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The Second Sunday after Pentecost, June 22, 2014
Matthew 7:15-29
Theme: Build it Right!
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves.
16
By their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me,
Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven.
22
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 perform many miracles?
23
Then I will
tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
24
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.
25
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.
26
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.
27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat
against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Dear Friends in Christ,
In the last three years, hundreds of tornado shelters have been purchased, installed or built
in our area. Of course, we all know why. Even brick and block buildings dont hold up in 180
mile per hour winds. Its still hard to believe the old St. Johns hospital shifted on its
foundation and had to be torn down.
Besides being in tornado alley, were also, remarkably, in a zone where earthquakes may
someday destroy and wreak havoc.
There is no doubt that some buildings and houses are built better and stronger than others. I
remember a General Motors facility in Lansing, Michigan that needed to be torn down, but it
had been built with 4 foot thick concrete walls toward the end of WW II for the purpose of
testing some of the first jet engines. It was hard and took many months of work with heavy
equipment, but eventually it was gone. All our earthly structures are able to be destroyed in
one way or another.
The only thing that lasts is the Word and Promises of God. Thats what our lives and our
churches must be built on, if they are to last. Today Jesus urges us to Build it Right! Use
the Right Building Materials, and then Put Them to Good Use.
1. Use the Right Building Materials
We want to be trusting people. We want to take people at their word, when they cry out
Lord, Lord. Outwardly, until real times of testing come, most churches and churched people
resemble each other in a lot of ways. Without looking deeper, we might believe the oft quoted
lie: Well were all going to the same place anyway. There are so many churches, even so
many religions. All of them have as their ultimate goal some vision of a better life. All
religions promise either to get people to heaven, or to make life on this earth a kind of heaven.
That superficial similarity makes people rather unreceptive to Jesus warning about false
prophets. Most people consider it uncouth, radical, and even hysterical to suggest that being
nice or sincere is not enough.
But its not enough. The devil isnt content to have the irreligious people in his trap. Hes
not even satisfied to have lured people into false religions founded by false prophets like
Mohammed and Joseph Smith. He works extra hard to lead Christians astray too. He lures not
only individuals, but even whole churches and denominations into picking and choosing what
they want to believe in the Bible and what they want to ignore. When they do so, no matter
how pious or sincere they may seem, they are putting themselves and their followers in danger
of eternal hellfire.
Just this week, another denomination, the Presbyterians, voted to teach the exact opposite
of the Bible about the wonderful gift of marriage that God inventedbut of course this heresy
was couched in gentle and sweet sounding words about love and acceptance.
Thats why Jesus demands watchfulness and close listening: Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16
By their fruit
you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18
A good tree cannot
bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21
Not
everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22
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 perform many
miracles?
23
Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
Churches and religious people may look fairly similar on the outside. It takes workclose
listening and Bible study, to know whats safe and Scriptural, and whats dangerous and
worldly. We have to ask questions like Are they teaching only Gods Word, or are they
mixing in the doctrines of men? Are they teaching all of Gods Word, or are they leaving
much of it out? Are they teaching mostly Lawthat is following ruleswhether Gods or
mans? Or are they truly evangelicalthat is centered on the Atonement of Jesus for our sins,
and the salvation that comes by faith alone in the Gospel?
Jesus went out of His way to issue this stern warning in our text, and we ignore Jesus
Words at our own peril. Weand all peopleneed to hear the bad news in full forcethat
we are born depraved and lost souls, and that until the day we die, we will continue to lose
battles against sins, which merits us eternal death. And therefore, until the day we die, we also
need to hear day in and day out the whole, pure and full Gospel that Jesus paid for every
single sin, and that through baptism, through the absolution God sent His pastors to proclaim,
and through the Lords Supper Jesus instituted, we daily receive the forgiveness we need and
are justified so that we can go to heaven when we die.
When the crowds were following Jesus and wanted to get His tipd on how to earn their
own salvation, Jesus gave them a very clear message that didnt sit well with many of them.
They asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires?
29
Jesus answered, The
work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. ...
40
For my Fathers will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him
up at the last day. (28-29,40)
Trying to be nice wont do it. Putting on a good front and a stiff upper lip wont do it.
Sincerity wont do itespecially if youre sincerely wrong. Following the 7 steps to
happiness, or the 4 keys to success wont do it. Not even volunteering at the soup kitchen will
do it. Were saved by grace alone through faith alone, and only those things done as a result of
putting all our hope for salvation in Christ, are God-pleasing, good works.
22
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 perform many miracles?
23
Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you.
Away from me, you evildoers!
Listen to Gods Word, not mans and believe in Christ and His merits, not in yourself and
your own. Jesus wants us to use the right building materials. But then He wants us to get to
work building with those raw materials.
2. Do the Work of Building with Gods Materials
As we look at the two builders in Jesus parable, it is striking how many similarities they
have. True Christians and hypocrites resemble each other on the surface, just like these two
builders. Notice in the parable that both of these builders were people who heard the Word of
God. And the storms of adversity also came to both of them. Both Christian and non-Christian
have the same difficulties: sicknesses, accidents, injuries, war, fear, robbersand we all die in
time.
24
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.
25
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.
26
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.
27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Yes, both of these builders were people who heard the Word of God. But only one of them
really listened, took to heart what was said and believed. And so, for all their similarities, the
two were really very different. In their actions, one was wise and one foolish. One let Gods
Word suffice for Him. He put His trust in that Word and ordered His life accordingly. He had
paid attention. He remembered and thought about the warnings God gives in His law. He
realized God was talking to him when He said you are a sinner. He took it to heart when
God said Repent! And he also listened to Gods promises. He trusted in Jesus for
forgiveness. He went home from church with his Savior in his heart, sure that hed been
forgiven.
The other decided the Word of God wasnt worth putting into practice. He may have put on
an outward show of piety, pretending to pay attention. He didnt think about or remember the
Words of Jesus. The warnings went in one ear and out the other. He didnt really think he was
much of a sinner, so forgiveness wasnt much of a big deal.
Like builder who takes shortcuts, and then people dieas happened not long ago in
Bangladesh, people gamble that it doesnt really make a difference. All of us are tempted to
think the Word applies to someone else. In our Old Testament Lesson, Moses estimated the
difference and spelled it out in black and white. What seem like inconsequential choices in
day to day life, spell Life and Death. Believing and practicing Gods Word leads to eternal
life. Taking Gods Word lightly leads to eternal damnation.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and
bind them on your foreheads.
19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit
at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
20
Write
them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates....See, I am setting before you today
a blessing and a curse
27
the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that
I am giving you today;
28
the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and
turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not
known (Deut. 11:18-20).
The Old Testament is filled with examples of death, destruction and damnation that came
on Israel because they didnt obey Moses. But the Bible is also filled with promises for those
who read, mark, learn and inwardly digest His Word. In Jesus story, the wise hearers faith
endured the horrible storm, while the foolish hearers life, hopes, aspirations, all came
crashing down around him in ruins.
Build wisely, with choice materials. Live a life of true faith in Jesus. Listen carefully to
both His warnings and His promises, and put Gods Word into practice every day in your life.
We are saved by faith in Christ alone, whichif its realis always active in striving to love
God and our neighbor. Dont be fooled by phonies, any more than God will be fooled by you
if youre a phony. Build it Right! Using the Right Building Materials, and Putting Them to
Good Use. Amen.