Wise or Foolish: Revealed by life storms.

Matthew 7:24-27 “...Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it..."

Luke 6:46-49 “...Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great..."

Context: these verses come directly after Jesus warned about false teachers, bad fruit and lack of relationship.

Why is it not enough to just hear the words of Jesus?

- what we do determines outcomes.

- hearing sermons is dangerous business when the words don’t translate to action.

What are the outcomes of our response to the words of Jesus?

- if we hear and do, what we build in our life is not shaken by life’s storms.

- if we hear and fail to do, what we build is left in ruins by life’s storms.

Does either choice guarantee us there will be no storms?

- the floods come.

What do you think it means to dig deep to lay a foundation on the rock?

- genuine subjection to Christ.

- will a shallow foundation suffice?

- how would describe shallow Christianity?

- an empty profession and with external appearances only.

James 1:22-25 “...But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing...”

Romans 2:13 “...For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified...”

Two roads, two trees, and two houses. They are as different as night and day.