It’s an interesting story. While some may think to use this as guidelines for when they’re searching for a house to purchase, Jesus had a different application in mind. He said that those who hear His words and do them are like the wise man—able to weather any storm Satan sends. However, those who hear Jesus’ words, but do not put them to practice are like the foolish man—they’ll fall hard when the storms blow.
Jesus emphasized this concept many times, and in many parables: listening is not enough, we must also do. We deceive ourselves if we think hearing is enough (James 1:22). Of course, His counsel makes sense. Consider how it applies in any other area of life. You will get healthier and in better shape if you not only listen to the personal trainers but do what they say. Also, it would not be enough to just listen to the instructors teaching you how to open your parachute when you jump out of a plane, you must do what they say as well, right? Because, when you are taught something valuable you are benefitted by that teaching only once you put it into practice. Likewise, you’ll find eternal life and more happiness here on earth if you will not only listen to Jesus, but actually do what He says (obey).
It seems like it should be an easy concept but it isn’t. Some have subscribed to the idea that knowledge is really the key and all we have to do is absorb it—through reading, watching, or just listening—to improve ourselves. Our culture heavily promotes this too. We have become conditioned to believe that as long as we have taken the class we are safe. Look around and it’s easy to see that that isn’t true.
Unfortunately, this mindset has also invaded the church. While Jesus may have meant His illustration for the individual, I believe churches (God’s people corporately) can suffer from it as well. A group of God’s followers also have to choose between building the foundation of their group on the Rock or on sand.
Of course, Jesus is supposed to be the foundation on which God’s people stand, both individually and corporately. He is the cornerstone upon which the church stands (Acts 4:11); He is the head of the body of His people (Colossians 1:18). As I mentioned in a previous blog, we are united, or become one, in Him. Therefore, any group that bears His name should be anchored in Him.
I am using phrases like “should be” and “supposed to be” because I have seen that churches can have very sandy foundations. Some churches have been built on division, split from another because of different ideas of theology, or worship, or leadership. Other churches are built only on a mutual agreement—they’ve found unity in a similar cause or belief. Some churches are even built on deception by a greedy false “prophet” or “messiah” seeking to steal people from God and pad their own pocket books. I’m sure there are many more “foundations” on which a church may be built, but if a church does not have following Jesus as their foundation they have built on sand—and they will fall. If you find yourself in one of these churches, be careful! You do not want to be inside a sandcastle church when the the angels of Revelation let the winds blow (Revelation 7:1).
I’m not saying that one day, all of a sudden, their church building will collapse due to high winds, but rather that they will not be able to stand the severe spiritual tests of the last days. There will be tests, difficult ones. Deceptions so strong that they could almost deceive those truly following God (Matthew 24:24). Only those who have made hearing and obeying Jesus their foundation will remain standing when all is done.
You may not have any influence on the foundation of your church, but you can choose a proper foundation for yourself. You can choose, like too many proclaimed Christians today, to sit in a church every week (or month or twice a year) and hear God’s word and be finished with your Christian “duties”. Or you can choose to act upon what you hear from God and plant yourself on solid rock. As another song says, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”