OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to Sermons
Part of the series: PARABLES OF JESUS
Next  Click to download Audio

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO BUILDERS

Matthew 7:24-27

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is filled with much needed truth.

1.     These truths were divine because they sprang from the lips of the Son of God Himself.

2.     These truths would lift men out of the world, out of the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees, out of hypocrisy, out of immorality and materialism, out of doubt, out of self-righteousness, and out of the grips of false teachers.

 

B.    Preachers of the gospel seek to immolate the Christ in their preaching.

1.     They seek only to preach the Word of God (II Tim. 4:2).

 

Preach the word…

 

2.     They seek to call men and women out of evil, corruption, and deception, and into the will and commandments of God (Acts 2:46).

 

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

 

C.   Once the preaching, the admonition and the exhorting come to an end, the burden falls upon the hearers.  The fact is that hearers fall into one of two groups.

1.     This is born out in our parable for tonight’s study:  “The Parable of the Two Builders.”

2.     The parable was spoken by Jesus at the conclusion of one of his most notable sermons, The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:24-27).

 

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:  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish men, 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.

 

3.     Point:  The hearers of God’s Word will either be blessed or destroyed.

 

I.              THE TWO CATEGORIES OF HEARERS

 

A.   The  Hearers and Doers versus the Hearers Only

 

B.    Those who build on the rock versus those who build on the sand

 

C.   The Haves versus the Have Nots

D.   The Protected versus the Destroyed

 

E.    The Wise Man versus the Foolish Man

1.     Wise

a.     Strong (5429):  thoughtful, sagacious, discreet, (implying a cautious character)

b.    Thayer:  intelligent, wise, prudent, mindful of one’s interest

2.     Foolsh

a.     Strong (3474):  moros – dull or stupid (as if shut up) that is, heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd

b.    Thayer:  foolish, impious, godless

 

F.     Question:  Which of these two groups do I fall in?

a.     We could approach the answer from an either/or proposition relative to the totality of our lives.

b.    Most of us like to think of it from the standpoint of “for the most part.”  In other words, for the most part I am wise, that is, I hear and do.

c.    We could also apply the teaching to the individual commands.  On one command we can be wise and on another we are foolish.

 

II.            DISCUSSION OF THE PARABLE

 

A.   The proclamation of the Word of God

1.     The prophets foretold that the God’s Word would go forth from Zion (Isa. 2:2-3).

2.     Jesus commissioned His apostles to proclaim the truth beginning in the city of Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

3.     The apostles obeyed the Lord’s commission (Acts 2:1-4, 22).

4.     Since Pentecost Day, the Word of God has been proclaimed to the lost.

a.     The Bible is distributed.

b.    Sermons and lessons are presented orally.

c.    Much material is distributed in written form.

d.    Now the message also circles the globe electronically.

5.     Since Pentecost, there have been only two reactions to God’s Word.

 

B.    Four points in the parable:

1.     The Response

a.     The two hearers

1)     The wise man:  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man.

2)     The foolish man:  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man.

b.    Why the differences in the responses?

1)     Respect for the law-giver

2)     Recognition of the authority of the Word of God

3)     Realization of the importance of Jesus’ sayings to life

4)     Regardful of spiritual things

c.    Many scriptures exhort us to be like the wise man.

1)     Luke 11:28

 

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

 

2)     Romans 2:13

 

(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

 

3)     James 1:22

 

Be ye doers of the word, and not the hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

2.     The Resemblances

a.     The two builders

1)     Wise man:  I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house on a rock

2)     Foolish man:  …shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand

b.    Application:

1)     The building of a life is likened unto the building of a house.

2)     The key element of every structure is the foundation.

a)     A foundation is the material upon which the house rests.

b)     The foundation performs three major functions:

-        It bears the load of the building.

-        It anchors the building against natural forces.

-        It isolates the building from ground moisture.

c)     The desirable foundation is made of solid, dense materials.

3)     The man who hears Jesus’ sayings and does them has established a rock-solid foundation for his life.  The man who hears and does not do has built his life on the sand.  One man said such a foundation is “problematic.”

4)     NOTE:  For a while both foundations seem to work.  Both men are living in their homes and all appears to be well.

a)     The wicked seem to flourish.

b)     Those who have no religion seem to live good lives.

3.     The Rigors

a.     The wise man and the foolish man face the same rigors of life.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house.

b.    Storms can take many forms:  economic disasters, sicknesses, sin, death, and ultimately the judgment of God.

c.    Storms will come.

1)     Job 14:1

 

Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

 

2)     II Corinthians 5:4

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened…

 

3)     Hebrews 9:27

 

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

 

d.    When the storms of life come, the foundation makes a difference.

4.     The Results

a.     The Two Houses

1)     Rock:  …and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.

2)     Sand:  ...and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.

b.    Important points:

1)     Both men labored.  Both spent time and money in the process.

2)     When we build, don’t we want lasting results?

a)     We are building a life.  Don’t we want lasting results?

b)     We are building our homes.  Don’t we want lasting results?

c)     We are building relationships.  Don’t we want lasting results?

d)    We are building eternal destinies.  Don’t we want lasting results?

c.    James 1:25

 

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   As I thought of this parable, several contrasts come to mind.

1.     Noah versus the world of his day

2.     King Saul versus King David

3.     Lazarus versus the rich man

4.     Peter versus Judas

 

B.    Which builder are you?

1.     Are you the wise man or the foolish man?

2.     Are you building on a rock or are you building on the sand?

3.     Do you hear Jesus’ sayings and do them or do you hear and not do.

 

C.   Two verses:

1.     Proverbs 10:8

 

The wise in heart will receive commandments:  but a prating fool shall fall.

 

2.     Revelation 22:14

 

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

 

D.   Nike was right:  “JUST DO IT!”