Opening Prayer Pg.1
God of our salvation, We come into your presence with the joy of being in your service, of spending time in Your word, learning in fellowship among like followers of Your Son Jesus. We are thankful for your word in our study of this important teaching from Jesus. We pray that our fellowship today will bless each one here and give each of us joy and purpose that we may be useful vessels in your service. Be with those of our group who cannot be here today, we pray you will share our blessing with them. Be with those of us who are suffering illness and those who care for them. Restore their health and bring them back into our midst.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen
Scripture: Matthew 7:21-29 "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' 24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 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." 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus casts this parable just after his expression of disgust with those who do not do the will of his Father.
And from Mat 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen." We studied this last week when we studied the parable of the unwilling guests. They were thrown into the outer darkness. None shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of God. What a terrible thing to have happen, to be invited, and choose not to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And even some who call out to him shall be rejected, as their hearts were centered on themselves, and not God’s will. We must allow for the fact that they weigh heavily in this parable.
Then we have this parable which tells us that we will be buffeted by the storms of life. By "rain, floods, and winds," Jesus is expressing metaphorically the calamities and afflictions that come upon all mankind from birth to death, such things will come against us, as do they to all mankind, but they are not to shake our faith, they may test us yes, but we are to remain steadfast in our faith. It is our strong faith that will see us through to the end, and it starts with a good foundation. A Faith in God’s plan of Salvation, and a willingness to be doers as well as hearers of the word.
Jesus told this parable near the end of the Sermon on the Mount so as to inform his followers and his disciples so that they would understand that God has made for all men a pathway to our salvation, regardless of the storms we encounter in this life. Our strength is in him and comes from the knowledge that he will open Heavens Gate to all who repent and seek his will for their life, and call on His Son for their salvation. But he also warns of the times when their faith will be tested to the maximum.
Pg.2
"Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'
The teachings of Jesus Christ are the literal word of God, There is wisdom and sound advice in every word from the Mouth of God. Everyone wants the best advice when building a home, and everyone knows that a good solid foundation is the very first thing a house must have to be sturdy and permanent. And likewise, every house built upon a bad foundation will not endure, for lacking a good foundation it will fail. Mat 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
There are many false prophets and teachers in our world today that will do the work of Satan and call it the work of God. Teaching false doctrine and even calling themselves Christians, preachers, apostles and teachers. They will seek to get into the affections and goodwill of the people; but have no heart for Christ, nor true faith in him. nor is it their concern to preach his Gospel, to advance his glory, and promote his kingdom and interest. Their chief view is to please men, and aggrandize themselves, up against the righteousness of Christ. It is their goal to promote self and self gratification by offering appealing words that tickle the ears of their listeners but offer no foundational advice to promote a Christian relationship with Jesus nor is their goal to save souls, except to sweeten their view of themselves, ant to revel in the glory and admiration of the moment.
They each one have another agenda, and that is to promote self and to swell with pride at their worldly successes. Success, as the world counts it, is not a criterion of one’s knowledge of Christ and these charlatans are encouragers of the foolish men who build their houses upon the sand. None of those who spread a false doctrine, shall be called to the right, with the sheep, but all shall be sent to the left, with the goats and thrown into the eternal flame.
This is not to say that there are not Good honest and convincing preachers teachers and leaders in our world today that can help one come to know Jesus Christ and his goodness and love for those lost souls that turn to him for their salvation. It is important to note that Jesus calls on us as his servants to help those who seek to know him better. However the Christian must be wary of any who profess to have a special knowledge of God, or of his healing and soul saving powers. There is just one savior. It always was and always will be only Jesus that can see one through to salvation.
Q.1 What is it about these people we’re speaking of that raises a red flag to the true Christian?
Q.2 What is the best path the true believer is to seek to find a relationship with Jesus Christ?
Q.3 How is it possible for anyone to teach a Christian doctrine and not also live it?
Q.4 How do these comments compare with a good, or a bad foundation?
Q.5 Who are those people who knowingly reject Jesus today?
Q.6 What are Jesus’ words to those who preach a good religion but do not live it.?
Q.7 What is it about the strait gate and the narrow path of that is a distraction to some aspiring Christians?
Pg.3
24 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
These verses are a vivid description of a wise builder and a terrible storm, It is describing the certain structural features of a good foundation, and the destructive features of a terrible storm. Jesus is telling us that any possibility of success as a Christian must include the foundational belief of John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. One’s life must be centered on Jesus Christ, and the principles of life that he teaches in order for the assurance of eternal life in His presence to be a certainty. That reward is a certainty, God will see to it.
Jesus is teaching through this parable that although success may come to one who does not have those Christ centered foundational beliefs, there will be no salvation forthcoming at the end of life on this earth. And God will see to that as well. Pro 10:25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.
Becoming a Christian does not exempt one from the trials and tribulations of this world, but it does do this one thing. It assures one of eternal life in the presence of God. It is necessary to our happiness that we do as Jesus is teaching, which is indeed the will of his Father in heaven. Now this is his will, that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. That is Jesus Christ’s explanation of the greatest of the commandments.
Mat 22:37-39 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Q.1 What was it about Jesus that convinced his disciples to become his followers?
Q.2 To what storms of life were the disciples subjected? And were they told of this by Jesus?
Q.3 What did it mean to his disciples that Jesus also would have to suffer and die?
