Building on the Right Foundation (Matthew 7:21-29)

America is a Christian nation…or at least that’s what we often hear. However, is that the reality? A Pew Research study was released earlier this year and it stated 62% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians, and naturally the number is higher for us, as a state, being in the Bible belt. Seventy percent of adults in Oklahoma claim to be Christians according to the same research. Those sound like pretty good numbers. And I’m not even polling this church. If I polled us, I bet the number would shoot up to 95%. Regardless of the number, we objectively have a high number of people in this room and around this country who check the Christian box on any given survey. But are we really a Christian nation, a Christian state, or even individual Christians for that matter? And if so, how do we know? How do we measure it? Is it simply based on self-proclamation alone or is there more to it?

In today’s reading we are going to try to get to the bottom of this as we look at true and false disciples. We will use Jesus’s closing remarks in Matthew 7 to help us, so-called “Christians,” better understand the foundations our lives are built on. Therefore, please open your Bible, and open your heart and mind as we dig into the closing of Jesus’s most famous sermon. Opening our hearts and minds is no easy feat, so let’s first invite the Holy Spirit to break down any barriers that would keep us from being set free by truth.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

Let’s stop here and try to process what Jesus is saying before we proceed further. Honestly, his initial comments may sound odd considering everything he presented in his scenario is good. It is good for us to declare with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord.” It is good to prophesy in the name of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 14:1 states this plainly. Paul wrote, “Follow the way of love and early desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” He went on to say in verse 3, “the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” Prophecy is good. Furthermore, it is good for demons to be expelled. In fact, Jesus appointed his disciples that they might preach and to have authority to drive out demons (Mark 3:14). Once more, all good things. So, what was Jesus getting at? I believe he presented these scenarios to highlight two important principles.

#1 - The right talk and the right lifestyle do not equate to a right relationship with God. In other words, saying “Lord, Lord” with conviction and doing great things doesn’t necessarily mean you submit to his authority or have a good relationship with him. Non-Christians can perform great signs. Jesus once told a crowd, “false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive” (Matt. 24:24), which tells us, counterfeit power is available outside of a relationship with God.

#2 – On the same token, Jesus always emphasizes a relationship before responsibilities. Even though many people will say, “I prophesied in your name, I drove out demons, and performed many miracles.” Jesus will plainly reply, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Clearly all great works are worthless apart from a relationship with him when it comes to being a part of his heavenly kingdom – on earth and in heaven. It may sound harsh, but it does make sense.

For instance, if I do a bunch of good stuff on behalf of the president and then try to knock on the White House door unannounced. What’s going to happen? First off, I wouldn’t be able to make it to the front door. Secondly, my pleas to live in the White House would fall on deaf ears. Any president would find my request absurd without an intimate relationship. This scenario applies to every living situation. I can’t just knock on an older guy’s house, say “Dad!”, look at what I did in your name, and expect to move in. This is especially true of heaven. Only adopted sons and daughters of God are allowed. In this opening portion, Jesus reminded the religious elites like the Pharisees, and he reminds us - relationship is essential.

Now, does that mean our responsibilities aren’t important? Of course not! Faith without works is dead. We are about to see how important it is for us, as believers, to properly respond to all of Jesus’ teachings. I just want to drive home this point up front: God cares more about whose you are than what you do, good or bad. It’s about a relationship; not about a works-based faith. That said, let’s read the next portion. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” Matthew 7:24-29.

Jesus said in verse 24, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice.” What words is he referring to? In context he was specifically referring to all the words he spoke prior to this. We have looked at these words found in Matthew 5-7 for years now. We’ve meditated on his words about kingdom blessings for the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and the like. We observed how Jesus contrasted faithful obedience within his kingdom and the world. He showed us his high standards when he addressed murder, adultery, and divorce. He convicted many of us by emphasizing the importance of the heart when it comes to the disciplines of giving, prayer, and fasting. These are the words he’s referring to, and we can safely infer this calling includes all his words found in Scripture – not just in the Sermon on the Mount.

We are called to hear all these words and then we are to incorporate the other verb Jesus stresses. It’s “practice.” It’s not enough to just hear his powerful words, we must put them into action. James, the half-brother of Jesus, echoed the same sentiments: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). Hearing won’t cut it. Practice is required, even if it’s hard.

In this sermon, Jesus hit on some hard practices. He said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). We’ve heard these words with our ears repeatedly, yet sadly many of us don’t practice it. Rather, instead of seeking to serve or pray for those we dislike, we prefer to build their lives on the philosophy of an eye for an eye.

