WEBVTT 00:00:21.619 --> 00:00:24.660 Matthew chapter 7. We'll be looking at the final 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:34.869 section of this sermon on the mount. The word 00:00:34.869 --> 00:00:37.070 Jesus speaking as he's drawing this to conclusion, 00:00:37.289 --> 00:00:42.869 he says, Therefore, whoever hears these sayings 00:00:42.869 --> 00:00:47.490 of mine and does them, I will liken him to a 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:50.969 wise man who built his house on the rock. And 00:00:50.969 --> 00:00:52.810 the rain descended and the floods came and the 00:00:52.810 --> 00:00:55.750 winds blew and beat on that house. And it did 00:00:55.750 --> 00:00:59.409 not fall for it was found on the rock. But everyone 00:00:59.409 --> 00:01:01.229 who hears these sayings of mine and does not 00:01:01.229 --> 00:01:05.560 do them. He will be like a foolish man who built 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.620 his house on the sand. And the rain descended 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:11.560 and the floods came and the winds blew and beat 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:15.299 on that house and it fell and great was its fall. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.200 And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.140 that the people were astonished at his teaching 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:24.579 for he taught them as one having authority and 00:01:24.579 --> 00:01:28.859 not as the scribes. Let us pray and ask the Lord 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:32.980 for help this morning. Father, we do come to 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:36.159 you for help. Lord, for the aid of your Holy 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:38.819 Spirit of God, Lord, your word is truth. It is 00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:43.340 light. It is a lamp. Father, but it must be energized. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:46.180 It must be made effective by the Holy Spirit. 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:49.739 Lord, that is something I cannot do. Lord, we 00:01:49.739 --> 00:01:53.099 stand very weak and in need of you. And Lord, 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:55.739 we pray, God, for your empowerment and for your 00:01:55.739 --> 00:01:58.540 help at this hour. And we trust that you'll give 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:04.159 it in Jesus' name. Amen. As a teacher, sometimes 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.260 you have students ask why teachers even give 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:10.419 exams. Why do we do it? Is it just to torture 00:02:10.419 --> 00:02:13.319 students? Do we have nothing better to do with 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.360 our time? Do you know any teacher who just loves 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:19.819 to grade papers? But rather, we do it because 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:22.560 a good teacher is going to want to assess how 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:25.180 much of the material the students have mastered. 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:28.280 And there really is no better way to do that 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:31.060 than to give an exam. I mean, think about it. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.159 If the teacher, if I simply asked my students, 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:35.120 hey, do you understand the material? Do you think 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:38.319 you know it? If they did not think an exam was 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.699 coming, they would say yes, just simply to move 00:02:40.699 --> 00:02:44.539 on and not to belabor the point. But the test 00:02:44.539 --> 00:02:46.319 is going to serve as a very important function. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.280 Because what it does, it's going to reveal whether 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.280 they got the material and understood it or not. 00:02:52.460 --> 00:02:55.759 The test does not assess what the students say 00:02:55.759 --> 00:03:00.090 they learned. Rather, it reveals what they actually 00:03:00.090 --> 00:03:04.969 did learn. And Jesus is the ever -master teacher. 00:03:05.789 --> 00:03:08.689 And he's telling us in Matthew chapter 7, basically 00:03:08.689 --> 00:03:10.789 what he's saying in our text this morning is 00:03:10.789 --> 00:03:14.229 that a test is coming. And it's a profoundly 00:03:14.229 --> 00:03:17.849 consequential test. In fact, this is the most 00:03:17.849 --> 00:03:22.110 important test that could ever be given. The 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:25.900 Lord tells us that one day... everyone's lives, 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:28.419 all of our lives, everyone sitting in here this 00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:33.520 morning, our lives are going to be tested. Now 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.580 his words are sobering, and they really are designed 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:40.099 to get our attention. So this test is not going 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:44.500 to reveal what people say they believe. Rather, 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:48.080 this test will reveal what the people actually 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:52.520 do believe. It's going to show something. Do 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:54.639 the people, do they really believe in Jesus or 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:58.319 not? Did they really take his teaching seriously 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:02.379 or not? See, the test is going to reveal something. 