Q.4 What was the foundational rock upon which the disciples were to build their faith ?
Pg.4
26 And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 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." 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Here we have the antithesis of the builder who uses a firm foundation for his house. These verses describe what happens to the house that is built on an uncertain foundation. We all know the characteristics of sand, It is not a firm soil, and can be formed into a quagmire or quicksand simply by adding water. But it can be formed into magnificent structures also by adding a little water. ( see pictures) It also makes up one of the largest land masses in the world, The Sahara Desert. Sand can also be blown about by wind, and can be whipped up into some of the most devastating storms known to man. But what it cannot do is turn itself, in any way into a firm foundation.
The sand is a form of a false security, It does not appear to be unstable until there is a structure built on it. A faith built on anything other than God and his Son Jesus who is our Salvation, is going to be unstable. Lets consider for instance a faith that excludes God. At first it may look ok, it may even feel good, but they who pretend to make their peace with God by their own works; who hope for pardon at the foot of the mercy of God, and their own repentance; seek for justification by their own, and not the righteousness of Christ, look for acceptance with God, for the sake of their own worthiness; and who expect salvation in any other way than by Christ, and who leave out Christ, may be said to build without a foundation. indeed, and to build upon a false doctrine as they do, who build their hope of salvation upon anything that is merely external; as, their riches and grandeur, their wisdom and learning, their natural descent, and religious education, their civility, courteousness, and what is called good nature, their liberality and alms and good deeds, their morality, common justice and honesty, their legal righteousness, whether moral or ritual, and a round of religious duties; and such may be said to "build upon the sand", on that which will bear no weight, but gives way, and sinks. It appears good but it will not sustain them when the Day of Judgment comes.
The salvation of the soul is a weighty thing; and that which is like sand, as is everything of a man's own, can never support it: God has therefore laid the salvation of his people on his own Son; and he must be a "foolish man" that builds on anything short of him. The same is true for a faith that excludes Jesus as our savior. So too that faith that believes that good works will do it. Then of course we have the non believer, the atheist and the agnostic. These all may appear to some to be a substantial philosophy for living a full life, and indeed it may be that one who lives by any of those methods may succeed, and even come to appeal to some who are still searching. But we must then look at the definition of success. Succeeding with a Godly faith will win one eternity in the presence of God, Succeeding without God will fail and great will be the fall of it to eternal damnation.
Q.1 What features of sand have changed over time?
Q.2 How do all of the features representing sand, fit into this study?
Q.3 What one omitted requirement is stressed in Jesus description of the foolish builder?
Q.4 What did Jesus mean when he used the phrase “and great was the fall of it”?
Q.5 When Jesus finished this parable, the people were astonished at what?
Q.6 How would you describe that which astonishes people in our world today?
Q.7 How is it that our world is so misled about what is really important?
Closing prayer Pg.5
Lord, you are the sure foundation upon which we can build our lives and live securely. Give us wisdom and strength to live according to your truth and to reject every false and erroneous way. May we be doers of your word and not a hearer only. Now we pray for those of our brothers and sisters who are sick or infirm who need your healing touch, _____________let your strength and the comfort of your presence be with them, and give them peace and healing is our prayer. Be with us now as we go our separate ways and bring us safely back together next week. In Jesus name we pray AMEN
Meditation What's the significance of the story for us? The kind of foundation we build our lives upon will determine whether we can survive the storms that are sure to come. No one is exempt from the calamities and afflictions of this life. Just as victory and success are the attributes of life that everyone seeks, So must everyone know that failure and defeat are also a part of the same life, and we must be prepared for either. The better our foundational principles are for this life then the better we will be able to cope when disaster strikes.
Neither success nor failure can determine the path our life will take. Jesus is teaching us that the storms will come, and we must be prepared for them with a proper foundational faith and belief. There are many who will tell us how to best manage our lives but are they faithful and true? Do not be deceived, 1Pe_5:8 tells us to Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Satan never relents, and will try to undermine our foundational beliefs in any way he can.
There are those who would have you believe that there is no God, or that Jesus is nothing special, just another prophet. Do not even listen to that, it is Satan’s lie. Jesus prefaced his story with a warning: We may fool humans with our speech, but God cannot be deceived. He sees the heart as it truly is — with its motives, intentions, desires, and choices (Psalm 139: 2-4 tells us this, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely”.
There is only one way in which a person's sincerity can be proved, and that is by one's practice. Fine words can never replace good deeds. Our character is revealed in the choices we make, especially when we are tested. One who aspires to be a follower of Jesus (a disciple) will always make their choice as one who is seeking to do the will of God. A true Christian is a person who is honest and reliable before God, self, and neighbor. A Christians word can be counted on. A Christian will exhibit the golden rule in all their life choices, and That person will truly love God with all their heart , mind and soul, and will love their neighbor as themselves.
Jesus is teaching us that those who hear and act on his teachings to obey God are wise. However, those who hear and continue to disobey are foolish people. His explanation for why is stated prior to this parable, that "only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven" "will enter into the kingdom of heaven." True disciples of Christ will be men and women cautious in their judgment of others; conscious of their own faults; confident and earnest in prayer; wary of false teachers and hypocritical profession; building all eternal hopes upon the firm Rock, faith in the Word of God and Christ Jesus. What foundation is your life built upon?"
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