Amy Simpson, from Wheaton, Illinois, collected the following warnings she found on various consumer products: On a Duraflame fireplace log: Caution—Risk of Fire. On a Batman costume: Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly. On a bottle of hair coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping. On a cardboard sun shield for a car: Do not drive with sun shield in place. On a portable stroller: Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage. (www.PreachingToday.com)
It makes you wonder how foolish some people can be to warrant such warnings.
As Jesus finishes His Sermon on the Mount, He describes such fools in contrast to those who are wise. Their whole lives falls apart when the storms come, but that doesn’t have to happen to you.
If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. You’ll find it in Matthew 7, Matthew 7, where Jesus shows you how to weather the storms of life.
Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (ESV)
If you want to withstand the storms of life, Jesus says 1st...
HEAR HIS WORDS.
Listen to what He has to say. Pay attention to His message.
Jesus urged people to “hear these words of mine” (vs. 24 & 26). Now, the rabbis in Jesus’ day urged people to hear the words of God, to pay attention to God’s Law. Only Jesus urged people to pay attention to His own words. He taught with all the authority of God Himself, because Jesus is God!
Matthew 7:28-29 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (ESV)
Jesus didn’t quote God’s Word; He spoke God’s Word, so you better pay attention! It could mean the difference between life and death.
The movie War Horse tells the story of a boy and his horse. The film begins in 1912 when a teenager named Albert witnesses the birth of a thoroughbred on a farm in Devon, England. Later, Albert's father buys the thoroughbred at an auction, and Albert vows to train the colt to be a workhorse for his family’s farm.
Albert forms a special bond with the horse, named Joey, which includes a distinctive whistle. Albert cups his hands and blows through his fingers, creating the sound of an owl; and when Joey hears that whistle, he comes to his master.
When World War I breaks out, Joey is sold to the British army to become one of eight million horses employed in the war effort. Albert also enlists but has no idea where his beloved horse is. They are separated by hundreds of miles.
As the war draws to a close, a group of soldiers discover Joey brutally tangled in barbed wire. After the soldiers untangle Joey and bring him to a British encampment, a military doctor determines Joey's wounds are so bad that he should be put down. As a sergeant raises his pistol and takes aims at Joey's head, a commotion is heard among the troops. Take a look (show War Horse – Whistle video clip)
Albert, with bandaged eyes from an explosion, hears his fellow soldiers talking about a horse. He wonders if it is possible that this war horse could possibly be his horse. Cupping his hands to his mouth, Albert begins his special whistle. Immediately, Joey's ears perk up and his head turns toward his master. With the recognition of the whistle, Albert is able to save Joey's life. (War Horse, DVD, directed by Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, 2011; www.PreachingToday.com)
Joey was saved because he heard his master’s call. In the same way, you must pay attention to your Master’s words. He’s been through the war with you. Satan bruised Him on the cross, but there Jesus dealt the fatal blow over Satan, sin, and death. He won the victory for you, dying on the cross for your sins and rising from the dead. Now, He calls you to a new life. Please, pay attention to what He has to say. Hear His Words. It could mean the difference between life and death for you, as well.
Now, when Jesus urges you to hear His Words, He doesn’t mean pick and choose what you like and leave the rest, no! Jesus means hear ALL His Words. Pay attention to EVERYTHING He has to say.
Don’t do what some people do when it comes to God’s Word. Jen Wilkin talks some of those approaches, which are not helpful:
1st, there’s the Xanax Approach. Feel anxious? Read Matthew 6:25-34. Feel tired? Read Matthew 11:28. The Xanax Approach treats the Bible as if it exists to make me feel better. Bible study is about finding comfort for my issues. The problem with this approach is that I ask how the Bible can serve me, rather than how I can serve the God it proclaims.
2nd, there’s the Pinball Approach. In this approach, I read whatever Scripture verse I happen to turn to next, ricocheting from one passage to the next. But this approach takes verses out of their context and can twist their meaning.
3rd, there’s the Magic 8 Ball Approach. Remember the Magic 8 Ball? You just shake it and wait until it provides a clear answer to your most difficult questions. But the Bible isn't magical, and its primary function is to transform you rather than to answer your most pressing questions.
4th, there’s the Personal Shopper Approach. In this approach, you don't actually study the Bible; rather, you shop around for Bible teachers or preachers who suit your tastes. This isn't all bad, but it can prevent you from taking ownership of God’s Word. Much like the Pinball Approach, you ricochet from teacher to teacher and topic to topic without really understanding the Bible for yourself.
Then finally, there’s the Jack Sprat Approach. In the English nursery rhyme, Jack Sprat "could eat no fat." So you take this approach when you’re picky and refuse to digest certain parts of the Bible (Adapted from Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word, Crossway, 2014, pp. 38-44; www.PreachingToday.com)
None of these approaches work when it comes to weathering the storms of life, no! Instead, spend regular, daily time in God’s Word. HEAR Jesus’ words in their entirety. Then...
DO HIS WORDS.
Practice His words in your daily life. Work them out every day. It’s not enough just to HEAR Jesus’ words, Jesus says you must DO them, as well (vs.24).
For the wise person does not just acquire knowledge; he or she puts it to good use.
On the surface, there is not much difference between the wise man and the foolish man here. Both build houses that looked the same on the outside. Both read the same blueprints – Jesus’ words, and both face the same storm – a massive hurricane. But the crucial difference is what can’t be seen underneath it all – the foundation.
In the same way, many people look good on the outside – They put on a show of righteousness. They read their Bibles, and they face similar problems in life. But what makes the crucial difference is what’ s underneath it all.
