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THE TWO BUILDERS

March 16, 2003 AM

Sermon Outline

Mt 7:24-27

INTRO: I suppose there are not many of your present here this morning who cannot sing the Wise Man song. We probably even know the gestures which go with the words. Among the many songs children have been singing in Bible classes for years is this song about the wise man who built his house on the rock. One of the things not included in the song which comes from our lesson text, however, is the great truth at vv. 24,26. This morning we will conclude the series of sermons based on the Twos of the sermon on the mount. And we see again a great comparison made in our text. Two builders...one is wise...one is foolish.

I. THE FOUNDATION TEXT?

A. Notice carefully Mt 7:24,26

1. the Lord has been teaching kingdom truths

2. and some of the things He has been saying are no doubt cutting some to the quick

B. But He gives heavens definition of wise and foolish in these verses

1. wise is one who hears the word and does them

2. foolish is one who hears the word and does not do it

II. THE ONGOING ESSENTIALITY OF THE WORD OF TRUTH

A. Ps 19:7-11 Could it be said any more simply, vividly?

1. where the word of God, the word of the Lord is concerned, humanity has what it needs to be in complete, perfect, right relationship with God

2. from converting the soul to keeping of them to the warnings of it

B. Jno 17:17 Without the word how could one be sanctified?

1. sanctify means simply to make holy

2. in 1 Pet 1:15,16 is the imperative to be holy ... it is by the living, instructive word from God that the hows of holiness are revealed

C. Jno 6:63,68 Without the word how can we have life? eternal life?

1. I so appreciate Deut 32:45-47 - ...it is your life...

2. how can I impress, how can I stress in a memorable way the essentiality of the word of God? it is you life!!

D. Jno 12:49,50 And the word of Christ is the word of God!

1. how are we to know what God wants us to know?

2. its simple, really ... busy ourselves with the study, the learning of the word of our Lord

III. SO, BOTH BUILDERS HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH...

A. But there was the other part of the story

1. one did what he heard ... the other did not

2. one had the foundation he needed for life ... the other did not

3. one had what is necessary to survive storms ... the other did not

B. Is the contrast here so rare, so unusual?

1. Lk 6:46 - here is a question which I believe we must all answer

2. we call him Lord - we say He is our Lord

3. but are we really His subjects, His servants? Not if we are only hearing His word!

C. The contrast really is not all that unusual in real life, then

1. millions of people call Him Lord

2. but their lives have not responded in the submission to His word, will

3. according to Mt 7:21, such people are lost people

IV. AND WHAT ABOUT THE STORMS?

A. Well, real life will have its storms

1. fortunately, most storms do not last very long

2. but while they last, they are intense - damaging, devastating

3. the stressors are growing more frequent, more consequential - and modern life simply seems unable to avoid them

B. But knowing the word and doing the word give us a sure foundation

1. we are equipped intellectually and experientially ... trust!

2. when storms come we need two things: knowledge of the word to use in solving our problems; trust in the Lord that what His word offers us will work exactly as it is designed to work (cf. Rom 4:20,21 - ...what he had promised, he was able also to perform)

3. two houses can be identically built with one vital difference: the foundation - and that difference will eventually be seen in the house with the unstable foundation - it could even fall!

4. how is your spiritual foundation?

CLOSE: Hearing and doing can be summarized in one word: obedience. That is what the Lord demands of anyone who would follow Him. So, Heb 5:9.

Cecil A. Hutson

09 March 2003

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)