# God’s way or sand

Key Passage: Matthew 7:24-29
Date: June 7, 2024

Matthew chapter number seven, I have been burdened about, or I don’t know if burden’s the right word, but it’s been on my mind a lot. This thought: God’s way or sand.

Now, I use that word sand because if you were to say your way, sometimes it is your way, sometimes it’s the world’s way. Sometimes it’s the devil’s way. Now, it’s always God’s way on the opposite side. So we’re just going to title it, God’s way or the sand way. God’s way or sand.

And I’d like to take, I’m thinking of taking the Lord lead all the Sunday mornings of marching and discuss this subject besides next Sunday, of course, Brother Wallace will be here, but this subject is just on my mind, my heart. And I hope you get that thought kind of stuck in your mind, your heart. And God’s way or the sand.

And we’re going to start this morning in Matthew chapter number seven and verse number 24. Matthew 7 and verse number 24 of God’s word.

And if you found it, would you say praise the Lord? Good, you’re awake this morning. You’re all ready to go? I’m proud of me. That’s great. Would you please stand if you’re able to, just add a respect to the Word of God trying to show up respect. Matthew 7 and verse number 24. And Brother Ricky Anderson will come up and read it and preach for us for a while. Are you ready, Brother Ricky? He could do it. He could do it. Amen. No, I’m joking you. I know I am.

Verse number 24, Matthew 7. The Bible says, therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.

And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house. And it fell. And great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings that people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

Would you pray with me that God would kind of put this truth deep in our hearts? God’s way you’re saying, would you do that? Lord, I thank you. It’s been good for me to have this whole. I need the conviction from time to time. I need the reminder. And Father, would you use this truth to really permeate our lives? Would you use today and the following Sundays about this subject to get our mind focused on that, our hearts, Lord. Make it very clear to us when you are following your way and the sand way. Lord, you said your kingdom is not in word but in power. And so, Father, I preach it. It’s in your power moving and working today. We’ll thank you, Lord, for what you do. In Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

I always love to play basketball since I think the eighth grade. I never was the best at it. Never was the worst at it. I was just, I tried, you know. But there is a right way and a wrong way to shoot a basketball.

All right. I got all the attention of the men, the ladies, you’re not listening to me. But the men want to say, well, does pastor know the right way or not? I know the right way. I don’t know if I could do the right way or not, though, you know. But there’s some things you want to do when you’re shooting the basketball. Basically the right way is you don’t shoot with both ends. You’re basically shoot with one hand and one arm, basically. And you’re kind of using this one to keep it bound, let’s keep it on there. But it’s one hand. You want your feet squared up to the basket.

And you’re shooting bags on one hand. The other hand is kind of just braced it up there. You don’t want it where it’s on your palm. You want it when it’s on your fingertips. You should be able to reach your fingers up underneath that. There you’ve got a little bit more control if you got it on your fingertips. And this has been my mistake so often. If I just can’t make a basket more often than not, I realize my elbow is out and I’m shooting like this. Your elbow ought to be in.

Brother Scott shaking his head, yes, like you’ve been there before too, amen. I’ve been there too many times. But you don’t want you elbow in. And you got a little window there you look through, you know. And when you shoot, you’re shooting that ball ought to rotate backwards. All right. And a lot of times you can look and see if the ball’s rotating backwards if you’re shooting with proper form or not.

And here’s the part I don’t like, I don’t like, but if you’re shooting properly, once you shoot that ball, your hand should end up like that. I don’t like that, I understand, but your hand should end up like that, all right? Now, you know, some of you took pictures that’s going to be on Facebook now. Look at pastor, you know. You got something on me. Maybe you didn’t get it. I mentioned it later on what it was, amen. But there’s the right way. Now, can you make a basket without shooting the right? Sure.

Are you going to consistently be a good shooter and not shoot with the right form? No. Now, you’re going to look up, and sometimes I’ll say, how in the world that ball going to go in, that guy’s shooting like that, but it’s pretty rare. You check out the guys that shoot in college. By the way, how many are interested in March Maddeners out there? Come on now, yeah, I understand. Oh, I see a Kentucky fan raising his hand real. I see that.

