BUILD TO LAST

Matthew 7:24-29
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, October 19, 1997
Copyright © 1997, P. G. Mathew

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation 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 sand. The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with
a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed
at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers
of the law.

Matthew 7:24-29
We have come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and in this particular text, which
speaks about two builders building two houses, Jesus Christ makes a plea, an
exhortation, a warning, and a threat which is designed to frighten even Christians.

Now, let me say first off that these houses stand for people’s lives. Everyone is building
as long as he or she is alive. Every moment of every day we are building something,
and our buildings may even look the same as everyone else’s. But the question Jesus is
asking in this text is, “Are you a wise builder or a foolish builder?” In other words, as you
live your life, are you building to last, or will your building collapse when it is tested? Are
you building thoughtfully upon the foundation that is impregnable, the foundation of
rock? Or are you in a hurry and building emotionally upon sand? Time will tell, Jesus
says, and on the day of final judgment especially it will be revealed upon which
foundation we have built.

Every building shall be tested; one will stand while another falls. On the last day a great
shaking will take place as we read in Hebrews 12:26, “Once more I will shake not only
the earth but also the heavens so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” So we must
pay careful attention to this teaching of Jesus and examine our lives in the light of it.

THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY

First, then, let us examine who is saying these things. In Matthew 7:28-29 we read,
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching
because he taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the law.”

Why were the crowds amazed? Because Jesus taught in a way that was completely
different from that of the scribes, meaning those who taught the law. Whenever a scribe
would teach, he would continually cite rabbinic authorities to obtain a hearing. So those
listening would hear, “Rabbi Yehuda has said long ago. . .” and “Rabbi Gamaliel
supported Rabbi Yehuda by his remark that. . .” and so on. Why did the scribes have to
do this? Because they had no authority of their own. They had to rest on the traditions
of the elders.

The prophets of old spoke with greater authority than the scribes. Prophets like Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Hosea, and Amos and others spoke by the infallible inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, declaring, “Thus says the Lord.” But even they did not speak with the authority
Jesus demonstrated.

What was different about Jesus’ teaching? Unlike the scribes, who spoke by authority,
Jesus spoke with authority. Instead of citing rabbis or even saying, “Thus saith the Lord”
when he taught, Jesus boldly would declare, “I say unto you.” That confident declaration
of authority amazed his listeners.

Later, in Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples the question, “Who do you say that I
am?” And you know what Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” This teacher was a carpenter from Nazareth, a poor, unschooled man. Yet in
John 14:6 he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and in John 10:30 he declared,
“I and the Father are one.” To the Samaritan woman he said, “I am the Messiah,” (John
4:25-26). In this very Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that he is the Lord and final
Judge, and that his words were setting forth the will of his Father, God. In Matthew
26:63-64 Jesus acknowledged to the high priest he is the Christ, the Son of God. It is he
who said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened; I will give you rest,”
and in John 11 he declared, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Who, then, was this teacher who spoke with such authority and made such wonderful
claims? He is true God and true man, the Holy One of God. He is true light and life. How
did those that hear him respond? In Matthew 7:28 we read that the crowds were
amazed at Jesus. But being amazed is not enough.

AMAZED BUT NOT SAVED

Jesus is amazing, and the crowds were correct in being amazed at him. But one can be
amazed at Jesus’ person and teaching without receiving the benefit of salvation. Why?
To be saved one must repent of one’s sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone, the only
mediator between God and man.

Let me assure you: It is the responsibility of every person under heaven to hear Christ’s
teaching and his teaching only. Forget about all the philosophers who came before and
after him, and forget about their teaching. There is only one teacher we must listen to,
and that teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. We must listen to him.

But listening to Jesus is not enough. We must also believe in his person and work. And
if we truly believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ savingly, we will obey
him, not once but throughout our life. That is what the text is saying. Jesus said
“Whoever hears and does these sayings of mine” in the present tense in the Greek,
which means a continuous action. It means hearing throughout one’s life and doing his
will throughout one’s life.
So the first question we must ask from this passage is: Are you like the crowds? Are
you amazed at Jesus but not saved? If that is true of you, that will be a serious tragedy.

