The Evidence Of A Solid Foundation

Please turn with me in your Bibles here this morning. We're going to go to Matthew chapter 7, Matthew chapter 7, and we're continuing with this series that we started last Sunday morning as we looked at Christ the only foundation. That was our first message, but also the theme of this series that we want to deal with, Christ as the only foundation. We want to look at foundations in these messages. Foundations are vital. I don't care about your style of worship. I don't care within reason what your clothes look like this morning or how you dress. I don't care whether you wear a tie or whether you wear a t-shirt. I really don't care, but I do care about your foundations. There's nothing more important than that. We can afford to disagree over some points of doctrine, but you can't over foundations. That is an eternal salvation issue. This message, my message this morning, the evidence of a solid foundation, reading from Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, not everyone that saith unto me, and this is Christ speaking, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, and it fell not. And this is the reason, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, not, notice that, shall be likened to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not as a scribe. So let's pray together. Ask God to minister to you. These foundations are so important. We need to go. We need to lay a hold of God right now for yourself, for those around you that you love and you care about, that God would minister. God help you if you're merely left to my thoughts, my opinions, or my ideas. We need the Holy Spirit of God. We need the Lord to be here this morning. Father, we beseech you in the mighty name of Jesus, we're dealing with something that is going to affect us, not just for an entire lifetime, but for eternity, depending on how we respond to a message like this, or the truth contained within it, depending on where we are with our foundation. Lord God, it will affect us for all eternity, time without end. Lord God, it's going to affect us on the last day that we breathe a breath. It's going to affect us, O God, when we pass from time into eternity, O God. And Father, we pray for your divine mercy that we might build right, that we might spend time on the foundation that we are building on, lest we be hypocrites, lest we be deceived. Lord God, lest, O God, the devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Lord God, build us, I pray, upon a solid foundation. In Jesus' name, speak to us, help us, search us right here this morning. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. We're coming to Matthew chapter 7, and my message, this second part, the evidence of a solid foundation. See, there is an outward evidence, proof that you have a solid foundation. Evidence. In recent weeks, I've had people say to me, and some of you have had people say to you, you shouldn't look for evidence. Who are you to look at my life? People have said that. Who should know better? They've talked about fruit inspectors making a joke of Christians or preachers who come looking at fruit. Are you a fruit inspector? Make a light of it. When Jesus talks in Matthew 7 about, you shall know them by their fruit. I wouldn't dare make fun of that or make light of that. They say, you can't judge me. I'm only accountable to God. All those things really unnerve me when people say, you've got no rights to look at my life. Who do you think you are? I'm beyond any question, testing, scrutiny of man. I'm going to tell you, that's an absolute lie. Listen to what Paul says in Acts chapter 26 and verse 20. He's speaking about his own ministry, his preaching. But I showed first unto them at Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea, then to the Gentiles. He's going to tell you what his message was, his preaching, his ministry. Listen carefully, that they should repent and turn to God. In other words, you can't turn to God without repentance. Repentance makes you turn to God and two works meet for repentance. In other words, from Damascus, the first time Paul ever preached until he is traveling all through Gentile nations from city to city to city, Paul says, I preach repentance. That's where I began. And a part of my message, wherever I went, was that those who turn to God should do works meet for repentance. In other words, worthy. Have you repented, then do works. There's Paul the apostle, the apostle who preached about grace, who gave us all the teaching on the grace of God, the love of God. You know what he says? Everywhere I preached, I looked at those who repented and turned to God ought to bring forth works meet. Where's your works? You know what Paul looked for? Every real convert. Where's your works? Where's the change in your words, your attitudes, your decisions, your lifestyle? Where is the evidence? Where is the proof? Remember John the Baptist at an earlier stage having baptized people, a baptism of repentance in the Jordan. Do you remember a part of his message was bring forth works worthy of your repentance. In other words, bring forth proof, bring forth evidence, bring forth the outward manifestation of what has happened in your heart. You're saying you believe in God. You know God. You walk with God. Fine. Just bring forth the fruit of repentance. Begin to show us. And so we see that here in Matthew chapter 7, Christ is actually looking at the evidence of a solid foundation. And that's what I want to deal with here this morning. The evidence of a solid foundation. If you have a solid foundation, if you're building on the right foundation, I want to tell you there is evidence, outward evidence, visible evidence, proof that your foundation is right. And in this chapter, Christ constantly compared. You know, we live in a day, in an hour, and in a time where people say you shouldn't look, you shouldn't judge, you shouldn't compare. Christ did it all the time. He compared sheep to goats, the harlot church to the bride of Christ in the book of Revelation, the real to the false. He's constantly, all the way through his teaching, he constantly compares and says that's real, that's false. He details obedience and he shows you what disobedience looks like. He actually says if people do this, they're goats. If people do this, they're a sheep. And so Christ never minded doing that. Today as a preacher, if you do that, you're called a legalist or said, oh, I'm under grace. You're not a preacher of grace. Then you would reject Christ. If you really read what he said, believe me, I'm mild. I am hyper mild. Just read Christ. Or what about the apostle of love? Read 1 John. If you don't love your brother, you're in darkness. You're still in darkness. If you don't love your brother, there's no qualms. You just say you were never in the light. You're in pitch black darkness. You say you can't love your brother. Then how are you going to love your enemies? You can't even love the people in this room with a passionate real love. How will you love people that persecute you? And you're commanded to do that. I've got three points here this morning from Matthew chapter 7 and where we read. I want to deal first of all, with a concerned preacher. Then second of all, I want to deal with a wise builder. And then third of all, a foolish builder, all dealing with foundations. Number one, a concerned preacher. Who was the concerned preacher in this chapter? It is Jesus Christ himself. You know Jesus was a preacher. It's a good thing to be. It's not a black name or a bad name. I'm a preacher. Christ was a preacher. You know what else he was? He was a teacher of the word of God. A teacher sent from God. Notice this concerned preacher. He's a preacher with a concern. Do you know what he's ultimately concerned about? He's concerned about the foundation you are building your life on. Jesus is still concerned about each of you in this room. This is very personal. 