Wisdom for 2025

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Introduction

As I reflected Jesus’ emphasis on obedience in this passage, a story from my childhood came to mind. I can’t remember if I was in 1st or 2nd grade, but I was playing freeze tag with some neighborhood friends. I was never the fastest kid so I always looked for ways to balance the deficit in speed. This particular time, I found a large tree to keep distance between me and whoever was “it”. I can’t tell you how many revolutions I made around that tree, but at some point, I saw a wallet on the ground by the roots. As a little kid, I had never seen so many twenties. I didn’t know exactly what to do, but I picked it up and walked back to down the block to my house. My eldest brother was walking toward me and asked about the wallet. I showed him the money inside and he began to sell me on giving him the money:

“I’m gonna buy you ice cream, I’m gonna get you some sneakers, man, we’re gonna go to Jamaica Avenue and buy so many things… only thing: don’t tell Dad because...”

And honestly, I don’t know what else he said because unbeknownst to him, by telling me not to tell Dad, he just informed me what to do: he didn’t know that in those days, Dad had literally told me the following phrase dozens of times:

“Look at your brother, look at your sister, DO THE OPPOSITE, and you will be doing good!”

So, ironically, though I wasn’t sure of what to do initially, I knew exactly what to do when my brother said, “Don’t tell Dad...” because I had been programmed to do the opposite. So, of course, I told Dad. Dad called the police, and the next thing I remember is meeting the man who lost his wallet when he came to our home to reclaim it. Of course, Dad was ultimately pleased because I had not only remembered what he said, but I actually did it.

And isn’t that the whole point of our passage? It’s not enough to know what Jesus said, we have to obey Him too. That’s what true wisdom is: not merely knowing what to do, or advising others, but actually applying that knowledge with integrity.

These verses are essentially Jesus’ closing illustration of what we commonly call “The Sermon on the Mount.” In this sermon, Jesus covers a LOT of ground:

—He lays out the counter-cultural lifestyle of God’s Kingdom that we call “the Beatitudes”

—He explains that His followers are to be shining examples and preservers of the good

—After declaring His mission to fulfil and not destroy the law, Jesus launches into a blazing rebuke of the Scribes and Pharisees on multiple topics, correcting their faulty views on murder, adultery, divorce, oath-making, and revenge

—Next Jesus teaches on the practices that should mark His disciples’ lives: generosity to the poor, dependence on God in prayer, self-control and mastery of the flesh by fasting, absolute abstinence from and warfare against worry, and prioritizing what is eternal over what is earthly.

Just before getting to this closing illustration of the wise builder and the foolish builder, Jesus starts narrowing this down. By warning against false prophets, He implies that we should only listen to true prophets. He talks about two trees, one bearing good fruit and the second bearing bad fruit. And then, the focus of our time will be of the wise and foolish builder.

So the sermon covers 3 chapters of scripture, 111 verses, and 2800 words… but despite those numbers, there’s only two ways to respond: either we believe His words and do them, or we doubt His words and don’t. Either we trust Him or we don’t. The crowd that day was amazed at the stark, clear, and pointed nature of His words because Jesus wasn’t just presenting ideas for their consideration. He wasn’t making a plea for the approval of His hearers. Verse 28 tells us plainly that the people were amazed by His authority—Jesus was saying something very clear to them and is saying something very clear to us:

Jesus says...

Life east of Eden will throw problem after problem, test after test, and affliction after affliction—and if you don’t go MY way, you are guaranteed disaster. But if you hear me, if you believe what I’m saying, if you trust me, and DO what I say, you’ll survive. Choose Me and My way and you will make it. If not, you won’t.

