Summer on the Mount - Matthew 7:24-29

Matthew 7:24-29Senior Pastor Alex KennedyStorms and life go together. There is no place on earth where we can be completely free from trauma, tension, or trouble. The storm will almost always reveal the truth, and where someone puts their hope and trust.
In this wrap up of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares two foundations. The people would have easily understood what He was talking about, because His illustration was something they had to live with every day.
A wadi is a valley with two hillsides. The hills were made of bedrock and were very stable. If a storm happened miles away, a wall of water would surprise the people as it washed through the valley. The only thing left after the flood was sand at the bottom of the wadi.
The wise builder put his house on the strong foundation of bedrock, while the foolish builder would be lazy and reckless and build his house at the bottom of the wadi in the sand.
We must ask ourselves the question, "do we do what we say and do what we know?" In other words, are we allowing the Lordship of Jesus be our "narrow path" that leads to life?
So, the sermon ends on the same note of radical choice of which we have been aware of from the start. Jesus does not set before His followers a string of easy ethical rules, so much as a set of values and ideals which is entirely distinctive from the way of the world.
He summons us to renounce the prevailing secular culture in favor of the Christian counter-culture.
The crowds were astonished by His teaching because He spoke with authority. Typically, the scribes quoted the rabbis before them and were afraid to express an idea without bolstering it up by some predecessor. Every time Jesus said, "but I tell you", it was a shocking statement! It definitely caught the attention of everyone there, and it stayed with them. Jesus stood on His own authority!
There is a connection between His voice and your heart. When you hear these Truths, there is a decision to be made. Jesus is inviting you to be like the wise builder and build your foundation deep into His Word so that you can live a life of love and obedience to Him.
Questions to consider:

1. What are some of the highlights from this sermon series that have stood out to you?
2. We have wise and foolish choices we can make every day. What is a choice you must consider, and what are the wise and foolish options for that choice? (relationships, media, work, school, neighbors, etc.)
3. What steps do you need to take in order to be like the "wise builder" in this season of your life?

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