Matthew 7:21-25; Matthew 16:13; Isaiah 22:20
What do you build your life on, sand or rock?
What would be the best foundation, sand or rock?
To prepare for hard times, and they always come, start now to build on rock.
People in New Orleans know about rain and hurricane-force winds. About 200,000 homes were destroyed as a result of Katrina. It is hard to grasp the damage when such a big deal was made about fire in Southern California that damaged 1,800 homes. Those who lived through the storm and came back to re-build the city learned about quality construction of both homes and levees.
How do you build a quality life? Jesus makes it very clear. He said you build your life on the rock. What does he mean by this metaphor? The rock is made of spiritual qualities that he outlined in his Sermon on the Mount. Rock is humility, sensitivity to the pain of others, gentleness, trying to do the right thing, compassion, a pure heart, peacemaking and willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ.
The wise person then prepares by becoming like Christ not by accumulating things. While rock is made of spiritual traits, sand is made of things. These things can be damaged and destroyed when the winds of life blow and the life built on sand crumbles under the pressure and weight of difficulty.
In Matthew 16 Jesus tells Peter that the church will be built on the rock. We can conclude that the church is people who are devoted to becoming like Christ, it is not a building or a list of agreed upon doctrine. Jesus startled the world when he pulled the rug out from under all of organized religion with his statement that he would build his church with hearts not bricks.
What would be the best foundation, sand or rock?
To prepare for hard times, and they always come, start now to build on rock.
People in New Orleans know about rain and hurricane-force winds. About 200,000 homes were destroyed as a result of Katrina. It is hard to grasp the damage when such a big deal was made about fire in Southern California that damaged 1,800 homes. Those who lived through the storm and came back to re-build the city learned about quality construction of both homes and levees.
How do you build a quality life? Jesus makes it very clear. He said you build your life on the rock. What does he mean by this metaphor? The rock is made of spiritual qualities that he outlined in his Sermon on the Mount. Rock is humility, sensitivity to the pain of others, gentleness, trying to do the right thing, compassion, a pure heart, peacemaking and willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ.
The wise person then prepares by becoming like Christ not by accumulating things. While rock is made of spiritual traits, sand is made of things. These things can be damaged and destroyed when the winds of life blow and the life built on sand crumbles under the pressure and weight of difficulty.
In Matthew 16 Jesus tells Peter that the church will be built on the rock. We can conclude that the church is people who are devoted to becoming like Christ, it is not a building or a list of agreed upon doctrine. Jesus startled the world when he pulled the rug out from under all of organized religion with his statement that he would build his church with hearts not bricks.
