“The Wise And Foolish Builder”
Matthew 7:24-27

INTRODUCTION        

• The very first thing we notice in our text verse is “24)…Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
• What “sayings of Mine (Jesus)” is He talking about?
• To begin with, his sayings on this particular day start in Chapter 5 of Matthew up to this verse in Chapter 7 verse 24.
• The sayings…start with the beatitudes of chapter 5, being salt and light, the reason Jesus came was to fulfill the Law, not destroy it. Then He explains the true meaning of murder in 5:21-26. Then His sayings continue in chapter 5 in verse 27 on adultery, verse 31 on divorce, verse 33 on oaths, retaliation in verse 38, and love in verse 43. Then you go to chapter 6 and his sayings include charitable deeds, how to pray, fasting, and wealth.
• In chapter 7 of Matthew His sayings continue with the Law on judging, ask and it will be given in verse 7, the Golden Rule in verse 12, two ways of life in verse 13, and false/true teaching in verse 15, and finally the true way into the Kingdom in verse 21.
• These are the sayings of Jesus. These are the expectations of God.
• It is also amazing to me that God chose the parable of a builder. He is the “Master builder.” He created heaven and Earth, Moon and stars, heaven itself and Jesus is preparing us a place. When Jesus came to earth he was the son of the master builder who humbled himself to be the son of a earthly carpenter to build the Kingdom of God.
• What Christ says is that “Anyone who hears the gospel, the words of Jesus and obeys them, is like a wise man who builds his house on a strong foundation.
• I was a general contractor for many years, a carpenter, lead man, and job foreman building room additions, new homes, new apartment complexes, basement remodels, and etc. You name it, I’ve built it, or remodeled it. But I still pale in comparison to some I have seen. Listing all of my titles I believe qualifies me to speak with authority on this matter of building.
• You have heard this story more than once. But some may have never heard. This message is for you no matter how many times you have heard it.

I. A House Built Upon A Rock

  A) Let us dissect this sentence

• 24b) “… I will liken him unto a wise man, In other words, Jesus is saying that any “man” (Leader of the home, God’s elected magistrate over His chosen) who is obedient to the word of God, would be wise if… He did the following things.
• “…which built..” It is the man’s responsibility to do the building. Do the ground work.
• The man’s duty to build his home is talking about “spiritually building it.”

1. “Prep work”- The very first thing that takes place is the “prep work.” You think of what you want the project to look like, dream of it’s design, plan for the finances of it.

• For the Christian man, he is to start the prep work by constant prayer. Pray for your bride to be. Pray for the woman before you even meet her. Many times couples get married because they feel they “have to.” That is a set up for disaster. Just because a girl gets pregnant, does not mean you have to get married. Why? Because your marriage is not based on love for one another, it is based upon necessity. True love is respect and admiration for one another so much that boundaries are set and obeyed.

2. Make blue prints- You cannot ever be a successful builder by “winging it.” You must have a plan. For a happy marriage, the blue prints are made from the previous “prep work.”

• For the Christian, a blueprint is God’s Word. If you follow the blue print, your building (your home, your life) will be as you plan. If you do not follow the will of God nor the Word which means you are “winging it,” Then your life and your home will fall, it will not operate, it will not stand.
• I might add, that there are bad architects out in the world today who couldn’t draw a blueprint for a box of Wheaties. Just like there are many Bibles out in the world today that claim to be a “more understandable version” of God. They are not good blue prints for your life when they change the Word of God to fit their desires.

3. Be diligent no matter the weather– Sometimes a building project gets delayed due to bad weather. Sometimes the weather can cause problems and a reconstruction must be placed. But the project must be completed.

• For the Christian, there will be problems, and tests that pop up and many times catch us off guard, unprepared, not ready.

• That is a testing of our faith. It is a growing test. God does this for our benefit. To see what we are made of, to make us stronger. If we never are tested, then we would immediately crumble at the first disaster.

