I. We not only need to hear Jesus, but do what He says.
a. It is so important to note that this invitation to hear and obey Jesus is open to everyone. It is inclusive and not exclusive.
b. There is an essential element of your foundation you need to turn your sand into rock (concrete mix) and that is obedience. [You hear, you do.] James 1:22-25
c. God is all about free will. In that He gives you choices. There are two to notice in this passage:
i. To listen and obey –or– to ignore.
ii. To choose the rock –or– to choose the sand.
Transition:
We will be talking about the Rock and the Sand all night, but to understand this fully, we need to talk about the storm…
II. Storms are inevitable but we can get insurance from destruction.
a. Storms are part of life, there is no avoiding them.
b. Storms are made of three parts:
i. rain
ii. flood
iii. wind
c. No matter what the storm may feel like, if you are built on the rock, you will not collapse. Guaranteed.
d. Not only are you sure to fall if you are on the sand, but you are sure to fall with a great crash. Everyone will hear. It will echo in every area of your life.
e. A child of God is proven by lasting through the storms that test him or her.
f. When the storm comes—the time of testing—the house not founded on the rock crumbles and falls.
III. The Rock is the only safe place to build your life.
a. The foundation determines the ability of a structure to withstand the elements (rain, flood and wind).
b. Each man built a house, it looks that same on the outside, but it is the foundation that really matters.
c. The house will not collapse because of the nature of the rock.
d. Where are you going to build your life? The ROCK or the SAND? It is harder to tear down what you have begun to build later on. Start off right.
