Which House will you Build

That's an old one that we haven't done in quite a while if I remember correctly I could be wrong, but I love that one Well, I tell you I miss being here last Sunday, but yet I did not We enjoyed some good vacation time away much needed vacation time I think I was sharing with Amy earlier that I was with about 16 18 family members and nobody killed anybody We enjoyed some family time with my mom and my dad and a lot of family.

We were at the beach and just really and truly doing nothing I mean I got up when I got up and Went to bed when I went to bed and to be honest with you I didn't shave until this morning, and it felt good so my wife said are you gonna keep your beard? I said no I figured I better clean up a little bit But we missed you and I look forward to hearing what brother Keith shared as always And I know that you were in good hands I really do when I leave I do not worry one bit Because I know the Lord has brought me in the life of this church to lead the church while I am gone And so I thank you for your prayers, and I missed you, but it's good to be back So let's turn our scriptures back open to Matthew chapter 7 turn to Matthew chapter 7 and like I said earlier We'll be in verse 24 to 29 although verse 28 and 29 are really Disconnected and away from the lesson from verses 24 to 27 Part of me really wanted to take another message and finish out verse 28 and 29 and just wrap up the the message wrap up the series But I felt like it would be good for us to cover it all and move on and And I don't want to say it like we'll forget But I want us to put the sermon on the mount behind us although I want although I want us to continue To study it now here.

We are we're finally at the conclusion of this series of the sermon on the mount now This is really the conclusion of the conclusion. I know that sounds funny, but this morning We're gonna finish up Jesus conclusion to the sermon on the mount and we're gonna finish up the series I was a little curious yesterday, and I went back and looked at some of my notes. We started back in August of 2019 obviously we take breaks along the way, but that's been quite a while So we've been studying the extraordinary Christian life for quite a while, and it's been a lot of fun for me It's done me a lot of good, and I'll be honest with you.

I'm gonna try to go back and study I've said that a couple of times. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse I want to go back and study I want to go back and read just for my own personal growth and sanctification Now it's been a few weeks since we've been in these verses So we might need a little refresher about what is happening here Remember that all throughout the sermon on the mount Jesus was revealing and exalting Revealing and exalting the true Christian life that's in our language.

He is revealing and exalting true kingdom living But he is also exposing and rejecting the false external religion of the Jews that was so prevalent in that day And then Jesus begins to conclude this sermon in verse 13 by calling those listening to a point of decision I have used this term this phrase several times, and I want it to stick in our minds He is calling them to an earthly yet eternal fork in the road of life Let that sink in he is calling them to an earthly yet eternal fork in the road of life And the Lord's doing that for us.

He is he's doing that for us, and he has been doing that all throughout the series We need to see a fresh in a new how Jesus does this right away He draws a clear line in the sand in verse 13 you don't have to turn there But if you look back at verse 13, what is the first word? Enter now that word can be overlooked that word can be missed But that is a key word in the conclusion of the sermon on the mount the construction of this word in the original Demands a specific and definite action It's an imperative Let me put it in a modern-day Example for you.

I don't know who has garbage duty in your house I have garbage duty in my house, but if you have a son or a daughter you might say to your son Put out the trash the trash man the trash truck is coming what happens if you miss the trash piles up But what do you say to your son or your daughter? Sometimes you say don't forget to put out the trash But sometimes you look at them and you say I want you to put out the trash now And you don't take your eyes off of them because you're expecting them to get up and take it out now see it's an imperative So Jesus was not calling those who were listening to admire the sermon He was not calling them to contemplate the sermon.

He was not calling them to debate the sermon He was calling them to make a decision a definite decision right there. That's why I use this phrase. We know what this means He's drawing a line in the sand And he continues to call them To this earthly yet eternal fork in the road and all four of these illustrations in the conclusion We have the two paths the two ways of life in verse 13 to 14 Then we have the two trees Remember you have the false prophets those who are the bad trees and you have the the good tree the bad tree You got to watch out for the bad tree because they'll lead you down what the broad path And then you have the two claims there many that will stand before Jesus on that day and they'll say Lord Lord We've done all this religious stuff for you, but he says I never knew you see the key was was obedience But the only way they could be obedient was if they knew him And then this morning we have the two houses.

