The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:27
Can you remember the number of times that you were warned not to do something, not to go somewhere, not to act up in certain settings, and not to be hard-headed and not listen to adults? Why? You were being given a warning not to act or respond in a way because there would be more to follow and a consequence to pay. Now, the question is how many times did you not heed that warning? How many times did you wonder why parents were handing out these directives? When you think about it, how much have these warnings shaped you into a person of obedience today?
Growing up on the coast of Florida, summer often brought severe thunderstorms. The kind with crackling, sharp lightning, and booming roars of thunder. If you lived close to the water, there was every probability that flooding would occur. News broadcasts would alert residents that a storm was heading their way, and they needed to take precautions so that everyone was safe. Now older generations had a set of rules for thunderstorms: “Baby, close those windows and close those curtains!” Unplug everything!” “Cover the mirrors with a sheet!” “This is not the time for laughing and talking!” “Everybody sit down on the couch and be quiet!” “Let the Lord do his work!” As crazy as these directives may sound, it was the response that was crucial. Take a moment and think about it. Did you listen and follow? Or did you shrug your shoulders and giggle and think that all of the adults had lost their minds? Why is your response important, and what was the purpose of the directives? It is a matter of providing a foundation of rules for a storm and a matter of obedience to those rules.
Today, in our society, we see the change from twenty years ago. We see a volatile political climate, racial upheaval, and a decline in educational quality. What is the difference between now and twenty years ago? Has faith become a relic to many? Has idolatry replaced worshiping a risen Savior? Has man given in to his lustful desires and greed? Has it become a matter of individualism as opposed to collectivism? Have our churches strayed away from truth into prosperity and feel-good sermons?
Many churches are no longer packed with a diverse, generational congregation that consists of families, the elderly, and the youth. Some churches with smaller congregations have started to combine with other smaller congregations to revitalize worship. The decline in church attendance has given way to aging congregations who still carry the belief that God is faithful and all he is asking for is our faith and consistent obedience to his word. People have been persecuted and ridiculed because they are walking in obedience to the Lord. The shift in our society has swayed many to not open a bible or believe in a risen Savior.
It is difficult to see people, young and old, turn away from the faith. Many families no longer eat dinner together, and this important meal is where the foundation of the family structure begins. Because there is no foundation or structure, the world of education has seen the overall sense of entitlement that is cultivated by parents and home. No one understands why students act out, become anxious, and spiral into depression. Perhaps not having a firm foundation at home, at church, and lack of communication is essential. In a very technological world, we must ask if anyone realizes the addictions and idolatry that are before them: cell phones, computers, AI, etc.
Although our world is constantly changing, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Lack of a foundation and obedience leads to destruction. Matthew 7:24-29 gives a clear example of what the storms of life bring. Two people have the same knowledge about Christ, salvation, and eternity. What separates them? One hears and obeys. The other one hears and ignores. Life goes normally until the storm hits, and this is where the difference between ignoring and listening becomes apparent. Jesus told them, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
How long will you choose to hear but not listen? Your foundation is weak and at any given moment everything you have could be destroyed leaving you in ruins. Who will you call? Will you remember the words Jesus spoke? How’s the foundation for those who hear and are obedient? They are solid.
Think about the rules that the older generation gave before the storm. Did you listen as the storm blew over, thankful that everything was intact? Did you ignore having shortages in your electrical equipment and rain in your windows? Like so many before, you have been told that the storm is coming. You have been warned because “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:27.
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