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2001
3rd June (pm) - A Christian's Foundation
MATTHEW 7:21-27

Last Sunday evening we began our closing thoughts on The Sermon on the Mount. We saw that as Jesus began to finish, he leaves his hearers with a series of radical alternatives. There are two ways and two trees. This evening we relfect on two pleas and two houses. We also reflected on the fact that there is the common thread of judgement running through these four different metaphors. There is a way that leads to destruction, a form of fruit bearing fit only for the fire.

This evening as we look at the two pleas and the two homes, we shall see that a verbal profession can be rejected by Christ and a life that looks good can be washed away. Again we stress the point that Jesus gave these teachings to awaken us to the incredible danger many people find themselves in, even some who come to church, that we may be challenged to be more proactive in trying to reach people with the gospel. But also, that we may not be deluded ourselves, reminding ourselves once again what a true profession in Christ looks like, what foundation a good life ought to be built upon.

The nature of the radical choices and alternatives we considered last week and now again this week, allows us to reflect on the sermon as a whole. In our final study in Matthew chapter 7, in a couple of weeks from now, we shall ask the question, 'Who is this preacher?'
But for tonight, two pleas and two houses.

TWO PLEAS (v21-23) Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me that day, 'Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'

Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers,' says Jesus. This is a devastating truth to hear. The bottom line with this piece of teaching by Jesus, is that it is possible to have false security and not realise. John Stott points out that there is danger in a merely verbal profession.

In these verses we are thrust into the realm of the final judgement, and on that day, people will greet Jesus in the appropriate manner, 'Lord', thereby claiming to belong to him. Their claim will be rendered null and void, unless their lives back it up. As in the last section we asked the question, 'Is there real change?' so now we can ask a similar question, 'Is there any evidence?' Is there any evidence of submission to the will of the Father?

On the face of it, these people who claim Jesus as Lord have done incredible things. They have prophesied, they have cast out demons, they have performed miracles. Yet Jesus dismisses them totally. Jesus totally rejects these people. What is the issue here? Do prophecies, exorcisms and miracles have no place in the life and witness of the church, and in kingdom living? Is Jesus saying that these things are not in accordance with the will of the Father and, so therefore Jesus rejects them out of hand. That does not appear to be the issue in this teaching of Jesus. The issue at stake is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. John Stott states: The reason for their rejection by him is that their profession was verbal, not moral. It concerned their lips only, and not their life. They called Jesus, 'Lord, Lord', but never submitted to his lordship, or obeyed the will of his heavenly Father.

Don Carson stresses, we may therefore expect that even in our own day there are many people who use the right language who are even religious and who are not genuine disciples. One of the most tragic ingredients to this scenario is the way these people take themselves to be genuine believers. They clearly expect admission to the [eternal] kingdom.

We must be clear about something. A verbal profession of Jesus Christ is essential. Paul wrote to the Romans: That if you confess with your mouths "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Verbal profession is vital. But verbal profession on its own is insufficient!

Our verbal profession of Jesus Christ as Lord must be supported by obedience to the will of the heavenly Father. The Lordship of Christ must be seen in our daily living. So we must ask the question, what difference does my Christian profession make to home and family life, to church life, to work/college/school life, to community life? It is easy to say Jesus is Lord here in the safety of church and affirm that truth for our lives for a couple of hours on a Sunday. What about through the week? Is Jesus Lord over our relationships, over our thought life, over our wallets and bank accounts, over the totality of our lives?

It is a bit like following a football team. As you know I am a passionate supporter of Leeds United! I will gladly verbalise my support for Leeds United. But I also testify in other ways to my support of Leeds United through the sticker in the back window of my car, being a share-holder, wearing clothing with Leeds United on it, and so on. And I will gladly testify verbally to my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord. And I hope and pray that it is making a difference in my life, that there is evidence to support my claim that I belong to Christ.

You see, it is possible to be active in religious affairs, and this I believe is the point Jesus is getting at, and not do the will of God. And so when it comes to the day of judgement, there will be those who will plea with Jesus on the basis of their mighty religious deeds. But in their everyday behaviour the works they do are not good, but evil.
Therefore what value is it for such people to take Christ's name on their lips, if such a profession is only used to give credibility to the 'religious' aspect of their lives and makes no difference as to how they treat their neighbours or work colleagues. It is quite conceivable that there are many well intentioned church people living with a false security, because while they profess Jesus as Lord for a time on a Sunday, and plea with Jesus on the basis of their religious deeds, the Lordship of Jesus Christ is far from their thoughts Monday through Saturday. For the essential characteristic of a true believer is obedience.
True believers are consistent with the prayer, 'your will be done on earth as in heaven'.

The danger of a such a profession, is that our plea to Christ that we are worthy, will fall on deaf ears, and all that awaits such a plea is total and utter rejection by the King of kings and Lord of Lords: I never knew you. Away from me, you evil doers. But for the one who does the will of the Father who is in heaven, their lives will be evident enough. Some may say, is this not suggesting salvation by works?