We read about them earlier really there's so much going on in these verses Again, all of this teaching is about this earthly yet eternal fork in the road Jesus was calling all of those that were listening to this Eternal fork in the road of life now, let's turn our attention back to the verses here in the verses that we read earlier We have a lot of pairs a lot of twos Jesus is making all kinds of comparisons We have two individuals We have two responses to Jesus teaching the sermon on the Mount They became the two builders.

That's the illustration the parable the story and Then we have the two houses the two foundations and we have the two outcomes and we also have the two descriptions of the two individuals See all the pairs and comparisons But the heart of the teaching is centered around the last of the four illustrations a parable Jesus gives this very simple Illustration of a building a house someone building a house and the foundation.

This is a very very simple picture It's not scholarly at all And this illustration is not too difficult to understand And this was a picture that all of those that were listening could have grasped they could have gotten this easy very easily One writer said it like this Jesus what Jesus wasn't just an expert in spiritual matters But he was an expert in practical matters as well.

I like that that resonated with me And that's what we have a very practical illustration now before I get into what Jesus is teaching I want to take a look at the illustration the picture I want to briefly explain it and I want us to understand it so that when we move into the teaching We won't have to grasp and and try to grasp what the illustration Means see in their day if someone was going to build a house they had to build it in the right place with the right Foundation the land of Palestine or the land of Israel the land in their day had plenty of low-lying areas That were sandy and pleasant in the hot summer But in the winter when the rains came these low-lying sandy areas were prone to flooding rushing water So someone who may be too lazy to ask or someone who wasn't paying attention to where they built or someone who wasn't Knowledgeable in these things they may build their house in a low sandy area They could even mistakenly build their house in a dry riverbed And then when the winter winds and rains and storms came their house would be destroyed But the one who made the proper plans and they built properly they would not build in the dry riverbed No, and they wouldn't just build on a on a sandy foundation And if they did build on sandy soil They made sure that they dug down to a solid foundation and the one who built properly They would build on the firm foundation So when the storms came and the rains came the wind blew and even the floods their house would stand I Couldn't help but think about my days when I did construction work Many of you know that I have done carpenter work in the past, but I'll never forget years ago I took a job with a contractor a local contractor and When I first started we were doing foundation work anyone ever tied steel in a hole Some of you kind of chuckled you know what that means and you know the house that we were building You know, it was about a two million dollar house, but but the joke on the job site was this Everybody would say I don't know why this rich man wanted to build a house in the hole And it wasn't a hole and I'm telling you many of the footings were neat deep many of the footings were even waist deep I remember on the backside of a house where there was a large porch and even the foundation for the chimney It was over six and eight feet deep Because I was a little guy on the crew.

I ended up in the hole And see my boss's philosophy was this You got a dig past the top soil and you got to get down to the clay So you had to get down to that soil that's not gonna shift. That's not going to move I'll never forget when we were working on that house right up the road. Another contractor was building a house and one of the guys Did the did the ditch digging he went up there to help him a little and he came back and he said, you know Their footings are six eight inches deep And see we know what that meant.

It's quick work fast work But you know what 20 or 30 years from now that house will move but yet the house with the deep footings with the deep Foundation it's not going to move and I think that helps you see really what's going on here because it applies this modern-day Example in my experience applies to what was happening in that day. So we have these contrasting stories and Illustrations there's one who built this house on the rock.

This was a firm foundation That house survived the storms even the flood But then we have the one who built his house on the sand on a poor foundation That house was destroyed by the wind and the rains and the floods and there seems to be only one difference in the houses It doesn't seem they were built in different places one difference the foundation and out of this illustration Jesus was calling those listening to make a decision and he's giving them this warning This was his ultimate purpose and all of the he is doing in these lessons and in the entire conclusion Have it we've seen that Well here Jesus is calling those listening to decide To decide which house will you build?

He is asking them what they will do with all that He has taught them all throughout the Sermon on the Mount and this is the theme This is the title of the message which house will you build because that's what he is doing here with the original audience Now with that illustration in mind and with that question in our hand. Let's examine the two individuals That's what I want us to do. I Want us to start with the wise man and then I want us to look at the foolish man So number one Let's start with the wise man.