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:04.939 It's going to reveal the foundation that our 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:09.439 lives have been built upon. Were they built upon 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:13.300 rock? Or were they built upon sand? As I said, 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:15.599 this is the last section in the Sermon on the 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.560 Mount. Now what we have in the Sermon on the 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:21.819 Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, we don't have everything 00:04:21.819 --> 00:04:25.519 that the Lord said in its entirety. Matthew, 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.019 under the guidance and supervision of the Holy 00:04:28.019 --> 00:04:30.819 Spirit, he has included the pertinent or the 00:04:30.819 --> 00:04:33.860 salient points that the Holy Spirit had wanted 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.660 him to include. So we can be confident that we 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:39.180 have recorded before us all that God wants us 00:04:39.180 --> 00:04:42.540 to know and all that we really need. So this 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:44.980 sermon, Jesus, this is a great master sermon. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:48.899 And it has really one overarching theme. If you 00:04:48.899 --> 00:04:51.800 look at all of it taken together, you could say 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:56.819 it various ways. Authenticity versus hypocrisy. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:01.079 You could say true religion versus false religion. 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:07.600 True faith versus a pseudo faith. Now remember, 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:10.720 in this sermon, the Lord really is rebuking the 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:13.240 religious leaders and officials of his time. 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.660 Jesus knew something. He knew many of the scribes 00:05:16.660 --> 00:05:19.079 and many of the Pharisees who were the leading 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:23.459 men of that day were rife with hypocrisy. He 00:05:23.459 --> 00:05:25.000 knew why they were doing their acts of devotion. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:27.639 They looked pious. They looked good on the outside. 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:31.000 But they loved, they craved, they were motivated 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:34.220 by the praise and acclaim that came from men. 00:05:34.779 --> 00:05:36.899 They did not do what they were supposed to do 00:05:36.899 --> 00:05:39.180 because their hearts were right with God. They 00:05:39.180 --> 00:05:42.079 did not. He knew what was driving these men. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.240 They loved respect. They loved to be held in 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:49.180 high esteem. These men were itching for prominence, 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:52.939 prestige, and popularity much more than they 00:05:52.939 --> 00:05:56.160 ever loved God or the truth. But the problem 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.220 was they were the shepherds. They were supposed 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:02.939 to be leading people to God, and instead they 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:06.180 were leading people to themselves. They had almost 00:06:06.180 --> 00:06:09.319 developed like a cult -like following. Now our 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:11.519 Lord comes on the scene and he sees through their 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:16.620 hypocrisy. He was not fooled by any of it. But 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:18.160 we have to understand the culture of his day. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:22.139 As far as public opinion is concerned, the Pharisees, 00:06:22.139 --> 00:06:25.439 I mean, they were the good guys. They were considered 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:27.980 to be the salt of the earth. The Pharisees were 00:06:27.980 --> 00:06:31.220 the pillars of society. Now today, we know them 00:06:31.220 --> 00:06:35.040 as the bad guys. But not at that time. That wouldn't 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:37.209 have been true in Jesus' day at all. They were 00:06:37.209 --> 00:06:39.370 considered, the Pharisees were considered to 00:06:39.370 --> 00:06:42.310 be the most knowledgeable and accurate interpreters 00:06:42.310 --> 00:06:46.350 of the Jewish law. They worked hard. They worked 00:06:46.350 --> 00:06:48.709 in local synagogues. They weren't simply located 00:06:48.709 --> 00:06:51.709 at the temple. They taught the law to the common 00:06:51.709 --> 00:06:55.709 people. They were emphasizing piety in daily 00:06:55.709 --> 00:06:59.610 life. And therefore, many of the ordinary Jews, 00:06:59.750 --> 00:07:02.129 just the commoners, really appreciated these 00:07:02.129 --> 00:07:05.370 folks. And of course, the Pharisees looked holy. 00:07:05.959 --> 00:07:08.420 They were fastidious in their devotion. Their 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:10.800 teachings were actually considered authoritative. 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:13.980 And today, we think of the Pharisees, we know 00:07:13.980 --> 00:07:16.699 them as the bad guys, but at that time, you have 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:19.500 to understand, they were aligned more with the 00:07:19.500 --> 00:07:24.100 common, ordinary people of the day. Now the scribes, 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:27.800 they were the rich, ruling elite, and that's 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:30.600 who they aligned themselves with. So as far as 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:33.220 common, ordinary Jews, they loved the Pharisees. 