Firm Foundation

I’m Brian...

First of all, I need to apologize to y’all!

What is a foundation?

The foundation has to be able to hold whatever goes on top of it. It has to be

shape...

able to bear the load...

the right consistency...

What if I built a house on ice?

What if I built a house over a cavern in the ground?

Matthew 7:

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.”

Let’s understand what Jesus is describing.

The geography where they were had a lot of sand. That sand would harden in the dry summer months, then in the rainy winter months the Jordan river would flood and all that sand would soften up. Carpenters who didn’t know better would just start building houses on that seemingly solid foundation in the summer, not knowing that in the winter that foundation would become brittle and not be able to hold the pressure put on them.

We’ll go backwards through this...

A foolish person builds their house on the sand...

Things like...

popularity

friends

academics

athletics

performing

These things can’t bear the weight of all the will happen in life...

When I was 18 and graduated high school and went to college, I found out that my foundation was not what I thought it was. I really thought it was Jesus, but I moved away from everything I ever knew and things started to come apart. What I realized was my foundation was on a couple things and then I put Jesus on top of those things. Are friends bad? Is church and youth group bad? But as foundation, they don’t hold up...

I was foolish and put my foundation on the sand.

A wise person builds their house on the rock.

It takes more work, but it’s worth it in the end.

The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom. It says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It talks about how true wisdom comes from the Word of God and putting it into action, just like Jesus says here.

A good foundation is unchanging. If a foundation changes, that affects everything on top of it.

God’s Word is unchanging. Everything else changes...

When the trials of this life come at you, God’s Word can handle it.

give some examples of the trials of life

The Gospel is a firm and unchanging foundation and it can support the weight of whatever goes on top of it.

It’s a good foundation for all those other good things in your life that go on top of it

some good things that go on top

It tells us how to live those things out based on the Gospel.

There’s another analogy I love called the dresser analogy...

One of the most well known Bible verses is

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

This doesn’t mean...

What it does mean is this...

If time allows, do Build My Life

Jesus, the name above every other name Jesus, the only One who could ever save You're worthy of every breath we could ever breathe We live for You Oh we live for You

Holy, there is no one like You, there is none beside You Open up my eyes in wonder and Show me who You are and fill me with Your heart And lead me in Your love to those around me

And I will build my life upon Your love, it is a firm foundation And I will put my trust in You alone and I will not be shaken And I will build my life upon Your love, it is a firm foundation And I will put my trust in You alone and I will not be shaken

If you’ve been building your life on any foundation besides the Gospel of Christ, besides the truth that you were made by Him and for Him, to live according to his design and word, then I bet you’ve figured out by now that it’s a shaky foundation. Place your foundation on him. On the forgiveness and righteousness that you can only receive from Him.

If you’re already a Christian, look at your life. Is his Word truly your foundation? If not, what is and how do you make it Jesus?