It’s all about foundations! – Matthew 7:24-29
It’s all about foundations! – Matthew 7:24-29
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 23, 2019
Sometimes you can listen to what is being spoken to you but not understand a single word, not because of the language barrier but because you do not understand what the speaker is talking about. I had a seminary professor that was that way. You could sit there and hear every word he spoke but not understand a single word he said. It was literally Greek to me! Kind of like the adults in those Charlie Brown cartoons on TV: “Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah…”
Jesus however spoke plainly and often used terms and words his listeners would immediately understand. Jesus’ words are more than pity sayings to put on a refrigerator door or memes on a Facebook post, they are words of life if you hear them and follow them. Hearing what Jesus said was more than just listening to his words, you had to live by them and for him it was how his followers built a basis for their lives. Let’s discover what Jesus meant when he taught it’s all about foundations…
READ: Matthew 7:24-29
There’s an old saying that “Practice makes perfect” and in the spiritual realm is does as well. I’m not talking about using the perfect prayer to reach Nirvana, doing the most righteous thing over and over to be holy, or discovering your spirit guide. Putting the life of Jesus into practice takes time, effort, and will power. For Jesus a good foundation meant…
I. Consistently applying God’s word! (Vv. 24-25)
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.
1. We have a tendency to muck things up and make them more confusing and complicated than they were meant to be. My case in point is exactly what Jesus was teaching here to those who sat on a hillside and were listening to him that day. No New Testament books had been written and most Hebrews discussed what they knew of God’s word from what they had to learn, which usually was what we know as the first five books: Genesis – Deuteronomy, the Torah. Yes they sang the Psalms and knew other things like Proverbs and such but when Jesus said “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice”, he did not mean from Genesis to Revelation as some may think. Certainly there is wisdom in learning and knowing what we now call the entire Word of God, the Bible, but Jesus actually meant the words he had just spoken to the crowd! If they understood who he was, the promised Messiah – God in human flesh, and put into lifelong practice what he had just taught them then they were “like a wise man who built his house on the rock”! Meaning they had a strong foundation for life! This is why Jesus continued by giving them the example: “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.” When one consistently applies the words Jesus had just given them, they will have a strong spiritual foundation. Loving God completely and others as themselves, prayer, judging others, giving, knowing where one’s heart resides, not worrying about every little thing in life, knowing the blessings of God, being the salt and light in a sin-darkened world, handling their anger, lust, relationships, marriage, retribution, and how to treat your enemies were all covered quite well! And the only means to be able to do all of these the way one should was to know Jesus as one’s Savior and Lord! This is the foundational truth the crowd needed to know and understand that day just as it is today right now for our world as well! For Jesus a good foundation began with consistently applying God’s word that they had just heard! It began with knowing him!
EXAMPLE: Jesus was the “word” they needed to apply! He was after all “the word become flesh that dwelt among us”! Few folks realize that following Jesus is not about checking off a list of rules, following a bulleted list posted on one’s bathroom mirror. Jesus isn’t a popular meme; he is the way the truth, and the life! Just as a good mixture of concrete, sand, and gravel can make a good foundation so does a life that is filled with the teachings of Jesus and it all begins with the cornerstone: Jesus! You cannot put into practice the word of Christ without knowing the Word of God Jesus! For Jesus a good foundation began with consistently applying God’s word – it began with knowing him!
For Jesus foolishness followed faithlessness. Someone who depended upon their feelings, their past good deeds, or who did not truly listen to his words were doomed to be swept away. For Jesus a good foundation meant…
II. Not being stupid with what you base your life on! (Vv. 26-27)
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.