The people were amazed because Jesus doesn’t come to this sermon in a vacuum. His hearers are Jewish and when they heard Jesus speaking with that authority, they recognized the echo of Moses in Deuteronomy 30:16-20 where he sets life and death before God’s people and urges them to choose life. Jesus’ words carry the clarion call of Lady Wisdom who promises God would be a shield to those on her path in Proverbs 2 while promising to laugh at the disaster which awaits whoever is on the path of foolishness in Proverbs 1. Jesus’ first sermon closes in a way reminiscent of the close of the first psalm. Psalm 1:5-6

Psalm 1:5–6 (ESV)

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Deuteronomy 30:16–20 (ESV)

If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

In the book of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified and speaks similar words. Wisdom invites the simple-minded and foolish to hear her: Proverbs 2:1-8

Proverbs 2:1–8 ESV

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

But Lady Wisdom doesn’t only invite us to join the safety of her path, she also rebukes the one who chooses against her way. The savagery of Wisdom is shocking in Proverbs 1:24-33

Proverbs 1:24–33 ESV

Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

So now, here we are in 2024, soon to cross over into 2025. Some are checking horoscopes (I hope none of you). Some are checking palm-readers and psychics, again, I hope none of you. Many have their hopes set on the incoming administration or are setting their hopes on the forces sure to resist the new administration. Here’s my prediction: troubles are on the horizon as surely as sparks fly upward (Job 5:7 ) But if you want real wisdom for 2025 on how to handle the trouble that is sure to come, here it is:

To Survive and THRIVE in 2025: Obey Jesus. Know what He has said, and like Mary told the guys at the marriage feast in Cana: Whatever He says, do it!

We are going to look at three quick points in our text because I’m aware of the time constraint for the next service. I want you to see these three things: 1) The Impending Obligation 2) The Inconvenient Obstacles 3) The Inevitable Outcome

The Impending Obligation

Here’s the impending obligation: you are building a life either way. If you choose to build on Christ and His word, you are building. If you choose differently, you are still building. You are responsible for what is built in your life and you will be held accountable for it, whether being rewarded for your faith in Christ or condemned for faith in yourself. This is a hard saying, but the scriptures don’t give us 3 or 4 options. Only 2. Look closely at our text. Verse 24 says,

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

Verse 26 says,

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does NOT do them will be like a man who built his house...”

Do you see it? One way or another, you are building. And I declare to you the simple truth of the matter the only reason someone isn’t building on Christ is because they believe they have found wisdom elsewhere. And take note: Jesus is not an add-on. He’s not going to fit with anything or anyone else as a side feature of your foundation. Jesus is a stand-alone. He’s sufficient, that means when you have Him, you don’t need something or someone else to supplement Him. This is an unpopular teaching, but it’s biblical.

Our modern culture hates the idea of exclusivity. Our day and age hates the idea that different choices lead to different paths. There appears to be a growing number, maybe even a majority, who are insisting that a narrow path such as the one Jesus is constructing is unfair, or small minded, or something worse. But Jesus was not intimidated by the cultural and religious opinions of His day and by His Spirit, Christians should neither cower nor bow to the spirit of the age in our time. Instead, like Jesus, we should be bold enough to express the truth in love.

Consider the analogy of a garden: If you have a flower garden but decide, “Oh, I’ll let nature take it’s course… I’ll let things occur organically.” The fact that you didn’t ACTIVELY plant weeds, pests, and parasites doesn’t mean you’re not responsible for them in your garden. In truth, your neglect of the flowers has cultivated a garden for weeds, pests, and parasites. So either way, you are a gardener: you’re either going to be one for flowers of beauty or weeds of ruin. But how many of us are claiming to be Christians WHILE letting our natural inclinations keep us from cultivating true faith in Christ? How many people do you know who say things like, “Well, that Jesus stuff is cool for you, it doesn’t move me either way, but do you, man. It’s cool, just not for me.” We must not deceive ourselves by a lack of open rebellion against Jesus. Our passive revolts will bring on a hell equal to active revolts.

If you hear Christ but don’t obey Him, you are building a life that is sure to end in ruin. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t curse Him. It doesn’t matter that you spoke well of Him to others. What matters is that you didn’t obey Him. You chose to build apart from Him. True wisdom requires us to admit obedience comes from faith and disobedience comes from distrust.

Point 2: The Inconvenient Obstacles

Here’s the big issue in this parable: house on the rock and the house on the sand go through the same things. Verse 25 in reference to the house on the rock says “the rain fell, the floods came, winds blew, and beat on that house”. And verse 27 is verbatim on what the house built on sand goes through, “The rain fell, the floods came, winds blew, and beat on that house.” This single fact is the most obvious feature in the parable and possibly the most important because makes comparisons between the house on the sand and the house on the rock legitmate. There is no reason to compare the two houses if they are not in similar or identical tests.

