Matthew 7:24 - Build Your Life on Christ and His Word.
Matthew 7:24 (NIV) Everyone who hears these
words of mine and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house on the rock.
INTRODUCTION
To build on the rock means to be a
hearing, responding disciple, not a phony,
superficial one. Practicing obedience becomes the solid
foundation to weather the storms of life. See James
1:22-27 for more on putting into practice what we
hear. [Life Application SB]
Many people are headed for destruction, not
out of stubbornness but out of thoughtlessness.
Part of our responsibility as believers is to
help others stop and think about where their
lives are headed and to point out the consequences
of ignoring Christs message. [Life
Application SB]
When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord, we will obey Him, and, as a result, our
lives will be radically transformed. It's in the
doing, the obeying, and the living the life of
faith that we are changed. [Adult SS Quarterly
6/30/05]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Dont Stop at Just Reading Gods Word
There are many things you can do with
Gods Word. You can receive it, read it, research
it, remember it, and reflect on it. But if you
fail to put into practice what you learn, all
those things are useless. As James 1:22 says,
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only
(ESV).
It can be hard to be a doer of the Word,
because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesnt
mind you going to Bible studies, as long as you
dont do anything with what you learn.
But Gods Word doesnt really become
part of you until you obey it. Just reading or
studying a truth doesnt mean youve internalized
it.
Actually, you can be so busy with Bible
study - going to the next class or seminar or
Bible conference - that you have no time to
implement what youve learned. You forget one study
on your way to the next one!
Without implementation, all our Bible
studies are worthless. Jesus said, Everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on
the rock (Matthew 7:24 NIV).
Jesus also pointed out that Gods
blessing comes from obeying the truth, not just
knowing it. He said, Now that you know these
things, you will be blessed if you do them (John
13:17 NIV).
Its so valuable to be part of a small
Bible study discussion group. We always learn
truths from others that we would never learn on our
own. Other people will help you see insights you
would miss.
But be sure to take the next step too.
Let Gods family help you apply his truth in a
practical way.
The best way to become a doer of the Word
is to always write out an action step after you
read, study, and reflect on Gods Word. Develop
the habit of writing down exactly what you
intend to do. This action step should be personal
(involving you), practical (something you can do), and
provable (with a deadline). Every application will
involve either your relationship to God, your
relationship to others, or your personal character.
As you become a doer of Gods Word,
youll be building your life on a foundation that
cannot be shaken. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Let the Bible Transform, Not Just Inform
Did you know studying the Bible can be
dangerous? In fact, the results of Bible study could be
disastrous!
Sounds strange, I know. But God intended
for us to apply the Bible to our lives - not
just read it. So when you read Gods Word but
dont apply it, the foundation of your life may
crumble.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus says, Everyone who hears these words of
mine and puts them into practice is like a wise
man who built his house on the rock (Matthew
7:24 NIV). That wise mans house stayed strong
through the storm.
But then Jesus spoke about someone else:
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 (Matthew 7:26 NIV). You
probably know how the story goes: The foolish
persons house collapses during the storm.
God has given you the Bible for
transformation, not just information. When you apply it,
youre building a firm foundation for your life.
Here are three more reasons its
important that you apply Gods Word to your life:
1. Knowledge produces pride if you
dont apply truth to your life. The Bible says in
1 Corinthians 8:1, Knowledge puffs up while
love builds up (NIV). Christians can be the
most cantankerous, evil, mean-spirited, critical,
judgmental people the world has known - if we never
take the extra step and apply the Bible to our
lives. Thats because knowledge on its own
produces pride. Instead, God wants you to apply that
knowledge in love.
2. Knowledge requires action. James 1:22
says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says (NIV). What a
person knows should be reflected in what that
person does. You cant grow spiritually just by
taking notes on a Bible study. God expects you to
follow his commands - theyre not optional!
3. Knowledge increases responsibility.
The Bible says, Remember, it is sin to know
what you ought to do and then not do it (James
4:17 NLT). When you study the Bible, God will
show you areas of your life that need to be
changed. And once he shows you those areas, hell
hold you responsible for what hes shown you. A
deeper knowledge of Scripture equals a greater
responsibility to follow it.
As you study and apply Gods Word,
youll be building a strong foundation that will
keep you steady during lifes storms. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
CLOSING PEARL
Surfers know when they go over the
falls and dont know which way is up, their
surfboard always will float to the top. If they have a
leash on their ankle thats attached to their
board, they can follow it to the surface.
In the same way, the Word of God pulls us
to the surface, where we can fix our eyes on
Jesus and get ourselves back into alignment with
God. I can think of so many times in my life when
my mind was going in the wrong direction, and I
found that simply quoting Scripture righted me.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus gave this summary: Anyone who listens to
my teaching and follows it is wise, like a
person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the
rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise
and the winds beat against that house, it
wont collapse because it is built on bedrock
(Matthew 7:24-25 NLT).
Then Jesus went on to say, But anyone
who hears my teaching and doesnt obey it is
foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
When the rains and floods come and the winds beat
against that house, it will collapse with a mighty
crash (verses 26"27 NLT).
We all will face storms in life as
followers of Jesus. So make sure you build on the
right foundation of a relationship with Jesus and
Gods Word. Dont build your faith on experience
or fickle emotions.
How important is the Word of God in our
lives? Success or failure in the Christian life
depends on how much of Gods Word you get into
your life on a regular basis and how obedient you
are to it.
The Word of God restores us. It refreshes
us. It transforms us. Build your life as a
Christian on Christ and His Word. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Matthew 7:24 - Build Your Life on Christ and
His Word. (revised)
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230504-0859.html
James 1:22 - Living the Word.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230623-0845.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
