two houses - matt7:24-29

we've all seen the devastation of homes, buildings or structures that have had been built on less than adequate foundations.

often this mistake is fatal.

often the people that have built structures on poor foundations were convinced at some point that trouble would never come or that it was very unlikely to happen to them.

jesus warns of this kind of thinking and planning.

its like he's saying 'plan for the worst case scenario. there will be storms.'

well thats kind of negative and pessimistic!

not at all, because he also realizes that storms, temptations and trials are a part of life and are viscous and unrelenting. life is hard, for all ... with or without God in your life, its hard. so prepare.

jesus sums up the sermon on the mount in these last 5 verses. truly hear what i am saying and obey these last couple of chapters ... and you will:

-withstand and come through what life throws at you

-remain intact

there will be some who hear his words and put them into practice, and their lives will be like someone who builds their house on rock. (narrow road builders)

then there will be those who pride themselves on what they have heard in his words but don't actually practice what he is saying. (wide road builders)

one builds wisely/endures the pains of life and the other fails to listen and finds himself in a constant state of disrepair and muddled destruction - crushed by the weight of life. one is secure - the other is surprised and insecure.

this is a very old problem.

^{ez 33:31-32} So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!

the temptation is to become so enamoured with God's dream for us and the world that it stays just a dream. we live in such a way that the dream never actually becomes the reality. we talk about 'waiting to see God do something' without realizing and acknowledging that God is doing something and wants to move on the world in and through US. which is exactly the reason jesus is calling us to action.

action.

aaaaannnnnd ACTION! jesus, scripture, God is always calling us to obedience and action.

so jesus finishes his sermon by teaching that there are those who take his words and squander them, and he advises that we be not counted among them. their way of listening leads to their destruction.

take what you have heard from me and live it.

jesus doesn't sugarcoat anything.

there are not ten easy steps.

its just 'listen to what i have told you and do it.'

obedience to jesus ... Fredrick Bruner says, 'is not so much protection from the troubles as protection in them, just as rock under a house does not shield from storms but supports during them.'

so help us to hear you clearly jesus...

when our quest is for:

greatness & comfort rather than righteousness

the sensational rather than the simple

power & talent rather than morality & humility

speaking prophetically or judgementally rather than compassionately

being up-to-date at all costs rather than sold out for you at all costs

... for these are quests that end with great crashes.

a foundation of sand is a faulty foundation.

one dangerous foundational flaw that many of us encounter is this idea that since we are followers of jesus we will be spared some of life's storms ... but jesus is suggesting that obedient followers withstand storms ... storms are for everyone.

no one is exempt.

so what storms has your faith helped you withstand?

what kind of stories do we tell with our storm filled lives?