Let's look back at verse 24 and 25 these verses break down very very easy verse 24 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 or built on the rock Now I want us to see a few details about the wise man and then I want us to kind of step back I want us to to look at what Jesus is doing here.

I want us to see the main point or points So let me explain how we're gonna break down the verses We're gonna look at three details that come from the beginning of the verses And then we're gonna look at three main points that come from the illustration the teaching the comparison So first I want us to see he was one of the crowd First we need to see that the wise man was one of the crowd Notice that Jesus starts off using this word everyone But who is this everyone? First of all, this is the crowd listening that day. Remember the original audience. Remember the scene We have this very very large crowd. It was mostly Jews.

They're the religious leaders that were there They were scoffing and eventually scheming against Jesus the disciples His disciples were there other early believers were there and also those who would come to be believers And also this everyone refers to any and all who have heard and who will hear this teaching in that day You see so this wise man was one of the crowd He was one of the crowd and this wise man should be us today Then second he was one who heard the wise man heard Notice that Jesus says everyone who hears these words of mine, but what words?

What words was Jesus referring to the sermon? chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 Jesus was referring back to all that he had been teaching all throughout the entire sermon now I'm not going to go back and review. I really wanted to So this wise man was one that was in the crowd He was hearing the words of Jesus this sermon and this wise man was hearing the sermon hearing the words Just like we have heard these words and we have heard this sermon in our day and then third He was the one who obeyed the text clearly says it Jesus says everyone who hears these words of mine and does them the new American standard says acts upon them Occasionally I will mention the amplified which is a paraphrase It puts this in brackets obeying them it all communicates the same thing.

So notice Notice how the picture of the wise man develops real quickly here. The wise man was one in the crowd He hears the sermon the words of Jesus, but he differentiates himself from the rest by what? Obedience he hears the words of Jesus. He does them he acts upon them He is obedient and this should be us today as well. We should be Obedient to all that we have studied you see Now before we move on to the the main points of the verses before we get into the comparison We need to truly understand what makes one wise Let's think about that for a minute in their day.

There were two thoughts about what made a man wise There was the Greek understanding in the Hebrew or the Jewish understanding of what made a man wise I'll be real quick here but notice for the Greeks and those influenced by Greek thought wisdom meant knowledge Acquiring knowledge even new knowledge simply if one had knowledge they were seen as wise Now I'm not gonna get you to turn to any scripture But notice when Paul would interact with the Greek philosophers, they were all about acquiring knowledge in new knowledge That's why sometimes they would be inquisitive when Paul would bring to them new information But for the Jews or those influenced by a Hebrew understanding of wisdom wisdom meant applying that knowledge practically living out that knowledge obedience Acting on what the the word said and what God expected and see if we go back into proverbs We see that all throughout the Proverbs So the Greeks saw wisdom is storing up knowledge even more knowledge even new knowledge But the Jews they saw wisdom is acting on what one knew Applying that knowledge obedience to what to God's Word Well a question what is Jesus saying made this man wise the one in the verses Was it because he stored up knowledge or was it because he applied the knowledge?

It was obedience go back to the verse everyone then who hears these words of mine and Does them does them puts them into practice? So my question is this is this a Greek view of wisdom here or is this the Jewish view of wisdom? Now an application I asked this of you. Do you have a Wisdom like the Greeks do you just simply store up knowledge store up knowledge store up knowledge? Or do you have the the Jewish concept of wisdom and that is about applying knowledge applying knowledge?

I Think about two men that I've known throughout my years Years ago when I served in a church There was a man who was in leadership in the life of the church and I'll tell you what there wasn't a page in his Bible That was it marked up there wasn't a Bible story or a Bible verse or any even doctrine You could mention any of it and he knew it. He knew it. I mean Old Testament New Testament. He knew it There was something in his life that was very obvious if you paid attention he really didn't live it He had all sorts of contradictions in his family life and with his children.