THE TWO BUILDERS

Second, then, let us examine the two builders–the wise builder and the foolish builder. A
wise builder is a thoughtful person who thinks before he acts. Jesus described a wise
builder in Luke 14:25-28: “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them
he said, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and
children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. And
anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.'” And then
he said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and
estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?”

In other words, Jesus Christ demands that we think before we build. We must sit down,
estimate the cost, think about the location, consider the foundation, and so on. We must
anticipate all future problems that may arise, including rain, floods, and storms.

We must think! Do you remember the parable of the soils in Matthew 13? Which soil did
Jesus commend? The fourth soil. In Matthew 13:23 we read, “But the one who received
the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.” We
must think when we come into contact with the word of God.

How many people refuse to think when they come to church? You can almost hear
them saying as they enter, “You know, I thought all day at work today. I thought when I
was at school. I thought when I was cooking. Here I am at church and I am so tired of
thinking. I just want to relax.” Let me tell you, the church is the one place in which you
must think. Even if you fail to think at school, at work or when you cook, this is where
you must engage your mind in serious thought. So, again, Jesus said, “But the one who
received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands
it.”

In Matthew 25 we read of five wise and five foolish virgins. What was wrong with the
foolish virgins? They did not have any common sense. Oh, they had the lamps, but they
did not think enough to look inside and see whether there was any oil.

Thoughtless Christians are building their lives upon a sandy foundation. But when the
buildings of their lives are tested, they will collapse. They are like lamps without oil.
Why? They were thoughtless, foolish and lacked common sense.

THE WISE BUILDER

What characterizes a wise builder? He is one who listens carefully to instructions. He is
hard working and patient. In a parallel passage in Luke 6:47-49 we read that the wise
builder dug deep. A wise builder will dig until he comes to the bedrock. He will then build
his house on that.
A wise builder is not looking for shortcuts or quick results. He builds to last. He prays
the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 90:17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon
us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands.”
Establish means to make it permanent, to make it last.

A wise builder will carefully study Christ’s instruction on how to build, and he will not add
to it or subtract from it. He is like the wise steward that we read about in Matthew 24:45-
46: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the
servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for
that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”

A wise builder, then, is like a servant who listens to his master’s word. He refuses to
add to it or subtract from it, and he carries it out every day until his master comes. A
wise builder is building to please the Lord, not himself. He must think and carefully study
the word of the master to do it. Let me tell you, if you are not a thinking person, you are
in big-time trouble. You are a foolish builder.

THE FOOLISH BUILDER

What characterizes a foolish builder? A foolish builder is one who refuses to think and
understand. Again, look at the parable of the soils. In Matthew 13:18 we read, “Listen
then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about
the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what
was sown in his heart.” There is an enemy who is against our being able to understand
the word of God. This enemy is ever-present and never-ceasing in his efforts. He wants
us to be unthinking, like the foolish virgins. He wants us to take our lamps without oil.
He wants us to be foolish builders.

A foolish builder is an emotional person, one who is led by his feelings. He is sensual,
not scriptural. His feelings become the final court of appeal and he is a slave to them.
He would say, “I feel this way and that is the end of the argument. I don’t care what
Jesus Christ is saying.” Such a man is like the second soil. In Matthew 13:20 we read,
“The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word
and at once receives it with joy.” He doesn’t understand the word or its demands. He
merely responds emotionally.

The foolish builder is a person who is interested in pleasure. He is interested in enjoying

Christianity by all means. Thus, he is also like the third soil. In Matthew 13:22 we read,
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the
word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth”–and Luke adds “life’s
pleasures”–“choke it, making it unfruitful.” Such a person is characterized by
worldliness. He is always yearning for the things of the world and what the things of the
world can provide for him in terms of joy and happiness. And such a person will dislike
any kind of suffering.

What else? Plain and simple, the foolish builder is lazy. He is especially lazy in his mind.
What distinguishes man from animals? Our minds. We are created in the image and
likeness of God to think God’s thoughts after him. So laziness of mind is a severe and
serious problem. God has given us a book which needs to be studied with our minds.
We need to be able to dig deep into it and mine the riches that are in God’s word.

