Title: The Three little pigs - Father's Day
Theme:
Text: Matthew 7:24 -27, Psalms 127
Introduction – Story of the Three Little Pigs
The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune". The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and devours him. The second little pig builds a house of sticks, which the wolf also blows down, though with more blows and the second little pig is also devoured. Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely:
"Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
"No, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."
"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."[5]
The third little pig builds a house of bricks, which the wolf fails to blow down. He then attempts to trick the pig out of the house by asking to meet him at several places at specific times, but he is outwitted each time since the pig gets to those places earlier than the wolf. Finally, the infuriated wolf resolves to come down the chimney, whereupon the pig who owns the brick house lights a fire under a pot of water on the fireplace. The wolf falls in and is fatally boiled, avenging the death of the final pig's brothers. After cooking the wolf, the pig proceeds to eat the meat for dinner.
Built his house out of brick.
Reminds me of another story in the Bible.
Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, (“faith without works is dead”) I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (25) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house (the storm came, life happened, the good and the bad); and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (26) "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: (27) and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." It looked good for a long time and may have survived, except for the storm.
The foundation is important. If we build our house on the right foundation it will stand. When the storm comes it will stand. When the tribulations come it will stand.
Unless the Lord Builds the House
Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain (emptiness) who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is vain (emptiness, purposeless, “if the Lord does not build the house”) for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Vain is the key word here. Vain means empty and useless. We were called to live life with purpose and hope.
It was the fire that killed the wolf not the material
Fire in the Bible
God’s Judgement – separating the good and the bad
Matthew 13:40-43 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. (41) The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, (42) and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (43) Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Purification - cleansing
1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Cleansing. Used as to clean a needle.
God’s Presence
In the Bible, fire is often used as a symbol of God’s presence. In the book of Exodus, God appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush. In the book of Leviticus, God gives instructions on how to build an altar that is to be used for sacrificial offerings. It is pictured as a consuming fire, and in the New Testament coming from Jesus Christ.
Exo 3:1-6 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. (3) Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." (4) So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." (5) Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." (6) Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
And in the book of Revelation, The Early Church, John sees a vision of heaven that is filled with fire. Throughout Scripture, then, fire is used as a way to represent the holy and transcendent nature of God.
The Holy Spirit
Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Listening and being guided by the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
David prepared the temple, David prepared the vision, David prepared the material
The third pig stopped the generational curse.
Where do you stand today? What are you building on?
This Father’s Day it is time to make things right for the future.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
