November 2, 1999
For us, it’s a five minute bike ride to the river bank where that large brick home slid over the edge. We drove by it earlier this summer, remembering it because of some plants under trees along its driveway. Obviously, the family who lived there enjoyed their home and its view.
Who can imagine their distress as they watched wood, brick and glass disappearing over the edge? Moving from home may be traumatic but watching your home move away from you is a horror. To some this may be “just a house” yet a home with all its memories means far more.
Apparently, the city of Edmonton warned contractors and owners about building along the river. Maybe it was just a general warning. Any river front property would have some liabilities. However, not every home on a river bank crumbles along with the ground beneath it.
Engineers are working to uncover the reason. Some guessed the foundation was weakened by an underground stream or erosion had moved the soil. They agreed the house itself was not at fault. The latest news says a natural ‘shift’ beneath the surface had done just that; it shifted and the house shifted with it.
While watching videos of the slide on television, I thought of a song the kids in our church sometimes sing. It is called “Sandy Land.” One part goes, “Don’t build your house on a sandy land; don’t build it too near the shore. It might look kind of nice but you’ll have to build it twice; you’ll have to build your house once more.”
This song is not talking about building codes or common sense. Instead, it comes from an illustration used by Jesus Christ. Matthew records his sermon about life and the foundations upon which we build our life. Our value systems, social norms and other ideals, including the way we ourselves were raised, determine how our lives are structured. But Jesus wanted to get across a point. He wanted our foundation to be stronger than any of those things.
To illustrate, He used a house: “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.”
In contrast, Jesus then added, “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.”
While our values and social norms are often good, we need more. We need to pay attention to the words of God. Yet Jesus made it clear that merely listening to or reading the Bible will not equip us for the stresses of life. Trials and difficulties will bring us down unless we also do what it says. Obedience to God is like muscle building. It puts us in shape, giving spiritual and even physical stamina. Disobedience makes us weak and unable to stand.
When Jesus compared obedience to a foundation built on a ‘rock,’ He may have been making a pun. A rock represents several things in the Bible. One is the church. Another is the body of truth taught in the Bible. However, the most important ‘rock’ is Jesus Himself. No matter what else we put under our lives as a foundation, He directs us to obey Him because He is the rock upon which we stand.
As horrible as it would be to watch our home slide from us, a far greater disaster would be watching our life fall apart. Stick and mortar will put the house back together or at least build a new one but rebuilding a life is a greater challenge. Jesus would rather we did not fall apart in the first place. He offers us Himself and obedience to what He says as building material for a shift-proof foundation.
Showing posts with label the solid rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the solid rock. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
A Solid Foundation ....................... Parables 094
Approximately 3300 new homes were constructed in the Edmonton and surrounding area this past year. Most of them have a concrete foundation; some may have a preserved wood foundation; but certainly none of them were built on quicksand, mud, or rotten wood! Foundations are too important to use weak or unstable material. If we do, no matter how firm the structure is on top, it will come down when the foundation does... and this is as true for our life as it is for our homes.
What kind of foundation will you be building on this year?
Some people will structure their year upon how little or how much money they have in the bank, economics shaping their priorities and lifestyle. Some will plan around health; the state of their body will decide how they will live and what will be the most important choices.
Others will plan next year around a secular “this-life-is-all-there- is” philosophy; the foundation for “doing things because it feels good” or because it seems to be “easiest” or “the most comfortable” way to live. Most will not think about their relationship with God or how their foundations will affect eternity.
Christians need to be on guard against thinking the same way. God has promised more than just this life, therefore we ought to live accordingly. After all, our foundation does not change with the economy, the weather, or the state of our physical bodies.
Instead we build our lives on an unchanging person. Paul says, in I Corinthians 3, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” He is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” Christ is our foundation for what we believe. What we believe forms the foundation for how we live.
FAITH: At the foundation of everything we do is a supposition, a belief system. We think certain things, therefore we act in certain ways. The foundation for our thinking is Jesus Christ.