00:07:33.379 --> 00:07:36.350 They were the true heroes. They were the ones 00:07:36.350 --> 00:07:37.889 getting their hands and their feet dirty, if 00:07:37.889 --> 00:07:41.129 you will. So to say that the Pharisees were influential 00:07:41.129 --> 00:07:47.209 would be just a gross understatement. They ruled 00:07:47.209 --> 00:07:52.750 the roost, if you will, until a popular Nazarene 00:07:52.750 --> 00:07:57.970 prophet upended it all. The Lord Jesus, he comes 00:07:57.970 --> 00:08:02.430 on the scene issuing a scathing indictment. He 00:08:02.430 --> 00:08:05.129 called him out. He said, you're hypocrites. He 00:08:05.129 --> 00:08:06.850 said, you're false teachers. You're wolves in 00:08:06.850 --> 00:08:10.250 sheep's clothing. These Pharisees who had been 00:08:10.250 --> 00:08:13.129 held in the highest honor, who had been taken 00:08:13.129 --> 00:08:16.310 as the best interpreters of the law, Jesus said 00:08:16.310 --> 00:08:19.750 they are mistaken and they are deceived. And 00:08:19.750 --> 00:08:22.769 all of this was leading to an epic showdown between 00:08:22.769 --> 00:08:27.129 the religious leaders and Jesus. Who would the 00:08:27.129 --> 00:08:31.610 people believe? The Pharisees or Jesus? The ones 00:08:31.610 --> 00:08:35.629 they had always known and trusted? Or the newcomer 00:08:35.629 --> 00:08:39.870 who is able to work miracles among them? Friends, 00:08:39.929 --> 00:08:41.809 isn't that the question that all of us must come 00:08:41.809 --> 00:08:47.950 to? Who do we believe? What do we believe? Do 00:08:47.950 --> 00:08:54.269 we believe Jesus? Do we trust in his word? Do 00:08:54.269 --> 00:08:59.710 our lives reveal that we believe in Jesus? See, 00:08:59.750 --> 00:09:02.470 many people say they believe in him. They commit 00:09:02.470 --> 00:09:06.350 to him, if you will. But that doesn't mean necessarily 00:09:06.350 --> 00:09:09.309 that Jesus has committed to them. Now that may 00:09:09.309 --> 00:09:10.870 sound like a strange statement, but I want to 00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:13.710 show you something in John chapter 2. In John 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:16.730 chapter 2, notice the text. It says, now when 00:09:16.730 --> 00:09:19.070 he, Jesus, was in Jerusalem at the Passover, 00:09:19.149 --> 00:09:22.529 during the feast, many believed in his name when 00:09:22.529 --> 00:09:24.610 they saw the signs which he did. Now if we stop 00:09:24.610 --> 00:09:27.750 there, that sounds like a great day. Many people 00:09:27.750 --> 00:09:30.830 believed in Jesus. They saw the miracles, they 00:09:30.830 --> 00:09:34.840 were convinced, right? Look at verse 24. But 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:38.340 Jesus did not commit himself to them because 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:42.620 he knew all men and had no need that anyone should 00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:45.080 testify of man, for he knew what was in man. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:49.460 So verse 23, many believed in his name. That 00:09:49.460 --> 00:09:52.820 sounds fantastic. If you look up, the Greek word 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:55.720 for faith is pistis. To believe, the verb form 00:09:55.720 --> 00:09:59.159 is pistou. And it means to have faith in or to 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:02.059 commit oneself to. So they believed in him. They 00:10:02.059 --> 00:10:05.580 committed themselves to him. Verse 24, Jesus 00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:10.279 did not commit himself to them. Notice two different 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:13.659 verbs in English, same verb in Greek. They pursued 00:10:13.659 --> 00:10:18.320 in Jesus. Jesus did not pursue in them. What's 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.779 that mean? They claimed to believe in Jesus. 00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:26.220 Jesus did not believe in their claim. They believed 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:30.440 only because they saw the miracles. Jesus knew 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:33.870 all men. And he saw that their faith was spurious, 00:10:33.990 --> 00:10:37.289 it was false, it was shallow, and it would not 00:10:37.289 --> 00:10:40.490 last. And that's still true today, by the way. 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:43.970 Especially in the Western world, especially in 00:10:43.970 --> 00:10:46.350 the United States, where many people claim to 00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:48.950 be Christians, they claim to be disciples of 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:52.269 the Lord. If you talk to most Americans, still, 00:10:52.370 --> 00:10:55.250 even in our secular society, most still wear 00:10:55.250 --> 00:10:59.110 the label Christian. That's changing some. But 00:10:59.110 --> 00:11:01.059 what about where we live? I mean, we're kind 00:11:01.059 --> 00:11:02.519 of in the Bible belt, right? We're in Lawrence 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:05.460 County. If you surveyed the people of Lawrence 00:11:05.460 --> 00:11:08.840 County, I venture to say almost everyone, now 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.480 there would always be exceptions, but almost 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:15.320 everyone would identify or claim to be Christian. 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:21.100 And Jesus said, yeah, well, one day that profession 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:24.519 is going to be tried. Your claim to believe in 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:28.539 Jesus is going to be tested. See, it's one thing 00:11:28.539 --> 00:11:31.460 to make a claim. It's another for that claim 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:34.620 to be proven true. Or for that claim to be proven 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:39.120 authentic. Jesus has reduced life down to a series 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.279 of binary choices here. There are two gates. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.440 There are two roads. There are two destinations. 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.980 There are two groups of people. Two trees, the 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:55.639 good tree, the bad tree. Two houses. And two 00:11:55.639 --> 00:12:01.399 foundations. And there's just one point. Do you 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:06.700 trust Christ? And will you obey him? Verse 24. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:10.279 This is our text. Therefore, whoever hears these 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:12.700 sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him 00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:15.159 to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:18.220 Now that saying ticked the religious leaders 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:20.639 off. This is what really irked them, if you will. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.460 Why? Who did Jesus think he was? Notice the text. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.580 Now we read it. We just gloss over it. But think 00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:28.960 about if you're hearing it for the first time. 00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:33.820 He said that people must keep and obey his words 00:12:33.820 --> 00:12:36.860 if they are wise and if they're going to enter 00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:41.419 eternal life. Who was he? I mean, was he greater 00:12:41.419 --> 00:12:44.519 than Moses? Moses is the one who gave the law 00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:47.080 in the first place. They would have been fine 00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:50.360 had Jesus said, hey, listen, you must keep Moses' 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.360 word. But instead he said, no, you must keep 00:12:54.360 --> 00:13:00.740 my word. You must obey my word. Jesus was claiming 00:13:00.740 --> 00:13:04.399 an authority that was equal to God who gave the 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:07.779 law in the very first place. Jesus, in fact, 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:11.639 said, it's not enough to hear Moses. You must 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:16.360 hear and obey me. Now, can you imagine any ordinary 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.779 man saying that, hey, if you want to avoid hell, 00:13:18.899 --> 00:13:21.399 and if you really want to enter into life, you 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.350 better listen and obey me. I mean, can you imagine 00:13:24.350 --> 00:13:26.370 what, like today, what if I were to tell you 00:13:26.370 --> 00:13:31.529 that your soul's destruction, and to avoid that 00:13:31.529 --> 00:13:34.549 destruction, you would need to listen to me and 00:13:34.549 --> 00:13:38.049 to obey my words. Rightfully, you would have 00:13:38.049 --> 00:13:39.470 me tarred and feathered and run out of here. 00:13:39.629 --> 00:13:42.750 That would be the right thing to do. That's crazy. 00:13:43.470 --> 00:13:46.490 That's crazy talk coming from the lips of anyone 00:13:46.490 --> 00:13:51.450 but Jesus. See, Jesus makes that astonishing 00:13:51.450 --> 00:13:55.610 claim. But he didn't do it without warrant. He 00:13:55.610 --> 00:13:58.710 offered proof to back it up. Many miracles and 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:02.990 many signs were done publicly, right? But there 00:14:02.990 --> 00:14:06.830 was the ultimate sign. His dying and rising again 00:14:06.830 --> 00:14:10.090 the third day. Jesus is saying the people must 00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:12.809 hear him. Why? He is the only one church who 00:14:12.809 --> 00:14:16.529 never misspeaks. He never misleads. He never 00:14:16.529 --> 00:14:19.889 deceives. He never has to utter a retraction 00:14:19.889 --> 00:14:25.220 or a correction. Ever. Jesus is not the one who 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:27.639 will say, do as I say and not as I do. He's not 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:29.960 the way, he doesn't operate that way. He's no 00:14:29.960 --> 00:14:33.700 hypocrite. His words always perfectly reflecting 00:14:33.700 --> 00:14:36.919 his character. But sadly today, that is not the 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:40.460 case for the land in which we live. Daniel Doriani's 00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:42.320 commentary, he wrote a phrase, I thought it was 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.240 just very gripping, although it was actually 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:47.240 telling. He said, the world has all too many 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.700 obese gym teachers, divorced marriage counselors, 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:55.120 and debt -ridden financial planners. But not 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:01.519 so with Jesus. He does what he says. He is what 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.019 he says. See, the life of Jesus was a life of 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:08.259 integrity. His teaching and his life were perfectly 00:15:08.259 --> 00:15:11.379 aligned. We might say it this way. He practiced 00:15:11.379 --> 00:15:14.679 what he preached, right? He's called his disciples 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:18.539 to be servants. What do you find him doing? Being 00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:23.289 the ultimate servant. In Luke, 22. He says, for 00:15:23.289 --> 00:15:26.330 who is greater? He who sits at the table or he 00:15:26.330 --> 00:15:29.470 who serves? Now, if you're thinking about that, 00:15:29.549 --> 00:15:32.110 you have a big dinner table and you've got a 00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:33.990 servant waiting on the people sitting at the 00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:35.990 table. He says, who's greater? Who's more important? 00:15:36.710 --> 00:15:39.049 Is it not the one that sits at the table? Yeah, 00:15:39.090 --> 00:15:41.529 we would all say that. Dignitaries sit at tables. 00:15:41.909 --> 00:15:45.110 Servants serve them. And what does Jesus say? 00:15:45.690 --> 00:15:50.389 Yet I am among you as the one who serves. Do 00:15:50.389 --> 00:15:53.690 you see what humility there? In John 13, Jesus 00:15:53.690 --> 00:15:56.009 said, You call me teacher and Lord, and you say, 00:15:56.070 --> 00:15:59.409 Well, for so I am. I am teacher. I am master. 