Foundations
Foundations Matthew 7.21-29 w/c 27 March
We come to the climax of Jesus’ teaching. His concern is not to add further instruction but to ensure a proper response to all that has gone before. “The Lord Jesus winds up the Sermon on the Mount by a passage of heart-piercing application.” (J C Ryle) We are given the stark choice between obedience and disobedience; we are called to an unconditional commitment of mind, will and life to Jesus’ teaching. To stay neutral is not an option – what is called for is active and practical obedience.
THIS IS TOUGH TEACHING!
READ verses 21-23 (The danger of a merely verbal profession)
Discuss these verses. What is Jesus really saying? How will our final destiny be settled? How challenging do you find such verses?
We cannot rely on simply a verbal affirmation. What ultimately matters, says Jesus, is whether our verbal profession is matched by a lifestyle worthy of that profession.
Of course, a verbal profession matters (Rom 10.9-10). In these verses to call Jesus “Lord” = God as his Father and himself as the Judge.
is it possible to be a ” secret Christian”, i.e. to say the words but not let anyone know you are a follower of Jesus?
It seems clear from these verses that our confession of faith is not just personal and private.
What do you make of those who come up with amazing claims in these verses? Why are they rejected?
What seems to be wrong is that people are speaking without truth, and professing without reality. It was a confession with their lips, not their lives. They may have called Jesus “Lord”, but they refused to submit to his lordship. Although such people used the name of Jesus freely, their name was unknown to him. What a terrible indictment, but Jesus makes it clear – he wants to see evidence, not just pious words.
READ verses 24-27 (The danger of a merely intellectual knowledge)
Jesus now moves from SAYING and doing to HEARING and doing – illustrated by the story we all know of the two builders, one wise the other foolish.
(It maybe appropriate, for a little light humour, to ask if anyone has make a blunder with foundations – even if only a sandcastle on the seashore!)
Consider the difference between the two builders.
On the face of it, no difference – the difference was in the unseen foundations. Only when the storm broke was the fatal difference noticed.
So what point is Jesus making?
Christians (both genuine and false) often look alike. Both HEAR the words (i.e. are visible members of a Christian church/community) – listen to sermons; read the Bible, even go to housegroups! What is not known is the real foundation of their lives. So the key factor is not HEARING, but what is done after hearing. Only a storm will reveal the truth.
What ‘storms’ come along and challenge the foundations of our Christian faith? What advice/support can we offer to those facing such storms?
Intellectual knowledge and verbal profession are important, but they are not a substitute for obedience.
So do good works matter?
Be careful here – in no way is it being said that good works are the way to salvation. This comes only by the grace of God through faith. What Jesus is saying that real believers will always express their faith in their works (1 John 1.6; 2.4).
And yet the letter of James warns of intellectual knowledge – we must be doers of the word (James 1.22-25).
Conclusion? What we say and what we know has to be translated into what we do.
“Thus the Sermon ends on the same note of radical choice of which we have been aware throughout. Jesus does not set before his followers a string of easy ethical rules, so much as a set of values and ideals which is entirely distinctive from the way of the world.” (John Stott)
A final thought: Less than 100 miles from where Jesus spoke these words, in Jerusalem the rebuilding of the temple (under Herod) was still taking place. This was seen as God’s House, built on rock and safe from storms. Later Jesus will warn that the Temple itself will come crashing down because Israel had failed to respond to his message – this happened in AD70 when the Romans destroyed much of the city and the Temple.
What sort of “houses” are we building today – in our personal lives and in the life of our church here in Ashtead? Are we doers of Jesus’ words, or only hearing them and thinking how fine they are?
PRAYER
You may like to give individuals an opportunity to respond to the challenge of this study: I make a commitment to …….
There are many areas of service within the life of our church – and in the wider community. Pray for those who serve in these ways that their service will strengthen their own faith. Are there any particular areas where there is a shortage of workers – pray about those.
We are just a few days away from Holy Week. Pray for all that is planned and for the services on Easter Day itself.