He just didn't live it now He was religious and he knew the Bible, but it was more like the Greeks see it was about head knowledge head knowledge You're not practically working it out But I'll never forget years ago. I had the privilege of baptizing someone that came to faith in Christ And you know, I remember he told me one day he said Chris, you know, I don't even have a high school education by our standards uneducated and ignorant But boy, he took what he knew of God's Word and he applied it and he lived it Although he would have been overlooked by many in the religious establishment now Now we need to see how Jesus shifts here.

He shifts into teaching. I want us to get into the illustration This can be called a parable and this is what I call kind of the main points of the verses All right, this all just set us up for where we're going First I want us to see that we see a comparison. We have a comparison in verse 24 and 25 Jesus compares the man who obeys the teaching to the man who builds the house wisely He builds on a sure foundation and he is saying that both the builder and the one who plies the word both are wise Think about the comparison. It's easy to see Now a very important question here about the home builder Why did his house stand against the storms?

Notice the wise man's house was in the rain it was in the storm and it was even in the flood But it did not fall because it was founded the New American says built it was built on the rock Well, we have to ask ourselves this question if this home builders key to success Was the fact that his house was on the rock then what was the key to success for the wise man?

Not the home builder He was wise because his life was built on the Word of God remember Jesus said that he obeyed what he taught His life was built on not just what Jesus taught but on the person of Christ you see we've got to get that He was wise because he built his life on the person of Christ in the words of Christ The sermon was it meant to just be knowledge in the mind It was to point men and women to Christ the true Christian life So it was both he was wise because his life was built on the person of Christ in the words of Christ This word rock here. It speaks of a large expansive rock. It speaks of bedrock Think about Matthew 16 18.

What does Jesus say the church will be built on Himself on the rock Christ Jesus and listen to churches people the church is his people you see But I've got to ask you a question an application here How is your foundation is your life built on the person of Christ and on the Word of Christ? Is your life built on the Word of Christ because your life is built on the person of Christ? See folks.

This is all about a personal relationship a personal relationship with Christ and his word Not only do we see a comparison we see a test The second thing we see here is a test in the comparison in the illustration in the illustration We see that the storm tested the builders house the rain the winds the floods came It was a great storm that tested the builders home. And of course the text says it withstood the test Very important question here about this wise man not the builder What are the storms which test the one whose life is built on Christ and his word?

Let me state that question again What are the storms that test the one whose life is built on Christ and his word? There's a lot of debate here. As a matter of fact some can go a little too far First of all, I think that we can say these storms can be persecution From the word now that's gonna shock some of you. Did you know that the Word of God can persecute people?

Matthew 13 21 says that persecution comes into the lives of false converts You see the Word of God forces men and women into a corner and it either blesses you or it persecutes you Also one could say these storms can be the trials of life Difficulties in life and you know difficulties try trials can be positive and negative James chapter 1 verse 12 talks about trials and the word that James uses here means Negative and positive positive and negative, but Jesus is truly speaking Ultimately speaking about God's final judgment This storm is the final and ultimate test when one stands before God and God puts the fire to their life And notice the fact that two different tests have come into our lives already Think about it.

We've been tested by the word Every time you come in contact with the Word of God, it's a test. Are you going to obey or disobey? And see sometimes the word comes and it persecutes you and so two different tests have come into your life The word and also trials positive and negative and you need to see that trials can be positive trials can be opportunities not necessarily something negative and Notice that trials positive and negative Test you listen the word tests you and trials test you and life tests you And we must see that these two tests come to prove us And we must see that there's a final test that comes and that's going to prove us So we see the comparison we see the test and then third we see the results Now the result is simple The storm came to the wise man's house, but it didn't fall His house was built on the person of Christ.

I'm not talking about the builder His life was built on the person of Christ and the word of Christ Well when persecution came from the word, what was the result? He stood he obeyed He adjusted his life to the word why because his life was built on the word and on the person of Christ And then when different trials came in the life both positive and negative. What was the result? He stood why? Because he walked with God and obeyed the word through those trials And then when the ultimate storm came That is death and standing before God. What was the result?

It stood his life stood his life stood the test of God and the fire of God and the judgment of God Why because this life was built on Christ and the word? And my question for you is this when the word of God is brought to your life. How do you stand? How do you stand so many times people come in contact with the word? And when the word is taught and explained they just go the other way. They don't embrace it They don't like it it persecutes them and they run the other way and when trials come into your life Positive and negative do they lead you to Christ? Do they lead you to more obedience or do they lead you to sin?

