April 9, 2025 • 30 mins
Sometimes people ask what will happen to those who have never heard the gospel. Sometimes they need to think about the reverse. What will happen to those who have heard but don’t obey? That’s what Jesus talks about at the end of the famous Sermon on the Mount. He began early in this sermon saying that the Jews had heard much teaching from the scribes and the Pharisees. At the close He’s saying: Now that you’ve heard My teaching, make sure you do it! Millions have heard or read the Sermon on the Mount. Millions can quote verses in it. But Jesus said the world needs living sermons of His teaching!
You can now study the entire Living the Sermon series from the My God and My Neighbor podcast on our website! This powerful series takes you through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing not just hearing His words—but living them. From the opening beatitudes to the final warning about building on the rock, each episode brings the sermon to life in practical, personal ways. Whether you're catching up or diving in for the first time, all episodes are now linked in one place for easy access and study.
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- Scriptures: Matthew 7:24-27; James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-33
- Sermons We See
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hi, I'm Kerry Duke, host of My Godin My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredWord to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
Kids at Vacation Bible school singthe song “The wise man built his
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house upon a rock” and “the foolishman built his house upon the sand.”
But that's not just children singing.
That's a real lesson about life, andJesus talks about this in Matthew
chapter seven, beginning in verse 24.
He said, “Therefore whosoever hears thesesayings of mine and doeth them, I will
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liken him unto a wise man, which builthis house upon a rock, and the rain
descended and the floods came, and thewinds blew and beat upon that house, and
it fell not (00:51):
for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these
sayings of mine and doeth them not shallbe likened unto a foolish man, which built
his house upon the sand; and the raindescended and the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat upon that house; andit fell, and great was the fall of it.”
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Jesus had just talked aboutpeople who say and don't do.
That's Matthew 7:21 through 23.
Now in verses 24 through 27,
He talks about hearing and doing, andwhat a perfect end to this sermon.
After He gives all this teaching in theSermon on the Mount, He says it comes
down to this (01:33):
doing what Jesus said to do.
Have you noticed how many times in thissermon that Jesus uses illustrations
that are very simple, that are taken fromnature, from ordinary things of life?
He talks about hunger and thirst.
He talks about salt.
He talks about the candle or candlelight.
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He talks about sunshine and rain.
He talks about rust and moths.
He talks about birds and flowers.
He talks about dogs and hogsand wolves and trees, and now
he talks about bad weather.
And that bad weather representswhat we call the storms of life.
The trials, the tribulations,the hardships of life.
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The house and its foundation iswhat we believe and how we live.
We're Christians.
It represents our faith and howwe practice our Christianity.
If we're not living the Christianlife, it means that we're building
on the wrong kind of foundation, andwhat a fitting illustration this is.
When you think about the stormsthat we've seen recently and in our
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lifetime, it ought to remind us ofwhat Jesus is talking about here.
You have to be ready.
You have to build your life ona solid foundation, applying
yourself in the Christian life.
It's not only getting ready for thenext life, it's bracing yourself for
the bad days, the hard times that cometo each and every one of us, and it's
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good and it's wise for us, as Jesussays, to remember this and to prepare.
He said the wise man buildshis house upon the rock.
Well, let's go back to the words of thewisest man that ever lived named Solomon.
In the book of Ecclesiastes,Solomon talks about life.
One of the things that he says in thisbook is that you don't know what's
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coming next, but there will be gooddays and there will be bad days.
We do know that much,so we have to be ready.
In Ecclesiastes chapter three, you havethis very famous section of Scripture
where Solomon said, “To everything, thereis a season, a time for every purpose
under heaven (03:37):
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted; a timeto kill and a time to heal; a time to
break down and a time to build up; a timeto weep, and a time to laugh; a time to
mourn and a time to dance; a time to castaway stones and a time to gather stones;
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a time to embrace and a time to refrainfrom embracing; a time to gain and a
time to lose; a time to keep and a timeto throw away, a time to tear and a time
to sow; time to keep silence and a timeto speak; a time to love, and a time to
hate, a time of war and a time of peace.”In Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse
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14, listen to what the wise man said.
If we want to be wise, we need tolisten to these words and remember them.
In Ecclesiastes chapter seven,verse 14, Solomon said, “In the
day of prosperity, be joyful.
But in the day of adversity, consider: surely God has appointed the one as well (04:38):
undefined
as the other so that man can find outnothing that will come after him.” In
Ecclesiastes chapter eight verses six andseven, he said, “Because for every matter
there is a time and judgment, though themisery of man increases greatly for, he
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does not know what will happen. So who cantell him when it will occur?” Ecclesiastes
chapter 11, verse eight—Solomon said, “Butif a man lives many years and rejoices
in them all, yet, let him remember thedays of darkness, for they will be many.
All that cometh is vanity.” Jesus alsosaid that trials will come our way.
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In John chapter 16, verse 33, Jesussaid, “In the world, you shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. Ihave overcome the world.” Jesus even
told Peter Satan was trying to get him.
Satan wanted to have himto sift him like wheat.
That's Luke chapter 22, verse 31 and 32.
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And of course, when you read thebook of Job, you find job going
through all kinds of troubles.
You find him facing the storms oflife one right after the other.
So bad times stormy weather will come.
The best time to prepare is now, today.
Do you remember what John F.Kennedy said about things like this?
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He once said, the best time to repaira roof is while the sun is shining.
When we look at this passage in Matthewchapter seven, it reminds us of the
fact that not only do we need to“repair the roof,” but we need to make
sure that the foundation is secure.
Now, there are some people that don'tthink that they need to prepare.
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They build their house on sandbecause they don't think that
there's going to be a storm.
That reminds me of some people in theBible that we read about in Psalm 49.
In Psalm 49, verse 11, the Bible saysthat “their inward thought is that
their houses shall continue forever.”
They can't even imagine living somewhereelse or something happening to that house,
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and they can't even imagine somethinghappening so bad in their lives that
their whole world is turned upside down.
But this happens.
Non-Christians sometimes think like this.
They think like the people in Psalm49, verse 11, that their houses, and
not just their physical house, buttheir whole life will continue the same
because they have plans for the future.
