1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,440 It's wonderful to be here all together today. 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,360 It's the Lord's Day and we have an appointment this morning with 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:10,880 our Lord and we're grateful for that. 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,720 And we have a wonderful crowd and we appreciate the presence 5 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:17,680 of each and everyone that's come to be with us. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,920 We have visitors here today and we want to say welcome to you. 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,280 It's good to be together. It's good to worship together. 8 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,240 And as always is the case, I do consider it an honor to speak 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,840 concerning the Word of God. Today we are finishing a long 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,920 series that has taken us over a year and a half, and that is to 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,440 preach on the subject or the greatest sermon the Lord ever 12 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,040 preached. It was his masterpiece. 13 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,120 It was the great Sermon on the Mount. 14 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,680 And this morning's lesson is his conclusion where Jesus talks 15 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:53,320 about the importance of building on the rock and what that 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,240 actually means. We're going to get to that in 17 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,560 just a moment, but this sermon was the greatest sermon ever 18 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,360 preached. In this sermon, the Lord taught 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,600 us about life. He taught us about faith. 20 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,320 He taught us about actions, that our actions actually matter. 21 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,480 And he taught us that it all begins in the heart. 22 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,920 Yeah, your heart matters too, and your behavior is the 23 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,120 manifestation of the heart. He emphasized over and over 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,600 again the importance of fixing us on the inside so that we can 25 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,480 fix ourselves on the outside. He told us that if we're 26 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,360 struggling on the outside with things, it's because we haven't 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,200 rectified or fixed the things on the inside. 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,680 He preached like no man had ever preached before. 29 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,320 It was indeed his masterpiece. Very briefly though, I want to 30 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:45,040 sum up what we've talked about in the last year and a half and, 31 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,040 and I'm going to be very brief. This is what we've talked about 32 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,840 on this great sermon. First of all, in Matthew chapter 33 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,400 5 and verse one, the Bible says when he was set or when he was 34 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,960 seated. You know, I've seen Hollywood's 35 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:03,280 depiction of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is standing 36 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,760 and everybody else is standing, but he's elevated high standing 37 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,840 and everybody's listening. That's not what he did. 38 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,640 It was very customary back then that the teacher would not 39 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:14,280 stand. The teacher would sit. 40 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,760 So Jesus found an elevated position and he sat down and so 41 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,520 did the people. So they were literally doing, as 42 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,760 we say, figuratively all the time. 43 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,240 They were seated at the feet of the Master. 44 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,760 And he began by saying this in the Beatitudes, the first 12 45 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,120 verses of Matthew chapter 5, He begins by saying blessed are the 46 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,520 poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 47 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,520 Blessed are they that mourn, for they will be comforted. 48 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,240 He talks about hungering and thirsting after righteousness 49 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,560 and what he talks about, first of all, and this is very 50 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,120 significant and very important in the Beatitudes, he's saying 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,120 this number one, you got to have the proper relationship with 52 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,320 God. That's how it all begins. 53 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,600 Once you have the proper relationship with God, you now 54 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,800 have the mental disposition to serve God all of your life. 55 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,720 And once you do that, it leads to to our life that God wants us 56 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,480 to have and wants us to live. And then he said this after 57 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,720 that, you now have a responsibility and that is to 58 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,640 the world. By way of an example, by the 59 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:25,480 way, the Beatitudes, if you want to know what the elements or 60 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,760 what makes up true happiness and true blessedness, read the 12 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,600 verses of Matthew chapter 5, the 1st 12 verses. 62 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:35,480 If you want to know people talk about what makes you happy, what 63 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,280 makes you truly happy and truly blessed is found in the 1st 12 64 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,480 verses. Once you do that, you now have a 65 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,320 responsibility. Jesus said you're the salt of 66 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:43,520 the earth and you're the light of the world. 67 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,960 Jesus is the light. We're not the light. 68 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,880 We are luminaries to broadcast the light of Jesus Christ to a 69 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,240 Dark World. Then he said this. 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,880 Then he starts talking about the heart and he says murder begins 71 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,440 in the heart. He said you've heard that it had 72 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,920 been said, you shall not commit murder. 73 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,160 Going all the way back to the 10 Commandments. 74 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,720 But what Jesus was doing is he wasn't erasing Old Testament 75 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,000 law. He was establishing new 76 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,680 authoritative law that would supersede it. 77 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,480 And that was this, he says. But I say to you that whoever is 78 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,480 angry with his brother without a cause has committed murder 79 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,920 already in his heart. He continues the theme of the 80 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,400 heart with adultery too. He says, You heard that it had 81 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,720 been said, You shall not commit adultery. 