I Believe…
Matthew 7.24-27
Introduction
What do we mean when we say, “I believe” in the Apostles’ Creed?
In the current use of the word belief, there is very little difference between belief and an opinion. You have your beliefs and I have mine. But in the Bible, belief is a much stronger word. There is minor difference between our English word belief and the Greek word used in scripture. A belief is: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing (Merriam-Webster online).
Belief is closely connected to faith. They are two sides of the same coin. A belief is the content side of faith. It is the revealed truth of scripture that makes up Christian belief. Faith on the other hand is the action side of belief. Faith is acting upon that revealed truth. Belief without action is useless. Faith without content is dangerous. True biblical faith could be called belief in action. So, when we say, I believe, in the Apostles’ Creed, we must understand that we are affirming revealed truth and committing to act upon it as well.
In preparation for the beginning of our new series on Firm Foundations, I have chosen to preach from Matthew 7.24-27 to deal with the subject of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.
A Word on Context
It’s fitting that we understand the context in which our text sits. Matthew 7 serves as a conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount that begins in Matthew 5.3. Jesus has been preaching what has been called the Kingdom Manifesto. In this sermon, he has dealt with diverse topics and themes related to what kingdom life is like. He is not saying in this sermon that this is what you must do to be saved. He is telling you what you will do when you are saved.
Starting in Matthew 7.13, Jesus lays out four sections of teaching that serve as both warnings and calls to decision. He does this by contrasting two ways, two responses to his words. In verses 13-14 there are two ways; in verses 15-20 there are two trees; in verses 21-23, there are two claims; and in verses 24-27 there are two builders.
Now, it is important to stress that there are only two responses to the words of Jesus as he lays it out in this sermon. The first is that you enter the narrow gate, bear fruit as evidence of your conversion, truthfully experience intimacy with Jesus, and build your whole life upon his Word. Or—you enter in through the broad way, bear no evidence of conversion, falsely claim intimacy with Jesus, and build your life upon no foundation. There is no middle ground in the Gospel. There are no half-measures with the King. So much for an inclusive Jesus. How we respond to Jesus makes all the difference.
The point of Matthew 7 is that Jesus is calling us to respond to all he has taught thus far.
What Each Builder Has the Same
The first thing we want to notice this morning is what is the same for each builder.
First, both builders heard the words of Jesus and saw demonstration of his power. In Matthew 4.25 we find out just who is here for this sermon. This crowd is the same group who has come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. They are apparently the same group from Matthew 4.23 who heard Jesus teaching in the synagogues, preaching about the kingdom, and saw him healing every disease and affliction among the people. They saw him cast out demons (Matt 4.24). And, they just heard the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest man who had ever lived.
The point? The point is that every man, woman, and child was the recipient of God’s unmerited favor. They each heard and saw the Gospel of the kingdom preached, taught, and demonstrated by Jesus. There was no distinction made. There were no private sessions held where some were excluded from Jesus’ teaching. Every person had the opportunity to hear the gracious words and deeds performed by Jesus. So, each builder received the same measure of grace. Neither had an unfair advantage over the other. Each heard the same words and each had the same opportunity.
Second, both builders had a home to build. Now, it is important for us to distinguish just what the building is. It is logical to assume that the building is a metaphor for our lives. What Jesus is talking about is whether we are building our lives upon his gracious and wise teachings or are we not. Just what are we building our lives upon?
Everyone of us irrespective of how much money we make, whether we are single or married, have children or not, regardless of our age or level of maturity, we are building a house. We make decisions every day regarding just what we are building upon. In this technical age of information explosion, fast-paced living, unprecedented prosperity, and the ability to travel far and wide, our choices are almost limitless. Again, the question is not to build or not to build, because everyone of us has a house to build. The question for each builder is what are we building our homes upon.
Third, both builders faced a storm. In that part of the world where Jesus is preaching, it is mostly desert. For most of the year, there is very little rain and so the permanency of a home is not a question for most of the year. However, in the winter, it was very common for extended periods of harsh storms to occur. The sheer amount of rain that would fall would produce major flash floods on the dry sandy ground. So, the home you built in the spring, were it not properly attached to a secure foundation, would be obliterated in the winter floods. This was common knowledge to Jesus’ listeners. And, being a carpenter himself, I am sure Jesus was well acquainted with this knowledge.
The point he is making is that storms will come to both builders irrespective of what their life is built upon, regardless of how they respond to Jesus’ preaching.
It is often taught today, and falsely so, that following Jesus will make life a bed of roses; that everything will go well for us once we become Christian. This is so contradictory to the Bible that we cannot even consider that teaching to be Christian. How many times have I sat with good Christians who watched as a beloved family member wasted away and eventually died? How many times have I prayed with people for answers that never came? In my own life I had to experience the loss of family to drug overdose. I lost two of my babies a few weeks after conception. I suffer physically with dying nerve endings and fractures in my feet, ankles, wrists, and hands.
Friends, Jesus does not promise to help you win friends and influence people. He doesn’t offer a life with rose-colored lenses. Jesus promises that storms will come to every builder. His concern is what you are building your life upon to withstand the day of trial and tribulation.