A foolish builder is one who refuses to listen to doctrines. He doesn’t like the doctrines
of the Bible, such as the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of God, the doctrine of sin,
and the doctrines of the order of salvation (the ordo salutis), including effectual calling,
repentance and faith, justification, adoption, sanctification, and so on. He hates all of it.
“Don’t tell me about doctrine!” he will cry.

Therefore, a foolish builder will find a church that does not teach biblical doctrines. How
many people are crowding into such churches today! The reason they go to such
churches is that they are entertained there and they don’t have to listen to doctrinal
preaching.

A foolish builder is self-pleasing. At the center it is not Christ; it is self. He is self-

centered and self-pleasing. For example, a young woman came to me recently and
said, “You know, when I get up to pray, I find that instead of praying I sleep.” I said,
“Fine. Let me ask you: If your boyfriend comes to your house at five in the morning, will
you be sleepy?” The answer should be “No.” A person will be very alert when the
boyfriend is coming, isn’t that true? So the problem is that such a person does not fear,
respect, honor or revere God. Such a person is self-centered, not Christ-centered.

A foolish builder is also one who reads the Bible selectively, looking for blessings. Such
a person appreciates the doctrine of love but hates the doctrine of justice. He is
interested in forgiveness, but he does not like the requirement of righteousness and
obedience. He likes the doctrine of justification but he hates the doctrine of
sanctification. He is only interested in blessings and so he will ask, “What can I get out
of the church? Jesus Christ, what can you do for me?” He is like a spoiled child who
was not taught any responsibility. He is interested in being massaged. “Make me feel
good,” he will say. Such a person will not listen carefully to the whole counsel of God.
To him God is a butler. He will snap his fingers and expect God to come. And if God
doesn’t come quickly enough, the foolish builder becomes very upset and depressed. I
have seen such people. They are always depressed.

The foolish builder is impatient, always looking for shortcuts and quick results. He is
interested in short-term profits. He has no long-term view of things, and, especially, he
has no view of the end. He does not want to think about death, eternity, and having to
face Jesus Christ. But he is ignoring the word of God which tells us it is appointed for
man once to die and then comes the judgment.

The foolish builder is also one who depends on his own ideas. He thinks he knows
better than everybody else. In the Greek language there is a word for such a person: he
is an idiot. And so he builds his life on the sand of his own idiocy.

The foolish builder is very sure of his salvation. If you ask him, “Are you saved?” he will
answer, “Yes, I am very sure. I have absolutely no question about it.” Contrast that with
the wise builder. If you ask him, “Are you saved?” he may not be all that sure. He will go
through all kinds of tribulations and questioning on the issue.

A foolish builder is very self-confident and self-sufficient. He fails to use God’s means of
grace because he is so self-sufficient. He thinks he does not have to receive much
grace from God so he doesn’t pay attention to the word, doesn’t pray much, and doesn’t
come to the service to worship. But you will find that same person playing hard, eating
hard, enjoying hard, and laughing hard outside of the church. Haven’t you ever seen
such people? They come alive right after the service is over. Life is turned on when the
pastor says the benediction.

Finally, the foolish builder cares much for personal appearance. Oh, he will even
exercise, let me tell you, and he will exercise hard. In fact, his building may appear more
sophisticated than the other building that will last. It may have better appointments and
better furniture. It may look more clean. But there will be one problem: It is a white-
walled sepulcher.

THE FOUNDATION OF ROCK

Not only did Jesus speak of two kinds of builders, but he also spoke of two kinds of
foundations. First, of course, is the foundation of a rock. The wise builder had to dig
deep to find the bedrock and build upon it.

What does Jesus mean by the rock? In Psalm 18:1 we read, “I love you, O Lord my
strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in
whom I take refuge.” In other words, this rock is Jesus Christ, not our own self. And in
Isaiah 28:16 God spoke through Isaiah, “Behold, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a
precious cornerstone for a sure foundation. The one who trusts will never be ashamed,”
meaning the one who rests upon and builds upon this bedrock by saving faith.