82 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,080 They all understood that. But Jesus says, But I say to you 83 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,920 that whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed 84 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:43,520 adultery already in his heart. Then he talks about the marriage 85 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,400 relationship. The marriage relationship is 86 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,680 sacred and binding, and The only exception for divorce, he says, 87 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:55,000 is for sexual immorality. He further goes on to say this. 88 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,720 He talks about our relationship and please get this with our 89 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,160 enemies. And he does it in two sermons. 90 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,040 And we did too #1 is going the second mile. 91 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:07,800 That's what second mile religion actually means. 92 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,000 It's dealing with your enemies and people and behavior. 93 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,840 And secondly, he talks about loving your enemies. 94 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,320 That's hard to do with it, but Jesus says that's what you're 95 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,520 going to do. He talks about this. 96 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,320 When you do good and we're supposed to do good, we are 97 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,280 actually created for good works. But when you do it, don't do it 98 00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:28,680 to please men. Don't do it to be patted on the 99 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:30,520 back by men. Do it to please God. 100 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,360 And when you do it, and the motivation or the motive behind 101 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,640 the ACT is so that people give you credit, Jesus said you have 102 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,040 your reward. In other words, whatever form of 103 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,040 recognition that man gave you is all you're going to get because 104 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,880 you're getting nothing from God. Then he said this. 105 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,360 How about priorities? He said this. 106 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,360 You got a choice, he says. I'm saying lay up for yourselves 107 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,120 treasures in heaven. The things that really matter. 108 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,480 When you lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, what 109 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:02,920 happens? Guess what? 110 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,720 A moth can come and tear it apart, and even rust can destroy 111 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,720 it. But if you lay up treasures in 112 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,600 heaven, and please get this, if you do that, and from a 113 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,440 spiritual perspective, that's what's really important to you, 114 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,800 is following God and laying up treasures in heaven, then 115 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,600 nothing on the earth that can take your physical stuff, 116 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:27,720 nothing like that can take away that inheritance from you if you 117 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,600 lay it up in heaven. And by the way, don't worry too 118 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,960 much about this world because God's got your back. 119 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,640 Wow, how about that? Oh, and don't worry, by the way, 120 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,720 what's God do? If God so clothed the grass of 121 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,160 the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the 122 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:43,560 oven, don't you think He's going to clothe you? 123 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,600 Oh, you a little faith. He talks about the birds. 124 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,280 He's going to take care of them. Birds too. 125 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:51,240 Don't think he's going to take care of you. 126 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,120 And then he says that Matthew 6 and 33 But seek first the 127 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,880 Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these 128 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,800 things will be added unto you, the necessities of life. 129 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:05,640 So by the way, don't worry. Then also in chapter 6, he says 130 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,760 that man's existence goes beyond this life. 131 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,760 I'm so glad that that's the case, aren't you? 132 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,240 That this life is not the end. There's something is so much 133 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,480 better and so much more. But because man's existence goes 134 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,680 beyond this life, he says there's only two ways. 135 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,720 Please get this, only two. There's the narrow way that 136 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,400 leads to life and there's the Broadway that leads to 137 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,160 destruction. Jesus says few that be that find 138 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,080 it meaning the narrow way. Why is that? 139 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,800 Because few, as you remember, as we preached on few, choose that 140 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,680 life because it's a life of sacrifice. 141 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,880 It's a life sometimes of difficulty. 142 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,120 It's a life sometimes of hardship. 143 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,080 It's a life of taking yourself and putting yourself aside and 144 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,840 putting the Lord 1st. And you know what? 145 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,360 Sometimes you're going to have persecutions and sometimes it's 146 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,640 going to be difficult. Then he says this. 147 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,800 While you're on the path, we got to beware of false prophets or 148 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,080 false teachers. They come to you in sheep's 149 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,960 clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 150 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:09,360 How are we going to know who they are? 151 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,880 Very simply, Jesus says by their fruits you will know them. 152 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,040 Then he said this, and this was my last sermon that I preached 153 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,480 on the Sermon on the Mount, the judgment scene. 