Anyway, good to see each of you tonight and looking forward to digging into one final portion of the Sermon on the Mount tonight. So let's get started with a word of prayer, and then I'll invite you to turn in your Bibles to Matthew 7. Let's bow for prayer. Father, we thank you for this opportunity in the middle of the week to pause, and I pray that this evening as we gather, that we would see you working in our hearts in a very evident way. Help me as I look through this passage of scripture and present it to, just present it in a way that is very simple, it's a familiar parable that the Lord taught, and I pray that you'll help us to understand the significance of what's in front of us. and help us to be practical in the way that we live our lives, that we would be actively making decisions that are building upon the solid foundation of Christ and His instruction to us. And we ask all this in Christ's name, amen. Okay, we are in Matthew 7 tonight, and this is, Lord willing, gonna be our final little section of the Sermon on the Mount. And we've been here for a long time. This is Sermon 61. So we move very slowly, but each of these passages are very rich. As we dig into them and break them down, I hope that the things that we've talked about have been an encouragement to you. Let's read the verse together. Matthew 7, verse 24, and it says this. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not. It was founded on a rock. Everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them shall be likened unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it. It came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. For he spoke unto them, not as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now, if you remember back over the last several weeks, we've talked about the fact that the last portion of this sermon is a series of illustrations. It's almost like this is Christ's conclusion to the sermon. And this is the last illustration that he gives. The story of two people who built a house, and they built the house in different locations, and the ultimate end of the situation was a result of what they built the house on. And even when we think about what's going on in our nation right now where we have this terrible hurricane and it went up into the mountains and the flash flooding, we were talking about this just in the lobby a couple of minutes ago, how terrible it is when you have this flood come and it washes away a house. So that's the image that Jesus is using here. Let me give you this summary statement as we think about this illustration Christ gives. God created us with a purpose. that compels us to live based upon something that will one day be tested. And it will be found to either be invaluable or deeply flawed. Now in these verses he's saying that what you build your life on is either gonna cause you to have a terrible catastrophe or it's something that is going to stand the test of very difficult circumstances. God wants us to be active. He wants us to be building. But what we build on really matters. And that's the emphasis of this illustration. Ultimately, He wants us to invest our lives in things that really matter. That have lasting significance. A real, solid, sound foundation. So the first thing I want us to do is just think about the illustration. It's just it's such a simple illustration, and I kind of broke it down into the various pieces. First of all, you have two people who are building a house. Each person is building in a slightly different way. One person's home is built on a solid foundation. He talks about it being on a rock. And the other person's home is built on the sand. And we have all these people that are in states up in the north or on the different coasts. They say, you know, it'd be a lot easier to live, say, in Texas. or in Florida, or in Alabama, or in Mississippi, but what they don't realize is even though it might be cheaper at certain times, every single summer you have this concern that you might get hit by a hurricane. So this is an illustration that people who live in places like that, I grew up in a place like that, can really appreciate. One home is built on sand and one is built on the solid foundation. The other thing that we see in these verses is that both homes are tested. And so a violent storm comes and it beats on both of the houses. Neither house gets to escape from that. It has to go through that beating of a violent storm. One home is resilient and weathers the storm. The other home is completely destroyed. So that's the illustration that he gives. Something that we could really identify with at the time that we're living in. And especially if you ever lived on a coastal area that was prone to hurricanes. So the second thing I want us to do tonight is I want us to kind of break down this illustration and think about the various principles that Jesus is illustrating in this proverb. The first principle that I think we see here is that his teaching calls us to action. Christ is teaching not so that we'll just hear it, but so that when we hear it, we'll take action on it. Notice what he says in verses 28 and 20 or in verse 24. He says, And what? He doeth them. And in verse 26 he says, Doeth them not? What's the emphasis? It's not on your access to the truth. It's not what you hear. It's the fact that you take action on this information. And then when we look down in verses 28 and 29, it says that it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. He taught not as one, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. So what they're understanding is that what Jesus is telling them is you have to listen to what I'm saying and you have to take action on it. You have to actually submit to it. That's showing us this first principle. Christ is teaching us to take action on his teaching. And the reason for that is because of that inherent authority that is in the word of