The Difference with Each Builder
Next, we want to look at what each builder has in contrast to the other.
First, one builder was wise while the other was foolish. Since each builder heard and saw the same gracious words of Jesus, it makes the distinctions of wise and foolish that much sharper. Jesus offered to his hearers a picture of the kingdom that embraces love, truth, grace, wisdom, peace, and mercy. No one would argue that the life Jesus pointed to was better than the best options to live a life of purpose, meaning, and substance.
However, Jesus also knew the heart of man. There would be people, in fact a majority as the story of the two ways indicates, that would hear the words of Jesus and turn away. They would offer lips service to the gracious teachings of Jesus, but no obedience would result. They would call Jesus, “Lord, Lord”, but they would not serve under him as their Lord. And there is only one adjective to describe this type of builder: foolish.
A fool in the Bible is one who says there is no God. Despite the witness of nature, scripture, the law written on our hearts, reason, conscience, and even Christ himself—they could take in all that information and still say that God does not exist. In Romans 1, Paul says it is not that they don’t know that God exists, but they are suppressing the truth of God in unrighteousness and exchanging that truth for a lie.
It’s not a head problem. It’s a heart problem. It’s a moral problem. If God exists, then he is a rewarder of those who serve him and a punisher of those who don’t. And so, to silence the guilt that sin produces, the fool says in his heart, “There is no God”, so that he can eat, drink, and be merry to his or her little, black heart’s content. This is the one who hears and sees the works of Christ and does not do them.
But, there are those who hear and do. Those who hear and do are those who hear the gracious words of Christ and decide, once and for all, that this is where they belong. They embrace the narrow way because it is the road to Christ. They are those who because of their belief and faith in Christ, bear much fruit in their lives, imitating the One who purchased them.
When they say, “Lord, Lord” it is not lip service. It is the expression of the intimacy that truly exists between them and Christ. And they are those who, when building their life, build it upon the words of Christ in every area of life. They take up their cross, deny themselves, and embrace the way of Jesus no matter the cost. This is the character of the wise builder.
Second, one built with a foundation while the other did not. The difference between the two builders was not the difference in foundation. The difference is that one had a foundation and the other did not. One dug deep until he hit bedrock. The other put his priority just on getting the job done. One built for permanency and dependability while the other built for temporary and transitory. What we are building our lives upon matters immensely.
The foundation that is here alluded to are the words of Christ. They are the foundation, the building block upon which a house can stand. Jesus’ words, the Bible, is the only source of divinely revealed wisdom and truth. They are trustworthy and true because their author is trustworthy and true. Christ offers us various and precious promises because he wants us to stake our lives upon his teachings and he will always come through.
The foolish builder who takes no heed to foundation and haphazardly builds upon the shifting sand is the one who hears the words of Christ and that is the end of the matter. Hearing does not result in doing. So, what are they building upon? If they deny the divine revelation of God, they are depending upon the shifting sands of man’s wisdom. The limited, finite, self-centered, ever-changing opinion of man.
It is amazing to me that we put any stock in human discovery. We laugh at the people who came before us for their silly, unenlightened beliefs and practices. We say, “How could anyone have ever believed that?” But we never stop to think, “What will our descendants be laughing at us about?” Every generation thinks they are the elite; that they are the ones who have arrived. And yet, we look back upon those who came before us as quaint, less intelligent, and even feel a bit of pity for them. How could we be so foolish?
The foolish builder is a fool precisely because he rejects the foundation of Christ’s Word and instead builds upon the shifting sand of man’s opinion.
But the wise builder is not so. He is wise precisely because he builds his life upon the firm rock of Christ’s words. He hears the words of Christ and says, “These are the words of life. Here is wisdom. I must obey. I can do no other.”
This builder is the one who sees in Christ’s words a shelter in the storm. This builder sees in the words of Christ the truth that does not change, the life that we were meant to live. This builder willingly and lovingly embraces Christ as savior, repents from all that offends God, pursues peace with all men and the holiness that without which no man shall see the Lord. This builder sees in Christ’s words the only permanent place of security, stability, and substance in a world of insecurity, instability, and lack of anything substantial.
This builder sees in Christ’s words the pearl of great price that is worthy of the selling of all his possessions to obtain. And this one has all the reason in the world to trust in and depend upon these words because the author is faithful and true and a sure hope in a world of uncertainty.
Third, one endured the storm while the other came to ruin. I want to speculate for a moment. It’s possible that the house built on the sand may have been more elegant than the one on the rock. After all, if you don’t have to pay for the expense of a foundation, you can spend more on the house.
Perhaps the home on the sand was 14,000 square feet and built with brick and mortar. Perhaps it was the most beautiful Victorian-style home complete with a large, well-furnished garage. It could be that inside and out it was such a beautiful home that it tempted you to covet. And perhaps, the house built on the rock was a little 1970 tin-can trailer with a bent antenna on the roof. Does any of that matter?