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Sometimes Christians think like that.
They've got money, they have plans, andthey think that just because they have
enough money and they have those plans andthey have those dreams, that those things
are going to come true and stay true.
So they're building on a foundationthat is like sand, and that is very,
very sad because our lives can change.
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They can change in a moment.
Sometimes the unpredictable does happen.
Sometimes the unthinkable doesoccur in our lives, and so
we're not able to predict what'sgoing to happen in the future.
We have to be ready, and so theBible tells us that the way to
do that is not just to hear whatJesus said, but to do what he said.
You can have all theinformation in your mind.
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You can give the right answers.
You can say, “Well, of course I have toseek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness. Of course, I have to putGod first in my life.” But if you don't
translate that into and apply that toyour life, then you're building on sand.
Jesus didn't say in this passagewhoever does not do these sayings
will be like a foolish man.
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He says, whoever hears thesesayings and does not do them.
So it's not a case of ignorancethat we're talking about here
in Matthew chapter seven.
These are people thathear the word of God.
They just don't do it.
Of course that was true ofmany people in the Bible.
There were lots of people inBible times that heard the word of
God, but they just didn't do it.
Think about the people in Noah's day.
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Second Peter two, verse five.
The Bible says that Noah was a preacherof righteousness, and yet only eight
people, his family got into the ark.
In the New Testament, we find that theJews were hardened in their heart and
wouldn't listen to what Jesus said.
Oh, they heard it, butthey didn't understand it.
They listened to what He said,but they didn't take it to heart.
That's what Matthew 13, 15 and 16 says.
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And then you read about a man namedFelix, who was a Roman official.
He was a Roman governor.
And the Bible tells us thathe heard what Paul said.
He heard him concerning thefaith which was in Christ Jesus.
And as Paul reasoned of righteousness,temperance, and judgment to come.
Felix trembled.
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But then he answered, “Go your way forthis time. When I have a convenient
season, I will call for you.”
Now, how and why does this happen?
How is it that we can hear what the Biblesays, how is it that we can experience
the fact that we don't know what thefuture will bring, and yet we just ignore
what we hear and know in our hearts?
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The Bible says in James chapterfour, verse 14, you do not
know what will be tomorrow.
“For what is your life? It is evena vapor that appears for a little
time and then vanishes away.”
Now, I'm not saying that everythingthat's coming in the future is bad.
There will be good days and bad days.
We've already seen that in Ecclesiasteschapter three, but we tend to think
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about everything in the future asbeing just what we want instead
of looking at it realistically andrealizing and remembering that there
will be bad days ahead and we need toprepare for them by laying the solid
foundation that Jesus talks about.
And what is that?
It's not only studying the Bible, it'snot only hearing it, it is doing it.
It's putting it into practice.
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Because when you put the Bibleinto practice, that gives you the
firmness and the solidity and thefoundation in your life that you
must have when the storms arise.
So what is this whole illustration about?
Well, we've already seenthat the house is your life.
That's your soul.
That's what you do.
It's what happens to youand how you respond to it.
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The rock and the sand are what youbase your life on either hearing
and doing or hearing and not doing.
And if you're a builder or if youknow anything about buildings, you
know that the foundation is the key.
In Psalm 11, verse three, the Biblesays, “If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” In Psalm1 27, verse one, the Bible says,
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“Except the Lord build the house,they labor in vain that build it.”
Now let's look at the wiseman and the foolish man.
In verse 24, Jesus talks abouta man who hears what he says
and does what Jesus says.
Let's go back and review a few thingsthat Jesus has said in the Sermon on the
Mount, and let's just test ourselves.
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Let's ask ourselves the question,am I not only hearing this,
but am I practicing this?
Am I doing this in my life?
So Jesus says, “Blessed are thepeacemakers.” Is that what we're doing?
Jesus said don't hate other people.
Are we practicing that?
Jesus said don't lust.
Jesus said don't divorce for any reason.
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Jesus said don't be vengeful.
Jesus said speak and be friendly toother people [Matthew five verse 47].
Jesus said don't be religious to getattention [Matthew six, one through 18].
Jesus said set your heart on heaven andnot on money [Matthew six 19 through 24].
He said not to worry.
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We need to seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness.
Matthew 6:25 through 34.
He said to be fair, not harshin our judging of other people.
He said to ask God and to seek God.
He said to practice the golden rule.
He said to pray and so many otherthings in the Sermon on the Mount.
Are we ready for the future?
Are we prepared for the hard times,the unexpected trials of life?
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It depends on whether we're doingthese things and other things
that the Bible talks about.
When the storms of life come, thena man who hears what Jesus says and
does what Jesus says will be ready.
So in other words, when conflictcomes, he'll remember, he will be
in the habit of doing what Jesussaid in the Sermon on the Mount.
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For instance, in Matthew chapter five,verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers.
He's going to want tomake peace if he can.
Now again, Romans 12 verse 18 says,“If it be possible, as much as lies
in you, live peaceably with allmen.” But he's going to remember.
A man who hears Jesus words and practiceswhat Jesus said will be like a wise
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man who builds his house upon the rock.
He not only has heard what Jesus saidabout this, but he puts it into practice.
He remembers Matthew chapterfive, 13 through 16, where Jesus
talks about being the salt of theearth and the light of the world.
He remembers what Jesus says.
In Matthew 5:21 through 26where Jesus talks about settling
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differences between two brothers.
He'll practice that.
He'll be in the habit ofdoing that, and then when the
conflict comes, it will be hard.
It's not going to be easy, butat least he'll be able to have
some experience in it and he'llbe able to weather those storms.
Here's another example that’svery important for us to prepare
against (13:59):
the time of temptation.
I'm talking about being tempted to sin.
The Bible doesn't tell us to wait untilthe temptation comes and then to pray
and then to start getting ready for it.
The Bible tells us topray before that comes.
Do you remember what Jesus told theapostles in Matthew 26 verse 41?
“Watch and pray that you enter not intotemptation. The spirit indeed is willing,
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but the flesh is weak.” Jesus said praythat you do not enter into temptation.
Don't wait again until the temptationcomes, but be prepared for it.
And what about what Paul said about thewhole armor of God in Ephesians six?
