THE HOUSE THAT WITHSTOOD THE STORM
Matthew 7:21-27
Text: vv.24-17
Song:
Prayer
Acknowledgements:
For our scripture let us consider Matthew 7:21-27 [Repeat]. When you find it please say Amen. And it reads:
Verse 21: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (v. 22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? (v.23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (v.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: (v.25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (v.26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (v.27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
I to use as theme or title tonight: The House that withstood the Storm (repeat)
Turn to your neighbor and say neighbor: What type of House are you building? [Repeat]
Bear with for a moment as I give you a brief introduction as to what is taking place here in the seventh chapter of Matthew. But before we can understand the seventh -- I think that it would behoove us to go back and examine the first.
You see -- The Old Testament prophets predicted and longed for the coming of the Anointed One who would enter history to bring redemption and deliverance. The first verse of Matthew announces this long-awaited event when it says “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
What does all of this mean preacher? -- Well, brothers, I know that you are not Bible scholars nor are you seminary students and I do not mean to insult your biblical scholarship or intelligence, but this first verse in Matthew is a very powerful statement, which fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s family line.
Simply put, Matthew provides the essential bridge between the Old and the New Testament. The Gospel of Matthew was written to present clear evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior.
In Matthew Chapter Two we have the birth of Jesus. Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus flight to Egypt to escape King Herod is also record in this chapter.
Matthew Chapter three fulfills the prophecy recorded in Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Well -- we all know the words of John the Baptist -- Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus comes along and is baptized by John in this chapter.
Chapter 4 -- Wow, the first verse. “Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.” Notice that the scriptures says led by the Spirit -- that is why it is good to pray, led us not into temptation by deliver us from evil. That is powerful to me. Anyway -- after passing the test, angels came down from heaven and ministered unto Jesus (Matthew 4:11).
Whew -- now, here we go. Matthew Chapter 4:17 reads “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent; for the king of heaven is at hand.” Why did I point this out to you? Simply put this is where Jesus public ministry begins. You see -- Jesus went all through Galilee preaching and teaching the synagogues, and healing all manner of sicknesses and diseases.
He was going around Galilee healing people who were possessed by demons, epilepsy, healing people who had the palsy (paralyzed). Now, as you can imagine, all of this created a lot of enthusiasm and interest -- so the bible tells us that great multitudes of people from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea and beyond the Jordan began to follow Him.
The word was out ya’ll. People were trying to find out what all of the hoopla was about. What do you mean a man named Jesus healed the demon-possessed man downtown on the corner of Capernaum and Bethany? Folk had to see for themselves. So they followed him.
Chapter 5 -- Jesus sees the multitudes and decides to take this opportunity to teach them. This leads us to what we know as the Sermon of the Mount, Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. Read the Sermon on the Mount and you will discover the Beatitudes or should I say the characteristics of Godly people “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of God.” “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted” “Blessed are they meek; for they shall inherit the earth.”
You name the problem the Sermon of the Mount has the answer. Read and you will discover instructions on pray, lust, adultery, divorce, perjury, and guidelines on how to treat your enemies and judge others. The answers to every issue that concerns man is found in the Sermon on the Mount.
Which lead us up to our text found in Matthew chapter 7, verse 21-24.
Whew -- I know some of ya’ll didn’t think that I was ever going to get there.
Anyway -- lets reconsider our scripture. Verse 21:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Fellows -- have you ever encountered one of those brothers that always go around town talking about what they are going to do.
Oh no -- don’t mix that kind of brother with the game of basketball either. You see -- there is something about the game of basketball and smack that go hand and hand. I haven’t quite figured that out yet.
Anyway -- ya’ll know those kinds of brothers that sit around the locker room -- before the big game and talk about what they are going to do. All of you would agree that -- these self proclaimed “Big Balla, Shot Callas” talk a good game. Talking about how they are going to take such and such to the hoop.
But it never fails -- that when they get on the court [repeat]. It never fails. They shout 2 for 15 from the field miss just about every lay-up. But the one thing that I don’t understand is how they miss the break away lay up [when nobody else is around them] and somehow when they miss the lay up, they miraculously run back down the court limping [claiming to have twisted their ankle, calling for the coach].
On the baseball diamond these self-proclaimed “big balls, shot callas,” blow the opportunity to turn a double play and somehow they blame it on the glove.
On the football field they miss the game winning touchdown and petition the referee for a flag. All of these so-called player, players talk good game. -- But what happens when they get on the courts of life.
Well fellows I got a word from the Sponsor. Which tells me that “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Well, what does that mean preacher -- it means that your talk is cheap. You may talk a good game while you are here in this locker room. You might lead the team in the Lord’s pray. You may even be the team’s captain and have the opportunity to lead the exercises.
But what I what to know is -- what you are going to do will you get on the court. What are you going to do when you leave this place?
I what to know what you are going to do when you have to try and stop the Shequille O’Neal of life who out weight you and over power you. What will you do when the Shaqs of life back you down into the paint -- will your house withstand the dunk or will you simply give up and foul out?
I came to tell you tonight -- that your talk is cheap. Yeah, your smack is cheap. You see -- not every one that talks about Heaven -- is going to heaven.
Watch this [Verse 22]
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?
Watch this (v.23) and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
You see God is not concerned about your talk [repeat] -- but He is concerned about your walk. Just as the coach on the field is more concerned about touchdowns than touchback. The couch on the court is more concerned about foul shots than fouls. The coach on the diamond is more concerned about catches than errors. You see -- God is more concerned about your testimony than your testiphony.
You see God is calling us to do right -- not just say the right words. Your house (which represent your life) will only withstand the storms of life -- if you do what is right instead of just talking about what is right.
You see -- the smack that you talk here in this locker room, [ya’ll don’t here me], I said, the smack that you talk here in this locker room, the smack that you talk here in this sanitary, the smack that you talk in your jail cell or in A dorm or B Dorm may score points in this life with your fellow man, but it will not score points in Heaven.
Turn to your neighbor and say neighbor: What type of house -- are you building?
[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: (v.25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (v.26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (v.27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
How many of you remember what you were doing in 1988. Let’s see I was living in Oakland, California. I believe MC Hammer Let’s get it Started” topped the charts with Pebbles song “Do you want to ride in Mercedes.” But the thing that stood out the most was the string of natural disasters that swept across this country. There were killer tornadoes in the south, devastating fires in the west and destructive hurricanes in the east. All of which impacted the lives of many people.
But one the thing that we learned from all of these disasters was the lack of concern or the shabbiness of many contractors and homebuilders. Because of these disasters -- we discovered that many of the homebuilders in this country were unscrupulous [lacking the concern for what is right and honorable]. You see - they failed to build homes in accordance to the building code and because of this many homes were destroyed and people lost their lives.
Watch this [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: (v.25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Here we see -- Jesus making a parallel between the storms and the buildings. He is seeking to encourage the people to act upon what He is saying -- and not just be like those locker room players who talked a good game. Jesus is in fact contrasting [setting apart to show difference] the differences between those who were doers and not just listeners.
Watch this 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:
Let us get a better understanding of this. First off, what does the house represent -- well the house represent our lives. It is important for us to understand that each of us is building a life. A life -- that will eventually be face with the many different issues of life. A life that will respond to the many ups and downs -- that comes our way.
Now -- it is also important for us to understand that we are building our lives upon a foundation. So my question to you tonight is -- what foundation is your house built on?
Lets understand what our foundation is -- our foundation is whatever teaching, doctrine, or philosophy to which we subscribe [unbeknownst to you -- your sitting here and lessoning to me preach is shaping your foundation]. Lets understand that our foundation can also be philosophy or doctrines adopted from others, or developed by ourselves.
So I ask you again -- what type of house are you building?
Let us understand that we cannot escape the fact that we are builders. Let us understand the fact that we are all contractors, charged to build our house [charged to build our lives] in accordance to the Chief Engineers code.
The question is whether or not you will be a wise or foolish building. The tests that will determine this are called the storm of life.
Watch this [Verse 25]
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
You see -- the storms are the things, which threaten our well-being. This may involve literal storms such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and all of the other natural disasters, which may take away all we own, perhaps even our loved ones.
But I stopped by to tell you that -- how we respond to such tragedies would reveal the quality of our building. Will we be emotionally devastated or will be able to stand strong, willing to continue on without despair?
The storms of life may also be figurative storms. Such things as illness, loss of loved ones, financial setbacks and even imprisonment.
Figurative storms, which may take away our freedom, take away our health, family, and possessions. Again, I stopped by to tell you that your response to such tragedies would reveal the quality of your building. Will we be emotionally devastated or will be able to stand strong, willing to continue on without despair?