Do they lead you to self? You see the results? And the question is this when God puts the final test to your life will you stand I? Don't know your heart, and I don't know who you are But I'll say this don't wait and find out Don't stand before God on a hope so or maybe So we see the wise man. He was one of the crowd He heard these words that Jesus spoke and he obeyed them He was wise because he put this teaching into practice and when the storms of life came great storms He stood when pressure and even persecution from the word of God came he stood he didn't fold When trials came he stood when opportunities came he stood and when the final storm of God's judgment Came into his life he stood because he was in Christ Therefore he obeyed the words of Christ his life was built on the person of Christ and the words of Christ you see So this is the wise man Now let's move on.

I want us to see number two. It's pretty simple the foolish man number two We see the foolish man in verse 26 to 27 let's read these verses It's obvious the transition here like I said earlier these verses break down really really easily 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 on the floods came and the winds blew and Beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it Now here I want to do the same thing I want to make some specific observations about the foolish man Just like we did before with the wise man, and then we're going to look at the comparisons We're going to look at the three the comparisons with the illustration So first and second I'm combining these two he was one of the crowd And he heard the words that were spoken here You see he was one of the crowd and he was one who heard notice that verse 26 reads exactly like verse 24 Everyone who hears these words of mine So Jesus is saying that this man was a part of that original audience and he heard the words of Jesus He heard the same sermon that the wise man heard So the foolish man was just like the wise He was a part of the crowd and he heard the words of Jesus the greatest sermon that ever preached That was ever preached by the greatest preacher and this could be one of us today Someone who hears these words, but yet they are foolish and then third he was the one who did not obey Notice how things change when you compare verse 26 to 24 and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them The New American says act on them Just like with the wise man the picture of the foolish man develops quickly The foolish man is the one in the crowd.

He hears the words the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher there ever was He hears the words of Jesus and he doesn't act on them He ignores them or he rejects them and to ignore them is to reject them. He goes on his way He disobeys the teaching And I'm sad to say that happens to me today even people who attend our church Now I want to pause here Before we move on into the main points of the verses before we get into the comparison between the builder with the illustration We need to see and understand what makes one foolish We needed to find the fool See in the scriptures the basic definition of a fool is one who ignores God Ignores God's ways and ignores God's truth.

They go on in life in their own way, which is always a way of sin and self-governance Remember our study through the book of Proverbs. We didn't go verse by verse We got real acquainted with the fool. Did we not we got very acquainted with the fool and the wise man and in Proverbs We see two paths in life. There are only two the path of the wise and the path of the fool the wise man takes the path of Obedience to God in God's Word, but the fool takes the path of disobedience to God and his word So the fool rejects God the fool rejects God's ways the fool rejects God's Word the fool chooses to live for sin and for the world he governs his own life Well a question why was this man a fool was it because he did not make a profession of faith No It was because he did not obey the sermon Christ's words and if he had obeyed the sermon he would have made a legitimate profession of faith and then obeyed the word Now think with me here What was Jesus calling this man to do in the sermon not the builder?

First he was calling this man to trust him Listen the sermon the sermon on the mount was calling people to true kingdom living He was calling him to come to Christ in true spirit poverty poverty and spirit That's being born of God you see and second. He was calling him to obey the standard of kingdom living This man didn't either he didn't trust in Christ and he refused to obey the word he did neither He refused to obey the word therefore he proved that he did not trust Christ in genuine salvation No matter what his outward verbal profession was Now an application my question for you is this do you profess Christ?

Yet you do not obey his teaching You can't divorce one from the other folks You can't If you do if you profess Christ and you do not obey his teaching you nullify your profession Isn't that what we saw earlier in the third lesson? Meaning we'll stand before him on that day and say Lord Lord We did all this for you and he says I didn't know you and listen according to the words of Jesus here The one who hears the word of God yet does not obey it is a fool. I Think about how many fools we have in our church culture today How many people hear sermons how many people how many men how many women how many young people we hear sermons?

