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24 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ~ Matthew 7:24-25
Today, we return to our study of Matthew 7 which provides for us "these sayings" of the Lord Jesus Christ. These sayings made up the Sermon on the Mount and they were uttered to enable us to recognize the difference the religion of the Jewish religious leaders and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews had developed a system of works-righteousness, a humanly devised system of self-stimulated fleshly efforts that fell far short of God's requirement of perfection. This is why the Lord Jesus came to this earth, to offer the willing of heart true righteousness which is His righteousness. Before anyone can receive the righteousness the Lord Jesus earned for us on the cross they have to recognize and admit to their own spiritual bankruptcy. This is why the Jewish religious leaders never came the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Their problem was they never took upon themselves the Beatitude mentality.
The teaching of the Lord Jesus leads to a whole new gospel-centered ethic, a cross-shaped way of living life. And His way is totally different than all the teachings of all the others. And at every turn, it seems as if the way of the Lord Jesus is the last thing we’d expect. But His way is the only way that has the power to bring true and lasting love, joy, and peace to our journey on this earth.
In v.24 of today's passage we read, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock."
By use of an illustration, the Lord Jesus told His hearers that it is critical that we hear these words and do them. He told his disciples multiple times that He would be crucified in Jerusalem. This is the rock solid foundation of the believer's eternal state. The rock here speaks of the gospel which is the "good news" that overcame man's rebellion against God. Even though the Jews heard the Lord Jesus, they didn’t really hear Him. The Lord Jesus noted that we must hear in a transformational way. In order to hear the words of Jesus in a transformational way, we must be aided by the Holy Spirit who will always use God's Word to draw us into a personal relationship with the Lord.
The word "whoever" in this verse is key because it reveals that everyone has the opportunity to build his life on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Building a life upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus produces a life built on that which is substantive and enduring. And, even though we build our lives on His teachings, we will still encounter storms. We cannot prove the veracity of His word unless we go through trials. But, when the storms arrive we will be prepared to deal with the rain and the strong winds. This grants us the stability of soul that enables us to navigate this life.
In v.25 of today's passage we read, "And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."
On the solid rock of the Lord Jesus Christ does any believer endure in the faith. His house does not fall because by being defined by the Lord Jesus he will be prepared for even the worst that may come. As we learn the solidity of the Lord Jesus' culture we will be prepared for the disasters of life like a wise man. Sadly, many fail to learn this as they should because by running from our trials, we discover that we are running from God. In this case is revealed the number one god of most: COMFORT.
The storms of life will always threaten our comfort. They will always sift out the true from the false. For those who build their lives on the teachings of the Lord Jesus, the storms of life will grant the opportunity for the believer to experience the faithfulness of God. And, of course, we have no faith without His faithfulness. When the rains of depression, fearfulness, and loneliness fall, when the floods of personal sin, family tension, and relational brokenness come, when the winds of cultural tension, social pressure, and godless societies blow, we will stand because the culture of Christ the Solid Rock is defining us.