Absolutely not! Why? Because the winter storms will come. For all the beauty, elegance, and outward signs of stability and security, the home built on sand did not have a secure foundation. But the tin-can trailer? It couldn’t be moved. Why? Because it was firmly fixed to an immovable rock foundation.
Friends, it doesn’t matter what your life looks like on the outside. The Gospel is not only for the prettiest, smartest, most creative, most together among us. The Gospel is for sinners, for the poor in spirit, for those who don’t have it together. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t depend upon how together you are. In the final analysis what matters is what you are building your life upon.
Storms are God’s way of testing your foundation. In the spring, there was no discernible difference between the two homes. It was the winter storms that provided the distinction. We wonder why trials and tribulations come into our lives. We plead with God and ask him why. Sometimes we may even shake our fists and God and demand an answer for our problems. But God has already given us his answer. He allows trials and tribulations to come to reveal what your life is built upon.
There is a subtle difference between the character of the storm upon the two houses. In the case of the wise builder, the ESV says the rain fell, the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house. In the case of the foolish builder it says the rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Did you notice the subtle difference?
On the first house the winds blew and beat on the house, on the second house the winds blew and beat against. What’s the difference? The first house endured the full fury of the storm. The winds blew and beat on that house with its full strength. It weathered the entirety of the storm. And the end of that house? It stood.
But on the second house, the wind blew against it. This means that the moment the storm began and with the
first gust of wind the house fell. It was instantaneous. It only lasted a moment in that storm. And the end of that house? Complete ruin. The wind and water swept the house away.
The point? Trials and tribulations reveal what we are building upon. The foolish builder who builds upon the shifting sands of man’s wisdom cannot endure even the beginning of trouble. When hardships come they fall apart. They cannot patiently endure any trouble because they have nothing to stand upon. The wisdom of man cannot meet even the most fundamental of human needs and so can offer no help when trouble comes.
But the wise builder? Because he is founded on the rock, no storm can take him down. Trials and tribulations come, and he can withstand because he does not stand on his own strength but upon the strength of the rock. It’s not the size or the strength of the house that gives stability to the house but the qualities of the rock that matter. Though the believer does not particularly enjoy at every trouble that comes, he or she knows that they will come through. And the source of their confidence? Because they know God has promised to see them through. He guarantees it.
What We Learn
So, what do we do? What lessons do we learn here?
I have adapted Matthew Henry’s 7 lessons we learn from this as application for today’s sermon. The 7 points of application are as follows:
1. Everyone of us has a house to build. Every decision, every choice I make bears eternal consequences. What am I building?
2. There is a Rock to build upon. God has graciously provided me with the Gospel to build upon. Am I building upon the Rock?
3. The elect of God build their hope upon the Rock. 2 Peter 1.10 says to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election”. He is referring to self-examination. Am I certain that I am building my hope upon the Rock? Have I repented and trusted in Christ alone for my salvation? Am I bearing fruit, the evidence of conversion? Am I taking up my cross and practicing self-denial? Am I pursuing peace with all men and practicing holiness?
4. There are many building upon the sand. Jesus said many were on the easy path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7.13). Am I certain that the shifting sands of man’s wisdom are not my ultimate authority? Where do I go for wisdom, the Google search bar or the Word of God?
5. There are storms coming that will try every man’s work. These storms are twofold: firstly, there are the every day trials, tribulations, and temptations that are common to all people everywhere; and secondly, there is the final judgment that will reveal the real foundations we are building our lives upon. Does my reaction to trials reveal that I am on the Rock of Christ’s Word or the shifting sand of man’s opinion?
6. Those who build upon the Rock will stand. There is a promise to the elect people of God in this text. Those who build upon the Rock of Christ’s Word will endure the storms of life. Their strength is not their own. It is founded on the strength of Christ.
7. Any foundation other than Christ will fall. It is not a question of if but a matter of when. Proverbs 10.25 says, “When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.” God has appointed trials to test our foundations in this life and judgment to expose the bankruptcy of our foundations in the day when Jesus judges the world.
Conclusion
When we say I believe in the Apostles’ Creed, it would be catastrophic to be merely paying lip-service. When a Christian says I believe, that belief should be both understood and practiced. Belief is the content side of faith. And faith is the action side of belief. Orthodoxy (right belief) must be complemented with orthopraxy (right practice). Belief without action is empty. Faith without content is disastrous.
I would like to conclude with the following from Matt Woodley:
Jesus believed in making a decision. As Jesus concludes his powerful kingdom manifesto he delivers the same message: You have to decide to follow me—or you must decide not to follow me. After that, the rest of your life will get done.
It’s not an easy message. Jesus calls for a clean-cut, uncompromising, life-altering, permanent, ongoing decision to follow him by listening to and then obeying his words. There is no other way…Jesus wasn’t soft about this need for an unyielding and ongoing decision…
Jesus emphasizes the same theme for times in a row: decide for me or against; decide to be with me or apart from me; decide to be my apprentice or someone else’s apprentice. Or, as Bob Dylan railed, you “gotta serve somebody”: it may be the devil, it may be the Lord, but it’s gonna be somebody. You can’t drift into following Jesus. (Woodly, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 94)
