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1. Building – the plan
2. Building – the construction
3. Building – the finished product
4. Building – the longevity (the ability to stand)

1. "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."
1. Three components to the sentence
1. Jesus’ words being heard
2. Jesus’ words being lived
3. Wisdom being exercised
2. Jesus’ words heard – this first step is faith
1. Jesus is the rock – note the confession of Peter and Jesus’ response in Matthew 16:16-17
2. Psalm 40:1-2 – "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."
3. Our first step is hearing God’s call
1. I can teach young people about soccer, but if they’re not listening they cannot take the next step
2. I can teach people about building the church (not the facility), but if it is not received by listening ears there is no growth
3. Jesus’ words being lived – this second step is faithfulness
1. James 2:17 – "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead"
2. Acts 2:42 – "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer"
3. Hebrews 10:22-24 – "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess…Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds"
4. The exercise of faith is faithfulness – faith in action
1. Faith in action begins in our homes
2. Faith in action continues in our church
3. Faith in action moves into the community
4. Faith in action becomes global
4. Wisdom being exercised – this last step is powerful (similar, yet distinct from the second step)
1. Proverbs 9:10 – "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"
2. Proverbs 1:7 – "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline"
3. The religion of the world has "a form of godliness but denies its power"
4. Wisdom being exercised is walking in the knowledge
1. that God is God, we are not God
2. that God invests His power and authority in us (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:19-20)
3. that God indwells us, we are God’s holy temple
4. that God transforms us by the power of His Word (Romans 8:28ff; Romans 12:1-2;
2. "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. Two options in dealing with the elemental adversity metaphor
1. Dealing with the trials of this life – best seen in the fruit (v. 17-20)
2. Facing the final trial of judgment – the better option
3. The three metaphors in Jesus’ teaching leads to this conclusion
1. Narrow gate – coming to faith
2. Tree and fruit – life of faith
3. Wise and foolish builders – completed life of faith
2. The question we ask is after the house is built, "Will it stand?"
1. 1 Corinthians 3:10ff – Paul deals with the judgment of fire to see how the house was built
2. Before we face the final judgment we need to examine ourselves before God to see the foundation upon which our lives are built
3. "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."
1. The foolish man is the one that lacks the wisdom of God – in fact, the word used to describe this man is transliterated "moron".
2. There are three responses to God’s words that mark the "foolish man"
1. "That’s not for me"
2. "If it works for you, great…"
3. "Let me think about it"
3. Hebrews 6:4-6 tells of the one that tastes God’s word and then rejects it – there can be no greater fool
4. Sand shifts and is never able to remain balanced
1. The elemental pressures of life can undo what we build in our lives
1. This is the problem that happens with people that put their faith in things or people instead of God
2. Many struggle with what transpires in the church because their faith is not rooted in God’s love; rather it is in the institution
2. If the elemental pressures can undo, what will happen when we stand before God’s judgment seat
1. If our lives are based on what we do, we’re in trouble
2. If our lives are based on Jesus’ work on the cross we are stable
4. "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 many ways, this reminds us of the story of Noah and the flood
2. God’s judgment against humanity, it was final/decisive

1. How are you building your life?
2. Is it necessary to clear the sand and build a new foundation?
1. When Nehemiah brought the people back to Israel, they needed to rebuild the city
2. They first cleared the rubble, then rebuilt the city
3. Romans 13:11-14 ________________________________________ ________________________________________
4. Will we choose this day to be wise, or (I hate to say) a moron (that is, foolish) in the eyes of God.

Let us build the house of God on the Solid Rock, which is Jesus Christ

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