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welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God on this Sunday evening you can turn with me in your Bibles for our call to worship to proverbs chapter 9 proverbs chapter 9 for our call to worship I'll begin reading in verse 1 wisdom has built her house she has hewn out her Seven Pillars she has slaughtered her meat she is mixed her wine she has also furnished her table she has sent out her maidens she cries out from the highest places of the city whoever is simple let him turn in here as for him who lacks understanding she says to him come eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed forsake foolishness and live and go in the way of understanding he who corrects a scoffer gets shamed for himself and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself do not correct a scoffer lest he hate you rebuke a wise man and he will love you give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser teach a just man and he will increase in learning the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding for by me your days will be multiplied and years of life will be added to you if you are wise your wise for yourself and if you scoff you will bear it alone a foolish woman is clamorous she is simple and knows nothing for she sits at the door of her house on a seat by the highest places of the city to call to those who pass by who go straight on their way whoever is simple let him turn in here and ask for him who lacks understanding she says to him stolen water is sweet and bread eaten and secret is pleasant but he does not know that the dead are there that her guests are in the depths of hell amen will please turn in your hymn books to number 253 hymn number 253 when you find it please stand and we'll sing together [Music] Amen well let us pray our God and our Father and we come before you again on the Sabbath evening to call upon your great and awesome name we come before you to acknowledge and to confess that you are glorious that you are wondrous that you are worthy to be praised and and adored and and honored in this time together we ask Most High that you would be found among your people here that you would be pleased to receive our or Psalms of praise and the hymns that we sing and hear our prayers now and may you indeed send forth their holy spirit as we look to the Scriptures we pray that God would be found amongst the people in this local Assembly strengthening and encouraging and and building us up in our most holy faith we praise you for your great works of creation we praise you for the work of Providence and we praise you for what you do in Redemption the fact that you have sent your son into this world centers to save God we praise you for what the gospel reveals concerning the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that second person of the triune God took on our humanity identified with us in all points yet without sin he lived in obedience to that law he died in our place on Calvary's cross and he was raised the third day and God we know the theological significance for this it's revealed clearly by Paul in Romans 4 that Christ was delivered up because of our offences and he was raised for our justification we give praise to you that though we had rebelled and transgressed and lacked conformity under that law we ran from you and hid from you and yet father you sent your son to seek and to save that which was lost how we praise you for this glorious gospel of salvation how we praise you for your great grace the fact that you chose us in him before the foundation of the world that you set us apart that you in your timing called us forth by the power of the Spirit you gave us ears to hear and hearts to receive that word of truth you gave us the graces of faith and repentance to close with Jesus Christ so god we want to magnify you as we gather together for worship tonight we pray that this would not only occupy us on a Sunday evening but each and every day we would consider we would contemplate we would rejoice in what you have done for us in terms of salvation and our Father may these things truly humble us under your mighty hand and may we indeed respond to you with that reverence and that fear and that that gratitude and joy that are owing or are fitting for such a great and glorious God and even now father we are mindful of our sins and transgressions and we confess those things knowing Lord God that you don't do we don't deserve mercy we don't deserve grace we don't deserve your forgiveness that you have freely given it to us and then through the work of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we live in those days that were prophesied by Zechariah he said there would be a fountain open for sin and uncleanness and we rejoice in this Lord God not so that we can continue in uncleanness but when we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous so even now wash us and purify us and cleanse us in that precious blood and Lord God and deed help us to call upon you in prayer and to to lay hold of you in this glad hour of corporate worship we ask for your continued blessings upon this local church we pray that peace would indeed prevail amongst us that we have that peace with God that does surpass all understanding and may we have peace with one another may we enjoy the fellowship of the saints and may we express our love for one another and God would you edify and strengthen each and every one of us and further conform us unto the image of your beloved son and Lord God we pray that if it is your will you would add to our number such as should be saved we know Most High that you were sovereign in the matter of salvation we pray even tonight for those who've come into this place that perhaps apart from that saving grace of God we would pray that they by grace would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and know the joy of being found in him we ask for your continued blessing in the temporal sphere we do have many struggling with ongoing afflictions and trials and note and we know father that you tend not only to the inner man but the outer man and God we rejoice in that reality we rejoice in your loving-kindness and in your goodness and as you own the cattle on a Thousand Hills we pray that you would bless and encourage your suffering Saints in this local assembly we also pray our Father for the other churches and this community we thank you for those that are preaching the truth those are those that are faithful to the Word of God we pray that you would prosper them that you would bless them that you would strike them and encourage them and God blessed the church and serene we thank you for that sister Church to us and pray for pastor Kirkpatrick and for the brothers and sisters there that they would remain faithful that they would all grow in the Grace and knowledge of the Lord Christ and that father you would be pleased to bless that local body and be with the church plant in Vernon and we pray that in your time you would provide a man to labor in the word and doctrine there and that God they would know that blessing and that encouragement that's prophesied in Jeremiah and Ezekiel when you would give Shepherds after your own hearts to your people to your churches God may they know that and may they be blessed by that and may