1. In the movie Forest Gump there is a classic line that a lot of folks like but many misunderstand: “Stupid is as stupid does!” Some think he means that to err is human or that stupid people continue to do stupid things but that is not what the quote means nor does it follow the storyline. What Forrest is actually stating is the truth that stupidity is stupid if you continue to do stupid things and they will still turn out stupid! It is more in line with the notion of “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result” being the “definition of insanity”, which is attributed to Einstein but actually he never said it. Jesus knew that expecting people who consistently act in one manner to change that behavior was naïve to say the least. This is why Jesus continued by stating: “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.” Building one’s life on a foolish foundation will end up disastrous! In fact Jesus goes on to tell his listeners that “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Jesus spoke a lot about a person’s life and what it meant. Life is more than earthly things it is something to give away to God in order to really find life. There are those who think that really living is being able to do whatever you want whenever you want however you want with whoever you want. While it promises personal freedom it is in reality sinful enslavement. We just talked about Jesus being the Word that people needed to apply and in doing so they find real life: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39 NIV)” Paul understood what Jesus meant when he told the crowd that day to not be foolish with their lives and would later write that he had “been crucified with Christ and [he] no longer [lived], but Christ [lived] in [him].” In fact he would state that “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV)” This is why Jesus would emphatically tell his followers, “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. (Luke 12:23 NIV)” If you say you love Jesus then you will not be stupid with what you base your life on!
EXAMPLE: Bill Cosby used to tell the story about his son who gave himself a reverse Mohawk haircut whereby he had cut a divot from his forehead to the back of his head. After being sent up to his son’s room by his angry wife, Cosby finds him sitting on his bed sad and forlorn and when he asked him why he did it his son’s answer is classic: “I dunno!” It’s funny because most parents have heard this sorrowful excuse uttered by their children at sometime in their lives as in “Why did you hit your brother?” “I dunno!” Sadly this is the same kind of lame excuse many use for their spiritual walk with Jesus as well. It is built on a foundation of sand and ultimately it will lead to destruction. For Jesus a good foundation meant not being stupid with what you based your life on!
After sitting and listening to a local politician pontificate about his past achievements and his promises for the future one man got up in disgust and remarked, “I’ve heard it all before and it sounds like the same old pack of lies and promises.” No one was surprised. Yet here in Matthew’s gospel we discover that a good foundation for Jesus meant…
III. Speaking the words of God with authority! (Vv. 28-29)
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
1. What people may think they know about Jesus is quite different from who Jesus really is. I’ve heard some truly convoluted views concerning not just the life of Jesus, but his actual words, and what he taught and believed. What is frightening is there is a push in America today that wants to silence the words of Jesus and what he taught. There are those who want to edit the parts they disagree with and are desperately trying to silence churches and pastors from teaching them; what Jesus taught about ungodly lifestyles, perversion, sin, marriage and divorce and also what he taught about his deity. Sadly, some churches and pastors have backed away fearing reprisals, death threats, and the angry mob mentality. Yet now is the time to speak loudly in love about Jesus and his gospel message. In fact, it was Jesus’ preaching and teaching that eventually got him into trouble with the authorities and why he was illegally judged and crucified. And here we discover that “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” What was different about how Jesus taught? There was no legalism, no outward piety, and no self-promotion. Jesus did not add to his listener’s daily burden but instead sought to lift the load so-to-speak. Jesus would declare, “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. (John 13:20 NIV) Jesus would teach: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)” The crowds were amazed because Jesus taught as one with authority while their spiritual leaders taught by route, through fear, intimidation, and false piety. Paul would write to the early church, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV)” A good foundation for Jesus meant speaking the words of God with authority!
EXAMPLE: Joel Gregory was one of the mightiest voices to preach the gospel with a powerful James Earl Jones voice that he had impeccably coached and dynamically used to reach folks in Texas in the 80s and 90s. He followed renowned pastor Dr. Criswell at First Baptist, Dallas, Texas but suffered personal defeat due to infidelity and divorce and ended up selling “pre-need funeral plans”. He was called an “inimitably grand oratorical presence” he has since redeemed himself by speaking in African American churches. He became the “most popular white preacher in African-American congregations nationwide” and now “holds the George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism and serves as the Director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University.” He speaks the word of God boldly and dynamically. A good foundation for Jesus meant speaking the words of God with authority!