[Verse 26]
“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (v.27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Then there is the Final storm of life ... that of death and the final judgment. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
Just as the hurricanes and tornadoes of 1988 -- exposed shabbiness of the builder’s character. This final storm of life will also be our truest test, when our character is exposed. Then the Lord will describe the kind of builder you are. Then the Lord will describe the kind of servant we have been.
So my question to you is -- What type of builder are you? Are you a wise or a foolish builder. When the Lord comes back to inspect the building, I said when the Lord come back to inspect the house -- will he say you “Well done my good and faithful servant” or will He say “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
What type of builder are you? I came to tell you that the longer we live, the more storms we are likely to face; and there is the final “storm” that none can escape!
Well preacher -- How can we be sure to build our lives -- so as to withstand the storm? Well -- I glad you asked.
The answer is found in verse 24 of our text where it says:
“Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them...”
Which leads me to believe -- that obeying Jesus -- is the key to withstanding the storms. Which further means -- that being a hearer only is not sufficient, being a locker room smack talking is not sufficient, talking a good game is not sufficient. Such is foolishness -- it like contractors who build on a shaky ground. They build on a foundation that will not stand the test of the storms.
As recorded in James 1:22-24 -- such foolishness is like a man who looks at himself in the mirror and then turns away and forgets what he looks like.
Like the unscrupulous contractor -- we discover earlier, the storms of life -- will reveal the true quality of one’s character. As Moses said in Numbers 32:23 “...your sins will find you out.”
We must do what Jesus says. Those who do what Jesus said would be those who withstand the storm of life. They will withstand the storms of life because their lives, their houses, their building, their sanitary are built upon the rock [a solid foundation].
Well preachers -- how can the sayings of Jesus -- help me withstand the storms. Well -- I’m glad you asked
Well -- if we heed the words of Jesus -- we will be able to understand that which He said about laying up treasure in heaven and not on this earth. You will be able to understand that you do not have to be out there slanging and banging, carrying the sack trying to make a dollar.
Closing
If we heed -- the words of Jesus you will be able -- to understand -- that which He said -- about our hearts will not be distraught if our earthly treasures are stolen or lost.
If we heed the words of Jesus about seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness we will be able to understand -- that which He said that we need not be anxiety for the future, and that we need not worry about tomorrow -- for tomorrow will take care of itself.
If we heed the words of Jesus about avoiding being mislead by false prophets -- that which He said regarding staying on the straight and narrow way that leads to eternal life.
So my question to you tonight is -- What kind of house are you building? I stopped by to tell you tonight that if your house is in need of repairs; if your house is in need of remodeling; if your house is built on shaky ground -- I stopped by to tell you that Jesus could fix it for you. All you have to do is let Him.
If your house is in need of direction, if you house is not ready for God’s inspection -- Then I encourage you to allow Jesus to come in and do the corrections. Once you allow Jesus to come into your life to do the correction -- then and only then will you have God’s protection, which will lead to your eternal perfection.
Fellows -- God is at work in your life -- even when you do not recognize it or understand it. If you want to profit from His intervention, then you must be willing to cooperate and listen to what He has to say to you.
If you allow Jesus in to remodel your house. I say if you allow Jesus in to remodel your life -- He will be able to clear you mind of all of these distractions of life that so easily beset us.
If you allow Jesus in to remodel your house -- he will come in and stabilize your soul.
If you allow Jesus in to remodel your house -- he will cure you of your unbelief and doubt.
If you allow Jesus in to remodel your house -- he will humble your spirit.
If you allow Jesus in to remodel your house -- he will renew your faith.
You see God wants to use these storms in our life -- to replace our gloom with glory.
God wants to use these storms in our life -- to turn the weak into the strong.
God wants to use these storms in our life -- to rekindle your flicker of hope into a might flame.
God wants to use these storms in our life -- to change all of life pressure into peace.
God wants to use these storms in our life -- to replace your burdens with blessings.
You see -- God uses the storms in our life -- to reveal His Majesty and power. He wants to revel His sovereignty, His grace and His mercy.
So why don’t you let God come in and remodel, refashion, reaffirm, rearrange, reset, and reform your life.
Want you Let Him [repeat]
My question to you tonight is -- What kind of house are you building?
If you are:
Anguished by adversities,
Perplexed by your problems,
Troubled by tribulation
Then I encourage you to come to Jesus. Let the Lord take control of your house. Then and only then will your house be able to withstand the storm.
- Prayer
- Song
- Invitation to Christian discipleship