that work be established firmly in that community and God for other churches throughout the earth we pray that you would cause your word to go forth that it would run swiftly and be glorified that you would be pleased to cause your face to shine upon the nation's and truly let them be glad and continue with us now a father and strengthen us as we come before you help us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ our Lord and we pray in his most blessed name amen well please turn with me again in your hymnbooks to Psalm 47 Psalm 47 a as in alpha when you find that we can stand and sing together Psalm 47 a [Music] you could turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 9 for our scripture reading Genesis chapter 9 as we continue to work our way through the Old Testament in our evening service I'll begin reading in verse 1 of Genesis chapter 9 so God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth on every bird of the air and all that move on the earth and on all the fish of the sea they are given into your hand every moving thing that lives shall be food for you I have given you all things even as the green herbs but you shall not eat flesh with its life that is its blood surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning from the hand of every beast I will require it and from the hand of man from the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed for in the image of God he made man and as for you be fruitful and multiply bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him saying as for me behold I establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you the birds the cattle and every beast of the earth with you of all that go out of the ark every beast of the earth thus I establish my covenant with you never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth and God said this is the sign of the Covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations I set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the Covenant between me and the earth it shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh the rainbow shall be in the cloud and I will look on it to remem the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth and God said to Noah this is the sign of the Covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were shem ham and Japheth and ham was the father of canaan these three were the sons of Noah and from these the whole earth was populated and Noah began to be a farmer and he planted a vineyard then he drank of the wine and was drunk and became uncovered in his tent and ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside but sham and Japheth took a garment laid it on both their shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father their faces were turned away and they did not see their fathers nakedness so Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his younger son had done to him then he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren and he said blessed be the Lord the God of Shem and McCain and be his servant may God enlarge Japheth and may he dwell in the tents of Shem and make a NAND be his servant and Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years so all the days of Noah were 950 years and he died amen well obviously they have emerged from the flood and God makes a covenant with Noah and this covenant is binding and it remains so today we call this a common grace covenant it is the protection by God afforded by God of the created order and as a result the things that are stipulated here are still binding in fact God regulates human society specifically with capital punishment of the death penalty in verse 6 remember that prior to the flood the earth was corrupt it was exceedingly corrupt and filled with violence and so here civil government is armed with the sword to ensure that that sort of thing doesn't obtain again and as we move through Scripture we see that the death penalty is upheld we see it in the mosaic economy additional crimes are specified in terms of what do deserve the the death penalty or capital punishment and then when we get to the New Testament the Apostle Paul upholds this also in the book of Romans in Romans chapter 13 he tells us that civil government does not bear the sword in vain now that doesn't mean that every piece or every time of punishment is demanded or demands capital punishment but certainly the sword represents the right of civil government to execute criminal offenders and we see the abiding principle or the abiding rationale in Chapter 9 verse 6 whoever sheds man's blood now the later on it's going to make a distinction between manslaughter and murder obviously this is murder this is malicious this is premeditated this is done with malice aforethought whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed the agency is highlighted by man civil government has this prerogative and then the abiding theological reason is the end of verse 6 for in the image of God he made man and so this is binding it's lasting and it's something that the civil state should engage in today and the fact that we never ever hear about it whatsoever but we hear about so many other things shows us the misguided nosov those operating in such a sphere and then one final observation before we leave this chapters in Chapter 9 obviously we see that those sin was judged by God it was not completely eradicated this account of Noah having gotten drunk and his son then mocking him indicates that sin survived even through this flood but one of the interesting things is what Noah says concerning the judgment of God and the blessing of God in verses 24 and following we see a prophetic statement from Noah says Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his younger son had done to him then he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren and he said blessed be the Lord the God of Shem and make a NAND be his servant may God enlarge Japheth and may he dwell in the tents of Shem and make 8 and be his servant I think in many respects this is programmatic for the rest of the Bible may God enlarge Japheth and may he dwell in the tents of Shem the tents of Shem of course is Israel Japheth would be the Gentiles they are then included in the covenant promises of God Almighty so all the way here back in Genesis chapter 9 we have the first promise of the first announcement of Gentile inclusion in the Covenant promises of God this is further developed with reference to Abraham and of course we see it expanded upon in the prophets and in the Psalter and then we see it ultimately realized in our Lord Jesus Christ go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit God's purpose and plan was always to save a great multitude from every tribe tongue people and nation by Jesus Christ our Lord Noah announces it the rest of the Bible reports on it and then reveals how that is achieved through what Christ accomplishes in his life and his death and his resurrection well let us pray our Father we thank you for Genesis 9 and its significance in the civil fear and as well spiritually we see these lessons concerning the the function of government in our society we see this lesson specifically with reference to Gentile inclusion and the covenant people of God and this is a great encouragement as we see Christ that champion that