154 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:29,680 Only those who do the will of my Father, Jesus said, will enter 155 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,480 heaven. I'm so glad I didn't say that, 156 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,360 but Jesus did. Jesus says not everyone that 157 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,640 says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but 158 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,039 he that does the will of my Father, which is in heaven. 159 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:49,240 After he said all of that, then he began his conclusion to this 160 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,640 masterful sermon and he describes two kinds of people, 161 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,440 the two kinds of people that would hear what he said. 162 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,720 And by the way, I don't know how many multitudes of people were 163 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,040 there that day. I just don't. 164 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,760 I just know there was a vast multitude of people that were 165 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:06,760 listening to the master. And I don't even know how many 166 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,440 people have actually read the Sermon on the Mount in their 167 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:10,880 life. But I'm going to tell you this. 168 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,000 After Jesus got done either with those that were listening then 169 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,720 or after Jesus gets done with you and I, after we read it and 170 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:20,720 anybody else that would read it, guess what? 171 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,560 Here comes the next verse. Here's his conclusion. 172 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,960 Here's his summary. And this is what he says. 173 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:33,440 Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I 174 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,960 will liken him to a wise man who builds his house on the rock. 175 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,680 There's two kinds of people. By the way, Jesus describes two 176 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:45,200 kinds of people that heard this sermon. 177 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,720 Two kinds. 2 responses. 1 is a good thing. 178 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,240 He's going to listen, he's going to hear, and he's going to do. 179 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,000 And Jesus says that's the man that's going to build on the 180 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,360 rock. But let's back up for just a 181 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,800 moment as he paints this picture of two builders. 182 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,160 He talks about floods and he talks about storms. 183 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,080 I got to make this point. I may make it again because I 184 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:17,760 want you to really get this. Please, 2 builders face the same 185 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,880 storm. Just because you're a good 186 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:26,000 builder and you build on the rock doesn't mean that you're 187 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:33,000 going to be exempt from the storms of life and the pains of 188 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,320 life and the hardships of life and the persecutions that come 189 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,520 your way. Both builders are subjected to 190 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,520 the same storm. Now here's the Lord being 191 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,480 masterful, being brilliant again, Brilliant. 192 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,880 You know why I did that? You know why I chose storms and 193 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:53,040 he chose rain and he chose all these things because they were 194 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:55,560 very prevalent. Floods and storms were very 195 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:57,880 prevalent in Palestine. So they would have got that. 196 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,360 He got their attention right away. 197 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,120 They would have understood that. He begins by saying, therefore, 198 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,520 whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, if you go 199 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:12,520 back to verse 21, he talks about saying and doing, and this verse 200 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,800 he's talking about hearing and doing. 201 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,640 OK, what's the point? The point is, in both cases 202 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,000 cases, action is of greatest importance. 203 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:28,480 In other words, it doesn't matter what you hear and it 204 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:34,720 doesn't matter what you say. If you don't obey the Lord's 205 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:40,200 will, if you don't obey what the Lord said, it's all about 206 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:41,720 obedience. It's all about action. 207 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,840 It's all about choices. OK, then he says this. 208 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,560 If you do these things, if you hear these things and you do 209 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:52,400 them, I'm going to liken him to a wise man that built his house 210 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:58,480 on the rock. The word rock, by the way, is a 211 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,360 word that actually means this. It doesn't mean small stone. 212 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,760 It doesn't mean boulder either, by the way. 213 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,440 The word actually means an immense expanse of bedrock. 214 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,080 It comes from the word in its origins, the word petron. 215 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,360 And the word actually means this. 216 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,960 It means an immense expanse of bedrock. 217 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,080 Hold that thought for just a moment. 218 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,960 That word rock in reference to something else is also mentioned 219 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,520 in the New Testament by Jesus, and it's in Matthew chapter 16 220 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,200 when Jesus asked his disciples. As I Fast forward briefly, I 221 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,440 don't have time. As Jesus says, who do men say 222 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,240 that I am? And they started saying you, 223 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,560 some say you're this guy, some say you're that guy, and so 224 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:44,000 forth and so on. Jesus says, but who do you say 225 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:47,040 that I am? And Jesus and Peter said you are 226 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,680 the Christ, the Son of the living God. 227 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,720 And Jesus said you are Peter. Now please don't misunderstand 228 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,040 this because I know that Hollywood depicts this 229 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:05,120 differently. Peter is not the rock, He said. 230 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,680 You are Peter. A different word than this word, 231 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:14,120 a little stone, petros, a little stone, a fragment or a part of a 232 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:18,360 stone. But upon this rock, same word, 233 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,760 which is an immense expanse of bedrock. 