Who Is Your Foundation?

²⁴ “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: ²⁵ 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.²⁶ “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: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Life sure has changed in the last few weeks. Who saw this coming? The whole world is suddenly frantic. A small virus has disrupted every aspect of our life. The USA, perhaps the one country in the world, a land of plenty would not fill the impact as much, but even here in America, there are long lines at the supermarket. People are worried, anxious, and panic has set in and perhaps for a good reason. For the first time in over a generation, the world is facing a crisis. There is uncertainty, and no one saw it coming. I went back and investigated, not a single financial expert predicted a drop in the market back in January. We live in a time where our life is well planned. From the moment we are born to our retirement is on schedule. We do not leave anything to chance. We like to control the narrative, and the first time in our lives, we are facing the unknown. As a result, we are afraid, fear has gripped our hearts, and the world is on shaky ground. What should your reaction be as a Christian? Are you shaken? Fearful? Anxious? Let’s look at what scripture tells us, and maybe some of us need to examine our relationship with Jesus.
If there is one person in the Bible who can relate to the current state we are in, It is a man named Job. The scripture tells us he was upright, blameless, and feared God. It also tells us, he had many possessions, he owned land, and he was blessed with a family. In today’s terminology, we can say he belonged to the top 1%. He had everything we strive for, property, wealth, health, fame, and a stable family. But, one by one, he lost everything in quick succession, including his health, and he was just waiting to die. Many of us feel like Job; all we were counting on is gone without warning. The portfolio does not look as good as did a month go; job security is in question, the recession is looming, and like Job, we face a health risk, which can lead to death. Our current circumstance may cause you to question God, even the existence of God. What did Job do? What can we learn from him? Ponder on these questions, and we will come back to it.
Let us look at one of the most famous teachings of Jesus: the sermon on the mount. There is this very familiar contrast in Chapter 7 of Matthew: two gates, two ways; two crowds, two destinies; two trees, and two houses. Both subjected to the same judgment. The contrast here is not between people who hear the word of God and people who have not heard the word of God, but between people who hear the word of God and act upon it, and people who hear the word of God and do not act upon it. We are all familiar with the parable of a wise man and a foolish man. Every parable in the Bible has to do with salvation. This is a parable, not an actual event. Jesus is illustrating a point to make a distinction between those who genuinely obey and those who do not. You see verse 24, “Those who hear these words of Mine and act upon them,” and in verse 26, “Those who hear these words of Mine and do not act upon them.” This is the only difference between the wise and the fool. You have the false claimants and the genuine claimants, but both look alike. And the remarkable thing about this illustration is that you really can’t tell the difference on the outside. Both appear the same. You have a house, the only difference that is made distinct here in the building of these two houses – in either case, you have a home – the only difference is the part you can’t see, right? It’s not the roof, it’s not the sidewalls, not the windows and the doors, it’s the foundation.
Now what Jesus says here is that there is no way to tell the true from the false until the storm comes. The storm will manifest the truth. Then we’ll find out who built like a wise man and who built like a fool. Let’s look at the similarities; both built a house. They built a home in the same vicinity, which puts them within the framework of true believers. They actually built it in the same way; it looks the same. You could say that they built a house consistent with Christian development. It seems like all the other Christian houses on the outside. They both built it in the same place. How do you know they built it in the same place? Because the same storm got both houses. Think of the parable of wheat and tares, growing side by side until harvest time. The only difference is the foundation—one built on rock, other on the sand. A man is a fool to build on sand because when a storm comes, it will wash the house away. Look at Verse 26, “Foolish man builds his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall.”
On the other hand, “A wise man” – end of verse 24 – “built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew and burst against that house, yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”
The one who builds on sand prays, occasionally fasts, gives money, works within the framework of the Christian life, and does it to enhance his or her reputation, does it to feel good about himself or herself. The outside looks good, but the foundation is non-existent. They bring their bodies to prayer, but not their souls. They worship with their mouths, but not their hearts. They have a religion but no relationship. Like the two houses, looking at the exterior, you did not see any difference between the true believer and false believer until the storm hits. We are in the middle of the storm, and your reaction to this crisis unveils what your foundation is.
If you are a genuine Christian, what should your reaction be? Well, let us look at the parable, both wise man and the fool, faced the same storm, the wind was real, the rain was real, the flood water was real. The wise man felt the elements but was secure inside. Yes, there is damage due to wind, rain, and flood, but the house is still standing, and although he may have felt it, he is unharmed. So we, along with the world, are facing the same challenges right now, but if Christ is our foundation, we know we are secure no matter what storm comes. What is the foundation of this parable? The word: which is the written word of God. We can claim the promises written in the scripture at a time like this and find strength and comfort.
Now for those of you who are panicking. Those who feel the world is spinning and you are losing control perhaps you have built on sand. Maybe, your foundation is your career, your portfolio, your bank balance, or your property, and all of it is being washed away in one swift move. Like the foolish man, you may feel flood water has washed everything away. But, this storm is a blessing in disguise for you. For you see, you still have a chance to built on rock. You can genuinely make Christ your foundation. This panic, anxiousness, fear, you can surrender all of it to Jesus and be secured under His wings.
Now, you remember Job, who lost everything, even his wife and friends blamed his sin for his misfortune. But throughout his ordeal, he never cursed God, and he trusted God. He did not understand the predicament he was in, but he knew God was just. We may not understand what is happening around us. But, God is still in control. God is still God. At the end of Job, Once again, God restores his wealth, his possessions, and his family. How did Job survive a crisis? He trusted God, and his foundation was his faith in living God. He had a genuine relationship with God. Ask yourself, are you indeed “BORN AGAIN”? In closing, 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you’re in the faith.” You reaction during this pandemic reveals who is your foundation. Amen