In this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Shine with God’s righteousness from within; don’t just put on a show of righteousness on the outside.” In other words, quit trying to look good by your own self-effort. Instead, depend on Christ to make you truly righteous from the inside out. As a result, He will help you truly love even your enemies from the heart. Live your life in dependence upon Christ, not in your own efforts at self-improvement. That’s Jesus’ message that we not only need to hear but put into practice.
Clare de Graaf, in his book The 10-Second Rule, imagines playing baseball with Jesus. “The stands are full of fans, but out there on the field it's just him and me,” he writes. “I'm the pitcher. Jesus is the catcher, behind home plate. He settles into his crouch, ready to play, and I look for his signals—simple commands. What pitch will he want me to throw? I wait in anticipation, but also with one eye on the crowd. What will they think of me?
“He signals a fastball.
“I think for a moment and shake my head—no, not a fastball.
“Next, he signals a slider.
“This time I look toward my teammates in the dugout for guidance. Then I glance up at the fans. No, I'm not comfortable with that one either.
“He gives me yet a third signal.
“No, not today, thank you!
“Then I imagine Jesus silently and slowly withdrawing his signaling hand back into his mitt. There's a deep disappointment in his eyes. He's decided to let me throw whatever I want. So I do—and then I wonder why [I lose the game].” (Clare de Graaf, The 10-Second Rule, Howard Books, 2013, pp. 52-53; www.PreachingToday.com)
Living your life in dependence upon Christ means getting your signals from Him, not from the crowd, not from your friends, and not even from your own head. It means getting your signals from Him and doing what He signals you to do, because He not only tells you what to do but gives you the power to do it.
Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year old with no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on the radio and pleaded for help.
Nearby were two pilots who heard the call. Mount Comfort was the closest airport, and the two pilots gave Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions of climbing, steering—and the scariest part—landing. The two experienced pilots circled the runway three times before this somewhat frantic and totally inexperienced pilot was ready to attempt the landing.
Emergency vehicles were called out and ready for what seemed like an approaching disaster. Witnesses said the plane's nose nudged the center line and bounced a few times before the tail hit the ground. The Cessna ended up in a patch of soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured (Gregg Donnelly, Maple Plain, Minnesota; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s because he realized His own inability to fly a plane. He called out for help; and when it came, he listened and followed instructions as if his life depended on it.
In the same way, realize your own inability to save yourself. Call out to Jesus for help; and when He provides that help, listen and follow His instructions as if your life depends on it, because it really does!
Hear His words. Do His Words. And so...
WITHSTAND THE STORM
Persevere through the trials of life. Prevail when the problems come.
Matthew 7:25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
The wise man survives the storms of life, because he lives his life in dependence upon Christ. It is founded on hearing and doing Christ’s Word.
You see, no matter who you are, the storms will come. It rains on the just and the unjust. The winds blow on believers and unbelievers. The floods come on everybody.
I wish I could say, “Trust Christ with your life and you will avoid all of the problems of life,” but that just isn’t true. I can say, however, “Trust Christ with your life and you will prevail in all of the problems of life;” you will come through the storm still standing and actually stronger for it.
Tony Evans talks about taking a cruise to Alaska some time ago with some of their ministry partners. On their way back a storm broke out, and it was the worst storm Royal Caribbean had ever had. The waves hit 50 feet high. Plates were flying. Pianos were rolling. People were throwing up. It was a messy situation. People were screaming all over the boat.
Lois, his wife, quite concerned picked up the phone and asked to speak to the captain. A crewmember said, “Ma'am, the captain is on the bridge. He can't talk to anybody right now in light of the storm.”
She said, "Would you please tell him I am very upset that he would put us through this when he could have avoided this. He knew it was coming. And I just want to register that I am thoroughly upset about this.”
The crewmember said, “I will relay that to the captain.”
A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was the assistant to the captain. He said, “Ma'am, we have just received your message. It was relayed to the captain, and he asked me to call and relay two things to you. First of all, lady, go to sleep, because the captain is going to stay up, and there's no need in both of you staying awake. The second thing was, this ship was built with this storm in mind. Long before we ever hit the storm, we knew this day was going to come. We knew there was going to be a day when we would face nature at its most vicious level. So way back when we were putting the boat together, we contemplated this moment. And this boat was structured in such a way that on whatever day this storm came, while it would be inconvenient, irritating, aggravating, and exacerbating, while it would be traumatic to go through, what you need to know is all of that was considered when it was constructed. So while the storm is bad, the boat is better.” (Tony Evans, Building on the Right Foundation, www.PreachingToday.com)
My dear friends, whatever storm you’re going through, Jesus is better than the worst storm, so trust Him in the storm. If your life is founded on Him, if you’re depending on Christ, you’ll come out just fine.
Hear His Word, do His Word, and so withstand the storm.
Ravi Zacharias talks about doing a lecture at Ohio State University. On the way, he and his driver passed the new Wexner Art Center. The driver said, “This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating building designed in the post-modernist view of reality.”
The building has no pattern. Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing. The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was mindless and senseless.
Zacharias turned to the man describing it and asked, “Did they do the same thing with the foundation?”
He laughed.
Zacharias says, “You can't do that with a foundation. You can get away with the infrastructure. You can get away with random thoughts that sound good in defense of a world view that ultimately doesn't make sense. Once you start tampering with the foundations, you begin to see the serious effects. Yet the foundations are in jeopardy; the foundations of our culture do not provide coherent sets of answers anymore.” (Ravi Zacharias, “If the Foundations Be Destroyed,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 142; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s because those foundations are the shifting sands of feel-good ethics and moral relativism. Such a foundation will not sustain our culture, and it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down around us.
So WHEN it does, not IF it does, WHEN it does, make sure the foundation of your life is built on the foundation of Christ and His Word.
As the songwriter put it:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name
On Christ the solid Rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand (Edward Mote).
