Matthew – God’s Purpose
Who do you listen to as one who has authority? Who makes you straighten your back and fix your clothes as they walk by or come into the room? Who causes you to look in the mirror to see if you have every hair in place and faced washed? Who is it that you admire and want to be near? To whom do you put all your hope and trust? Who do you love more than life itself?
We come to the end of the teaching of Jesus on the mountainside with one last mini “sermon” that has been written into a childhood song around the world. I just heard it sung by children at church last Sunday that we are attending here in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Even though it was sung in their language of Spanish, we “got it”! Remember the song?
T
he wise man built his house upon the rock
he wise man built his house upon the rockThe wise man built his house upon the rock
The wise man built his house upon the rock
And the rains came tumbling down
The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
And the house on the rock stood firm
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
The foolish man built his house upon the sand
And the rains came tumbling down
The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
The rains came down and the floods came up
And the house on the sand went smash
This is a simple song, straight from His teaching, with a powerful message from Jesus Christ, our Lord. As the One and Only Son of God, Jesus has the authority to tell us to hear and put into practice what He is telling us to do in this illustration. Build your life on Jesus, the Solid Rock of salvation, as our foundation. Build upon this foundation with bricks and mortar of obedience, trust and faith in the One who saved and redeemed us. Nothing can separate from the love of God. No storm or trouble that arises can wash away our faith if it is built on Jesus Christ, the Solid Rock.
Storms come and storms go but what remains is Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. “All other ground is sinking sand.”
Matthew 7, NKJV
Build on the Rock
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 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.26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT:Who is my foundation? Who do I look up to and want to be at my best when He comes near to me? What am I building? Where do I place all my hope, faith and trust? To whom do I serve? Who has ultimate authority over life and death?
Dear Heavenly Father,
I decided long ago to love and follow You with all that is in me. Thank you for showing me how to live. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit who guides and corrects, comforts and encourages as I walk with You. Thank you for showing us that our obedience is building a strong structured faith that cannot be moved. I shall not be moved, Lord, from Your Love and Presence. There is NO ONE like You! Great are You Lord! Continue to transform me into all you intended for this “house” to be.
In Jesus Name, Amen