But if you watch them, they’re typically, they’re going to have the right form and they make their baskets more often. More often, much more than me. Now, I say that to say this illustration here, God is trying to say, he’s saying basically, he’s saying there’s the right way and there’s the wrong way to make a house. All right. Now, if you notice, this comes at the very… very end of what’s called the sermon on the mouth. It’s the longest message Jesus preached. This covers Matthew 5, 6, and 7.

And you know as preachers a lot of times we want to have that last closing superstar illustration, you know. And you’ve got to have a good closing story. And this is Jesus closing. It’s this final part of the sermon. It’s almost like he’s summarizing what has been preaching for the last three chapters. And either you can do it God’s way or you can do it the sand way.

Now here’s the thing, both of them build a house. Can you make a basket without shooting the right way? Sure you can. Sure you can. But the heat the battle, a good chance if you’re not shooting right, you’re not going to make the basket. Both of these fellas built a house, even the guy that built a house on the sand. He built a house. In fact, it was probably a real big, nice-looking house, because did you notice, as you read it, when it fell, it said, great was the fall of it. So it’s probably one of these 3,500-square-foot houses, you know, with 10 bedrooms and 4 baths and all the rest. It’s probably a big old house.

And he built it and it stood for a while. But it wasn’t built properly. I make a basket every once in a while while I’m shooting, you know, granny style. How many ever shot granny style? Come on now, you know. When all else foul, just shoot granny style, you know. I’ve been there before, especially on foul shots, you know. But look, you’re not going consistently. And this guy built a house, but it was not, it didn’t stand.

So I want us just try to pull out some things about this, about this. Are you doing it in God’s way? Would you look back in verse number 24, Matthew 7, would you look at verse number 24, please? Matthew 7 and verse number 24, if you would please. Therefore, y’all wait me? Verse number 24, are y’all there? Verse number 24, therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I likened him into a wise man which built a house upon a rock.

Would you look down, if you’re pleased, verse number 26. And everyone that heareth these say these sayings of mine. So can I say this, the wise man and the foolish man heard. They both heard it. The difference, the difference, if you’ll notice in verse number 26, he says, he heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not. Verse number 24, therefore whosoever heareth these things of mine, and doeth them. So they both heard. The difference was one heard and he did it, the other heard and did not do it.

Now let’s think back. He’s just preached this sermon, three chapters, the longest sermon Jesus ever preached in the Bible. If I keep this ball here, I’m going to knock it over, I’m sure. We’ll try it right here. I don’t know, we’ll see. But the longest makes, and I want you to think about some of the things he talked.

Now, our question, I want to just ask you, I want you to think about it. Everybody, what you think about this, are you doing it, your life, are you doing it God’s way or the sand way? All of us, every person, saved or lost, every, once you know, are you doing it God’s way, or are you doing it your way, the world’s way, the flesh’s way, the devil’s way? Which way are you doing?

Now, with that fault in mind, and the sermon he just preached, let’s talk about the home for just a second. All right. Hey, while you’re thinking about that, let’s go to the very beginning of this sermon. Would you do that? Would you go back over to chapter number five? And let’s just find out he starts off with what we call the beatitudes. And let’s look at the first of the beatitude. How did Jesus start his sermon off? Let’s find out, by the way, Jesus liked to use illustration. That’s a good thing. Praise Lord for you preachers, notice that. Verse number three, though, verse number three, he said, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now, all right, so that’s how he started off his sermon.

Now we’re trying to—are we doing it God’s way or the world’s way? Because you know the last part of the sermon—hey, the wise man, the foolish man building this house—which way are you building your house? All right, let’s talk about the home for a second. Now this first verse, he’s talking about basically if I could sum it up in one word, it would be humility.

Inside the home, husbands, are we demanding, hey, I’m the head of the house? Or like Fred Flintstone with a big old, you know, club, beating him. You listen to me. Montel says, man. Sorry, man, sorry, buddy. Or are you handling it in humility? Blessed are the poor and spirit. Are we doing it God’s way or the saying way?

