the amount, Jesus is not against the law.
But the kind of law that he focuses on is a law with its foundation of faith working through love.
The fulfillment of this law, or as James would describe as the “perfect law“ is the law of God fulfilled in Christ and lived by faith.
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount 2. The Danger of a Merely Intellectual Knowledge (24–27)
The question is not whether we say nice, polite, orthodox, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus; nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying, pondering and memorizing until our minds are stuffed with his teaching; but whether we do what we say and do what we know, in other words whether the lordship of Jesus which we profess is one of our life’s major realities.
I would argue that the main distinguishing marker between the wise man, and the foolish is the foundation on which they built.
11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
How do you KNOW you’re a DOER of the word?
Now we could give all sorts of tests here.
We could refer to the whole book of 1 John because he gives many of these tests.
But many tests are subjective.
They are based on our own self-evaluation.
Self-evaluation is the WORST kind because we aren’t good evaluators of ourselves.
But Jesus gives the sure fired way to know you’re a DOER.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
A rock-solid foundation revealed during trials.
A rock-solid foundation revealed during trials.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Those two houses we described at the beginning both experience the flood.
The flood hits them both.
This flood could be any affliction.
It’s any adversity.
It’s any hardship.
And when that hardship comes, the foundation is revealed.
Before the hardship the houses looked the same.
By every appearance, the houses looked identical.
But the difference was in the UNDERNEATH.
Consider that wise man for a second and his house that is standing.
How would he have known that his house could’ve withstood such tribulation?
The answer is he wouldn’t have known.
He would not have known that his house could stand if the tribulation would not have come.
The same is true for a true believer.
This is why I’m convinced one of the most destructive doctrines I was taught in the Christian life was the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture.
The Christian life is not about being sucked out of this world and avoiding trials.
But our faith is evidenced through the trials that come.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
God uses the trials and tribulations in our life to make us complete.
This is interesting that Jesus places this to hear at the end of the sermon on the mountain because for those in his hearing, within 40 years, they would be facing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
They would be facing great tribulation and would be tempted to use worldly tactics to overcome their opponents.
Which is again why he refers to “these words” from the sermon on the mount as the basis for his followers.
Now picture we go and speak with the foolish man.
What would he say to us?
Maybe we would find out that he was in a hurry to build.
Maybe we would find out that he unlike the wise man didn’t consult experts on the matter.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
The Fool’s Foundation that Fails.
The Fool’s Foundation that Fails.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Jesus does not say this in reference to unbelievers.
He’s not lying a dividing line between believers and unbelievers.
This is a dividing line that would be in the midst of disciples.
Is dividing between genuine faith that believes and lives.
And a kind of dead faith that cannot save anyone.
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them…
A weak foundation that is merely intellectual.
A weak foundation that is merely intellectual.
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them…
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them…
A weak foundation based in “hearing” without action.
A weak foundation based in “hearing” without action.
Matthew 7:26 (ESV)
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them…
The person who hears the Word and does not do it is deceived.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
To be deceived is to be FOOLED into thinking that life is one when in reality it is another.
We really don’t ever deceive other people.
We can deceive them maybe for a season.
But the kind of deception that James is talking about here is: Self-deception.
Self-deception is thinking that…
“Me and Jesus are all good!”
“Me and Jesus are cool!”
“I like what he has to say about treating people with kindness, but I don’t really like His sexual ethic.”
This is called self-deception.
To believe that you’re “good” with someone when you don’t agree with them.
Then James gives an example of what this person is like.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Looking in the mirror would be equivalent to seeing what God has said we are to be.
It’s to stare into the LAW OF GOD and see what we’re like.
It’s to stare into the LAW OF GOD and see what God says we’re like.
It’s to stare into the LAW OF GOD and see what we’re supposed to be like.
And to immediately walk away and forget what we look like.
This is NOT just forgetfulness.
This is NOT just beginning to lose our minds like when you walk into a room and forget what you came there for.
NO.
This kind of forgetfulness is SETTLED REBELLION.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
A weak foundation results in a “great fall!”
A weak foundation results in a “great fall!”
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Now picture again we talked to that foolish man whose house was taken away.
And quickly becomes clear that he was in a drastic hurry in building it.
He was such a hurry to build the house that he really didn’t consider his way at all.
He really didn’t consider what it meant to build the house at all (Luke 14:25-33)
The foundation of the Christian life is Jesus Christ.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
A foundation built upon anything else is in stable and will fail.
It’s a foundation divorced from the rest of the sermon on the mount.
Because remember the sermon on the mountain begins with poverty of spirit.
A mourning of sin.
Build your life upon the Rock of Jesus by the hearing of faith and the obedience of love.
Build your life upon the Rock of Jesus by the hearing of faith and the obedience of love.
