[0:00] I want us now to turn back to the passage that we read together. And as I said, I want us to focus on that last image that we have here of the two builders, the one who built upon the rock and the one who built without a foundation.
[0:14] And there's a clear difference between these two men. A comparison is made according to the way in which they built their house.
[0:25] One was sure and strong, and the other was uncertain and eventually fell. And in this image, Jesus is using it because he expresses these two men as being like something.
[0:44] You see that in verse 48, the man is like, and then in verse 49, the second man, he is like someone as well.
[0:55] So what is Jesus comparing them to? What is Jesus saying that these two men are like in this imagery that he presents? Well, he is saying there what they are like in verse 46.
[1:08] Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will tell you what he is like.
[1:26] The one who does the words of God is the one who builds upon the foundation. And this image may be well known to us from our childhood.
[1:37] Maybe a song that we sung about the one that built his house upon the rock and the one that built his house upon the sand. But really, behind that imagery, there is an important message to listen to from Jesus.
[1:53] This is the conclusion to his sermon here. This imagery, it appears twice in the Bible, and both times it appears. It's a conclusion to Jesus' sermon.
[2:06] Here in Luke chapter 6, it's a conclusion to what we read often, verse 17. This is the sermon of the plane. He stood on a level place there in verse 17 and taught the crowds.
[2:21] People say this is the sermon on the plane from the Gospel of Luke. But it is also used, this imagery of the builders, used in the sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew.
[2:35] And that appears in Matthew chapter 7. Now, both these sermons, they are very similar. Theologians would argue, well, one's a sermon on the Mount, one's a sermon on a plane, but they're both teaching the same thing.
[2:48] And they argue, well, is it the same instance? Is there an error in the Mount? Is there an error that it was a plane? We cannot be sure. But regardless of that, Jesus concludes the sermon with this imagery.
[3:06] And I was like, well, why is it this image that he asks us to consider as he closes with the people, as he sends the people away?
[3:19] This is the last thing he tells them. So why is this so important? Because of everything he has just said, of everything he had taught them, he is asking them more than just come and hear.
[3:38] He's asking them more than just say, call me Lord, Lord. To use that expression would be to say that you knew the Lord, to call out saying you proclaimed the Lord.
[3:53] But he's asking for not just a proclamation, not just lip service. He's asking all of them to do what is asked in his word, to follow his teaching.
[4:09] And that will be where true fruit is seen, by the one who builds his life upon the word of God and the truth of it.
[4:22] So what he's saying to the people is, after teaching them these words which are difficult and the challenges that I've asked us to consider, he's asking them for a personal response to what he's saying.
[4:41] He's saying, are you doing these things? These things that are hard for us to do. So what do we do with the words of Jesus Christ?
[4:54] What do we do when we hear these difficult things? Do we brush over to them? Do we say, yes, I believe in them and don't do them? Or are we people that out enact these difficult things?
[5:11] That's a challenge to all of us, whether we are doing the words of Christ or whether we are only proclaiming that we are doing the words of Christ.
[5:23] It is a challenge to each of us and I include myself of course in that challenge. And I want us to consider these two men, the foundational differences between them, the one who does the words of the Lord and the one who does not.
[5:43] And it is in relevance to the foundation which is often unseen. The foundation is an unseen work of it.
[5:54] You see the building, you don't see the strength of it in the foundation. And often what we do in our lives is unseen by others.
[6:08] Yet the fruit of it can be evident. The man who does and the man who does not. Verse 47, the man who does, everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like.
[6:27] He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the streamboat broke against it.
[6:41] And the house could not shake it because it had been well built.
[6:55] When considering these two men, it's important to remember that they both heard the same word, but there was an entirely different response. The man who does the words of Christ is a man of obedience.
[7:10] He is moved by the words he has heard to do what they say. And firstly it says that he dug deep.
[7:21] That's not an easy thing if you've ever tried to dig a deep hole. If you've ever tried to dig a foundation, it's hard work. It's a labor for us.
[7:33] But it's a labor for the man that does the word of God to search the words of Jesus. Search through what he has been taught.
[7:45] Lift him. It is a hard work to find the rock, to find his assurance, to find Christ.
[7:58] He's looking for something to build his house on. He's getting rid of everything that he doesn't need. He's getting rid of all the uncertainties. And he's looking for the rock.
[8:09] He's searching for the rock. Looking for something to build his life upon that no storm can shake him from.
[8:21] It is not the fool that we sung of in Psalm 53 who expects a life of ease. It is one that is diligent to seek through the words of God and to find the rock worth building upon.
[8:39] And all the digging that he does, all the sifting that he's doing from the word of God that he has heard, it is all an exercise of faith. It is all a trusting in the word that he has heard from Jesus Christ.