234 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,000 Jesus said I'm going to build my church. 235 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,000 Jesus was not building the church on Peter. 236 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,760 Jesus was building the church on himself. 237 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,640 And on that factual statement that Jesus is the Christ, the 238 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,320 Son of the living God, upon that statement of fact, Jesus calls 239 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:43,120 that statement the rock. OK, the rock that Jesus is 240 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,480 talking about here for us to lay our foundation is a different 241 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,400 thing, but the same word. Hold that thought, I'll get to 242 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:53,440 it. It's the same word as in 243 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:54,640 Matthew. Here's the point. 244 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:58,760 This is what a builder has to do, by the way, and the New 245 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,400 Testament is full of this. This is what a builder has to do 246 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:04,120 #1 you got to locate the bedrock. 247 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:10,000 Keep that in mind. You got to locate the bedrock #2 248 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,920 you got to dig deep, according to Matthew chapter 6. 249 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,840 Then after you dig deep, you got to lay the foundation. 250 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,360 After you lay the foundation, then you got to build the house. 251 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,200 That is literal. That is a literal structure. 252 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,440 But the same is true with regards to our spiritual life. 253 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:29,760 OK, so whatever that rock is, and we'll get to that in a 254 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,120 minute, that's what we have to find. 255 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:35,240 Got to find the rock, got to count the cost. 256 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:41,240 If we dig deep and lay the proper foundation, we have what 257 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,360 it takes to withstand the onslaught of the storms of life. 258 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,320 But I'm going to tell you right now from a spiritual 259 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:51,360 perspective, if you do not lay that proper foundation, and that 260 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,320 proper foundation is founded upon this bedrock that we're 261 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:59,200 going to talk about, then you'll be tossed to and fro and you 262 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:03,080 won't make it. You'll bounce around and the 263 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,360 onslaught of Satan's temptations will get us and we will crumble. 264 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,960 A wise builder knows this. A wise builder takes deliberate 265 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:11,840 action. Do you know why? 266 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:15,760 Because the wise builder knows that the storms are going to 267 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,040 come. Not that they might come. 268 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,040 They will come. A wise builder knows they will 269 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:20,800 come. OK. 270 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,200 The structure is not any stronger than the foundation for 271 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:29,160 which it's built. And if we want to do this, if we 272 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,440 want to withstand the storms of life, here it comes. 273 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,960 We have to build on the proper foundation on the rock. 274 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:44,240 What is the rock? The rock is the word of God. 275 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,320 The rock that we build on is the word of God. 276 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,960 The rock that the church is built on is Jesus. 277 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,960 Amen. Jesus is the founder and builder 278 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,600 of the church. That word rock. 279 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,680 We build our spiritual foundation, which is our 280 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,960 spiritual house, on the foundation of the Word of God. 281 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,560 That's what Jesus said. You got to hear my sayings and 282 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:19,960 you got to do them. What's he talking about? 283 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:25,160 His Word, His Word. How do I know that? 284 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,480 Let's look at some passages, Matthew 24 and 35. 285 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,640 Heaven and earth will pass away, but what? 286 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,600 My words will by no means pass away. 287 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,080 What else? James 125 but he who looks into 288 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,320 the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a 289 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,920 forgetful hearer and but a doer of the work. 290 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,360 This one will be blessed in what he does. 291 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,040 It's the same word too, by the way, that guides us. 292 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,480 Oh, but there's more. It's also the same word that 293 00:16:55,480 --> 00:17:00,840 would judge us. John 12 and 48, Jesus said he 294 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,560 rejects me, does not receive my words, has that which judges 295 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,200 him. The word that I've spoken will 296 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:12,160 judge him in that last day. So when you build our spiritual 297 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:16,920 lives on the proper foundation, which is the word of God, we're 298 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:18,640 going to have what it takes to make it. 299 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,400 In fact, Jesus says this. This is what's going to happen 300 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,400 when you do it. The rain descended, the floods 301 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,640 came, the winds blew, and it beat on that house and it did 302 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,640 not fall. Isn't that great? 303 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:38,960 Storms are coming. It did not fall. 304 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,240 Don't you understand? That's you, what you see. 305 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:49,520 That's us if it's on the proper foundation of the word of God 306 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,840 and not man's opinions, not man's theories, not man's 307 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,560 thoughts, and not what I kind of think or hope or wonder. 