Verse of the Day 9/8

Through the Bible - Proverbs 15-16, 1 Corinthians 3

 

Good morning,

The Sermon on the Mount ,the greatest sermon ever given.  We've often considered the fact that everyone has a world view, a lens through which we view and filter the things in our world.In a recent devotional Pastor Gregg Laurie  pointed out that this sermon expressed Jesus worldview.  Many then and now were astonished at his teaching.  Gregg Laurie wrote, "If you want to know how Jesus thinks, then study the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon, found in Matthew 5–7, lays out the worldview of Jesus himself. Do you want to know how His heart really beats? Then study this sermon. It is the official manifesto of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

It begins with the words, "Then He opened His mouth and taught them. . . ." The phrase "opened His mouth" is a Greek expression used to describe something that is solemn, grave, dignified, and weighty. That is not to suggest that other things Jesus taught were not equally important. But it is to say there is weight given to the words Jesus laid out in the Sermon on the Mount. So we are to pay careful attention to everything that is found in it."

For today's verse we'll go to the final subject of Jesus message, to build our house on "the rock" not the shifting sands of the morals and philosophies of the day.

 

Matt 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.   NKJV

Notice that it is the one who hears His Words and does them that is building on that foundation.  The one who only hears may have all of the tools and materials to build the house, but unless he builds, it will do nothing for him.  In fact he may be building but not on the foundation, not relying on the Word of God, the teachings of Jesus.

 

Barnes commentary gives a sobering description of what it might be like to hear but not apply, not build on the firm foundation.

 

"There is another point in this comparison. The house built upon the sand is beat upon by the floods and rains; its foundation gradually is worn away; it falls, and is borne down the stream and is destroyed. So falls the sinner. The floods are wearing away his sandy foundation; and soon one tremendous storm shall beat upon him, and he and his hopes shall fall, for ever fall. Out of Christ; perhaps having "heard" his words from very childhood; perhaps having taught them to others in the Sunday school; perhaps having been the means of laying the foundation on which others shall build for heaven, he has laid for himself no foundation, and soon an eternal tempest shall beat around his naked soul. How great will be that fall! "

 

The words of the sermon are truly solemn, grave, dignified, and weighty.  But following them is the way to truly live.  We have the choice of building materials.

 

 Prov 4:20-22  Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;  The Message

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Matt 7:24-8:1

 

Build on the Rock
(Luke 6:47-49)

 

24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

 

26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

 

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   NKJV