00:15:59.730 --> 00:16:04.909 I am rabbi. I am Adonai. I am Lord. If I then 00:16:04.909 --> 00:16:07.929 your Lord, kurios, and teacher, but I've washed 00:16:07.929 --> 00:16:11.490 your feet, you also ought to wash one another's 00:16:11.490 --> 00:16:13.990 feet. Notice verse 15. I love what he said here. 00:16:14.149 --> 00:16:16.950 For I have given you example that you should 00:16:16.950 --> 00:16:22.440 do as I have done. See, Jesus is saying, do as 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:28.120 I do. He did not sit aloof as king in some ivory 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:33.200 tower, issuing commands and issuing edicts. Instead, 00:16:33.379 --> 00:16:36.440 he was one among the people. Jesus said this 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:39.480 of himself, I did not come to be served, but 00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:45.960 to serve. His life perfectly exemplifying all 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:49.809 that he taught. So think about this. He never 00:16:49.809 --> 00:16:52.049 commanded his people to do something that he 00:16:52.049 --> 00:16:54.350 was unwilling to do himself. He wanted you to 00:16:54.350 --> 00:16:56.210 wash people's feet. What'd he do? Wash people's 00:16:56.210 --> 00:16:58.529 feet. He wanted you to serve. What'd he do? Serve. 00:16:58.649 --> 00:17:00.429 He said he wants you to lay down your life for 00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:03.149 your friends. What did he do? He laid down his 00:17:03.149 --> 00:17:06.950 life. But that wasn't true of the scribes or 00:17:06.950 --> 00:17:10.569 the Pharisees. They were the ones that were held 00:17:10.569 --> 00:17:13.970 in high esteem. But they were hypocrites. They 00:17:13.970 --> 00:17:16.529 loved to give commands that they were unwilling 00:17:16.529 --> 00:17:19.869 to do. This is why Jesus was so upset with them. 00:17:20.410 --> 00:17:24.329 We read about it in Matthew 23. Jesus said, listen, 00:17:24.470 --> 00:17:29.210 the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 00:17:29.369 --> 00:17:32.250 They're the teachers of the law. Therefore, whatever 00:17:32.250 --> 00:17:34.529 they tell you to observe, that observe and do. 00:17:35.470 --> 00:17:39.289 But do not do according to their works. For they 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:43.609 say and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens 00:17:43.609 --> 00:17:46.759 hard to bear. They lay them on men's shoulders, 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:50.140 but they themselves will not move them with one 00:17:50.140 --> 00:17:54.559 of their fingers. But all their works they do 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:00.440 to be seen by men. Here the Son of God is revealing 00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:04.000 the hypocrisy of the shepherds of Israel. They 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:08.799 say, they do not do. Now get that in your mind. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:13.059 Jesus said, do as I have done. They say, but 00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:17.569 don't do. This is the hypocrisy that Jesus is 00:18:17.569 --> 00:18:22.849 warning of in Matthew 7. There are many who say, 00:18:23.089 --> 00:18:27.589 and they do not do, many who say, I am a follower 00:18:27.589 --> 00:18:30.630 of Christ, and yet they don't follow. They say 00:18:30.630 --> 00:18:34.069 he is Lord, but they don't obey. They pay him 00:18:34.069 --> 00:18:37.009 lip service, but their hearts are far from him. 00:18:37.349 --> 00:18:40.769 And Jesus is saying, a day is coming in which 00:18:40.769 --> 00:18:44.519 all this is going to be revealed. Therefore we 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:48.579 must listen and take heed. This is the most sobering. 00:18:48.660 --> 00:18:51.319 Listen, we cannot dismiss the words of Christ. 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:56.920 Those who hear the word and understand it and 00:18:56.920 --> 00:19:00.680 fail to practice it are deceiving themselves 00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:04.900 and Jesus would warn they are on the broad path 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:09.059 to destruction. Now in the parable that we're 00:19:09.059 --> 00:19:13.400 looking at this morning, there are two men. who 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:16.440 ostensibly looked the same, right? For all intents 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.599 and purposes, they looked the same. But a day 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.839 of testing would reveal how different they were. 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:25.619 Warren Wiersbe said, the two men in the story 00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:29.759 had so much in common. Both had desires to build 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.640 a house. Both built houses that looked good and 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:36.579 sturdy. But when the judgment came, in this case 00:19:36.579 --> 00:19:40.799 the storm, one of those houses collapsed. What 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.710 was the difference? He said, not the mere external 00:19:43.710 --> 00:19:46.769 looks to be sure. The difference was in the foundation. 00:19:47.269 --> 00:19:51.130 The successful builder dug deep and he set his 00:19:51.130 --> 00:19:55.009 house on a solid foundation. Who is the wise 00:19:55.009 --> 00:19:59.650 man in this parable? The one who hears the words 00:19:59.650 --> 00:20:05.009 of our Lord and does them. His obedience shows 00:20:05.009 --> 00:20:09.549 that he believes the word. Obedience is a result 00:20:09.549 --> 00:20:14.319 of grace. Obedience does not earn grace. This 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:16.660 is not a work to get you in the door of heaven. 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:20.700 Rather, obedience to the word of God shows or 00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:24.420 reveals a heart that has been touched and changed 00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:29.640 by grace. You have to understand that. James 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:33.319 said in James chapter 1, Be you doers of the 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:38.339 word, not hearers only. Because when you hear 00:20:38.339 --> 00:20:41.299 only and don't do, He said, you are deceiving 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:46.759 yourself. Now listen, deception is bad. It really 00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:50.180 is. To be deceived is terrible. But to deceive 00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:54.480 yourself is the most insidious. John MacArthur 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:58.079 writes, the mark of true discipleship is not 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:01.740 simply hearing and believing, but believing and 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:05.539 doing. In other words, a person who professes 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:08.359 to know Christ but does not obey Christ has no 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:10.559 lasting image of what the new life is all about. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:14.160 He glimpses Christ, and he glimpses what Christ 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:17.319 can do for him, but his image of Christ and of 00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:20.859 the new life in Christ soon fade. His experience 00:21:20.859 --> 00:21:25.059 with the gospel is shallow, superficial, and 00:21:25.059 --> 00:21:28.960 alas, short -lived. See, there are some who have 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:31.940 correct ideas. correct teaching about Christ, 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:36.240 and yet they're not converted. They're not wrong 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:40.259 in what they think about Jesus. But they're not 00:21:40.259 --> 00:21:43.779 converted. This has always been the case. We 00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:46.240 call them nominal Christians. Nominal meaning 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.420 in name only. There have always been tares among 00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:53.400 the wheat. Now some of those tares have been 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.579 planted by Satan himself to deceive. The others 00:21:57.579 --> 00:22:02.369 are tares And they don't realize it, being self 00:22:02.369 --> 00:22:05.890 -deceived. And this latter group, that second 00:22:05.890 --> 00:22:08.970 group, is whom Jesus is addressing. See, the 00:22:08.970 --> 00:22:12.789 wise man trusts in righteousness that can only 00:22:12.789 --> 00:22:16.250 come from Christ. The foolish man trusts in some 00:22:16.250 --> 00:22:18.970 form of self -righteousness. Because remember, 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:22.789 who's this sermon about? It's a rebuke to the 00:22:22.789 --> 00:22:25.730 scribes and Pharisees who were extremely religious. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:28.619 But they were building on the wrong foundation. 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:33.400 What foundation were they building upon? Their 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:36.859 adherence to the law of Moses. In other words, 00:22:36.859 --> 00:22:39.579 the works of their own hands. Their own works. 00:22:40.539 --> 00:22:44.259 They thought they could please God through their 00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:48.880 own efforts and bypass Christ. Not come to Christ. 00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:52.740 And Jesus saying, but the day of judgment would 00:22:52.740 --> 00:22:56.319 show how foolish and deceived they really were. 00:22:57.420 --> 00:22:59.400 See, now this is interesting because if you look 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:01.720 at the Pharisees, they claim to be devoted to 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:05.039 Moses. But Jesus said in John 5, if you believe 00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:07.599 Moses, you would believe me for he wrote about 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.000 me. So they don't really follow Moses. They claim 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.660 to love God the Father and Jesus, nope. He who 00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:15.940 does not honor the Son does not honor the Father 00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:18.240 who sent him. So no, you don't love God the Father 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:21.779 either. Remember I told you an epic showdown 00:23:21.779 --> 00:23:25.599 was on the move and here it is. Who? are the 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:30.519 people going to believe? Christ or the Pharisees? 00:23:31.859 --> 00:23:35.819 The one who comes to faith in Christ will show 00:23:35.819 --> 00:23:39.819 his faith by obedience to him. But the Pharisees, 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:43.000 they outright rejected Jesus, and instead they 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:46.099 sought to earn God's favor by working really 00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:50.359 hard, by being really moral, by supposedly following 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:53.819 the law. They believed they didn't really need 00:23:53.819 --> 00:23:56.839 Jesus at all. They could be right with God on 00:23:56.839 --> 00:24:00.640 their own, is what they thought. But to be obedient 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.240 to God, you must come to Jesus in faith and rest 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:08.579 in him alone for salvation. If you are going 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:12.380 to be obedient to God the Father, you must repent 00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:15.480 and come to faith in God the Son. Jesus said 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:19.039 in John 8, verse 24, If you do not believe that 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:24.549 I am, I am he. He's not in the original there. 00:24:24.609 --> 00:24:26.609 If you do not believe that I am he, if you don't 00:24:26.609 --> 00:24:28.670 believe I'm the one sent from God, if you don't 00:24:28.670 --> 00:24:31.369 believe I'm the Messiah, you will die in your 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:34.009 sins. And we talk about meek and mild Jesus. 00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:36.450 That is not a meek and mild statement, friends. 