Wives, are you saying, you’re supposed to love me? Hopefully he doesn’t. He gets to say, it’s kind of hard to love you when you’re yelling at me like that right there. You’re going to love you. Montaelsa, stay away from me today. Now are you doing it God’s way? Blesser of the poor and spirit. Or are you doing it the same way?

Young people, young people, here’s the temptation. Well, so-and-so gets to stay out to such and such hour. Why can’t I stay out? I’m going to stay away from Montaille. Now, young people, are you saying, well, why can’t I do it? Everybody else is doing it. My dad would always say, well, not everybody’s doing it because you ain’t going to do it, boy. I say, yes, sir. But young people, are you doing it God’s way or the sand way?

Twice the Bible says this statement, before, listen to his husband’s, wise, children, before honor is humility. That’s God’s way. Jesus is starting his sermon off, blessed are the poor in spirit. See, God’s way, are we building wisely building our house or foolishly. That’s your question.

By the way, when I’m demanding something, you know, there’s three fingers pointing back in it. Well, if I’m putting my right hand, it’s not all right. If I’m putting my left head, the normal person, you’ve got three fingers pointing back at you. God’s way, God’s way. Let’s just talk about this saying, and I hope you’re thinking, am I doing things God’s way or the same way? I want you to think about that.

Let’s talk about just some of these things in the sermon here briefly this morning. Am I worshiping God? God’s way or the same way. You realize there’s worship often is mentioned negatively in the Bible. It’s positive, it’s right, but it could be. Now, Matthew chapter number six, a lot of the first part of that chapter, it’ll say this, it’ll say this little clause, it’ll say to be seen of men. Then one time it says to be seen of them. And then it says, oh, it’s worded just to touch differently. Same meaning, I’ve got to appear in the men. See, it’s talking about worship, if you will, doing something for God, if you will there. And I’m not getting strict on that definition. But then three times it says this, they have their reward.

Now when I’m worshiping God, am I doing it because somebody else will know about him? Am I doing to be seen of men and be heard of men? And by the way, if that’s what I’m doing, but I have my reward. He says this statement one time in the first part of chapter six, no reward. Now, am I worshipping God? God’s way or the sand way? I want us all just asked.

The last part of chapter number six talks a lot about finances, money. If you open your wallet up and you see that $1,000 bill in there, that’s what it’s talking about, right? Y’all didn’t say amen on that right there, you know. Some of you’re looking, man, let me see, I hope so, you know. Amen.

But look, if you will, look in verse number 24 of Matthew chapter number 6. Matthew 6:24. Are you all there this morning? Good. Verse number 24. No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. It’s money. He says, you can’t serve them both.

Look now, it gets very specific about how to do it God’s way, if I’m going to build this house. Look at verse number 33, verse number 33. Very familiar verse. But seek ye first, that’s the key word in that verse, right? But seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Now look, so here’s the thing. God puts this principle in there. You can’t serve God and money. Can’t serve them both. So you’ve got to pick which is when you’re going to serve first. That’s the key word. And it tells us in verse number 33, but seek you first the kingdom of God in His righteousness. And I said all these things, I’ll add them. I’ll take care of these things for you.

Now let me ask you, are you building God’s way or the same way? Are you putting God first in your finances? Are you saying, well, I work for so-and-so. They’re kind of a middleman, but really I work for God because I work wherever he wants me to. I do whatever he wants me to. I want to be a good employee because he told me to, but I’m really working for the Lord, and I do and go wherever he tells me to go to, and he pays my bills. Now, he’ll use your employer, and that’s when God tells us to be a good employee. But ultimately, you’re working for the Lord. Now, that’s God’s way of building. That’s building upon a rock or on sand while I’m just chasing the dollar.