Christ. This reminds me of what James says in James 1, verses 22-25. If you have your Bible, maybe turn there. He says this, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass. He beholdeth himself, goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, and being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Now if you think about it, the illustration that Jesus is using here, the way that James is applying it here, is very similar to what Jesus talks about all throughout the Sermon on the Mount. You have the Pharisees who are teaching the law, they're exposed to the law, they talk about the law, but they don't obey the law. That's what he's saying. Don't be like that. Scripture was not given to make us smarter. It was not given to entertain us. It was not given to help us build up our religious credentials. It was given to point us to Christ and to live a life that is based in the position that we have in Christ. And so if we think back over the content of the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that those pieces are there. It was also given to cause us to worship Him, to obey Him. and to think in a way that is conformed to God's principles. And so that's the first principle, take action. That's why we have this illustration. Second principle, our lives are built, our lives are like a building project. And I know that Chad here, he's our construction guy. A couple of guys in here, I know Casey, you've worked in construction. Several guys in here have worked in construction. So you'll like this illustration. Our lives are like building a house. Building a building, that's what it's all about. And we see that in verses 24 and 26. He says, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house on a rock. Verse 26, he shall be likened unto a foolish man that built his house on the sand. Now this is an important thing for us to consider with the illustration that Jesus is giving. Jesus wants us to live our lives practically. He wants us to live in a way that has an enduring, lasting side to it. We live with a purpose. God designed us for a reason. And we see this in a lot of New Testament texts. I'm gonna give you a couple of examples. The first one is in 1 Corinthians 3. And Lord willing, next week we're gonna be in 1 Corinthians as we start our 1 Corinthians series. Here's what he says. We are laborers together with God. You're God's husbandry. You're God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." Notice the statement, we are laborers together with God. He is a wise master builder who has laid the foundation and everyone is to take heed how they build thereupon. What's that telling you? God wants us to be laborers. He wants us to be practical. He wants us to be involved in something that is industrious. 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work. You see that word? The work of the Lord, for as much as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. God didn't call us to be a bunch of monks that sit in a monastery, okay? Or nuns, for all the ladies. He called us to be laborers, to be involved in industrious work that brings glory to Him. 2 Corinthians 5, 9, wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him. And then 1 Thessalonians 5, he says, we beseech you brethren to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. See all these passages that give an emphasis on being industrious in the Lord's work. And so when we think about this issue of building our lives like a construction project, like a house that is being built, it's all about what we're becoming as God's people. Our lives are a construction project. Let me put it very simply. As you sit here today, you're living through a certain period of life, and if you were to look back over the last several years, there are lessons that you've learned, there are challenges that you've gone through, there are things that God has shaped into your life, and you don't know what lies beyond today, but as you go through those various seasons of life, there'll be new lessons that you're learning, there'll be things that God is doing in your life that it's shaping you to become more and more like Christ. So part of that construction project is what he's doing to shape us into the image of Christ. Another part of that construction project is what we pour our life and our energy into. You know, for me at this stage in my life, I'm pouring my energy into raising children. So my wife and I are in this process of working with a toddler and working with teenagers and a couple in between. And so a lot of our labor is in that. And some of you, you're not there yet. And some of you, you were there and now it's grandparent time and those kinds of things. Over the course of our lives, God wants us to take our energy and pour it into something of lasting value. All of our time, use it for the glory of God. How we invest our resources under, in those areas that are under our care. What we do with the time that's allotted to us. This is what he's talking about when he refers to building a house. And so one guy is building a house on something that's solid. The other is building a house on something that's gonna wash away. Third principle. Everyone's life is built on some kind of foundation. Everybody's life is built on some kind of foundation. Those who are conscious about it and they're really thinking like, I am purposing to live in this way, and they're really thinking about being purposeful in that, and those who are completely passive in it, they're just reacting to everything that they experience in life. Both kinds of people are ultimately building their lives on something. And this is one of the big emphasis of, this is the primary emphasis of this text of Scripture. Notice what he says in verses 24 and 26. One built his house on a rock, and one built his house on the sand. And by the way, don't you think it's a little bit interesting that later on in the scriptures, Jesus is referred to as a rock of a fence. He's referred to as the chief cornerstone of the foundation. So the scripture uses this illustration a lot in reference to Christ. One person's life is built on the rock being Christ and his teaching, the other on the sand, the teaching of the Pharisees. the ideals of the day, this contrast. Your life is built on something. So, when we think about this, we're either building our lives on lies or on truth. It's one or the other. There's nothing in between. Either I'm building it on what is true and sound, and it's actually going to stand the test of time, or it's gonna wash away when those difficulties of life come. And ultimately, when I stand before God on that final day, 1 Corinthians 3, verse 11. Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Every man's work shall be made manifest. The day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire. The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive reward. Now this is an interesting passage because what it's doing is it's reminding us that there's a judgment seat of Christ for the believer. Even though we're not going to stand before that great white throne judgment and be condemned to eternal destruction, we are safe in Christ. We are righteous in Christ. There is still a moment that we're going to stand before the Lord Jesus. And when we stand before the Lord Jesus, we're gonna give an account for the way that we built that house. And he even talks about it in this passage. The day is going to declare it. The kind of work that he's done, it's going to be revealed. And that work is either going to last because it was done the right way, and it was a wise investment, or It's going to fall apart. It's going to burn away. It's going to be gone. You say, well, what are the truths that our lives have to be built on? A couple that pop in my mind as I think about the context of the Sermon on the Mount. The very first one is the gospel. I mean, go all the way back to the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. And what's the very first Beatitude he talks about? Blessed are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom. Blessed are those who mourn, they're going to be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they will be filled. Now, what's the point of that? If you want to be a citizen of the kingdom, you've got to be born again. Or you think about that teaching that he gives about the straight gate, that narrow gate, and the path that follows that. What is the emphasis? How you get saved, the door, Christ Jesus, and then walking as a disciple, that road from that time until the day that you enter into eternity. So the gospel is a huge emphasis in the Sermon on the Mount. It's really underlying every single thing that Jesus says in that sermon. Either the law is pointing us to Christ, or it's reminding us of the fact that we are in Christ. All of those pieces, they go back to the gospel. And then we think about our position in Christ. We think about biblical values, and you think about how the scribes and the Pharisees were teaching one thing, and Jesus said, hey, you've heard it said this, but I say unto you this. And you've heard this said, and I say this to you here. And you've heard this said, but I say to you this. What's he saying? He's saying you need values that are shaped on what is true, the word of God. And I think about spiritual enabling. So when our lives are being built, they've gotta be built on the gospel, the fact that we are in Christ. They need to be built according to biblical values and enabled by the Spirit's work. So principle three, every life is built on a foundation. Principle four, your foundation's gonna be tested. Your foundation's gonna be tested. This is a really critical thing for us to consider. What we believe is one day going to be confronted. And if what we believe is sound and it is solid and it is true, when it is confronted, it's gonna stand the test. And if what we believe is not true, and what we are building our lives on is not true, and what we are investing our time and our resources and our energy into is not true, guess what? It's not going to pass the test. And so we see these statements in these verses. First of all, verse 25. The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and they beat upon that house. Verse 27, the rains descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and they beat upon that house. And you know what, life has a lot of opportunities for the winds coming, and the floods coming, and the winds blowing and beating on the house. Life is filled with these kinds of situations. We remember the good times in life, but we also remember the bad times, the heartaches, the difficulties. I think about Job 5-7. Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. Isn't that true? I mean, look back over your life and think about, I mean, I'm not encouraging you to think about all the hard times of life, but honestly, there are a lot of difficulties. Temptations, struggles, weariness, health issues, financial pressures, relationship challenges, changes in life that we're not used to, All kinds of situations. Life is full of trouble. But James 1 reminds us that God allows that for a purpose. And it really has bearing on what is being taught here in Matthew chapter seven. Here's what he says. Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation, knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Now think about what James says there in James chapter one, and then think about what Jesus says here in Matthew chapter seven. In Matthew 7, he's talking about this person who builds their life on a rock and when the wind and the rain and the floods come, guess what? The test comes and the house stands. And you know what it does? It demonstrates the authenticity of that foundation. The truthfulness, the reliability of that foundation. And so when a person's faith is rooted in what is true, guess what? Their faith is strengthened when it's tested. It's demonstrated to be genuine. It's purified. It's strengthened. All of that is involved. Or in 1 Peter 1.7, he says that the trying of our faith being more precious than gold that perish it, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. So think about that. What you're building your life on, if it's genuine, it's gonna stand the test. And it's gonna actually strengthen you, and you're gonna actually be matured in the process. Principle five, a life built on truth provides resilience and stability. The statement of the text in verse 25 is, it fell not. Why? For it was founded on a rock. Verse 27, and it fell. Why? Great was the fall of it. Why? Because it was not founded on a rock. It was on the sand. We see this contrast. The truth provides resilience and stability. The house stood because of what it was built on. And I think what Jesus is talking about in these verses primarily is the gospel, okay? But he's getting beyond that because he also gets into the discipleship side as well in some of his teachings. So he's basically saying that that resilience is gonna be built on Christ, not the teaching of the scribes and the Pharisees, Christ and his righteousness, not the righteousness that you're able to develop through the system that is there, True discipleship, not the teaching of the scribes and the Pharisees. That's what he's getting at. But we also see this concept of biblical wisdom. We see a lot of parallels. I want you to turn back to the book of Proverbs because I want you to see how Solomon talks about biblical wisdom. And by the way, the foundation of biblical wisdom is trust in the gospel, okay? It is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of knowledge. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So if I'm gonna be biblically wise, it's gonna start with me recognizing my limitation, recognizing that I'm a sinner, recognizing that I have no righteousness acceptable to God. I need to turn to him, trust in his finished work. And then as a new creature in Christ, I need to live out as a result of the position that I have in Christ. So that's where real wisdom is rooted in. And so keep that in your mind as we go back to Proverbs chapters two and three. So first of all, Proverbs chapter two, verse 10, here's what he says. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, discretion shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee. That word preserve and that word keep are giving you the understanding that this is something that is going to be a testing time. And if you look at the context there, you're gonna see that he talks about a lot of the tests that we encounter in life. But good godly wisdom is gonna provide a preservation of the person. It's going to keep them and preserve them. Or then if we go back to Proverbs chapter one, skip over to the chapter before, here's what he says. Because I've called, this is wisdom being personified here, because I have called and ye refuse and I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded, but you have said it not all my counsels and would none of my reproofs, I will also laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall ye call upon me, but I will not answer you. Now, this is really important. You go back to this illustration that Jesus is teaching, and at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, who is being described in that statement? The one who built their house on sand. And when the storm comes, what happens? The house is washed away. And so in Proverbs 1, he says, I called, you refused. I stretched out my hand, you did not regard. You said it not my counsels, you did not consider my reproofs. And then when you experience the test and everything's beginning to unravel and you say, okay, now I want wisdom, he's gonna say too late. You can't be helped. The house was built on the wrong foundation. It's going to collapse. You can't reverse it. But notice the other side. He says, therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil. See the contrast there? You have one person who said no, and then the test comes and what happens? Please help me. Oh, that's too late. You're going to eat the fruit of your ways. You're going to be filled with your own devices. You have laid this foundation and you have built on it and you have established this pattern of life And all of these consequences will naturally flow from that. That's what he's saying. But the principle is also true on the other side. When a person chooses to build their life on what is true and what is sound, beginning with the gospel, and then walking as a disciple of Christ, building their lives on godly wisdom, what is the result of that? Well, there's a path that follows that. There's a resilience that follows that. There is a stability, there is a safety, there is, a protection. Then we really see this in Proverbs 3. Listen to what it says. Proverbs 3 verse 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom. and the man that getteth understanding. That word happy and the word blessed that's used in Matthew, it's the same thing, okay? So you could use them interchangeably, okay? So in Matthew, you could say, blessed is the man who is this, happy is the man who is this, and he gives all these qualities. We can go to Proverbs chapter three, and when he says, happy is the man who finds wisdom, you could say, blessed is the man that finds wisdom, why? Because he's describing this quality of life That is above circumstance. That joy is something that's rooted in a right walk with God. