BIG IDEA:
SPIRITUAL SECURITY COMES FROM OBEYING THE WORD OF THE LORD
INTRODUCTION:
This is one of the simplest lessons the Lord Jesus ever taught His disciples. It is a familiar story to any child from their Sunday School days. The interpretation is straightforward. The application is what is critical. Obedience to Christ is not optional. It lies at the heart of genuine conversion and true discipleship. The false dichotomy between accepting Jesus only as Savior while reserving for some time in the future the decision regarding embracing His Lordship is exposed here. If you profess a connection to Jesus Christ but fail to obey His commands and teachings you are a hypocrite and your religious life will eventually collapse into permanent ruin.
Steven Cole: Many other New Testament verses virtually equate saving faith with obedience and unbelief with disobedience, because the connection is inseparable (see Acts 5:32; 6:7; Rom. 1:5; 2:4-10; 6:16; 10:16, 21; 15:18; 16:19, 26; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb. 3:18, 19; 5:9; 11:8, 31; 1 Pet. 1:2, 22; 2:8; 4:17). As we saw in our last study, the nature of the tree determines the type of fruit. If a person has received a new nature through faith in Christ, that new nature will bear good fruit. We are saved by grace through faith apart from works, but the faith that saves always results in good works.
I. (:46) TEACHING LESSON = EMBRACING THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST REQUIRES OBEDIENCE, NOT JUST LIP SERVICE
“And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
Jesus offers up His simple teaching here by way of one probing question.
The genuineness of your discipleship commitment will be demonstrated by the extent of your obedience to the commands of Christ.
Morris: To call anyone “Lord” is to admit that allegiance is owed.
Lenski: This means pretense, hypocrisy, exclusion from the kingdom more decisively than for those who never knew Jesus or claimed connection with him.
II. (:47-49) OBJECT LESSON = HOUSES BUILT ON 2 DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS
A. (:47-48) House Built on Solid Foundation = Well Built / Destined for Permanence
1. (:47a) Case Study: the Obedient Disciple
“Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like:”
2. (:48a) Characteristic: Solid Foundation
“he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock;”
Morris: This is an essential for sound building, but it is time-consuming and it is hard work. So some avoid it.
3. (:48b) Calamity: Torrential Flooding
“and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house”
4. (:48c) Final Condition: House Stood Firm
“and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
B. (:49) House Built on No Foundation = Poorly Built / Destined for Destruction
1. Case Study: the Disobedient Disciple
“But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly,”
2. Characteristic: No Foundation
“is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation;”
3. Calamity: Torrential Flooding
“and the torrent burst against it”
4. Final Condition: House Collapsed
“and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Morris: He may have every outward appearance of respectability and he may be noted for his religious observances, but lacking a foundation he is nothing.