Life’s Foundation

A sermon that does not help the hearer is not worth preaching. The purpose of the sermon is to make clear the Word of God and inspire the hearer to do something about it. Matt. 7:24-27

I: Jesus Warned his Audience to Hear and Do.
1. He had just preached the Sermon on the Mt.
2. They had heard about God’s care for his own.
3. They had heard about how to fulfill the Law.
4. They were taught deep things of the heart.
5. Character was greater than possession.
6. He taught that we ought to serve others out of a heart of love.

II: Three Things the Hearer Ought to Experience.
1. Our hearts ought to be stirred.
a. A man without feelings is dead.
b. Our emotions ought to be stirred by God’s word.
2. Our minds ought to be stimulated.
a. Christ urged his disciples to count the cost.
b. Christ never asked men to follow with closed minds.
c. God pleaded with Israel to come and reason.
d. The facts of the Spiritual Life will stand the thoughts of honest men.
3. Moved to action:
a. James warned of faith without action.
b. Jesus told of 2 sons that said yes and no.
c. The heart soon becomes hard to the hearing that does not move to action.

III: To Men that Heard:
1. 1 heard, was moved, and built according to what he heard. His house stood the storm.
2. 1 heard and built to please himself. He took the easy way, the self-centered way. His house failed. Do you hear? Have you been moved to action?