Do you remember that illustration?
It's the illustration of asoldier who puts on his armor.
Now, when does he put that armor on?
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He doesn't wait until he'sin the middle of the battle.
He makes sure that he's ready.
He makes sure that he'sprepared by putting on the whole
armor of God ahead of time.
And so that's why the Bible saysthis in Ephesians chapter six, verse
13, “Wherefore take unto you thewhole armor of God that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day,and having done all, to stand.”
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So Paul says put this armor onso that when that evil day comes,
you'll be able to withstand it.
Sometimes when people read this,they ask the question, “Well,
what is this evil day?” He saysto withstand in the evil day.
And they're thinking that Paulis talking about one particular
day in life, one specific timein life, and that's not the idea.
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The idea is a day of evil, thetime of evil—any time where you are
especially tested and tempted in life.
That's what Paul is talking about,and that's similar to what Jesus
is saying in Matthew chapter seven.
He says you need to take these sayingsof mine, these teachings, especially
in the Sermon on the Mount, andyou need to put them into practice.
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So what Jesus says about temptationin this Sermon on the Mount needs
to be in our minds and needs to bepracticed in our life, especially what
he says about not looking and lustingin Matthew chapter 5 27 through 30.
What I'm saying is this buildingthe foundation means taking teaching
like that, let's say about lustingand about temptation and practicing
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and doing what Jesus says.Not justreading it, not just listening to it
or hearing it, but actually puttingit into practice by looking the other
way, by turning away from temptation.
Now, a person who does that, a personwho makes that a habit in his life
is going to be in a better position.
He's going to be stronger and moreprepared to deal with even worse
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temptations that come in the future.
But on the other hand, someone who hearswhat Jesus says—maybe he hears it in
a sermon, maybe he listens to it or hereads it and he does not practice it.
In other words, he does notturn away from temptation.
He does not look the other way.
He gives into lust and he developsthat as a habit in his life.
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He's going to be weaker.
His foundation is going to havecracks in it, and when the real
storms of temptation arise in life,then that house is going to crumble.
Here's another example, and that issometimes people do us wrong in life.
How do we handle that?
How do we deal with that?
If we're wise, we will listento what Jesus has said and we
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will build our house on a rock.
That means we listen to whatJesus says and we do it.
We put it into practice.
We make it a habit of doing what hehas said about dealing with things
that are wrong in our life at timeswhen people have done us badly.
So, Jesus says that we needto look and see if this is a
big thing or a little thing.
You remember in Matthew chapter sevenverses one through five that Jesus
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talked about the mote and the beam.
Sometimes we need to ask thatquestion and be honest about it.
Is this a little thingthat I'm upset about?
Is this a big thing thatsomeone has done to me?
What is my attitude?
Am I being vindictive?
Am I trying to show mercy?
All these things are talkedabout in the Sermon on the Mount.
And Jesus said, if you listen tothese things and if you do them,
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then when the storm arises, you'llbe better able to handle it.
Here's another storm of lifethat sometimes arises, and
it has to do with money.
Sometimes we're pulled by money.
Sometimes we want thethings of this world.
It may not start out as something that'ssinful, but sometimes it becomes that
because we get things out of hand,we get things out of proportion, and
we forget what the Lord has said.
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Remember that Jesus said don't lay up foryourselves treasures upon earth, but lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
He said, no man can serve two masters.
You cannot serve God andmoney at the same time.
That's Matthew six 19 through 24.
And that teaching about money isanother one of Jesus' sayings that
He's talking about in Matthew chapterseven in the passage we're looking at.
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He said, “Therefore, whoever hearsthese sayings of mine”—like the saying
in Matthew six 19 through 24 aboutmoney—"whoever hears these sayings of
mine and does them, I will liken himto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock and the rain descended,the floods came and the winds blew
and beat upon that house, and it fellnot for it was founded upon a rock.”
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Now the opposite is true aswell, and that is when we have
been devastated financially.
We can be like a wiseman or a foolish man.
We can prepare for that day.
How?
By trusting in God, by putting intopractice what Jesus teaches us in
Matthew chapter six, verse 25 through 34.
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That's where He said don't worryabout these things of life.
God will take care of you if He takes careof the birds of the air, if he clothes
the grass of the field and the flowers ofthe field, He's going to take care of you.
So you seek first the kingdom ofGod and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you.
That's building your house upon a rock.
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It's not just saying those words.
It's not just reading those words.
It's not just hearingthose words in the sermon.
It is putting those words into practicein your life, that is, building a
solid foundation so that when financialtrouble comes [it does to almost
everybody at some point in life]then you'll be in a better position.
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You'll be able to weather that stormbecause you have set these patterns.
You'll be stronger.
You won't handle every situationperfectly, and it won't be that you'll
be able to withstand those kinds ofstorms without having any kind of
fear at all or any kind of anxiety.
But you'll be able in theend to weather that storm.
That's what Jesus is saying here.
You have to not only hear it.
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But you have to do it.
You have to put it intopractice in your everyday life.
Now, that's what a wise man does.
On the other hand, a foolishman does just the opposite.
He hears these teachings of Jesus thathe calls sayings, and he doesn't do them.
For instance, Jesus says to hungerand thirst after righteousness
[Matthew five, verse six].
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This man doesn't do that.
Jesus talks about how to resolveconflict in life when you're at fault
[Matthew chapter five, verse 23].
This foolish man doesn't do that.
Jesus talks about lust anddivorce and things like that in
Matthew chapter 5 27 through 32.
This foolish man doesn'tpay any attention to that.
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Jesus says to keep your word[Matthew 5:33 through 37].
He says to pray [Matthew 6:9 through 13].
He says to forgive others if you wantto be forgiven [Matthew six 14 and 15].
He says to have the rightattitude toward money.
He says not to worry.
He says to seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness.
He says not to be judgmental, andhe says to practice the golden rule.
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Now the foolish man hears that—andagain, a foolish man here may be
somebody who claims to be a Christian,this may be someone who goes to
church—hears these words, reads thesewords sometimes in his Bible, but
he never does really practice them.
In other words, this is the kind ofperson that is talked about in James
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chapter one, verse 22, 23 and 24.