I just want to get ahead a little bit. I want to accomplish. I’m behind the corporate ladder. Can I be honest with where this truth really kind of began to get in my heart and my mind? I pray for someone. I love them. They’re a relative of them. I pray for them every day. And I’ve been doing it for years. And the thing that I think of so often when I pray for them, Lord, help them to do it your way. They’ve been divorced before they’re remarried, and they’ve tried so many different money-making schemes, and they make a good dollar. Pray Lord, after all these years they finally bought them a house, and I’m thankful for that, but I often think, man, if they were just doing God’s way, it’d be so much easier. They’re kind of caught up in this rat race trying to get ahead, ahead, head, and above above it. And I want to say, forget all that. Just go to church, live for God, serve him, be obedient to him. He can take care of these saints. God’s way or the sand way.

Man, I’m for you working. I’m not saying be lazy and not going to work, man. You’d be the best worker they got so you can be a good testimony for the Lord. But ultimately are you doing it God’s way or the sand way? This whole chapter, he’s talking about somebody in his kind of culminated very end, hey, house on a rock or house on sand?

Chapter number five, later on in that chapter, he talks about the law. And he said, look, I didn’t come to destroy the law. I didn’t do that. He said, I came to fulfill the law, fulfill. You notice that full feel. I mean, he’s, and he starts talking about it became, in their mindset, the world’s way. It was the Pharisees. They kind of adopted into their society. It wasn’t necessarily God’s way. The law was just the way, if you didn’t do it, they’ll look down their nose at you, that type of thing. And Jesus addresses some of these.

Let me just, you don’t know them. You’ll know them. But he addresses, all right, you’ve heard the law: Thou shalt not commit adultery. And Jesus says, I’m going to tell you, my standard is, if you look on a woman to lust, you’ve committed adultery already in your heart.

He goes on. He says, look, if someone, if they compel you to go a mile, and you know of the Romans, they were the leaders at that point, their military come along, say, hey, care of their smile, the Jewish people had to do so. And he said, look, that’s the world’s standards. I don’t want you to go by that. If they tell you to go a mile, go ahead and go to them. And it goes on just several different things. He said, you’ve heard, you love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus said, that’s the world standard. That’s kind of gotten the society around you. But I want you to love even your enemies.

Now here’s the thing. I just want to point out, he’s saying, look, the sand is you doing right according to the world. Oh boy, that and that change, what the world says is right. But God sets a high standard up over here. And they’re none perfect at it, but don’t try to build your house on sand. Seek to build your house on a rock. And Jesus raises the standard. He sets the standard. Look, my viewpoint and my way of building a house, it looks foreign to the world because there’s two different things. I’m just talking about in your life, are you building upon a rock or upon sand?

This week, I’m not going to tell you the issue because you’ll be, you said, Pastor, can’t believe you did that. But I was facing the issue. It was outside of our church. Another pastor was involved in, another person, good people, good pastor. And I’ll be honest with you, I think I handled it wrong. And initially, it didn’t matter what I was trying to do was right, but the way I went about was wrong. Now I got you curious. Boy, you’re all like your minds, your wills are turning now, you know. And I felt like I did, and so I called. You know, I slept on it and woke up next morning and prayed about it. And boy, I just, the Holy Spirit got on me. And so I called that pastor as soon as I thought it will be appropriate. And I said, hey, I want to apologize to you. I think I went about this thing all wrong. And later on I called the individual. I said, hey, I had good intention, but I think I went about this thing all the wrong way.

And both of them said something like this. Specifically, the pastor said this. He said, you’ve not did anything wrong. You’re all right. And I said, I appreciate you being so good about it and everything. But I said, I feel like by the world’s standards, I haven’t did anything wrong. But I don’t want to go by the world’s standards. So by God’s standards, I think I should have handled this a little differently. And I told him this to say, hey, friend, we’re trying to build a building this year and start a school. We’ve got to have God’s blessings. And I’ve got to do this God’s way. If I don’t have God’s blessings right now, I don’t have anything. And the pastor said, well, that’s true. I appreciate that.

I’m talking about in your life, are you doing it God’s way or the world’s standard way? There’s a difference. And Jesus is finishing his sermon. He said, hey, don’t build your house on sand, build it on a rock, do it God’s way. That’s when you get God, I pray all for the Lord. We don’t want what we can do here at our church. We want what you can do here at our church. And to get that, you don’t get that by doing it your way. You get that by doing it God’s way. And your marriage, your homes, whatever it may be, are you doing it God’s way or the same way?

