“Build Upon the Rock”
As you may know, hurricane season is fast approaching, in fact it officially begins for us on June 1st. And I’m sure that because of names like Hazel, Fran, and Floyd, none of us here need be reminded that hurricanes are one of nature’s most destructive and deadly forces. Some of these storms have the ability to level entire cities, leaving only a wide path of devastation in its wake. In the not so distant past, we had little or no warning when hurricanes or other violent storms loomed on the horizon. But fortunately, over the years we have developed some technologically advanced computer systems and radars to help us forecast and track all types of severe weather. With this technology, we now have the ability not only to tell when a storm is headed our way, but we can also determine how fast it is approaching, its strength, and the direction the storm will likely take after it passes through. These advances in meteorology have no doubt saved countless lives simply because we are now given atleast some warning when dangerous weather threatens our area. And this warning allows us vital time to “batten down the hatches” as it were and prepare for its coming.
With some types of storms, such as hurricanes, we typically are warned days or even weeks in advance of their actual arrival. But with weather phenomena such as tornados, and severe lightning storms, our warning time is shaved from days to minutes. Channel seven has a saying that is part of a contest the station promotes. The saying is “live dopplar 7 : It gives you six minutes that could save your life.” When we’re faced with a potentially deadly storm, six minutes is not very long, but it is infinitely better than no time at all.
Strong winds, lightning, floods, hail, not to mention snow and ice are all elements of the weather that could very easily devastate a large number of people and inflict severe structural damage in a very short period of time. But even though we’ve all seen first-hand their destructive nature in the past, we don’t generally think about the power or potential danger of these elements until they are bearing down upon us. And then, because we are not adequately prepared, we are left totally at the mercy of the storm.
But, then again, anyone who has ever been inside their home and watched as their roof was ripped completely off can quickly tell you that sometimes there is no such thing as being prepared enough. Sometimes there is simply nowhere we can go and nothing we can do. As a last resort, we are forced to retreat to the inner-most room in our house and hope upon hope that it is very well built.
But this morning, we are not going to talk about how to hurricane-proof our houses. No, our focus today will rest on how we can hurricane-proof our lives. Together we are going to see what the bible has to say about being prepared to face those spiritual storms that we have all encountered in times past and no doubt will continue to encounter as we make our pilgrimage towards the promised land. The first scripture that I want us to look at this morning is found in Matthew 7:21-27
Matthew 7:21-27
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he 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 perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
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.”
Notice how Jesus uses “therefore” to link verses 21-23 to verses 24-27. The importance of a firm spiritual foundation could not have been made more evident nor could it have expressed any more vividly the connection of the written word and the Living Word. A relationship based solely on “feeling” and assumption being virtually void of a deep and intimate study of the Word will surely crumble and fall because it is merely a shell without a foundation or a sturdy frame.
For those of us who are familiar with construction and building, this parable is perhaps one of the most profound parables that Jesus ever uttered. Why? Because we who are somewhat knowledgeable about the building process understand just how important a foundation is to any structure. The truth is that you can use the very best and most expensive building materials to build the house of your dreams, you can construct the biggest and most extravagant house in the world, but if the foundation isn’t solid and sure, then that house of your dreams will quickly turn into a nightmare. As I have learned time and time again, the integrity of any house depends heavily upon its foundation.
I want you to notice in this parable that Jesus made it clear that both the foolish and the wise builders had to endure the same storm—the wise man was in no way “exempt” from the storms of life, nor are we. And He seemed to imply that they both used the same building materials, but the vital difference of course was the foundation of each house—that the house built upon the rock could not be moved while the house built upon the sand fell with a “great crash.”
Brothers and sisters, as we daily build onto our spiritual houses, as we seek to construct our Christian lives and religious beliefs, we must be certain that everything we believe, every doctrine by which we live is founded firmly upon the Rock who is Christ. Because if our Christian experience is not anchored in Jesus, then no matter how perfect it looks on the outside—not matter how many amenities are displayed for all to see, make no mistake, it will sooner or later be reduced to a pile of rubble. Psalm 127:1 says; “unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain..”
You know, I love how the Lord uses storms in the bible to teach us important spiritual lessons. I know that generally we tend to think of storms in the negative sense but in the same way that literal storms bring life-giving water upon the land; so spiritual storms can also have very positive effects in our lives.
As with the fugitive prophet named Jonah, the Lord sometimes uses storms to “get us back on course.” And as it was with Job, sometimes it takes the fury of a storm to help us finally understand our own weaknesses and to acknowledge God’s omnipotence and providence.
Unfortunately, if we don’t have Christ and His word as our foundation, then even the mildest of storms has the potential to devastate our lives. But sadly, countless people are going about their day to day totally oblivious to the fact that they are living in mere tents right smack dab in the middle of tornado alley. Like two of the three little pigs, they have quickly thrown together spiritual houses made of straw and sticks thinking that this is all they will ever need to shelter and protect them. We all know what happened to those two little pigs don’t we? Well, the moral of the story is quite the same.
As he was led by the Spirit, Solomon said it best when he said in Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.” People tend to rely much too heavily on how they “feel” instead of what the Word plainly teaches. Sometimes we say to ourselves; “I know what the bible says, but my heart is telling me this or that..” So many people rely more on what their “heart” tells them than on what God is trying to tell them. That’s why Jeremiah 17:9 says; “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Brothers and sisters, try as we may, we will never find an adequate substitute for the living word of God. Nothing will ever supercede a “thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, our example and our Rock, was well-familiar with the word of God—not merely because He was divine, but because He studied it like we should study it. He realized that through the written word He would be drawn closer to His Father in heaven, and this was His greatest desire. As a result, the word became living inside of Him—and because of that, He was able to withstand the hurricane-like temptations of everyday life, and also the great temptations He faced in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) Here, Satan himself could not deceive Jesus because He was grounded in the scriptures. In response to each temptation you will recall that the physically and emotionally exhausted Lord began with “it is written..” In the end, our Savior drove the tempter away with the Sword of the Spirit which Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 is the Word of God.
I want us to look at 2 Timothy 4:1-5
“1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
What a testimony to the importance of preserving and preaching the word of God! And what’s more, at that particular time, the New Testament didn’t even exist! Even so, Paul’s prediction has indeed come to pass. Truly, people have rejected sound doctrine and have surrounded themselves with teachers (and preachers) who tell them what their “itching ears” want to hear. Instead of building on the Rock, millions of people are erecting houses on the shifting sands of tradition and convenience.
This book (the bible) has been at the center of some of history’s most deadly conflicts. Much blood has been shed in the past and continues to be shed even today in order for us to have access to these holy wittings. This, which I hold in my hand, united with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is a source of immeasurable power. As we’ve just read, the words of this book can help us to stand up against the winds of temptation and the waves of false teaching. Not only that, but Jesus tells us in John 17 that the word of God sanctifies us—that it helps to make us holy. Is it any wonder that Satan works so diligently to see that we seldom open it?
The beloved disciple opens his gospel with; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) As we continue to seek the Lord and His will for our lives by studying His word, we can be certain that we are building on a rock-solid foundation. And as we are faced with the unavoidable storms of life, no matter how hard the wind blows or the rain comes down, we can be sure that we shall not be moved.
God Bless.
