THE TWO BUILDERS

SCRIPTURE:

INTRODUCTION:

[A] THE TWO HEARERS

(1) TYPE 1 THE WISE- THE BELIEVING HEARER
- LIKE ROCK "SOLID"

V27 - speaks of building a relationship with Jesus

• WE KNOW our shepherd Jesus - we BELIEVE
• HE KNOWS us individually, by name (Dad's 48 cows at Geeham)
• Sheep FOLLOW the shepherds voice
  • he leads to food, water, shelter etc
  • Jesus leads us in the way giving us life, strength, power and authority.

(2) TYPE 2 THE FOOLISH - THE UNBELIEVING HEARER
- LIKE SAND "WEAK"

V22 - Be ye DOERS of the Word and not hearers only.

• Too many Christians FAIL TO APPLY the Word to their life.
• They hear the PRINCIPLES of God but don't use them.
• They hear that they have ARMOUR but don't put it on.
• They don't BELIEVE and fail to use their faith.
• They are told they can HAVE this or that if they do what the Word says but they don't do it.
• By not participating or doing what what God teaches they get defeated by the enemy of our faith.
• They become dull of vision, dull of hearing and dull ofunderstanding.
• God teaches line upon line, precept upon precept (Isa 28:13)

V24 - They walk off not knowing the state of the inner man.

[B] THE TWO BUILDERS

(1) TYPE 1 - THE WISE

• The Lord's my ROCK - strong platform / place
• The Lord's my FORTRESS - place of safety / power
• The Lord's my DELIVERER - out of every situation
• The Lord's my GOD - not money, sport etc
• The Lord's my STRENGTH - when I'm weak He's strong
• The Lord's my BUCKLER - shield against the enemy
• The Lord's my HIGH TOWER- place of refreshing

• The ROCK OF APPLIED FAITH

• Using the Word of God in your circumstance is applied faith - all of heaven backs up the Word.
• Hell shall not stop us - we are winners.

• The Lord becomes a STONE OF STUMBLING - he who lacks submission to Jesus lacks power in his life.
• The Lord becomes a ROCK OF OFFENCE - ashamed to be seen as a Christian - like Peter denying Jesus three times.
• The foolish STUMBLES AT THE WORD - lacking revelation, lacking understanding, lacking teaching line upon line and precept upon precept. Clouds without rain blown by the winds of adversity.
  
• The foolish becomes DISOBEDIENT doing their own will instead of the will of Jesus. Failing God's purpose for their life.
  

• Superficial Christians only look like whited sepulchres but inside are only rotteness.
• The world's wisdom may look good but it fails as it has no foundation.
• Many professing Christians fail to come to an end in themselves and a beginning in Christ.

[C] THE TWO RESULTS

• Life has many storms - how we have built will determine how we stand or fall.

• SAFETY - safe because he built ON the rock - he let the words of Jesus get IN him as a solid foundation upon which to base his life.
• PROTECTION - UNDER the rock for protection - he remained very submissive to Jesus. He stayed under the spiritual covering.
• SECURITY - IN the rock for security - secure in the promises and power of Jesus.

(3) The Foolish will fall.

• They are built on the sand which cannot cope against the storms.
• Man's works are never sufficient.
• They have no strength - they fall morally
• They have no strength - they fall to false teaching
• They have no strength - they fall to religious bondage
• They have no strength - they fall to the opinions of men

SUMMARY: