Wrapping It Up

Today, as we examine the Word of God together, there will be some of you who will leave here thinking about what has been said. Hopefully, understanding for sure whether or not you have built your life on solid rock or sinking sand. We will look first of all at two characters: the wise man, the foolish man.

We will then look at their construction. One on solid rock, one on seeking sand. Then look at the consequences of that construction.

One withstood, one fell. And then the conclusion: what happened to the people who listened that day? What was their response to the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher that ever lived? And help us understand once again the Serm on the Mount. Christ began with an inv in verses 13 and 14 in Matthew chapter 7: ent the narrow gates. It's a command. For broad is the road that leads to destruction, but narrow is the way that leads to life eternal, and few there be that find it. And so Christ, in the only way that he can, leaves them with one concluding illustration.

One more way to sum up everything that he has said. He gives an illustration about a wise man and a foolish man to see whether or not the people there listening that day would be wise or foolish. He says these words. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts upon them may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain descended, and the floods came, the winds blew and burst against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. The first thing I want you to notice are the two characters: one wise, one foolish.

The wise man is characterized by the fact that he hears the word of God. Acts upon the Word of God. So he hears it and obeys the Word of God. He is more than just a hearer of the Word, He is a doer of the Word. In fact, over in James chapter 1, in verse number 22, James says, But prove yourselves doers of the W Word and not merely hearers who delude themselves or deceive themselves. If you're one who comes to church and hears the Word of God, you're one who audits church. That is, you hear the word but don't do anything about it, then you are deceived.

You have made a gross miscalculation about your condition before God. So James says, make sure that you are a doer of the word, not merely a hearer of the word only. Christ says that the wise man is the one who builds his house upon the rock.

That is, he hears the word of God and he obeys the word of God. He acts upon it. Christ says, Look, if you want to be a wise man today, not only have you heard the message of the Sermon on the Mount, but you will respond in obedience to the Serm on the Mount.

That's the wise man who builds his house upon the rock. The foolish man hears the Serm on the Mount. He does not want to obey the demands that are given. He is the one who lives his own lifestyle and practices lawlessness. And one day we'll hear the words. Depart from me. I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness. The wise man is characteristic not only of hearing the word of God, but of doing The Word of God. That's why Christ said in Matthew 13 about the parable of the sower and the soils.

How the Word of God is going to be proclaimed and received in the kingdom age. He closes out in verse number 9: He who has ears to hear. Let him hear. Do more than just a superficial listening to the word. Hear it, measure it, understand it, dig deep. Listen carefully. And Christ says, Look, the man who hears the word, acts upon them, is the one who digs down deep.

He's not in a hurry. He's the one who is not interested in a quick conversion. He is one who calculates his own sinfulness. He's one who knows of the holiness of God. He knows the demands of a holy God and therefore realizes the ramification of his decision. He's very teachable. He's willing to follow the Lord God. He knows that the commands of God are not burdensome. He knows that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He knows that. So he can enter the narrow gate. He can build on solid rock.

He'll withstand the st. That 's the wise man. Then there's a foolish man. The text is very clear. Verse number 26: And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them will be like a fool man. Now, the foolish man attends the same church as the wise man. The foolish man hears the same sermons as the wise man. The foolish man sings in the same choir as the wise man. The foolish man ser in the same nursery as the wise man. He sings the same songs. As the wise men. In fact, they are indistinguishable.

Why? Because both of them have built a house. And the houses look exactly alike. They have the same pillars in the front, they got the same French doors in the front with stained glass windows on them. They got the big patio in the back, the good sund, the jac in the back. It's a well house. You see? We know that they have built the same house in the same location because they both face the same storm. At the end. But one stands and one falls. So they stand side by side. In other words, they sit side by side in the same church.

And they are indistinguishable from one another except for the construction of the house, the underneath structure. How that house is constructed is that which makes the difference. But from appearance's sake, on the outside it looks really good, see? Remember, Jesus Christ was talking to religious people. These people all had some semblance of religion on the hillside, and especially the Pharisees. And he was really indicting them because they were the false prophets leading people down the broad road to destruction.

And they had erected houses, houses that looked like kingdom houses, but they were built on sinking. Sand. The foolish man hears but does not respond. He hears but does not act upon what he says. He audits church. He listens, but does not resp. He does not count the cost. Martin Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on the Serm on the Mount, says this about the foolish man who takes parts of the Word of God, but not all of the Word of God for fear that it might. Disquiet is life. He says this. The characteristic of the false believer is that he does not face all of the Word of God.

He just picks out what he wants and likes, ignores the rest. In other words, his outstanding characteristic always is that he never faces completely and honestly the nature of sin and the effects of sin in the light of the holiness of God. The trouble with him is that he never wants to feel unhappy. He never wants to feel a sense of dissatisfaction with himself or a sense of discomfort. The thing he wants to avoid at all costs is being unhappy or being made to feel uncomfortable. He does not like the people who make him feel uncomfortable, nor the passages in the Bible that do the same, so he picks and chooses.

