Wise & Foolish Builders

Introduction

Tent camping when knowing big storm on the way

Several years ago, when the kids were little, we were camping when a huge storm came through

It was so bad, we left the kids in the van watching a moving while Kim and I attempted (emphasis on attempted!) to grill dinner in the pouring rain under our pop up canopy

As we were prepping dinner, our feet were sinking in the rain and mud

When dinner was ready, I opened the van door and carried the kids from the van to the picnic table

Only the next morning, after the storm had passed and we could see, did we realize our campsite was in the lowground so not only was it raining, but the entire campground was draining in our direction

I’m pretty sure that the shoe we lost that night is still buried in the mud at that campground

Fast forward a few years to spring break, we went camping up on the panhandle

Having a good week, but the forecast was not looking good

We would go for a ride in the canoes, make s’mores…

But all the while, storm clouds brewing

Now rain happens when camping, but this was a huge storm supposed to last for a couple of days

What to do?

All the memories of the cooking in the cold rain and lost shoes came flooding back to us

So Kim and I started thinking through the implications of running to the bathroom, cooking in the rain, the mess we would make in the tent

And all that assuming we were somehow able to keep the rain out of the tent, not a good assumption!

And then what happens when it comes time to pack up camp?

Everything is a mess, no way to get it dry, mud everywhere, kids uncomfortable

Instead of riding out that storm in a wet tent, in one of the wiser decisions we have made in our marriage, we packed up camp and left

We drove to Tallahassee and watched it pour from the comfort and the safety of a hotel room

Then the storm passed and we explored Tallahassee, visiting the capitol, walking the FSU campus

And then we drove home, warm and dry!

Transition

So we come to this story that Jesus told

The parable of the wise and foolish builders serves as the capstone, or conclusion, to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

A sermon that opened with the Beatitudes and includes Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray concludes with this story

A story that maybe some of you remember learning the song as a little kid

“The wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the rains came a tumblin’ down”

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:24-27

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. 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.”

Pray

The Point of the Parable

Some of the parables can be a little more complex to understand

This is not really one of them

Two guys each build a house

One guy builds his house on a foundation of rock

While the other guy builds his house on a foundation of sand

The storm comes - heavy winds, beating rain, floods rising

One house stands and the other house falls

Jesus commends the guy who built his house on the rock as wise, and condemns the guy who built his house on sand as foolish

But Jesus opened with these words

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

To hear and to obey the words of Jesus is to be the wise man

And yet, the caution both here and throughout the Bible is that people will hear the words of Jesus but not listen

Ezekiel 33:31 “And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.”

Or consider James who picks up this idea from Jesus with his own illustration

James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”

Jesus calls the one who hears his words but does not do them as foolish

James describes that same person as someone who looks in a mirror but immediately forgets what he looks like

Freedom, wisdom, blessing come from hearing the words of Jesus and doing them

The Promise of the Parable

Storms are coming

Listen to the words of the parable

Matthew 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house…”

The rain, the floods, the winds are not a matter of if but when

Here in Florida, because we know the hurricanes are coming, we have certain building codes, storm shutters, plans for pulling things into the garage that could fly away, etc.

That is, because we know the storm will come, even if we don’t know when, we have a plan

When it is dry, not that big of a difference between the two houses built on two different foundations

In fact the house built on the sand may seem preferable - beachfront housing!

This is true of any life philosophy or worldview - they all seem to work when things are going well

And even if it “works” during this life, what about the final storm, when life ends, at death?

Promise: storm is coming

Question is not whether you will experience storms but whether you will be able to stay standing when they hit

Question is whether those storms will cause your foundation to give out from underneath you or whether it will stay firm and secure

Quick Aside: One of the phrases we use here as a value is “conviction with compassion”

This is part of where the compassion shows up

We often don’t know the storm someone is facing

But we can guess pretty assuredly that they are facing a storm

How can that knowledge give us compassion for others?

The Power of the Parable

The power is not in the builder or even the house itself

But the power is the foundation upon which it is built

“Obedience to Jesus’ words is not so much protection from troubles as protection in them, just as rock under a house does not shield from storms but supports during them.” - Dale Bruner

So yes, the storms are coming, but when on a rock, there is strength to withstand the storms

So let’s ask: what is the rock?

Interesting here that Jesus does not say the wise man built his house on “a” rock”

He says the wise man built his house on “the” rock

So what is “the” rock?

Matthew 16:16–18 “Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 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. 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.”

“This rock”

The rock of the identity of Jesus - the Christ - the Son of the living God

See, God himself is the rock, the refuge from the storm, the firm foundation

Hear just a few verses from the Bible to reinforce this

Psalm 31:2–3 “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;”

Psalm 62:5–7 “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.”

Psalm 78:35 “They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.”

Psalm 92:15 “to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Psalm 94:22 “But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”

1 Corinthians 3:10–11 “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.”

1 Peter 2:6 “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.””

To hear Jesus’ words is to hear Jesus

To read the Scriptures is to read the Word of God

And Jesus is the Word of God incarnate

To hear Jesus words is to know Jesus

And to know Jesus is to build your life upon not just “a” rock, but “the” rock

He is the rock, the refuge, the foundation

Know Jesus, hear Jesus’ words, follow them

And your life will be built on the rock that will stand when the storms come

Conclusion: The Music and the Dance

I want to end tonight with an illustration I learned from my preaching professor

He called it the music and the dance

Imagine you are sitting in the corner of a room

You see a gal walk in the room, put on her headphones, turn on the music, and as she listens, she starts to dance

Then a guy walks in the room, sees her dancing, and tries to imitate her

He keeps looking over at her, watching the steps, and following them

Eventually he even gets pretty good at doing all the steps of the dance

Let me ask this question: Are they doing the same thing?

The answer: It may look like it, but the answer is no

One is responding to the music and the other is just following a set of steps

That is the Christian life

Christianity isn’t just going through the motions

Doing the right choreography

It is being so impacted by the beauty and power of the gospel that we can’t help but be moved

When we hear the music of the gospel, the redeeming love of Christ, we respond in the dance, striving, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to obey everything he commands

When we hear his words and we do them

Let us be people who hear the sweet music of the gospel and respond in the dance

Let us be people who look in the mirror and never forget what we look like

Let us be people who build on the firm foundation of Christ rather than the shifting sands of worldviews that can and will fail

Let us be people who hear the words of Jesus, who hear and know Jesus, and then obey his words as we follow him

Learn from Jesus’ parable about the wise and foolish builders

Learn from your pastor’s muddy camping mistakes

Build your house upon the Rock of Jesus Christ

Pray