There, James says, “But be youdoers of the word and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any man be a hearer of the wordand not a doer, he is like to a man be
holding his natural face in a glass”—andthat means a mirror—"for he beholds
himself, he goes his way and he forgetswhat manner of man he was.” That's
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like the foolish man here that Jesustalks about in the Sermon on the Mount.
When bad weather strikes, he's not ready.
So for instance, if he has peopleproblems, instead of using his
head, he blows up, he gets mean.
He causes strife.
He says and he does thingsthat he later regrets.
He even becomes bitter and hateful,all because he would not listen to
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and remember and obey what Jesussaid in the Sermon on the mount.
He heard what Jesus said about being apeacemaker in Matthew five verse nine,
but he never applied that to his life.
He heard what Jesus said in Matthew5:23 through 26 about resolving
conflict, but he never practiced that.
He heard what Jesus said aboutthe Golden Rule in Matthew chapter
seven, verse 12, but it nevertranslated into his everyday life.
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When it comes to temptation,there are many people that are
building their house upon sand.
Why?
Because they're not puttinginto practice what Jesus said.
Jesus tells us to beware of temptation.
Jesus says to guard against temptation.
Jesus says that we ought to prayand be ready against that time.
There are some people that listen tothat or they may read that, but they
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never really transfer it to their lives.
Now this is what we must do.
The Bible says in Psalm 119, verse 11,“Your word have I hidden in my heart
that I might not sin against you.”
That's exactly what we ought to do.
We ought to take these sayings ofJesus and the rest of the Bible as
well, but especially here what Hesaid in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Put that in our hearts.
Then when the situation or thetemptation arises, apply what
Jesus said to that situation.
We have to do that untilit becomes a habit.
Now that's building strength.
That's reinforcing thefoundation of your life.
A foolish man doesn't do that.
He forgets about what he is promised.
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He forgets about what he is, andhis whole world comes crashing in.
Why?
Because he's not put into practicewhat Jesus has said before.
Then when it comes to money,there are two kinds of storms
that we've already talked about.
Now, let's apply those twostorms to a foolish man.
A foolish man is someone who knowswhat Jesus has said in the Sermon on
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the Mount, but he didn't listen toit enough to put it into practice.
And what happens?
Jesus says, the rain descended,the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat upon that house and itfell, and great was the fall of it.
Let me emphasize the word “great.”This person's hopes and dreams
and plans and goals, this person'swhole life will come crashing in.
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Why?
Because this individual didnot pay attention to Jesus
enough to do what Jesus said.
And that especially applies toa person's attitude toward money
and the things of this life.
It's a dangerous thing to havethe wrong attitude toward money.
Paul said in I Timothy six, verse nineand 10, “But they that will be rich fall
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into temptation and a snare and into manyfoolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition; for thelove of money is the root of all kinds of
evil, the which, while some coveted after,they have erred from the faith and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.”That's I Timothy six verses nine and 10.
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But what about the other extreme?
Suppose a man loses everything that hehas or almost everything that he owns.
That's hard.
That is a very hard trial of life.
But if a man has built on asolid foundation, he'll be able
to withstand that kind of storm.
A man on the other hand who has not putinto practice what Jesus has said about
laying up treasures in heaven and noton earth—serving God and not money—will
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not be able to weather that storm.
He's going to be like a person who ownsa million dollar house and he doesn't
have a dime of insurance, and a stormcomes and it destroys that house.
That's what his spiritual life, hisemotional life, his family life, his
whole life will be like because hedidn't build on a solid foundation.
Now, let's look at a few examplesin the Bible of people who weathered
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the storm because they built theirhouse upon a rock, so to speak.
And then we're going to contrastthose examples with some men in
the Bible who built upon sand.
First of all, Joseph.
How did he endure the envy andthe hate, the prison and the
lies that were told about him?
How did he stand tall during all that?
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Because his house was built upon a rock.
He put his trust in God.
He was a thankful person.
He was an honest young man, and hewas able to weather those storms.
Job.
Job lost everything.
He suffered more than you andI will ever suffer in our life.
And he lost more than you and Iwill ever lose in our lifetime.
And what happened?
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He stood firm.
Why?
Because he was a righteous man.
He had built his house upon a rock.
Then think about the Apostle Paul.
He was beaten, he was put injail, he had health problems.
There were all kinds ofcalamities that Paul faced.
Just go back and read II Corinthianschapter 11 verses 23 through
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28 and think about all thatPaul suffered in his lifetime.
How could he withstand that?
How could he endure all thatpersecution and all those problems?
It's because he built his houseupon a rock in II Timothy,
chapter four, verse seven.
That's why he was able to say,toward the end of his life, “I have
fought a good fight. I have finishedmy course. I have kept the faith.”
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Now, on the other hand, there aresome foolish men in the Bible who
collapsed in the storms of life.
King Saul did not listen to Samuel.
Oh, he heard the words, but he didn't putinto practice what Samuel taught him, and
his life was filled with envy and hate andfear and chaos, and it became worse and
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worse until finally his house completelycollapsed and he took his own life.
Judas Iscariot is another example.
He heard the teaching of Jesus.
He saw Jesus’ miracles.
He was only inches awayfrom the Savior physically
speaking, but he didn't live it.
He was a deceiver.
He was a thief.
(28:33):
He was a greedy man.
He was not trustworthy, and thehouse he built came crashing
down on him in the end.
And then there's Pharaoh.
In the time of Moses,God told him what to do.
He heard the word of God throughMoses and Aaron, but he was stubborn.
“Who is the Lord that I should obey hisvoice? I know, not the Lord, neither will
I let Israel go.” And in the end, hiswhole world came crashing down on him
(28:58):
and the whole nation suffered because ofthis man's stubbornness and rebellion.
The storms of life will come to you.
What kind of foundation are youbuilding on—the solid rock of faith
in God's word, or the shifting sandof human feelings and opinions?
And God doesn't give us aweather forecast in the Bible.
He doesn't tell us when these things aregoing to happen, and he doesn't tell us
(29:18):
what kind of storm is going to strike.
But the Bible does tell us to prepare.
Make sure your foundation is rightby building upon the rock solid
foundation of Jesus' Word and byputting that into practice in your life.
