How Firm a Foundation
Jesus Christ’s Sermon on the Mount leads to the ultimate conclusion in Matthew 7: 24-27, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Chapter 7 began with the contrast between the world’s prideful judgement and God’s righteous judgement. Then Jesus contrasted the broad way of the world with the narrow gate and the narrow way of the kingdom of heaven… for Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life. Many will enter into the broad way that leads to destruction, but few will enter into the narrow gate and into the narrow way that leads to life eternal.
Jesus taught the multitude about the false prophets who come into the church to devour the flock of God. They deceive the flock disguised as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They attract the congregation with enticing music and by speaking flattering words of man’s worldly wisdom… but they are wolves whose goal is to scatter, confuse, and devour the flock.
Jesus said you can tell these false prophets from God’s true prophets by inspecting their fruit…. For by their fruit you shall know them.
The conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount is: the foolish man builds his house on the sand of the devil’s worldly wisdom whereas the wise man built his house upon the rock. Whether the house will stand depends on the foundation upon which the man builds his house. For Jesus said, “upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
An excerpt from the book Prepared, Living Your Life in the Midst of an Increasingly Hostile Culture says: “Is America loosing the spiritual war, having already lost the cultural war? Apart from a gracious intervention of God, America will never return to her godly roots.
There was a process that gradually resulted in removal of America’s godly roots. This process began with the removal of the Bible in 1962, then in 1973 the the Supreme Court ruled that Americans are allowed to kill their unborn children. Next was the classification of homosexuals as a protected class in our laws. Then the court ruled in favor of the legalization of homosexual marriage.
In exposing the world’s sin, Christians have become a persecuted people. How are Christians to live while professing their faith in an increasingly hostile culture? The question is not whether we will suffer persecution, but how we will handle the suffering. Will we bear up under the suffering, casting all our care upon Him for he careth for us?”
Lutzer said, we are being swept along by.a mighty cultural current that is leading over the waterfalll and crushing the American Christian ethical values upon which our nation was founded. We may wonder if this will effect the lives of true followers of Christ.
America has been the only nation that has been spared Christian persecution in the last 300 years. God has honored the biblical values of our nation’s founding Fathers based on Christian virtues. However, our nation has drifted far from her moorings of the Word of Truth.
Those who think themselves wise in their own conceits have been tripped by their own pride… they have embraced the wisdom of this world and have become foolish, lacking the wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit.
James 3:15-18 says, “This wisdom (of this world) descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Proverbs says that in order to receive wisdom and prudence with knowledge and discretion, a man of understanding will seek wise counsel. The fear (awe, respect, and reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…. Fools hate the knowledge of God. They run from the light whereas true Christians run to the light of truth.
The words of Shakespeare are on-point… he who laughs last laughs best…
Psalm 69:8 says, “But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.” The Lord shall laugh at their folly and at the waywardness of their vain worldly wisdom….
John 16:32 says, these things I have spoken to you that ye may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer I have overcome thei world.
Whether the house we build in our lifetime will withstand the onslaught of the pressures, turbulence, and flooding of this world depends on the foundation on which our house is grounded. If our house is built on the shifting sands of the wisdom of this world, the house will not stand and great will be the fall of it.
The wise man built his house upon the rock. When the waves of destruction beat upon it, its true character was revealed. The house that stands is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ himself. Christ is our sure foundation. He is the cornerstone upon which the house, the church of God is established, grounded, and secured.
The last of the beatitudes is, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. The trials and tribulations will reveal the true character… the quality of the foundation upon which our life is founded…. According to Romans 5, for tribulation (Pressure, and trial) worketh patience…. Then patience worketh experience (proven character), and proven character produces hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
The crowds who followed Jesus around said, you need to be our political messiah to drive the oppressive Roman authorities out of Judea. Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. This world will pass away. The nations are but a drop in the bucket compared to God’s plan of eternity…. That which endures is not built upon the sand… upon the fleeting wisdom of this world which will come to destruction. But he who builds his house upon the solid rock, will endure into life everlasting through Jesus Christ. He alone is the firm foundation and the cornerstone of the body of Christ… the church, the dwelling place of the Lord…
That despite the troubles of this world, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace, mercy, love, and honor!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
