Built To Last

Built to Last

Matthew 7:25

“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”

On October 10, 2018, a category 4 hurricane named Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach Florida. Hurricane Michael was the third most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the United States. The storm would last a total of 6 days, as it would finally dissipate on October 16. But the damage from the effects of the storm could be felt days after. By October 18th, just 3 days ago, at least 50 deaths had been attributed to the storm.

Insurance losses due to Michael in the US is estimated to be between $8-11 billion. Losses to agriculture and timber alone exceeded $5.3 billion. The storm caused extensive flooding in Central America. The hurricane winds left over 200,000 people without power as it passed through. With catastrophic damage reported due to the extreme winds and storm surge, hurricane Michael left numerous homes flattened over a wide area of the Florida panhandle.

In seeing the damage on TV, it was quite a shock to see entire neighborhoods wiped out – houses and property having been washed away by the storm. But then every now and then, you notice other homes, some only slightly damaged. They may have a few widow’s blown out or doors missing, they had just been through the same storm, but they are still standing in the aftermath of the same storm.

What makes the difference between one home left standing and another home left fractured and falling into the ocean? Is it the quality of the building materials? I would say no because some of the homes destroyed were multi-million-dollar homes – only the best materials were used.

But I submit to you today that the difference between the two was what they were built upon.

In our text, Jesus uses this same analogy to bring out his final point in His conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. It does not matter if you are talking about the foundation of a physical building or the foundation upon which you have built your life, the principle is the same. The material upon which you lay your foundation will determine the strength of the structure that is built upon it.

Let’s read the text:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. 25 “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”

Jesus tells this parable that compares and contrasts two builders: one wise and one foolish. He emphasizes how critical it is to have a strong foundation. The use of a building metaphor should not surprise us; because Jesus was a carpenter. He had built the furniture that people put into their homes and He had probably built some of the homes as well. Jesus knew the difference between a solid house and a sloppy one. But this is not a parable just for architects, carpenters, and contractors. It is a parable for you and me. Building a house is simply an analogy for building a life. The point is this: The only way you can be “built to last” in life and as a church is to make sure you are building on the right foundation. (I just preached my whole sermon right there)

Within this analogy there are two things that are the same and two things that are different. Both houses are similar in construction and both houses must withstand storms. But each house has a different material upon which its foundation is laid, and as a result each house has a different final outcome. One house is built to last by a wise man upon a rock and it stands. The other is built by a foolish man upon the sand and it collapses.

So tonight, let’s take a closer look and examine the two structures, because if we’re going to be built to last, then we need to know what that looks like.

The Difference Between Both Houses

The first thing I notice is although both houses look similar on the outside, a house built to last is different on the inside.

Nothing in the text suggest that both houses were different in appearance. If you take the previous verses 15-20 into account, Jesus seems to suggest that the outward structures looked very similar. In those earlier verses, He warns us about false prophets – wolves in sheep’s clothing. According to Jesus, wolves are not distinguished by their outward appearance, you can’t tell a wolf is a wolf just by looking at them. The only way to tell the difference is by the type of fruit they produce.