00:24:37.690 --> 00:24:39.730 He says, if you don't believe that I'm the one 00:24:39.730 --> 00:24:41.630 that was promised to be sent into the world to 00:24:41.630 --> 00:24:43.509 be the savior of the world, you will die in your 00:24:43.509 --> 00:24:48.210 sins. But then he's also, when he's talking to 00:24:48.210 --> 00:24:51.890 others, he's very, he is meek and mild. Come 00:24:51.890 --> 00:24:53.730 to me, all who are labored and are heavy laden. 00:24:53.730 --> 00:24:57.390 I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and 00:24:57.390 --> 00:25:00.329 learn from me. Why? For I am gentle and lonely 00:25:00.329 --> 00:25:04.069 in heart. Look at the last part. And you will 00:25:04.069 --> 00:25:09.490 find rest for your souls. Who can promise rest 00:25:09.490 --> 00:25:14.470 for your soul? Only the Son of God. Just Jesus. 00:25:15.230 --> 00:25:17.609 The point of Jesus' parable is not about the 00:25:17.609 --> 00:25:20.480 house. The point of the parable is about the 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:25.420 foundation. John Wolvard says, they could build 00:25:25.420 --> 00:25:27.660 on one of two foundations. One foundation would 00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:31.539 liken to a big rock, the other to sand. The foundation 00:25:31.539 --> 00:25:33.579 determines the ability of a structure to withstand 00:25:33.579 --> 00:25:37.200 the elements, in this case rain and winds. The 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:39.099 rock foundation represented the Lord himself 00:25:39.099 --> 00:25:42.579 and the truths he had been presenting, especially 00:25:42.579 --> 00:25:46.450 the truth concerning inner transformation. But 00:25:46.450 --> 00:25:49.470 the sand spoke of pharisaic righteousness, which 00:25:49.470 --> 00:25:50.869 the people knew. That's what they were comfortable 00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:52.789 with. That's what they were familiar with. And 00:25:52.789 --> 00:25:56.950 on which many were basing their hopes. In storms, 00:25:56.970 --> 00:26:00.269 the first would give stability, yet the second 00:26:00.269 --> 00:26:04.170 foundation would result in destruction. Jesus 00:26:04.170 --> 00:26:05.789 is standing there, and I think he's very earnest 00:26:05.789 --> 00:26:08.869 at the end of this sermon. He's looking around 00:26:08.869 --> 00:26:10.470 the crowd and seeing all the people listening 00:26:10.470 --> 00:26:13.430 to him, and he was making the claim that he is 00:26:13.430 --> 00:26:18.119 the only sure foundation. You have to believe 00:26:18.119 --> 00:26:21.900 that he is the one sent from heaven. They had 00:26:21.900 --> 00:26:24.640 to get that he was the long -awaited Messiah, 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:27.599 the one that God had promised to redeem Israel. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:32.539 The point, what's the point? Jesus is a rock, 00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:35.839 and true faith in him is the only sure foundation. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:39.579 Paul wrote about that. He says, for no other 00:26:39.579 --> 00:26:42.819 foundation can anyone lay than that which is 00:26:42.819 --> 00:26:48.109 laid, which is Jesus Christ. Paul said in 1 Timothy, 00:26:48.269 --> 00:26:51.049 for there is one God and one mediator between 00:26:51.049 --> 00:26:57.569 God and men, the man Christ Jesus. The person 00:26:57.569 --> 00:27:00.009 who builds his house upon the foundation of Jesus 00:27:00.009 --> 00:27:03.170 Christ, here it is. This is the person who is 00:27:03.170 --> 00:27:06.069 absolutely convinced that he has no righteousness 00:27:06.069 --> 00:27:10.190 of his own, and he sees Christ, and he sees what 00:27:10.190 --> 00:27:13.490 Christ has done, and he trusts in him and his 00:27:13.490 --> 00:27:18.259 work. To build upon the rock is to understand 00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:21.180 that Jesus' sacrifice is a gift of righteousness. 00:27:21.460 --> 00:27:23.779 It's not something you work for. It's not something 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:27.140 they earned. Romans 3 says it is a gift of righteousness 00:27:27.140 --> 00:27:32.000 and it is to be received by faith. Religious 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.660 leaders, they rejected him. And they were teaching 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:36.799 the people following them to build upon sand. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:40.279 They're man -made traditions. They look good. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.819 They seem to have come from God. Yet when the 00:27:43.819 --> 00:27:45.980 storm came, it would all be blown away and it 00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:48.220 would be revealed that it was simply shifting 00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:52.299 sand. Jesus, because he loved the people, he 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:55.339 calls them back to an absolute foundation of 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:58.160 obedience to God's word, which was his word. 00:27:59.339 --> 00:28:03.259 Not the man -made traditions, not the man -made 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:05.640 elements of the scribes and Pharisees. And you 00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:07.920 might be saying, but why is this so important? 00:28:09.960 --> 00:28:13.579 This is it, folks, even today. This is so important 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:19.259 because the rains are going to fall. The floodwaters 00:28:19.259 --> 00:28:23.819 are going to rise. The winds are going to blow. 00:28:24.380 --> 00:28:29.259 And only the life that is built upon the rock 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:33.880 of Jesus Christ will stand. Every life is going 00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:37.140 to be tested. In this life, right now, right 00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:39.440 now, you and I, we're tested by trials. We're 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.700 tested by storms. But soon, we will all be tested 00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:47.039 by death. For it is appointed unto man once to 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:50.859 die. What's going to endure? What's going to 00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:53.779 