Jesus addressed worry as well. He said, “do not worry about your life.” That’s definitely good to hear, still this truth won’t transform your life unless you practice what he preached. He said instead of worrying, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Likewise, Philippians 4:6-7 states we are not to be anxious, but instead we are to continually lift our requests up to God, and we are to do it with a thankful heart.

Again, how many of us have heard these things, yet we practice the exact opposite approach -  the world’s approach. Regarding anxiety, how many times do we hear Philippians 4:6-7, yet say to ourselves, I can’t let this anxious thought go just yet. Thinking about it shows I care, and maybe I can control the situation if I give it enough brain power. Hearing is not enough!

Tell me, where else in life does it suffice to only build up a knowledge base without action? Does it suffice at work? “Hey boss, I don’t have the report, but I certainly remember you telling me to get it.” Kids, does this lifestyle work with your parents? “No mom, I didn’t clean my room, but I do know how to say, “clean my room” in Greek.” How about with your spouse? “Honey, I’m sorry I put your gentle delicates in with the towels again, however I did get with our small group and we discussed your guidelines for laundry. We will keep discussing.”

Talk is cheap. Why do we call Jesus “Lord, Lord” or our supreme authority and not do what he says (Luke 6:46)? Why don’t we practice what we hear? You may be thinking, following Jesus is hard and it isn’t always a fun ride. Some will even say it’s burdensome. I’ll grant you; it is hard to follow Jesus. It is hard to not seek revenge or to cease worrying, but I do object to the viewpoint of his ways being burdensome. The truth is his commands are never burdensome! Going to jail for murder is burdensome, your body shutting down from anxiety – that’s burdensome. God’s ways don’t add chains to our lives. It’s the contrary. Even though it is hard, the more you practice and obey, the more you experience freedom. The beloved disciples put it this way, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

Also, practicing God’s truth will protect you in the storms of life – not necessarily “from” the storms, but “in” the storms of life. Let’s ponder more on this amazing analogy Jesus presents in Matthew 7. Two men built a house. One was wise and one was foolish. The foolish man didn’t give much thought to his foundation because who cares what the house is built on. Most people want to see a big, gorgeous house with impeccable curb appeal, right? When it came to the foundation, he was just looking for convenience and ease. The wise man took the harder path. His costs to build on the rock were substantially more, and the amount of time it took to build his foundation far exceeded the time of the foolish man. Nonetheless, from the outside looking in both seemed to have a good thing going. They both probably had warm, wood surfaces, textured stone and natural cabinetry. I imagine they both had a rustic-modern vibe going on with plenty of shiplap paneling, farmhouse sinks and all sleek appliances and fixtures to complete their luxurious homes.

Then the same storm hit both guys’ houses. Rain came down, winds beat against the homes. The wise man’s house withstood it, and the foolish man’s house fell with a great crash. All of a sudden the square feet of the foolish man’s house didn’t matter, the zip code didn’t matter, the amazing interior design didn’t matter because his foundation was built on sand. In layman’s terms, he tried building his life on his own terms and it led to destruction.

Whether it’s intentional or not, a lot of us do the same thing. We set our foundation on anything but Christ out of convenience and ease. And it’s good for a while. People are impressed and we feel good. But then the storms hit – the storms of disappointment, unfulfilled expectations, sickness, spiritual attacks, suffering, temptations, persecution, loss, judgment, failure, even the storms associated with success come and test our foundations. Once more, it’s not a matter of if these storms come; it’s when. The question is, will we learn from past builders, or will we continue to be foolish – thinking we know what’s best.

We can scan through history and find countless examples of wise and foolish builders to learn from. Right now in my Bible reading plan, I’m in the book of Jeremiah. God called Jeremiah to continually warn his people of impeding judgment due to their ongoing rebellion. For instance, God warned them. “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.” Jeremiah 22:13 NIV

Jeremiah called out their building tendencies. Their response, “Nah…it’s easier to build on the sand. It’s easier for us to take advantage of our workers by underpaying them. It’s easier to turn a blind eye to injustice even though we have the resources and the time to make an impact. As a result, Jeremiah had no choice but to hit them with the truth. He told them in Jeremiah 23:19, “See the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.” He said judgement was coming. And reminded them that it would do them no good to cry out to their so-called “gods.” Sure enough those false foundations were of no help when the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon due to their ongoing rebellion. We should take note! We can learn from their horrible building practices.

