Faith- 10/03/19

BUILD ON THE ROCK

By Pastor Donald Parker

I want to share with you a parable Jesus spoke. A parable is a comparison of two objects for the purpose of teaching, usually in the form of a story; the way which Jesus frequently taught. Jesus said this in Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

In this parable we see the comparison of two men – two houses – and two foundations. The two men – the two builders mentioned here share one similarity and one difference. They both heard the words of Jesus; they both know the way of salvation; and because they both have heard, they’re now accountable to obey what they heard.

However, we can clearly see from the text that one builder “put into practice” what Jesus taught – the other “did not put into practice” what Jesus taught. The first man was wise; the second man was foolish.

The two men in this passage both built themselves a house after they have heard the way of salvation. The first man – the wise man builds his house, which represents his life, on the words of Jesus. The other man – the foolish man, doesn’t act on Jesus’ words, he simply thinks his house – his life is secure because he has heard the words of Jesus. He believes the life he lives is Christian enough and therefore pleasing to God. Both men – both builders were certain their house would stand; the difference though was one man’s confidence was in the Lord, the other man’s confidence was in himself.

These two builders built their houses (their lives) which looked very similar to one another on the outside. So from one’s observation of the exterior of the house only, they would consider them the same. However, the biggest difference in the way these men built their house is in the foundations they laid – one on the rock – one on the sand.

The same can be said about many people who sit in church week after week hearing the gospel preached. From the outside, they look like and even sound like the model Christian; but without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, their foundation is built on sand, and it will not stand, it will fall and “with a great crash.”

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