True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “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. 25 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. 26 But 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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Many people want to consider themselves the Master of their lives –
But a man called Bernard once said...
He who makes himself his own master subjects himself to a fool for a master.
We come this morning to a parable that Jesus once taught that suggests that our lives should be something other than our own particular thoughts and plans.
Jesus suggests that we need to hear his words and put them into practice – rather than follow our own or any other eras conventional wisdom.
This parable was not intended to be only a childrens story but rather a clever simple parable that conveys a biblical truth for all age groups and applicable to all ages.
This morning I want to ask the question – What does God want us to know and what does he want us to do about the teachings of the parable of the wise man and the foolish man?
The truth is both men had a bad day – Their homes were attacked by storms – but one man survived the battering the other didn’t – this parable is not saying that Christians have immunity from trouble – We all have bad days:-
You know its going to be a bad day ahead when...
- You wake up face down on the pavement.
- You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.
- Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.
- You turn on the news and they are showing escape routes out of the city.
- Your horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell’s Angels on the freeway.
- Your income tax check bounces.
- You put both contacts in one eye.
The first word we read is therefore and it is easy to skip over that word and to get to the meat the core of the Parable. But whenever we read the word therefore in the bible we can be sure that it is there for a reason.
The therefore in this case relates to a very important Christian teaching that I feel is being largely ignored or marginalised it is not a theology of works but a theology of lives reflecting an inward reality. What is it that Jesus says:-
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
What he is saying is that it is not enough to believe in your mind or even with your mouth but your living needs to be in complete harmony with what you believe.
Many popularist preachers these days are promoting an armchair ride in the Christian faith sort of do what you like but because you believe, all will be well.
The Christian life is not like the mad hatters race in Alice in Wonderland where – Everyone runs any which way they want and everyone wins a prize.
These passages are part of the final section of the sermon on the mount and really have to be taken in context with the beatitudes and the blessings that follow them as well.
The Asbury Bible commentary commenting on this section of scripture says:- Failure to take seriously what he has said in the sermon will result in disastrous consequences. Jesus warns of three specific dangers: (1) the tendency not to take the rigorous demands of discipleship seriously (vv. 13-14); (2) the possibility of being led astray by false prophets who teach, both by word and example, that one can be a disciple while persisting in sin (vv. 15-23); and (3) the notion that it is enough simply to hear the teaching of Jesus, without putting his teaching into practice (vv. 24-27).
Setting this kind of scenario Jesus then leads us into the simple but profound story of the wiseman and the foolish man.
Clearly we have to take this teaching very seriously. Being doers of the Word
i. James 1:21 – 27 “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does
ii. Get rid of moral filth and evil that is everywhere in the world.
My first point is that – for the Christian – There is a place of great blessing in lifes storms.
For example Matthew chapter 5 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
This passage flies in the face of Armchair – laziboy Christianity – We have a quality – hunger and thirst for righteousness followed by a result – for they will be filled.
Jesus is saying at the tail end of this sermon on the mount that there is a very definite need to put the words that he teaches into practise -
And when we do there will be a result – the result is that when the storms of life come then our house – that is our lives will stand firm.
Let me give you an example from the Bible and then from everyday life.
Firstly the bible.
2 Kings 6 (Holman Christian Standard)
The Aramean War
8 When the king of Aram was waging war against Israel, he conferred with his servants, "My camp will be at such and such a place." 9 But the man of God sent [word] to the king of Israel: "Be careful passing by this place, for the Arameans are going down there." 10 Consequently, the king of Israel sent [word] to the place the man of God had told him about. The man of God repeatedly warned the king, so the king would be on his guard. 11 The king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called his servants and demanded of them, "Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel?" 12 One of his servants said, "No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in your bedroom." 13 So the king said, "Go and see where he is, so I can send [men] to capture him." When he was told, "Elisha is in Dothan," 14 he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, "Oh, my master, what are we to do?" 16 Elisha said, "Don't be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them." 17 Then Elisha prayed, "Lord, please open his eyes and let him see." So the Lord opened the servant's eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 When the Arameans came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, "Please strike this nation with blindness." So He struck them with blindness, according to Elisha's word. 19 Then Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you're looking for." And he led them to Samaria. 20 When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "Lord, open these men's eyes and let them see." So the Lord opened their eyes. They looked and discovered [they were] in Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them? I will kill them." 22 Elisha replied, "Don't kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go to their master."
Elisha was in a difficult spot he was surrounded by the Aramean army and his servant is pretty upset. But he knew his god and he was confident that his walk with God was the way that it should be so he prays for God to open the eyes of the servant and then he sees that arrayed against the Aramean army was the armies of god and in such a battle their can only be one winner. Elisha was a man who hungered ant thirsted after righteousness so when the day came when he was under threat God protected him.
Someone who had a hunger and thirst for righteousness here in our own nation was PATRICIA BARTLETT
, a former nun, founded the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards in 1970 and led the society for 25 years. She died on November 8, aged 72.
She entered the public stage at a time when personal morality and behaviour were being revolutionised by the contraceptive pill, feminism, a general reaction against authority and organised religion, and more tolerant attitudes to sex outside marriage, nudity and homosexuality.
She gathered 49,000 signatures on a petition to include a number of things that were indecent to be included in the legal definition of indecency in films, literature and on stage.
The petition did not make it past Parliament's petitions committee.
Under her leadership, the society made 33 submissions to Parliament on various topics such as censorship laws, pornography and sex education in schools.
She wrote copious letters to politicians and constantly tested censors' rulings. At its peak, the society had 22,000 members.
People like these have, at great personal cost – built their lives on the rock that is Jesus Christ.
everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Patricia Bartlett was a prophetess to the nation in her own time and New Zealand, of course is reaping the result today of ignoring her advice whilst she is in heaven with the living God.