308 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,120 I had a buddy of mine say to me the other day said, I see what 309 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:02,200 you're saying about the word of God. 310 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:08,320 It does say that, but I just choose to think this, don't want 311 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,080 to do that because Jesus talks about that guy building on the 312 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,640 sand. Want to build on the rock, the 313 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:16,840 rocks, the word of God. OK, all right, in both these 314 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,360 examples, I want you to picture this, please. 315 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,240 I kind of picture it like this, that the Lord was doing this. 316 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,160 And you know, when the Lord established these examples, it's 317 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,400 kind of like a parable and a parables are laying alongside. 318 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,240 He took something of a physical nature and he laid it all 319 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,480 alongside a spiritual application. 320 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:37,320 And believe this or as the Word of God teaches, they both had to 321 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,320 be true. They both had to be true on the 322 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,040 physical side and on the spiritual side. 323 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:44,080 You want to kind of picture this? 324 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,080 Jesus, the picture and kind of two neighbors, 2 houses built 325 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,920 side by side, both are subjected to the same storm. 1's a wise 326 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:53,240 builder because he builds on the rock. 327 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:55,480 One's a foolish builder because he built on the sand. 328 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,360 This guy that builds on the rock, guess what? 329 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,600 That same storm that comes, the floods come, the winds blow, it 330 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,360 beats on the House. Nothing is spared. 331 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,920 Everything is coming out the house in every direction, but it 332 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:12,680 stands and it does not fall. Why did this guy have an 333 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,480 advantage over the other guy? Oh, very important. 334 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,640 He wasn't given special privileges. 335 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,760 It wasn't because of wealth, it wasn't because of popularity. 336 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:30,200 It was because of choice. This guy gained the advantage of 337 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,520 building on the proper structure because he made the choice to do 338 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:38,160 just that. Man, choices are everything. 339 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,000 How many times where our kids were little and go out there and 340 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,720 make good choices? I mean, choices are everything. 341 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,040 Choices. He made the choice. 342 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:48,720 That's what gave him the advantage. 343 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,400 And because of that, his house stood. 344 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,880 And the choice was choosing to obey and follow the word of God, 345 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,800 this phrase. And the rains descended and the 346 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,760 floods came and the winds blew. Yeah, it got every aspect of it. 347 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,880 The key was it was founded on the rock, and that must be God's 348 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:08,800 word. That's the good response. 349 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:11,280 That's the good response. That's the one person that 350 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,240 responds properly. What about the other guy in 351 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:20,600 Matthew Chapter 7 and verse 26? But everyone who hears these 352 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:28,280 sayings of mine and does not do them, not good. 353 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:40,160 He who hears these things of mine and does not do them, you 354 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,400 know, I got to say, my whole life I've heard this. 355 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,560 I've heard people say, you know, what about the poor person way 356 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,600 over in the other side of the world that never heard the 357 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,640 Gospel? I mean, is it really going to be 358 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,320 fair if they die and they didn't know Jesus when they never were 359 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,360 told anything? My response to that, by the way, 360 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,160 is, first of all, that's not up to me, that's up to God. 361 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,360 God will just deal with that. That's God's. 362 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,440 That's God's judgement and all that. 363 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,040 That's not up to me. That's number one. 364 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,720 Number two, whatever God chooses and decides will be right and 365 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,760 just. And #3 by the way, the emphasis 366 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,800 is not on focusing on people that may have never heard. 367 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,960 If the emphasis is doing what the Lord said, let's take the 368 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,920 gospel of the world. Can it happen? 369 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,040 Yes. Did you know that historically, 370 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,680 before AD 70, before the destruction of Jerusalem, the 371 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,520 gospel of Jesus Christ went to the entire world. 372 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,760 In the book of Acts, the Bible says they, literally, the 373 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,840 apostles turned the world upside down by preaching. 374 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,520 So yes, it's possible to take the gospel to the world. 375 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:46,400 So let's throw that example out and leave that up to God. 376 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,400 OK, All right. What we're talking about here is 377 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:54,960 not somebody that's never heard. We're talking about somebody 378 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,280 that has heard and doesn't do it. 379 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,080 That's the key. That's the difference. 380 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,640 Jesus says if you hear and you do not do, I'm going to liken 381 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:14,160 him to a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. 382 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,640 And I got to talk about the word fool and foolish for just a 383 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,360 moment because I'm going to tell you, if you look at the original 384 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:24,800 word in this passage and you look at our English word fool or 385 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,160 foolish, it is not as severe enough. 