Would you just take the weeks coming and pray about it every area of your life? Which way am I doing? Now let’s look at a thing here. Would you keep your finger there in Matthew 7? Would you turn over to Luke chapter number 6? Luke chapter 6. And there’s a parallel verse that sheds some light on the house that’s built upon a rock, okay? There’s a verse that adds some light to it. It’s found in another gospel and it’s describing the same thing a little bit differently. And I want you to see that. Luke chapter 6, which is looking at verse number 48. Luke 6 and verse number 48. Man, I like to hear the turning of pages of the Bible as long as it don’t last too long. I mean, pretty soon if you can’t find it, just act like you found it. We’ll never know any different. Go to the table of contents. That’s all right. That’s fair cheating. Amen. You’re good on that. That’s still part of God’s way there, you know. Luke 6. Luke 6:48, if you would please. Luke 6:48. He is like a man which built in house and digged deep and laid the foundations on a rock. And when the floods arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock.

I want to emphasize there, he dug deep. Now here’s the thing. Usually they’ll dig deep, and they’ll pour the footer. Some of you men know much better, maybe some of your ladies, know much better than me, they’ll pour the footer, and then typically the blocks on top, and then you get the subframe and all those things, you know. But here’s the thing, after it’s all built, they cover that back up.

And so just as you walk by, I walk by Brother Glenn’s house. He’s got a beautiful house, but I can’t see how deep his foundation is by looking at it. I walk by Brother Mike’s house. I’ve never been there before. I don’t think I have. But if I were to walk by his house and I look at it, I couldn’t tell how deep. Here’s the thing. So walking by, you would not know if the house is a house built upon a rock or built upon sand. You wouldn’t know because you don’t know how deep, did they just building on top of the sand or did they dig down deep where they got the rock and poured the footer.

So here’s the thing. So many lessons, but one thing, don’t judge anybody else. You don’t know what’s going on their life. You don’t know if it’s built upon a rock or sand. Don’t be so careful about it. But then even for my life, for your life, you may have to dig down. You may have to pray about it. You may have to seek the Lord. Am I doing this God’s way?

I had prayed some about the situation I mentioned earlier, but not specifically about how I went about it. And when I began to pray specifically, if you really begin to dig down, man, am I doing this where it’s connected to the rock? Or am I just kind of do it at the sandway?

Sometimes it’ll take time and labor. Sometimes you’ll have to get your Bible out and say, well, what does the Bible say about raising kids? What does the Bible say about when I’ve did someone wrong or they did me wrong? How am I supposed to handle my finances? What is a marriage supposed to look like according to God? And you have to dig sometimes and study and, hey, Lord, I want to find out, is this your way? Am I building upon a rock?

We’re saying. See, sometimes many are you saying, well, I’m supposed to be according to God’s word. But if you dig deep, you’d realize, yes, that’s true. And yes, when the Bible talks about that, he’s talking to the wife over the Ephesians 5. Now that you lead. Well, the Bible also talks about humility. Sometimes you have to dig on these things. Am I doing it God’s way? Now I’m outside. I’m going to look the same. In fact, the one on the sand was a big old house too. Probably looked real good on the outside. But great was the fault of it. And just every area of your life, am I doing it God’s way or the sandway? You have to dig. It’ll take some work. It’ll take some time in prayer.

I was so proud of some of our people. They recently had an issue and they… they just around him out way, let me know they have fasted and prayed about it. Boy, they are making sure they’re doing it in God’s way. They had dug.

I don’t know about you, but nobody likes to dig with a shovel very long. I mean, my back don’t like it for sure, you know. But it takes some back into it. I’m going to dig. Am I doing it God’s way? Am I doing it God’s way? It takes time. I imagine the person that built upon the sand built quicker. It took time to dig down deep. And it takes time to build a house upon a rock. And you know, mom, I want to have this great life and this great finances. Oh, be so careful of the get rich quick schemes. He that labors, excuse me, he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Pretty amazing statement God makes. It takes time to build a house upon a rock.