2,000 years later, I believe Christ is here right now and you will be held accountable for this message right now. I believe there is a concerned preacher called Christ. And he actually looks at you and says, what sort of foundation are you building on? He's concerned about your foundation. Look at him in the context of Matthew 7 here for a second. I want you to see the context of Christ's teaching. You see what we read here, Matthew 7 is part of a three chapter sermon by Christ. Chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, right down to what we read and we read the end of the sermon, not the beginning, not the middle, right at the end. I've only read the end and that's what we're preaching on here. But I want you to see the context of Christ's teaching. Let's go right back to chapter 5, verse 1, and you'll see the context of where Christ taught all of this. Chapter 5, verse 1, and seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain and when he was set, or when he was sat down, his disciples came on to him. Do you see the context of this teaching? Christ sees vast multitudes, thousands. Do you know what? He cares about them. He is a concerned preacher. Seeing the multitude, what's he going to do? He goes up into the mountain. He sits down and he begins to teach them three chapters. This is his longest sermon he ever taught in our New Testament. And you know what? He is concerned. He sees them, so what does he do? He teaches. He preaches. You know preaching and teaching comes out of a concerned heart. Show me a preacher or a pastor who doesn't teach, gives little exhortations, little talks. He's not even concerned about you. Do you know why I preach and teach the way I do? It's because I'm a concerned preacher. I'm really concerned. I want to deal with the foundations. That's why I pour out and I pour out, and at times I might stand on your little pinto. I don't want to do that. I don't like doing that. I might interfere in your personal thoughts and lives and decisions. Oh, I know I get right into everything in your life, don't I, as a preacher? But you know what that comes out of? That comes out of a concerned heart. Look at the context of this for a minute. So he cares about them. Seeing the multitudes, the disciples come on to him. Chapter five to chapter seven is an entire message, and Jesus taught this at the beginning of his ministry. We read the same sermon, the same message in Luke chapter 6 and verse 17. We're going to refer to it a few more times, but over there it gives a shorter condensed version. But when he goes and preaches the same message, it says a great multitude of people came out of Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. That's Lebanon, modern day Lebanon. They come out of that whole region, which came to hear him. You know why they came? To be healed of diseases, because some of them were vexed by unclean spirits. Others were needing physical healing. A whole multitude sought to touch him in that one gathering. Thousands came out of these cities, just wanting to touch him. Do you know what he done? He did heal them. He did meet with them. But then he sat down and he began to teach us. This from chapter five to seven is normally called the sermon on the mount. That's what we know it as. And so you see the context of the foundation mentioned in Matthew seven. The context is it's right at the very end. It's the closing sentences of Christ's entire sermon. As he sat, he didn't stand. He sat down on the hillside with his disciples around him, with vast multitudes. See, some people may say, oh no, my healing is the big issue. No, you need to hear the word of God. And people come because they're sick and demonized and they have pain in their body. Would you begin teaching them this sermon? You'd say, we need a sermon on healing. We need a sermon on deliverance. Don't begin teaching on marriage and divorce. Don't begin teaching about loving your enemies and praying for them. Hold on, Jimmy Jones is sick. He's gonna die. And you're teaching about all these things. Have you missed it, preacher? No. This is the context. You also see the contents of Christ's teaching here. It's a sermon on the mount. It is a teaching to real believers. And of course, there'll be many unbelievers there. They are followers. They call themselves disciples. But he moves beyond the teaching of the old covenant or the old testament. You begin reading Matthew 5. He says, they said in old times, but I say unto you. He wasn't just teaching the 10 commandments. He wasn't just correcting the abuse of the 10 commandments. He was saying, they said, he gave an accurate presentation of the 10 commandments of the law of what was taught by the prophets and by Moses. But then he says, but I say unto you. So in his teaching, in this entire, and it's very important you hear this. See, certain people say, Matthew 5, that is to the Jew. It's old covenant. It's not for the Christians under grace. They might say the same about chapter six, definitely about chapter seven because they don't like it. Can I tell you the contents of this three chapter sermon was Christ moving beyond law, beyond the 10 commandments, beyond the old testament into the new covenant. What you read here in the entire sermon on the mount is a message of grace. Look how it begins. Look at the contents, chapter five, we call it the Beatitudes. Remember what he said, blessed are you? And then he goes through all the things. Are you mourning? Are you broken hearted? Are you persecuted? And that's why we call them the Beatitudes because it is a spoken out blessing. Are you this type of person? Then you're blessed. Are you doing this? Then you're blessed. Are you praying for your enemies? You're blessed. And he goes through, they're called the Beatitudes, or here's a good way to remember them, the attitudes you should be, Beatitudes. That's really what the Beatitudes are. And it's filled with wisdom. And Christ begins with this sermon on the mount to describe what a disciple