How to Weather the Storms of Life

SPEAKER 01 : 0:00

ADRIAN ROGERS WAS A MOTIVATOR, AN ENCOURAGER, AND A LEADER OF THE FAITH. HE WAS ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT PRESENTING SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION TO EVERYDAY LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES. AND YOU’LL HEAR THAT IN TODAY’S MESSAGE. NOW, LET’S JOIN ADRIAN ROGERS.

SPEAKER 02 : 0:17

WOULD YOU TAKE GOD’S WORD AND BE FINDING THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 7. AND WE’RE COMING ALMOST TO THE END OF THIS GREAT, GREAT PASSAGE THAT WE CALL The Sermon on the Mount. Now before I read the Scripture that will begin in verse 24 in just a moment, let me tell you this, that we have a very, very, very serious problem in today’s world and in what we call the Christian world. And the problem is dropout disciples, collapsing Christians, banishing church members. People who, when they ought to be standing up, are folding up. They get baptized. They come to church for a while. And then, trouble, persecution, heartache, temptation comes, and they fall away. I call them Alka-Seltzer Christians. You drop them in water, they fizzle a little while, and then they’re gone forever. You know folks like this? I think there are many like this. They are superficial saints. And the reason they fall away, the reason they cannot stand, is they have no real foundation in their lives. And when the storms come, they are blown away. Now that’s what Jesus Christ is talking about right here. Many of us know people that will come to mind when I read this scripture. And many of you may be here today and you have no real foundation. You think everything is fine. But when the storm comes, you’ll be gone too. Because you don’t have a foundation. I want you to listen to this. Jesus says in verse 24… 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. He built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew. But what happened? Look at it again. And they beat upon that house, but it didn’t fall. It fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. Now look in verse 26. 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. That means, and tragic was the fall of it. Now that’s the passage that we have before us today. what a pertinent passage it is jesus here is talking about building on a firm foundation and friend if the bottom has fallen out of your life you had better go back and examine the foundation there was something wrong with the foundation now if you would learn how to weather the storm and by the way the storm is coming There are three categories here today. Those who are just getting out of a storm, those in the midst of a storm, and those who are getting ready to get in a storm. All right? The storm is coming. Now, if you would weather the storm, there are three things I want to lay on your heart out of this passage of Scripture. The very first is this, that you need to erect a sturdy building. Now the Lord says that we’re all building a house. Our lives are like a house. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock. Now you’re all building some kind of a spiritual house. Everybody is. I cannot live in the house you build. You cannot live in the house I build. I am stuck with the house that I build, and I will stand or fall in the house that I build. Now, our Lord here is talking about two kinds of builders. In verse 24, He talks about a wise builder who built his house upon a rock. And in verse 26, He talks about a foolish builder who built his house upon the sand. Now wait a minute. In many ways these two builders are very much alike. The Lord in this passage is not talking about the out and out pagan. He’s talking about two categories of persons who have heard His Word. Two so-called followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. But there was a vital, vital difference in these two. But the difference was below the surface. The difference is not what we see when we look around. The difference is in the foundation. There was the rock builder, first of all. The rock builder. He built his house upon a rock. Luke says in Luke chapter 6 and verse 48 that the builder dug deep. He dug deep and laid the foundation upon a rock. You know that a house with a good foundation can stand the storm. But then he said there was another man. This was the sand builder. Now you can build a house more quickly if you don’t bother with the foundation. Just go out to a sandy lot and begin to build. Lay the joists on the ground. put down a base, build the walls, put the roof on. Hey, that’s easier. That’s quicker. That’s less costly. And your house will look just as good as your neighbor’s. As a matter of fact, you can take some of the money that you would have put in the foundation and maybe put a little more gingerbread on your house. Now, these are the two kinds of builders. Very, very similar and yet vitally different. Now what makes a firm foundation? What is building on the rock? Jesus makes it very clear. Look in verse 24. There are two things necessary to have a firm foundation. What two things make the rock? Well, first of all, hearing the Word of God. Jesus said, Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine. Now that’s what we’re doing today. We’re listening to the Word of God because the Bible says in Romans chapter 10 verse 17 that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So that’s part of having a rock foundation for your life. You must hear the Word of God. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine. But that’s only half of it. Now look very carefully in verse 24. Whosoever heareth these words of mine, and what’s that next word? And doeth them. And that’s where we begin to separate the rock builders from the sand builders. Now one of those who must have been there to hear Jesus give this sermon was a man named James. And I don’t think that James ever forgot it. Now remember, James heard Jesus say that it is the man who hears the Word of God and does the Word of God, whose life is built on a firm foundation. And notice what James says in James chapter 1, verse 22, “‘Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.'” I believe that James was thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 right here. Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only. Because any man is self-deceived who comes to church and hears the Word of God does not do the Word of God and has the idea that he has done what he’s supposed to do. You know, it’s like a person who would come this morning and they would say, you know, I enjoyed the message. Oh, the music. The music was wonderful. But then there is no change whatsoever in their lifestyle and the way they live. James said that man is deceived. And he has deceived himself. He is self-deluded. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Jesus said, whosoever hears this word and does it. Now, let’s just stay with James for a moment. I want you to go to James chapter 2, and I’m going to read an extended passage of Scripture. And it is one of the most controversial passages of Scripture in all of the Bible. But I am totally convinced that what I’m about to read this morning is the message that most churches in America need. Here’s James. James is very straightforward. He says, if you are a hearer of the Word and you’re not a doer, you are deceived. And then he asks a question in chapter 2, verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith? and hath not works. Can faith save him? Now the Greek manuscript would give it this way, can that faith save him? That is faith without works. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled. Notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body. What good does it do? What does it profit? Even so, listen, faith, if it hath not works, is D-E-A-D, dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest there is one God, thou dost well. The devils also believe and tremble. That’s more than some folks do. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Also, I wanted to read the whole passage. I didn’t want to leave anything out. Now what is all of this talking about? I want to make this absolutely, totally clear. You are saved by grace through faith alone and not of works of any kind. Now I want that to be very, very clear. It is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. The Bible says in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. not of works, lest any man should boast. And Paul said in Romans 11, 6, and I love this, he says, and if by grace it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace. And if by works it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. That sounds like some sort of a little conundrum, a little riddle. What’s he saying? He says you can’t mix grace and works. You just have to make up your mind. Either you’re saved by the grace of God or you’re saved by self-effort. And James says that faith without works is dead. Are James and Paul having an argument? No! They are in agreement. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. What James and Paul are talking about are heads and tails of the same coin and And they’re exactly what Jesus is talking about when He says, whosoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them is like a wise man that built his house upon a rock. Now we need to understand this. While we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone. Did that get through? While we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone. Now the difference between James and Paul is, Paul is talking about how to be justified in the sight of God, but James is talking about how to be justified in the sight of men. Look in verse 18, Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, I will show thee my faith. By my works. You can’t see my heart. You can’t see any faith in me. God can see it, but you can’t see it. The only way you can know my faith is what you see in me. Paul is talking about being justified before God. James is talking about being justified before men. Paul is talking about the root of our salvation. James is talking about the fruit of our salvation. Paul is talking about the foundation. James is talking about the building. Paul is talking about the provision of our salvation. James is talking about the proof. Paul is talking about the marks. James is talking about the means. Paul is talking about a no-so salvation. James is talking about a show-so salvation. They’re all the same. What James is saying is that if you’re truly saved, if you’re truly saved, it is more than just mental ascent. It is more than just head belief. Now, he says in verse 14 that without true faith… What you say is just a profitless profession. Look, if you will, in verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren? Though a man say he hath faith and hath not works, can that faith save him? Friend, it will take more than a pious platitude to get your soul to heaven. You may have profession without possession. James said it’s like saying to a man who’s hungry and cold, go your way, be warm, be full. James says what good does that do if you don’t give him some food, you don’t put some clothes on him? And what good is just saying I know the Lord when you don’t