Thank you for listeningto My God and my neighbor.
Stay connected with our podcaston our website and on Apple,
Spotify, YouTube, or wherever fine
(29:41):
podcasts are distributed.
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
Hi, I'm Kerry Duke, host of My Godin My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee
Bible College, where we see the Bibleas not just another book, but the Book.
Join us in a study of the inspiredWord to strengthen your faith and to
share what you've learned with others.
Kids at Vacation Bible school singthe song “The wise man built his
(00:20):
house upon a rock” and “the foolishman built his house upon the sand.”
But that's not just children singing.
That's a real lesson about life, andJesus talks about this in Matthew
chapter seven, beginning in verse 24.
He said, “Therefore whosoever hears thesesayings of mine and doeth them, I will
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liken him unto a wise man, which builthis house upon a rock, and the rain
descended and the floods came, and thewinds blew and beat upon that house, and
it fell not (00:51):
for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these
sayings of mine and doeth them not shallbe likened unto a foolish man, which built
his house upon the sand; and the raindescended and the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat upon that house; andit fell, and great was the fall of it.”
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Jesus had just talked aboutpeople who say and don't do.
That's Matthew 7:21 through 23.
Now in verses 24 through 27,
He talks about hearing and doing, andwhat a perfect end to this sermon.
After He gives all this teaching in theSermon on the Mount, He says it comes
down to this (01:33):
doing what Jesus said to do.
Have you noticed how many times in thissermon that Jesus uses illustrations
that are very simple, that are taken fromnature, from ordinary things of life?
He talks about hunger and thirst.
He talks about salt.
He talks about the candle or candlelight.
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He talks about sunshine and rain.
He talks about rust and moths.
He talks about birds and flowers.
He talks about dogs and hogsand wolves and trees, and now
he talks about bad weather.
And that bad weather representswhat we call the storms of life.
The trials, the tribulations,the hardships of life.
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The house and its foundation iswhat we believe and how we live.
We're Christians.
It represents our faith and howwe practice our Christianity.
If we're not living the Christianlife, it means that we're building
on the wrong kind of foundation, andwhat a fitting illustration this is.
When you think about the stormsthat we've seen recently and in our
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lifetime, it ought to remind us ofwhat Jesus is talking about here.
You have to be ready.
You have to build your life ona solid foundation, applying
yourself in the Christian life.
It's not only getting ready for thenext life, it's bracing yourself for
the bad days, the hard times that cometo each and every one of us, and it's
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good and it's wise for us, as Jesussays, to remember this and to prepare.
He said the wise man buildshis house upon the rock.
Well, let's go back to the words of thewisest man that ever lived named Solomon.
In the book of Ecclesiastes,Solomon talks about life.
One of the things that he says in thisbook is that you don't know what's
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coming next, but there will be gooddays and there will be bad days.
We do know that much,so we have to be ready.
In Ecclesiastes chapter three, you havethis very famous section of Scripture
where Solomon said, “To everything, thereis a season, a time for every purpose
under heaven (03:37):
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted; a timeto kill and a time to heal; a time to
break down and a time to build up; a timeto weep, and a time to laugh; a time to
mourn and a time to dance; a time to castaway stones and a time to gather stones;
(04:00):
a time to embrace and a time to refrainfrom embracing; a time to gain and a
time to lose; a time to keep and a timeto throw away, a time to tear and a time
to sow; time to keep silence and a timeto speak; a time to love, and a time to
hate, a time of war and a time of peace.”In Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse
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14, listen to what the wise man said.
If we want to be wise, we need tolisten to these words and remember them.
In Ecclesiastes chapter seven,verse 14, Solomon said, “In the
day of prosperity, be joyful.
But in the day of adversity, consider: surely God has appointed the one as well (04:38):
undefined
as the other so that man can find outnothing that will come after him.” In
Ecclesiastes chapter eight verses six andseven, he said, “Because for every matter
there is a time and judgment, though themisery of man increases greatly for, he
(05:01):
does not know what will happen. So who cantell him when it will occur?” Ecclesiastes
chapter 11, verse eight—Solomon said, “Butif a man lives many years and rejoices
in them all, yet, let him remember thedays of darkness, for they will be many.
All that cometh is vanity.” Jesus alsosaid that trials will come our way.
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In John chapter 16, verse 33, Jesussaid, “In the world, you shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. Ihave overcome the world.” Jesus even
told Peter Satan was trying to get him.
Satan wanted to have himto sift him like wheat.
That's Luke chapter 22, verse 31 and 32.
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And of course, when you read thebook of Job, you find job going
through all kinds of troubles.
You find him facing the storms oflife one right after the other.
So bad times stormy weather will come.
The best time to prepare is now, today.
Do you remember what John F.Kennedy said about things like this?
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He once said, the best time to repaira roof is while the sun is shining.
When we look at this passage in Matthewchapter seven, it reminds us of the
fact that not only do we need to“repair the roof,” but we need to make
sure that the foundation is secure.
Now, there are some people that don'tthink that they need to prepare.
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They build their house on sandbecause they don't think that
there's going to be a storm.
That reminds me of some people in theBible that we read about in Psalm 49.
In Psalm 49, verse 11, the Bible saysthat “their inward thought is that
their houses shall continue forever.”
They can't even imagine living somewhereelse or something happening to that house,
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and they can't even imagine somethinghappening so bad in their lives that
their whole world is turned upside down.
But this happens.
Non-Christians sometimes think like this.
They think like the people in Psalm49, verse 11, that their houses, and
not just their physical house, buttheir whole life will continue the same
because they have plans for the future.
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Sometimes Christians think like that.
They've got money, they have plans, andthey think that just because they have
enough money and they have those plans andthey have those dreams, that those things
are going to come true and stay true.
So they're building on a foundationthat is like sand, and that is very,
very sad because our lives can change.
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They can change in a moment.
Sometimes the unpredictable does happen.
Sometimes the unthinkable doesoccur in our lives, and so
we're not able to predict what'sgoing to happen in the future.
We have to be ready, and so theBible tells us that the way to
do that is not just to hear whatJesus said, but to do what he said.
You can have all theinformation in your mind.
