BUILD YOUR HOUSE ON A SOLID FOUNDATION

PROCLAMATION

“As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.  When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.  The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  Luke 6:47-49 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to Luke, the physician.   On the Sabbath while in the synagogue, Jesus healed a man with a shriveled right hand.  He asked if it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath.  The scribes and the Pharisees who saw Him do it were furious with Him and began to discuss among themselves what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:5-11)  There was a large crowd which followed Him, some of them wanted to hear Him, while others wanted to be healed.  He taught them to love their enemies, (Luke 6:27-29) to give to anyone who asks, (Luke 6:30) to do unto others as they would have them to do unto themselves, (Luke 6:31 – The Golden Rule) to lend money without expecting repayment, (Luke 6:34-36) not to judge others, (Luke 6:37) and to give and it will be given to them. (Luke 6:38)  He also told them that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. (Luke 6:43-45)  Then He said that people who hear Him and put His words into practice are like a man who builds his house on a solid foundation. (Luke 6:46-49)

 

APPLICATION

It is not enough to hear The Word of God, we must also internalize it and put it into practice. (James 1:22)  Our beliefs and our behavior, our spiritual house so to speak, should be built on a solid foundation. (Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49)  The only truly solid foundation is Jesus, The Christ.  He is The Rock of our salvation and our foundation.  Our life, our thoughts, our words, and our actions must be built upon The Rock. (1 Corinthians 10:4)  It is our foundation in Christ that keeps us standing when the storms and the temptations of life come up against us.  As the words of the Christian hymn state: “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” (“My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less” by Edward Mote)

THE STONE THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE

Proclamation:

“He went on to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away a long time.  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  He sent another servant … He sent still a third … I will send my son … they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?’ … ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone … anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’”  Luke 20:9-19 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As He was teaching and preaching in the temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders came to Him and questioned His authority to do the things which He did. (Luke 20:1-8)  He answered them then He returned to the people and told them this parable, the parable of the tenants. (Luke 20:9-19)  Afterwards, He answered their questions regarding the paying of taxes to Caesar (Luke 20:20-26) and regarding the resurrection and marriage. (Luke 20:27-40)  Then Jesus asked them a question, “Why is it said that The Messiah is the Son of David?” (Luke 20:41-44)  While they pondered that, He warned the people about the teachers of the law. (Luke 20:45-47)

Application

In this parable the owner of the vineyard represents God, the servants that He sent were the prophets, and the son represented Jesus, The Christ.  Jesus was telling them that He was going to die, and that although they rejected Him, He would be triumphant. (Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17-19, Acts 4:11, and 1 Peter 2:7)  We are indirectly responsible for the death of Christ.  However, if we believe, repent, and confess, we can throw ourselves upon The Rock of our salvation, the cornerstone which they rejected, and be saved.  Those upon whom The Stone comes down on will be crushed on judgment day as the great image was crushed in the dream that Daniel interpreted. (Daniel 2:34-35)  If The Rock is our foundation then we will be saved. (Luke 6:48)  

BUILT ON THE SOLID ROCK OR ON SHIFTING SAND

Proclamation:

"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 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke near the end of His Sermon on The Mount as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  Jesus compared the believer to a man who built his house on a rock, a solid foundation, versus the non-believer, a man who built his house on sand, a shifting foundation.  The former was able to withstand the storms, whereas the latter was not and it fell apart.

Application:

Our house, our religious life, will be tested and judged.  Only those whose house is built on the foundation of belief in and obedience to The Word of God will stand through the tests of life and the judgement.  The spiritual life of those who built their life on the doctrines of man will crumble under the tests of life and will not stand during the judgement.  Just going to church once in a while or once a week is not enough.  We need to believe, read, and live The Word of God.  The rock, the solid foundation, is The Word of God.  The shifting sand is human opinion and the doctrines of man.  Is your foundation built upon the solid rock, Jesus, The Christ, or on shifting sand?  The storms of life are coming and so is the judgement.  All will be judged. (Revelation 20:12-13)  However, only believers who have their name written in The Lamb’s book of life will survive the judgement. (Revelation 20:15 and 21:27)