IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION

Matthew 7:21–27 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (NKJV)

Jesus’ words had weight and authority. He spoke as One who could fulfill everything He said. He warned that a storm, personal or societal, would test the kind of spiritual life each of us has chosen to build. Whether it’s a collective upheaval or the personal trial that often accompanies our final days on earth, a storm is coming, and it will test our foundation.

If you build on truth, your value system relocates to eternity. Your purpose becomes God’s purpose, your family, those close to you, and those He will influence through you so they too may enter His eternal kingdom.

Jesus warned about building on sand. Sand is cheap and easy. You can pack it into forms and build castles that look impressive until the storm comes. Many inside the church choose what seems to stand because truth looks too costly. But the house on sand is the first to go.

When unsettling news hits, those without a true foundation panic. They look to news anchors for assurance because they have not been established on Christ. Scripture told us these days would come: nation against nation, lawlessness increasing, people filled with themselves, resistant to truth. None of this should surprise us. But the house built on the sand will fall.

The psalmist wrote, “The righteous also shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘Here is the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches,’” (Ps. 52:6–7). The righteous will see it but not sharein it.

A second faulty foundation is mixture. Daniel described the final worldly kingdom as “partly of iron and partly of clay” partly strong and partly fragile (Dan. 2:42–44). It won’t adhere; division will mark the last days. We see this even now deep societal division with attempts at forced unity.

Spiritually, mixture looks like a romantic relationship without commitment: casual glances, convenient evenings, frequent flirtation versus covenant. Beware the person enamored with attention but unwilling to commit. In church life, this is the person who loves the feeling of worship and the idea of being the “object of God’s affection,” but won’t be inconvenienced won’t linger ten minutes longer, won’t yield plans, won’t obey when it costs.

Years ago, a keyboardist served in our music ministry. Something felt wrong. When I asked about his faith, he said he wasn’t a believer. He loved the music and the feeling but had no relationship with Jesus. That’s mixture. One day such a person may say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t I serve? Didn’t I sing?” and hear, “I never knew you.”

“I never knew you” speaks of intimacy and covenant as in marriage. It’s not the language of casual acquaintance. To know Christ is to yield your life future, family, body, safety everything for His purposes: bringing the saving gospel to the prisoner, the spiritually blind, the poor, the brokenhearted.

We’re not called to sit at the table and consume; we’re called to carrywhat God has given us to those around us. Covenant means sharing Christ’s goals, passions, and direction.

I choose to build my life on Christ the Rock and on the truth of God’s Word. I’m not looking to skim the “easy parts” and ignore the hard sayings. If God puts His finger on my character, I repent and ask Him to change me into the person He’s destined me to be “from glory to glory” by His Spirit. Even in old age, I want to be a green tree still bearing fruit.

Over the years, the winds have beaten on my “house.” I’ve lost one to fire, another to mold, a third to flood. But the house Jesus means is not physical we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Storms will come, yet my life is built on His promises:

· “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

· “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”

· “Every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.”

· “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”

We build not only for our protection but also to point others to safety. In seasons of shaking, people will seek security. After 9/11, God had warned us to pray. When the towers fell, the church stood without fear. People flocked in, kneeling in aisles and even the lobby, surrendering to Christ, because they saw a people not thrown off balance. Our trust was in God, and our voices cried, “This is the way walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:19-21 “He will be very gracious at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you… Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Neighbors will ask, “What’s the reason for your hope?” Some will notice your morning and evening song and wonder at your peace. They need to hear from those whose lives are built on a solid foundation.

I’m grateful that mercy still triumphs over judgment. It’s better to go to heaven hungry than to go to hell full. If the Lord must shake society so the lost will call out to Him, then thank God for the shaking. Our value is souls.

It’s time to get the song David spoke about. Pray: “Lord, take me out of mixture and off the sand. Remove any casual commitment. Put my feet on the Rock. Put a new song in my mouth. Let others see and fear and trust in You.”

In the storm, don’t just cling to the Rock call from it: “This is the way, walk in it.” Single mothers struggling to raise kids, fathers unsure of tomorrow, someone must stand with the compassion of God and point the way. Church, this is our finest hour a season of incredible harvest. Don’t leave it to your passionate pastor alone. Put on the full armor of God. Stand on the Rock. Get in the game.

Do whatever the Holy Spirit tells you, even if it seems small. One woman prayed, “Lord, what do You have for me?” He told her: “Go to Starbucks, order a coffee, open your Bible.” She obeyed. Someone asked what she was reading; one became a few, a few became dozens. Soon she was leading 60 women in Bible study because she was available and built on the Rock.

The message comes to the church first. Are you truly on Christ the foundation? Or do you just like church, the music, the warmth but without covenant? Have you stepped over the line into a living relationship with Jesus, yielding your future and all you are to Him? He gave you everything at the cross; the least we can do is give Him everything in return.

One day He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”He cannot call us “good” if we weren’t, “faithful” if we weren’t, or “servant” if we weren’t. Live for that day.

Some of you may have prayed a “sinner’s prayer” but without commitment, relief without relationship. Don’t settle for that. Is anything in this world worth forfeiting heaven?

When I was saved, I was a 24 year-old police officer. I told my wife, “If this is real, I want the whole package. If it isn’t, I want none of it. But if it’s real, I’m not dipping my toe in, I’m going off the high diving board.” By God’s grace, what a journey it has been, the faithfulness, the strength, the transforming power of God.

God’s Word reshapes us from the inside out. He takes selfishness from our hearts and makes our lives about others. You won’t regret going all the way with God. As years pass, you will only want more of Jesus. “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”