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You can give the right answers.
You can say, “Well, of course I have toseek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness. Of course, I have to putGod first in my life.” But if you don't
translate that into and apply that toyour life, then you're building on sand.
Jesus didn't say in this passagewhoever does not do these sayings
will be like a foolish man.
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He says, whoever hears thesesayings and does not do them.
So it's not a case of ignorancethat we're talking about here
in Matthew chapter seven.
These are people thathear the word of God.
They just don't do it.
Of course that was true ofmany people in the Bible.
There were lots of people inBible times that heard the word of
God, but they just didn't do it.
Think about the people in Noah's day.
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Second Peter two, verse five.
The Bible says that Noah was a preacherof righteousness, and yet only eight
people, his family got into the ark.
In the New Testament, we find that theJews were hardened in their heart and
wouldn't listen to what Jesus said.
Oh, they heard it, butthey didn't understand it.
They listened to what He said,but they didn't take it to heart.
That's what Matthew 13, 15 and 16 says.
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And then you read about a man namedFelix, who was a Roman official.
He was a Roman governor.
And the Bible tells us thathe heard what Paul said.
He heard him concerning thefaith which was in Christ Jesus.
And as Paul reasoned of righteousness,temperance, and judgment to come.
Felix trembled.
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But then he answered, “Go your way forthis time. When I have a convenient
season, I will call for you.”
Now, how and why does this happen?
How is it that we can hear what the Biblesays, how is it that we can experience
the fact that we don't know what thefuture will bring, and yet we just ignore
what we hear and know in our hearts?
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The Bible says in James chapterfour, verse 14, you do not
know what will be tomorrow.
“For what is your life? It is evena vapor that appears for a little
time and then vanishes away.”
Now, I'm not saying that everythingthat's coming in the future is bad.
There will be good days and bad days.
We've already seen that in Ecclesiasteschapter three, but we tend to think
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about everything in the future asbeing just what we want instead
of looking at it realistically andrealizing and remembering that there
will be bad days ahead and we need toprepare for them by laying the solid
foundation that Jesus talks about.
And what is that?
It's not only studying the Bible, it'snot only hearing it, it is doing it.
It's putting it into practice.
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Because when you put the Bibleinto practice, that gives you the
firmness and the solidity and thefoundation in your life that you
must have when the storms arise.
So what is this whole illustration about?
Well, we've already seenthat the house is your life.
That's your soul.
That's what you do.
It's what happens to youand how you respond to it.
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The rock and the sand are what youbase your life on either hearing
and doing or hearing and not doing.
And if you're a builder or if youknow anything about buildings, you
know that the foundation is the key.
In Psalm 11, verse three, the Biblesays, “If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” In Psalm1 27, verse one, the Bible says,
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“Except the Lord build the house,they labor in vain that build it.”
Now let's look at the wiseman and the foolish man.
In verse 24, Jesus talks abouta man who hears what he says
and does what Jesus says.
Let's go back and review a few thingsthat Jesus has said in the Sermon on the
Mount, and let's just test ourselves.
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Let's ask ourselves the question,am I not only hearing this,
but am I practicing this?
Am I doing this in my life?
So Jesus says, “Blessed are thepeacemakers.” Is that what we're doing?
Jesus said don't hate other people.
Are we practicing that?
Jesus said don't lust.
Jesus said don't divorce for any reason.
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Jesus said don't be vengeful.
Jesus said speak and be friendly toother people [Matthew five verse 47].
Jesus said don't be religious to getattention [Matthew six, one through 18].
Jesus said set your heart on heaven andnot on money [Matthew six 19 through 24].
He said not to worry.
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We need to seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness.
Matthew 6:25 through 34.
He said to be fair, not harshin our judging of other people.
He said to ask God and to seek God.
He said to practice the golden rule.
He said to pray and so many otherthings in the Sermon on the Mount.
Are we ready for the future?
Are we prepared for the hard times,the unexpected trials of life?
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It depends on whether we're doingthese things and other things
that the Bible talks about.
When the storms of life come, thena man who hears what Jesus says and
does what Jesus says will be ready.
So in other words, when conflictcomes, he'll remember, he will be
in the habit of doing what Jesussaid in the Sermon on the Mount.
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For instance, in Matthew chapter five,verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers.
He's going to want tomake peace if he can.
Now again, Romans 12 verse 18 says,“If it be possible, as much as lies
in you, live peaceably with allmen.” But he's going to remember.
A man who hears Jesus words and practiceswhat Jesus said will be like a wise
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man who builds his house upon the rock.
He not only has heard what Jesus saidabout this, but he puts it into practice.
He remembers Matthew chapterfive, 13 through 16, where Jesus
talks about being the salt of theearth and the light of the world.
He remembers what Jesus says.
In Matthew 5:21 through 26where Jesus talks about settling
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differences between two brothers.
He'll practice that.
He'll be in the habit ofdoing that, and then when the
conflict comes, it will be hard.
It's not going to be easy, butat least he'll be able to have
some experience in it and he'llbe able to weather those storms.
Here's another example that’svery important for us to prepare
against (13:59):
the time of temptation.
I'm talking about being tempted to sin.
The Bible doesn't tell us to wait untilthe temptation comes and then to pray
and then to start getting ready for it.
The Bible tells us topray before that comes.
Do you remember what Jesus told theapostles in Matthew 26 verse 41?
“Watch and pray that you enter not intotemptation. The spirit indeed is willing,
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but the flesh is weak.” Jesus said praythat you do not enter into temptation.
Don't wait again until the temptationcomes, but be prepared for it.
And what about what Paul said about thewhole armor of God in Ephesians six?
Do you remember that illustration?
It's the illustration of asoldier who puts on his armor.
Now, when does he put that armor on?
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He doesn't wait until he'sin the middle of the battle.
He makes sure that he's ready.
He makes sure that he'sprepared by putting on the whole
armor of God ahead of time.
And so that's why the Bible saysthis in Ephesians chapter six, verse
13, “Wherefore take unto you thewhole armor of God that you may be
able to withstand in the evil day,and having done all, to stand.”
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So Paul says put this armor onso that when that evil day comes,
you'll be able to withstand it.