blessed mediator that one comes to fulfill and to bring to fruition all that was promised in the Old Testament bless and encourage us and strengthen us as we ponder these things and we ask through Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to 459 hymn number 459 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh well please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew's Gospel where in Matthew chapter 7 a couple of weeks ago we looked at the two claims in verses 21 to 23 this evening I want to look at the two builders in verses 24 to 29 so the end of the Sermon on the Mount it teaches us something concerning the importance of God's holy word and the necessity for us as those hearers to be doers of that word I want to begin reading in Chapter 7 at verse 13 as this is the the beginning of the end with reference to the Sermon on the Mount so seven thirteen enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves you will know them by their fruits do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles even so every good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree Bears bad fruit a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire therefore by their fruits you will know them not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father in heaven many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in your name cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name and then I will declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock but everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell and great was its fall and so it was when Jesus had ended Sang's that the people were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the scribes amen will let us pray God thank you for the Sermon on the Mount thank you for Matthew's Gospel thank you for the entirety of the Word of God and we pray now for the Holy Spirit to guide us the the Spirit who gave us this word we pray that he would lead us and teach us and help us now to appreciate what we have in the passage before us and grant us the grace Lord God to not only hear the word but to be doers of that word grant us the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit not just on the Lord's Day but each and every day our desire is to bring glory and honor and praise unto you again forgive us for our sins and our unrighteousness and everything that would cloud our understanding and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well it's an obviously pointed passage and it has an affinity with proverbs chapter 9 wisdom builds a house and then that wicked woman builds a house the wisdom of course brings in those who want to find refuge and safety and then the wicked woman brings in the simple the naive those who are a rebellious at heart those who resist and reject the word of the living and true God obviously as well that him that was just sang and my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness certainly sees some affinity or connection with this present passage and this whole section beginning in verse 13 is Christ applying the Sermon on the Mount in other words he's not just providing information but he is calling upon persons to exercise their will now I realize in a Calvinistic situation people will freak out about that but we shouldn't freak out about that because God the Lord most high calls us to believe he calls us to listen he calls us to obey and so as we come to this particular section haha Christ highlights two ways in verses 13 and 14 two types of trees in verses 15 to 20 - claims in verses 21 to 23 and then these two builders in verses 24 to 27 and as we reflect upon this I think that RT France is right he says the resultant for Sections therefore press increasingly closer to home the first the two ways is a simple contrast between saved and lost the second concerns outsiders who merely pretend to be insiders the third looks at those who think they are insiders and but or not and the fourth draws a line even within the group of insiders those who hear Jesus words between those who respond and those who do not so what we're dealing with in verses 24 to 27 isn't the heathen it isn't the pagan it isn't the person outside of the sound of the preaching of God's Word but rather both builders hear the words of Christ both builders are then marked by either a acceptance of it and obedience to it or rejection of it and disobedience to it so let's look first at the wise builder secondly the foolish builder and then finally we'll close off by looking at the authoritative preacher as verses 28 and 29 set Christ forth but notice the description it is the conclusion of this particular section of the sermon and the sermon as a whole it says therefore this brings it all to a conclusion and a very pointed in a very powerful way to end the message and it actually ends on the negative it ends on the foolish builder so notice in the first place the object in view whoever hears these sayings of mine ultimately man is judged by and man is governed by the word that proceeds from the mouth of Christ this is the standard this is the measuring tool this is what all men are supposed to respond to favorably and then the specific response with reference to the wise builder whoever hears these sayings of mine and does that that's the emphasis that we need to take away from this not only do we hear the word of Christ but we do what the word of Christ bids us previously in verses 21 to 23 we saw that that applied specifically to the judgment seat of Christ on that day of judgment prior to our entrance either into the kingdom of heaven or excluded and off to Hell itself but this speak more to that sort of James to sanctification or James one being doers of the word and again it's in a fitting and appropriate section Christ has spoken to many things in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 he spoken the Beatitudes he has spoken concerning the law of Moses he has spoken concerning acts of righteousness or piety he has spoken concerning anxiety carnality all those sorts of things and now he brings it all home and says that the wise man is the one who hears these words of mine and he does what I say this is the emphasis the scene described previously is the day of judgment the scene described here is the one who does what God's Word says it is not perfect it is not spotless it is not perpetual it is not exact it is not entire but by the grace of God with the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit of God the orientation of the wise man is to do God's will it is to embrace what has told us and it is not to resist it or reject it or to try to argue our way out of it but rather to go with what God has said John dill says he is not only an hearer but a doer of the word of the gospel the doctrines of it he receives in the love of them and exercises faith on them upon Christ as Grace and righteousness held forth in them which is the great work in business of a Christian he is to do and does do in this life the ordinances of of it he cheerfully obeys and all the duties of religion he performs from love to Christ without any view to obtain eternal life here by which he only expects from Christ as his sayings and doctrines direct him so the one who walks on the narrow way the one who avoids the false prophets the one who does the