Am I doing it God’s way? Have I prayed through this. We were going to buy a house years ago out on Sulphur Springs Road. How many know where that’s at? Sulpherson, Ed of Murphysboro. And it was an older house, wasn’t on a slab. It had a crawl space. And so I said, well, if I’re going to do this, you know, I’m going to check it out. So I crawl up underneath the house. I’ve seen about 20 spiders calling around. How many of ladies you just woke up? And I seen a snake. I took off when that happened. No, I’m joking. But I crawled up underneath there and there was water. You could tell whether there’s piers have been sinking down and they had added things. You know, usually in water, they’re going to sink and sink and sink. But it didn’t know if it was built upon a rock or sand until I crawled up underneath there. Sometimes you’ve got to get dirty and work. Am I building upon a house, a house upon a rock? Because on the outside it’s going to look the same typically. Looks good.

Let’s hurry along. We’re going to get this last thing here. I want you to notice this back over Matthew 7. Would you go back over there, Matthew 7, please? And I want you to notice these verses, Matthew 7. And we’re going to be done this morning just a little bit because somewhere, somehow there’s going to be fried chicken around, amen. We’ve got to get to it quickly, you know. Matthew 7, look at verse number 25 if you would. Please, verse number 25. And the rain, you’re there, verse number 25, amen, you’re there? Good, here we go. And the rain descended, and the floods came, winds blew, and beat upon that house. And it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

Look down in verse number 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house. And it failed, and great was the fall of it.

Can I say this, friend? It doesn’t matter how you build your house. The rain’s going to come. The flood’s going to come. The wind’s going to come. Young people, I wish I could tell you how to live a life without all that. You notice it even says it beats upon it. And the wind just, you’re going to have times when it just beats on you. I wish I could not have it, but that’s part of living in a sin-cursed world. Both houses, the one on the sand and the one on the rock have the same thing, the wind, the flood, the rain, and it beat upon them.

Can I say this? Both houses stood. I don’t know how long it was before the wind came and the rain came. It may have been a year, it may have been ten years. It had been a week. But they came. They always do. And when the storms come, that’s when it reveals what it’s built upon.

Can I say sometimes I probably sometimes trying to help people in marriage or problems, marital problems, and sometimes it reveals their houses built upon a rock, and sometimes it makes them say, you know what, I’m going to make sure my marriage is totally. Sometimes we even shift a little bit, go dig a little bit. Finance, sometimes people go through financial troubles. I remember. Oh, I don’t know, maybe eight, ten years ago, and our church went through financial troubles. And I think it was so good for us because it made me, at least, and I think our people’s in mind dig and say, we’ll make sure our foundation is totally on the rock. Storms, that’s what reveals. But the storms came to both. It doesn’t matter if you’re living for the Lord or living for the devil. Storm’s going to come, friend. Come to everybody. Rains on the just and the unjust alike, the Bible says. And the storms come. That’s what reveals.

Can I say this raising kids, kids for the Lord? There’s going to be battles. Having a good marriage often say, a good marriage isn’t one that doesn’t have problems because they all have. I mean, but a good marriage is one that learns to work through the problems. Young people, you try to live your life right and build your house upon a rock, you’re going to have storms. You’re going to have it. But keep your house in a rock, it’ll stand the storms. They’ll come. This one that had his house upon a rock, just almost you can hear him say, well, go ahead and keep beating.

What was it now? What nine years ago? We had the financial reversal somewhat, the adjustment and all that in America, all these things. Those that had their house built upon a rock, they said, we’re all right. God’s got us. He’s got it. Been doing right all these years. He’ll take care of him. Storms come.

A lot of different ways, storms come. But even when we’re gone. Bible says, and it is appointed under man once to die, and after this, the judgment. Can I say this, even for a saved person, a born-again Christian, you’ll stand before God. It’s what’s called the judgment seat of Christ. If you’re saved, you’ll stand before him. And when I stand before him, there will be a judge, not of my sins. Jesus has already took that judgment. I’m so glad for that. But there’ll be a judgment of my works. And my works will be tried by fire, if you will, there’ll be a storm that comes. And there’ll be some rain and a flood and winds, and it’ll beat upon my works. And if my works have been for myself and for people to see me and all the rest of that and it’s built upon sand, my house will crumble. You suffer loss, the Bible says 1st Corinthians 3. You’re still saved yet so as by fire, but you lose rewards.