4. The right Contractor– See to it his family worships God, the God of Abraham.
5. The right materials –

• Every designer and contractor has a specific brand or style of materials uniquely designed for their building project. If they are not careful as to the type of concrete, studs, shingles, nails, wiring, and etc. that is put into the building, it could result in a disaster, complications later as wear and tear of those materials take place. Using the right materials is vitally important to the outcome of the project. Bad and cheap materials lead to a bad and cheap looking building that will fall down at the first puff of wind that comes by. Good and moderately expensive materials lead to a good quality building.
• For the Christian, making sure the family goes to the right church. (This takes a lot of research. It also requires a search for the needs not desires of spiritual growth.) Installing Bible study, a constant prayer life, regular church attendance, Godly activities and programs are all part of the right materials for a healthy family.
• “…his house..” This term I believe means everything this man touches. “His house” meaning everything he possesses, owns, or is in control of… needs to belong to God, ruled and governed by the Laws of God. His family, his job, his church, his daily activities…all of that belongs to God. This is the final outcome of the project of building. What does it look like at inspection time? Will it pass? Will it fail? Does it need to have some major or minor adjustments made to get it to pass inspection? It’s the Man’s responsibility to “Get ‘er done!”
• “..upon a rock:” Here is the most important factor of the building project that should have been mentioned by Christ first rather than last. In fact it surprises me that He didn’t. The foundation of a home is the most important part of the entire building project. If the foundation is poor, the building will not stand. It will creak and groan trying to “settle.” It will create problems all through its life. For the Christian, If your life, family, and church is not based on the Word of God which is the foundation of life, then consider yourself a failure.
• Good concrete means a good foundation, a good house, a sturdy and strong house.
• Good faith means a good basis on life, a good family, a good strong relationship.

II. And the Rain Descended (come down)

  A) The testing of God

• Now as we look at Matthew 7, verse 25… And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
• What was the analogy of Christ here in this verse? What does this parable imply?
• Normal weather depicts normal activity, day to day happenings in life.
• What does rain, floods, and wind depict? God’s judgment. Tests, testing of God on His children.
• A house that is never tested will never really have the faith of its residents. When a person is in a house during high winds, or rain and it withstands the test of nature… then the people living in that house have the faith that it will endure the next test.
• UNDERSTAND THIS…

1. The house represents a religious life.
2. The rain represents divine judgment.

• If we are never tested, never judged by God, then how will we become strong to fight Satan? A soldier in the army goes through many series of testing in the military training to prepare him for battle against the enemy.
• This is exactly why God tests and judges us to prepare us for what is to come. Satan loves to tempt, and attempt to ruin the Christian.
• The greatest verse to help us understand what God expects of us in time of tests, and judgment is in I John 4:17…Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
• God says here through the pen of John, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God is this… We are to “be bold” or brave enough to say no to evil, no to Satan when we are tested. God does not like people who quit. He does not like people who give up. It angers Him.
• Do you have any idea why? Why is it important for us to have faith in God, trust in him that He will provide help and strength when we need it?
• Number one… you remember that we are to rule and reign with Christ, fight Satan in the battle for righteousness. Some will tuck their tails between their legs and run. Others will stand and fight.
• Let me ask you… If you were a general in an army, would you want a bunch of cowards or chicken livers standing behind you to help you defend your country? Of course not! You want real men of valor. Real men who are willing to fight to their death.
• Jesus is The General. Do you think He wants any cowards fighting with Him? No.
• So, the question to ask ourselves is this… When tests and judgments of God happen upon us, will we stand tall and say “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”  
• God’s “rod and staff” are comforting instruments for our life that are use for our protection and direction.
• The same goes for a pastor… A pastor is a general contractor, a commander, a general. A pastor does not want people who cower at trials, and testing. We want people who stand up against Satan and people who oppose the church and their pastor.
• When people oppose the church or the pastor, they are called “accusers.” Satan is an accuser of the brethren. (See Rev. 12:10 Satan will be cast down in that day)  

 

III. Everyone Who Heareth, And Doeth Them Not

  A) Be ye hears of the word

• As we look into Matthew 7, verse 26… And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
• The book of James is considered to be written of Jesus’ brother James also brother of Jude. James was also a key leader in the church at Jerusalem along with Peter and John. Here is the message of God through His man in James 1:22…But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
• When you deceive yourself, you are a fool.
• The Greek word for deceive is “paralogizomai.” Being interpreted it means … to mislead someone or lead them in the wrong direction. It also means to give someone a wrong advise, or fool someone into a wrong thought.
• In other words… Jesus in Matthew is saying… if you hear God’s word (Or know what it means) and do not do it, then you are a fool and you house will crumble, your life will end in disaster or ruin.

• What James says is almost the same thing… if you act like you are doing the will of God and putting on a good show to others, then you are deceiving (fooling) yourself, not God.

B) Being a doer is being a follower of Christ

• When you are a “doer of the word” then you are a follower of Christ, a believer.
• Doers and followers are strong when tested, strong when Satan attacks. Doers and followers are those who are in control of their lives and destiny.
• Notice the text in closing of Matthew 7, and verse 27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
• When a house is built poorly, with a bad foundation, cheap materials, a bad craftsmanship… what can you expect the end project to look like? Bad, huh!
• Verse 27 shows us that when the house is built poorly and the rain starts to come down, the flood comes and the winds blow hard… it falls apart.
• Christ uses this analogy to show use that it is the same with our life. When you do not follow the Word, do not depend on God for your every need, and do not listen to the Holy Spirit convicting you…your life will be in ruin. Maybe not right now… but with God there is a limit, there is His promise of divine judgment (punishment).
• What about you today? What is your house built on, a rock or sand?