He is always out for ease and comfort and happiness, and he never faces properly the biblical doctrine of sin because it disturbs him and causes him disquiets. In quotes. And it leads us to main point number two.

What does Christ say? He says this. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts upon them may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them Will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the s. I like what one author said: that the false prophets Are there real estate agents trying to sell homes on sinking sand to people so that they end up on the broad road? The word rock, Petra, means rock bed, in conjunction or in distinction from petros, which means stone or boulder, and that will come into play in just a moment.

But the wise man builds his houses upon the solid rock. The wise man builds his house on sinking sand. The question com: What is solid rock? Some people believe that the rock is God, and they have every right to believe that, don't they? For Psalm 18, verse number 2 says what? The Lord is my rock. Over in Psalm 18, verse number 31. For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? Psalm 62 verse number 2. We only, or he only, is my rock and salvation. People say that Christ is the rock, and those who build upon God, the rock is a firm fixture and will never be shaken.

Is that what Christ is referring to in Matthew chapter 7? Maybe. But if you want to know the real answer, all you got to do is read Matthew chapter 7, verses 24 and 26. It tells you what the rock is, what's it said. Therefore, everyone who hears these what? Words of mine and acts upon them may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the ro. And everyone who hears the word of God and does not act upon them, he is a foolish man who builds his house upon the sinking sand. The rock is the word of God.

Hearing it and living in obedience to it. The bottom line in the Serm on the Mount, the bottom line in Christianity is am I obeying the word Of the Lord. Over in Colossians chapter 1, it says this in verse number 22. He has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed. You continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you Have heard. You know that you have been planted firmly in the faith because you continue in the faith.

You continue living a life of obedience to God. That marks true saving faith. Over in 1 John chapter 2, verse number 3, it says this: And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep. His commandments. The one who says, I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this, we know that we are in him. The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked.

Listen to what Tozer said. A. W. Tozer, who in writing in his day would confront the error of the message being given by many people. And he spoke these words in a book entitled, I Call It Heresy, when he said this. Years ago, no one would ever dare to rise in a meeting and say, I am a Christian. If he had not surrendered his whole being to God and had taken Jesus Christ as his Lord as well as the Savior, and had brought himself under obedience to the will of the Lord, it was only then that he could say, I am saved.

Today, we let them say they are saved no matter how imperfect and incomplete the transaction, with the condition that the deeper Christian life can be tacked on at some time in the future. Can it be that we really think that we do not owe Jesus Christ our obedience? We have owed him our obedience ever since the second we cried out to him for salvation.

And if we do not give him that obedience, I have reason to wonder if We are really converted. I see things and I hear of things that Christian people are doing, and as I watch them operate within the profession of Christianity, I do raise the question of whether they have been truly converted. Brethren, I believe it is the result of faulty teaching to begin with. They thought of the Lord as a hospital and Jesus as the chief of staff to fix up poor sinners that had gotten into trouble. Fix me up, Lord, they have insisted, so that I can go on my own way.

That is bad teaching, brethren. The bottom line is when you hear the Word of God, do you act upon the Word of God? Do you obey the word of God? That's the wise man. That's the man who's built his life on solid rock. One author said it this way. Building your life on the rock means being obedient. Examine your life. Do you desire more than anything else to obey the word of God? Or do you live in disobedience and try to justify yourself? Obedience is the key word here. The only validation you will ever have of your salvation is a life of obedience.

That is the only way you can prove that you really recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If you do not obey God's Word, your confession of Christ as Lord is a mere verbal exercise. Sol rock are those who hear the word and act upon it. Now let me make a distinction here.

There are some who say, well, are you saying that if you listen to the Serm on the Mount and do what's in the Serm on the Mount, you'll go to heaven? Are you advocating justification by works? Answer: absolutely not. You see, the reason Christ preached this sermon was to help people understand. That there was no way they could meet up to his standard. Matthew 5:4, be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. You see? And so he would begin his sermon with what? Matthew 5:3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who are poor in spirit, those who are spiritually bankrupt. Those who have nothing in and of themselves to count any good for the sake of the kingdom. Those who realize they can't do anything to get into heaven, it's those people. Who number two will mourn over their sin and they will be the ones who are comforted.

They will mourn over their sin because they realize there's nothing they can do to get into heaven and they'll cry out to God, God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. And God will say, That person is the one who will be justified in my sight. Do you build on solid rock or do you build on sinking sand? Which leads us to point number three: the consequences.