Moreover, we can learn from people like Solomon. In my estimation, he is a perfect case study. Early on in his life, he built his life on God’s ways. You know the story. God essentially gave him a blank check at the beginning of his kingship. And amazingly Solomon didn’t pursue selfish ambition, rather he asked God for wisdom to lead his people. God loved his response and blessed him with wisdom and so much more. His foundation was solid. Over time, though, Solomon got away from God’s words. He started practicing the ways of his wives and the way of his own deceitful heart. Consequently, his life became unstable like shifting sand.

He tells us himself in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 some of the false foundations he pursued. He said, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” He was clear. His pursuit of pleasure and accomplishments were meaningless foundations to build his life on. He also lists a wide variety of other worthless things to build your life on in Ecclesiastes if you have time to read it this week. If you do, you will see it was often the storm of success that rattled him to the core.

This is one way for you to examine your own foundation. Compare your life to wise and foolish builders, like Solomon, who have gone before us. Another way to examine your foundation is to test yourself. The word says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test” 2 Corinthians 13:5?

This gets us back to our original question. How do we know if you are a Christian – a true disciple? Thankfully, Paul offers up some great wisdom. He said examine and test yourself before God. And since I know everyone loves tests so much, I believe it’s wise to close out our time by giving you some diagnostic questions to think through. Don’t worry they’re not hard questions. Plus, we don’t have to look far. We can draw them straight from Matthew 7.

One question deals with hearing. Have you truly heard what Jesus has said? Let’s start with the basics. Faith comes from hearing the Good News about Christ. Therefore, have you heard John 3:16 or Romans 6:23 or at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus spoke about the importance of us being poor in spirit? Outside of the Sermon of the Mount, I know most of you have heard Romans 10:9-10, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Hearing this transformational truth is the first step. So ask yourself, am I taking time to hear the word of truth?

The second step is putting what you hear into practice. It’s not rocket science! Ask yourself, “Upon hearing the gospel, have I put my faith in Jesus? Do I believe that he died and rose again in order that I might be forgiven and restored back to God? Do I trust Jesus enough to accept his free gift and to make him the ultimate authority of my life?

These questions will help you get to the heart of the matter quickly, but if you’re still having issues deciphering an answer, you can always ask yourself about the impact of your practices. Put another way, you can ask, “What are the fruits of my labor?”

The fruits of the flesh are sexual immorality, idolatry, fits of rage, selfish ambition, along with many other negative fruits found in Galatians 5:19. Do all your daily practices produce these kinds of fruit or are you starting to see the fruits of the Spirit on display in your life?

Our justification or the act of being set right with God is a one-time event, we become part of the family when we accept the Gospel. On the other hand, sanctification, or the process of growing in holiness, is a life-long journey, which means you are going to struggle. You will battle your flesh the rest of your life. Nevertheless, you should start seeing the fruits of the Spirit as you abide in your relationship with Jesus. We read John 8:31 earlier. You should start to see freedom in your life since God’s power and grace empowers you to overcome the flesh. If you aren’t seeing freedom and you’re still trying to cut off your own toxic fruit in your own power, you need to refer back to the first two questions. Apart from Christ we can do nothing.

With Christ as your foundation, however, you can do anything, including overcoming the storms of life. Your answer to how you deal with the storms of life, may be one of the best determining factors as to whether you are a Christian or not.

You know what I’m talking about. Apart from Christ, we see lives crashing left and right due to some of the storms I’ve alluded to. That’s normal. What’s crazy is, true Christians don’t just endure storms, they learn to embrace them. They learn to rejoice in them. They learn to consider it joy, not because they are gluttons for punishment, but because they see God’s sovereignty and his goodness in those storms.

I absolutely love what Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” That Christianity 401 right there. Over time, Spurgeon learned (practiced) rejoicing when the rain and the waves hit his house because regardless of what happened to the exterior, he found his firm footing on the Rock! The psalmist in Psalm 18:2 echoes the same stabilizing truth, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.”

He, too, can be your firm foundation! Our scripture says, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching (vs. 29).” I pray you have also been amazed by the words of Jesus as we’ve gone through this sermon series. More than anything, I pray we all will hear his words and practice them, so we can experience the abundance of living on the Rock!

 If that’s your desire, you have an opportunity this morning to build life on the cornerstone - Jesus. The Word says salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12). You can know Jesus this morning and you can know salvation from the ultimate storms of life – death and judgment.

I’m not really a doom and gloom guy, however the prophet Jeremiah has inspired me to speak the hard truth in love, given death and judgment are coming for us all. And from what I understand, God isn’t going to have us lay out all our works on the table to see if the good outweighs the bad. Rather, it’s going to be one of two responses. He will either say, “Welcome my child!” or “Get away. I never knew you.” The choice is yours. If you want to start a relationship with God or restore it, I want to encourage you to respond as we sing a song.