Building for the Storm - July 13th, 2025

Expanded Exposition

[Title] Dig Deep, Stand Strong

[Reference] Luke 6:46‑49

Luke 6:46–49 KJV

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Formal Elements / Deductive Data

• CIT (Central Idea of the Text) – True discipleship is proved by practiced obedience to Jesus’ words, giving unshakable security when divine testing comes (Marshall 1978, 274).

• Proposition – Because only obedient faith withstands the storm, we must anchor every part of life to Christ’s commands.

• Purpose – Major Objective: Stir hearers to examine the reality of their obedience. Specific Objective: Each listener will identify one neglected command of Christ and act on it within the next 24 hours.

• Potential Inductive Pattern – Begin with recent “house‑failures” (public moral collapses) → ask Why? → trace problem to shallow foundations → unveil Jesus’ parable → call for digging obedience.

Introduction

A single headline can rattle a nation—an express‑train derailment, a bridge crumbling into flood‑swollen waters, a resort tower collapsing overnight, a Christian Camp in Texas getting flooded in the matter of minutes. We watch the drone footage and ask, How did something that looked so solid give way so suddenly? With that same sickening drop in the pit of the stomach, Jesus stands before His disciples and presses an unsettling question: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” He knows that beneath the polished veneer of religious vocabulary, foundations can be dangerously thin. His parable of two builders is not a charming object lesson for children; it is a structural‑integrity audit of every soul in the room—of every soul in this room. Before we lay another decorative brick of Christian activity, the Carpenter of Nazareth invites us to pick up a shovel and see what lies underneath (Marshall 1978, 274; Bock 1996, 623).

Sub‑Introduction (Historical‑Cultural and Contextual Bridge)

Luke situates this warning on a windswept plain of Galilee, where spring cloudbursts could turn tranquil wadis into roaring torrents capable of sweeping away any house erected on nothing more than sun‑baked topsoil (Nolland 1989, 310). His audience is a mixed multitude—Jews steeped in Torah’s call to hear and do, Gentile God‑fearers intrigued by a new Rabbi, and nominal disciples quick with titles but slow with obedience. The Sermon on the Plain has just inverted their values with blessings for the poor and woes for the complacent; now it culminates in a vivid construction‑site comparison that crystallizes the entire message. Luke’s pen, guided by the Spirit, lifts a local hazard into a timeless picture: life’s inevitable storms and the final judgment will expose whether our allegiance to Jesus is cosmetic or core, whether we have merely admired the Carpenter’s words or anchored our lives to them (Marshall 1978, 275; Green 1997, 274).

I. Barren Professions Exposed (v 46)

A. Empty Titles (“Lord, Lord”) without Tasks

Luke 6:46 KJV

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Word Snapshot – Κύριε, Κύριε (double vocative = intensified homage); negative present οὐ ποιεῖτε stresses ongoing refusal.

Hist‑Cult aside – In Mediterranean patronage culture, lavish titles could mask self‑interest; Jesus unmasks that gap (Nolland 1989, 310).

Confessing Jesus as Lord without obeying Him is religious flattery—an empty courtesy that offends His royal authority.

[Quote] “Orthodoxy minus obedience equals practical atheism.” — J. C. Ryle

[EXP→ILL] Imagine a child who shouts “Yes, Dad!” yet never lifts a finger…  [ILL→APP] Where might our own “Yes, Lord!” stop short of action?

II. Uncompromising Requirement Stated (v 47)

A. Come (πᾶς ὁ ἐρχόμενος)

Luke 6:47 KJV

47a Whosoever cometh to me,

Word Snapshot – Present participle marks continual approach; discipleship is relational proximity.

Hist‑Cult aside – Rabbis gathered pupils to themselves; Jesus invites all who will come regardless of prior status.

First step is intentional nearness—turning from self‑rule to Christ’s presence.

“We must come before we can comprehend.” — A. W. Tozer

[EXP→ILL] Picture commuters choosing which train to board…  [ILL→APP] Which daily choices move us toward or away from Christ?

B. Understand (ἀκούων)

Luke 6:47 KJV

47b ...and heareth my sayings,

Word Snapshot – ἀκούων includes attentive listening with intent to obey (Deut 6:3).

Hist‑Cult aside – Oral culture placed high premium on careful hearing; memory was moral duty.

Disciples tune their ears, filtering noise to catch the Shepherd’s voice.

“Half of holiness is sanctified listening.” — John Stott

[EXP→ILL] Noise‑canceling headphones isolate a single track…  [ILL→APP] What spiritual static must we mute?

C. Undertake (ποιῶν)

Luke 6:47 KJV

47c …and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

Word Snapshot – Present participle stresses habit; faith expresses itself in repeated choices.

Hist‑Cult aside – Builders required licenses in Roman Galilee; certification came by proven workmanship.

Obedience is the license proving we truly belong to the Master Builder.

“Grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning.” — Dallas Willard

[EXP→ILL] Like abiding exercise builds muscle memory…  [ILL→APP] Which command will you practice until it becomes reflex?

Theology Summaries

• Gentile Inclusion – Luke frames Jesus’ call as universally accessible; obedience, not ethnicity, secures foundation in God’s kingdom.

• Canonical Arc – From Isaiah’s tested cornerstone (Isa 28:16) to Paul’s “no other foundation than Christ” (1 Cor 3:11), Scripture presents a single Rock motif fulfilled in Jesus.

