Building on the Rock by pastor ohm Prakash
Matthew 7:24-27
Because you see life is like a voyage we are sailing between two eternities. Sometime things are good and sometime things are real bad. Some time the sea is calm, some time the wind blows softly, some time the sun is shining (thank God for those time) I think that’s where most of us are, smoothly sailing along. And if that is where you are then enjoy it that’s a gift from god. But some time wind rises, sometime the sky darkens, and some time we find ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm. That’s way the life is. Reason why they blown away/fall away is because they have no foundation. That is what Jesus is talking about here building on a firm foundation. There is something wrong with the foundation. In order to weather the storms of your life you need to keep in mind these three things 1. You need to erect a sturdy building: our lard says we are all building some kind of house, our lives are house. Look in…. you see that we are all building some kind of house. But I cannot live in the house you are building; you cannot live in the house I am building. I am stuck with the house that I build and I either stand or fall in the house that builds. Our lord is talking about two kind of builder. In verse 24 he speaks about the wise builder who built his house upon the rock, in verse 26 he speaks about the foolish builder who built his house upon the sand. Now Wait minute these two builders are very much alike. What he mean by that he is talking about two types of people who heard his word. Two so called followers of Jesus Christ. Now notice the similarities. Now there are several similarities here and I want you to note them. First of all, they both have same purpose. They are both house builder. they're both involved in spiritual activity, and they’re both involved in something that has to do with the Kingdom of God. Secondly, it's apparent that they both build their house in the same location, because the same storm hits both houses. True believers and false believers invariably live side by side, they're on the same block, they attend the same church, they go to the same Bible studies and they are so similar in the building they build. I might also add as a third thought that they apparently build it in the same way, and they both have used the same basic plan. When you build the house there has to be base, floor the wall windows door and the roof. They may have followed the different design but the same basic plan. When I looked at this church you are all very similar. You all have come to a church, you are all hearing the word of god, you are have hunger you are want to succeed in life. Same basic purpose same basic plan but there was a vital difference between these two. But the different was below the surface. The difference is not in their outer appearance but inner foundation. The difference was in their foundation. First builder build his house upon the rock. If you look in the parallel ac in Luke’s gospel 6:48 .Luke tells us the first builder dug deep. You know that house on firm foundation can stand the storm. But he says there was another builder who build house upon the sand. You can build your house very quickly if do not bother about the foundation. You just go out in the sandy plan and build. Pour the slab but down the base, build the wall put the roof on. Hey! that easy that’s faster that is less costly and your house is just as good as your neighbor. Now these are the two kinds of builder vary vary similar yet vitally different. Now the question is what makes the firm foundation? What is building on the rock? Jesus makes it very clear look in verse 24 “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: there are two things necessary to have firm foundation. 1. Hearing the word of god. That I what we are doing just now we are hearing the weird of god. Bible says in Romans 10:17 “faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of god”. 2. Not only hearing but doing. Look if you will “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, do you see that. That is where we separate from the rock builder from the sand builder. You see when our lord was delivering this sermon on the mount. There was one man in that crowd listening to him his name was James. I do not think James ever forgot. I want you see what James says. In James chapter 1 we read this, verse 22, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only," why? "deceiving your own selves." That's what our Lord is saying in The Sermon on the Mount, if you hear it and don't do it you're self deceived. Any man is self deceived who comes to church and hears the word and does not put that in practice. And thinks he has done what he suppose to do. He is like a person who comes to church and says I enjoyed the message; o the music the music was touching my heart. But then there is absolutely no change in his lifestyle in what so ever he lives. James says has been deceived he has deceived himself. Then if go to James 2 there he asks this question. James 2: 14 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.19 Thou believes that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James how many of you believe that there is one God? And you say I do. James says well you pass the test you get an A. Then he says I want tell you something else. Mr. Devil also believes and trembles. Do you know that devil is more orthodox then many of you? Suppose Mr. Devil walks in to this congregation to join this church. And you ask him. Do you believe in one god? O yes. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is god? O yes. Do you believe he was born of a virgin? O yes, died on the cross o yes, rose from the dead o yes. Will be an active member? O yes I will do anything you ask me to do. I will an Asher, or an elder, I will be glad to join the choir, love to preach from the pulpit. Teach in Sunday school. One more thing I want to ask you devil. Are you willing to bow your knees to lordship of Jesus Christ? No I think you are asking me now too much. There are many people they think just because they have mental assent to the facts of the gospel, just because they are part of a church they think they are going to heaven. They have no more faith then Mr. Devil himself because they have never surrendered themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus says not every one that says to Lord shall enter the kingdom of god but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Here is the second thing I want you see not only you must erect a sturdy building but… 2. You can expect a stormy blast: look if you will in Jesus said the storm came upon both the houses. Matthew 7:25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house (which house? The house on the rock); 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house (which house? On the sand); when you get saves does that mean there will be no storms in your life? There will be storms. The rain comes down that is pressure from above. The floods come up that is pressure from beneath the wind blows that pressure from all around. Bible says man that is born of woman is full of trouble. The storm comes to every life. Saved or lost built on rock or built on sand. You are going to face the storm and storm is going to reveal whether you have the firm foundation or not. Storm is going to test faith your faith. Faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. Do not get this idea that when you get saves there will no more troubles. Let me tell you beloved when you get saved even more trouble comes in your life. There is going to be sickness/suffering/persecution but these things are not going to separate you from the God. Romans 8:35 who can separate from the love of Christ Romans 8:35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the daylong; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37 Nay, in all these things (not in absence of all these things but if all these things in the eye of the storm) we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Difficulty in your life does not mean god has abandoned you. He has not. Hebrew 13:5 he said I will never leave you nor forsake you. What I am saying… 3. Experience vary steadfast blessing: notice what our lord is saying here…why some people fall away from the faith. Why are some people blown away? I tell you why. They have build faith upon shifting faith with good intention. They have built their faith on… religious activity but not built upon Lord Jesus Christ. Bible says1 Corinthians 3:11 for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. When our lord gave these Sermon on the Mount do you know who were there in the crowd? Most likely there was Simon peter and Judas Iscariot. Two kind’s builder very similar. They both erected the spiritual house. Peter built one and Judas built one. As you looked these two houses you would have said Judas had built better house then peter. Do you know who the best man outwardly was? Not Simon peter but Judas they made Judas the treasurer he was supposed to most responsible most trustworthy most sincere. When Jesus said I know one of you who will betray me. None of them said o yes I know it is Judas. Do you know why he had good looking house? But there was a difference. When Jesus peter who do say I am. You are the Christ the son of the living god. Upon such rock I will build my church. Peter was not much of the house builder. He was weakling like many of us. But he had built his house upon the firm foundation. He laid his faith on the firm foundation. I tell you storm came it blew through the life of Judas. And storm came it blew through the life of peter and when the storm was over. Judas’s house was gone. Judas died and went to hell. He did not lose his salvation. He never had salvation. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: It is a fascinating building designed in the post-modernist view of reality." The building has no pattern. All the walls were zic-zac and slanting Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing. The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was mindless and senseless. I turned to the man describing it and asked, "Did they do the same thing with the foundation?" He laughed. You can’t do that with a foundation. You can get away with the infrastructure.
