Built upon a Rock | Matthew 7:24-27

Matthew 7:24-27 "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: 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. 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: 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."

For the final words of our Lord's sermon, He paints a picture. The image is two houses — one falls by and by, and the other stands in spite of everything that destroyed the first. But it is not that one house is weak and the other strong; they are built of the same material, in the same fashion, and with the same methods. The difference is that one is built on a rock and the other on sand. It was the foundation that made all the difference, and so it is with men.

He wasn't talking about houses, but men. Men build lives, and there are storms that come. If you've been building your life on the shifting sands of this fading world, then you will fall — if not in this life, certainly in the judgment. But if you've been building on the Word of God, then despite the stormiest days you can make it, and even that great day of judgment won't remove you from the rock you are anchored in: Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is the rock, and what a solid rock it is. It never shifts or changes — it remains the same for all of eternity. Building on this foundation is not just reading it, but doing it. This is where many people deceive themselves. They pay homage to it, but never live any of its precepts. This is because their heart is lacking faith — faith hears and obeys.

If you really believe something, you'll act on it. So believe the Word and act on it. When He says you are a sinner, believe it and repent. When He says Jesus is the Saviour, believe it and call on Him. When He speaks of judgment, move like Noah, who "moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house" (Hebrews 11:7).

Disobedient hearers only deceive themselves, building on sinking sand. Rest assured His Word is true — every bit of it. He will judge, He will cast into hell, and not a single person will be favored on that day. So be sure, before this life gets the best of you or you pass out of it into the next, that you have obeyed the gospel and believed on Christ.

Are you a fool or are you wise? Are you building on the rock or the sand? Are you a hearer or a doer of His Word? Wise men hear, obey, and live for eternity. Fools hear, disobey, and lose their lives. Don't be a fool.