A Solid Foundation

Text: Mt 7:13-29

Main Point/FCF: There are many people who give themselves false comfort that they are believers merely because they go to church on occasion and mark “Christian” on surveys. But Jesus shows us that true faith shows up through our actions.

Application:

Introduction: Today, we’re wrapping up Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s possible that the original sermon on the Mount was quite a long message. What we have is probably the cliff notes version. Jesus’ sermon challenged the status quo of the day.

He had begun his sermon in Matthew 5 with the Beatitudes, which challenges our understanding of what it means to be “blessed.” Then, in Mat. 5:17-20, he explained that he didn’t come to do away with the Old Testament, but rather to show God’s people what the true intention of the Old Testament had always been. So, he continued in chapter 5 explaining God’s intention in the ten commandments about things like murder, adultery, and lying, showing that God intended much more from us than just not killing people or cheating on our spouse.

Then, in the Model prayer, he challenges how we approach God and how we pray, showing that we need to first bend our wills to God--not the other way around. Then, later in chapter 6, he exposes our materialistic worldview and our love of money, showing how money naturally draws us into idolatry and anxiety. In the early parts of chapter 7, which we explored on Wednesday nights, he challenged us not to look down on people or think ourselves better than them, and he encourages us in vv. 7-11 to trust in the generosity and goodness of our heavenly Father.

Verse 12 is kind of a transitional point, where Jesus connects all that he has just said back to Matthew 5:17 “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.” In effect, Jesus is saying, “If you want to truly keep the Old Testament, follow the teachings in this sermon.”

And so, the passage that follows, Mat. 7:13-29, is kind of like an invitation. It’s the capstone of Jesus’ sermon to a bunch of people who prided themselves on being the true “people of God.”

In the passage that we’re going to examine today, Jesus challenges those who think that half-hearted commitment or external rule following is enough. If being born into the faith can’t save you, then how do we know that we truly belong to Christ? How can we know that we’re saved?

Matthew 7:13–29 ESV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 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. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 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.

Prayer

The gate is narrow and the road is hard. (7:13-14)

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

If your life is pretty comparable to that of an unbeliever’s, then you’re on the wrong road.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a duck.

The overwhelming majority of people who have lived are not headed to heaven.

Luke 13:23–24 ESV

23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

If you’re following Christ, there will be something different about you than unbelievers. You will stand out.

Teenagers: You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be “cool” and well-liked by worldly people and be a follower of Christ.

If life is kind of tough, you feel like you don’t fit in well with unbelievers, and you do fit in well with believers, then you’re probably on the right path.

The fruit must be good. (7:15-20)

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus never says, “You will recognize them by the date in the front of their Bible.” The test for genuine Christianity is not a date written in the front of your Bible.

The test of true faith is the fruit of your life.

If you want to know what kind of seed you planted in your garden, look at the fruit! It doesn’t matter how confident you are that you planted a tomato seed. If you’ve got pumpkins growing, you didn’t plant a tomato seed!

Again, if it walks like a duck...

Galatians 5:19–24 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The fruit is the visible evidence of the invisible seed.

Show me someone who is immoral, impure, idolatrous, always in a fights, greedy and jealous and I’ll show you someone who is not a true believer.

How can you tell the difference? Oftentimes, the truth comes out when they’re called out for their sin.

A sheep before the shearer is silent. But try to take off the sheep’s clothing from a wolf and the teeth will come out.

Look at how Zaccheaus, or the Samaritan woman at the well, or Nicodemus reacted to Jesus when Jesus showed them their sin.

Compare that with how the Pharisees reacted when Jesus called them out.

Matthew 3:7–8 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Matthew 21:43–46 ESV

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

John 4:17–18 ESV

17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

John 4:29 ESV

29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

A true believer will “bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” while a Pharisee will double down and attack you, just like a wolf.

Actions speak louder than words. (7:21-23)

Matthew 7:21–23 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. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

What kind of actions?

Matthew 7:12 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus is not advocating a works-based path to salvation. He is further illustrating what he’s already said about the fruit.

It’s easy to claim to be a Christian. That verbal proclamation usually doesn’t cost us much. But living it is another story. Actually loving God with all our heart and loving people as ourselves is only possible if you have a transformed heart.

Acts 19:11–16 ESV

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Attempting to slap a Jesus fish on your actions doesn’t make them Christian. Without true heartfelt commitment to Jesus, our actions are meaningless.

There is no Christianity without Christ. You cannot call yourself a believer and expect to live in eternity with Christ if you have no desire for Christ, refuse to give him control of your life, and refuse to bow to his authority.

It’s not about religion, it’s about relationship.

The Rock must be your foundation. (7:24-27)

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

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.”

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpN-sbMmzaY

Nothing quite says “I’m successful” quite like a 5 bedroom, 7 bathroom, 5,600 sq. ft. mansion overlooking the Cape Cod Bay in Massachussetts. Who were the lucky owners?

Mark and Barbara Blasch purchased this parcel of land in 2006 for the sum of $2.5 million. Originally, this was the site of a relatively modest cottage. But, in 2008, the Blasch’s got a permit to demolish the old structure and build a mansion on the site--two times the height and three times the floor space of the previous home. And that’s just what they did.