Certainly not, for surely the will of the Father in heaven, is to accept his Word, which teaches of primary importance, the need to trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour which is the basis of any profession of Jesus Christ as Lord, acknowledging that Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and that no-one goes to the Father except through him. Surely to do the will of the Father in heaven is to accept his Word which introduces us to the person of Jesus Christ, and shows us the gracious gift of sins forgiven and eternal life to all who believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and shows us how to live a life of love, loyalty and gratitude to the one who has rescued us. We may therefore say, that for the one who does the will of the Father in heaven, their plea will be Christ himself, for if Christ is the Lord of their lives, their lives will reflect Christ. How will we plea on that Day?

TWO HOUSES (v24-27)

Jesus moves from two pleas or claims, to two houses. The story of the two house builders is well known to us. And because of its familiarity, I think we have lost something of its impact, coming as it does at the end of The Sermon on the Mount.

Because only the one who does the will of the Father will enter the kingdom, Jesus continues to say, There everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ... But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. What or who is Jesus contrasting here? The contrast is not between people who have heard the gospel and those who have not. For Jesus points out that this piece of teaching is for everyone who hears his words. The contrast is between the two types of people we see in church life.

On the surface both look the same. They come to church, they may be involved in a range of church activities, ranging from our youth organisations to positions of leadership on Committee or even Session. They may even take Holy Communion together. Externally, the casual observer may see little difference to the people who gather for church every week and take an active part in church life.

But when the violent storm comes, the contrast between the two types of people is clear to see. For the wise man will withstand the storm, but the foolishman will be washed away. Only a storm will reveal the truth. What is the imagery pointing to? Well one the one hand we may say it is pointing to the stroms of life which hit us from time to time. I believe however that it is more accurate to say that the storm pictured in this parable is the judgement of God.

Just as there is a way that leads to destruction, a form of fruit bearing fit only for the fire, a plea that can be rejected, so there is a life that looks good that can be washed away. And the reason it can be washed away, is due to the lack of a sure foundation. On the outside such a life looks good. Such a life may even set an example to others. But it is all outward, external. This week, the Ulster Titanic Society have been commemorating the building of the Titanic in Belfast 90 years ago. But what was there to commemorate? Sure on the outside, it looked fabulous, impressive even. But there was a design flaw, and the designer lived with a false sense of security, for when it came to the test, the Titanic failed spectacularly. Where it mattered most, the Titanic was found to be lacking.

Our lives can be like that also. On the outside we can be pious, we can be respectable, we can be good in our living. We can give the impression our lives are built on the right foundation. But it is possible to give the right impression, but be lacking where it matters most. For while we build a nice exterior and give the impression that we are doing the will of the Father in heaven, we actually have never bowed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, accepted him as the Saviour of our lives, and therefore on the day of judgement, our lives will be washed away. In a church I know of, there was an election of elders. And one dear woman said to me that she thought a certain man would make an excellent elder. And the reason she gave, was that you only had to look at his life. And sure when you looked at his life, he was prominent in the church - he was at church regularly, he was a committe man, he was on the count team, he was also prominent in the community - he was a local business man and in the rotary or lions. But I had regular contact with this man, and the evidence I saw pointed to someone who having heard the words of Jesus week in week out, was building his life on the sand. And that story is all too often repeated in our churches across the land.

The reality of life is that there is the mighty judgement of God coming. And if we wish to withstand this judgement, then Jesus challenges us, and reminds us to make sure that we are building our lives on a foundation that is firm and sure. For this is what The Sermon has been pointing to all along. The Sermon on the Mount indicates how life is to be lived by citizens of the Kingdom, but such a life cannot truly be lived until one has entered the kingdom. The moral imperatives in The Sermon on the Mount is rooted firmly in the necessity of relationship with God. Relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is the life that has bowed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore Jesus is the rock on which we are called to build our lives, if we want to avoid the way that leads to destruction, the fruit that is fit only for the fire, the plea which will be rejected and the good looking life that will be washed away. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand - All other ground is sinking sand. We must not just hear the words of Jesus, but we must obey them in our lives, and build our lives on Christ, the solid rock, not on our own opinions, or on our religious or other good deeds, for to do that is to live with a false security, and when it matters most, you will be found wanting. As Michael Green states: We can either build on him and his teaching, which we will find is as solid as rock; or else we can build on any other religion or philosophy in the world, and we will find that it is sand, and in the last day it will spell ruin.

These alternatives sum up The Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon's call to be distinctive from the world - either to follow the crowd, or to follow the Father in heaven, either to be a reed swayed by every opinion, or to be ruled by God's word, the revelation of his character and will. For far more momentous than the choice of a life career or of a life partner, is the choice about life itself. On which road are we travelling? On which foundation are we building?

And finally these final pieces of teaching by Jesus, that we have considered last week and now this week, stand in utter contrast to the world in which we live, a world characterised by permissiveness and pluralism. Jesus opposes the notion that you can believe what you like as long as you are sincere. Sincere belief may be sincerely wrong. Jesus opposes the notion that we are all climbing up to God by the route of our choice. Instead there is only one way that leads to life, and there is only one secure foundation on which to build. Therefore one of the challenges for us who profess Christ, is to see the danger that exists for people who are not in the Kingdom who are following their own way and building their own foundation, and to be re-awakened to the need to fullfil the great commission in our lives and in our church. Therefore says Jesus, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

AMEN!