What's it say? Verse number 25, verse number 27: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house, and yet it did not fall. the solid rock house, for it had been founded upon the rock. But the one who built upon the sand, oh, when the rains and the storm came, it fell, it says, and great was its fall. One big storm and the solid rock house would stand, but the one built on seek sand Would fall. And great was that fall. What is the fall? The fall is: depart from me.

I never knew you, ye who practice lawlessness. The great fall is the day of judgment when you will stand before the king of kings and give an account for your life. It's the wise man who will withstand. Why? Because there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ our Lord, right? For those who find themselves in Christ, there is no condemnation. They will withstand the fall. So in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, it talks about those in Thessalonica. Who were delivered from the wrath to come? Why? Because they had built their lives on solid rock.

They had a true, genuine faith experience. 1 Thessalonians 2. 1, when they received the word of God, they implant the word of God, they received it, they put out the welc man. And they received it into their hearts, and the text says that the word of God is that which effectually works its change in you. You see, when you receive the Word of God and you're built upon a solid rock, the Word of God changes your life day after day after day to you walk in newness of life and exemplify the glory of God.

Proverbs 30 tells us that there was a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet have not been washed from their filthiness. That was the Pharisees. They were pure in their own eyes. They saw themselves as righteous and holy. They looked at themselves through their eyes. They did not look at their lives through the Word of God.

You see, I wonder, have you been washed from your filthiness? Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you still practicing la? Back in Revelation chapter 21, verse number 8, it says this. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars. Their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Revelation 21, verse number 15: out the kingdom of heaven. Are the dogs, the sorcerers, and the immoral persons, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. But up in verse number 14 it says, Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. Do you find yourself in that list? Do you find yourself habitually carrying on those practices in your life? Over in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, there's another list, verse number 9.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adult, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals. Nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God. Do you find yourself in that list? I say, well, I've done those things. I didn't ask you if you've done them. I've asked you, do you habitually practice them? Everybody sins. But is that your manner of life? Over in Galatians 5, it says this, verse number 19.

Now, the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these of which I forewarn you just as. I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Do you practice those things? Are they the habitual nature of your lifestyle? If so, you're building on sinking sand, and great will be your fall.

Again, I ask you, have you been cleansed from the habitual lifestyle of those sins so that they no longer reign in your life, but Jesus Christ him reigns supreme? Which leads us to the conclusion. Verse number 28. The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at his teaching. For he was teaching them as one having authority and not as their scribes. Now, think about that with me for a moment. L at what it doesn't say. The greatest preacher who ever lived preached the greatest sermon known to man, and there was no revival.

There was no recorded conversions. There was no decision made. In fact, to make no decision is to rem on the broad road that leads to destruction. The people were amazed at his teaching because this one spoke as one having authority over the scribes and Pharisees. They would quote others who had authority, but Jesus himself, he was the authority. And they were amazed. It's a word that means to stand beside yourself. They were dumbfounded at the words of Christ. So they began to analyze the words of Christ.

They were astonished at the words of Christ. But they made no decision. That's amazing to me. Amazing. That the hundreds of people on the hillside would hear the words of our Lord and do nothing. Hear them and not act upon them, and continue building on sinking sand. Instead of hearing them, acting upon them and say, Oh God, be merciful unto us who are sinners. May we learn to follow and serve you as our God. May we fall down before you and worship only you. And do what you ask us to do, that we might bring glory to your name and live as children of the king.

But that was not their response. That was them, then. What about you today? What's your response? How do you respond to the 35 messages of the Sermon on the Mount? How do you respond to the greatest sermon ever preached? What's your reaction? Have you come and listened and left and remained unchanged? Or has the Spirit of God been doing a work in your heart and life so you know what it means to change your life and to follow and serve Almighty God? Charles Spurgeon said these words: There are tens of thousands to whom the preaching of the gospel is as music in the ears of a corpse.

They shut their ears and will not hear, though the testimony be concerning God's own Son, and life eternal, and the way to escape from everlasting wrath. To their own best interest, to their eternal benefit, men are dead. Nothing will secure their attention to their God. To what then are these men like? They may fitly be compared to the man who built no house whatsoever, and remained homeless by day and shelterless by night. When worldly trouble comes like a storm, those persons who will not hear the words of Jesus have no consolation to cheer them.

When sickness comes, they have no joy of heart to sustain them under its pains. And when death, that more terrible of storms, beats upon them, they feel its full fury, but they cannot find a hiding place. They neglect the housing of their souls, and when the hurricane of almighty wrath shall break forth in the world to come, they will have no place of refuge. In vain will they call upon the rocks to fall upon them, and the mountains to cover them. They shall be in that day without a shelter from the righteous wrath of the Most High.

How about you? Have you been delivered from the wrath to come? Because you've built your life on solid rock, you've entered the narrow gate. And come to faith in Jesus Christ.