Conclusion:
Consistently applying God’s word! Not being stupid with what you base your life on! Speaking the words of God with authority!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 23, 2019
Sometimes you can listen to what is being spoken to you but not understand a single word, not because of the language barrier but because you do not understand what the speaker is talking about. I had a seminary professor that was that way. You could sit there and hear every word he spoke but not understand a single word he said. It was literally Greek to me! Kind of like the adults in those Charlie Brown cartoons on TV: “Wah! Wah! Wah! Wah…”
Jesus however spoke plainly and often used terms and words his listeners would immediately understand. Jesus’ words are more than pity sayings to put on a refrigerator door or memes on a Facebook post, they are words of life if you hear them and follow them. Hearing what Jesus said was more than just listening to his words, you had to live by them and for him it was how his followers built a basis for their lives. Let’s discover what Jesus meant when he taught it’s all about foundations…
READ: Matthew 7:24-29
There’s an old saying that “Practice makes perfect” and in the spiritual realm is does as well. I’m not talking about using the perfect prayer to reach Nirvana, doing the most righteous thing over and over to be holy, or discovering your spirit guide. Putting the life of Jesus into practice takes time, effort, and will power. For Jesus a good foundation meant…
I. Consistently applying God’s word! (Vv. 24-25)
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.
1. We have a tendency to muck things up and make them more confusing and complicated than they were meant to be. My case in point is exactly what Jesus was teaching here to those who sat on a hillside and were listening to him that day. No New Testament books had been written and most Hebrews discussed what they knew of God’s word from what they had to learn, which usually was what we know as the first five books: Genesis – Deuteronomy, the Torah. Yes they sang the Psalms and knew other things like Proverbs and such but when Jesus said “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice”, he did not mean from Genesis to Revelation as some may think. Certainly there is wisdom in learning and knowing what we now call the entire Word of God, the Bible, but Jesus actually meant the words he had just spoken to the crowd! If they understood who he was, the promised Messiah – God in human flesh, and put into lifelong practice what he had just taught them then they were “like a wise man who built his house on the rock”! Meaning they had a strong foundation for life! This is why Jesus continued by giving them the example: “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.” When one consistently applies the words Jesus had just given them, they will have a strong spiritual foundation. Loving God completely and others as themselves, prayer, judging others, giving, knowing where one’s heart resides, not worrying about every little thing in life, knowing the blessings of God, being the salt and light in a sin-darkened world, handling their anger, lust, relationships, marriage, retribution, and how to treat your enemies were all covered quite well! And the only means to be able to do all of these the way one should was to know Jesus as one’s Savior and Lord! This is the foundational truth the crowd needed to know and understand that day just as it is today right now for our world as well! For Jesus a good foundation began with consistently applying God’s word that they had just heard! It began with knowing him!
EXAMPLE: Jesus was the “word” they needed to apply! He was after all “the word become flesh that dwelt among us”! Few folks realize that following Jesus is not about checking off a list of rules, following a bulleted list posted on one’s bathroom mirror. Jesus isn’t a popular meme; he is the way the truth, and the life! Just as a good mixture of concrete, sand, and gravel can make a good foundation so does a life that is filled with the teachings of Jesus and it all begins with the cornerstone: Jesus! You cannot put into practice the word of Christ without knowing the Word of God Jesus! For Jesus a good foundation began with consistently applying God’s word – it began with knowing him!
For Jesus foolishness followed faithlessness. Someone who depended upon their feelings, their past good deeds, or who did not truly listen to his words were doomed to be swept away. For Jesus a good foundation meant…
II. Not being stupid with what you base your life on! (Vv. 26-27)
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.