[8:54] He knows there is a rock and he knows he must find it. And the fool may come along. Someone may come along and see this man digging and ask him, what on earth are you doing digging in the soil?
[9:12] Why are you looking for the rock when you don't need to look for the rock? Why are you wasting your time with the words of Jesus Christ and sifting through them and doing all these difficult things that is asked of us?
[9:28] Why are you doing these things? The fool doesn't think he needs to do it. You know I travel regularly down to Edinburgh for college.
[9:41] And one of the return trips I had was interesting because I usually go through to Glasgow on the bus and then Glasgow on the train and then get the bus through to the airport.
[9:52] And I was sitting on the bus, it was pretty full and I was sitting at one of the table seats where you face each other and an elderly gentleman came and sat in front of me. And he began telling me about the trip he had had.
[10:05] He had told me about his life and all he had done, all he had done, he was an artist, he had built a house in Spain, he had bought a house in Spain. But the problem was when he was in Spain that all his paintings were in his house and he had no room to keep them.
[10:20] So he had to build this studio or place to store all the paintings. But he had bought this house on a hill essentially. And he was telling me all about this house and how wonderful this house was.
[10:34] And the paintings that he had and they were choking up his house and he wanted to build this. But he said there's terrible rains in this area of Spain that he stayed in.
[10:45] And he said my problem is it's going to be that expensive to build this studio on this hill because it needs to dig right down and it need to be proper drainage up the hill and it was causing him a fortune to do this.
[11:02] And he was weighing up whether he would or not. And I think he was maybe looking for a cheaper alternative. But it pained him to have to spend all his money on the foundation.
[11:14] He just wanted the studio, he wanted the life of ease. He wanted it to be there and then without the great cost to himself. And then he asked me what are you doing here?
[11:25] And I told him I was studying to be a minister. And you know he looked at me like I was a fool. He asked me, I think he had asked me before what I was doing.
[11:38] I told him I was an actor. And he said oh there's a abundance of work for you out in Spain. You know come out to Spain, you'll make it out there. You'll be successful.
[11:50] And I told him I was a minister student. He looked at me like I was a fool. And almost sighed with the disappointment.
[12:02] But he see the difference there. Of the man who was relying on himself. And he didn't want to live a life that was costly.
[12:14] He didn't want to have to dig foundations. Even for the studio. He was proud of all he had done. And he looked at me, the man that trusted in God.
[12:26] Like he was a fool. The man knew fine that the storms would come. The man knew fine that the rain would come.
[12:37] And if he didn't have a shoe foundation, the studio would be washed away. And that's what the man of Christ, the believer in the Lord Jesus must do.
[12:50] They must realize that if they do not have a shoe foundation. But all of us. All of us must realize that. If we do not have a shoe foundation, when the storms of life come, we will be washed away.
[13:05] And what the man of God does is endeavour to find his foundation in the words of God and to do what Jesus Christ has asked of him. To read his Bible every day.
[13:17] To pray to the Lord Jesus Christ. To rely and trust upon his words. In all uncertainties, in all storms. When things, you know, we got the weather forecast telling us the storm was coming today.
[13:33] And you prepare. You put things away so they won't blow away. Are we preparing? Are we prepared for the storms of life?
[13:44] Are we prepared for the storm that will come and death? Are we prepared for the judgment of God?
[13:57] How many times have you sat under the Gospel? How many times have you heard the word of God being preached? That you must trust in Christ as the only foundation that will withstand the storms of life.
[14:14] The only foundation that will withstand the storm of death. And the only foundation that will withstand the storms of his judgment. How many times have you heard that here?
[14:27] If you do not build upon that sure and stair rock of Jesus Christ. The truth is the reality of hell.
[14:39] To be washed away and to be forgotten by God. What are we building our lives upon this morning?
[14:51] Are we listening to these words so difficult they are? Are we trusting in them? Do we consider them and think about them?
[15:04] Are we questioning the words of Jesus Christ? That's what the man of God does. He questions, at his foundations good enough.
[15:18] At his foundations going to withstand. That's what the wise man does. The fool doesn't. The fool just looks at what he has for the day.
[15:33] Are we questioning our lives in the storms of God's judgment? Will we withstand the judgment of God?
[15:48] We will if we trust in his word. We will if we do what is asked of us. We will if we rely on him. And believe and express faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[16:06] As we said these foundations are often unseen. And often the Spirit works within us in a way that is personal and private to our hearts. It's a spirit that works in you.
[16:20] It's a spirit spoken to you. Are you doing the words of Christ?
[16:32] Are you building upon it? And it's an interesting thing here in this passage. Where it says that the one who trusted in the word, he's building.
[16:47] It's a continual thing. He's building every day. This building isn't finished. Building and building and building. And so must the man that trusts in the word of God.