looks like, how a disciple responds, how a disciple thinks, how a disciple believes. Do you see in these three chapters, Christ is defining what does a Christian look like? He's going through these chapters in detail. And then we begin to see the very substance and the reality of this, of what is in this message, the contents. Listen to what Christ says in chapter 527. You've heard that it was said by them of old, thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, don't even look on a woman to lust. Do you see the contents of Christ teaching? Oh, we're free from law. The law condemned us. And now under grace, nothing's allowed to condemn us. Are you serious? Christ goes deeper. He raises the standard. You think you're free of law. Believe me, when you come to Christ teaching, you'll wish you could go back to law where it's only murdering someone or only physically committing adultery. Do you realize the contents of Christ teaching is radically different? Look at this entire sermon. Can you imagine this? He begins to teach on loving your enemies, the whole boundaries on divorce and remarriage. In the chapter 6, He begins to speak about money, prayer, and fasting. He talks about you as God's people being salt that savor this world, that to be a light on a hill shining. He begins to teach you the Lord's prayer, how to pray. He tells you not to store up your treasures on earth. Don't be anxious when you don't have things or pressures come to bear upon you. Then we get into chapter 7, how to judge correctly about the broad and narrow way and false prophets, false teachers. Do you see this, the contents of Christ teaching? Then look at the character of Christ teaching all through these three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount. It's for believers. It's not law, it's grace. This is a Christian, a disciple of Christ. What is the character of Christ teaching? He talks many times about, don't do that, do this. Too many in the church say, we don't like all the dos and don'ts. We don't like you saying F in your preaching. Then throw your Bible out, please, because there's an awful lot of it in there. You see what Christ starts to do in this entire sermon? He's dealing with the heart. He's dealing with the thoughts. This is the character of his teaching. Now, I want you to see something. He's taught three chapters saying, don't do this, don't do this, be this. This is what you ought to be. But please, I want you to understand as we come to this foundation, these things do not save you. He's not saying, do these things, then you'll be justified, then you'll be born again. He doesn't want to say that. He's actually describing what a real Christian looks like. You will only listen and follow these teachings if you're building on the right foundation. Hear me very, very carefully here this morning. If you have the right foundation, the foundation he mentions right at the end of the sermon, then this is what you'll look like. This is how you will respond. This is the evidence of having a solid foundation. These things don't give you a foundation. Oh, no, because you need the foundation before you live this out, before you build this house. And so we see that all of these things are not you trying to be righteous, or trying to be a Christian, or trying to do things that God will accept you for. No, not at all, not once. That's utterly impossible. What you have here is a higher standard. If you are built on the rock, this is how your life appears above the ground. If your foundation is right, your life is right. If the root is right, the fruit is right. All of this is absolutely explicit. It is very clear. Some people don't desire to be in God's house. You know why? Their foundation isn't right. There's some people you can't live with for five minutes. You know why? Their foundation isn't right. There's some people that can't walk holy. They have no desire for holiness. You know why? Their foundation is wrong. If you get the foundation wrong, it impacts everything. Then look at the concern of Christ teaching. What's the entire concern? Why is he talking about what a Christian looks like for three chapters? Why is he saying, don't do this, don't do this? You can't just go and seek divorce for any reason. You cannot. You can't just hate your enemies that are hating you. You cannot. Of course, you can do anything you want. Remember like Brother Clendenin, he says, you don't need to brush the teeth, but just the ones you want to keep, that's your choice. You're going to make that decision. But what is the concern of Christ teaching? Reality, genuineness. He's beginning to give warnings. A man who warns you has a concern. He gives cautions. He points out dangers. He wants you to be kept from deception or from hypocrisy. And he warns you of a common judgment. You know what that shows me? A concern in a preacher's heart. And so this first point, just notice a concerned preacher. This is who he is, preaching a three chapter sermon, his longest ever. And it's detailed this point, this point, this point, this point. In today's church, too many, and we have to deal with them often, is so-called Christians who say, you can't tell me anything. And you know what? When you start, who do you think you are to tell me I ought to be this and I ought to be that? I'm free of that. I'm under grace. Do you know what? What manifests through them tells me they don't have a right foundation. Because when your foundation is right, you're not trying to lessen this or bring it down to ground level. No, absolutely not. You're actually seeking to raise up a holy life. That's my first point. I want you to hear the preacher who's giving this before I go to it in the next two points. I want you to understand who the teacher is. He's been teaching all through. And then he finishes with this story of two men, two builders. Both of them are building. Both of them are listening the word of God. Both of them are listening the same preacher, the same teacher. Both of them consider themselves disciples. Both of them are actually listening. They're in the same meetings. They hear the exact same message, not different messages. And yet they're radically different. And so this concerned preacher is preaching to two different kinds of people. And you know what? He brings it out in the message. And he says, as he finishes three chapters of teaching on divorce and marriage, on how you live your life, on being light and darkness, on being salt, not corruption. Then he comes to us. This is my second point. A wise builder. A wise builder. This sermon or this portion of the sermon is also recorded in Luke chapter 6, verse 17 to verse 49, but it's more condensed. But you'll find the same thing there. That tells me that this message is so, so important. Matthew 7, verse 24, follow with me very closely. As we look at a wise builder, therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. These are the words of Jesus Christ at his summation of his