08.03.08
The Two Foundations (Matt. 7:24-8:1; Luke 6:46-49)
The Two Foundations (Matt. 7:24-8:1; Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus presented the truth to those that were listening, and each hearer needed to make a decision. Again, Jesus was inviting the rejection of the doctrines and practices of the Pharisees and was asking them to accept His words and to put their faith in Him. The question on many hearts was - how good must one be to enter the kingdom. The plain answer from Christ was that one must be as good as God is - one must conform to His goodness and holiness as revealed in the law.
Let’s look at some practical sides of what Jesus is saying for each of the foundations, because what He says certainly speaks volumes if you know just a little bit about building. So, let’s visit The Life Application Commentary for some practical insight.
Some athletes can “talk” a great game, but that tells you nothing about their athletic skills. And not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to God’s kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our “walk” than our “talk.” He wants us to do right, not just say the right words. Your house (which represents your life, 7:24) will withstand the storms of life only if you do what is right instead of just talking about it. Some people wonder if they are really Christians. If that’s you — start acting like one. Some people jabber about their intense faith. If that’s you — just show your faith in faithful living.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Maybe that’s you. You need to get off the fence or off the podium. I love the folks on both sides, those that speak of great and wondrous things, everything is so blessed and so spiritual. And then those that seem to never break through that glass ceiling of faith, they can’t seem to get the heart and mind to synch up so things are always out of kilter just enough to keep them second guessing and doubting the reality that God is active in their lives. And that’s just for the house built on solid rock…what about…
Like a house of cards, the fool’s life crumbles. Most people do not deliberately seek to build on a false or inferior foundation; instead, they just don’t think about their life’s purpose. Many people are headed for destruction, not out of stubbornness but out of thoughtlessness. Part of our responsibility as believers is to help others stop and think about where their lives are headed and to point out the consequences of ignoring Christ’s message. Some people just need a little prodding to come over to Jesus’ side. They have heard the gospel, but they’re not sure or not convinced or not ready. Often they just haven’t met anyone for whom that decision has made a difference.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
I would think more of us and those that we know fit into this area. We’ve heard it all before, we have even accepted it, but our faith is not truly built on the Rock - it’s propped up against the cliff and actually sits on shifting sand. We look around, find people just like us who have made a decision at some point but have not shown any growth or maturity, people who are still in spiritual diapers under their swimwear (cause we all look fashionable), and the waves come in and our lives become a wreck…we see others who are on the beach with us hoping the waves aren’t driven in by the tide or a storm so they really reach our home against the cliff…no telling what kind of damage that might do! And think of our ‘insurance’ policy (our faith), no telling what clauses we may have missed and don’t want to know about if we truly had to use it due to a horrific storm. Now listen to these words…
People today accept the concept of individual autonomy. Truth has been relegated to “whatever is true for you is true.” Because the possibility of absolute truth has been widely rejected, people now depend on “personal truth.” But we can’t make up for the loss of absolute truth by creating our own truth. We are simply wrong too often.
Jesus concluded his sermon with a challenge about foundations. Those who heard him were impressed by his authority. But amazement doesn’t equal acceptance or submission. People who agree in theory that a house should be built on a solid foundation may still go out and construct their lives on a swamp. Part of sharing the gospel with someone involves helping them really look at the foundation of their lives. We must also be able to demonstrate our own foundation. People need to hear and see that we have made Jesus’ teaching the basis of our lives.
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The teaching of Christ was so different from what these folks were use to that the Matthew notes that ‘the crowds were amazed at his teaching’. What again made the folks amazed? It was both the content of His words and the authority with which they were spoken. When was the last time you heard someone speak like that? Was it at church? Over lunch with someone? Over some diet or new miracle drug? When was the last time YOU spoke with this type of intensity / authority?