But what does that mean for us.
I believe it challenges us to make sure that we are putting into practice in our lives the words of Jesus.
The result of that is when hard times come – storms like Patricia Bartlett faced the house of our lives will stand.
We see this in the lives of those who are persecuted. One person who stands out for me in our contempory history is Brother Yun Yun's life has been one marked with incredible suffering, but he would be the first to note the fellowship of sharing in Christ's sufferings. Hearing the events of his life is like hearing the words of the apostle Paul. "We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything" (2 Corinthians 6:8-10).
During one of the times he was thrown in prison, Yun was treated with unspeakable cruelty. The guards clubbed and kicked him ruthlessly, mocking him for his beliefs, and encouraging the other prisoners to contribute as tormenters. Many of his cellmates who were suffering from painful skin diseases and parasites would take their infected sores and rub them on his face. They stole Yun's clean blanket and gave him their blankets stained with pus and blood. His body was so weak from fasting and torture that the prisoners took bets on when he would die. Yet one day, much to their surprise, Yun stood to his feet and proclaimed in a loud voice, "This day the Lord has mercy on you and offers you an opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness of your sins." As if a bomb had dropped among these hardened and sinful criminals, they fell one by one on their knees, and with many tears received Jesus as Lord.
Also in prison, Yun endured a total fast (no food and no water) for 74 days. Prison officers even attempted violence to stop his "hunger strike". During another term, he miraculously escaped from Zhengzhou Maximum Security prison (from which nobody had previously escaped) when heavily guarded doors were left open and prison officers unknowingly allowed him to walk across the yard and out of the main gate. He claims that it was as if he was invisible, that the guards stared straight through him. Some lost their jobs subsequently for the embarrassing 'mishap' - apparently, the according to "The Heavenly Man" official investigation by the Chinese Government concluded the following: Yun received no human help in his escape. These reports have been confirmed by numerous prisoners who occupied the same prison cell as Yun during his incarcerations.
The wise man 24 “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. 25 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.
Brother Yun’s life shows the truth and also the seriousness of these words.
The second part of this parable is a much more depressing and sad state of affairs.
. 26 But 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. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The Christchurch earthquake and the tsunami in Japan was a powerful reminder of this image. But the passage is about peoples lives.
Some people build grand lives that look so impressive but not on Christ.
One example among many in the news in recent weeks was the {Pakastani cricketers – The cricketers who went to court recently had the world at their feet – they were highly paid professional sportsmen but they decided that they could make more money and their lives came tumbling down.
Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty yesterday of taking bribes to fix part of a test match against England in a case that prosecutors said revealed rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket.
Former captain Butt, 27, and opening bowlers Asif, 28, and Amir, who had admitted his part in the scam before the trial started, plotted to bowl deliberate no-balls at pre-arranged times during the Lord's Test in August last year.
The men will be sentenced on Wednesday, with Butt and Asif facing up to seven years in jail or large fines. The three players have already been banned from playing by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a minimum of five years.
But these men in a way are representative of any of us who build our lives on anything but Jesus Christ.
I Pet. 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Christians can do that as well as we are all sinners:-
Romans 7:18 “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”
Sometimes Christians will build not on the teachings of Christ but rather cheap philosophy.
The liberal theology of the late 19th and 20th century produced a very sandy foundation for the church. Whereever I encounter liberal theology and apply the biblical test of judging a tree by it’s fruit I discover negative growth and a decaying church. World War I and World War II had significant impact on the church in the twentieth century. Prior to WWI, liberalism in theology had led to an optimistic view of man throughout the Western church. This optimism was crushed with the inability of the church to effectively respond to the great political, social, and economic issues that led up to and followed the Great War.[1] Ultimately the failure of liberal Christianity led theologians like Karl Barth to return to the scriptures as being the foundation for Christian doctrine.[2]
Liberal theology was still significant during the rise of the Hitler’s Germany. The optimistic idea that man can be perfected was shared by both liberal theologians and the Third Reich. While opposed by Bonheoffer and his Confessing Church, much of the European church’s response to Nazism was crippled by weak theology.[3]
Look we don’t want to be found in a palatial life with an insecure foundation.
Our foundation is in Jesus Christ when our lives are resting in him then – come what may we are secure because we are hidden as it were in Christ.
Augustine spoke of the first imputed righteousness when he said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”
“The man who has, however, come to understand that he has been saved by grace, and now hungers and thirsts after righteousness, has come to understand the futility of self-trust.” And Mr. Spurgeon, after a discussion of this, says, “Spiritual hunger and thirst are wonderful teachers of the doctrines of grace and very speedy dispellers of the illusions of pride.” It’s true; hungering and thirsting after righteousness are wonderful teachers of the doctrines of grace, for we do learn that we cannot, we cannot, we cannot of ourselves please God.
Robert Louis Stevenson, in one of his stories, has an interesting incident in which some people were out in a boat, in the midst of a storm. It was a rather small boat. And in the midst of the storm they became very fearful about what was happening, and one of them said he would creep up to the deck and take a look and see how things were.
And he crept up to the deck, and he came back not long afterward and he said, “It’s alright. I’ve just seen the captain’s face.”
It is wise to look in the captains face
Max Born died in 1970. A close friend of Albert Einstein and a colleague of Max Planck and Otto Hahn, the nuclear physicists, he was one of the great minds of the twentieth century. In an interview on German television before his death, Born commented: “I’d be happier if we had scientists with less brains and more wisdom.”
ILL.- Someone well said, “You don’t have to be listed in Who’s Who to know what’s what.”
As we know, the greatest wisdom of all comes from the Lord and His Word.
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”
The call for each one of us then is to build our lives on the rock that is Jesus Christ.