message. He's about to finish his message. You know how you finish a message is very important. You want to wrap it all up. You've been teaching all through. Now you want to bring it to a conclusion. You want to leave a final challenge with the believers, with those listening to you. Christ actually says here, therefore, whosoever. Do you know what the word therefore means? In the light of all these things I've been teaching, what I've just been saying to you, therefore, three chapters I've been teaching. In chapter seven, I've just been warning you about the broad way and the narrow way and false teachers who disguise themselves as sheep. Therefore, very important what he's about to say here. When you find the therefore, find out why it's therefore. It's for this reason. Therefore in the light of these things, whosoever hear of these sayings of mine and do with them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. I want you to see this person who so ever. No one has missed out. The word whosoever means everyone listening to me, every single individual person. He doesn't miss anyone. Therefore, whosoever listens to me or hears me, he deals first of all with a wise builder. Who is this wise builder? He is in that meeting. He is listening through chapter five, through chapter six, through chapter seven. He's heard all of the teaching. He is there listening to Christ the teacher. Christ is sitting down. Christ is teaching the multitude, but here is a listener. Here's someone who's being taught by Christ directly and the word of God is affecting him or her as the case may be. It says that he hears these saints. Jesus says, I'll show you who the wise builder is. I'll show you exactly who he is. You know who he is? He is hearing me, my sayings. He hears these sayings. What sayings? Being specific here, the sayings I've just been teaching, the broad and the narrow way, marriage and divorce, the beatitudes, three chapters, these sayings. Who's the wise builder? Well, the one who's been hearing these things. His ears are open. His heart is open. Hearing, the master, people who don't want to hear the word of God, there's something wrong with them. You know, when I go to someone counseling or talking to them privately and they just go, they don't want to listen, there's something seriously wrong. If I try to talk to you and I say, the Bible says, and you're going, you're always pulling away from that. There's something really wrong with you. I don't have any other medication. I don't have any other remedy. All I know is this word of God. I know it. I labor hard not to give opinions, thoughts, ideas. I want to give this to you because it's his word. And you know what, when you say, no, give me something else, even if you don't say those words, I know you're really sick. Either you're a very sick sheep or you never were a sheep or you aren't a sheep yet. But if you don't want the word of God, it says a lot about you. But look at this wise builder. He heareth my sayings, my words, the things I'm teaching, the do's. Don't do that. Oh, that's law master. No, it's not. Do not do that. It's Jesus under grace, speaking to real disciples. And you know what? Those that hear those sayings are wise. You ought to learn a lot from this message, what I'm teaching, how to deal with people, you know, people who don't want to say they're not wise. Okay. Someone who says, give me God said, oh, it hurts. It hurts. But tell me what Jesus says. Show me how to get through this situation. Well, here's what the Bible says. Oh, I want that. I want to do that. It's not easy. I wrestle over it. I may stumble or struggle, but I want to do the will of God. Then I know who you are. You're wise. You are a wise builder. But he doesn't stop there on hearing. Jesus says, and doeth them. Jesus is clinically clear. Oh, you just have to believe, and that's all you do. No, no, no, no. No, you don't. You need to hear. It's not enough to hear, to know, to understand, to believe, to intellectually say, ha ha, ha ha. That's not enough. Are you a believer? You know, there was a black man once set out in Africa, said the difference between you whites and us blacks. You ask what a man believes. We ask what a man does. There's a big difference in that, I want to tell you. And when we bring our Christianity into, well, what do you believe? And I believe this, and you believe that. Very different when I say, what do you do? We're on to a different dimension. Oh, let's stay with what I believe. Uh-uh. Let's go to what you do. How are you living out your life? I don't want to talk about that. I wonder why. Do you see how easy it is to talk about things, give your opinion, but yet to talk about what you are living out can be radically different. Jesus nails it here, not just hearing my sayings, but doing them. Are you doing chapter five? Are you doing chapter six? Are you doing chapter seven? Are you living this out? Is it a part of your life? Then you're a wise builder. Are you ignorant of these chapters? Do you go, well, they're just opinions, advice, but I'm doing this? Or you don't even go to the Bible? You are not a wise builder. Are you hearing them and then doing them? If you're not, I seriously question your salvation. If you've got no interest in chapter five or what the Bible says about your situation, I challenge you over your salvation. I question your salvation. And it's not me. It's the Bible. It's Jesus Christ. He's defining who a wise builder is here. He doeth them. Can I ask you honestly before God and the word of God who you will stand before one day, are you doing these teachings? Are you obeying them? You know, in the Greek, it's the constant tense. To actually do that means you constantly continually do them. It's not a one-off fact when you're saved. Are you actually in a condition of building? What is the building of your house? I'm doing the will of God. I'm doing the word of God. How do you know the will of God? I know the will of God because it's the word of God. I don't have problems over the will of God. That's why most of you, not always, but most of you will ask a question. What do you think about this? What do you think about that? I've got very dogmatic views. I know God's will for your life on that issue. I know it. You know what? It's written here. You think, what a bright boy. No, not at all. Not at all. I just go by the book. It's a very safe builder's manual. I can give you all the answers. You can look it up for yourself. You can check it. You can live this out. And so Christ says that doeth them. Now this man who hears his sayings, these specific sayings in this sermon, in this one sermon, maybe it took an hour. Who knows? Maybe it took two hours. We don't know. They're gathered thousands. Whoever does these things, puts them into action in their lifestyle, makes it a part of their daily lifestyle. I'll show you who I liken them to. Let me give you a story, a parable, a likeness. I will liken that man or that woman