WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.900 Well, good morning. It's good to see you all here. I'm glad you've joined us. 00:00:07.940 --> 00:00:12.599 I think most of you are alive. Actually, everyone, because all the little ones just went away. 00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:21.600 We're alive in 2018 when Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach, Florida as the epicenter of 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:29.980 where the eye made landfall. If you don't remember this hurricane, it was a little top of the eye 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:34.920 of the tropical depression that people didn't think was going to do very much. And then in 24 hours, 00:00:35.100 --> 00:00:43.380 it grew from a category one to a category four hurricane with 162 mile an hour sustained winds 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:49.880 and a storm surge of nine to 14 feet above ground level. 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:57.659 The town of Mexico Beach was almost completely obliterated. 00:00:57.659 --> 00:01:09.599 Video images afterwards showed slab after slab of shallow concrete foundations with literally 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:20.759 nothing on it except sand and shells, except for the house of Russell King and his nephew, LeBron Lackey. 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:29.000 They had lived through storms earlier. And when they built this home, their dream house, 00:01:29.080 --> 00:01:37.760 they called it the sand palace. They drove 40-foot piles through the sand to the bedrock underneath 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:50.700 in order to anchor their house. And their house above all withstood. The winds blew, the rains fell, 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:59.300 the floods rose, and yet this house sustained. Oh, there was some peripheral damage. There was a 00:01:59.300 --> 00:02:06.180 staircase that went up to the elevated first floor that had been designed to break away from the house 00:02:06.180 --> 00:02:11.920 without destroying it in high winds. And so that was gone. They had to get up into the house with a ladder. 00:02:13.920 --> 00:02:16.700 But the house stood firm. 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:26.659 Laying good foundations is important for any building. You could imagine the Tower of Pisa or the Millennium 00:02:26.659 --> 00:02:31.659 Tower in San Francisco as examples of what happens when you don't lay good foundations. 00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:39.740 But laying a foundation when you have storms is even more important. 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:50.819 And this is true, obviously, not only with buildings, houses, homes, skyscrapers, 00:02:51.039 --> 00:03:00.159 but it's true for our lives as well. Because in fact, we are all builders. We are all building a life. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:08.599 One way or the other. Our lives are like houses. And we may be using different materials. We may be 00:03:08.599 --> 00:03:13.199 looking at different things. There are all sorts of aspects to the life that we are building. 00:03:13.659 --> 00:03:18.819 Relationships, our knowledge, our achievements, our possessions, our religious activities. 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:28.219 But we all build a hope, build our lives with a hope that it will last, that it will be enduring, 00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:31.079 that it will stand in the storms. 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:46.240 But what foundation are we building on? This is the question that Jesus is going to bring an answer to this morning 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:54.060 as He finishes His great sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. If you're visiting today, we've been preaching 00:03:54.060 --> 00:04:02.479 through the Sermon on the Mount since September. So, it's been a long, slow series of examining this great sermon 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:11.740 from our Lord Jesus. And today we come to the end of it. And the end of the Sermon on the Mount will 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:17.000 ask us the question, how do we lay a good foundation for our life? 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:23.779 And if you've been here for the last couple of weeks, you know that the end of the Sermon on the 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:29.759 Mount is actually a series of contrasts. And this is the last one. If you remember back in verses 7 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:36.740 through 11, there are two ways and two gates that we can choose from. Then there are two trees 00:04:36.740 --> 00:04:42.240 picturing spiritual leaders, two trees, a good one and a bad one, a very good and bad fruit. 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:46.639 There were two protestations last week. Lord, Lord, did we not do these things? 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:54.019 Lord, Lord, did we not? And today we have now two buildings, two foundations, two results. 00:04:55.099 --> 00:05:01.180 So, if you want to turn with me, Matthew chapter 7, verses 762 in your Pew Bible, 00:05:01.599 --> 00:05:10.579 we're going to be reading verses 24 through 29 of Matthew chapter 7. And we'll read it, 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:15.560 and then we'll pray, and then we'll take a look at it together. So, let's read. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:18.719 Jesus says this, 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:27.760 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house 00:05:27.760 --> 00:05:34.220 on the rock. And the rains fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:42.020 but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:50.500 mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, 00:05:50.579 --> 00:05:58.099 and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was the fall 00:05:58.099 --> 00:06:04.899 of it. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 00:06:04.899 --> 00:06:13.979 for He was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes. Let's pray together. 00:06:15.099 --> 00:06:23.579 Oh, Lord, we thank You for Your Word. Lord, for You have in it made Yourself known to us, 00:06:23.579 --> 00:06:34.099 and through it, Lord, we know You and know how You call us to live in light of who You are. 00:06:35.099 --> 00:06:42.479 Lord, I pray this morning, will You soften our hearts to receive Your Word, 00:06:43.659 --> 00:06:49.079 enlighten our minds so we might understand Your Word, move our hands so that we might obey 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:55.479 Your Word. And Lord, I pray for Your help this morning, that I would speak as I ought. 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:03.180 Lord, that I would speak the words that You would want me to, so that together we may sit 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:12.159 under Your Word for Your glory and for our good. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. 00:07:12.159 --> 00:07:12.299 Amen. 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:13.300 Amen. 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:24.139 How do we lay a good foundation for the building of our life? Jesus in verses 24 through 27 gives us 00:07:24.139 --> 00:07:29.860 a picture of two different kinds of people. And if you're an outline kind of person, here's your 00:07:29.860 --> 00:07:33.180 outline. We're going to look at the ways that these people are similar. We're going to look at the ways 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:38.259 that these people are different. And then we're going to look at the one true and sure foundation 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:44.839 at the end. So, that's your outline for today. So, be starting with ways they are similar. If you're 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:51.000 a grammar nerd, like I am sometimes, if you put this together like I did, I copy and paste it into 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:56.599 my Word document, and then I break it down into phrases, the parallelism, even in the English, 00:07:56.759 --> 00:08:03.360 as well as in the ESV at least, as well as in the original language, it is remarkable. There are 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:09.240 similar ways that these two people are described. So, everyone who hears these words of mine, 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:16.020 everyone who hears these words of mine, both people hear the Word. A man who is… He is like 00:08:16.020 --> 00:08:20.860 a man who built a house, like a man who built his house, and the rains fell and the floods came and 00:08:20.860 --> 00:08:27.960 the winds blew and beat that house. These are repeated things that Jesus wants us to see there's a 00:08:27.959 --> 00:08:34.559 commonality or a similarity between these two kinds of people. Who are they? Well, first of all, 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:40.620 they're people who hear Jesus' words, right? Now, if you remember the context of the Sermon on the 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:46.960 Mount, if you go back to chapter 5 at the beginning, Jesus called His disciples to come and listen to 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:54.699 Him. But then, interestingly, when we get to verses 28 and 29 of chapter 7, it's the crowds that are 00:08:54.700 --> 00:09:01.560 responding to His teaching. So, everyone has understood that Jesus intended primarily or 00:09:01.560 --> 00:09:07.820 initially for His teaching to be for His disciples, but then there was a crowd that gathered around Him, 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:15.480 and He was preaching this sermon to them, but there were many, many who were hearing and listening to 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:23.660 His words. And so, Jesus is picturing people who were hearing His words, and these people were building 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:31.059 houses, and they looked similar from the outside. If you walked by Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones, they had each 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:36.120 built a house, and they might have their own particular peculiarities, but from the surface, 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:43.659 you wouldn't have known the difference. You wouldn't have seen what was underneath on the foundation. 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:50.299 And so, they would have looked very similar. The differences would not be readily apparent. 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:58.699 And then, the third similarity of these people is that one day, their houses will face storms. 