Sometimes when people read this,they ask the question, “Well,
what is this evil day?” He saysto withstand in the evil day.
And they're thinking that Paulis talking about one particular
day in life, one specific timein life, and that's not the idea.
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The idea is a day of evil, thetime of evil—any time where you are
especially tested and tempted in life.
That's what Paul is talking about,and that's similar to what Jesus
is saying in Matthew chapter seven.
He says you need to take these sayingsof mine, these teachings, especially
in the Sermon on the Mount, andyou need to put them into practice.
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So what Jesus says about temptationin this Sermon on the Mount needs
to be in our minds and needs to bepracticed in our life, especially what
he says about not looking and lustingin Matthew chapter 5 27 through 30.
What I'm saying is this buildingthe foundation means taking teaching
like that, let's say about lustingand about temptation and practicing
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and doing what Jesus says.Not justreading it, not just listening to it
or hearing it, but actually puttingit into practice by looking the other
way, by turning away from temptation.
Now, a person who does that, a personwho makes that a habit in his life
is going to be in a better position.
He's going to be stronger and moreprepared to deal with even worse
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temptations that come in the future.
But on the other hand, someone who hearswhat Jesus says—maybe he hears it in
a sermon, maybe he listens to it or hereads it and he does not practice it.
In other words, he does notturn away from temptation.
He does not look the other way.
He gives into lust and he developsthat as a habit in his life.
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He's going to be weaker.
His foundation is going to havecracks in it, and when the real
storms of temptation arise in life,then that house is going to crumble.
Here's another example, and that issometimes people do us wrong in life.
How do we handle that?
How do we deal with that?
If we're wise, we will listento what Jesus has said and we
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will build our house on a rock.
That means we listen to whatJesus says and we do it.
We put it into practice.
We make it a habit of doing what hehas said about dealing with things
that are wrong in our life at timeswhen people have done us badly.
So, Jesus says that we needto look and see if this is a
big thing or a little thing.
You remember in Matthew chapter sevenverses one through five that Jesus
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talked about the mote and the beam.
Sometimes we need to ask thatquestion and be honest about it.
Is this a little thingthat I'm upset about?
Is this a big thing thatsomeone has done to me?
What is my attitude?
Am I being vindictive?
Am I trying to show mercy?
All these things are talkedabout in the Sermon on the Mount.
And Jesus said, if you listen tothese things and if you do them,
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then when the storm arises, you'llbe better able to handle it.
Here's another storm of lifethat sometimes arises, and
it has to do with money.
Sometimes we're pulled by money.
Sometimes we want thethings of this world.
It may not start out as something that'ssinful, but sometimes it becomes that
because we get things out of hand,we get things out of proportion, and
we forget what the Lord has said.
(18:26):
Remember that Jesus said don't lay up foryourselves treasures upon earth, but lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
He said, no man can serve two masters.
You cannot serve God andmoney at the same time.
That's Matthew six 19 through 24.
And that teaching about money isanother one of Jesus' sayings that
He's talking about in Matthew chapterseven in the passage we're looking at.
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He said, “Therefore, whoever hearsthese sayings of mine”—like the saying
in Matthew six 19 through 24 aboutmoney—"whoever hears these sayings of
mine and does them, I will liken himto a wise man, which built his house
upon a rock and the rain descended,the floods came and the winds blew
and beat upon that house, and it fellnot for it was founded upon a rock.”
(19:10):
Now the opposite is true aswell, and that is when we have
been devastated financially.
We can be like a wiseman or a foolish man.
We can prepare for that day.
How?
By trusting in God, by putting intopractice what Jesus teaches us in
Matthew chapter six, verse 25 through 34.
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That's where He said don't worryabout these things of life.
God will take care of you if He takes careof the birds of the air, if he clothes
the grass of the field and the flowers ofthe field, He's going to take care of you.
So you seek first the kingdom ofGod and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you.
That's building your house upon a rock.
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It's not just saying those words.
It's not just reading those words.
It's not just hearingthose words in the sermon.
It is putting those words into practicein your life, that is, building a
solid foundation so that when financialtrouble comes [it does to almost
everybody at some point in life]then you'll be in a better position.
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You'll be able to weather that stormbecause you have set these patterns.
You'll be stronger.
You won't handle every situationperfectly, and it won't be that you'll
be able to withstand those kinds ofstorms without having any kind of
fear at all or any kind of anxiety.
But you'll be able in theend to weather that storm.
That's what Jesus is saying here.
You have to not only hear it.
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But you have to do it.
You have to put it intopractice in your everyday life.
Now, that's what a wise man does.
On the other hand, a foolishman does just the opposite.
He hears these teachings of Jesus thathe calls sayings, and he doesn't do them.
For instance, Jesus says to hungerand thirst after righteousness
[Matthew five, verse six].
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This man doesn't do that.
Jesus talks about how to resolveconflict in life when you're at fault
[Matthew chapter five, verse 23].
This foolish man doesn't do that.
Jesus talks about lust anddivorce and things like that in
Matthew chapter 5 27 through 32.
This foolish man doesn'tpay any attention to that.
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Jesus says to keep your word[Matthew 5:33 through 37].
He says to pray [Matthew 6:9 through 13].
He says to forgive others if you wantto be forgiven [Matthew six 14 and 15].
He says to have the rightattitude toward money.
He says not to worry.
He says to seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness.
He says not to be judgmental, andhe says to practice the golden rule.
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Now the foolish man hears that—andagain, a foolish man here may be
somebody who claims to be a Christian,this may be someone who goes to
church—hears these words, reads thesewords sometimes in his Bible, but
he never does really practice them.
In other words, this is the kind ofperson that is talked about in James
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chapter one, verse 22, 23 and 24.
There, James says, “But be youdoers of the word and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any man be a hearer of the wordand not a doer, he is like to a man be
holding his natural face in a glass”—andthat means a mirror—"for he beholds
himself, he goes his way and he forgetswhat manner of man he was.” That's
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like the foolish man here that Jesustalks about in the Sermon on the Mount.
When bad weather strikes, he's not ready.
So for instance, if he has peopleproblems, instead of using his
head, he blows up, he gets mean.
