Build on the Foundation

Build on the Foundation

By Pastor John Dawson

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24

            We are all in the construction business. It is not the sort of construction that only lasts a short time—like a hundred years or so. We are involved in construction of our eternal souls. It is true that God is the general contractor and chief builder, but we are living stones, and our actions take part in the building of our souls. It is through our working that God works his purposes in building us up in life into the people he desires.

            For a building to last, you need to use good materials. But even more important than the individual materials is the foundation. The foundation must be solid for the building to last. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is the foundation and the cornerstone. There is no other foundation than Christ and no way to lay our foundation than faith in Christ. But what does that mean? 

            Jesus tells us about this building at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. After teaching about the law and how we are to live, he then tells the importance of actually putting into practice. A wise man is one who hears Jesus’ words and puts them into practice. In other words, the wise man actually follows Jesus. The wise man starts with faith in Christ and then acts on that faith by continually considering what Jesus said. The wise man constantly checks what he does against the words of his Master, because Jesus really is his Master, and following Jesus is important.

            The foolish man is one who hears the words of Jesus but does not put them into practice. The foolish man is not very picky about the building material he uses. Instead, he takes what is available or just what strikes his fancy. He listens to this trendy speaker or that random friend. Because of this, he will not grow in righteousness but will go back and forth, never going anywhere. Even worse, the foolish man does not have a solid foundation to build on. He starts with his own thoughts and feelings, which shift all the time. When the foundation shifts, the building is unstable. Strong winds will blow it down. When the great trials come which can shake your life, you need the solid foundation of Christ. If you have built your life on a shaky foundation, there is little hope that it will turn out well. Even if things go smoothly for many years, the ending will be a disaster.

            How do you build on the foundation of Christ? First you must hear the word of God. If you don’t hear the word, how can you act on the word? One of the reasons we gather for worship and study is to hear the word of God and understand it in a way to put it into practice. If you do not hear, you can’t put them into practice.

            Yet hearing is not enough. As the Apostle James says, be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Even the foolish man Jesus described was a hearer. He may have paid attention to the whole Sermon on the Mount. He may have taken notes. Those are very helpful to be sure, but ultimately, it is in the practice of the words, the actual following of Jesus that we can successfully build on the foundation.

            You are building your life, day by day. You must build on the sure foundation that is Christ. Is that really your foundation? Are you earnestly trying to do what Jesus said to do? That is what the wise man does. In this Easter season, may the Savior’s love for you empower you to hear, do, and follow all that Jesus has for you. And you will be blessed.

Pastor John