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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

Building Homes on the Rock

And as we welcome the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts, let's bow our heads together once more as we acknowledge Him.

Father in heaven, we are just so thankful that Your Word is so living, so powerful, that it could touch our hearts and speak to us through the lips of a child, through your written word on our laps.

And now Lord we pray that it would speak to us through your spoken word.

And so Lord this is your time it's the reason we came and we're here as families many of us as a family unit and we pray that your word would speak to us as a whole So we thank you Lord for answering our prayers and may you guide us and bless us in Jesus name, Amen.

Let me begin with a simple picture in our minds eye.

Imagine a builder, a builder constructing a house, and he has everything laid out.

Elegant walls, polished floors, a nice roof, and everything is in place.

The construction has begun, and to the eye it looks strong.

In fact, the end result looks even better, because it's for real, and there you admire the finished house.

The first heavy storms come and the house collapses.

Isn't that a picture of many families in every age since the entrance of sin?

We don't have to look at Barna group surveys.

We don't have to look at the demographics of nearly every town and every city in this country, and let's add, around the world.

The reality is, is that the entrance of sin, We've seen something very, very impactful in our homes and our families.

From the outside, oftentimes, everything looks fine.

But when the storms come, When the financial struggles come, when broken communication happens, when temptations get the best of us, when sickness strikes and the crisis hits the home, the cracks begin to show.

And in Jesus, in Matthew chapter 7, there gives us some wisdom as we consider the message today, building homes on the rock.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus is speaking and he has the attention of his listeners.

Among the listeners are all types of people.

As it is today, And in Matthew chapter 7, Jesus gives wisdom.

He simply says that the wise build on the rock and the foolish build on the sand.

There it's in Matthew chapter 7 beginning in verse 24.

And this is what Jesus says as he begins.

Therefore, whoever hears the sayings of mine, and does what?

I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The NIV, New International Version, puts it this way.

Jesus said, everyone who hears the words of mine and puts them into practice, Puts them into practice.

I think we all have had enough experience in our life to have learned lessons of times when we heard it well.

Can't tell you how many times I've been to gardening classes.

I've been to all types of classes, training courses.

But what Jesus is getting at here is he's cutting to the chase.

He's saying here, And the key is, it's not just hearing, but Jesus says there's something in the, in the what?

It's not enough to hear, but Jesus calls us to do.

And if there was ever a place where there's sure a lot of listening going on, a lot of hearing going on.

Well, it's in this very place where we meet today, within these walls.

Week after week, Sabbath after Sabbath, we gather together for this very reason, because we know that something will be spoken, something will be shared.

The crowd that Jesus spoke to is still the crowd today.

The key is not just hearing, but it's doing.

After all, that's where the instruction happens.

That's where the hearing, or rather, that's where the speaking takes place.

Families that say grace at meals, or they own a Bible, but never practice the word.

So plainly, even a child like Elias can sing about it.

The houses built on the sand are those that hear the words of Jesus, but don't practice the word.

Jesus continues, But everyone who hears, ye saints of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rains descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell and great was its fall." In other words the house may stand for a while.

But when the trouble comes, they collapse.

Constant financial stress, debt, and overwork can leave little space in that precious family circle for nurturing relationships.

Families crumble when they are isolated from those that can feed into them encouragement and strength and inspiration and support.

When prayer, worship and scripture leave the home, families lose that spiritual glue that holds them together.

But the family that takes the sayings of Jesus, the families that takes the principles, the values, the instructions that are all outlined in the living Word of God.

When families take the saints of Jesus seriously, reading it, listening to it, hearing it, but not stopping there, living it, practicing it, obeying it, families become strong.

They become strong and the Bible becomes their blueprint.

But in this context, decisions about money, relationship, discipline, and priorities are measured against Scripture.

We take the circumstances, the situation that needs critical attention, but we base our plan of action, base first and foremost on the say of the Lord.

What are the principles found in the Word of God that will give us direction and guidance, that will give us insight so as we pray for the wisdom that is promised from God, we will be able to take the steps that are according to His good and perfect will.

Your children, your children don't just need to hear you talk about God.

They don't need to just keep hearing the story.

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Building Homes on the Rock

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