endure the storms, the flood, the wind, and even 00:28:53.779 --> 00:29:00.539 death itself? Christ Jesus alone. For he alone 00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:04.680 has prevailed. The religious leaders rejected 00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:13.119 them to their own peril. What about you? Acts 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:16.400 4, Peter preaching. Let it be known to all you 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.380 and to all the people of Israel that by the name 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:20.940 of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, 00:29:21.180 --> 00:29:23.660 whom God raised from the dead, by him this man 00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:26.859 stands here before you whole. This, Jesus, is 00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:30.759 a stone which was rejected by you builders, which 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:34.430 has become the chief cornerstone. nor is there 00:29:34.430 --> 00:29:38.230 salvation in any other. For there is no other 00:29:38.230 --> 00:29:42.910 name under heaven given among men by which we 00:29:42.910 --> 00:29:49.289 must be saved other than the name of Jesus. But 00:29:49.289 --> 00:29:51.849 what about those who don't obey? What is their 00:29:51.849 --> 00:29:57.029 end? Verse 27. And the rain descended, the floods 00:29:57.029 --> 00:30:00.329 came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house. 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:07.039 And it fell. And Jesus says, and great was its 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:12.099 fall. All roads without Christ will always end 00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:16.460 in destruction. Great falls. Great destruction. 00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:22.500 Eternal destruction. A presence in eternity away 00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:27.619 from God. How do the people listen? What do the 00:30:27.619 --> 00:30:30.539 people do? Imagine Jesus is preaching the sermon 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:34.079 to them. Verse 28, when Jesus had ended these 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:37.059 sayings that the people were astonished at his 00:30:37.059 --> 00:30:41.420 teaching. Because he taught them as one having 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:43.579 authority and not as the scribes. Do you understand 00:30:43.579 --> 00:30:45.680 what that verse is saying? The scribes and the 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:49.420 Pharisees, they were accustomed to quoting other 00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:52.039 rabbis, other leaders to give credibility to 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:53.819 what they're saying. You find that all the time. 00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:55.660 I've quoted several people this morning. John 00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:57.579 MacArthur, John Wolver, Warren Wiersbe, others. 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:03.779 Jesus never quotes. Jesus would quote no other 00:31:03.779 --> 00:31:08.319 because he didn't need to. No other voice gives 00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:13.240 credibility to him. His word alone is authoritative. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:17.720 And the people were astonished by that. They 00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:21.539 were left in amazement. They had never heard 00:31:21.539 --> 00:31:27.240 any rabbi teach like Jesus. So as we come to 00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:30.559 the end of this, I'll quote Dana Doriani one 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:35.619 last time. We cannot overlook the harm, the dire 00:31:35.619 --> 00:31:39.359 warnings in Matthew 7. Get this, guys, get this. 00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:42.539 Jesus does not call his hearers to redouble their 00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:45.059 efforts to ensure that knowledge produces action. 00:31:45.220 --> 00:31:47.119 He's not saying, hey, double it up, make sure 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:50.980 you start working harder. On the contrary, he 00:31:50.980 --> 00:31:54.519 warns against vain activity. How then do we know 00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:58.339 Christ so that we enter in the kingdom of heaven? 00:32:00.909 --> 00:32:04.410 Humble repentance. You see yourself for what 00:32:04.410 --> 00:32:06.809 you are. Like Isaiah did that we read earlier 00:32:06.809 --> 00:32:10.269 in the scripture reading. And faith in Jesus 00:32:10.269 --> 00:32:16.430 opened the door to eternal life. That's it. Jesus 00:32:16.430 --> 00:32:18.730 said, all that come to me, I will no wise cast 00:32:18.730 --> 00:32:21.190 out. Come unto me all who are weary and heavy 00:32:21.190 --> 00:32:23.970 laden. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon 00:32:23.970 --> 00:32:26.490 you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly. 00:32:26.609 --> 00:32:32.390 And you will find rest for your souls. We sing 00:32:32.390 --> 00:32:36.309 it. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' 00:32:36.410 --> 00:32:40.230 blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the 00:32:40.230 --> 00:32:44.410 sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. 00:32:44.750 --> 00:32:50.210 On Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other 00:32:50.210 --> 00:32:54.410 ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking 00:32:54.410 --> 00:32:58.450 sand. Do you believe it? Is that your confession? 00:32:59.889 --> 00:33:04.990 Do you trust in Jesus the rock alone? Well, then, 00:33:04.990 --> 00:33:07.190 church, let's stand and sing a glorious anthem 00:33:07.190 --> 00:33:08.769 to our Lord. Brian and Kirsten, if you would 00:33:08.769 --> 00:33:12.150 come. It's the solid rock. I don't know what 00:33:12.150 --> 00:33:13.869 hymn number it is, but it's going to be on the 00:33:13.869 --> 00:33:15.509 walls behind us. If you would stand at this time. 00:33:15.609 --> 00:33:17.950 If you know Christ, friends, let the rafters 00:33:17.950 --> 00:33:18.130 ring out.