will of the Father that means specifically believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the wise man who hears the words of Jesus Christ and does what he says and then Christ uses this most appropriate illustration to give us the powerful message behind this notice he says I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock it is my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I'm not a builder I'm not a contractor but I have some familiarity with such things if you are laying a foundation it has to be rocked you cannot lay foundation in the sand and hope that your house is going to stand you have to dig deep you have to pour the concrete and it's upon that basis that you build and that's what Christ said I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock he goes on in verse 25 to say the rain descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock now as Jesus says that we are at the minded of the reality that building on the rock being the sort of wise man or woman that receives the word of Christ and does then does not make us immune from the trials of life it does not make us immune from the hardships and the difficulties and the afflictions that are associated with life in a sin cursed world this is the reality that the people of God face the rain descended the floods came the winds blew and beat on that house later on in Matthew chapter 8 we see Christ in the midst of the storm Christ is with the disciples in the boat and there is this great storm such that seasoned fishermen men that knew this particular Lake they knew this particular weather stream they knew these particular threats were afraid at the thought of even dying and Christ is right there and Christ of course settles them and Steady's them and Christ speaks the word and the winds stopped and the rain stopped and the way stopped but the primary lesson is is that even though Christ is in the boat with you it doesn't mean there's not going to be storms it doesn't mean there's not going to be waves it doesn't mean there's not going to be hardships there's rain in the Christian life as well I haven't noticed that when it rains in Chilliwack all of our homes are somehow immune no rain falls on us when falls on our houses storms of fact the people of God but the difference between the people of God and the non people of God is that our houses are built firmly on the rock and therefore they weather the storm they're able to stand it's not based on the wisdom of the Builder but rather on the steadiness of foundation that is what is highlighted John Gilligan says the foundation the person the blood and righteousness of Christ is as a rock firm and strong it will bear the whole weight that is laid upon it it is sure and certain it will never give way it is immovable and everlasting the house built on it stands safe and Shore so it's not the wisdom of the Builder that's in view primarily it's the foundation upon which he builds my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness if that is not your confession if that is not your profession if that is not what makes your heart beat and soar then may I appeal to you to hear the words of Christ and to do them in the first instance believe on him come to him in faith with repentance looking unto Him alone for salvation for forgiveness and for a righteousness that Avvo ultimately unveils with God because there is a storm coming a storm that far exceeds anything that you have faced in this world it is the storm of God's holy wrath you see it back in Chapter 7 at verses 21 to 23 when Christ says depart from me I never knew you that is going to make anything you have seen up to that point a walk in the park it's going to make everything you have seen in terms of hardship and affliction and trial and difficulty look like chump change when Christ casts you away that is the worst storm the very fury and wrath of God Almighty that is something to be feared that is something to seek refuge in Christ for that is something that will hopefully function as an impetus to call you out of your sloth and slumber into the very arms of the Lord Jesus Christ sometimes we hear you can't scare people into the presence of God well you can preach the Bible and the Bible certainly highlights the fear of God the Bible certainly highlights that coming day of threat of dread and terror the Bible certainly highlights the reality that there is a place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth and that's where all unwise builders will ultimately go and that's what Christ proceeds to speak to next notice the foolish builder in verses 26 and 27 he says everyone who hears these sayings of mine again not pagans not heathens not atheists not Islam not you know Buddhists these are persons within the context of the preaching of Christ's word these are persons that occupy spaces in our churches these are persons who come into contact with the scriptures the written word of God they come into contact with preaching the spoken word of God they may listen to sermon audio they may you know listen to the Bible on tape they may listen to a whole host of things so it's not the case that he's dealing with the heathen at this particular instance he is dealing with those who at least occupy space with reference to the reception of God's holy words so who everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them you see the difference there does not do that this particular fellow walks on the Broadway he listens to false prophets he is not a doer of the will of God that is he doesn't have faith in price he is the one who hears the word of Christ and doesn't do it and I think the prophet Ezekiel speaks to this very clearly in his book well God - Ezekiel God is highlighting the response of Israel to the preaching of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 33 32 33 God the Lord says as for you son of man the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses and they speak to one another every one saying to his brother please come in here what the word is that comes from the Lord there was a buzz created during Ezekiel's preaching ministry there was interest generated over Ezekiel's preaching persons would talk hey have have you heard the Prophet have you have you heard the man of God have you have you heard his preaching have you heard what he's saying he is in many respects the conduit by which God the Lord is speaking to the nation so there was this there was this curiosity or there was this interest it says so they come to as people do they sit before you as my people and they hear your words but they do not do them it's the same sort of thing that obtains here at the end of the Sermon on the Mount whoever hears the words or hears my words and does not do that that is precisely what's going on in Ezekiel's day he goes on to say for with their mouths they show much love but their hearts pursue their own gain in other words they come up to Ezekiel afterwards and they say good sermon they say good word they say we really enjoyed what you had to say there is that external expression of appreciation concerning the word of the Living God but as he says their hearts pursue their own gain better to do God's Word than to commend God's profit better to obey the will of Jesus Christ than to simply say what a good sermon better to internalize