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver. You get the sense of investment here? And the gain thereof rather than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies. All the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. That's a pretty amazing statement, isn't it? He says, length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are the ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. I love this statement. She's a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is everyone that retaineth her. Do you not see this contrast? You could say it's the way of life and the way of death. The way of light and the way of darkness. The way of strength and stability and the way of chaos and ruin. The way of foundation on a rock and foundation on the sand. The contrast is there. So as Jesus comes to the end of this sermon, everything that he has stated, all of these little topics that he has addressed, he wants to leave these people with this final thought. You have to act on what I've given you. You can't sit back and say, that was a great teaching, thank you for telling us those things. You can't be passive about it. You gotta take action. You've gotta move, you've gotta build, you've gotta consider foundation. That's what Jesus is saying. And the foundation that you build on is either gonna leave you with chaos, or it's gonna leave you with resilience. Ask this question, which one do you want? I mean, it should be obvious. I want resilience. I know I'm gonna be tested, but I wanna be able to pass through those tests by the strength that God gives us. So how do you apply this? Well, let me go to the book of Ecclesiastes for some final thoughts. And I love the book of Ecclesiastes because a lot of the things that we're talking about here in Proverbs, a lot of the things that we're talking about in Ecclesiastes, a lot of the things that Jesus says here in the Sermon on the Mount, and then the things that we read in the book of James, there's this interconnection between those. It's as if Jesus is borrowing, if you wanna use that term, okay, there's a continuity here. He is borrowing from the things that are stated in the Old Testament and he's applying them here in his teaching. And then James takes the things that Jesus has taught and what does he do? He expands them as he's teaching them through that book there in the book of James. So the first of the applications is this. Remember that life apart from God is empty and painful. Nobody in this room is gonna escape the heartaches of life. Nobody. I wish that there were ways to get around it. I really do. And I know that right now in our church, there are folks that are, they're dealing with great heartaches and great challenges and great difficulties. And you know, sometimes when we're going through those kinds of things, something pops into our head like, I wonder what I did so that God's like coming after me. That's not where our brain should go. When you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you know what it tells us? This is a fallen world. Bad stuff happens. Heartache happens. And so the whole point of the book of Ecclesiastes is to say, you're gonna have those seasons. So when you're not there, get yourself ready because it's gonna happen. And really when we think about what Jesus is saying here in the book of Matthew, and he's closing out this sermon, he's basically saying hard times are gonna come. Tests are gonna come. There's gonna be a time when what you have built on is going to be tested. You've gotta build the right way during those times of peace. You've got to be prepared before it happens. And so we see in Ecclesiastes 1, life apart from God is empty and painful, because this is a fallen world. He says, vanity of vanity, saith the preacher, all is vanity. What profit hath a man in all his labors, which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, another generation cometh. The things that have been, it is that which shall be. That which is done is that which shall be done. There is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, see, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. It's really easy for us to think we're living in the most chaotic time ever. And I mean, we are living through some chaos right now, okay? I mean, like, you go turn on the, something might be happening right now. And I don't have a phone on me, so I don't know, right? But it's easy for us to think, well, this is like the worst time ever. We've never had a more tumultuous political period in American history. That is so not true. Have you read about what it was like in the United States leading up to the Civil War? Have you read about what it was like during Reconstruction? Have you read the stories of some of the presidents and some of the just absolutely chaotic things that they did, either going before they went into the presidency, during the presidency, after the presidency? There have always been political divides, and there's always been bickering and bitterness, and there have always been wars, and there have always been difficulties. In fact, as it says in Ecclesiastes, there's nothing new under the sun. He says, is there anything that we could say, see this is new? He says, it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Now why do I bring that up? I bring that up because we have to face the reality that if we're gonna choose to build our life on the sand, we are doing it in a world that is gonna leave us empty and it's gonna be very painful. And the end is gonna be destruction. Second thing, remember God when you're young. Now some of you go, well, I'm not young anymore, so. So should I just like tune it out? No. Encourage those who are young. Be faithful with whatever time God gives you from here on to the rest, to the end of your life. Be faithful. But this is especially written to the young person. Why is that? Well, because a young person does not understand by experience the consequences of life. They do not understand that when you sow for this period of time, then two decades later, this is what you get. Why is that? Because they haven't lived long enough to see that. They've