The contrast between the wise man who builds his house on rock with the foolish man who builds on sand, illustrating the eternal consequences of one's foundation. Using Jesus' parable from Matthew 7:24-27, it highlights how outward appearances can be deceiving, but only a foundation built on God's righteousness, specifically faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice, can withstand the storms of divine judgment. The core lesson is that personal merit and good works are a sandy foundation leading to ruin, while Christ is the only sure rock for eternal salvation. The application urges listeners to place their faith solely in Jesus Christ for eternal blessing, contrasting this with the eternal judgment faced by those who build on sand.
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Beloved friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we welcome you to the ministry of His Holy Word even today. This is your Bible teacher of the air speaking, J.W. Bramhall. But we ask you to listen to the words of the greatest teacher that ever has been upon the earth, even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Will you not listen to him say from Matthew chapter seven, Verses twenty-four through twenty-seven. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house. But it shall not, for it was founded on a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth and not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, beat upon that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it. Once again, my beloved friends, the Savior presents us with a study in contrast. Within these words of our Lord Jesus, we can find two houses, two builders, two foundations, two storms, and two results.
The words of our Blessed Lord can certainly, in their primary meaning, have a bearing of what kind of life we may live in the world below, but how they illustrate to us in the application of the Gospel, the eternal issues of life for every person, whether it will result at the end of our life to be judgment, or whether it will bring us into the blessing of eternity at the end of our days. Now let's take a look at the two houses. Unquestionably outwardly, they may seem to be alike. But we have to confess they proved at the end to be different, one from the other.
We have to confess one house was evidently safe. The other was unsafe. Now which house would you prefer? I'm certain your answer would be to have the one that is safe and secure. Now to determine this, look further at the two builders. We note that one builder was a wise man, and the other was a foolish man, as you read verses twenty-four and twenty-six. Ask yourself, my beloved friend, am I building my life and my hope for eternity wisely? Or does God see me as building Foolishly. There are two ways to build.
I am either building wise as a wise man, or I am a foolish man. Now, once you're a thing, the Lord wouldn't say you're both. But this brings us to consider another important fact. In the Lord's illustration, we find there were two foundations. Two foundations were laid. And what the foundation is proves Whether I am a wise or a foolish person. Now let's look at these two foundations. In verse twenty-six, look at the foolish man. He built his house upon sand. No doubt he may in ignorance have thought it safe enough.
Now if you and I wish to be safe for eternity, shall we not see from the lesson a foundation of sand is dangerous to build upon? Let me point out a sandy foundation which some use and think that it is safe for them for eternity we have God declaring in Romans chapter ten and verse three what can be described as a sandy foundation to build your hope for eternity on here are the words Paul writing of certain people they being ignorant of God's righteousness they go about to establish their own righteousness They've not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Now, will you note in that text two special things? One is called God's righteousness. Then the other is called their own righteousness. A foundation of sand is certainly this. When a person believes that his or her own good works, their own personal merit will save their soul and make them acceptable before God, they're on a sandy foundation. God says about your righteousness and mine, as you have it in Isaiah sixty-four, he says, their righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And again in Romans chapter three and verse ten, God says there's none righteous.
No, not one. But God's righteousness is not sand. It is rock. The wise man builds upon the rock. Now what or who, we might say properly, who is the rock? The safe and the only foundation. Now listen. God says, and I quote the words of Paul, I Corinthians three eleven, other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. First Corinthians three eleven, Christ himself is the foundation. Don't you remember the old hymn, on Christ the solid rock I stand? All other ground is sinking sand.
My beloved friend, is Christ himself and his atoning sacrifice for your sins and your forgiveness and your eternal glory, your eternal hope? Is he your foundation? Are the foundation no one can lay? But the one that has been laid down, Jesus Christ himself, Now you will also note in the Savior's illustration, not only two houses, not only two builders, not only two foundations. There were two storms. Perhaps the two storms were of the same character, but these two storms tested both houses. There was a repeated twice concerning it.
The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew and beat upon that house. Verse twenty-five and verse twenty-seven. Both of them were put to the test. And what was the test? Could the house stand? The testing of divine judgment? Or not? Who sends the storm? I'm sure the man himself didn't build the storm, the one who built the house, whether on sand or on the rock. Ah, the test came from God. Just ask your heart the question, my friend. Is my soul safe from the judgment of God? For it is written in the word of God. It is appointed and the men wants to die. But after this, what?
The judgment. Am I really safe from that judgment that God says I must face? Now let's consider the two results, if you please. The wise man's house we read is found not, for it was founded upon the rock. But the foolish man's house, what was the result? it fell and great was the fall of it it was completely a loss for it was built upon the sand now let me refer to the result of the wise man again surely this can represent and does represent a person who places his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the foundation stone for his and her eternal salvation and blessing let me point out the words of Jesus from John five twenty four for the blessing of those who put their trust in him listen verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life shall never come into judgment but is passed from death unto life no judgment when
I believe what God says he sent his son to save me from my judgment by that Son dying upon the cross for my soul. The wise person will rest his and her faith upon Christ alone, the sure foundation of eternity. My beloved friend, I beg of you, are you building on sand your hope for eternal blessings? There's no eternal blessing if your foundation is sand. Or when the day of judgment come, it will prove to be insecure.
Let me read the words from Revelation chapter twenty, verse fifteen. It's the final result. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. There you see the eternal ruin. Great is the fall of it. Ruin an eternal judgment. My beloved, don't be one of those foolish whosoever's. Who refuses to believe in the Lord Jesus? Be a wise whosoever. Be a wise person, a wise builder. Be, listening carefully to the words of John, verse sixteen, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
My beloved, please recognize, here you have the truth, as the Lord Jesus tells you. Two houses, two builders, two foundations, and you have two storms, and you've got two final results. Once you're thinking, you're not going to go both ways. The end is not going to be in both eternal places. It's either heaven or hell. My beloved, take in the truth. Note the two houses. Note the two builders. Note the two foundations. And let me point out, be sure that you know the foundation is Christ for your soul. And note the two stones. And then note the two results.
The house built upon the sand, the foolish one who refuses to build upon Christ is lost forever. But the result of the other is eternal blessing. My heart felt prayer for you, my friend, is this. Can you truly say and sing those precious words of the good old hymn? My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest rain, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
Oh, my beloved, trust no other foundation but Christ. Put your feet by faith for your sole salvation upon Christ in his atoning work alone. And I hope you can be like the Irishman who said, Christ is the rock. All other rocks are sham rocks. Oh, beloved and blessed Father, We pray in the power and the energy of the Holy Spirit. Thy word will pierce to the divining of thunder of the soul and spirit. To bring some dear sinner to put his and her faith in Christ alone.