Hurricane Ike was a deadly and devastating storm that occurred in 2008. Some of the greatest damage took place on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas, where the storm surge exceeded the island's elevation, leading to an onslaught of flood water and caused extreme coastal change. We were visiting family not too far from that area and decided to take a drive to check out the aftermath of the storm. It was an eerie drive along the Bolivar Peninsula. As we continued along, we expected to see the quaint residential community of Gilchrist, but in its place was a blanket of sand, debris, and then in the distance, one lone yellow house.
Matthew 7:21-27 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The Sermon on the Mount was given by Jesus and can be found in Matthew chapters 5-7. Here he addressed his disciples which were those who were following him, and a large crowd of people who were interested in hearing Jesus, but had not yet committed to following him. Today’s scripture contains the final words spoken during that sermon. Jesus knew that there were many who claimed they believed in Jesus Christ, as a matter of fact they had quite a trophy list of their spiritual accomplishments, but that list is meaningless without a true relationship with Jesus.
Jesus encouraged the crowds to act on his words and closed with a parable about two builders. One builder built his home upon a rock, and that home withstood the torrential storms of life. Jesus tells us that hearing and doing his words will empower us to withstand these forces. Luke writes an account of this same parable in Luke 6:48 and says that not only will our house not be destroyed, it could not even be shaken! Now that is a firm foundation! To build a foundation of faith, one must hear Jesus' word and obey it.
By the way, that yellow house in Gilchrist still stands on Church Street and has become a symbol of resilience and community strength. It’s been appropriately named, “Last House Standing” and can be yours to vacation at, for just $180 per night.
Matthew 7:21-27 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But 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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The Sermon on the Mount was given by Jesus and can be found in Matthew chapters 5-7. Here he addressed his disciples which were those who were following him, and a large crowd of people who were interested in hearing Jesus, but had not yet committed to following him. Today’s scripture contains the final words spoken during that sermon. Jesus knew that there were many who claimed they believed in Jesus Christ, as a matter of fact they had quite a trophy list of their spiritual accomplishments, but that list is meaningless without a true relationship with Jesus.
Jesus encouraged the crowds to act on his words and closed with a parable about two builders. One builder built his home upon a rock, and that home withstood the torrential storms of life. Jesus tells us that hearing and doing his words will empower us to withstand these forces. Luke writes an account of this same parable in Luke 6:48 and says that not only will our house not be destroyed, it could not even be shaken! Now that is a firm foundation! To build a foundation of faith, one must hear Jesus' word and obey it.
By the way, that yellow house in Gilchrist still stands on Church Street and has become a symbol of resilience and community strength. It’s been appropriately named, “Last House Standing” and can be yours to vacation at, for just $180 per night.