Isaiah 28:16 KJV

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Scene Argument Diagram

A. Profession vs. Practice → B. Triad of Response (Come‑Hear‑Do) → C. Two Builders / Two Results → D. Call for Decision.

III. Instructive Illustration Given (vv. 48‑49)

A. Industrious Constructor—Digging to the Infallible Rock

1. Preparation: “Dug and Deepened”

Luke 6:48 KJV

48a He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock:

Word Snapshot – ἔσκαψε καὶ ἐβάθυνε = vigorous, costly labor; foundation depth equaled dignity.

Hist‑Cult aside – Galilean basalt lies beneath layers of alluvial clay; reaching it demanded perseverance.

Serious disciples endure inconvenience, excavating false securities until Christ alone bears the load.

“Digging is unseen worship.” — Chuck Swindoll

[Prompt] [EXP→ILL] Archaeologists toil for treasures… [ILL→APP] What comforts must we excavate to reach bedrock trust?

2. Proof: Storm‑proof Stability

Luke 6:48 KJV

48b-c …and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Word Snapshot – οὐκ ἴσχυσε σαλεῦσαι (was not able to shake); perfect τεθεμελίωτο underlines established security.

Hist‑Cult aside – Seasonal wadis could rise meters in minutes, destroying superficial dwellings.

Trials certify, not nullify, genuine faith; what endures adversity glorifies Christ’s craftsmanship.

“Faith, like film, develops in the dark.” — Anon.

[EXP→ILL] Think of hurricane‑rated houses on pilings…  [ILL→APP] How has adversity recently showcased your foundation?

B. Indolent Constructor—Building on Insecure Ground

1. Presumption: “Built on Ground without Foundation”

Luke 6:49 KJV

49a But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth;

Word Snapshot – χωρὶς θεμελίου (without foundation) exposes negligence, not ignorance.

Hist‑Cult aside – Cheap huts whipped up for harvest shelters often collapsed by season’s end.

Convenience Christianity erects impressive façades on shifting sand—destined for ruin.

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” — Samuel Johnson

[Prompt] [EXP→ILL] Prefab sheds vs. reinforced safe rooms…  [ILL→APP] Where have we prioritized speed over substance with Jesus?

2. Peril: Sudden, Severe Ruin

Luke 6:49 KJV

49b-c …against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Word Snapshot – εὐθέως ἔπεσε = instantaneous collapse; τὸ ῥῆγμα… μέγα = irreparable breach.

Hist‑Cult aside – In Jewish wisdom, sudden disaster signaled divine judgment (Prov 6:15).

Proverbs 6:15 KJV

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Judgment will be swift and total for those whose faith is foundation‑less profession.

“The storms that smash hypocrisy spare obedience.” — D. Edmund Hiebert

[EXP→ILL] Like a data center with no backups after a power surge…  [ILL→APP] What eternal safeguard is missing if obedience is absent?

IV. Lasting Consequences Emphasized

A. Life Secured for the Obedient

Luke 6:48 KJV

48c He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Obedience produces durable fruit and eternal reward (1 Cor 3:14).

1 Corinthians 3:14 KJV

14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

The obedient stand—not by chance but by covenant promise.

“God can’t fail the life He builds.” — A. Maclaren

B. Loss Suffered by the Negligent

Luke 6:49 KJV

49c …and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Negligence forfeits reward and risks hearing “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23).

Matthew 7:23 KJV

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Collapse is avoidable—but only before the flood comes.

“Tomorrow is the devil’s today.” — Unknown

Literary‑Echo Sheet – Noah’s ark safety vs. antediluvian ruin; Isaiah’s stone vs. fading refuge; Luke’s houses vs. eternal verdict.

V. Decision Demanded Today

A. Choose Obedience over Appearance

Luke 6:46‑49 (non-technical summary)

Jesus closes His Sermon on the Plain with a piercing question: “Why do you keep calling Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ yet refuse to do what I say?” He pictures two builders. One comes to Him, listens, and puts His words into practice; that man digs until he hits bedrock, anchors his foundation on the rock, and when swollen rivers slam against the walls, nothing so much as quivers. The other hears the same words but shrugs them off; he throws up a house on topsoil, and when the identical torrent strikes, it crumbles in one great heap. Jesus’ point is plain: only obedient faith can survive the storm of divine testing.

And so Luke lets us overhear the Master Carpenter of souls speaking to disciples who, like us, loved to talk about commitment. Jesus looks them in the eye and insists that true allegiance is measured not by the volume of our “Lord, Lord,” but by the depth of our obedience. He paints a vivid contrast—one life painstakingly anchored to His word, another hastily resting on convenience—and invites each hearer to decide where to build.

Friends, this picture reaches into our busy, over‑promised schedules. The storms Jesus describes are not hypothetical; they are the sudden layoffs, the phone call at midnight, the quiet grind of temptation, and, one day, the final judgment. If we will take time daily to dig—prayerfully reading, humbly confessing, and faithfully acting on what we learn—our character will set like concrete around His truth. If we keep postponing obedience, our finest achievements will prove as temporary as sandcastles at high tide.

Let’s choose the shovel of obedience over the shortcut of appearance, building deep with Christ today—because floods never announce their arrival.

The line is drawn: shovel or shortcut, rock or sand, life or loss—choose.

“Delayed obedience is disobedience.” — C. H. Spurgeon

[EXP→ILL] Invitation imagery of moving from porch to foundation…  [ILL→APP] Will you dig today?

Conclusion

Calling Jesus “Lord” is a start; following Him in daily choices is the finish. As the next storm gathers, His word stands ready to hold you fast—if you will build on it.

Application Bank

• Identify one command of Christ you have postponed—and obey it by sundown.

• Schedule a weekly “foundation inspection” with a trusted believer.

• Transform crisis into construction: ask, “What new footing does this trial invite me to pour?”

• Memorize Luke 6:46–49 and rehearse it whenever you hear weather alerts—physical or spiritual.