00:09:59.199 --> 00:10:03.339 The rains will fall. The floods will rise. The winds will blow. 00:10:06.459 --> 00:10:14.179 And this is a common thing in human life. Everyone builds houses. Everyone faces storms. 00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:21.239 So, as we look at these similarities, and as we think about how do we apply it for us today, 00:10:21.659 --> 00:10:27.539 what do people look like? Well, I think they look like you and me. Because this is the thing. 00:10:27.859 --> 00:10:32.799 People who are hearing Jesus' word, this isn't someone who has no concern for God at all, 00:10:32.959 --> 00:10:39.359 who is far from ever darkening the door of a church, who's never read the Bible. They're not 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:45.379 concerned about hearing Jesus' words or not. But that's not who Jesus is talking about. He's talking 00:10:45.379 --> 00:10:54.800 about people like us, people who show up at church, people who are here wanting something spiritual in 00:10:54.800 --> 00:11:01.419 our lives, right? We're building a life of significance, and we think maybe the church has 00:11:01.419 --> 00:11:07.899 something to offer something to add, something to bring to this life-building endeavor. 00:11:08.939 --> 00:11:16.839 And Jesus reminds us it's not always evident on the surface whether people are really following 00:11:16.839 --> 00:11:23.139 Jesus or not. Remember what Pastor Nick preached on last week. People came to Jesus saying, 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:29.059 Lord, Lord, did we not do great things, spiritual things in your name? Did we not? 00:11:29.059 --> 00:11:42.459 Didn't we look good spiritually? So, we need to recognize that Jesus' warning was for people who were 00:11:42.459 --> 00:11:50.139 in the sort of religious spheres that we travel in today. Now, He was likely talking mainly to Jewish 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:58.919 people who were in the covenant community to some degree. But He's challenging us, 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:05.459 by pointing out this similarity, for us to look deeper into our hearts as we look at that. 00:12:06.699 --> 00:12:11.099 He's warning us that though we all look similar, we may not be the same. 00:12:13.659 --> 00:12:20.339 And what are the differences? Well, let's look at it again. This is my second point. What are the 00:12:20.339 --> 00:12:26.279 differences? And they're striking. And again, if you lay it out grammatically, it just pops out at you 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:33.899 where it's different, right? There are those who hear these words of mine and does them, or who hears 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:43.459 these words of mine does not do them. They will be like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock 00:12:43.459 --> 00:12:51.339 is the one who does what he hears. And on the other hand, will be a foolish man who built his house on the 00:12:51.340 --> 00:13:05.300 sand when he hears, but he does not do. There is no try. Jesus is describing this response to the 00:13:05.300 --> 00:13:12.960 hearing of His teaching. And it's important to recognize, again, just focusing in, He doesn't say, 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:20.139 hey, you should listen to what God says broadly, or… He's not giving general wisdom, but He's specifically 00:13:20.139 --> 00:13:30.460 saying, who listen to my words. It's a striking claim. Jesus inserts Himself into this. He's saying, 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:38.860 many people may want to build their lives on general wisdom, wise adages, good principles, 00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:42.980 but Jesus says, I want you to listen to Me. 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:55.180 The one that hears and does not do may be someone who's familiar with Jesus' words. 00:13:55.740 --> 00:14:03.820 Maybe they've been exposed to Jesus' words. Maybe they even give some intellectual assent or agrees that 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:10.300 it has validity and relevance. They might even think that Jesus is giving a good ethic 00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:21.799 or wisdom to live by. But if it doesn't change our hearts to make us do what He says, 00:14:23.479 --> 00:14:32.079 this is the distinction. And on the other hand, the one who hears and does, hears Jesus' words, 00:14:32.439 --> 00:14:39.799 not as something to consider, but as something to receive. They're not words of advice, 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:46.359 but words of life. They're not something to consider, but something to submit to. 00:14:47.019 --> 00:14:53.919 Jesus is giving us words that say, I want to give you direction on how to live, what to believe, 00:14:54.199 --> 00:15:03.579 how to behave, what you value and care about, the way that your heart moves in relationship to the 00:15:03.579 --> 00:15:06.799 world. What do you care about? What are your… In Jonathan Ennsworth, 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:14.699 what are your religious affections set upon? And that Jesus' words are meant to shape those things, 00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:19.319 and as they shape those things, they shape how we live and what we do. 00:15:22.579 --> 00:15:28.039 I think the picture here is similar to what happens in John 6. You may remember Jesus feeds 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:33.539 the 5,000. There's a great upswell of people who are so amazed at His works, 