386 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,000 Our English vernacular is not as severe as this word here in this 387 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,840 passage. You know why? 388 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:39,080 Because over time the word has changed in its application, in 389 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:43,320 its usage, and in its meaning. You probably remember this in my 390 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:44,800 lifetime. I remember years, a few years 391 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,560 ago, it actually became a term of greeting between two friends. 392 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,200 One guy might walk up to another guy, go, hey, what's up fool? 393 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:02,640 The word has changed in meaning. Jesus is talking about something 394 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,080 that is more severe than that. Did you know that the word 395 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,080 foolish in this passage comes from a Greek adjective? 396 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,240 It's the word morose. Can you imagine what word comes 397 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,000 from morose? You know it is. 398 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,600 You know it's coming. It's the word moron. 399 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,040 What Jesus was saying is, and I'm not trying to make jokes or 400 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,360 make fun here, listen, what he's saying is it's the same word. 401 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,000 Everyone who hears these things of mine and does not do them 402 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,960 will be likened unto a moron who builds his house on the sand. 403 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,480 Wow. That's what the Lord said. 404 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:49,240 That's what Jesus said. The fool's decision to build on 405 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,440 the sand stands in stark contrast to the wise man's 406 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:57,280 decision to build on the rock. OK, so here's a very important 407 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,240 question. Very, very important question. 408 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,600 If that's the case, why in the world would anybody build on the 409 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,040 shifting sand? You might say, well, nobody 410 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:06,880 would do that. Yeah, they would. 411 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,200 And there's three reasons, 3 reasons. 412 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,960 Here they are. And by the way, it applies 413 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,640 physically and it applies spiritually. 414 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,200 Here's 3 reasons #1 because building on the sand is easy, 415 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,840 man It's easy. It requires little effort. 416 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,920 Many Christians follow this example. 417 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:35,280 Please get this when they demonstrate no real dedication 418 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:39,920 to Jesus and they just want an easy Rd. 419 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,240 Do you know what's entailed in serving God and being a disciple 420 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,480 of Jesus Christ? Here they are #1 self-discipline 421 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:55,080 that's hard to do right #2 self sacrifice that's even harder #3 422 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,520 daily living for Jesus as Jesus says, taking up your cross and 423 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,080 following me. Hard stuff, right? 424 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,840 The problem is, when you decide to build on the sand, you are 425 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,200 representative of someone who is not willing to make those 426 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:18,000 commitments of self-discipline, self sacrifice and daily living 427 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,880 for Jesus Christ. But real Christianity is 428 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:22,960 difficult. It's hard. 429 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,160 Don't ever think by the way for a minute that when you decide to 430 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,160 follow Jesus that your life's going to get easy. 431 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:31,880 Remember, both face the same storms. 432 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,880 The one that found that's founded on the rock though is 433 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,880 protected, is protected and we have got on our side too. 434 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,160 OK, but I'm going to tell you it's not easy. 435 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:46,560 In fact, Paul describes it a battle. 436 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,960 He says this in Second Timothy chapter 4 and verse seven. 437 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,760 He said I have fought the good fight. 438 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:01,480 Yeah, a fight. I have finished the race, I have 439 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,120 kept the faith. What was the fight? 440 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:09,520 It was the good fight of faith. Is it worth it? 441 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:10,800 Absolutely, it's always worth it. 442 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,720 And by the way, the fight of faith is always good. 443 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,640 Mark it, check it down, write it down, whatever you got to do. 444 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,080 I don't care what you got to go through. 445 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,280 But I'm going to tell you right now, the fight of faith is 446 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:24,840 always good, and you will never regret making a good decision. 447 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,280 What's number one reason why people build on the sand? 448 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,240 Because it's easy #2 because it's quick. 449 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,400 There's a lot of people that want the quick outcome. 450 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:37,120 They want the quick spiritual outcome. 451 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,000 I don't really want to change a lot in my life. 452 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,960 I just want, you've heard me say this, it's a frank ISM. 453 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:45,200 I just want to add a little Jesus to it. 454 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:50,520 Don't want to change anything. OK, So number one, it's easy #2 455 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,960 it's quick. Not realizing, not realizing 456 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:59,080 that serving God and following Jesus and being as we ought to 457 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:03,200 be is a lifelong responsibility and commitment. 458 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:07,040 It's for life. One man said it this way. 459 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,920 His first desire, those that build on the sand because it's 460 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,920 quick, is to please himself. And he takes the shortest route 461 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,840 to that end with no consideration of how it may 462 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,000 square with the Scriptures. Folks, there's a lot of folks 463 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,560 like that. Instead of building on the 464 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,240 foundation of the rock, meaning the word of God, and then then 465 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,640 build your belief system from that. 466 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,480 It's kind of like have a thought in your mind and then try to 467 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:33,760 figure out how you can justify what you believe. 