Jesus is a tested rock–tested by the Father, tested by the devil, tested by human
authorities, tested by saints of all ages–tested and approved. But he is not one of many
possible foundations for our lives, if we are Christians. This rock, Jesus Christ, is the
only foundation concerning whom the Father said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I
am well-pleased; hear ye him.” We must build on him alone.

Now, some people may think that St. Peter is the rock, but Peter himself says in 1 Peter
2:6, “For in Scripture it says, ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious
cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'” And that is
exactly what Paul also was saying in Ephesians 2:20 when he said God’s household
was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as
the chief cornerstone.” We find this idea of Christ being the cornerstone and foundation
in many other places in the New Testament, including 1 Corinthians 3:11, where Paul
wrote, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is
Jesus Christ.”

There is only one foundation that will stand firm. Don’t talk to me about philosophers,
scientists, and Nobel Prize winners and all the other prominent people of the world. I
know who they are and I understand what they are saying, but they are not foundations.
There is one foundation given to us by God the Father, and that is his Son, Jesus
Christ. (PGM) Therefore, Jesus alone can say, “Therefore, everyone who hears these
words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the
rock.” We must build our lives upon the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. We
must trust in Jesus alone for our salvation.

BUILDING ON THE ROCK

Wise builders shall never be ashamed. But we must ask this question: How can we
build upon this foundation of Jesus Christ? We must build upon him, but how can we
unless he first builds? And the answer to that question demonstrates the genius of
Reformed doctrine. We cannot believe in Christ unless we are regenerated and granted
the gift of faith to trust in him.

Therefore, Jesus himself builds his church. The Father planned our salvation, the Son
accomplished it upon the cross when he died in our behalf, and the Spirit of the living
God is now applying this salvation to everyone chosen by God from the foundation of
the world.

Do you remember the story of Lydia? When Paul preached in Philippi, the Bible says
God opened the heart of Lydia to respond to the gospel. In the same way, we cannot
build upon this Jesus Christ unless God builds us first.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock”–the
word is petra , which is the same word used in Matthew 7 and means a large bedrock–
“I will build my church,” and as we just noted from 1 Peter 2, Peter himself said that rock
is Jesus Christ.

But what is the issue here? “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
will not overcome it.” Jesus is the rock foundation and he is the builder. He builds first,
and then we build upon it by hearing and doing his will. He is the primary builder, and
then we build because he built us upon him.

This is where the ordo salutis comes in, you see. Who has chosen us before the
foundation of the world? God. Who effectually called us? God. That means he gave us
new life. He regenerated us. Who gave us faith to believe in him? God. Who made us
able to repent of our sins effectually? God. He enabled us so that we would repent and
forsake our sin and begin to hate sin and love righteousness. Who justified us? God.
And having been justified by faith, we now have peace with God. Who adopted us into
his family? God. And having been adopted, we are now his children.

Do you see how God builds us? Therefore, Christ builds his church. And who sanctifies
us? Well, God does through us. So you see what Jesus meant when he said, “I will
build my church.” And because he builds his church, we build upon the rock of Christ.

OTHER IDEAS OF FOUNDATION

In 2 Timothy 2:19 we find another idea of foundation. There we read, “Nevertheless,
God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription. . .” This is a foundation
that we should receive great comfort from. Why? It is a solid foundation, one which
stands firm. And there is an inscription on this foundation: “The Lord knows those who
are his.” That means the Lord loves us and saves us, and we are certain of being
saved. That is the foundation we need to trust in.

Not only that, there is another foundation we must examine, the foundation of good
works. It is what we build upon the rock. Now, we must be clear that good works do not
save us, but because we are saved, we do good works.

In 1 Timothy 6 Paul speaks about the importance of sharing our wealth. There we read,
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their
hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides
us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good
deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for
themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the
life that is truly life” (1 Tim. 6.17-19).

Yes, Jesus Christ is our foundation, and he builds his church upon the foundation which
is Jesus Christ himself. And, yes, there is a foundation which is the knowledge of God:
“The Lord knows those who are his,” meaning the Lord watches over us, saves us, and
brings us finally to himself, all because of his everlasting love.

