The Parable about
Two Builders
MATTHEW 7: 24-27
Jesus said:
Jesus said:
24. Anyone hearing these words of MINE and obeys MY words will be the same-as a wise man building a house on a rock.
25. The rains-poured. The wind-blew against the house. But the house stayed, didn't collapse, because the house was-built on a rock.
26. Everyone hearing MY words and the don't to obey, they are like a foolish man building a house on sand.
27. The rains-poured. The water flooded-over. The wind-blew against the house. And the house collapsed and broke-apart.
The Houses = The Rock = The Sand = The Storm & Flood = Application = |
Last week our stories were about
fruit and trees,
and wolves dressed as sheep.
Those two stories connect to our story today.
Jesus told those stories together.
Between the lesson last-week and today's lesson
Jesus said something important
that helps us understand these stories.
Jesus said:
fruit and trees,
and wolves dressed as sheep.
Those two stories connect to our story today.
Jesus told those stories together.
Between the lesson last-week and today's lesson
Jesus said something important
that helps us understand these stories.
Jesus said:
Not everyone praying, "Lord, Lord!" will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Only people doing things My Father in heaven wants, they will enter heaven.
Many people will say to me on that day,
"Lord, Lord, YOU remember we preached in YOUR name?
YOU remember we sent-out devils in YOUR name?
YOU remember we did wonderful powerful things in YOUR name?"
Then I will say to them in clear words,
"I never knew you. Leave Me, you evil doers." (Matthew 7:21-23)
Sometimes what we say and what we do are different.
What do we label do we name a person like that?
"Hypocrite"
"Two-Faced"
When our words and our actions don't match,
which shows the truth?
God sees both. Which will He believe?
Right... our actions.
In ASL we have three different signs for the word "yes."
#1. Our regular "yes" [nodding "S" fist]
#2. "Y-E-S!" [spelled emphatically]
#3. "Yeah, whatever." [nodding a flat-0 handshape with an expression of false sincerity]
How much of our religion is like that #3 [fake] "yes"?
In the Bible, God said:
What do we label do we name a person like that?
"Hypocrite"
"Two-Faced"
When our words and our actions don't match,
which shows the truth?
God sees both. Which will He believe?
Right... our actions.
In ASL we have three different signs for the word "yes."
#1. Our regular "yes" [nodding "S" fist]
#2. "Y-E-S!" [spelled emphatically]
#3. "Yeah, whatever." [nodding a flat-0 handshape with an expression of false sincerity]
How much of our religion is like that #3 [fake] "yes"?
In the Bible, God said:
“These people say they love me;
they show honor to Me with words,
but their hearts are far from me." (Isaiah 29:13)
So what? Is that really important?
Y-E-S!
Jesus said:
Y-E-S!
Jesus said:
Anyone hearing these words of MINE and obeys MY words will be the same-as a wise man building a house on a rock. The rains-poured. The wind-blew against the house. But the house stayed, didn't collapse, because the house was-built on a rock.
Everyone hearing MY words and the don't to obey, they are like a foolish man building a house on sand. The rains-poured. The water flooded-over. The wind-blew against the house. And the house collapsed and broke-apart.
Writing answers for our notes is easy:
The Houses = our lives
The Rock = Christ & the Bible
The Sand = worldliness, $$$, false religions & philosophies
The Rock = Christ & the Bible
The Sand = worldliness, $$$, false religions & philosophies
Now, what do the storm and flood mean?
We have two possible answers,
and both answers are right.
(1)
The Storm & Flood = trouble
The Bible gives us wise principles for managing our daily lives.
Those principles begin in the Ten Commandments,
and they spread to many other situations in our lives,
that all connect to our heart attitudes, decisions, and actions.
If we establish our lives on those wise principles,
if we do as God tells us,
that will guide us and protect us when troubles hit.
But if we ignore His advice
and we go our own ways,
following our own foolish "wisdom,"
that invites trouble,
serious trouble,
that can ruin our lives,
and can hurt many other people.
When Moses preach his last sermon to Israel, he said:
Those principles begin in the Ten Commandments,
and they spread to many other situations in our lives,
that all connect to our heart attitudes, decisions, and actions.
If we establish our lives on those wise principles,
if we do as God tells us,
that will guide us and protect us when troubles hit.
But if we ignore His advice
and we go our own ways,
following our own foolish "wisdom,"
that invites trouble,
serious trouble,
that can ruin our lives,
and can hurt many other people.
When Moses preach his last sermon to Israel, he said:
"Today I offer you life and success,
or death and destruction.
I command you today to love the Lord your God,
to do what he wants you to do.
Then you will live and grow in number,
and the Lord your God will bless you.
But if you turn away from the Lord and don't obey Him,
if you worship and obey other gods,
I tell you today that you will surely become destroyed.
Today I offer you life or death,
blessings or curses.
Now, choose life!
Then you and your children may live.
Choosing life means loving the Lord your God,
obey Him, and stay close to Him.
He is your life." (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)
Life or death.
That's the choice God offers us.
Our desires, our power, always chooses wrong.
We always choose death.
We receive life from where?
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself already chose death for us,
instead of us.
Through His death on the cross
He forgives all of our sins.
His death gives us eternal life.
And that life begins when? NOW!
PROVERBS chapter 3 says:
That's the choice God offers us.
Our desires, our power, always chooses wrong.
We always choose death.
We receive life from where?
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself already chose death for us,
instead of us.
Through His death on the cross
He forgives all of our sins.
His death gives us eternal life.
And that life begins when? NOW!
PROVERBS chapter 3 says:
Trust the Lord with all your heart.
Don't depend-on your own understanding.
In all your ways know the Lord.
Then He will make your paths smooth and straight. (Proverbs 3:6)
We can avoid much trouble,
we can escape many headaches. How?
Trust Him.
Obey Him.
And follow His wisdom.
That's one way we can understand this story about the two houses.
But this story means much more,
not only for our life, now, here in this world.
That storm, that flood, can mean the truly worst trouble that can hit --
(2)
we can escape many headaches. How?
Trust Him.
Obey Him.
And follow His wisdom.
That's one way we can understand this story about the two houses.
But this story means much more,
not only for our life, now, here in this world.
That storm, that flood, can mean the truly worst trouble that can hit --
(2)
The Storm & Flood = death & judgment
If we establish our lives on...
The Sand = worldliness, $$$, false religions & philosophies
Crash!! [sign: big-wreck]
Those are all false foundations (supports).
They cannot save us from hell.
But when our lives are strongly established on Christ,
death has no power against us.
Yes, our bodies die,
but that's all.
God's judgment against our sin is finished!!
That happened 2,000 years ago
when Jesus suffered and died for us on the cross.
Now for us, that Last Day Judgment changes,
and becomes an invitation to move into God's House,
named "Heaven."
Remember that our good works can't make that happen.
Christ and His Good Work already made that happen for us.
Our story today had two houses.
Both houses seemed beautiful and strong.
But that didn't matter.
The houses depend on what?
Rock or sand.
We depend on what?
We trust whom?
Those are all false foundations (supports).
They cannot save us from hell.
But when our lives are strongly established on Christ,
death has no power against us.
Yes, our bodies die,
but that's all.
God's judgment against our sin is finished!!
That happened 2,000 years ago
when Jesus suffered and died for us on the cross.
Now for us, that Last Day Judgment changes,
and becomes an invitation to move into God's House,
named "Heaven."
Remember that our good works can't make that happen.
Christ and His Good Work already made that happen for us.
Our story today had two houses.
Both houses seemed beautiful and strong.
But that didn't matter.
The houses depend on what?
Rock or sand.
We depend on what?
We trust whom?