The Wise Builder
Website Editor • July 15, 2020
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." - Matthew 7:24-29
From Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Matthew 7:24-29:
For the past 23 weeks, our church has been going verse by verse through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. We have studied every Beatitude, every teaching, every verse.
He tells us, "everyone who hears these words of mine
and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Jesus wraps up His sermon with eternity in mind. If we build our lives on the right foundation, they will stand the test of time. If we fill our hearts and minds with Jesus' instruction and we do the work He's asking of us, we anchor ourselves to the solid rock that is our Lord Jesus Christ -- now and forever.
In this, Jesus calls us to not only a better destination, but also a better journey. Our lives should look different than the world around us; we are called to a higher righteousness and a higher obedience. Our lives may not all look the same, but if build them on the right foundation, they will be united in giving glory to God. Lives with this purpose are eternal.
So, how can we be like the wise builder?
We can hear and do
the will of God.
Jesus makes it clear that obedience follows heart change. If we are only hearing the word of God and not living it out, we must check ourselves (see: "The Narrow Path" sermon from last week). James 1:22 says it well, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Not all who think they belong to God are truly His.
We can dig deep and build well.
There are no shortcuts to walking on the Narrow Path that God calls us to. To walk with Him is to obey Him and seek Him daily. Jesus is after our hearts and His desire is for our hearts to long for Him more than anything else. To dig deep and build well is to study His Word, to talk with Him, and to seek His kingdom above anything else.
We can remain confident when storms come.
If we are not firmly anchored in the truths of God's Word, we are more likely to lose confidence when trials come. When we acknowledge that God is in control no matter the circumstance, we are unshakeable.
We can find assurance in obedience.
1 John 2:3-6 says, "And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Whoever says "I know Him" but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says He abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked."
Jesus wants us to know with absolute certainty the path we are on. The way we can be sure of that is by how well we obey. Certainly, there is none among us who obeys perfectly. But, we must examine if our lives show progress in the direction of Christlikeness.
Are you growing in likeness to Him, or not?
….Are you poor in spirit? Do you mourn? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Are you merciful? Are you pure in heart? Are you a peacemaker? Are you being persecuted?
….Are you saltier than the world around you? Are you being a light in a dark world? Are you avoiding anger and lust? Do you let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no? Do you turn the other cheek? Do you love your enemies?
…Do you give and pray right way? Are you storing up your treasure in heaven? Are you seeking His kingdom? Are you choosing trust over worry?
…Are you going to the Father with all of your needs? Are you treating other people as yourself?
…Are you walking the path that leads to life? Are you discerning and judging others fairly? Is there fruit in your life?
….Do you hear the word of the Lord and obey it?
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Let us be a church of wise builders.
Watch this sermon, here.
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