and act upon it than simply to pay lip service Jesus deals with that in his ministry as well citing the prophet Isaiah this idea of lip service and then God through Ezekiel says or to Ezekiel says indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear your words but that they don't do them they like to hear it the way that persons like to listen to a good violinist they like to hear it the way that a person likes to hear a good pianist they like to hear but but they don't do it simply liking it in some external fashion without the application of it is what God is condemning in Israel at the time of the Prophet you are to them as a art you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear your words but they do not do them and when this comes to pass surely it will come then they will know that a prophet has been among them now intriguingly the particular context of Ezekiel 33 is the fall of the southern kingdom under Nebuchadnezzar this was Israel's problem God had sent them prophets God had dispatched to them men like Ezekiel men like Isaiah men Jeremih men like all sorts of of profits that we find in the Old Testament Scriptures and Israel would receive it they might even pay that external lip service too to how good it was but they didn't obey it and their failure to obey it ultimately resulted in the curses of the Covenant coming down upon the country the nation as a whole visa vie the Babylonians and that captivity they spent 70 years there for their having violated the covenant of God Almighty they are released they are freed the decree goes out from Cyrus there are many that returned back to Judah about fifty five thousand a lot of them stayed back in Babylon which is intriguing they they got Babylon in them and they didn't want to leave they didn't want it apart but about fifty five fifty eight thousand people after the Exile go back to Judah but even then what happens they build the temple they rebuild the temple and in that setting in that situation same sort of thing they might have liked to hear the word of God in some external sense paying lip-service but they didn't do it they went through the motions with reference to the temple they went through the motions with reference to sacrifice the Prophet Malachi speaks to this in the Prophet Malachi the Lord God in Deitz the people for their having brought the lame and the blind and the mangy and the defective sacrifice Leviticus 23 is very clear when you bring an animal out of your flock to present a sacrifice unto Yahweh it needs to be the best of the flock it's not supposed to have defect it's not supposed to be the three-legged goat it is not supposed to be the one that that won't fetch much money it's supposed to be the best for God and yet they brought the lame they brought the blind they brought the main and they even in certain instances stole sacrifices on the way to the temple in order to present those as sacrifice to God to see all of this to indicate that the previous history of Israel it is marked by this reception externally of the Word of God and yet a failure to do what God says it is very much akin to what James speaks in James 1:22 2:25 but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was it's probably more akin for warm appropriate to younger people you kind of look at the mirror and you walk away and you kind of forget all the people you start to look at the mirror and say I don't remember that kind of neck thing there I don't remember looking like that and it kind of sticks in your head so what's happening here I remember all these wrinkles but the point is very clear it's kind of like a man who looks in the mirror walks away and forgets what it is that he that he saw it's the same thing we hear the word of God we hear a lot of sermons we are a lot of sermons in our church we have Sunday morning Sunday evening we have a confession study every other Sunday morning we have a Bible study every Wednesday night we have a theology meeting every other Saturday morning with a lot of stuff with reference to hearing the Word of God but are we acting upon it are we internalizing it are we building our houses upon the rock or are we building on the sand like this wretched man that pays lip service externally to the Word of God but does not do what God says this is where we need to be obedient he says for he observes himself goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was but he who looks into the perfect law of Liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this one will be blessed and what he does I don't want to get too much on to what James is saying here but I think it illustrates well what Jesus is saying but one of the things that James says he says he who looks into the perfect law of Liberty and continues in it Christianity is not just a fitness start okay I made this confession I made this profession I I went forward in a in a tent meeting I I said my sinner's prayer now I can just sort of live however it is I want now you need to continue in it and you need to continue in it day in and day out until the day that you die if God saves you as a young man or a young woman you've got 30 40 50 60 years of life ahead of you you've got to pace yourself and you've got to formulate the mindset that I'm not going to stop I'm not shrink back I'm not going to be the delicate little child that doesn't persevere that isn't steadfast brethren if there was ever a time where the church should look differently from the world it is now we have a generation of people that can't handle basic stress in their lives as Christians their storms as Christians there's wind as Christians there's rain are we going to melt under this or are we going to persevere by the grace of God having built our foundation upon the rock and seeking to honor and glorify God that's what is different about the persons that are matched up here the wise man hears the word he internalizes that word and he's a doer of that word The Fool isn't the fool hears it he may like it he may pay lip service to it but he builds his house in the sand he rejects he resists he disobeys he doesn't do what God says and then notice the illustration he built his house on the sand this can't be good absolutely positively can't be good building a foundation in the sand is never a wise move don't build your house upon the sand but notice the rain descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house notice that the unrighteous are not immune to suffering the unrighteous are not immune to difficulties the unrighteous faced the same sorts of things in this present world that we do but they don't have any stability they don't have any security they don't have any foundation upon which to stand it's really a pathetic picture it's really sad doesn't that encourage you that even though you go through afflictions and even go through us though you go through hardships and trials and difficulties even though there are storms and rains and floods and winds you've got Jesus you've got Christ you've got the solid rock upon which to stand and you see others that go through these sorts of things and they don't have that it really is a pitiable condition that these persons find themselves in it's really not an enviable position whatsoever so the rain descended the floods came in the blew and beat on that house and notice