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:39.179 and then He teaches them about being the bread of life. And He says, if you don't eat this bread and 00:15:39.179 --> 00:15:48.339 drink this blood, you cannot be My disciples. And they're scandalized by it. And many of them leave 00:15:48.339 --> 00:15:54.679 and stop following Him because they don't understand that He is in the center of God's 00:15:54.679 --> 00:16:03.339 saving work in the world. So many leave Him. And He turns to His disciples. He says, what about you? Are 00:16:03.339 --> 00:16:15.939 you going to leave too? And Peter replies, Lord, where else can we go? You alone have the words of life. 00:16:15.940 --> 00:16:22.640 This is the one who hears the words of Jesus and does them. 00:16:24.680 --> 00:16:32.160 And friends, we need to acknowledge that this is not common in our world today. We live in a 00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:40.580 desperately individualistic and anti-authoritarian culture. We live in a world with all the information 00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:48.920 we could want, right? All the teachers, all the words, all the podcasts, all the news outlets, 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:56.759 all the things that could teach us. And we love to sit and judge them and pick them apart and evaluate. 00:16:57.060 --> 00:17:03.580 And we take the things we think are good and we throw out the things we don't. And we are not used to 00:17:03.580 --> 00:17:10.019 receiving words of life from someone who speaks with authority. 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:18.100 And that makes us like the person who hears Jesus' words and does not do them. 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:27.539 Friends, we've got to see as well that there is a difference in results, is there not? 00:17:27.539 --> 00:17:36.539 Because there is one house built on a solid foundation of a rock and it did not fall. 00:17:37.819 --> 00:17:42.639 And there's another house that was built on a weak foundation of sand. 00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:48.399 And it fell and great was its falling. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:18:01.360 When storms come and batter, this is what happens to our houses. And what are these storms? I want to 00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:06.200 spend a minute to just think about what are the storms? I actually think Jesus has two things in 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:11.360 mind here. Commentators like to try to make us choose between them. I don't think we need to choose. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:18.080 Here are the two things. The first one is the storms of life in a fallen world. We all know this. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:24.880 Right? There are trials and difficulties that come along. Unexpected losses. Crushing disappointments. 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:32.300 Ongoing stresses. And they test us. They push us. They're like the winds that howling just 00:18:32.300 --> 00:18:38.560 press and press and press against us. And we think, are we going to be able to stand? And the floods come 00:18:38.560 --> 00:18:44.200 up and we think, are we ever going to be able to survive? And the rains fall down and we feel 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:55.880 overwhelmed and overcome by these things. I know many of you are facing these kinds of real storms, 00:18:55.880 --> 00:19:04.360 and they test us, do they not? They test the foundation that we are on. They test 00:19:04.360 --> 00:19:08.319 who we're listening to and how we respond to it. 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:16.559 But there's a second kind of storm that I think Jesus had in mind. I think that Jesus was thinking 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:25.599 about the Old Testament when He said that… when He used this picture. So, for instance, from Isaiah 28, 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:27.599 the prophet says this, 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:28.240 the prophet says this, 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:35.079 behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:41.199 like a storm of mighty overflowing waters. He cast down the earth with His hand. 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:48.500 It's a picture of judgment. Later on in the same, he says this, 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:56.980 therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, 00:19:56.980 --> 00:20:03.779 a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation, and whoever believes in Me will not 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:10.420 be in haste. And I will make justice the line and righteousness the plumb line, and hail will sweep 00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:18.180 away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter." And when you look at Isaiah, 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:24.259 Isaiah 28, you will notice that this is a passage, this is an oracle of judgment against God's own 00:20:24.259 --> 00:20:30.180 people. It's at the end of this long section in Isaiah where he's actually talking about God's 00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:36.060 judgment against the people outside of Israel and outside, but this is actually for the people of 00:20:36.060 --> 00:20:42.820 Israel. And he's saying a storm will come, and it will be a storm of judgment