Build Upon Christ

Turn with me to Matthew 7:24-29.

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 tumbling down… (anyone ever heard that song?)

That’s our passage tonight. And I’m really burdened tonight for each of us in this room, myself included. Here’s the big idea: The foundation you build upon directly affects your survival of the storms of life.

We won’t have main points tonight like what we normally do. I really just want to talk with you about Jesus’ concluding words in his Sermon on the Mount. I really believe that this passage contains foundational truths that can change any one’s life.

Let’s begin by reading the passage.

Matthew 7:24–29 KJV 1900

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus contrasts two types of individuals. What are they? Wise/Foolish. And there’s two things that separate the wise from the foolish. Can anyone see what the differences are?

Just because you hear Christ’s words does not mean you are wise. Hearing Christ’s words is not enough.

Both individuals heard the words of Christ.

*insert illustration.

James 1:22–25 KJV 1900

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Christ tells his followers that the wise not only hear the Word, but do the Word. And James goes on to explicate that those who do the Word receive blessing.

How would this look today? Maybe it’s coming to church, sitting under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and not being changed by it. I’m guilty of this at times. Maybe it’s doing devotions to gain knowledge, but never applying Scripture to your life. I’m guilty of this too.

The temptation for us all is the same. We can fool ourselves into thinking we are wise because we hear the Word. And there’s alot of Christians that are like this. But Christ says they are foolish because they are mere hearers and not doers.

This is one of our foundational relationships — Engage with the Word through study and obedience. What does that mean? That we not only hear the Word, but we obey or do the Word.

But there’s another difference between the foolish and the wise that Jesus reveals to us: the foundation of their houses are different. What are the two foundations we see? Rock/Sand.

Any guesses as to what Jesus is revealing about the wise here?

The wise build their life upon Christ the chief cornerstone. Let’s look at some verses real quick.

Isaiah 28:16 KJV 1900

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.

Acts 4:11 KJV 1900

11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Ephesians 2:20 KJV 1900

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

1 Peter 2:6–7 KJV 1900

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Jesus is the long prophesied rock which we must build our lives upon. But Christ goes on to say that there are those who choose to build upon sand instead of rock. Seems foolish right. We would never.

Here’s how this might look. Let’s take the foundation of your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. You pray and wait until Mr. Right comes along. You know that who you marry is important and a big decision. So you finally marry Mrs. Perfect and you’ll live happily ever after. You’ve built your life on the foundation of a spouse. So you assume everything will be easy peasy, until it isn’t. Things get hard and may ultimately crumble because your trust was in your imperfect spouse instead of Jesus. The storms of life come and your faith wavers and ultimately crumbles.

Or maybe your foundation is in sports or your career. You work hard to climb the career ladder or be a successful athlete. You’re overjoyed when the paychecks start coming in and you can finally live comfortably. Your family appears happy and healthy. You live in a nice neighborhood. You may even make it as a professional athlete. Your job has provided peace, security, comfort, and status. All good things. But one day, you break your leg and can’t play that sport at a high level again. One day you unexpectedly get laid off. One day it all comes crumbling down. And the trust you put in your job or career wavers. Your faith is failing because you put it in the wrong thing.

Teenager, these are very real scenarios. I could name you probably 50 people right now off the top of my head in which something similar happened to them. And they no longer believe in Christ.

Now you may look at me and say, that will never happen to me. But here’s a subtle way that you may be building upon the wrong foundation.

You’re a tremendous hearer of the Word. You attend every service at BBC. You do every Bible study. You even read through the Bible every year. Everyone looks at you like a superstar Christian. Your parents are godly and have brought you to church ever since you were little. You know all the stories of the Bible, can recite many Bible verses, you may even serve in the church. And all of that may be the foundation that you have built upon. You’ve built upon your own morality, your own goodness. One day, you’re going to get tired of being good, of doing good. You realize it’s all a facade. You don’t actually believe what you’ve always been taught. Or maybe you go along life’s path and something happens outside of your control: you lose your job, your child gets sick, etc. And now you’re your faith is revealed. Your morality can’t weather this storm. So your faith wavers because you’ve put your trust in the wrong foundation.

Teenager, Adult, we’ve got to build upon Jesus. The foundation that you build upon matters. You are making choices today about what kind of life you’re going to build.

And that’s super exciting. Here’s some of the decisions you’re going to make in the next couple of years: where or if you’re going to go to college, what job you want to pursue, where you’ll live, who you’ll marry, having kids, etc. All exciting things.

But the most important decision you’ll ever make is to build your life upon Jesus Christ. Everything else will fall into place if you build upon Christ. There’s hope for the future if your life is built upon Christ.

*gospel

Lastly, verses 28-29. Let’s read these again together.

Matthew 7:28–29 KJV 1900

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Everything Jesus said in the last three chapters in this most famous sermon is authoritative. Christ’s words are authoritative because he is the Son of God, he is the Messiah, he is the chief cornerstone, he is God clothed in flesh.

The question that Jesus leaves his followers with and you and I today with is this: Will you be a doer of Christ’s words? not just a hearer.

Next week, I just want to prepare you, we will have strictly a time of worship, prayer, reflection, testimony, and praise. And here’s what I want you to think about in order to participate well next week: What part(s) of the Sermon on the Mount challenged you or encouraged you?

Read through Matthew 5-7 before next Wednesday and reflect on Jesus’ words to his followers.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

According to Jesus, what separates the wise from the foolish? Why is hearing the Word alone not enough? What are some examples of being a “hearer only” in church, youth group, or personal devotions?

Jesus contrasts building on rock vs. sand. What are some modern “sand foundations” teens or adults are tempted to build their lives upon? Why is building your life on good things—like relationships, sports, family, or morals—still dangerous if they become your foundation instead of Christ?

Why do storms reveal the truth about our faith in ways comfort never does?

The crowds were astonished because Jesus taught “as one having authority.” What does it mean for Christ’s words to have authority over your decisions, desires, and lifestyle?

What does being a “doer of the Word” look like this week for you?

PRAYER PROMPTS:

Ask God to help you obey His Word rather than merely hear it.

Pray for the desire and discipline to build your life completely on Christ the solid rock.

Pray for courage from the Holy Spirit to obey even when obedience feels costly or uncomfortable.

JOURNAL PROMPTS:

In what areas am I most tempted to be a hearer rather than a doer? Why?

What is currently the true foundation of my life? How do I know?

What would it look like for me to intentionally build my life on Christ this week?

When was the last time God’s Word clearly confronted me, and did I obey it or ignore it?