it fell that's not surprising it fell of course it fell because it wasn't founded upon the rock it was founded upon the sand it didn't have the stability it didn't have the foundation it didn't have Christ to secure and stabilize it and then notice how he ends the Sermon on the Mount and great was its fall Christ would fail homiletics 101 today Christ would fail in the church growth movement Christ would fail at this point he's too negative he is too negative he ends the sermon on this negative Nelly note he says that the bad guys are ultimately going to fall and great will be their fall Christ knows the hearts better than any of us and Christ ends where he ends to make an impact so that you will ponder so that you will consider so that you will contemplate where am I at tonight have I built my house upon the rock have I by the grace of God staked it upon that rock which is Jesus or have I built on sinking sand because if I built on sinking sand this is my future this is my end this is going to be what happens to me it says that it fell and great was its fall I would encourage each and every one of you to go to Ezekiel 33 and ask yourself is this the way that I appreciate preaching go to James chapter 1 and ask yourself is this the way that I approach the Word of God and obviously go to 724 to 27 and ask yourself which one am I am I the wise man who built on the rock or am I the foolish man who built on the sand because ultimately your future depends upon it and I would encourage that you do not tarry and you do not wait if you conclude I've built on the sand then repent and believe the gospel go to the Lord Jesus Christ go to this one then in Matthew chapter 11 says this I thank you Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes even so father for so it seemed good in your sight all things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the son wills to reveal him notice what he says in verses 28 to 30 in Matthew 11 come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest what a beautiful statement come to me and I will come to me and I will not come to me and I'll make you grovel come to me and I'll send you back to your experience come to me and I'll make you you no wonder come to me and I will give you rest if you are weary and heavy-laden and in the context this isn't you had a rough week at work that's not what's in view here I worked a 70 hour week and I'm really tired I'm really weird that's not what's in view it's sin it's the heavy burden of sin it's the late in this with sin the psalmist is the backdrop for this when he talks about sins going over as it were his head and here the Lord Christ says come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest and then this goes right into Matthew chapter 12 in the Sabbath controversy's Christ is the giver of rest Christ is the one who brings that relief to sinners Christ is the one who invites in this particular passage all those who are weary all those who labor all those who are heavy laden to come to him that's the emphasis come to him not sit and look at yourself but rather come to him John 3 just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so also must the Son of Man be lifted up when we look to him we live when we believe on him we live metaphorically this is said to receive him and to rest upon him it is to seek refuge in the Lord Jesus come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and then comes the life of sanctification in verse 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light friend if you're here tonight and you are not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ if you are this sinking sand bill listen to Christ's words there in Matthew 11:28 and come notice that he says I will give you rest I love it it's a come to me and I will not come to me and I might come to me and I hope to come to me and I'll assist you but come to me and I will give you rest now back to our text in Matthew 7 let's look at the authoritative preacher we've got a wise builder we've got a foolish builder but sermon ends with a statement by Matthew concerning the response of the people verse 28 and so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings that the people were astonished at his teaching one commentator grant Osborne says all five of Matthew's discourses and with some form of quote it happened when Jesus had finished but this is the only one that continues with the crowd's reaction in other words how did the crowd respond to what Christ had taught in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 and we see specifically the people were astonished at his teaching now the tense of the verb indicates that it was continuous it wasn't something like they said well that was interesting no they were amazed and astonished at the teaching of the Savior on this particular occasion Bertrand said it was no fault on their part to be astonished but it was a grave crime to be astonished and nothing more see simply to be astonished puts them in the same category as those eager hearers in Ezekiel's day they love to hear you the way that one loves to hear a good singer they love to hear you the way that one loves to hear a good violinist but they don't do your words and in this instance it just simply tells us that they were astonished but it doesn't indicate that they came they believed in by grace they built upon that rock which was Jesus Christ the Lord now note the reason for this astonishment they were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having Authority and not as the scribes he taught them as one having Authority and not as one of the scribes now perhaps you have read a little bit in scripture or outside of Scripture it was Rebennack that means the Jews who taught to tell us what Jews who taught before us taught on something who wears rabbinic teaching oftentimes included what rabbi Hillel satyr Rabbi Shammai said or rabbi whoever said that was very common and even in my own preaching I'll cite rabbi John Gill also rabbi john calvin i'll cite these various men that that have shed light upon the pages of holy scripture that was a joke but but but anyways that was pretty much symptomatic typical of their teaching and when Jesus taught he didn't do that certainly he cited Isaiah he cited Ezekiel he would cite the prophets he would cite Moses to be sure but he didn't look at rabbinic tradition Christ was a chief rabbi Christ knew perfectly the interpretation of the Word of God he didn't have to cite Hallel he didn't have to cite Shema he didn't have to align he didn't have to cite these various persons because he spoke authoritative ly as the prophet of god almighty remember that scene later on in Matthew chapter 17 on the Mount of Transfiguration the Lord God Most High shows his approbation to his son the son is transfigured before the eyes of the disciples is his garments are are shining whiter than than anything that a launderer can do and the Lord God Most High says this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and then he says hear him when he says hear him he doesn't mean don't listen to isaiah don't listen to jeremiah don't listen to the rest of the Old Testament prophets and and lawgiver Moses but he's saying that Christ is the prophet who has come in accordance with what those men spoke and he is the authoritative interpreter