Sermon
A Foundation That Lasts
November 27-28, 1999
Pastor Donald Sheley

Take your Bible and join with me in a portion of Scripture that we have been talking about now for over a year, the Sermon on the Mount. And today is our last sermon, and I haven't counted them all up. I would assume there are 35 to 40 different sermons, but today we've come to the last few verses as Jesus closes His sermon with a warning. In fact, we've noticed something about this sermon. In Matthew 7:12 Jesus says, do unto others as you would that they do unto you. And as most theologians have concluded, that was the closing of His sermon because now from verse 13 on Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with four warnings. Remember what they were? 

The first one Jesus said there are two ways. There is the broad way that many walk on that ends in destruction. There is the narrow way where few find it, but it leads to life. Make sure you're on the right way. Secondly, He said there are false teachings and false teachers, there are true teachers and there is truth. You'll know them by their fruits. Make sure you understand the difference. Number three; His warning was there are two kinds of followers. There is the kind of person that all they do is talk religion, but never live it. And Jesus said not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord', will go to heaven. It's only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. There's the verbal person and then there's the person who genuinely lives out their faith. 

Now in verse 24 look at what He says, "Therefore". That's because everything else I've said. "Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; 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. But everyone who hears these saying of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Jesus makes the comparison He says the wise man builds his life on values, principles, and a faith that will last during the winds of judgment. He builds his life on the rock. The unwise, the foolish man, builds his life on the things of this world and its value system, and when judgment day comes, everything falls apart and great is the fall thereof. There are the wise. There are the foolish.

Now old Solomon realized there was a vast difference between being foolish and being wise, and so in his proverbs he wrote a great number of statements about wisdom and fools. He says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. He says that the wise in heart will receive commandments, but a prating fool shall fall. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for want of wisdom. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that harkeneth unto counsel is wise. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Fools make a mock at sin, but among the righteous there is favor. The wise man feareth and departeth from evil, but a fool rageth and is confident. He that begateth a fool doeth it to his sorrow, and the father of a fool hath no joy. Solomon says there's a world of difference between the fool and the wise, and so did Jesus. He used the comparison again in another story. 

Jesus uses the wise and the foolish in another comparison. Matthew 25 is what we want to read. If you'd like to join me. Here's the story. Jesus said, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise. 'Give us some of our oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterwards the other virgins came also saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." 

It's an interesting story. It doesn't fit into our culture, but those who heard Jesus tell it, they understood. You see in those days in a village the wedding was a great week of celebration, and once the decision had been made by the parents, as well as the couple, then the day was set, but the hour wasn't set. So early in the morning the bride would arise and prepare herself and she would be looking out of the lattice of the windows throughout the day. And the bridegroom he's with his group and when he makes up his mind, he'll go get his bride, but the time for that decision is in his hands. And so those who want to join the wedding party they wait outside, but the wise took along enough so whatever length of time the bridegroom awaited his decision to go get his bride, they'd make sure they're going to get in that precession. 

You see because what happened, when the bridegroom decided, 'I'm going to go get my wife', he'd get his team and across the village they would go. He'd take his wife and then he'd make sure that he went the longest way throughout all the little streets of the village and he did this because he wanted as much applause and congratulations, and maybe some gifts. So he took the long way to get back to his house, and it was the custom once the door is closed that's the wedding party. Now this one you won't like. In those days they didn't go away for a honeymoon galls, they had open house for one week, and everybody in the village was invited to come and congratulate them. But you see they understood this story of Jesus, and the point was that in the Bible the church, the Christians, are likened unto the bride of Christ, and Jesus Christ is the bridegroom. And the Bible tells us that one of these days He's going to split the skies and He's going to come for all the Christians.

We do not know when that day will be. We call it the second coming of Christ. And Jesus is saying you know not the day nor the hour when the bridegroom is going to come for His church, the bride, so make sure you live so you're always ready for His coming. Now the wise were prepared. The foolish were not and they missed it all. Now Jesus said wise people build their foundations, their house, on a rock. You know foundations in building fascinate me. 

Some years ago we became involved in building churches and I realized that the foundation was so immensely important because if the foundation is weak, I don't care how beautiful you build the superstructure, when the ground begins to crumble beneath is and improperly that foundation has been constructed, I mean doors won't close and cracks in the house, and I mean. I was amazed as I watched them build these three homes across the street; over here it used to be a service station years ago. And as you know they did a Peralta Study which says that nobody, up and down the San Andreas Fault which is on Skyline, can build. So we here live with that prohibition. We can never build any more on this site because of the restrictions, but under very severe building restrictions they allowed those three homes to be build, and I'm told that those foundations of those houses cost almost as much as the houses themselves. It took them months, and the steel that went in. You could have built two Bay Bridges with the steel they put in those foundations, because those foundations were built to last in the most severe earthquake right upon the fault.