Explaining the word of God and yet they do not adjust their lives to it and they walk out in disobedience Jesus calls them fools. I Hope that that's not you today even here Now just like we did with the wise men We're gonna see that Jesus makes a shift. He gets into the teaching the illustration the parable and the me This is the main point of the teaching see an illustration a parable is put alongside spiritual truth to explain it So first we see the comparison. It's just like with the wise man here Jesus compares this man That does not obey the teaching to a man who builds his house Foolishly he builds a house on the sand.

He does not have a sure foundation and Jesus is saying that both are foolish Now an important question here about the home builder. Why didn't his house stand? Notice the foolish man's house was in the same place as the wise The rains came against his home and even the storm in the flood it beat against his house But the foolish builders house was blown away washed away because it was built on the sand. It did not have a firm foundation But we've got to ask here if this home builders failure was one thing a poor foundation Then what was the failure of the foolish man in the crowd?

This man was a fool because this life was built on sin This man was a fool because his life was built on worldly living his life was built on self governance He went through the ballgate folks He went through the broad gate and he was living life on the Broadway, which is a rejection of God Christ lordship And he is word he chose to ignore Christ or even reject Christ teaching here and he chose to live for sin and self And here we've got to ask I've got to ask is your life built on sin is your life built on self Is your life built on what the world says is living? Have you rejected God's Word day after day month after month year after year?

Proving that any profession you have is false. You see Proving that any profession is false if that's the case the scriptures say you're a fool And listen folks you may be a fool and you may have a great life You could be a fool and have everything together You can be a fool and look the part you can be even very very religious.

You see So we see the comparison third we see the test here in the illustration We see that the storm tested the builders house The storm came the winds the floods up against the house and of course it fell and the verse says this was a great fall Now question here about the foolish man not the builder What are the storms of life which tests the one who built his life? Sin self an ungodly living we know the answer.

It's the same as with the wise man Yes, I believe these storms can come from persecution of the word some of you are surprised by that See the Word of God is brought against the fool's life He comes in contact with the word and it persecutes him it prosecutes him and it reveals him and it causes turmoil And ultimately he rejects that I Also believe these storms can be from trials difficulties and also positive opportunities remember what James says in James 1 12 And what happens is trials come negative circumstances and even positive opportunities And that forces the man to do what to prove who he is and he goes the way of sin He goes the way of the world it forces him it tests him improves him But then sad the biggest storm of all is judgment The final and most awesome storm is the great white throne judgment for all those who are lost and without Christ the fools And listen, let's be honest We must see that these tests come and we must see what they reveal and what sad is this?

Ultimately, it's too late for the fool when he stands before God and he faces the ultimate test And then next I want us to see the results The result is simple just like with the wise man the storm came into foolish man's life Fell the house fell it was a great fall his house was built foolishly not on Christ not on the word But on sin and self and when persecution came from life from the word of God in life what happened? He failed and when trials came positive negative He fell and when the final storm comes the great white front throne judgment. He falls look at the results now What about this final result?

How many fools are in hell right now How many fools are in hell right now? Because they stood before God and the test was put to their life the final test the ultimate test And it all came crashing down So we see the foolish man He was one of the crowd as well He heard these words that Jesus taught and he ignored them or disobeyed them and to ignore them is to disobey them He was a fool because he did not put these words into practice in life When the storm of life came he crashed with a great crash when persecution from the word came He folded and when negative trials and positive trials came he folded He couldn't stand and when the final storm God's judgment came his life crashed with the ultimate crash Why because his life was built on the sand his life wasn't built on the person of Christ Genuine conversion to Christ nor the words of Christ.

This man was a fool Now I think you'll agree with me in this statement even a casual reading of these verses We see that the teaching is really simple This is it very technical. This isn't very difficult to understand But the implications are sobering the application is very serious and this should be very sobering We have the wise and the fool Both experience the same things both hear the words of Christ both go through life both stand before God in judgment One life stands to test and the other life does it And listen folks hell is filled with folks who have heard the words of Christ and not put them into practice Because they never knew Christ savingly Now I want to take a step back here and I notice what Jesus I want us to notice what Jesus is doing For those that are listening.