Everybody’s going to have a storm. I don’t care save the lost her in between. There is no limit. But then the lost. We’ll all stand before God. Every person here in this room, man, woman, boy, or girl, it doesn’t matter. All of us will stand before Him. And you’ll stand before Him at the judgment. Christ, if you’re saved, but if you’re lost, you’ll stand before Him as what’s called the Great White Throne Judgment. Everybody will stand before Him. And folks, they’ll stand before God Almighty. And if you will, if you will, it’ll be determined, where’s your house built upon a rock or upon the sand. It’ll be an awesome day. Those one judgment go to heaven, those other judgments go to hell. And it’ll all be about what was your house built upon.

Would you look back real quickly here, back at your Bible there, Matthew 7, and the last really old truth, if you will, before this illustration, the end of the sermon. Let’s look at it. Matthew 7, look at verse number 21. Matthew 7, verse number 21. Very quickly here, please. Matthew 7:21. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven.

Can I pause? Time out for just a moment. Can I add a verse in there? Can I add, John 6:29, Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has said. Amen. Do it the will of God. What’s that? To put your belief, your faith in Jesus alone.

Now let’s finish this thing up. Just because they say, Lord, Lord, don’t mean they’re going to heaven, if you will. Look at verse number 22. Many, not a few, many. Can I just say a word here? We’ve got to finish it out. But I just want to say this: false religion will send more people to hell than anything. That’s why he says right there, many, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? They prophesied or preached, if you will, about Jesus, his name. Is Jesus talking?

Lord, Lord, hey, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name, have cast out devils. While I help that person get off drugs, marijuana, helped them get off alcohol. I’ve helped them cast out of their lives, selfishness, whatever it may be. In thy name, I’ve cast out devils. And of thy name, done many wonderful works. We went to Chile or wherever may be, and we’ve taught them how to grow a garden. I’m for doing these saints. They’ve even did it in Jesus’ name. Here’s amazing. Watch the next verse. Amazing what he says to them. Verse number 23. And then while I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me. Ye that work, illiquity.

Well, surely their house has been upon a rock! Hold on, no, no. You understand they’re standing before God and they’re giving all their excuses or reasons why they ought to enter in. Let me into heaven because I preached in your name. Cast out devil’s in your name. You know all these wonderful works in your name. If they would have just said, hey, no merit do I have. The only hope I have is Jesus. Friend, he is the rock.

And they just say, hey, man, I’m a sinner. I try, but I’ve messed up about a million times. I’ve got no right on my own to go to heaven. My only hope I have put it. Maybe you can look back and say, hey, you know what? March, what is this? March 6th, March 6th, 2020, I said, I can’t save myself. I put my faith in Jesus. Jesus is the only reason. God said, whoo, come on in, my son. Welcome home.

And then he culminates it. Your house built upon a rock. By the way, you know it’s a rock. I’m on the sand. Those people that say, you know what, I put all to my face. By the way, it’s a sad thing when people say, well, I, Jesus, but I got to do this, that other. I got about halfway a rock, if you will, and halfway sand, that house is going to fall that way, and just build your house. We’ll all face the storm. Every person in the world, every person in the world, the storm is going to come.

Would you buy your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads about eyes are closed. You hear this morning, you say, a preacher, there was a time that I put my full faith in Jesus to get me to heaven. I knew as nothing I could do. I was a sinner, can’t save myself, and I put all of my faith, my belief, my dependence on Jesus to get me to heaven. Preacher, I have been saved. I know for sure I’m saved going to heaven. If that’s you with their heads by and eyes closed, if that you would just lift your hand up, preacher, this came at time when I put my full faith in Jesus Christ to pay for all my sins and take me to heaven. That you would just lift your hand up.

Many, many hands. God bless you. Many, many hands. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.