So I understand. Jesus is saying that foundations are very, very important. So did Paul say that. Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Let's see what Paul says about foundations. He says, For we are God's fellow workers. Verse 9 I'm beginning at, 1 Corinthians 3:9. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So Paul says the foundation of life really is Jesus. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 

Now that's what Jesus is saying. When the winds begin to blow and the storm comes and judgment day arrives, that will be the day that will determine the quality of life we built here and now. Now foundations, Paul had something to say to those who were rich. Go with me just to 1 Timothy 6:17, and again Paul brings up this whole idea of foundations. Look at what he says, 1 Timothy 6:17. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Now what Paul does here is he is saying that the way we use the resources that God gifts to us in this life, our time, our talents, whatever that blessing may be, he says use it in such a way that when you arrive in heaven it's already gone on ahead of you. 

I went home last night from church and I turned on the television just for a moment of relaxation and I saw the documentary on Habitat for Humanity. Did you see that last night around ten o'clock? It's the story of a man back in Georgia at the age of 29. I think his first name was Millard. Millard made his fortune, his wealth, but he decided there's more to life than this. So being a very religious man he said, God, what can I do? So he decided to take all of his resources and he put it into the program Habitat for Humanity, and he came up with this idea, he met with his first board meeting and they met in a chicken coop on a farm in Georgia. And he still has the original notes. I think it was back in 1979 they met first. So they decided to write out their goals and their goal was to build 100,000 homes for needy families and provide covering for one million people. 

And he came on in the documentary, he's a man much younger than I am, and he said you know God has helped us to achieve that. We have now build 100,000 homes. And he said we do it this way. We just don't build a house and give it to somebody. He said we find a family and they come and they help us. They carry the sheetrock. They help us nail the boards down. They help us with the plumbing. It's part of their life involved in that house. It's their home. And he said we provide them with the materials and then we make the loan interest free, and then we work with them helping them to pay for their home. And on in the documentary I thought now isn't this wonderful. I mean this guy has already read this verse. And he said, you know, he said we are a deeply religious group of people, but he said we now have stretched our goals. He said our goal is to provide a home for every person on the face of this planet. Now that's big thinking. 

What he was saying, I'm going to take the resources and the gifts that God has given to me and look at the blessing. That's what Paul said. Command those who are rich in this present age. That means in gifts, talents, whatever it is use it so that you build a strong foundation that will count in eternity. Can you imagine all those people coming up to Millard in the day when they all meet in heaven saying thank you sir for building that house for my little family and I? It just changed everything. That's what he's talking about. So live your life that the things you do now will be well rewarded in eternity.

Now Jesus said there comes the day when the winds blow and the storms start. Now He's talking about judgment day. Now John saw that day in Revelation 20. Go to page 833 with me. Would you do that? Here's the day Jesus talks about when the winds are blowing and the storm is on, and the foundation and the building is being shaken, here's the day. Look at what he says on page 833 verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. The wise have their name written in the Book of Life. The foolish will be judged out of the books and that's when the fall takes place. 

Now there's another question. If I were you I'd be asking the question; Jesus, I understand what Your talking about, but what about this rock? Where does the analogy of the rock come in? You say I must build my life on the rock. What about the rock? Well let's find out. Go with me to 1 Corinthians 10, and you'll find that this analogy of the rock is all the way through the Scriptures. It's amazing. Look at 1 Corinthians 10. It says, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 

Where did he get that idea? Well let's find out. Let's go clear back in the front of our Bible in Exodus 17. Paul had to go somewhere in the Old Testament to get that analogy. He said that Rock they drank out of was none less than Christ. Now where's it say that? Well let's go back to Exodus chapter 17, and here's where Paul pulled that analogy. Notice what it says. Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses and said, "Give us water, that we may drink." So Moses said to them, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?" And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, "Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" so Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" and the Lord said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 

Remember the rod he put across the Red Sea? "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah. That was a miracle of the Old Testament where the thirsty children of Israel drank from the rock, and old Paul says in the Corinthians passage in a very spiritual analogy, that rock was Christ. So when Jesus said build on the rock this is what He's saying, the person is a wise person who builds his life on Me and on My words. If you'll do My sayings and make sure his foundation is in Me, when judgment day comes he'll be a winner. His life will last. His building will stand. 

You say, what are some of the words that Jesus, what are the sayings of Jesus that we build our lives on? Well we'd have to go through all the gospels and we couldn't do that because you take every one of the words of Jesus, the words of Jesus, and Jesus said you follow My words, you build your life on them, and when the day of judgment comes you'll make it. Now may I suggest something? We're coming to the beginning of a new year. You say how can I know the sayings of Jesus? May I suggest you read the gospels through once a month, just the four gospels. And what you do is you take this approach, Jesus, I want to learn again something that maybe I need to learn in my life, some of Your sayings and I want to put them into action in my life. You know, I did that one time and each time I read the scriptures through I ask God to show me something else.