But not only that, we must also hear and do his will, and that is also a foundation upon
which we can stand. Our foundation rests upon Jesus Christ, but the foundation of what
we do gives us something underneath also. When I ask you, “Are you saved?” you will
have some assurance if you have been walking in righteousness. Why? You cannot
continually walk in sin and pretend that you are saved.

THE FOUNDATION OF SAND

So, then, let us build on the foundation that is Jesus Christ himself. But Jesus himself
said there is another foundation. What is it? Let me tell you: there is another foundation
which is known as sand. Every person who hears Jesus’ words but merely gives mental
assent to them without doing them is building upon the sand. Have you seen such
people? They are like a child to whom you give a direction. The child hears it but
refuses to do it. That is a sandy foundation. Such people are emotional, feeling-
oriented, self-centered, and self-pleasing. They are more interested in human opinion
than in Christ’s lordship. They will always say, “Lord, Lord,” but will never obey.

THE NECESSITY OF TESTING

Finally, we must realize that what we build will be tested. You see, both the house of the
wise builder and that of the foolish builder probably looked the same. There was
probably no visible difference between them because the difference lay in the
foundation. But Jesus said something would happen to expose the difference between
the buildings. Heavy rains came, the streams rose, and the winds blew against each
house.

What we build will be tested. In Ezekiel 13 the prophet was speaking about false
prophets who had been telling people to build upon their false prophecies. Now, these
false prophets always spoke nice things, but they never spoke the word of Christ. They
told the people, “Everything will be all right. We don’t think the Babylonians are going to
come here, but even if they do, they will go away. Why? We are God’s people, and the
temple is here. Don’t worry about a thing.”

The people listened to these false prophets and the vast majority believed them. But
God promised to give a test. Beginning with verse 10 we read, “Because they lead my
people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy
wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with
whitewash that it is going to fall.” You see, whitewash would cover the weakness of the
wall and give the impression that it would stand. “Rain will come in torrents, and I will
send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall
collapses, will people not ask you, ‘Where is the whitewash you covered it with?'”
(Ezekiel 13:10-12)

It is imperative that we examine our lives and see whether what we have built is a
whitewashed wall based on false pretenses of false prophets or not. Why? “Therefore
this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my
anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the
wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its
foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know
that I am the Lord” (vv.13-14). Testing is coming.

TYPES OF TESTS
What are some of the testings we might experience? First, there is sickness. Do you
enjoy being sick? Of course not! But suppose the doctor informs you some day that you
are seriously ill. Don’t you think that will be a test? Another form of testing is rejection by
others. Do you want to be rejected? I don’t. I want to be accepted and embraced. But
we may experience rejection as part of God’s testing.

What are some other forms of testing? We might experience financial reversals. Our
marriages may end in divorce. Our children–you know, the beautiful children whom we
thought were always going to be nice–all of a sudden may go crazy and become
absolutely stubborn and rebellious. We may experience the death of a spouse or the
death of a child. And, finally, there is a big storm coming to each and every one of us.
What is it? Our own death.

In Genesis 22 we find the testing of Abraham. God told him, “Take your son, your only
son, the son you love, Isaac, and sacrifice him.” Or read the first two chapters of the
book of Job. One test after another–rain, rivers, storms, winds– rose and beat against
Job. Finally he himself became so sick and his own wife told him to curse God and die.
That is a lot of shaking, isn’t that true? And the apostle Peter was also tested. In Luke
22 Jesus told him, “Satan asked me permission to sift you like wheat. But I prayed for
you that your faith may not fail.”

What are some other testings? Worldliness, or a fascination with the world, can shake
us. We can fall into wanting to have bigger houses or better cars or all the pleasures of
the world. This is the deceitfulness of riches Jesus spoke about.

Another form of testing comes because Satan himself is against us. We read about this
in Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan is against you, demons are against
you, and the world is against you.

