My notes from a sermon on 13 March 2011
Matthew 7 verses 21 – 29
In this passage the Lord takes up the tremendous topic of finishing well. It is good to finish well. The secret of finishing well is to start well. The Lord is speaking here of heaven, about the glories and splendours of heaven. The Lord says “not everyone that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”(verse 21) Just because we might have the language of someone that will be in heaven that doesn't mean you we will be there. You could have picked that up through life but it is only those who are born again of the Spirit of God who will be in heaven. We need to begin well. The Lord is speaking of 2 builders. One begins well and finishes well, the other starts badly and finishes badly. Everyone of us is building today. Building on our lives, building on our families, building on our business. The Lord takes this thought today and asks us – have you begun right? Because if you haven't you will not finish right.
Notice here the patience the builder takes. The pains he goes to, the patience and perseverance to dig deep into the course of the earth - verse 24. The Lord is speaking here of the man or woman who hears the words of the Lord and puts those words into practice - he is like a wise man. How important it is to hear the word of God, to read the word of God, to get into the word of God that we might build our lives on it. The builder comes out in the heat of the day and digs deep into the course of the earth until he comes upon that rock to set his first stone on it. Building on something that he knows will not move. It doesn't matter about the heat of the sun or the sweat he is losing. Important thing is to build a house that will stand against the elements. Gets right down into very foundation. When we build a house we get it wrong because we get our eyes on the wrong things – the most important part of it all is the foundation. That is the thing we don't see. For your life and my life, Jesus Christ is the only thing we can build on. Just as God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees you must build your faith on God and you will not go wrong. We can rely on our own ability to build up our family, can set our own goals for what we want for that family but we need to make sure our faith is built on the Lord and no-one else. Perhaps it is the last thing you think of in building – how far is the word of God applied to our hearts today? Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders who had taken the role of teaching. They tried to corner Jesus many times. Jesus said to them “ye do err, not knowing the scriptures.”(Matthew 22 verse 29) These Pharisees were teaching the people, building up communities but the Lord said they had made a mistake because they were not listening to the Lord Jesus. One time Jesus spoke to the multitudes. So great was the crowd that he had to get into a boat and push away from the shore. The people wanted to hear his word. A young man came to Jesus one day, he wanted to know about eternal matters. He had the riches, the praise of people but there was something on his mind. The Holy Spirit was working in his heart. He asked “good master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19 verse 16) Are you living a life just for the sake of living? Never thinking of what would happen if you stepped out into eternity? The young man said there was something missing in his life. The Lord spoke to him about eternal issues. Jesus didn't merely say in verse 24 “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine”. He didn't stop there but continued “and doeth them”. Jesus didn't say come along to church and hear my words. Nor is it enough to read the bible but got to do what it says. The multitudes came to hear him and went away saying they realised he had great authority. The young men who had come to find eternal life went away sad. He couldn't do it. He wanted to be in heaven, to be sure of heaven. The Lord was asking too much of him he felt. The Lord said “you hear my words and then you do them, then you are a wise builder.” Remember a woman in Philippi. How different for her that Sabbath became. As she gathered on the Sabbath day she heard the word of God to her heart. The Spirit of God gripped her heart. She received the word of God. She heard and then she applied it. There are things that are difficult to apply. Need to be careful what we do apply because we need to be building properly.
The problems the builder will face. As he would build no doubt he had the problems in his mind. He wouldn't have dug down into the rock if he had thought about them too long. He built down deep into the rock so nothing could harm it. In verse 25 we see what would happen - the storms that would come but they brought no harm to the structure on that day. Jesus said the man that hears and does is a wise builder. Just because you came to Christ there will still be problems you will have to face. Peter was a fisherman. Jesus met him one day and said “follow me”. Peter dropped his nets and followed him immediately. Then we read of his wife's mother who was sick. Here is a man who wanted to follow after Christ yet he had a sickness in his own family. A tremendous obstacle. His life is based on the Lord and nothing can harm him. Remember the home of Mary and Martha. They gave a great welcome to Jesus. In the home one day their brother Lazarus fell sick and he died. In the home where he was so much loved. We cannot prevent such things coming into our lives. We do not know what a day will bring forth. According to the words of the Lord you will be building on foundations that will stand the test of time. The apostle Paul applied the word of God to his life even though he was sorely tested.
The perils the builder must avoid. What are they – the winds come, the floods come but the house stood firm. The foolish man's house on the other hand fell. The man who builds his life on the Lord will remain solid. Jonah received a word from God. “Take my word to Nineveh, tell the people I love them but their lives are in disaray, in disobedience to what I want them to do. If they will repent and turn I will forgive them and save them.” Jonah hears what the Lord wants him to do but he turns his back on God. Jonah has his own thoughts. He is not going to do what God wants him to do. Knows if he goes down to Nineveh and the people listen to his words God will forgive their sins. Jonah hates these people with all his heart. Jonah went to Tarshish and there found a boat. Jonah couldn't run away from God. God sent a mighty wind so that Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish. His life was a disaster. He could trace it right back to the day God spoke to him and had said no to God. His life fell in ruins and fell apart. If we ignore the word of God it will be a disaster. The storms of life will come and your life will be shattered. Will you apply God's word to your life today? It might cost but are we prepared to do it?