468 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:37,840 You know what JW Mcgarby said about that? 469 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:43,400 When wish is father to the thought, it makes exegesis like 470 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,520 water off a duck's back. What that means is this, if your 471 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,960 wish is father to the thought, in other words, you want it to 472 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,680 be a certain way and not following what the word of God 473 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:55,480 says, and you want it to be what you want first, then truly 474 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,240 understanding the Word of God is like watered off a duck's back. 475 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,440 You ain't going to get it. We have to be founded on the 476 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,760 rock, which is the word of God. But #3 three reasons. 477 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:06,920 Building on the sand is superficial. 478 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,320 No quality standards are consulted. 479 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,120 And I think there's a lot of people that fall prey to this. 480 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:22,040 They're interested in saying they're a Christian, right? 481 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,440 And they're very, very interested in reaping the 482 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,160 benefits of what it means to be a Christian. 483 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:37,880 But there's no commitment on their part, no sacrifice, no 484 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,960 commitment. Unfortunately, they want it. 485 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,920 They're just not living it. I'm going to say something to 486 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,680 every Christian in this room right now. 487 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:54,680 There is a saying that says your actions speak so loudly. 488 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:01,600 I cannot hear a word you say. If you don't think in your life 489 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:06,560 that people are not looking at you, you're wrong. 490 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:11,240 They are, and you have an opportunity to set an example. 491 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,280 And you may never preach a sermon. 492 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,120 You may never verbalize or anything audibly out of your 493 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,880 mouth about Jesus publicly, but I guarantee you somebody's 494 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,880 watching you and it's your life. It's your example. 495 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,680 That is the sermon of your life. And it's more powerful than 496 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,480 anything that anybody could ever say. 497 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,280 They're watching what you do. A person that is looking for 498 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,800 things that are superficial is somebody that wants the 499 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,520 benefits. They don't want the life. 500 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:47,480 They don't want the life. Good example, the Pharisees were 501 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:51,040 prime examples of this. They appeared religious on the 502 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:55,240 outside, but inwardly they had very little substance or no 503 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,360 substance at all. What did Jesus say though, about 504 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:02,360 these that build on the sand? The rains descended, the floods 505 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,880 came, the winds blew and it beat on that house and it fell and 506 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:10,120 great was its fall. You know, this is not partial 507 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:14,600 collapse. This is 100% destruction of the 508 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:19,920 house and all is lost. You know, very thankfully, I am 509 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:24,840 so thankful that Jesus is talking about a way of life, a 510 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:28,280 choice for a way of life. He's not talking about 511 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,640 Christians that make mistakes. Please understand that because I 512 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,640 got news for you, we all make mistakes. 513 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,280 And we may have our foundation, our spiritual foundation built 514 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,880 on that bedrock of the word of God. 515 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,520 And we may be part of the Lord's church that was founded upon the 516 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:53,360 rock of Christ himself, but we may struggle to in our life too. 517 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,120 And sometimes, you know what we need structural reinforcements. 518 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,680 We need some structural reinforcements to the house 519 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,120 because sometimes we mess up and we get weak and we make make 520 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,840 mistakes. Structural reinforcements, by 521 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,640 the way, come from repentance. OK, I've messed up, but I'm 522 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,120 going to change now. Ain't that great? 523 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,160 I was on the path, I messed up, but not all is lost. 524 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,160 Don't you understand? The only thing that is lost, all 525 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,760 is lost is the person that built on the wrong foundation, the 526 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,840 sand. All is not lost for the 527 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:34,520 Christian when he messes up repentance, prayer and what 528 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,680 else? Rededication to the Lord. 529 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:42,880 Refocus and be rededicated, the foolish builders. 530 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,400 Unconcerned with this foundation, he chooses to ignore 531 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,640 the problems in life. He's a person that has neither 532 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,880 dedication or inclination to seek remedy. 533 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:55,560 And that kind of person or that kind of life ends in utter ruin. 534 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:57,680 Does that mean that all is lost to that person? 