of what those men wrote that's why back in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus engages in the antithesis he says to them you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder but I say to you persons are wrong who think that that Jesus there is correcting Moses no Jesus is interpreting Moses Jesus is correcting the scribes and the Pharisees they taught that as long as you didn't actually stop someone's heart from beating than you fulfilled the command Jesus says no you're not supposed to call your brother raca you're not supposed to engage in character assassination you're not supposed to say things that are ungodly or untoward because that is a violation of the sixth commandment the antitheses are not jesus and moses it's Jesus and scribal interpretation those who had botched moses so christ as the prophet is able to speak authoritative ly in the hearing of man and that's what astonished these people i would also suggest he taught them as one having Authority and not as the scribes that his subject matter was different his doctrine was different he was or he put himself up as the right to legislate for the kingdom of God but I say to you I mean he takes this position upon himself as the prophet of God speaking authoritative Lee the Word of God and as the interpreter of that blessed word and then as well with reference to what he's already said in the Sermon on the Mount he is the one for whom the disciples are persecuted look at Matthew 5 10 to 12 no rabbi before him or after him could ever do this no human normal earthly human generating you're coming through ordinary generation could ever say what Jesus says in Matthew 5:10 to 12 blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for what for my sake and that's a pretty powerful statement for a man to make that man must be special that man must be unique that man must be the second person of the Blessed Trinity who came into this world for us men and for our salvation who took on our humanity with all the essential properties in the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin he says in verse 12 rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you notice he is the one who fulfills the law and the prophets verse 17 in Chapter five do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets I did not come to destroy but to fulfill it's an amazing statement isn't it brother and I don't care how good your rabbi is he can't say that I don't care how good your pastor is he can't say that none of us can say that but Christ can't and in this particular instance what Christ is showing is the continuity that he bears with the Old Testament prophets in the law other words he's a new religious teacher he's a man who's just embarked on his public ministry crowds are are attracting to him there are multitudes gathered before him persons no doubt are wondering how is he connected to Moses how is he connected to Isaiah how is he going to deal with the law and the prophets well he tells us don't think that I came to destroy don't think that I came to remove don't think that I came to abrogate the law or the prophet and the prophets I didn't come to destroy but to fulfill and praise God Almighty then he does fulfill because in his fulfillment of the law and the prophets we have his righteousness imputed to us and received by faith alone he is the one who condemned the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees notice in 5:25 24 I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven now here's where I believe that Christ is using the Sermon on the Mount as a child tutor as the law to encourage the hearers to seek refuge in him in other words your righteousness must exceed the best righteousness on display in modern society well that must mean I need a perfect righteousness and if that's what that means it casts me at the foot of the cross so that I can find this alien righteousness which is given by God and receive by faith alone he is the one who accurately expounds the law of God chapter 5:21 - 12 48 again the antitheses knot between him and Moses but between him and the scribal tradition as well the tax we looked at a couple of weeks ago he is the one who determines the eternal destiny of all mankind notice in verse 23 in chapter 7 and then I will declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness it's up to Christ where men go it's up to Christ whether we enter into the kingdom of heaven it's up to Christ whether we are excluded from that kingdom of heaven and find ourselves in that place of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth he is the one alone upon whom all of mankind's eternal destiny depends so that they were astonished because he taught as one having authority really shouldn't surprise those of us who have been at this for any amount of time because we know that Christ is the prophet Christ is the priest Christ is the king and he is the best interpreter of Moses he is the best interpreter of the prophets he is the one who has all authority well in conclusion I want to remind us with reference to the similarities between the builders you know if we're not contractors if we're not those who are present when a structure is built we don't know what the foundation is you know sometimes people get into problems like that don't they they get a big crack in their garage I'm mindful that my wife told me recently we got a big crack in our garage and you know it kind of terrifies me big crack in the garage might mean there's a crack somewhere else I don't like that thought but unless we see a crack in the foundation or were present when the foundation is laid we don't know and in this instance both persons hear the words of Christ both persons are in the right place at the right time they're their similarities remember the false prophets they're wolves but they don't dress like wolves they dress like sheep don't they they they try to finagle their way in they don't come in you know with big horns and big teeth and big fangs and say I'm a wolf and I'm here to destroy your church that that's not what they do they are wolves dressed as sheep so that they can from within destroy and so when it comes to the similarities between these two builders we're not really sure if we haven't seen the foundation the wolves look like sheep so the foolish builder may appear like the wise builder the foolish and the wise both hear the word of Christ the separating issue is what they do with that word of Christ but you know what oftentimes manifests this you know what oftentimes demonstrates this is trial it is affliction it is hardship it is storms it is winds it is rains now I'm not suggesting that every one of the blood-bought children of God are always the stalwart when it comes to affliction they may have an episode they may fall apart they may have some issues where they come unglued at least for a time but by the grace of God they get back up though I fall I will rise the prophet Micah said and that by the grace of God affliction and trial and hardship and difficulty more often than not manifest where we have built if we lose it if we panic if we freaked out and are never recovered that is indicative that our foundation was built upon the sand in fact Calvin comments true piety is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it comes to the