onto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. What a simple statement. You want to know what someone is like who listens to the Word of God and then endeavors to put it into their life. They're not saying, oh, I'm under grace. It doesn't matter. Oh sure, we all fail. Well, you just need patience with me. Well, you just need to understand this is my character. You're not a wise builder. You know what Jesus said? Those who hear and then do, they put it into operation. Well, Brother Keith, nobody does the will of God. Try telling Jesus Christ that. Oh, oh, you need to understand you can be a real Christian in love with God, but nobody keeps the Word of God. What sort of game are you playing? Oh, none of us obey God. You know, someone prayed this morning, sorry to correct you on one thing, that we all have idols. I hope not. I hope not. We can all have idols and be believers. We need to deal with them. But I hope we don't all have idols. We ought not to have idols in our heart. You can be free of idols. It's not inevitable. It's not just natural. If there's an idol, get rid of the idol now, right now. Or you might need to pray it through or fight it through over the next week. But to be a doer of the Word, Jesus likens him to a wise man. What does a wise man look like? This word wise, what does it mean? It means someone who sees the importance of a foundation. Do you see this man listening the Word of God, doing the Word of God? I liken him to a man who's already laid down a foundation. Remember, he's building a house. That's what doing the will of God is. But I'll show you he has a solid foundation. Show me someone who doesn't want to hear the Word of God. They've got no foundation. Who isn't obeying God? You don't have a foundation. Oh no, I believe the same as you. But it's not that. You do not obey the Word of God. You have no foundation. If you had a foundation under the ground, below your building, underneath your Christian life, this is what you would look like. You'd be there going, give me the Word of God. I want to obey the Word of God. I want to put it into operation. You know every message you walk out of this church, God help you if you walk out and you don't even apply it. God help you. That's going to keep piling up on you. And it'll get so large, it'll fall on you one of these days. You'll start to go, I feel condemned. I feel I'm under law. I feel this is too big a burden. Do you know why that is? Because you didn't just day by day do the little things. You've let it built up. Now you're trying to catch up on everything. You ever see a gardener? He doesn't do anything in springtime. He definitely didn't do it during wintertime. He just enjoys the sun during summer. He goes through winter into the next year. You've already lost your garden. Try to catch up on work after two years. Your grass is this high. Go out and cut it now. I prefer to cut grass when it's only an inch or two long. You'll say it doesn't need a cut. Oh yes it does. I'm staying on top of this. I'm going to have a nice lawn going into winter. My two brother-in-laws, they arrived in first thing and said, you've cut the lawn. It's October. You've cut the lawn. Yeah, this lawn is going into winter the right length. It's going to get to springtime. I'm telling you, I'll just come in. It'll be no sweat, no effort. You know these Christians, they neglect, neglect, neglect. They hear one sermon and they panic. Let's start building. Let's start digging. Boy, this Christian lies hard. Really? You've neglected so great a salvation. Who is this wise man? He's someone who's focused on the foundation. Notice he takes time before he builds. He's laid a solid foundation. He follows instruction. The word wise here has to do with the mind. It means to be thoughtful. It means to reign and incurb your thoughts. You can't be a wise man and your thoughts are everywhere. All of us have a battle with our thoughts, okay? The past year and a half, my thoughts have been like unbelievable downloads every second. I actually wrestled when I'm the one teaching two whole series on how to control your mind, the battle for the mind. And then I go, so many thoughts are coming. In one second, I can't even keep up. This is overwhelming. I go, Lord, how am I ever going to teach the third volume of messages on the mind? I believe all this will give me even more wisdom. But do you know what? I'm practical. I'm there going to be wise. You curb in the thoughts. It's about a cautious character. It's about taking thoughts captive in order to protect your attitude. What you allow to go in your mind will get into your heart. See if you've got strong attitudes in your heart. You know why? You never had a wise mind. You never had a controlled mind. You're not thinking through going, how do I live this Christian life? What sort of foundation should I have? Am I a real Christian? See, a wise man thinks like that. I don't question my foundations. I don't check my foundations. I'm not letting any thought question me. You're not wise. We're actually commanded in Scripture, see if you be in the faith. Test yourself, lest you be a reprobate. See, a wise man is saying, Lord, am I genuine? Lord, am I real? A wise man acts ahead of time when things are good. No storm here, no trouble. The devil isn't assaulting me. I'm going to make sure the foundation is laid in good days before the storm comes. Some people only think about the foundation when the storm comes. It's too late. You need to build the foundation. Lay it on a sunny day. No rain, no wind, no storm, no river. Let's lay the foundation. You could say, but I could go and enjoy the sun. I could go off with my friends. I could go and do anything. Let's book a holiday. Why not use the good weather to lay a solid foundation? And I'm talking spiritually, not talking against holidays, not at all. I just want you to understand this. A wise man, what does he do? He lays a solid foundation. Jesus said, which built his house upon a rock. He is building an entire house on a solid foundation. What is the foundation? It is a rock. Notice this. It is unseen. It is below the ground. You're not even going to think about the foundation until the storm comes. You're just building your house. When you're building your house, you're all caught up in what it looks like, what you're going to put in it, how you're going to decorate it. What will people think about? What are you going to do inside it? You're not even thinking of the foundation. It's only when trouble comes, you begin to think what is below the surface. Do you think your nice building can stand against a grievous storm? Do you think your good works, your little act of obedience, do you think it can stand against all hell coming against you or great opposition coming against you? I very much doubt it. It says in Luke 6, 48, he is like a man which built a house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock. He digged deep. In Nazareth, there was a man, an old writer about 100 years ago. He visited Nazareth where Jesus was and he said he watched someone lay a foundation in the house in Nazareth all those years ago. This is going right back. This is what they've done through the generations. They would dig down 30 feet below ground level until they hit solid rock. Then they go, okay, now we lay the foundation and now we build the house. You know, a lot of people say it doesn't matter. Who's going to see it? Who's going to see it? Does it really matter? I'll be delayed. I want to get on with the Christian life. What does it matter about the foundation? Do you realize this whole church deals with foundations? I don't care about you in Christian ministry. I don't care about whether you can preach or play an instrument. I don't care if you can evangelize on the streets. I don't care how much of the Bible you know. What about your foundation? You see, if we're wise as a church, that's what we're going to deal with. Then Jesus says in verse 25, and the rain descended. Do you know bad weather is inevitable? Your house is going to hit bad weather. Maybe it's already come. Maybe it'll come shortly. But I promise you the greatest storms that are ever going to test your foundations, you have not seen them yet. Not one of you in this room have experienced the greatest trials of your life. How are you doing so far? Have you built on a solid foundation? See, when the storm comes, it won't be your house that keeps you. It's the foundation. Listen to what it says. The rain descended. It begins to fall. Then the floods came. You know what floods are? When rains begin to build up, the rain is coming down. The rain begins to gather and then it comes into a flood or a river. Can you imagine? It's not only rain falling on your roof. Now it's becoming a stream. Now the waters begin to flow. We're going to see what your foundations are because you know what? Those rivers are going to test the foundation of your house. Your house is your lifestyle. Your house is what you've been building in the Christian life. You remember Jesus is dealing with people, listening to his teaching. Then the storm comes. Not only rain descended, not only floods coming, it says the winds blew. That means a strong dominant wind now begins to blow on your walls and it fell not. It didn't fall. Jesus is talking about a man who listens the word of God and then does the word of God. You know what he's saying? If you're that type of person who hears the word of God and you do the will of God and you say, I want this to be my lifestyle. What I'm hearing taught are taught in the scriptures. I want to be a doer of the word of God. Jesus says, just wait. When the storm comes, you know what you're going to look like? You're going to worry and go, can this house stand the storm? No, it can't. It depends on the foundation and it says, and it fell not. Why? Because it was founded upon a rock. Do you know how I know that your life won't crumble in temptations hour, in judgments hour, when all hell comes against you, when disappointments happen, when your best friend dies or your wife or your husband dies? How would I know you're going to still stand through that because of whatever foundation you're on? I'm not going to say, well, he's such a grand Christian. She's a beautiful Christian. I'm going to say it's her foundation keeping her. Do you know what about judgment day? What about that day when you die? A day is going to come unless the Lord catches us up to meet him in the air and I sure hope that happens. But if it doesn't, I promise you, 100% of you in this room are listening online. 100% are going to breathe your last breath. That's going to be an event in your life. An event you may even know as you approach it, though today they still drug you up. You don't have an opportunity. You better get right with God a few days before or a few weeks before because you won't know. They'll suddenly come to you. They'll have you so drugged up you won't even be able to repent or get right and you'll breathe your last breath and instantly you're gone. Can your foundation withstand that? So I'm not asking how beautiful is your Christian life. I'm saying what is your foundation like? It says over in Luke 6, the stream beat vehemently upon that house. Jesus is talking about people who listen the word of God. They do the word of God. Then when a mighty storm comes against them, remember what he taught just before this. He said there's going to be those who come saying, Lord, Lord. Do you know what he's talking about? Judgment day. Lord, Lord, we've done this in your name. We evangelized in your name. We won souls to you. He says, I don't know you. Master, we knew you. I don't know who you are. Do you know what the word doesn't know mean? It means I don't know. I don't know you. I've got no ability to identify you as having to do with me. Oh, but Lord, I was in church. I heard all the sermons. Yes, but what did you do with that? What did you do with that? Didn't you know that through years, your response to the teaching of God's word, your neglect of it, disobedience, proved that you had no foundation? Didn't you even know in your own mind? Don't you realize that if you have a real foundation, this is your attitude this morning. You're sitting here and you're actually going, I want to do the will of God. If he says it, that's what I'm going to do. If he gives wisdom on something, that is my will. His will is my will. His word is what I'm going to do. I know you've got a good foundation. I'm talking about the evidence of a solid foundation. I can see people who have a solid foundation. They are a Christian who loves the word of God, listens to the word of God, obeys the word of God. If you don't obey the word of God, don't tell me you've got a foundation. That's not possible. Look at this Christian who obeys the word of God. He will not fall, not because of his obedience. His obedience doesn't keep him. It's his foundation. His foundation is Christ. His salvation is what Christ done on the cross. It is settled. It's below the ground. He can't add to it. It's a solid foundation. That's why his house will not fall. Number three, and lastly, a foolish builder, though I've said quite a bit about him already. Verse 26, and everyone, anyone, someone, everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, you would say that's pretty good. The foolish builder heareth the sayings. He's in the meetings. He's listening to the teacher, the preacher. He understands the message with his mind. He comprehends it. He can look it up in his Bible. He can think about it later. But notice what Jesus says about the foolish man. This is what separates the wise from the foolish. Who are the wise? They think about it. They engage their mind. They do something with it. They think in such a way that leads them to action. But notice who the foolish are. The foolish are those who hear and doeth them not. I want to tell you, I can tell you now from God if you're a foolish builder. If