He causes strife.
He says and he does thingsthat he later regrets.
He even becomes bitter and hateful,all because he would not listen to
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and remember and obey what Jesussaid in the Sermon on the mount.
He heard what Jesus said about being apeacemaker in Matthew five verse nine,
but he never applied that to his life.
He heard what Jesus said in Matthew5:23 through 26 about resolving
conflict, but he never practiced that.
He heard what Jesus said aboutthe Golden Rule in Matthew chapter
seven, verse 12, but it nevertranslated into his everyday life.
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When it comes to temptation,there are many people that are
building their house upon sand.
Why?
Because they're not puttinginto practice what Jesus said.
Jesus tells us to beware of temptation.
Jesus says to guard against temptation.
Jesus says that we ought to prayand be ready against that time.
There are some people that listen tothat or they may read that, but they
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never really transfer it to their lives.
Now this is what we must do.
The Bible says in Psalm 119, verse 11,“Your word have I hidden in my heart
that I might not sin against you.”
That's exactly what we ought to do.
We ought to take these sayings ofJesus and the rest of the Bible as
well, but especially here what Hesaid in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Put that in our hearts.
Then when the situation or thetemptation arises, apply what
Jesus said to that situation.
We have to do that untilit becomes a habit.
Now that's building strength.
That's reinforcing thefoundation of your life.
A foolish man doesn't do that.
He forgets about what he is promised.
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He forgets about what he is, andhis whole world comes crashing in.
Why?
Because he's not put into practicewhat Jesus has said before.
Then when it comes to money,there are two kinds of storms
that we've already talked about.
Now, let's apply those twostorms to a foolish man.
A foolish man is someone who knowswhat Jesus has said in the Sermon on
(24:37):
the Mount, but he didn't listen toit enough to put it into practice.
And what happens?
Jesus says, the rain descended,the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat upon that house and itfell, and great was the fall of it.
Let me emphasize the word “great.”This person's hopes and dreams
and plans and goals, this person'swhole life will come crashing in.
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Why?
Because this individual didnot pay attention to Jesus
enough to do what Jesus said.
And that especially applies toa person's attitude toward money
and the things of this life.
It's a dangerous thing to havethe wrong attitude toward money.
Paul said in I Timothy six, verse nineand 10, “But they that will be rich fall
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into temptation and a snare and into manyfoolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition; for thelove of money is the root of all kinds of
evil, the which, while some coveted after,they have erred from the faith and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.”That's I Timothy six verses nine and 10.
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But what about the other extreme?
Suppose a man loses everything that hehas or almost everything that he owns.
That's hard.
That is a very hard trial of life.
But if a man has built on asolid foundation, he'll be able
to withstand that kind of storm.
A man on the other hand who has not putinto practice what Jesus has said about
laying up treasures in heaven and noton earth—serving God and not money—will
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not be able to weather that storm.
He's going to be like a person who ownsa million dollar house and he doesn't
have a dime of insurance, and a stormcomes and it destroys that house.
That's what his spiritual life, hisemotional life, his family life, his
whole life will be like because hedidn't build on a solid foundation.
Now, let's look at a few examplesin the Bible of people who weathered
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the storm because they built theirhouse upon a rock, so to speak.
And then we're going to contrastthose examples with some men in
the Bible who built upon sand.
First of all, Joseph.
How did he endure the envy andthe hate, the prison and the
lies that were told about him?
How did he stand tall during all that?
(26:49):
Because his house was built upon a rock.
He put his trust in God.
He was a thankful person.
He was an honest young man, and hewas able to weather those storms.
Job.
Job lost everything.
He suffered more than you andI will ever suffer in our life.
And he lost more than you and Iwill ever lose in our lifetime.
And what happened?
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He stood firm.
Why?
Because he was a righteous man.
He had built his house upon a rock.
Then think about the Apostle Paul.
He was beaten, he was put injail, he had health problems.
There were all kinds ofcalamities that Paul faced.
Just go back and read II Corinthianschapter 11 verses 23 through
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28 and think about all thatPaul suffered in his lifetime.
How could he withstand that?
How could he endure all thatpersecution and all those problems?
It's because he built his houseupon a rock in II Timothy,
chapter four, verse seven.
That's why he was able to say,toward the end of his life, “I have
fought a good fight. I have finishedmy course. I have kept the faith.”
(27:52):
Now, on the other hand, there aresome foolish men in the Bible who
collapsed in the storms of life.
King Saul did not listen to Samuel.
Oh, he heard the words, but he didn't putinto practice what Samuel taught him, and
his life was filled with envy and hate andfear and chaos, and it became worse and
(28:12):
worse until finally his house completelycollapsed and he took his own life.
Judas Iscariot is another example.
He heard the teaching of Jesus.
He saw Jesus’ miracles.
He was only inches awayfrom the Savior physically
speaking, but he didn't live it.
He was a deceiver.
He was a thief.
(28:33):
He was a greedy man.
He was not trustworthy, and thehouse he built came crashing
down on him in the end.
And then there's Pharaoh.
In the time of Moses,God told him what to do.
He heard the word of God throughMoses and Aaron, but he was stubborn.
“Who is the Lord that I should obey hisvoice? I know, not the Lord, neither will
I let Israel go.” And in the end, hiswhole world came crashing down on him
(28:58):
and the whole nation suffered because ofthis man's stubbornness and rebellion.
The storms of life will come to you.
What kind of foundation are youbuilding on—the solid rock of faith
in God's word, or the shifting sandof human feelings and opinions?
And God doesn't give us aweather forecast in the Bible.
He doesn't tell us when these things aregoing to happen, and he doesn't tell us
(29:18):
what kind of storm is going to strike.
But the Bible does tell us to prepare.
Make sure your foundation is rightby building upon the rock solid
foundation of Jesus' Word and byputting that into practice in your life.
Thank you for listeningto My God and my neighbor.
Stay connected with our podcaston our website and on Apple,
Spotify, YouTube, or wherever fine
(29:41):
podcasts are distributed.
Tennessee Bible College, providingChristian education since 1975
in Cookeville, Tennessee, offersundergraduate and graduate programs.
Study at your level.
Aim higher and get in touch with us today.
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