Two Builders

The Builders (Matt 7:24-27)
As we saw that there are two paths so we will see that there are two builder. Both builders, we are told, “Hear(s) these sayings of mine,” says Christ. So we can assume safely that both people are being exposed to the truth, perhaps through church or maybe through the culture in which they live, but never the less they are hearing the teachings of Christ. We are also told that they are both building houses, structures: spiritual lives. The only difference that we know about these people is the foundation, the one thing unseen and the first thing laid. When you look at a house it may look identical to another house. Same shutters, shingles, doors, carpet, identical. You could inspect the inside of the house and find that much is the same there too. So it is with people. You could meet two people that go to church with you, both carry their bibles, both pray, worship in song, participate in activities; they may even head a ministry. You could get to know these people, spend time with them, build a relationship with them and feel that you really know them. But people are a lot like houses. The foundation is hidden. Even foundations can be deceiving, if the concrete wasn’t mixed right, it could look hard and last a while and then begin to crumble. Unfortunately, home foundations are easier to check then people’s foundations.
People can be very deceiving and very convincing. A lot of us have known someone that seemed to be “born again”, and then fell away. We have all heard of some famous preacher or teacher that later rejected Christ. I think that the clearest story of this I know is of Charles Templeton. Charles Templeton was a preacher along side Billy Graham, they preached together all over Europe. Charles Templeton was by every external measurement a man of God. And yet, he would reject his faith, reject Christianity and accept an agnostic view of life. If any of us had known this man we would have been convinced of his conversion.
I Cor 3:9-15, we are told by Paul that it is the foundation that matters, “let each one take heed how he build on it (the foundation).” We are told that know matter how you build on this foundation, whether “gold, silver precious stone, wood, hay, straw…” that it will be the foundation that gets us to heaven. What we build on that foundation may be lost but the foundation will stand. Have you ever driven by a house that has burned and all that is left a concrete slab where the house once stood? So it is with us.
“If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Isn’t it wonderful to know that once the foundation has been laid that even if we don’t build right upon it, yet, if the foundation is Christ, we will be saved. Of course this doesn’t give us license to do whatever we like, to be careless in our building, for the point that Paul is making is that we need to “take heed how” we build for we are the temple of God.
Back to the builders is Matthew. Both of these builders are building. They have heard what the foundation is to be and now they progress in their building. It is my assumption that both of these men knew they needed a strong foundation (after all they were building a house) and also that they each believed they had that strong foundation that they needed to build. They certainly didn’t set out to build a house that wouldn’t stand or that wouldn’t be safe. They set out to build houses for the same reason that most people build houses: to live in. These builders progress in their building confident that what they were doing would last. Certainly, any person that knew they didn’t have a foundation would never build. But to know you have a foundation and to think that you have a foundation are very different.
Our builders have finished their houses and like all people they must admire their work. They have invested themselves in these houses, both financially and physically. And now the test, “the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house”. The first house, built on Christ’s words, the sure foundation, stands. The second house, though hearing the word has not built upon it and it fell, and not only fell but “great was its fall.” The destruction of the house was great. Nothing is left of this house but a pile of ruble, a sad reminder of what was and could have been.
How are we building? Or more importantly on what? For as we have seen, you can build a life that is nearly identical to what the Bible prescribes and yet be completely off the mark. You can hear the words of Christ, think that you are on them, build a life on what you think is a laid foundation and yet, when the storm comes, destruction. How can we know when we are building on the true foundation and how can we know when we are building on a foundation that hasn’t been laid by Christ? Paul tells us how, when writing again to the Corinthians, he admonishes them to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (II Cor 13:5)
I know that many people don’t like being challenged in their faith and that the people that come along and cast doubt upon them are not appreciated but a philosophy that I have adopted is that I would rather see 100 Christians examine themselves and receive a greater assurance of their salvation then to allow one lost person believing they are saved, to perish without ever being challenged to really examine themselves. Though my intention is not to cause uncertainty but examination, if these words of Christ do cause uneasiness then maybe examination is just what we need. And often, the more resistant we are to examine, the more danger we are in. This was the problem with the Pharisees. They couldn’t nor wouldn’t except that they were blind, no matter how much Christ told them, instead they just got more and more angry and indignant. Their pride, their certainty, kept them from repentance! (Matt 23).