Sermon Tone Analysis

*"How to Stand in the Storms of Life"*

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*Matthew 7:24-27*

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*©January 13, 2002 from the series "The Stories of Jesus" by Rev. Bruce Goettsche, LaHarpe, IL. 61450*

 

When you think about storms in your life I bet you don't think about thunderstorms or snowstorms.

You probably think about 

* dealing with a difficult or broken relationship

* going through a financial crisis

* withstanding legal problems

* unpleasant or painful health problems

* the death of someone you love

* dealing with rebellious children

* facing something that brought public disgrace

* being laid off from work

* dealing with a conflict situation at work or in church

Sometime in our lives we are all going to face these kinds of storms.

It is true that there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are going through a crisis and those who are going to go through a crisis.

This morning we look at a parable of Jesus which gives us insight into how we can keep standing in the storms of life.

We look at Matthew 7:24-27.

This passage comes at the end of what we know as the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount is known for it's practical instruction.

Some of the most famous words of Jesus are found in Matthew 5-7.

This is the sermon where Jesus tells us to,

* turn the other cheek

* be like salt and light in the world

* avoid lust and anger

* don't worry

* forgive or we won't be forgiven

* don't judge others

* don't do your acts of righteousness for men's applause

At the end of the sermon, Jesus wants to drive home an important point: in order to benefit from his wisdom, we must be like the man who built his house on the rock rather than the one who built their house on the sand.

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“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.

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.

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.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

(Matthew 7:24-27)

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The picture is pretty clear.

In a storm, a house without a solid foundation is going to get knocked down.

There are three things we should learn from this parable,

 

*EVERYONE IS BUILDING ON SOME KIND OF FOUNDATION*

 

Everyone is building their life on some kind of foundation.

There are only two choices: you either build on a solid and deep foundation or you build on a shallow and weak foundation.

This is a recurrent theme in the Sermon on the Mount.

In verses 13 & 14 Jesus tells us that there are two gates: a broad way and a broad gate and a narrow road leading to a narrow gate.

The broad way leads to destruction and the narrow way leads to life.

You are on one road or the other.

In verses 15-20 Jesus tells us that there are only two kinds of trees: there are trees that bear good fruit and trees that bear bad fruit.

The bad trees bear bad fruit, the good trees bear good fruit.

You are either one or the other.

And now Jesus tells us that there are two foundations: one that will withstand the storms and one that will not.

The picture is clear.

You are either walking God's way, experiencing His transformation in your life, and knowing His strength for difficult times; or you are walking away from God, producing nothing of eternal value and are vulnerable to the storms that may come your way.

You are one or the other.

Which one do you think you are? 

 

*TIMES OF TESTING REVEAL THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH WE HAVE BUILT*

 

This parable gives every indication that before the storms came these two houses looked identical.

They may have both been attractive, spacious, and comfortable.

On the surface you couldn't really tell which house was built on the sand and which was anchored deep to the rock.

It was only when the storms hit that you could see the difference in the homes.

So it will be with those around us.

It is impossible for us to tell who is genuine in their faith and who is not until the time of trial comes.

You and I both know that this is true.

Everybody sounds like a believer when times are good.

When God is giving us what we want, we are all cheering for Him.

True faith comes when we are called to trust Him in the dark.

When a person faces loss, or disappointment, or things simply don't go as expected, we get to see what their faith is really made of.

The person who has a deep foundation,

* Trusts God's wisdom when life is confusing

* Relies on God's strength when they are weak

* Looks beyond the present heartache to God's purpose and eternal glory

* Relies on grace in times of personal failure

* Runs TO God rather than away from Him

I often tell people at a gravesite that the grave is where the rubber of our faith meets the road.

It is easy to profess faith when life is good, it is more difficult to believe when you stand at the grave of one you love.

That is the time when you must ask a tough question: "Do I really believe, or don't I?"

 

*HOW TO BUILD ON A FIRM FOUNDATION*

 

*First, We Must Know the Truth*

 

Jesus said anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man.

The first step is to hear.

Which also means we must listen.

Practically, I think this means several things.

First, it means we have a responsibility to expose ourselves to the truth.

We do this by reading the Bible, by reading Christian books, by attending worship, by getting involved in classes and Bible Studies, by meeting with Christian friends who can teach and instruct us.

Second, it means to listen.

It is not enough to just hear.

We must listen.

Anyone who is married knows that there is a difference.

Anyone who has a teenager knows that there is a difference between hearing and listening.

The key to listening is to interact with the one doing the speaking.

The best listeners I know are people who ask lots of clarifying questions.

In other words they ask, "What do you mean?" "Are you saying . . . .

", "Can you explain that further?"  "What happened next?"

These are questions that show a person is listening.

We should ask clarifying questions when interacting with the truth of God.

* Have I understood this correctly?

* Are there any other passages of scripture that teach the same thing?

* Is God warning me of something?

Do I need to repent?

* Is this a promise that I can claim?

* Is this a command I need to obey?

* What is this account trying to teach me?