Rock or sand?
Matthew 7:21-27
Matthew 7:21-27
Dr Francis Schaeffer describes in one of his books, the bridges built by the Romans in the first and second centuries. He says, and I quote: “They still stand today, despite the un-reinforced brick and mortar with which they were made. The reason they stand, however, is because they were only used for foot traffic. If an 18-wheel truck were to drive over them, they would crumble in a cloud of dust and debris. Our lives can be like those bridges. They can appear secure and may remain upright for many years until put under heavy pressure. Then the supports split and the structure crumbles.”
Our faith can be like those bridges. The Sermon on the Mount sets out what Christian faith, what saving faith looks like. Jesus has shown how faith in him leads to good works, works of piety, works of mercy. If your faith does not do this, it is not saving faith. If your faith does not lead to love of God and love of neighbour, it is not saving faith. And so Jesus closes his sermon with our reading for today.
Rock or sand, wise or foolish? Let’s have a look at who the person is who the person is who builds on sand. Let’s have a look at who the person is who builds on rock and let’s close with a personal application.
Who is the person who builds on sand? Well, they say a great deal of “Lord, Lord!” and they often think that there is another way to heaven other than this way which Jesus has described in Matthew chapter 5,6 and 7. They often also think that doing good works will get them into heaven. Their Lord, Lord religion might include lots of verbal religion, repeating prayers, saying creeds. The person who builds on sand might well be a person who does no harm and appears clean in outward acts. He or she might well have lots of good works tucked under his or her belt – gone to church, received communion regularly, fed the poor, clothed the naked. Jesus goes on and he says they might even have preached God’s message. They might have driven out demons, they might have laid hands on sick people and those sick people were healed. But in vs 23 Jesus will say, “I never knew you.” Why? Because their hearts were not right towards God. They were not meek or lowly, they were not lovers of God and of all people. They were not renewed in the image of God. And Jesus says there will be many like this.
Then Jesus goes on and he talks about those who build on rock – who are they? What do they look like? They are poor in spirit. You say, scum of the earth, and they say, that’s me, but for God and his grace. They are aware of the helplessness of their sinful state, they are aware of the wrath of God upon them, they are aware of and celebrate Jesus’ atoning blood. They are meek and gentle. They never return evil for evil. They are thirsty for nothing but God. They imitate Jesus wherever they are and whenever they can. Jesus says they are wise. Their lives are built on the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus warns that such a wise life will not be without problems. The same problems that will come to the foolish life, will come to this one. Waters will rise, floods will come. Winds will blow and buffet you. But, the wise will know and remember that God is above the floodwaters and he has promised that he will not allow anything which is too much for you. He will not let you be tempted or tried beyond that which he knows you can bear. And so they cling to Jesus and they keep their eye fixed on him. In trial and in temptation they are victorious because they refuse to lose faith in Christ’s ability to strengthen them.
What is the practical application of all of this? Friends, diligently examine the foundation that you are building on. What are you building your hope of salvation on, your hope of entry into the kingdom of God? Is it built on what your idea of faith is or God’s idea? Jesus has revealed what faith is in the Sermon on the Mount. Sand or rock? What are you building your hope of salvation on?
Are you hoping that membership of a particular denomination secures salvation? Some teach this. We don’t. If you believe this, you are building on sand. Are you building your hope of salvation on your innocence, doing no harm? Well, remember that if you go out of your way to make sure you do no evil, but you do no actual good or if you only do good because you have to and not because you want to, well then you’re building on sand. Are you building your hope of salvation on acts of piety, doing everything that God requires, worshipping regularly, reading the Bible, praying, fasting. Maybe you add lots of acts of mercy – you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome strangers, you visit the sick and so on. Even these things, while they are good, are not enough. Maybe you prophesy in Jesus’ name, maybe you drive out demons. Maybe you pray for people and they get better. Wonderful! There will be millions of people in hell who did all these things, because they are not enough.
What is enough? I want to close by paraphrasing from Mr Wesley’s concluding remarks. These include a quote that I used at the start of this series:
“True faith must have works which produce both inward and outward holiness. That faith which does not produce the whole religion which is described on the Sermon on the Mount is not the faith of the gospel, it is not the Christian faith, it is not the faith that leads to glory. Oh, beware of this above all other snares of the devil, of resting on unholy and unsaving faith. So, build upon the rock. By the grace of God, know yourself. Know and feel that you are by nature a child of disobedience. Know that you have been heaping sin upon sin ever since you could discern good from evil. Admit yourself guilty for eternal death and renounce all hope of ever being able to save yourself. Be saved by Jesus, who himself bore all your sins in his own body on the cross. Remain in a continual sense of dependence on him for every good thought, every good word and every good work. Then weep for others for their salvation and weep for the injustice that you see around you. Be meek and gentle. Hunger and thirst, not for the things of this world which perish, but hunger and thirst for the kingdom of God. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, therefore be merciful, as your father in heaven is merciful. Be pure of heart. Cleanse yourself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength. In a word, let your religion be a religion of the heart. Show your faith by your works and then you will be doing the will of your father who is in heaven. And, as you walk with him on earth, you will reign with him in glory. Amen.