Let's get that original crowd back in our minds folks This great crowd there as Jesus was teaching there on the mountain side I believe the disciples are there on that front row if I can use that language And oh, I believe those religious leaders are there in the back. They're scoffing. They're scheming They have a scowl on their faces. Jesus is teaching And he's giving them a warning Starting in verse 13.

He says enter through the narrow gate and the narrow gate is Christ He then warns them to watch out for the false prophets He says that they will lead you to the broad gate and onto the broad way of life And then he asks them which claim will you make which claim will you make? He says many will stand before me on that day and they'll have an empty profession for two reasons First they did not obey the word proving that they did not have a true profession in Christ And here in this final simple illustration Jesus is warning those listening.

He is warning them to make sure make sure make sure They build their lives on the rock And you know when I got to this place in developing my message I thought about it like this This is really simple Our lives are built on the rock when we're converted to Christ And our lives are built on the rock when we obey his word It's really simple Our lives are are built on the rock when we're converted to Christ and when we're living a life obeying God's word Oh, it's simple, but it's oh so hard. Why because a sinful man wants to hold on to life The sinful man wants to go through the broad gate. See we don't want to die.

We don't want to die I heard it years ago. We want Christ to do all the dying and we want to do the living That's why it's so hard And a life of obedience to the word of God is what proves that we've been truly converted to Christ and it proves that we're not a fool Now as I begin to close this part of the message I just want to share with you something that's gripped me all throughout the week The difference in greek wisdom and jewish wisdom see the greeks they had a Theory about wisdom it's theoretical It existed only in theory. It was all head knowledge.

It didn't change their lives They just wanted to acquire knowledge acquire knowledge acquire knowledge But the jews were completely different. It was all about being practical It was practical. It was about living it out and being obedient And see sadly in our church culture. We have so many on our church rolls even so many in our pews That have mountains of bible knowledge So many have volumes of doctrine and volumes of the word of god in their minds But it seems that we have only a few who practically live it out They live it out at the office. They live it out in home.

They live it out in private They live it out at the fish camp and the deer camp. It's so few that practically live it out When times are tough when times are easy when they're young when they're old you see That's why we have so many young people graduate from high school and graduate from god and they become fools Our teenagers who graduate from high school and go off into the way of the world. They're just fools Because they're not obeying what we've taught them Now here's my question, it's real simple. Are you a fool? Or are you a wise man?

And you need to answer that question based off what we've looked at based off the scriptures And the sermon and especially This last lesson So my question is this Which house are you building? Which house are you building you're only building one of the other folks there's no in between Now how do we finish the sermon the sermon on the mount? The greatest sermon that's ever been taught I have called it the extraordinary christian life And it's not that we have an ordinary christian life.

This is the christian life Now I want us to finish it out by looking at verse 28 and 29 This won't be very long The verses say when jesus finished He didn't just finish folks He finished he gave everything the lord wanted him to give When he finished saying these things the crowds were astonished their minds were blown at his teaching And he was teaching as one with authority. See he didn't teach like the scribes in the fair seas I know i'm paraphrasing.

They were blown at what he taught and his authority here folks And listen We need to make sure that we are not like the crowds only amazed You see The vast crowds were amazed but they weren't changed and we need to make sure as we finish up the sermon Oh, we might be amazed by the teaching, but it's got to go beyond being amazed We've got to obey it Doesn't matter if we're amazed on sunday if we're not living it on tuesday and wednesday It doesn't matter if we're amazed when things are going good. We we got to live it when times are tough, you see So it all comes back to the question. Which house will you build? Which house will you build?

Are you building your life on christ? Are you building your life on christ's word and all that we've seen in the sermon? If not, it's on sand folks Now I'll take you back to that phrase and then we'll close this is all about an earthly Yet eternal fork in the road of life. Let that sink in Earthly we're living on earth right now. Yet. These are eternal decisions.

This is a fork in the road of life All of it all of it all of it Let's do as we always do let's pray let's commit what we've studied to the lord commit this series to the lord And you know, I pray that three or four or five years from now 10 years from now We'll all look back and we'll all be able to explain what the lord did for us in these days But in the days and weeks and even years to come because we've continued to go back to this well So let's pray