So, let me assure you, there will be heavy rains, violent winds and rising rivers. And all
these tests will have one purpose: to beat against us and the structures we have built
for the last ten, twenty, or fifty years. And these tests will come upon us unexpectedly.
They will come like a thief in the night, suddenly, at midnight, when we least expect
them. That is why we must build to last.

TEST RESULTS
What will be the results of these tests? From Ezekiel 13 we learn that the foundation will
be laid bare. The walls will crumble and fall, the foundation will be exposed and all those
in that house will be destroyed.

What happened to the foolish virgins? The cry came at midnight, but there was no oil.
And the foolish virgins were told, “Depart from me; I do not know you.”

In Matthew 22 we read of a great banquet in which man entered without a wedding

garment. The master came and asked, “How did you get in here? Get him out!” and the
man was cast out into the outer darkness.

In Luke 16 we read of a rich man and a beggar, Lazarus. Both men died, and while
Lazarus entered heaven, the rich man went to hell. But tell me, did the rich man really
expect to go to hell? Of course not! He really expected to go to heaven. Why? He
thought he was very blessed because he was rich. But the Bible says he didn’t make it.

We must take serious warning here. If we do not build the buildings of our lives right,
they will collapse and God will reveal our foundations. So I urge you by the mercies of
God to build upon Jesus Christ, that your building may endure. Jesus alone is the solid
rock and Jesus is the builder. And we build also upon this foundation because Jesus
builds us. And there is a wonderful promise for those who build upon the rock. When
Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it,” it means the church will endure. It means that you and I will endure, in other
words. Praise God!
In Judges 16:3 we read how Samson was in Gaza. The Philistines wanted to kill him,
but he went to the city gates, tore them loose, lifted them to his shoulders and carried
them to the top of the hill. Thus, he made a mockery of the strength of Gaza. But I say
that we have one who is greater than Samson–Jesus Christ, very God and very man;
the Way, the Truth and the Life; the Resurrection and the Life. As we build upon him,
and because he builds us, his church, we shall endure. This is called the doctrine of the
perseverance of the saints. We shall persevere to the end because God will help us.

HOW ARE YOU BUILDING?

How, then, are you building? Let me assure you, everyone is building. Every day we
build, and every decision we make is part of the building. Even today right now you are
building.

Are you a thinking person, especially one who thinks Christ’s thoughts? Are you hearing
and understanding what he is saying? And above all, are you are a person who obeys
Jesus Christ? Or are you an anti-thinking, anti-doctrine, emotional, feeling-dominated,
pleasure-seeking, self-centered, self-pleasing person who is fascinated with your own
opinions and the opinions of the worldly wise? If so, let me tell you what Paul wrote
about the wisdom of the world. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 we read, “For the message of the
cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,” and whenever I anyone laughing at the
gospel, I must conclude that he is perishing, “but to us who are being saved, it is the
power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of
the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is
the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Don’t tell me about the wisdom of the world! Jesus said everyone who hears these
sayings of his and does them is the wise man. Why? Because on the last day the
wisdom of the world will be shown to be what it truly is: nothing and useless.

Read what St. Paul said at the end of his life and ask yourself if you can say this with
Paul. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul wrote, “For I am already being poured out like a drink
offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and
not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

We must examine ourselves today. Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Today you are hearing his voice, and as the writer
to the Hebrews said, “Do not harden your hearts.”

One of our members passed away the other day at a very young age. I spoke to her in
the past but I cannot speak to her now. Our time is coming also, so I urge all of you to
be wise, hear Christ alone, and do his will alone. Then you will not collapse and fall;
rather, you will persevere to the very end, for God shall help you.

There are three kinds of people: Those who never hear Jesus’s teaching nor do his will,
those who ever hear his teaching and never do his will, and those who hear his words
and do them. It is my prayer that we all hear and do the words of Jesus Christ. Only
when we do so can we face death, the final storm, without fear.

May God have mercy upon us and help to examine the structures of our lives. May we
trust in Jesus Christ alone savingly and demonstrate our trust by doing his will, for we
know what James said: “Faith without deeds is dead.” And as we believe and do God’s
holy will, may we be filled with assurance of our great salvation. Amen.