Maybe you’re here this morning. You say, preacher, I’m going to do this. I’m talking about your lifetime down here now. I’m not talking about eternal on this part here. It doesn’t apply to eternal. But as far as you will say, you already say, but you say, you know, I’m going to go through my life and I’m going to ask the question, am I doing it at God’s way or the same way? This week and maybe in weeks ahead, I’m going to do that. Am I handling this situation, God’s way, or the same way? I’m pretty sure I’m going to go through my life, and I’m going to ask that question because I want to make sure my house is built upon a rock. The issues in my life. I’m pretty sure I’m… I’m going to go through my life and just look. Am I doing it God’s way or the same way? And God spoke my heart about that. If that’s you, there’s more, you slip your hand up, preacher, that’s me right there. I’m going to go through my life. I’m going to go through my life. I’m going to go through my life. I’m going to go through my life. I’m doing it. God’s the way or the sand way. Many, many hands. That’s so good. That’s so good. Oh, you won’t regret that. It’s a wonderful thing. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.

Two more questions. We’ll have an invitation. You said, preacher, I already know there’s some areas in my life that I’ve been building upon sand. And I need to go back in that area, whatever the area may be. Maybe I did not even mention it, but the Holy Spirit mentioned it to you. And I need to build upon a rock. I know I’ve handled some things, the sand, the world’s way. And I’m going to change. I’m going to build my house upon a rock in this situation, this area where I’m thinking. If that you preach, Lord, some things in my mind, if that you would just slip your hand up. Anybody like that, you slip your hand in that’s me. God bless you. God bless you. That’s so good. That’s so good. God bless you. Thank you for letting the Lord work in your heart. What a wonderful thing. Wonderful thing. Thank you so very much. You put your hands down.

One last question. You’re here this morning. You say, I want to put my full faith in Christ. I’m talking about now about going to heaven. I want to put all my faith in Jesus. I know I cannot save myself. I know my way. The best I can do is still just sand. And as far as me getting to heaven, I want to put 100% dependence on Jesus, the rock. I need to trust in him. I want to trust in Jesus to save me today. If that’s you, well, I have a nice close. You lift your hand. Just lift it up. I want to put all my faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. I’m not done it. I want to do it today to put all my faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. If that’s you, you just let me head in them. Anybody like that? Just look it up. Just a moment.

We’re going to stand. We’re going to have a word of prayer. If you’re raised your hand, God spoke to heart about anything in those things. Would you come down an old-fashioned altar? Just spend some time. I’ve had to do it, and I’m still doing it going through my life. Lord, is that rock or is that sand? Would you go through your life and would you just go through it? Maybe just this morning started. Maybe those changes from sand the rock. If you’re not saved, there’ll be some men. There’ll be a man standing down front and a man in the back. Would you go shake their hand? They’ll take the Bible and show up in the Bible how you can put your house upon a rock as far as all eternity. Would you do that?

Would you please stand? Would you please stand? Let’s pray and would you come? Father, help us to hear. Help us to do. Thank you for your word. Help us to learn and grow from it. Lord, there’s one here. Their eternal house is built on sand. Lord, I pray that today give them to cur. Let them know we love them. We love to help them. Guide them to put their house. Their eternal destiny completely on the rock. Help them to do so today. In Jesus, name we pray. Amen.

Would you come to wave from anybody else? Would you come? Would you come just go through your life? Is it rock or is it sand? Is it rockers at sand? My finances, my marriage, my childhood, my relationships. The way I handle issues, rock or sand, go through your life. Would you do that? Rock or sand? My worship is it rock or sand. Our heads about, our eyes are closed right there where you stand or where you kneel or wherever you may be. Would you just take some time? Lord, is that rock? Is that sand? Maybe you’ve already had storms coming. They reveal what that house is built upon. Maybe there’s already, all right, I think that’s saying, I want to change, Lord. He’s so gracious. It’s amazing how good he is. He’s so, oh, the rock. I’ve come to where you are. He’s amazing at that. Would you let him know, I want to build upon you, Jesus. I want to build upon the rock. Would you let him know that as we sing another verse?

Original File: God’s Way or Sand - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday 3622