that will test what 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:54.659 foundation you have laid. This is not an unfamiliar idea in the Sermon on the Mount earlier. If you've 00:20:54.659 --> 00:21:00.419 been listening carefully for the last couple of sermons, verse 13 says, remember, enter by the 00:21:00.419 --> 00:21:08.980 narrow gate because the way is wide that leads to destruction. Or when we talked about false teachers, 00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:16.099 every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. And I declare to them 00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:22.019 in verse 23, those who protested that they were doing great things, Jesus says, 00:21:22.019 --> 00:21:26.660 I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness. 00:21:29.700 --> 00:21:36.900 Friends, we must realize that there is an eternal cost to laying a bad foundation, 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:45.140 foundation to laying the wrong foundation in our life. If we are those who hear and do not do Jesus' 00:21:45.140 --> 00:21:56.820 words, there is a judgment coming, and it will lay bare the reality of our hearts. It is a warning to us. 00:21:56.819 --> 00:22:07.299 So, friends, this then brings us to our third point, which is where can we find the sure and true 00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:15.299 foundation? Well, it's not hard to see, but I think this is partly why Matthew gave his little narrative at 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:22.099 the end. In verses 28 and 29, Jesus finished these sayings, and the crowds were astonished at his 00:22:22.099 --> 00:22:29.379 teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. 00:22:31.139 --> 00:22:38.899 Now, the crowds were amazed because Jesus' teaching was different. It was different possibly in content 00:22:38.899 --> 00:22:43.940 and in delivery in the way he did it. Now, you have to understand a little bit about the context of the 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:51.460 first century. If you are a rabbinical teacher or a rabbi or the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the 00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:57.860 teachers of the law that you see referred to throughout the Gospels, right, they each had particular roles 00:22:57.860 --> 00:23:03.779 in the Jewish hierarchy. But one of the things that was common was their discussion about religious 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:11.779 activities would all be derivative. As Rabbi Hillel says, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, and this is how they 00:23:11.779 --> 00:23:17.539 would have argumentation. They go back and forth, quoting different sources. 00:23:20.099 --> 00:23:26.259 But rarely, if ever, would they speak from themselves. And Jesus is so striking as being 00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:32.660 different from this. Remember in chapter 5 when we looked at those series, you have heard it said, 00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:40.019 da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da, do not murder, but I say to you. He's not referring to another authority. He's 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:48.180 not quoting someone else. He's saying, I say to you. Jesus comes with his own authority to teach. 00:23:49.300 --> 00:23:53.860 And it is a rebuke in many ways of the Pharisees and the way that they taught. 00:23:54.740 --> 00:24:00.500 And remember too, the bigger context of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus came proclaiming the kingdom of 00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:09.859 God is at hand. He says that in chapter 4, verse 17. Jesus is not just proclaiming a new wisdom, 00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:17.619 a new ethical or moral system, or an upgrade to the Jewish religious system. He's not just giving a new 00:24:17.619 --> 00:24:23.539 community rule to live by, though He is giving all of those things. He's actually saying, there's a new 00:24:23.539 --> 00:24:31.539 kingdom coming, and at the center of that is the King. And Jesus says, that's me. 00:24:33.700 --> 00:24:44.500 So He comes unlike any other teacher to us. He comes with authority and rulership. 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:54.500 He comes and calls us not to consider Him, but to receive Him and to submit to Him, to follow Him, 00:24:54.500 --> 00:25:01.859 to love Him, to obey Him, for He is the path of life itself. 00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:07.619 And friends, when Jesus' words have authority in our lives, 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:18.259 we are transformed. When Jesus' words have authority, they become the rule for how we live. 00:25:19.219 --> 00:25:28.139 When His words have authority, they bring us joy, and we worship Him as the King and the one who has 00:25:28.139 --> 00:25:32.259 authority to tell us how we ought to live. 00:25:32.259 --> 00:25:43.379 But friends, it's even more than that, is it not? Because Jesus says, this is how we ought to live, 00:25:43.379 --> 00:25:52.660 to hear my words and to obey them, to do what they say. He's like a man who built his house on a rock. 00:25:52.660 --> 00:25:58.579 But we know from the broader Scripture that this is not a rock that we need to find, but it is a rock 00:25:58.579 --> 00:26:04.579 that God has provided. We read it already in that Isaiah passage. The prediction that God would lay 00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:12.659 a cornerstone, a stone upon which His people could stand in the midst of the storms of not only of life, 00:26:12.659 --> 00:26:23.059 but of judgment, and find security, and find steadfastness, and find a life that will stand forever. 