And one time I found out, I realized how gently Jesus treated sinners, and some of us Christians are so harsh on non-Christians. I mean we're critical. We're judgmental. I mean we're just absolutely. We're unfair. But the thing that amazed me was the gentleness with which Jesus handled non-Christians, and I learned that. I said dear God help me, if that means changing my ministry, help me to be more gentle with the nonbeliever. Because sometimes we as preachers can get terribly harsh. So I'm suggesting if you want to know the words of Jesus, just read the gospels through and say Jesus I want to learn. 

The first thing He says, and I'll tell you where we start the foundation on this whole matter. The first thing that Jesus said when He started preaching was, Repent! When old John the Baptist started preaching he said, Repent! And when Peter at the day of Pentecost opened his sermon the first thing he said is, Repent! What does it mean to repent? It means to turn from your ways, to turn to God, lift your eyes from earth and look to heaven, reverse your direction and stop walking away from God, and begin walking toward God. Where does this journey begin that ends in heaven? Where does the construction begin? It begins in the act of repentance. We say Jesus, I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from my sin and I want to serve You with all my being. That's where the foundation has a sure footing. And if you tried to build on anything less than that you haven't got a good foundation because it starts with repentance. And he also said, another word of Jesus, you shall love the Lord our God with all your heart. So I know I've got to love. He said seek ye first the kingdom of God. So I know what I've got to make as a priority in my life.

Jesus said love your enemies. That's what He meant. Everything I said you follow them. You build your life on Me and on My words, and when Judgment Day comes you'll make it. Now we come to verse 2, Jesus said the foolish man builds on sand. You say now, I got it clear Pastor, Jesus said if you build your life on Me, and He's the rock I understand that as spiritual analogy, I understand building my life on the saying of Jesus. What did He mean about this sand. What's this sand? Well let me give you three suggestions. What is sand? It's religion without relationship. Think that one through. There are a lot of people who are extremely religious, but let me tell you, religion will never get you into heaven. I don't care how many churches you belong to. I don't care how many times you've been dipped in the baptistery. I don't care how many cards you've signed. If your life with Jesus Christ and that relationship hasn't transformed you and made you a new creation in Christ, religion is useless. I mean Jesus was surrounded by all those Pharisees. I mean, you talk about religious people, they were despairingly religious. I mean I wouldn't be religious if they made me, but I enjoy a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

You see Christianity is not religion. Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It makes all the difference in the world. Sand – Religion. Rock – Relationship. Number two: words without obedience. Jesus said, why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and you don't do what I say? The verses before Jesus said, not everybody who says 'Lord, Lord' will get into heaven, but he who doeth, he who does, the will of My Father. It's not words. I don't care how much religious knowledge we can talk about. I don't care how much we have. If those truths haven't transformed us into being obedient followers of Jesus, I don't care how religious we talk it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. So words without obedience; Words – Sand. Obedience – Rock. 

Thirdly, philosophy verses godly truth. Paul said beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the traditions of men according to the basic principles of this world and not according to Christ. And I'll tell you ladies and gentlemen there are a lot of philosophies who people think are religions. Just mere speculations in the writings of men. I hear the other day that over here in Marin there are hundreds of people meeting in a glen or a cove, whatever it is, and they're bringing them in by the busloads. And it's one of these new age deals. It's some man's new philosophy, and they're going there by the hundreds thinking that's the answer. That's sand! If our lives are not built on Jesus and the truth of this (pats Bible) word. And then I read that last phrase. I can just see Jesus, I mean I think the crowd is absolutely hushed, and Jesus said he who builds his house in the sand and great will be the fall. That's an interesting word. 

We read in Revelation the great white thrown judgment. The writer of Hebrews says how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? A salvation offered to us in Jesus Christ that transforms us and makes us new creations in Christ. A salvation that takes us from the kingdom of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of light. A salvation that will ultimately allow us to stand in His presence in heaven and hear those words, 'Well done thou good and faithful servant'. That's how great this salvation is, and to miss it is a greater tragedy. I cannot imagine living my life and ultimately standing at the judgment bar of God, and everyone of us here will stand at that judgment bar. That's the day the winds blow. That's the day when our works are tried with fire. And I cannot imagine what it would be like to hear those words, depart from Me I never knew you. How great the eternal fall.

Let's pray. Jesus thank you for being so clear. You didn't leave us in a quandary or require that we speculate. You made it very clear that wise people build their lives and stake their eternity on You, and allow Your words to be the guidelines for living. You said that's the wise man, and I pray that every one of us here today will be wise and build our lives on You and on Your words dear Jesus. Thank you for such a beautiful time of worship today, and now as we go may Your peace be upon us, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit we pray, and everybody said, amen. God bless you.