First He came “God in human flesh” and lived a sinless life among us performing miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead. Then He went to Calvary and died on the cross for our sin, paying the penalty we should have paid. He was buried, but on the third day rose from the dead and was seen alive by many witnesses. After that, He ascended into heaven and promised to come again and take all those who place their faith in Him to be with Him forever.
For this life, He offers Himself - as our wisdom, strength, and source of all we need. Who He is and what He has done forms a solid foundation for who we are and He is sufficient for all He wants us to do. But Paul also said “take heed how you build...” (1 Corinthians 3)
PRACTICE: Since He is our lasting and sure foundation, any thing we build in our lives must be built on that foundation . He explained it this way: “Abide in me... for without me, you can do nothing...” (John 15:4,5) Jesus also pointed out that abiding requires obedience (John 15:10) And in Matthew 7, He showed how obedience relates to having a solid foundation: “Anyone who hears these sayings of mine and DOES them is like a man who built his house upon a rock...” (Matthew 7)
The storms that come will not destroy that man’s house because of its strong foundation... neither will our lives be destroyed by the trials of life if they are constructed solidly upon obedience to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 11:3 asks “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Obviously, with no sure foundation, we would have no hope. But our foundation, Jesus Christ, is indestructible. Because He is who He is - He is always able to meet our needs, able to give us loving care, and able to direct us with wisdom and clarity. What more could anyone need for stability and strength against whatever may come in this year and beyond?
What kind of foundation will you be building on this year?
Some people will structure their year upon how little or how much money they have in the bank, economics shaping their priorities and lifestyle. Some will plan around health; the state of their body will decide how they will live and what will be the most important choices.
Others will plan next year around a secular “this-life-is-all-there- is” philosophy; the foundation for “doing things because it feels good” or because it seems to be “easiest” or “the most comfortable” way to live. Most will not think about their relationship with God or how their foundations will affect eternity.
Christians need to be on guard against thinking the same way. God has promised more than just this life, therefore we ought to live accordingly. After all, our foundation does not change with the economy, the weather, or the state of our physical bodies.
Instead we build our lives on an unchanging person. Paul says, in I Corinthians 3, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” He is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” Christ is our foundation for what we believe. What we believe forms the foundation for how we live.
FAITH: At the foundation of everything we do is a supposition, a belief system. We think certain things, therefore we act in certain ways. The foundation for our thinking is Jesus Christ.
First He came “God in human flesh” and lived a sinless life among us performing miracles, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead. Then He went to Calvary and died on the cross for our sin, paying the penalty we should have paid. He was buried, but on the third day rose from the dead and was seen alive by many witnesses. After that, He ascended into heaven and promised to come again and take all those who place their faith in Him to be with Him forever.
For this life, He offers Himself - as our wisdom, strength, and source of all we need. Who He is and what He has done forms a solid foundation for who we are and He is sufficient for all He wants us to do. But Paul also said “take heed how you build...” (1 Corinthians 3)
PRACTICE: Since He is our lasting and sure foundation, any thing we build in our lives must be built on that foundation . He explained it this way: “Abide in me... for without me, you can do nothing...” (John 15:4,5) Jesus also pointed out that abiding requires obedience (John 15:10) And in Matthew 7, He showed how obedience relates to having a solid foundation: “Anyone who hears these sayings of mine and DOES them is like a man who built his house upon a rock...” (Matthew 7)
The storms that come will not destroy that man’s house because of its strong foundation... neither will our lives be destroyed by the trials of life if they are constructed solidly upon obedience to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 11:3 asks “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Obviously, with no sure foundation, we would have no hope. But our foundation, Jesus Christ, is indestructible. Because He is who He is - He is always able to meet our needs, able to give us loving care, and able to direct us with wisdom and clarity. What more could anyone need for stability and strength against whatever may come in this year and beyond?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)