Notice here the patience the builder takes. The pains he goes to, the patience and perseverance to dig deep into the course of the earth - verse 24. The Lord is speaking here of the man or woman who hears the words of the Lord and puts those words into practice - he is like a wise man. How important it is to hear the word of God, to read the word of God, to get into the word of God that we might build our lives on it. The builder comes out in the heat of the day and digs deep into the course of the earth until he comes upon that rock to set his first stone on it. Building on something that he knows will not move. It doesn't matter about the heat of the sun or the sweat he is losing. Important thing is to build a house that will stand against the elements. Gets right down into very foundation. When we build a house we get it wrong because we get our eyes on the wrong things – the most important part of it all is the foundation. That is the thing we don't see. For your life and my life, Jesus Christ is the only thing we can build on. Just as God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees you must build your faith on God and you will not go wrong. We can rely on our own ability to build up our family, can set our own goals for what we want for that family but we need to make sure our faith is built on the Lord and no-one else. Perhaps it is the last thing you think of in building – how far is the word of God applied to our hearts today? Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders who had taken the role of teaching. They tried to corner Jesus many times. Jesus said to them “ye do err, not knowing the scriptures.”(Matthew 22 verse 29) These Pharisees were teaching the people, building up communities but the Lord said they had made a mistake because they were not listening to the Lord Jesus. One time Jesus spoke to the multitudes. So great was the crowd that he had to get into a boat and push away from the shore. The people wanted to hear his word. A young man came to Jesus one day, he wanted to know about eternal matters. He had the riches, the praise of people but there was something on his mind. The Holy Spirit was working in his heart. He asked “good master what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19 verse 16) Are you living a life just for the sake of living? Never thinking of what would happen if you stepped out into eternity? The young man said there was something missing in his life. The Lord spoke to him about eternal issues. Jesus didn't merely say in verse 24 “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine”. He didn't stop there but continued “and doeth them”. Jesus didn't say come along to church and hear my words. Nor is it enough to read the bible but got to do what it says. The multitudes came to hear him and went away saying they realised he had great authority. The young men who had come to find eternal life went away sad. He couldn't do it. He wanted to be in heaven, to be sure of heaven. The Lord was asking too much of him he felt. The Lord said “you hear my words and then you do them, then you are a wise builder.” Remember a woman in Philippi. How different for her that Sabbath became. As she gathered on the Sabbath day she heard the word of God to her heart. The Spirit of God gripped her heart. She received the word of God. She heard and then she applied it. There are things that are difficult to apply. Need to be careful what we do apply because we need to be building properly.
The problems the builder will face. As he would build no doubt he had the problems in his mind. He wouldn't have dug down into the rock if he had thought about them too long. He built down deep into the rock so nothing could harm it. In verse 25 we see what would happen - the storms that would come but they brought no harm to the structure on that day. Jesus said the man that hears and does is a wise builder. Just because you came to Christ there will still be problems you will have to face. Peter was a fisherman. Jesus met him one day and said “follow me”. Peter dropped his nets and followed him immediately. Then we read of his wife's mother who was sick. Here is a man who wanted to follow after Christ yet he had a sickness in his own family. A tremendous obstacle. His life is based on the Lord and nothing can harm him. Remember the home of Mary and Martha. They gave a great welcome to Jesus. In the home one day their brother Lazarus fell sick and he died. In the home where he was so much loved. We cannot prevent such things coming into our lives. We do not know what a day will bring forth. According to the words of the Lord you will be building on foundations that will stand the test of time. The apostle Paul applied the word of God to his life even though he was sorely tested.
The perils the builder must avoid. What are they – the winds come, the floods come but the house stood firm. The foolish man's house on the other hand fell. The man who builds his life on the Lord will remain solid. Jonah received a word from God. “Take my word to Nineveh, tell the people I love them but their lives are in disaray, in disobedience to what I want them to do. If they will repent and turn I will forgive them and save them.” Jonah hears what the Lord wants him to do but he turns his back on God. Jonah has his own thoughts. He is not going to do what God wants him to do. Knows if he goes down to Nineveh and the people listen to his words God will forgive their sins. Jonah hates these people with all his heart. Jonah went to Tarshish and there found a boat. Jonah couldn't run away from God. God sent a mighty wind so that Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish. His life was a disaster. He could trace it right back to the day God spoke to him and had said no to God. His life fell in ruins and fell apart. If we ignore the word of God it will be a disaster. The storms of life will come and your life will be shattered. Will you apply God's word to your life today? It might cost but are we prepared to do it?
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