you're sitting here and you hear God's word and you never do it, you're a foolish builder. You don't have a foundation in your life. If you had a foundation, you would be doing the will of God. But if you sit here and you could care less, you don't even think about, you don't even make time, you don't have a foundation. If you had a solid foundation, this would be your lifestyle. This is what you would look like. And so he says, doeth them not. It says in Matthew 7, 16, you shall know them by their fruits. These people who I've heard, preachers and Christians, and they say, fruit inspectors. They mock and say, you can't look at my fruit. You've got no right to judge my fruit. Look what Jesus says. Notice this very carefully in Matthew 7, 16. Ye shall know them. He didn't say, I will know them. Do you see that? Underline the word ye. All of you Christians will know them. He's not teaching that this is only God knows who they are. He says, no, this is for you, disciples, believers. You will know them. You can know them. You ought to know them. Know who? Who the foolish are, who the wise are, who the goats are, who the sheep are. Ye shall know them by their fruits. No fruit. Guess what? No root. No obedience to the word of God. No foundation. You have no foundation. Maybe that's what I should start saying. Be very simplistic, very Christ-like in my teaching. I deal with someone. They're rebels. They're arguing. They're debating. We're all sinners. You're a sinner. One week ago, someone tell me, you sin just like me. Actually, I don't just sin like you. If I sin like you, I'd be in this altar repentant, broken, scared, lift my head. Everyone isn't just the same. Jesus never treated people all the same. Paul didn't. John didn't. Matthew didn't. You know what? There is a difference between people. You're not all the same, but you're not divided by color or country or language or how much money you have. Oh, no. You're divided these two ways. You're either wise or you're foolish. And so, Jesus talks again, chapter 7 verse 20, wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Do you see that? I mean, am I making this clear enough? I want this to be so rooted in this church. I have the right to check fruit. You shall know them. You know what? You have the right to check fruit. You can look at someone and say, are they a wolf? Are they a sheep? Are they a wolf who are wearing a sheep-clad garment, a disguise? They're hypocrites. They're not sheep. Under it, they're a wolf. Do you know even backsliders can be called sheep, not wolves? A sinner who's never come to Christ can be a sheep. They're not called goats. The only people who are called goats are people in the church who aren't living like sheep, who claim to live like sheep. They are called goats, not sinners. Jesus actually never once calls a sinner a goat. He calls someone, and you know what? Goats, how you identify them? But, but, but, but. They're always but their head up against. The Word of God says, the Bible says, oh, but, oh, but. Why not just submit to it? Say, a sheep goes, bah, yeah, I know. You're prone to wonder, I know. A goat goes, but, but, but, but, but. Can't have something, he'll destroy it for everyone else. Do you know what you have here? Jesus is teaching us about the foolish builder. You know why? He wants to help you. He would hate for you to go through 20, 30, 40 years deceiving yourself, saying, I do this. I speak in tongues. I cast demons out. I heal the sick. I evangelize. I've led someone to Jesus, and you've got no foundation. You know why? You don't obey God. Do you realize you could heal the sick and disobey God's Word in Matthew chapter 5? Do you know that? Jesus said it in chapter 7. He actually showed that you could say, but, but, we do all manners of Holy Ghost work. They're going to get to heaven the judgment day and say, but we were moved by the Holy Spirit of God. He prophesied. I gave a message, a prophecy in the church. The Spirit told, ever, ever met those people. The Spirit said, the Spirit said, the Spirit said. It's like every single day. Spirit said, do this. Spirit said, didn't need to go to church today. Could just lie in my bed at home. Really? That's the Holy Spirit told you? Yeah. I'm under grace. Do you know what? You're a foolish builder. And you know, when this storm comes, you're in serious trouble. I hope you have a storm coming this earth to wreck it, to shake you, to awaken you. Because if you wait to judgment day, you're going to lose your eternal soul. The word foolish, listen closely. It means to be dull in your thinking, stupid, heedless. The word means to be flat or blunt. It's like having a knife, but there's no edge on it. You could rub it up and down your hand. It won't even cut you. Brother Souf the other night talked about new knives they got, and he just touched it and cut himself. He had a plaster on that thumb. Just touched it. Do you know a wise Christian can be like that? They're absolutely red-hot, sharp. You just touch them and you'll get a nick. That's a real Christian. That's the sort of Christian that we want to be. But look at these foolish. They're blunt. They have no edge. The word foolish means to be thoughtless. Guess what? It's the Greek word moros, where we get moron from. Moron. Jesus is saying they're morons. They have no foundation. You know what? They listen sermon after sermon after sermon. They never do it. They never put it into their life. You know what Jesus is saying? You're a fool. This is a classic fool. He's going to sit in church for years. And you know what? He's got no foundation. He has never built on the rock. What a disaster. We need to be stripped of this unreality. That's why Christ is speaking here. He's saying you're brainless. Why not engage your brain and begin to look at where you're at? I'm scared to. You've got good knee to then. Are you going to stand in the judgment? Notice what Jesus says. I liken him unto a fool which built his house upon sand. Who would build a house on sand? Only a fool. Remember the Bible says don't call any man a fool. Do you know why that is? Because a real fool, a moron, don't call a man a moron. It's a very heavy statement. It means you're beyond redemption. You're past salvation. Do you know what a fool is? The way they're acting, they could never be saved. Not like that. They could talk about Christ. They believe in Christ. They've got the grace of God. They've got forgiveness. They're going to heaven. All the promises are mine. It's all grace, grace, grace. If I dare say but you need to do this, they go that's law. But Jesus says you need a right life. That's law. You're trying to condemn me. This is the Christ. What did this foolish man do? He built his house on sand. He's all caught up in the building, in the house, in his lifestyle, in his Christianity. But he's never made sure he's building on a foundation. And you know what? He does not obey or do the will of God. He's building a Christian life. He's building a testimony. He is doing things for God. I'm prophesying. I'm led of the Holy Spirit. I'm doing something for God. He ought to be really pleased. You've got no foundation. The one thing he says to you and shows you the word of God, you do not obey. This house is built upon sand. Listen to what Jesus says. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon the house and it fell. A house built on sand will fall. You may say the man that dared to build his house on sand, on sand. He knew storms would come. He knew that. Maybe it would take 10 years. Maybe it would take 30 years. But a storm would come. Why would he build his house on sand? Who could be that stupid? Okay, let's get personal. Who would be so stupid to try and live the Christian life, not obeying the word of God? Who would be so stupid that although Jesus says, do this, do this, do this, you're going to say, oh, but I'm under grace. Or he'll understand. Or I know I'm saved, so it doesn't matter. I'll be okay in that day. That's a fool. You won't understand what he looks like to Jesus. He's like a man building an entire house, beautiful house, painting the house, filling the house, occupying the house, and he's building on sand. Don't you realize the storm can come in one day, one night? And Jesus said there, he said, floods came and the winds blew and beat upon the house and it fell and great was the fall of it. Great was the fall. It says over in Luke chapter six, a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth against which the stream did beat vehemently and immediately it fell. Why would you endanger your own soul? It'd be better to live in the pubs or the drug dens of the city than to sit under the word of God and not to obey him. I don't have an option. I don't have an option here. I want to know the will of God. And I go, I've got the same feelings and thoughts as you. Do you know I'm very childlike? Some people claim they are, they're not, okay? I'm very childlike. I can't live this any better than you. Do you understand that? I'm not more courageous than you. I'm not stronger than you. I'm not more able than you. I'm not more spiritual and more divine. I don't have more than you. But I'm very simple as the word of God comes, I go, I can't do that. It's a heavy burden. It's a lot for me to do. I don't think I've got the ability. Lord, will you help me to do the will of God? I'm very childlike. I go, I can't, but you can. Will you work in me? Will you work the desire? Will you work the obedience? Will you work the willingness? I just believe you, Lord. I trust in you. It's my foundation. And you know what? The Lord will help you. We are dealing this morning in this message with this, the evidence of a solid foundation. Can I ask you as we close, do you have a solid foundation? Did you take the time over your foundation before you began to build? And are you more eager about building something on it than making sure the foundation is solid, that it's Christ, that it's a real supernatural new birth, that your repentance was real, that your faith in Christ was real, that that foundation can withstand even the judgment day when Christ is going to say, I know you, or else say, I don't know you. Depart from me into hell, not prepared for man, but prepared for Satan and his angels. Let's pray. Father, we love you. We bless you, O God. Father, when we see where our world's at, the storms are building up. The storms are coming. Our lives as your church, as individual Christians are about to encounter storms that our nations have not endured for centuries. Lord God, we know that only a certain kind of Christian is going to stand through these storms. The wind is going to blow. The rain is going to fall. Lord God, storms are going to come. The rivers are going to rise. Lord God, we realize that we are building very close. We are drawn very close to one of the greatest unleashions of a testing of your church of any generation for many centuries. And Lord God, we pray that you're going to have real churches, real Christians, real preachers that are going to, after the storm comes and goes, they're going to be found standing. But more than anything, O God, that day of judgment, that day when we stand before you, that day of our death, that day when we breathe our last breath, that day when Jesus comes to snatch away his saints to himself. Lord God, we're asking of you. Lord God, we want to be sure that we have a solid foundation. We want to be sure that our brother, that our sisters around us can see the evidence. They can discern the fruit, that there is a manifestation of a person, even weakly, who says, I do. I desire to do the will of God. Give me the word of God. Teach me the word of God. Saints of God, I want to exhort you here this morning. It's a simple thing. It's a small thing. I desire to hear the word of God. I desire to be convinced by the word of God. Not a debater, not an arguer, not always someone who's putting up arguments or inventing reasons why you're not living or doing the right thing, but someone who falls upon the rock, someone who is broken upon the rock, who says, help me by your grace to do your will and to obey you. Saints of God, the mark of a real genuine Christian is that God's word is not burdensome. It's not a heavy burden to them, but it's their desire. When other people hear hard sayings, we say, you have the words of eternal life. Where else can we go? Not with the word of Peter, when confronted with the reality of things that were not easy. Father, we love you. We bless you. We thank you for your word this morning. Will you encourage us? Will you strengthen us? Lord God, test the foundations of this church. Test the foundations of this preacher, of the individual Christians in this room. We're not counting heads. We don't care about numbers, but we do care about the foundations of individuals. Lord God, I want every family, every home to be built on a solid foundation. It may be unseen, but the fruit is going to blossom. There's going to be a desire for obedience in the home, in the relationships, in the friendships. And we ask for your divine grace because none of us are able to do this unless we're built upon the foundation, even the Lord Jesus Christ. We love you, our foundation. We love you, our Lord. Thank you, our Savior. We bless you. Let's just stand. Let's just love him. Let's just worship him, saints of God. Fall on the rock. Don't fear the storm. Don't try to work it out all yourself. Don't look at yourself and stumble over your own inability. Go to the rock. Find that solid rock that you can build your house, your entire Christian life. You know, it's not your Christian life that's merely going to be tested, but it is the rock upon which you build. I ask you one question. Is your rock, is your foundation able to withstand the storm? I didn't say you. I didn't even say your ability or your faith or your knowledge, but is your rock, is what you're building on able to stand the judgment? Amen.