535 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,640 No, he just has to, spiritually speaking, go and build his 536 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,880 spiritual foundation on the rock of the Word of God and start 537 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:07,000 over. And that's all he's got to do. 538 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,360 I'm going to tell you right now, if you still have air in your 539 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,040 lungs and your heart still breathing, and when time is 540 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:17,160 still in existence, you got time, you can fix it. 541 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:24,160 You can change it. Everybody is a builder, we all 542 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,040 are. Everybody is laying up treasure 543 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,080 somewhere. The wise builder realizes that 544 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:33,240 life in this world will soon be over. 545 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:37,160 No matter how long you live, at some point life is going to be 546 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:41,280 over and the only thing that matters is having a relationship 547 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:45,320 with God and His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, and laying 548 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:49,160 up treasures in heaven. That relationship, though, has 549 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,440 to be built upon the right foundation, and that foundation 550 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,160 must be based on the Word of God. 551 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,120 Masterful. Two different people, both heard 552 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:02,640 the same things, both had the same advantage, both understood 553 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:06,880 the word. 1 did it, one didn't. One was wise, 1 was foolish. 554 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,280 Then notice what happens after Jesus said that the next verse, 555 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,720 verse 28. And so it was when Jesus had 556 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:21,240 ended these things that the people were astonished at his 557 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,160 teaching. This is the final comment. 558 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,720 Now in the Lord's sermon as he draws it to a close, we know 559 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,120 that his sermon did not fall on deaf ears because you know what 560 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:32,960 happens in Matthew chapter 8 and verse one. 561 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:39,000 It says that great multitudes followed him when He ended these 562 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,280 things. It says the people were 563 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,760 astonished at his teaching. The word astonished means this. 564 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,280 It literally means they were struck out of their minds with 565 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,880 amazement. And why was that the next verse? 566 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,560 For He taught them as one having authority and not as one of the 567 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,080 scribes. I'm going to tell you something, 568 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:02,720 folks. I don't care if you teach 569 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,200 publicly. Please get this lesson right 570 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:06,480 here. Get this last point. 571 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,000 Get this conclusion to my sermon. 572 00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:11,960 Get this right here because it's everything if you want to be a 573 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:16,199 teacher. They weren't astonished and 574 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:24,719 impressed because Jesus was a flamboyant animated speaker. 575 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,760 In fact, as I just said in our introduction, he quietly said 576 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,440 they were impressed. Or they were not impressed 577 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,679 because he flashed his academic or educational credentials 578 00:34:40,679 --> 00:34:42,480 before them. They weren't impressed by that 579 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:43,880 either. You know why he had none? 580 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,120 He had no formal training at all. 581 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,719 John 7 and 15. They were also not impressed 582 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:56,960 with his complex theology. They weren't impressed by that 583 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,840 either. He taught them in the simplest 584 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:06,440 manner possible. And I like what my good pal Don 585 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,840 Kings used to always say. Some of the deepest things ever 586 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,720 preached in all the Bible were preached by Jesus. 587 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,520 And he just preached it in such a way that was so simple, people 588 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:21,400 understood. Amazing. 589 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,280 That's what the Lord did. Don't ever be in a position 590 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,960 where you want to sound like you want people to be impressed by 591 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:34,240 your knowledge or impressed by your delivery. 592 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,680 It's all about the Lord. They were impressed not by those 593 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:41,120 things. They were impressed because of 594 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,760 his doctrine, and they were impressed because of his 595 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,880 authority. And he didn't get these things 596 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,640 by rabbinical training, but he got it from his father. 597 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,200 This masterful sermon was a sermon of substance. 598 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,920 It had depth of content never seen before. 599 00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:59,440 I actually read this to commentators. 600 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:05,120 Agree that the common person in the Lord's time generally heard 601 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:08,600 nothing more than the opinions of the Rabbi's who had come 602 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,640 before them. And I actually read this too, 603 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:18,880 that such scribal sermons were extremely boring. 604 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:26,200 That's what they were used to. Robertson said this. 605 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,560 Some of the sermons found in the Jewish Talmud were some of the 606 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:34,480 driest, dullest collection of disjointed comments upon every 607 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,960 conceivable problem in the history of mankind. 608 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,880 That's what they were used to. And here comes the Lord. 609 00:36:42,720 --> 00:36:47,840 He dealt with real issues. He dealt with living righteously 610 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:52,520 before God. He dealt with living in harmony 611 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,760 with mankind. And you know what? 612 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:02,600 I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying my best to follow 613 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:08,920 that example. That is what people need. 614 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,800 That's it. Practical things that can help 615 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:21,160 us live the Christian life, serving God and each other. 616 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:24,360 I'm a quote my pal darling King one more time. 617 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,960 No wonder they called him the Master. 618 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:38,080 The Master. Greatest sermon ever preached.