What will happen in 2025? What obstacles await you and I? I hope you’re not expecting me to answer those questions directly for you. But here’s what I know “No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man” ( 1Cor 10:13 )

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Loneliness is experienced by Christians and non-Christians. Loss of employment can happen to Christians and non-Christians. Marital problems and divorce happen to Christians and non-Christians. Parenting woes happen to Christians and non-Christians. Remember COVID? Was it only for the unbelievers? Don’t you wish high gas prices and inflation were only for the unbelievers? You get the point.

You know what’s super interesting about this parable? It’s the first parable in Matthew and the first in Luke. It’s almost as if the Spirit is saying, “Following Jesus is not for those evading trouble: it’s for those who trust Christ will ultimately conquer all troubles.” The truth is, I only quoted half of 1st Cor. 10:13.

The whole point of Jesus’ parable is that the house built on the Rock will ENDURE. Christians suffer in this life—our hearts break, our ribs bruise, our eyes fail, our teeth fall out, but we endure

we are betrayed, we are overlooked, we are forgotten, we are left out, but we endure

we might be rich today and poor tomorrow, we might walk free today and see prison tomorrow but we endure

And the whole point is not to exult in our toughness, our resolve, our work ethic, or our so-called wisdom:

No, the tests we endure do test us, but more importantly, they reveal what or who we worship.

The non-believer who worshipped their spouse can’t survive when the spouse walks out for good.

The non believer who worshipped their car can’t endure when it’s repossessed

The non-believer who worshipped their fame/celebrity/social position throws in the towel when the public no longer wants them.

But God is glorified when believers lose all these things yet declare that God is enough. Our anchor holds, our ship doesn’t sink, we are not the chaff that the wind blows away. And it’s all because the Rock of ages cleft for me let’s me hide myself in Him. Our home stands because it’s not made with hands, but built eternal in the heavens. You want wisdom for 2025: here it is—live for the line, and not the dot. Show your faith by obedience to Christ: live for eternity not for what is earthly.

Point 3: The Inevitable Outcome

My time is gone, so I’ll say it simply: we disobey Jesus at our peril. It was shocking in Jesus’ day because Jesus wasn’t saying “thus saith the Lord”— He IS the Lord, Himself. So to claim that clinging to Him and His words is the only way to escape final judgement was, in itself, a claim to deity. Anyone who thinks they can ignore or rebel against God for a lifetime will inevitably suffer for it—if not in this life, then certainly in the next. The ultimate flood and storm that blows us all away is physical death. The Divine Son of God literally became a man in order to act as our substitute—to die in our place. He fulfilled the OT picture of the slain lamb for the sins of the people. He lived a perfectly sinless life and shares that spotless record with us and endured the punishment we deserve when He dies on the cross. His resurrection from the dead guarantees ultimate rescue because in Adam we were guaranteed judgement and death, so Jesus is the 2nd Adam Who now gives us peace with God and life eternal. God’s Spirit living within believers today means that we are not waiting for the power to live for Christ—we have it now, in increasing measure as we strive in His power to be more and more set apart for His purposes, denying ourselves in the process.

If you’re here today, I have to think that God is intending you to hear this message so that you can consider your ways as we cross into 2025. Perhaps you have been professing faith in Christ but not really living in obedience to Him. Today is the day of salvation—if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, do not deceive yourself: mere human effort do not save. We are saved by God’s grace, through faith—Salvation is a gift, it is not earned by our efforts. But true faith results in God-glorifying, flesh-mortifying works. If you have questions about this, I’d love to speak with you after the service, but if you don’t reach out to me, I hope you’ll speak with a believer here about becoming a follower of Christ.

A word to Viers Mill Baptist Church

Jesus is your Tekton—He is the builder of His own church… what He builds will last… He will not abandon whatever He has started… don’t lose heart… be of good courage… He is with you in all storms and is faithful shelter in them.