not lived long enough to experience the positive results of having sown well or the negative consequences of having sown very poorly. They do not have that ability because they haven't lived through that. So how do they get that wisdom? They've got to listen to people who have that experience. They read the scriptures and they go, oh, maybe I should learn from the life of David. Maybe I should learn from the life of Solomon. Maybe I should learn from the life of Moses. Maybe I should learn from the things that I read in the Old Testament. They say the history of their country, the world history, all those things. They can learn from those things. They can talk to mom and dad. They can talk to their grandparents. There's a reason that you have biblical teaching and instruction in the church context. But this is really focused on a younger person. Because there is hope to plant well before you go down that road. Here's what he says. Ecclesiastes chapter 11 verse eight. If a man live many years and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness. They shall be many, all that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth. Let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and the sight of thine eyes. But know that all of these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore, remove sorrow from thine heart, put away evil from thy flesh. Childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now thy creator in the days of the youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. There'll be something very sweet for you if you look back at your life and you go, I didn't live it perfectly. But I'm so thankful that when I was this age, I purposed I'm gonna live for God, and to the very best of my ability, I really pursued that path. And that's what shaped who I married. That's what shaped how I raised my children. That's what shaped how I valued the local church. That's what shaped what I did for work and how I approached my work. That's what shaped the relationships, the people that I was closest to in life. That shaped how I used my money. That shaped everything about my life. And one day, when you're old, you'll look back and go, you know what? I don't regret that. But if you do the opposite, then you will look back and you'll say, you know, I wish that for the first 20 years of adulthood I wouldn't have done this. You know, that period in my family when I just kind of like threw caution to the wind and did what I did, I really regret it. That chunk of life, it's almost like a lost decade. And I still have this sting today because of the consequences of that lost decade. You say, how do you escape that? You obey the scripture. You don't just hear what he says, you do it. You build your life on the sayings of Christ. Thirdly, Take the word of God seriously and build your life on it. Ecclesiastes 12, 13, here's how he closes the book. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, keep his commandments. This is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. What's interesting is I think that the book of Ecclesiastes kind of ends in the same place that The Sermon on the Mount ends. And it's the same place that we see in James chapter one. Why is that? Because in all of these places, he's saying, don't just hear the word, take action. Be conscious of what you're building your life on. And make sure that you're building your life on the solid foundation of Christ and his righteousness, and that everything in your life is oriented back to the position that you have in Christ. That's how you're supposed to live life. So don't trust in your own righteousness, trust in the righteousness of Jesus. Live your life genuinely for an audience of one. More than anyone else in the world, be concerned about him. And that's not the way most people live. Most people live their lives being concerned about the people around them. And the people around them, you can, You can convince them of something that's good that's not. And you could be misunderstood and misrepresented. You could be charting a very faithful course and the people around you, they don't appreciate it. And you could have everyone around you thinking, man, you're such a faithful person and you've duped them. The person we should be concerned about is God. What does he see? Love God with all your heart and live a God-centered life. Trust him with the things that you can't control. Live a life of discernment. What's interesting is each of those pieces that I just mentioned, if you go back to the Sermon on the Mount, you're not gonna see, they're there. Trusting in the righteousness of Christ, living genuinely for an audience of one, loving God with all your heart, and living the God-centered life, trusting him with the things that you can't control, and living a life of discernment, they're all there. And so my encouragement is let's do that. Let's be doers of the word, not just hearers only deceiving ourselves. Let's bow for prayer. Father, thank you for your word and the opportunity tonight to close out this sermon of the Sermon on the Mount. And I know that we know this illustration. It's something that we were kids, we sang songs about the wise man, the foolish man, building a house on the rock and building a house on the sand. Father, help us to realize that this isn't just a kid's song, this is the center of living a healthy and vibrant life. Our worldview is gonna be tested, the way that we have built and what we have built our lives upon is one day going to pass the test. And when it goes through that test, either it will be found wanting or it will be found very sure. So help us, especially our young people, to choose wisely. Help us as moms and dads to point our young people to you. Help us to encourage the generations following us. Help us to be faithful with however much time you give us on this planet. We ask all this in Christ's name, amen.