[17:01] So often we think that we should have it all completed. We should have our lives all sorted and done. And then we are so easily and quickly humbled in our lives.
[17:16] And we realise we need to continually build upon the words of Jesus Christ every day. And trust in them. The man who trusts in God has a sure and steadfast foundation.
[17:30] Who will not be shaken. He has an assurance and a hope for his life amongst the greatest storms. Are we people that listen and do this word?
[17:44] But what about the man who does not do the word? But the one who hears and does not do them is like the man who built a house on the ground without a foundation when the stream broke against it.
[18:00] Immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great. This man didn't listen to the words of God. And if what is asked often didn't question himself or his house's foundations, this man didn't think of eternity really.
[18:25] He didn't think about the strength of the storm that was to come. He let it go in the words of Jesus. He let it go in one ear and out the other.
[18:36] And wonder is there any that have sat under the word of God and tried to blank it out. Trying not to let it question their hearts of who the truth, the truth of what their foundations of their lives is before God.
[18:53] Because it's a fearful prospect if we are not built upon Jesus Christ. I have sat under the gospel myself and tried to blank that truth out.
[19:05] I didn't want to hear it that day. We often do that. But it's foolishness in the sight of God to do such a thing.
[19:21] Jesus Christ says to listen to his words, to come to him and trust in him.
[19:34] Jesus says to the man who hears this word, to respond to him, not to blank it out, not to live a life of ease, not because it's going to be costly to you to trust in this man.
[20:01] You think you're going to lose so much of this world. It's not just to pick and choose the words of the Bible. It's not just to say God is a God of love and forget that God is a God of judgment.
[20:17] You see that God is a God of compassion. And you see that God is a God that does not exercise his displeasure.
[20:28] Those have forgotten him. You'll notice of this man in comparison to the one who trusted in God, to notice the one that was wise.
[20:44] This man has built his house. This house is complete. It's all done. In his sight it is all sorted and ready.
[20:55] He's proud of what he has achieved. But really this man has done nothing worthwhile in the sight of God. And while he may call out and say, Lord, Lord, in the sight of God, he is a fool because he is not doing what Jesus has asked of him.
[21:21] It is as if he were a tree there to use the image that is also in the close of this passage. As if it was a tree that said, my fruit is good, but upon it were rotten apples.
[21:40] You would say that the tree was a fool to say such a thing. The person was a fool to proclaim that the Lord was his Lord and yet the fruit of his life was not good.
[21:54] The fruit of his life were like rotten apples in the sight of God who comes to receive a harvest.
[22:06] He comes to receive the goodness of those who have trusted in him, those who have done the words of God and those who have borne fruit for him.
[22:19] To build without a foundation is foolish. To think that we have built a life best on Jesus and not do what is asked of us is foolish in this word.
[22:34] The ruin of that house was great when the storm comes. It is a storm that will test the form of God, the foundations of these men.
[22:47] It is a storm of God's judgment that will test the foundation of our lives. What foundation are we building upon today?
[22:59] Are we listening and hearing what Jesus Christ is saying to us? And I know it's difficult. I know it's hard and often we feel like we're failing to do what is asked of us.
[23:16] But the Lord knows where your foundation is. It is unseen, it is in your heart. The Lord knows where our heart is and what our heart is built upon.
[23:31] And if our heart is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ, surely we will bring fruit for his glory.
[23:46] The word of God does not ask us to underpin our lives.
[23:58] To almost put the word of God into all that we have achieved. The word of God asks us to forget and count all things as rubbish of any achievements that we have made.
[24:15] It says that we must be born again. We must start anew. We are not just to underpin our lives with the word, but we are to build a new foundation upon the word of God.
[24:35] And build a new house upon the word of God. And that will be a house that will be built on something that will not move.
[24:48] And as we build the foundations that are private within our hearts, there will come a time where we must announce and break the surface, so that people will see where we are building our lives upon.
[25:09] We are not to remain in the ground building foundations. We are to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to break through the surface and say that our house is one that will honour and serve the Lord, with confidence and boldness to stand on solid rock.
[25:36] Maybe it's time for someone here to break the surface. Maybe it's time for someone here to say, I will serve the Lord. And I am unashamed to say that I have rebuilt my life upon the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[26:01] What are we doing with the words that we hear this morning? What are we doing with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
[26:12] Are we building our lives upon it? Are we trusting it? Are we wise? Or are we fools?
[26:23] What will we do when the storm comes? Have we considered who we are before the judgment of Jesus Christ?
[26:36] The one that has built upon him as the greatest confidence, the greatest privilege, the greatest inheritance that he could ever ask for.
[26:51] But otherwise, you lost an eternal hell. Where are we building our lives this morning?
[27:04] Are we doing what is asked of us in the Word of God? Maybe we are wise and not fools in the sight of God. May these thoughts be blessed to us.