The Three Little Pigs
"Once upon a time there were three little pigs whose mother said to them, "It is time for you to go out into the big world to build your homes and to seek your fortunes."
This morning I want to share a familiar story with a powerful message.
How many of you have heard the story of "The Three Little Pigs"?
You may remember that the mother of the three little pigs sent her children out into the big world with a specific purpose in mind: A MISSION
John 17:15-18 "In the world, but not of it--" " My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. [17] Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. [18] As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. "
The same holds true for all the saints of God.
He does not take us out of the world.
But, instead he sanctifies us and sends us on our way to fulfill a specific purpose. That purpose: TO BUILD OUR LIFE
"When you give your life to Jesus and are born again you are like a builder building your house on a solid foundation."
Matthew 7:24-25 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Some of you are involved in build construction.
You know how important it is build sound structures able to endure storms.
Proposition--The decision before all of us as builders of our life is whether we will build quickly without quality and wind up with a house that can easily be blown away OR Are you going to build steadfastly, line upon line, precept upon precept, building a house that cannot be blown away, made of materials that will endure?
How are you building your life?
Have you stopped to consider whether you are building your life so that it can endure the storms life brings our way?
> I >
Let’s get back to the three little pigs.
They had a mission, so they packed up their bags and said goodbye to their mother.
Then each little pig took a different path out into the world.
The first little pig did not like hard work, so he quickly built his house out of straw, . He built it on the soft sand. He finished that same day.
That night was lying in his hammock satisfied with himself for finishing so quickly, looking forward to a lazy life of leisure.
The first little pig is like a Christian who is not concerned about putting effort into building his spiritual life.
Romans 12:11 "Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord."
1. THE FIRST LITTLE PIG DOES NOT LIKE TO WORK.
But it takes work to build your spiritual life with the Lord. It takes ZEAL--FERVOR--EFFORT
In other words, it takes the right kind of attitude. The first pig’s attitude was, "Well, whatever it takes to get by…"
A fellow complained to his pastor one time saying, "Whenever I come to church we always sing the same hymns. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Silent Night".
This might seem like a legitimate complaint, but
That man attended church only on Christmas.
He figured that was just enough to get by.
What it really was, was just enough to relieve him of his guilt for another year.
Many people feel that way about attending church. They attend just enough times to keep them from feeling guilty, instead of attending regularly help build their spiritual life.
If you are not putting 100% into your relationship with the Lord… If you are not working at building your life and faith… Then you will reap what you sow. If you are just doing enough to get by that is all you will do--GET BY.
Most of us here today are accustomed to hard work though. We have learned that it takes zeal, determination, and work to build our spiritual life with the Lord.
Back to the first little pig. The next morning he strolled down the road, playing the flute (rooty-toot-toot), to see how his brothers were doing.
This brings us to a second bad quality found in the first little pig.
2. HE LIKES TO BLOW HIS OWN HORN.
The first little pig is the kind of Christian who spends a little time working to build his own faith--and tends to spend a lot of time talking himself up and running others down.
He is living in spiritual poverty because he is ALL TALK.
I am reminded of a story of the man who thought he was an expert on the economy because he had read in the papers all about the current economic situation. While in a meeting with a number of other men he declared that he knew how to fix the problems. What he did not know was that another man in the room had just returned from a business trip where he had chaired a world economic summit discussing the same problem. The second man quietly displayed that the first man was nothing but hot air and no expert at all.
The first little pig was all talk, but no substance.
2 Thess. 3:11 describes the first little pig when it says
"We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies."
The first little pig needs to get off the road, Put his flute away, and get back to the foundation of his life, which is Christ. He needs to get down to business.
> II >
The second little pig took one look at the palm shack of the first little pig and decided to build his house out of Sticks. "My Stick house will look tons better than his palm branch shack!"
This little pig is more concerned about appearances than responsibility and obedience.
So he builds his house with sticks in the middle of a lovely little valley. (you might call it a wash)
It doesn’t take him much longer than it took the first little pig.
But it looks so much better, he is satisfied with himself.
That night he lies on his cot feeling happy with himself for building something so good looking.
He’s a little worried about Storms, but comforts himself with the thought that his house looks so much better than his brother’s.
The next morning the second little pig invited all his friends and his brothers to his new house for
a party. At the party he takes out his fiddle and sings,
"I built my house of Sticks I built my house so fine. With a hey diddle diddle He played on His fiddle, and danced for a very long time!"
The second pig knows that he should have built a stronger house, but doesn’t want to spend the extra time, money and effort to do it right.
Since his Stick house looks good enough he just wants to fiddle around.
The second little pig is the kind of Christian who knows and understands his spiritual responsibilities, but he won’t discipline himself to do them.
So, God plays second fiddle in the second little pig’s life.
1. The lack of spiritual responsibility will have negative effects on the second little pig’s life.
First, he can easily be deceived by false doctrines because he doesn’t like the responsibility of studying God’s Word.
Every Christian has a responsibility to read and study the Bible.
Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
2. Another negative effect seen in the second little pig’s life is that he neglects his God given duties.
James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Remember the second little pig thought he should’ve made his house sounder, but he said to himself, "Oh, nothing bad will happen. It will be another 10 years before we have another bad rain storm."
I am reminded of
1 Cor. 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
What the second little pig doesn’t realize is that HE HAS a responsibility as a Christian to build his life and build it well.
Jesus died for the second little pig so that he would have everything he needs to build a strong, lasting, faith.
Col. 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
The second little pig needs to stop fiddling around and get plugged into God’s revealed will for his life.
He needs to go back to the beginning and continue the good work that he began.
Now, let’s see what the third little pig has been up to.
> III > The third little pig was a sober little pig.
He had decided to build his house out of cement blocks on a solid foundation.
It took him a long time and the work was difficult and tedious. But the third little pig was looking forward to the peace and comfort of a strong, sound home.
So, slap, slap, slap, away he worked Laying bricks and mortar.
Christians who are like the third little pig are sober and diligent. They are alert and in control.
They don’t mind the hard work they are putting into their relationship with Jesus because they
realize that their hard work will lead to a future of peace and comfort.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. The third little pig purposed in his heart to build his house as strong as possible.
In order to do that he selected two very important building materials:
CONCRETE BLOCK As Christians we need to build our lives with God’s building blocks.
2 Tim. 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
This scripture is saying that we can strengthen our life by using the Word of God.
MORTER The third little pig used mortar to hold his house together. The Holy Spirit is like mortar in our spiritual life. His ministry is to teach us and bind God’s words to our hearts.
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Remember the 1st and 2nd little pigs? After the party, which the 3rd little pig didn’t have time to go to, the brothers went over the third little pig’s place to see how he was coming along.
When they got there and saw their brother toiling and sweating they said, "Come along with us and relax for awhile. We’re going to the RIVER to take it easy."
But, the third little pig graciously declined and continued steadfastly to build his house, not accepting any invitations that would take him away from his task.
We Christians need to build hour spiritual lives with the same tenacity as the third little pig.
Don’t stop Keep working No half baked jobs
The third little pig sang, "I build my house of stone, I build my house of brick I have no chance to sing and dance For play and work don’t mix." There is a time for everything Now is the time to build. So he built his life, line upon line, precept upon precept.
1 Cor. 3:10-15 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, [13] his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. [14] If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. [15] If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
How are you doing in building and reinforcing your spiritual house? Is it ready? When the Storms of Life or the Big Bad Wolf blows will your house still stand, or will be saved only by the hair of your chinny chinny chin?
