| “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.” – Matthew 7:26 |
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| You KNEW Better! The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus Christ preached does not end as we think of sermons ending. Instead of presenting an invitation, Jesus will be straightforward and to the point that failure to put into action what He has taught will bring about dire and devastating consequences. He lets the listener, now the reader, know that it is going to matter how one RESPONDS to His teaching. As we have opportunities to get to know God’s Word by reading it and hearing it, opportunities to learn, and even have in-depth Bible studies of God’s Word we must know that is not enough. One is called to TAKE ACTION! One is called to APPLY THE WORD! As one LEARNS, one is to LIVE. There is to be the implementation of the instructions. In order to get the listener’s attention, Jesus gives a very negative characterization by saying this person who is just listening but not living, hearing but not doing, is FOOLISH (GK – a moron). He then gives a scary picture of a house built on sand that is going to encounter a storm and the house will be unable to withstand the winds and the rain. Picture the picture He paints of the FOOLISH person. You can see a house. You can see that it is sitting on shifting sand and the house is very unstable. With the first wave and/or wind this house surely will collapse. This is the picture Jesus wants you to have when you are learning the Word of God BUT then not applying it to your life. Making this practical I think one of the sternest rebukes a person can hear is “YOU KNEW BETTER!” When I hear that statement, I think of Matthew 7:26. The person had learned but did not live. The person had been taught but did not apply. The person HEARD but did not move to be a DOER. The person KNEW BETTER. These are sad words that should not be spoken of us! Is there a spiritual truth that you are neglecting, maybe even rejecting? Is there a spiritual truth you have learned, but presently you are not living? Hear the words of Jesus and Be a DOER of the Word! Verse to DATE the Word on July 26 (7/26) is Matthew 7:26. It says, “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.” Don’t be a moron! Continue Strong as a DOER of the Word, And remember to DATE the Word Bonus – you might recall the children’s song about the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. It was a song I sang as child. The wise man built his house upon the Rock, The 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, But 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 fell flat.So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ, And the blessings will come down. The blessings come down as your prayers go up, The blessings come down as your prayers go up, The blessings come down as your prayers go up, So build your life on the Lord. |