Teachings of Jesus 6: A Key Question to Consider During All Life's Problems (With the Parable of the House on the Rock)


For a list of all free video teachings and transcripts in this series, go HERE.

Get the book or e-book to go along with the study. We will be covering 18 teachings this summer by video.  The book, however, has nearly all Jesus's teachings in Mark and into Matthew.  Get the book or e-book at Amazon by clicking HERE.


HERE is the full video for Teaching 6 titled  A Key Question  to Consider During All Life's Problems (With the Parable of the House on the Rock).  A written transcript is right below the video again, if you prefer reading through it.  Enjoy...and I would love to hear any feedback/discussion you have by commenting here, on facebook, or by sending me a message on facebook.




--------------Transcript -------------------------


Today is Teaching 6, Video 6.


In the book we are on Day 19, and we are starting in the parables for the videos. Actually the parables started back on Day 14. I am going to be covering 5 parables in these videos. Many more are covered in the book. We are on page 109 if you have the book. The parable of “The House Built on the Rock vs. The House Built on the Sand.” This is a pretty popular parable. If you have studied the parables at all, then I am sure you have heard of this one before. Let's see what we can get out of it for today, for us.


I am in Matthew 7:24-27. This is Jesus speaking. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”


Ok, we are following the same theme again. Remember in the last teaching, Jesus was in the house and he said, “Those who are learning and listening from me, and applying it, and doing it – they are like my brothers and sisters and mothers.” And now he's saying, “Those who hear the words and do them, it is also like they have built their house on a rock.”


So what does that tell us, right there? When we stay close to Jesus, we are like family, and he puts us in a strong house – strong foundation.


Let me start over (with the reading of the passage.)


“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.


And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”


In this teaching itself, Jesus is saying that those that hear me and do, those that hear the word and apply it, and follow it – they are in a sturdy house. Obviously this means that when the troubles come, when hard times come, we are more likely to be able to weather those problems, and face them, and go through them. Obviously when we don't listen and follow through. And that is important – it's not just listening. It's not just hearing. It's not just reading. It's not just going to church and hearing the message. It is applying it – applying it – that is what makes the foundation firm.


So for those of us who have been walking with God for awhile, how does this apply to us? Well, here is the way I like to think of it. I like to think of it as – we have a nice strong house based on a nice strong walk. But we also have a vacation house on the sand, on the beach. And you know what? That vacation house – oh it looks so relaxing! It looks tempting! We can just move over there for awhile. And we do sometimes.


We have times when we are closer to him. And then we have times when we let distance grow, or there is something we know we need to be following through on, and we don't. And the minute we do that, we move ourselves into the tempting vacation house – the vacation house that when the storm comes – whoosh – we don't weather it very well. We are less likely to weather it, and we may even lose things, we may even lose something in that house.


When we allow ourselves to go through a time when we are not listening or applying what Jesus taught, it is as if we move into a vacation home for a time – a vacation home that is built on an inferior foundation of sand.


Now, of course – what is wrong with having a vacation house? I am just using that as an example. Sure! Go to your vacation house! But take Jesus with you. He will strengthen that house too.


Now the storms come to both. The storm came and whipped up the house on the rock, and the storm came and whipped up the house on the sand, on the beach. But only one stood. Only one made it through. I also think today of our families. Because who lives in the house? The family lives in the house. So part of this applies to us making sure that our families – that we are passing down the strong foundation, and that we are teaching them how to make their foundation secure, and how they can be close to Jesus, and how they can have this protection, as well.

I don't think I am the only one who -- well -  I can think back on my life, and I can think of times when I let a lot of distance get in, in my walk with God, and some storms came through, and I did not handle them well, and they almost took me down. And I can tell you when I stay close to him – anything can happen – and I can handle it so much better, because I know he is navigating through the storm.


Reflections –


Think about – when was the last time that you weathered a terrible storm in life? Or maybe even you are weathering one right now. Ask yourself – How did you react during that storm? Or during the current storm?


This has helped me so much – When you have a big problem and a big storm in life, or any kind of problem in life that you need to solve, or figure out, or resolve – this is a question you can ask yourself to help determine if you are responding well to that problem. Ask yourself, “Is the way I am handling this problem, is it bringing me closer to God? Or is it pushing me further away? Are my actions bringing me closer, or further?  Likewise, if you have two paths or multiple paths that you can take to solve a problem, choose the one that will bring you closer to God,the one that will keep you in that strong house on that strong foundation.

--------------------------(end transcript)-----------------------------




Get the book or e-book to go along with the study. We will be covering 18 teachings this summer by video. The book, however, has nearly all Jesus's teachings in Mark and into Matthew. Get the book or e-book at Amazon by clicking HERE.

For a list of all free video teachings and transcripts in this series, go HERE.