Sermon Central
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Jesus Forecasts A Storm
Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Mar 16, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: The corona virus is now a global pandemic. How do we approach this crisis in our world?
Title: “Jesus gives the weather forecast”
The Most Famous Sermon - ever! ...The Sermon On The Mt.
Text: Mt 7:24-27
Subject; What’s the best foundation for our lives?
Complement: The person and works and words of Jesus
Big idea: Build Your Life On Christ The Sure Foundation
Introduction: News of a global pandemic... everything and everyone is facing fear and uncertainty (2020)
• Virus pandemic
• Economic stress
• Devaluation of the stock market
• Small business owners are worried
• Tourism industry is non-esistent
• Trust in govt leaders is suspect.
In Jesus day Israel is an occupied land ...
• Roman Dictatorship
• Occupied by a super power
• Might makes right
• Any Social net is absent...
• A land of Peasants stuck in poverty
• High taxes... corrupt tax system
• No democracy
• No unions
• No labor laws
• No human rights tribunal
Lets look at the conclusion to the most famous sermon... Matthew 7 24-27
24 “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. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
1. Two People Are Contrasted By Jesus ...each person builds a house!
***Each house looks secure in good weather!
Life may be sailing along for you...
Graduate university
First job!
Marriage... “living the dream” ...
***Each house looks secure in good weather!
***Jesus is speaking into a volatile Jewish culture occupied by a foreign power – whom they want to overthrow... talk about uncertainty!!!
A couple of years ago I had the funeral for a dear old dutch man – he died at age 93 -- -when he was a kid in Holland – during the war ...he was in hiding in a hole in the field – hiding from the Nazis... how would you like to spend 4 years of your life doing that?
But he built his life on Christ...
2. Each House Experiences A Storm.
This is not a story about the weather...It's a story about building a house that can withstand the storm. Big
difference!
** Only the storm reveals how solid your house is!
2020 Storms...
Virus pandemic...
Stock market crash
Fear is everywhere
16 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
Proverbs 12:7 “the house of the righteous stands firm.”
For both people in this parable there’s a choice to be made... this is the only difference ...
one man chooses to build on sand ...the other chooses solid rock.
What kind of foundation are you building on???
Why build on sand?
What is sand?
• Money is sand – stock market storm
? 1929
? 1987
? 2008
? Suicides followed...
• TORONTO -- Major North American indexes continued to plunge Thursday as news of large-scale cancellations failed to ease investors' concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• "This is an unprecedented fall," said Allan Small, senior investment adviser at HollisWealth, who has been working in the investment world for almost 25 years.
• "I have never seen the velocity of this fall as steep or quick as it is."
• The S&P/TSX composite index plummeted 1,761.64 points, or 12.34 per cent, to 12,508.45 with every sector in the red and just above a daily low of 12,451.12 points.
• In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 2,352.60 points, or 9.99 per cent, to 21,200.62. That's the worst day for the index since a nearly 23 per cent drop on Oct. 19, 1987.
• Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
• Beauty is sand
o You get old and wrinkled (storm is old age/dementia)
• Reputation is sand
o Social media can ruin you with (storm ) rumours