1. In the movie Forest Gump there is a classic line that a lot of folks like but many misunderstand: “Stupid is as stupid does!” Some think he means that to err is human or that stupid people continue to do stupid things but that is not what the quote means nor does it follow the storyline. What Forrest is actually stating is the truth that stupidity is stupid if you continue to do stupid things and they will still turn out stupid! It is more in line with the notion of “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result” being the “definition of insanity”, which is attributed to Einstein but actually he never said it. Jesus knew that expecting people who consistently act in one manner to change that behavior was naïve to say the least. This is why Jesus continued by stating: “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.” Building one’s life on a foolish foundation will end up disastrous! In fact Jesus goes on to tell his listeners that “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Jesus spoke a lot about a person’s life and what it meant. Life is more than earthly things it is something to give away to God in order to really find life. There are those who think that really living is being able to do whatever you want whenever you want however you want with whoever you want. While it promises personal freedom it is in reality sinful enslavement. We just talked about Jesus being the Word that people needed to apply and in doing so they find real life: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39 NIV)” Paul understood what Jesus meant when he told the crowd that day to not be foolish with their lives and would later write that he had “been crucified with Christ and [he] no longer [lived], but Christ [lived] in [him].” In fact he would state that “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV)” This is why Jesus would emphatically tell his followers, “Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. (Luke 12:23 NIV)” If you say you love Jesus then you will not be stupid with what you base your life on!
EXAMPLE: Bill Cosby used to tell the story about his son who gave himself a reverse Mohawk haircut whereby he had cut a divot from his forehead to the back of his head. After being sent up to his son’s room by his angry wife, Cosby finds him sitting on his bed sad and forlorn and when he asked him why he did it his son’s answer is classic: “I dunno!” It’s funny because most parents have heard this sorrowful excuse uttered by their children at sometime in their lives as in “Why did you hit your brother?” “I dunno!” Sadly this is the same kind of lame excuse many use for their spiritual walk with Jesus as well. It is built on a foundation of sand and ultimately it will lead to destruction. For Jesus a good foundation meant not being stupid with what you based your life on!
After sitting and listening to a local politician pontificate about his past achievements and his promises for the future one man got up in disgust and remarked, “I’ve heard it all before and it sounds like the same old pack of lies and promises.” No one was surprised. Yet here in Matthew’s gospel we discover that a good foundation for Jesus meant…
III. Speaking the words of God with authority! (Vv. 28-29)
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
1. What people may think they know about Jesus is quite different from who Jesus really is. I’ve heard some truly convoluted views concerning not just the life of Jesus, but his actual words, and what he taught and believed. What is frightening is there is a push in America today that wants to silence the words of Jesus and what he taught. There are those who want to edit the parts they disagree with and are desperately trying to silence churches and pastors from teaching them; what Jesus taught about ungodly lifestyles, perversion, sin, marriage and divorce and also what he taught about his deity. Sadly, some churches and pastors have backed away fearing reprisals, death threats, and the angry mob mentality. Yet now is the time to speak loudly in love about Jesus and his gospel message. In fact, it was Jesus’ preaching and teaching that eventually got him into trouble with the authorities and why he was illegally judged and crucified. And here we discover that “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” What was different about how Jesus taught? There was no legalism, no outward piety, and no self-promotion. Jesus did not add to his listener’s daily burden but instead sought to lift the load so-to-speak. Jesus would declare, “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. (John 13:20 NIV) Jesus would teach: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)” The crowds were amazed because Jesus taught as one with authority while their spiritual leaders taught by route, through fear, intimidation, and false piety. Paul would write to the early church, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV)” A good foundation for Jesus meant speaking the words of God with authority!
EXAMPLE: Joel Gregory was one of the mightiest voices to preach the gospel with a powerful James Earl Jones voice that he had impeccably coached and dynamically used to reach folks in Texas in the 80s and 90s. He followed renowned pastor Dr. Criswell at First Baptist, Dallas, Texas but suffered personal defeat due to infidelity and divorce and ended up selling “pre-need funeral plans”. He was called an “inimitably grand oratorical presence” he has since redeemed himself by speaking in African American churches. He became the “most popular white preacher in African-American congregations nationwide” and now “holds the George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism and serves as the Director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University.” He speaks the word of God boldly and dynamically. A good foundation for Jesus meant speaking the words of God with authority!
Conclusion:
Consistently applying God’s word! Not being stupid with what you base your life on! Speaking the words of God with authority!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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