Built on the Rock

SCRIPTURE TEXT

Matthew 7:24–27 (NKJV)

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

INTRODUCTION

When you hear, “The Leaning Tower of Pisa,” this image probably comes to mind. The Tower of Pisa is a 7-story bell tower that was built in the city of Pisa, Italy between the 12th and 14th centuries. Not long after construction began, the structure began to develop its iconic lean. However, as construction continued, the lean became worse. The lean has been measured as high as 5.5 degrees from vertical. Repair work was performed between 1993 and 2001 which reduced the lean to around 4 degrees. Without this repair work, the tower would eventually fall.

The architect and builders of the Tower of Pisa did not design it to lean. They obviously wanted it to be vertical. So what happened? What caused this structure to lean so severely? Well the first clue comes from the name of the city where it was built. Pisa means “marshy land.” They built the foundation on soft, marshy ground and they didn’t build it strong enough or deep enough to handle the weight of the structure. The Tower of Pisa leans, because it was not built on a solid foundation.

We can build the most architecturally stunning building, but if the foundation is not right, the building will not be right. In our Scripture text today, Jesus gives a parable of two house builders. One is called wise because he built on a solid foundation. He built on the rock. The other is called foolish because he built on sinking sands. The moral of this parable is that we need to make sure that the foundation of our lives is built on the solid foundation of the Word of God. We need to be Built on the Rock. Let’s take a look together at this parable and The Comparisons, The Contrasts, and The Consequences of these two builders.

EXPOSITION

The Comparisons

Same Plans

Both wanted to build a house.

Both had plans to build similar houses.

Same Knowledge

Both had access to the same building materials.

Both had access to the same blueprints.

Both had the option to either build the foundation on the rock or on the sand.

Same Difficulties

Both encountered the same storm.

The rains descended,

The floods came,

The winds blew, and

Beat on both houses.

Both houses were equally tested by the storm.

The Contrasts

Different Decisions

One was wise.

The other was foolish.

Different Foundations

One built his house on the rock.

The other built his house on the sand.

Different Results

One foundation was solid.

The other foundation was on sinking sand.

The Consequences

Both Faced a Storm

One House Stood

One House Fell

APPLICATION

Spiritual Application

The house is your life.

Personal Life

Family Life

Business Life

Church Life

The Rock is God’s Word.

The Promises of God’s Word

The Principles of God’s Word

The sand is anything other than God’s Word.

Human wisdom

Selfish ambition

Good works

Money

Fame

The builder is you.

We are either wise or foolish builders.

We are either:

Building our lives on the Rock of Jesus, or

We are building our lives on the shifting sands of the things of this world.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NKJV)

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

So how do we build our lives Rock of Jesus Christ?

Step one is to be a hearer of God’s Word

We need to read and listen to God’s Word on a regular basis.

We need to know what He is saying to us in the Bible.

We need to be in church services and Bible studies regularly so we can hear God’s Word.

We need to read the Bible for ourselves every day so we know what He is telling us to do.

You can’t obey what you don’t know.

Revelation, Inspiration, and Illumination.

Step two is to be a doer of God’s Word

Jesus said whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is like a wise man that builds his house on the rock.

Jesus also said whoever hears these sayings of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man that built his house on the sand.

It is not enough just to be a hearer of the Word of God, we must also be a doer of the Word of God.

James 1:22–25 (NKJV)

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Psalm 1.

If you are reading and listening to the Word of God, that is a good first step, but if you are not a doer of the Word of God, then the Word of God is not doing you any good.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

If you are merely reading the Word of God to check it off the list like it is just another chore you do each day, you are not really letting God speak to you through His Word.

Parable of the two sons.

Being a doer of God’s Word means making changes when it reveals flaws in our lives.

If a building has a bad foundation, it will eventually show up in things like:

Cracks in the wall.

Un-level floors.

Doors that stick and won’t open and shut easily like they once did.

In a building, you can try to treat the symptoms:

You can patch the cracks in the wall.

You can try to level out the floors.

You can shave one side of the door or try to modify the door frame.

But as long as you are just treating the symptoms, you’ll never solve the problem.

The cracks in the wall will return.

The floors will soon be out of level again.

The door will get out of square again.

You’ve got to fix the problem, not the symptoms.

You fix the problem with the building by fixing the foundation, not patching the walls.

The same is true with our lives.

You don’t fix the problem by ignoring it.

You don’t fix the problem by putting a band-aid on it and covering it up.

You don’t fix the problem by hearing and knowing God’s Word, but not doing anything about it.

You fix the problem by addressing it.

You fix the problem by making the necessary repairs to the foundation.

You fix the problem by reading, studying, and applying the Word of God to your life.

You fix the problem by being a Hearer and a Doer of God’s Word.

You fix the problem by being Built on the Rock!

The Results of Building on the Rock

You will be built on a firm foundation.

If you are building on the sand of your own foundation:

You’re going to develop some cracks in your house and it may feel like things are out of level, like your equilibrium is off.

Your relationships may suffer.

Your marriage may not be as strong as you want it to be.

Your job or business dealings may experience a setback.

Whatever you’re building, build on the Rock!

You will be able to weather any storm.

In the parable, the rains descended, the floods came, and the wind beat upon both houses.

One house stood firm and the other house fell.

The difference is that one house was built on the rock, and the other house was built on the sand.

As a Christian, you are going to face the storms of life.

No one is immune.

The question is are you building your life on Rock of Christ, or are you building on your own foundation?

That question will be answered by the effect of the storms of life on your foundation.

You will need to be willing to make repairs.

Listen to what God is telling you (Be a Hearer of God’s Word).

Do what God is telling you (Be a Doer of God’s Word).

If you will apply God’s Word to every area of your life:

It won’t make the storms of life any less severe, but

You will be able to weather the storm.

The rain may fall,

The floods may rise,

The wind may beat against your house, but

You’ll still be standing,

Because you are Built on the Rock!

CONCLUSION

Are you a hearer of God’s Word?

Are you a doer of God’s Word?

Are there some foundation issues in certain areas of your life?