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:34.019 And so we see throughout the Scriptures, Jesus is the rock upon which this kingdom is built. Jesus is the 00:26:34.019 --> 00:26:43.220 rock upon which our lives can be built. And when we stand on Him in faith, He is the one true foundation 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:52.019 that gives us life. Because He comes not only with the authority to teach the way He did, 00:26:52.019 --> 00:27:01.620 but He came with the authority to lay down His life and to raise it up again. Jesus' kingship, His authority, 00:27:01.620 --> 00:27:10.900 is ultimately based on His death and resurrection. He came and sacrificed Himself to defeat sin and death. 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:22.100 And in so doing took up rulership over our salvation. In His resurrection, He established a kingdom that cannot be shaken. 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:31.740 And with His indestructible life, He offers shelters in the storms of life and in the judgment day of God. 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:47.620 God. Because when we believe in Him, when we entrust our lives to Him, when we give Him the role of defining and ruling and leading our lives in everything, 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:55.240 when we are those who hear His words and obey them, we have life. 00:27:55.240 --> 00:28:09.400 A life that can never be taken away. An eternal life that stands like a house with a deep foundation built on the rock in the midst of storms. 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:17.859 I want to end by quoting one of the commentators, D.A. Carson, 00:28:17.859 --> 00:28:24.599 because I think it sums up not only this sermon, but also the Sermon on the Mount as a whole. 00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:26.479 He writes this, 00:28:26.479 --> 00:28:30.019 The sermon ends with what has been implicit throughout it, 00:28:30.899 --> 00:28:35.699 the demand for radical submission to the exclusive lordship of Jesus, 00:28:36.199 --> 00:28:39.759 who fulfills the law and the prophets and warns the disobedient 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:44.619 that the alternative to total obedience, true righteousness, and life in the kingdom 00:28:44.619 --> 00:28:50.399 is rebellion, self-centeredness, and eternal damnation. 00:28:52.659 --> 00:28:54.219 Do you see, my friends? 00:28:54.659 --> 00:28:56.679 There are only two ways to live. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:01.739 And Jesus, the King, who is bringing His kingdom, invites us 00:29:01.739 --> 00:29:05.439 to, by faith, humble ourselves, 00:29:06.239 --> 00:29:07.419 receive Him, 00:29:08.479 --> 00:29:13.099 allow Him to take the place that He rightly deserves in our lives. 00:29:13.099 --> 00:29:18.619 and then we will be like those who hear His words 00:29:18.619 --> 00:29:20.039 and obey 00:29:20.039 --> 00:29:22.199 and who will stand. 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:24.159 Let's pray together. 00:29:36.259 --> 00:29:38.539 Oh, Lord, we pray You would search our hearts. 00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:38.659 Amen. 00:29:43.099 --> 00:29:49.659 Lord, are we those who hear Your words and do not obey? 00:29:54.259 --> 00:29:56.719 Lord, we know that we stand in grace 00:29:56.719 --> 00:30:00.119 because there is never a righteousness or obedience 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:02.079 that could ever earn Your favor 00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:05.119 or make us acceptable to You, 00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:07.000 for we are incapable of that. 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.940 Lord, you have given us the strength to obey. 00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:14.160 Lord, you have given us to know Jesus 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:15.619 and to trust in Him, 00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:18.380 to have new life in Him. 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:23.839 Lord, you have also given us the strength to obey. 00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:27.240 Oh, Lord, may You search our hearts, 00:30:28.180 --> 00:30:32.440 see if there be thoughts of rebellion, 00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:34.799 ways of wickedness, 00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:36.840 hardened places, 00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:41.519 of resistance to Your Lordship, 00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:44.960 to Your words transforming us. 00:30:52.220 --> 00:30:53.920 Lord, we thank You for Jesus. 00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:58.820 Thank You that He is the rock on which we can stand 00:30:58.819 --> 00:31:03.079 for all our eternal salvation, Lord, 00:31:03.419 --> 00:31:07.159 and a very present help in the day of trouble. 00:31:08.980 --> 00:31:11.079 Lord, You are our rock and our Redeemer. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:14.059 We praise You. 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:17.639 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:31:17.639 --> 00:31:17.740 Amen.