Building My Life Upon the Rock

What Am I Building On?

What I love about this passage and even this sermon on the mount as a whole, which is the greatest sermon ever preached. If there were chapters in a book that you were to memorize as essentials to build your life upon this would be it. But what Jesus does here is gives us some practical insight into the path that our lives are heading. The legacy we are leaving behind and the destination that it will land us.

The wiseman that had walked upon the face of this earth except Jesus who preached this sermon was Solomon. He wrote a many proverbs for man to live that it may bring life to His steps. He desired to hand down to the next generation wisdom that they may ponder the paths (their choices, their relationships, their actions) and where it would lead. With their head up looking saying whoa this is not going to lead any where good. The 20/20 vision that is Forsight and not hindsight.

Can you imagine if you had 20/20 Foresight. How many of you have looked back and said man i wish i had not done that.

This passage gives us the blueprint of examination for our lives. How to properly build that you may be a faithful husband to your wife, father to your kids (not a baby daddy), A man with clear eyes and a clear mine, not given to drunkness (that robs him of all his joy and precious relationships, not given a high that deceives him to think happiness is found in a drug, and not given to sexual unfaithfulness only to find that it had robbed you of your greatest love, not given to money only to find that it caused you to rob that you may obtain it that your children may know you as a forever thief, as drunkard, as a drug addict, who cheated their mother.

You know what keeps me from living a life that runs from these things instead of to them, is knowing the truth that it brings upon my life for the future.

Do you want some 20/20 wisdom before its to late?

This passage opens up BEWARE. LOOK out

Beware of Dog, (what does this mean when you see it on someones door?) you continue any further and you might be met with a not so friendly greeting.

What are we to Beware of?

Be on the look out. Be alert for.

He says here False Teachers. These are men that (Deceive)

These are men and powerful forces that look the part but (through their deception they are actually seeking to devour their prey that they are pretending to be like). Deception is the handiwork of satan. God is the author of clarity and satan is the author of confusion

The relationship of wolf and sheep (not a good one)

Prowling for food. ON the hunt. These are not innocent and gentle wolves but hungry and on the prowl for food to devour.

The Bible describes satan as a lion prowling about seeking whom he may devour. He never has our best interest in mind. Only that he may bring our life to ruin. He is one that uses smoke and mirrors. Deception.

Who here comes from the trades realm specifically related to building?

Maybe a contractor, builder, heavy equipment operator, electrician, plumber, brick layer, drywaller, roofer, carpenter, Floor Installer, concrete finisher, landscaper, or handy man.

Let me Illustrate for you what this passage is talking about with the deception of these false teachers

You have this man show up in a brand new 2019 Ford F-350 that just looks sharp. Down the side its got the decal McCartney Const. (The Head Honcho) He gets out in his nice blue jeans, new boots, collared shirt, with the His companies name embroidered on it, He has his freshly waxed hard hat on, and the Blue prints in His hand. This guy looks the part of a builder who calls the shots.

This guy calls the crews together and says, gentlemen we have a change in plans. We are going to prove our knowledge and skills to the world of how great our company is. We have a plan that will elevate us straight to the top. We are going to be the fastest, cheapest, and most skilled crew out their. (those don’t usually go hand in hand.) In order to do this we need to cut just a couple minor corners. To come in under budget and move us ahead in schedule 3 weeks we are not going to dig deep to find solid rock we are going to build right on top of the ground. Its been here a while and its solid. Take my word for it. Also we will not be using any form of tape measure, or levels to shave cost and time. We will eye ball everything. I also received a good deal on fasteners on Amazon Prime (shipped for free) that are not quiet up to code but real close.

Okay team you ready? Let’s get to building!

A couple men stand up and say i don’t think this is a good idea it will not work. This is going to fail. Immediately the boss man kicks these men off calls them a sissy and sends them on their way and everyone laughs at the crazy comments of those men.

Then Everyone looks at each other and thinks well He has the fancy truck, nice clothes, the hard hat, and he looks the part. Has an honest face. It would be nice if my business would rise to the top. Let’s trust him. And they get to building.

What do you think this building is going to look like when it gets done

What do you think this building is going to look like? Do you think anything like the blueprint that it is suppose to replicate?

However it looks, no matter how pretty it is, it is not fit for the storms of life

Story is not over yet. The project gets completed, looks fairly decent and the man gets paid. He tells everyone, I guaranteed this building for a year and i will not be able to release any paychecks until then. a little rainy day comes, and begins to soften this ground that they didn’t dig up, and a little breeze begins to press upon the building and its weak fasteners. The walls not being level or the same size begin to shift and all the sudden the building comes crashing down.