know him? And there are many people who think just because they have a mental assent to the facts of the gospel and just because they’re working in the church some way that they’re going to heaven and they have no more faith than the devil himself. because they have never, ever surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Now, James makes it very clear. He gives two examples and one illustration. Look in verse 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Now wait a minute. If you know your Bible history, when was Abraham counted righteous? Well, he offered Isaac upon the altar in Genesis chapter 22. But in Genesis chapter 15, the Bible says that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. What’s the difference? What happened in Genesis 15 when Abraham believed God was seen over here 30 years later in Genesis 22 when he offered up Isaac. That’s what Paul is talking about over here. Abraham truly believed God. And it showed up over here. Don’t tell me that you are saved and you love God if you’re not living by the Word of God. Jesus Christ said, Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? And then he gives another illustration. Was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she hid the spies? Remember, James is talking about being seen before men. You couldn’t see Rahab’s heart. But let me tell you what happened to Rahab. Rahab was a harlot in the Old Testament who got saved, and her life was so changed that she married a prince in Israel, became the great-great-grandmother of King David, is in the house and lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Her life, her life was changed. Now some who are members of churches… are still living like a harlot. And you’re going to die in split hell wide open. Listen, if your religion has not changed your life, you better change your religion. Just simply saying, I believe, just hearing the Word of God, that does not save. It is faith. And then he gives the classic illustration. He gives two examples. And then here’s the illustration. Look at it. And verse 26, For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. There are the lungs. There’s the liver. There’s the heart. There’s the esophagus. Here’s the stomach. Here are the intestines. There’s the spleen. What a wonderful specimen of anatomy that is. All of those are facts. But the body is dead. What good are theological facts without life? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Now, it’s not works that make a body alive. It is life that enables you to do those works. Do you see the difference? You can’t make a body alive by manipulating the body. That doesn’t give life. It is life that gives the works. There’s no contradiction. What we’re saying is this, that if you would be a rock builder, you must hear the Word of God and heed the Word of God. Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only. There are millions of people who are trudging to churches on Sunday, listening to sermons, and they’re going to die and go to hell because there’s never been a change in their life. Jesus said, Whosoever heareth these words of mine, and does them, he’s like a man that built his house upon a rock. So the very first thing I want you to see, listen to me. If you would weather the storm, you must erect a sturdy building. Now let’s move to the second point very quickly. Not only must you erect a sturdy building, that’s one that has a firm foundation. But after you erect a sturdy building you can expect a stormy blast. A sturdy building, a stormy blast. It is coming. Go back now to our passage of Scripture there that we’re looking at in Matthew chapter 7 and see what our Lord says. And we need to understand this. Children of God you need to understand this. Listen very carefully. Jesus says that the storm fell upon both houses. In verse 25, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house. Which house? The house built upon a rock. Verse 27, And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house. What house? The house on the sand. Now when you get saved, does that mean there are going to be no storms in your life? There will be storms. The rain comes down. that’s pressure from above. The floods come up, that’s pressure from beneath. The wind blows, that’s pressure all around. Man that is born of woman is full of trouble. Storms come to every life, saved or lost. Built on the are built on the sand, I can tell you from the authority of the Word of God, you are going into storms. And you know what the storm is going to do? The storm is going to show whether or not you have a foundation. That’s all it’s going to do. The storm is going to test your faith. And a faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Don’t get the idea that simply when you get saved that there’s going to be no more trouble, no more difficulty. The storms are going to come. And if you get your theology from circumstances rather than from the Word of God, you’re going to get the idea that God doesn’t love you. Let me tell you, friends, storms are going to come. There’s going to be sickness. There’s going to be suffering. There’s going to be persecution. There’s going to be heartache. There’s going to be difficulty. But these things cannot separate a man whose life is built on the rock. Romans 8, verses 35 and following. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we’re killed all the day long. We’re counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, not in the absence of these things, but in all of these things, in the eye of the storm, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And difficulty in your life does not mean that God has abandoned you. It does not mean that. He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6. You must erect, my dear friend, a very stable, a very secure, a very strong building. You must do that. And then you must expect a stormy blast. And then you can experience peace. the steadfast blessing. Notice again what Jesus says. Jesus says here in verse 24, And 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. Luke says it beat vehemently upon the house. But it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. Why do some people fold up? Why do some people cave in? Why are some just blown away? I’ll tell you why. They have built upon the shifting sand of good intention. They have built upon the silt and the muck of religious activity but they have never built upon the Lord Jesus Christ where the Bible says other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is the Lord Jesus Christ you say pastor I know one of the finest families in our church they used to serve God but difficulty came and we don’t see them anymore but they were such a fine family pastor yes beautiful house well furnished well painted, well designed, and that was a wonderful family living in that spiritual house, but it had no foundation. John says in 1 John 2 verse 19, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. I’m not talking to you this morning about sinless perfection. I’m not saying that if you get saved and give your heart to Jesus and the storms come that you won’t have some doubts. You will. I’m not saying that you won’t stumble. You may. You may. I’m not saying that you might not have a relapse. You might have a relapse. You know, standing in the crowd when Jesus gave this Sermon on the Mount about two kinds of builders, you know who was there most likely? A man named Simon Peter and a man named Judas. They’re both there. They heard Jesus say, “‘Whosoever heareth these things of mine and doeth them, I liken him unto a wise man that buildeth his house upon a rock.'” The winds, the rains, the floods came, beat upon the house, but it stood. Then they heard Jesus say, But a foolish man is like a man to build his house upon the sand. The winds, the rains, the floods came, and the house fell. And tragic, great was the fall of it. Judas was there, and Simon Peter was there. Two kinds of builders. Very similar. They both erected a spiritual house. Peter built one and Judas built one. And had you looked at the two houses, you know what you would have said? You would have said Judas can build a better house than Simon Peter. Do you know who was the best man outwardly? Do you know who had the prettiest house? Not Peter. Judas had the best looking house. He did, didn’t he? Do you know what they did with Judas? They made Judas the treasurer. Now, who do you get for the treasurer? The best. I mean the most trustworthy. When Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me. Not a one of them said, oh, I know who it is. It’s that rascal Judas. Not a one of them said that. They said, I wonder if it’s me. None of them said, I know it’s Judas. Not a one. You know why? He had a good looking house. I mean a good looking house. He knew how to build a house almost. But there was a difference. Old Simon Peter, bless his heart, Jesus said, Peter, who do you say that I am? Peter said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said, that’s right. And upon this rock I’ll build my house. I’ll build my church. And the very gates of hell will not prevail against it. Peter knew that. Peter was weak just like I am and like you are. He wasn’t much of a house builder, but boy did he have a good foundation. Did he have a good foundation. He laid his faith on a firm foundation. And I want to tell you that a storm came and it blew through the life of Judas. And a storm came And it blew through the life of Simon Peter. And when the storm was over, Judas’ house was gone. It was gone. And Judas died and went to hell. You say, did Judas lose his salvation? He never had it. The Bible says… Jesus speaking of Judas, have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is the devil? The Bible says that Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not. Judas never ever had real faith. Simon Peter did. Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon Satan has desired you that he can sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail. He had faith. And the Savior interceded for him. Now you know when the storm hit old Simon, a few windows were broken out. Did you know that? And some shingles blew off the roof. And some things happened to that house. But I want to tell you something. After the storm, he was still standing. He became the flaming apostle of Pentecost. And you know why? I’ll tell you why. He had the real thing. He had the real thing. He knew God. He’d heard the Word of God. He’d believed the Son of God. He’d bowed his knee to Jesus Christ. Weak, yes. Failing, yes. But the house stood. It was built on a rock. I wonder if you can say my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. On Christ, the solid rock I stand. all other ground is sinking sand. There are thousands of people in churches today, when the storms hit, they’ll be gone. When the storm comes, rather than standing up, you will fold up. And I’ll tell you why. You don’t have a foundation. And the storm is going to come for all of us. And you better make certain that you have a sure foundation. And when the bottom falls out, just examine the foundation. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER 01 : 30:47

If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.