Teachings of Jesus (Part 10) Build on the Rock
Years ago when Nancy and I took a trip and visited our son who was living on Pine Island off the cost of Ft. Myers, FL, which is on the Gulf coast. I thought it was very interesting how some built their homes. Some of them were not even built on the ground or on a foundation like we build our homes, rather many of them were built up in the air resting on 8, 10 foot or higher concrete pillars. Some of these homes had special roofs, metal shutters, and instead of vinyl siding, many of them put on siding made of a concrete board material.
The reason why people are building their homes like that is because the area is periodically hit by hurricanes which can bring extremely high winds and tidal surges from the ocean which can totally destroy anything in its path. I remember the year before we visited, Hurricane Charlie hit that area and the long narrow island just off of Pine Island called North Captiva was literally cut in half as the eye of the storm passed over that narrow strip of land. On Pine Island homes were demolished, therefore when people began to rebuild they took precautions and made preparations for future storms..
When it comes to our spiritual life Jesus instruct us that there are certain things that we have to do to prepare our self so that we can weather the storms of life and even protect our self from losing our soul.
In Luke 6 starting with vs. 46 Jesus said: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
In that part of the world there are a lot of sandy valleys and dry river beds called a wadi. The word wadi means washes. Think of a sand bar but in a valley on dry land. People built dwelling on or near a wadi because of the subsurface water for wells. Most of the year these wadies are dry but now and then, when violent rain storms passed by, these areas were subject to floods and fast moving water. It was just foolish to build your house out on these sandy wadis as it would be to build a house on a sandy ocean side beach.
So Jesus tells His disciples what they personally needed to do to be more like that storm proof house built on the rock.
As most of you know just because you call yourself a Christian that does not mean you will never again experience storms in your life. As long as you live on this earth you are going to experience trials, troubles, and hardship of one kind or another. As a matter of fact, becoming a genuine disciple of Christ Jesus in some ways in the here and now may even make more trouble for you than not being a Christian. Jesus told us that may happen. Thru the ages people have been made fun of, mocked, ridiculed, even martyred because of their allegiance to Jesus. But Jesus also promise great things to those who remain faithful.
I personally think that our context here in Luke 6 is talking about what it takes to be an actual, genuine, even real disciple of Jesus, and how to live as such and successfully endure troubles that we may face.
In this text we see that the key to successfully making it through the storms of life begins with being a DOER OF THE WORD, or being a person that will actually do what Jesus says.
The key is not in the hearing of the Word, nor is it daily reading the word, not mediating it, not even memorizing it. The key is in the doing of the Word or obeying it to the best of your ability.
He said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
Notice that the basic issue isn’t even a lack of faith in God or even knowledge, but rather how you live and how obedient you are.
Jesus lets us know that as a Christian, even if we call Him “Lord, Lord”, if we don’t do what He wants and expect of us as believers we are like the guy who builds their house on the sand which is doomed. I personally think that this is one reason why there is still so many defeated, depressed, gloomy, sad, miserable, and hopelessness people in Churches across the country today. When times get tough, when they are treated unfairly, when they or a family member get sick, or they find themselves in financial trouble, or simply when things don’t go the way they want their stability gets shaky like jello or shifting sand and they start falling apart like a weak building in a storm.
Why? because that person’s foundation is not built on anything solid.
Good looks are not enough, a lot of education is not enough. A good personality is not enough. Money and success is not enough. Just going to church and religious rituals are not enough. Jesus is letting us know that we need to be more faithful about doing what God’s word says. And believe me when I say, ‘He knows what’s best.’ In Prov.10:25 Solomon wrote, “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” Sometimes the Lord calms the storm; sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms the believer. Genuine disciples are blessed because they know that God will see them through that trial or storm because He has done it before.
As you know, that Apostle Paul went thru many trials and troubles as he went forth and tried to obey Jesus and preach the Gospel message to unbelievers during his time on earth. In 2 Corinthians 4:8 he wrote, 8 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
In VSS. 16-18 he wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Why and how did Paul come thru those trying situations with such a positive attitude. I believe it was because he knew he was doing what Jesus told him to do. He had built his house in the rock and nothing was going to knock him down spiritually. No one, No Force, CAN KEEP YOU FROM BEING BLESSED IF YOU ARE DOING WHAT THE LORD TOLD YOU TO DO.
God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8ff and I believe we can apply this to ourselves, “8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Keep the Word on your lips, in your mind by meditating on it, Why? So that you do what it says have success
The wise man built the foundation of his house upon solid rock. His house stood up against the torrent. The foolish man built the foundation of His house upon ground which had no solid base and was destroyed completely when the torrent struck. Jesus’ point – the wise person will put into practice what his Lord taught and thereby build his faith and life on an unmovable rock-like foundation. By doing so, the storms of this life – the trials, temptations, suffering, hardships and so on will not destroy such a person. In addition, when the final Day of Judgment comes around, we will stand strong with Him.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
In the epistle of James it says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
I would like to jump ahead to Luke 10:25ff to give you an illustration of what Jesus is talking about here. It says, 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Are you putting into practice the things that Jesus taught? Do you even know what He taught? Have you stopped doing things you know that He doesn’t want you doing?
Are you forgiving that guy at work, the neighbor or relative who slighted you? Are you giving to the needs of others who seek your help? Are you willing to cut others a break when they make a mistake? Are you more like Good Samaritan than those so called religious Jews?
If you are, then you are building your life on a good solid foundation.
But if you are ignoring what God wants for your life, if you are side stepping what He is telling you to do then you are on shaky ground and you are not going to have the peace that Christians like the Apostle Paul had even tho they were barraged by trials and storms in their life. There is one true and lasting foundation for life and faith and that is Jesus Christ. Edward Mote’s wrote a hymn, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
In it he says “On Christ he Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.” That’s so true.
May your hope be built on nothing less than Christ Jesus and His words. May your hope be put into practice for then your life and faith will be built to last.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566
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