This contractor gets enraged because of the poor construction the men he had working for him and drags all the workers through court and sues everyman for all they got. He tells the judge I hired these men to do a job and they didn’t do it. You lose everything you had. Your name, your reputation, your business, even your family because now you are in jail with a bond you cannot afford.

This man was deceptive. This man ruined the lives of all the people who fell under his instruction. Rob them of all that was dear to them because they were decieved by his instruction.

This is exactly what was happening to these men in the time that Jesus was writing these things. There were deceptive teachers. Ruining lives.

How can we tell then of these teachers whether they are worth listening to?

IT is not by the clothes they wear.

These men were sheeps clothing yet were ravenous wolves. Clothing is deceiving. Dont judge a book by its cover. That can go the good way and the bad way.

Just because something appears to be greener on the other side doesnt mean that it is.

Jesus instruction and test for these people to see through the deceptiveness in the false teachers was what?

Its by the fruit their lives bear.

Apple trees don’t bear oranges.

We need a different set of lenses. One that no longer looks at the mere superficial outward appearance but now begins to look at the fruit (the offspring) of his life.

Test them by their fruits.

For many say life is found in the bottle. It is glamorous, its where the party is at. Its where the woman are at. Think how they advertise for alcohol. Its with all the glamour.The green grass we all desire. It pulls at our hearts. But is this truly the green grass it produces?

They don’t go to the homeless shelters to show the stronghold that it has brought upon their lives.

They don’t go to the children in the homes that would testify of their fathers that he is not the same.

Or the drug dealers. Who are always so faithful to give us what we want claiming to have your best interest in mind (as long as they get paid. Yet to only find that it has robbed us of everything that is dear to us.

What is the fruit that these things bear in the lives of those it has possession in. 20/20 wisdom before. Don’t believe the clothing, look at the fruit.

THis deception has not just penetrated the streets but also the churches. We all know that their is great hypocrisy in the church. Why because satan is destructive and he even seeks to devour the place of hope and refuge. So what does he do. He raises up false teachers. He raises up wicked men and dresses them up to look like the rest that they may deceive.

Just cause you may go to church doesn’t make you okay.

There is a way to know. For God says that if they are coming in my name and are sent of me, testifying that of where life is found, where blessedness is found, where happiness and true life are found, then they will produce fruit that is in accordance with where I stand.

Deuteronomy 13:1–3 NKJV

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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Just because they come in my name, doesn’t mean that i have sent them.

We need to learn the fruit test. Not just for others but also for our lives.

Not everyone that says to me LORD, LORD shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

You know why?

For some its just lip service.

You know LORD means?

Means master.

He says depart from me you workers of lewdness.

Jesus says if you love me, then obey my commandments.

We don’t say we love God then live contrary to what He says. That is not love but rebellion. Thats not a person that deserves blessing but rebuke.

Just cause you may go to church doesn’t make you okay.

The wise man is one who hears these sayings of mine and does them.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

This man is one who builds his life upon the Rock.

What is so important about Jesus’ instruction?

The bible teaches us in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Breathed all things into motion

He spoke and it came into being.

Light traveling at 186,000 miles a sec. 5.44 trillion miles a year. unfathomable

He formed man from the dust of the earth and fashioned him together.

God gave one command to not eat of one tree.

Man rebelled and ate of that tree and because of their choice sin was born.

Death, disease, destruction came upon man.

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

God knowing the hearts of man He planned before time began that He Himself was going to come to redeem that which was running from Him.

Through Him, all things were created by him and for him.

This is the Jesus we listen to. The God who formed us and created us and now redeems us when we repent and trust in HIm.

Build your life upon the rock is surrendering unto His Lordship, He is master. What He says goes. I obey His commands now for it brings me life.

Can i get real for second. How many of you grew up in a home without your Biological Father? Were you happy about that?

How did that make you Feel?

Now let me ask you How many of you are doing that very thing to your kids?

I am a Pastor of a church here in Mount Vernon doing an inner-city ministry. I deal with kids alot. I ask them what do you want to be when you grow up? Many respond in occupations that they heard their fathers were in. I want to be a barber…Just like my dad. Our kids look up to us.

Pretty soon I will be old enough to go and visit my dad at Jail.

Men are you ready to step up to the plate and be what God has called us to be. Are you ready to change and do it Gods way.

What if just maybe we have been deceived by the men dressed in sheep clothing.

There is freedom this morning and it is not found in the bottom of a bottle, its not found in a drug or even in a large bank account. It is found in the hand of God who has created you, formed you and is reaching out saying Repent of your sins and Trust Me. Believe in me and i will give you life. I will teach you how to be a Father. I will teach you how to be a faithful husband. I will teach what it means to be free with a Hope for the future.

True freedom is not being able to freely roam the streets, but being able to live as God has called us to.