In 2010, they built their dream mansion. It’s the kind of home most of us can only imagine.

But, there’s just one little problem. The property sits on a narrow strip of sandy beach between Cape Cod and a small inlet of water known as “The Gut.” In fact, the Blasch’s were warned about the likelihood of catastrophic erosion at the site when they originally sought construction permits. Their building permits were opposed by the National Park Service, which brought a suit against them to prevent them from building the home. But, the judge ruled in favor of the Blasch’s, arguing that there had been insufficient evidence that the house posed a threat to the surrounding area. So, despite the warnings, the Blasch’s forged ahead and completed the construction in 2010. An article about the lawsuit in 2009 exclaimed, “The Blasch house is here to stay.”

But, nine years later, in 2019, the Blasch’s were probably wishing that they’d have listened to the warnings. While the house’s foundation originally had almost 60’ of distance from the eroding sand bluff, by 2019 that distance had been cut in half and the foundation sat a mere 25’ from the edge. From 2013 to 2021, the Blasches dumped large piles of sand annually in front of their property. This “sacrificial sand” was meant to be washed away by waves, theoretically preventing the erosion of the bank. From 2013 to 2019, 5,000 cubic yards of sand were dumped at the property, all of which was washed into the sea. It accomplished nothing. Already, their original septic tank had fallen onto the beach below and had to be replaced.

So, in 2019, the Blasch’s filed a lawsuit to obtain permission to shore up the rapidly eroding shoreline. But, in 2021, their appeals were again denied since it would have caused accelerated erosion and damage to surrounding properties and the environment. With the home now teetering only 12-14 feet from the edge, the Blasch’s listed the home for sale in June 2021, which is when this video was made. The online listing for the Blasch house also boasts of its “quality craftsmanship,” and bragged about it’s “strategically placed” foundation supports--all of which were anchored in sand.

What kind of genius would buy a home that was sitting a mere 2-3 years’ worth of erosion away from falling into the ocean?

Well, after only 6 months on the market, a New York attorney named John G. Bonomi Jr. bought the property, inheriting the Blasch’s lawsuit, for the sum of $5.5 million. But, less than two years later, Bonomi was about to realize this was not a good investment. In 2023 a judge upheld the Conservation Commission’s ruling that the owner of the house could not build a rock revetment to protect the house from erosion. The town left the owner with the option of either demolishing the home or having it moved somewhere else. Two weeks later the house was listed for sale for $4.5 million, a million dollars less than Bonomi purchased it for. 

From 2006 to 2024, the top edge of the sand bluff has eroded approximately 57’ towards the house. The beautiful deck which held an outdoor kitchen, hot tub, and many other luxuries, has been removed as the erosion claimed the foundation of the deck. A turret that was originally part of the home has been removed as well. Massive sliding doors that used to open onto the deck are now barricaded by thin wooden slats that prevent anyone from stepping through and falling 25 feet to the beach below.

In October 2024, the owner, Bonomi pledged to give the city a plan for what to do with the home by January 2025. But, instead, the city was informed last month that Bonomi had sold the house to a salvage company. This salvage company was incorporated only in October last year and has no officials listed as its owners. The salvage company has told the city it will be happy to work with the city to demolish the residence, but estimated it would cost at least $1 million to do so and that they were unwilling to do the work for free.

The home is no longer on the market and remains teetering on the edge of the sand bluff, one storm away from falling into the Bay. The gap between the foundation supports and the edge of the bluff is now gone, and unless something is done very soon, you will likely see a news article sometime this year--or very soon--about the home’s catastrophic collapse into Cape Cod Bay.

Mark Borelli, a Coastal Geologist for the Center for Coastal Studies said, “It was sort of inevitable. If you’re going to put a house that close to the bluff--and we talked about it that day when we wrote that letter to the town--it won’t be too long before there’s a problem, because those bluffs just actively erode.”

See, that’s the problem with building a home’s foundation on sand. You can do what you like--put anchors deep into the sand, build it 100’ away from the bluff if you like--but sand is just not a reliable foundation. It shifts, moves, and erodes over time. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a poor person building a modest cottage or a rich person building an extravagant mansion, sooner or later, the sand is going to give way, because that’s what sand does.

Many people in this world are building their lives upon the shifting sands of our culture’s definition of success. They may look like they’ve made it in life. But, time will reveal the cracks in the foundation. Money, prestige, luxury, power, comfort, possessions--these are poor foundations upon which to build your life.

Jesus is the rock. He’s the only sure foundation. Build your life upon the bedrock of Jesus Christ and glorifying God.

Deuteronomy 32:28–35 ESV

28 “For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them. 29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end! 30 How could one have chased a thousand, and two have put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock; our enemies are by themselves. 32 For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter; 33 their wine is the poison of serpents and the cruel venom of asps. 34 “ ‘Is not this laid up in store with me, sealed up in my treasuries? 35 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’

Conclusion: Are you on the narrow road, or just going with the flow? Does your life bear fruit that is consistent with a heart that has been transformed by the gospel? Do you actually live like a believer, or is it just words? What is your foundation? What are you building your life upon? If you’re building your life upon the sand, it won’t hold up forever. Sooner or later, the foundation will be exposed.

Benediction:

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 ESV

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.