trial you see God has purposes for trial you've heard my thoughts on the health wealth and prosperity gospel I don't want to duplicate that here except to say that it's completely and absolutely heretic 'el afflictions and trials and hardships are used by our gracious Heavenly Father for good in the lives of his people God causes all things to work for good to those who love him to those who are the called according to his purpose as brethren the moment we think that the trials and the afflictions and the hardships are evidences that God is matter angry or deferred leaving us we are wrong God uses those things for his glory and for our good I mentioned this morning the the analogy and the marriage relationship a marriage should good marriage doesn't just happen it's not just luck there's a lot work that goes into such a situation well how does a good marriage oftentimes prosper and flourish and thrive but by experiencing trials together it makes persons come together even more see we have the completely contrary approach to trials and afflictions than what God's Word demands we look at it and say oh it's terrible it's horrible that's I I got to run and hide it and avoid any trial brethren trial is a necessary part of life can I give you parents some encouragement let your kids eat dirt let your kids develop their immune system let them have some hardship in their lives because if you don't they're going to be the kinds of people that need safe spaces on college campuses we need to let our children learn trials and and I'm not saying let them run written through the house with scissors at their door I'm not suggesting that but brethren if we try to overprotect and over sanitize and over control everything in their lives or in ours we're avoiding a means that God uses for good affliction what's the psalmist say in psalm 119 it was good for me that I was afflicted it was good for me that I tasted the rod what's the Apostle say in Hebrews chapter 12 no no discipline for the moment is joyful but it yields the fruit of righteousness that's God's purposes and means and when the trials come instead of freaking out and losing it we submit to God and we trust in that foundation which is Christ now in terms of obvious differences the wise man builds on Christ the fool builds on everything but Christ he builds on his own works he builds on his own wisdom he builds on perhaps money he builds on whatever it is but it's falling it's sand it's sinking we just sang on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand the wise man may battle well he will battle the wise man may fall at times we see it in the history of the redemption we see it in Scripture we see it in our own hearts he may suffer these various things but by the grace of God he gets back up by the grace of God he lives to fight another day by God's grace he faces the various things that confront him and he stands fast we just sang that when darkness veils his lovely face I rest upon unchanging grace in every rough and stormy Gale my anchor holds within the veil is that a beautiful statement when darkness veils his lovely face I conclude that he's not my God anymore that's how we are oh well darkness has veiled his lovely face so I'm just gonna give up everything I'm just gonna say forget it what does that evidence so if God doesn't give me what I want I'm done if the canucks don't win I'm gonna turn to whatever other hockey team is out there we're Fairweather fans brethren if God doesn't give us good things wasn't this the devil's accusation with reference to joke he only serves you because you give him good things what does God did take his good things and see what happens brethren if that is our attitude we are mercenaries and we are in this for what God gives and not for God himself but Edward mote nails it when he says when darkness veils his lovely face I rest upon unchanging grace I don't live based on feeling I don't live based on experience I don't live based on whim but rather I have built my house on the solid rock which is Jesus Christ I'm gonna trust him unchanging grace in every rough and stormy Gale my anchor holds within the veil he goes on to write his oath his covenant his blood support me in the overwhelming flood when all around my soul gives way he then is all my hope and stay when it comes to us we don't ponder the oath of God he seals our salvation with an oath he seals the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ or he appoints Christ by an oath covenant we hear the word covenant hope not us but people here that they said well that's you know covenant theology that's for the few guys in in the church that like to read Burke often and those sorts of things brethren if you have not learned the value and the comfort of covenant by this point may I encourage you to study more because it's covenant that stabilizes the people of God its covenant that keeps our feet ground it it's covenant that keeps us connected to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Edward mote realized that Edward mote said his oath his covenant his blood support me in the overwhelming flood with the overwhelming flood comes what's your encouragement man I'm a great guy I've done so well that's never the encouragement of the true people of God the true people of God say his oath his covenant his blood support me in the overwhelming flood when all around my soul gives way he then is all my hope and stay and then finally the wise man will stand ready on the day of judgment when the great storm of God's wrath is unleashed we sang this when I shall launch in world's unseen Oh may I then be found in him dressed in his righteousness alone faultless to stand before the throne that's it right there you want to stand before God faultless before the throne on that day come to the Savior come to the Lord Jesus Christ hear his words and do them we need a righteousness we need to be able to stand before that throne we need to be clothed in something that we have not wrought something that we have not produced something that we have not provided we need the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone we need the forgiveness or the pardon of our sins that remission that comes from God when he justifies us freely by His grace when I shall launch and world's unseen Oh may I then be found in him dressed in his righteousness alone faultless to stand before the throne may God in heaven may God Almighty bring us all to that place where we can sing that hymn out of genuine hearts of gratitude and faith to our God for his having worked in us well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for the clarity and the power of Jesus words here in the end of Matthew 7 I pray that each and every one here would be clothed in that righteousness that each and every one here would be believing on the Lord Christ that each one here would hear those words of the Savior come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and i will give you rest may sinners come by your grace and may saints continue to come by your grace and may we know the joy of being found in him not having our own righteousness which is from the law but that which is from you through faith in Jesus Christ go with us now father help us in this coming week to bring glory to you and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you