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In 1992 Hurricane Andrew plowed through Florida and Louisiana leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In the aftermath of that devastation there were many investigative reports on TV portraying the shoddy construction of many homes which helped contribute to the devastation. There were 27 Habitat for Humanity homes in Florida which endured Andrew's fury. Not one of those homes, NOT ONE was destroyed by the hurricane! I share this story because it serves as a kind of modern version of Jesus' telling of the wise and foolish home builders in the Sermon on the Mount. Homebuilding, carpentry was certainly a subject Jesus was familiar with since he grew up with a father who made his living building things. When he talked about the wise man building a house on solid rock he understood the importance of a good foundation. And so the message is simple: You and I need to build our lives on the solid foundation of Christ and his words. Our future depends on solid foundations. Some of you are old enough to remember the Fram oil filter commercials. They wanted us to think about the future consequences of using a low-quality oil filter. Which would you rather do: spend a little more on a Fram filter or big bucks to repair a broken engine? What was it the mechanic said, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later." Jesus wants us to think about the future consequences of our present decisions. To teenagers this is a very adult thing to do. Adults are always making teens think about the future consequences of present actions. Do we think about the respiratory problems, not to mention lung cancer when we smoke cigarettes? Do we picture in our minds the possibility of being in a fatal accident when we ride with a driver who has been drinking? A story is told about a very short man who wanted to drive a nail in his wall to hang a picture. He stood on a chair, but it was not high enough. His wife placed a box on the chair, but he was still short of his goal. So a stool was placed on top of the box. Balancing himself precariously, the do-it-yourself picture hangar began to tap timidly with his hammer. "Why don't you hit it hard?" asked his wife. "You'll never drive the nail that way!" Our hero looked down from his perch to reply, "How can a man hit anything hard on a shaky foundation like this?" This story reminds me of my teenage days when thinking about future consequences was for old people who didn't have any fun. I was painting the exterior of our house and came to the point where I needed to go higher. Do you think I could have taken the time to get a ladder? Heck no! There was a picnic table right there. I stood on the table and continued to paint. But then I need to paint even higher, so I stacked the bench on top of the picnic table and stood on that to paint. And then the other bench on top of that one. It wasn't a few moments later that the table tilted and I came crashing to the ground. All I remember was a bruised ego and white paint splattered all over my body! Shaky foundations. What shoddy materials went into the building of your life's foundation? Are there broken places in need of repair? We are in the process of laying the foundation for our new building. When workers dug down to expose the foundation of the St. Mark wing last week they discovered carpenter ants! Immediate action was taken to remove this potential threat to the foundation. Do you have carpenter ants infecting the foundation of your life? How would know unless time is taken to dig down to the foundation of your soul for a peek? And who will you choose as your contractor, your builder...Jesus the Master carpenter, or today's popular culture? Read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. It is the wise man, woman, teenager, or child who hears his words and then is willing to act upon them. The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall. Scientists travel yearly to measure the building's slow descent. They report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb. They further estimate that by the year 2007 the 810-year old tower will have leaned too far and will collapse onto the nearby restaurant, where scientists now gather to discuss their findings. With a twist of irony, the word "pisa" means "marshy land," which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. One more fact…its foundation is only 10 feet deep! The world is hungry to see authentic Christians who live out the words of Jesus for the long haul. No doubt that to live in this world with a deep and long-lasting commitment to Jesus Christ will involve conflict, pain, and loneliness. We are warned to carefully count the cost and consider our choices. But we are here to be a part of the construction of the kingdom of God. And so we are challenged to hear the words of Jesus and to act on them not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Today our church has the privilege and honor of confirming 24 youth! One of the interesting aspects of this confirmation experience has been the mentoring of confirmands by St. John adults. I have heard many adult mentors comment on how much this relationship has meant to them. I’ve heard many church leaders talk about youth as the church of tomorrow. We often talk about our hope being in the next generation. United Methodist pastor, J. Ellsworth Kalas, doesn’t believe it. He writes, "Our hope is in the past generation - or perhaps, more exactly, the one that is currently becoming past. The next generation is quite unlikely to come up with moral commitments better than those their forebears have taught them. If the future is to be what it ought to be - if it is to be wonderfully right - it will probably be because the current generation has laid a foundation of ethical character." John Smith was a loyal carpenter, working for a very successful building contractor who called him into his office one day and said, "John, I'm putting you in charge of the next house we build. I want you to order all the materials and oversee the whole job from the ground up." John accepted the assignment with great enthusiasm and excitement. For ten days before ground was broken at the building site, John studied the blueprints. He checked every measurement, every specification. Suddenly he had a thought. "If I am really in charge, "he said to himself, "why couldn't I cut a few corners, use less-expensive materials, and put the extra money in my pocket? Who would know the difference? Once the house is painted, it will look just great." So John set about his scheme. He ordered second-grade lumber, but his reports indicated that it was top-grade. He ordered inexpensive concrete for the foundation, put in cheap wiring, and cut every corner he could, yet he reported the purchase of much better materials. When the home was completed and fully painted, he asked the contractor to come and see it. "John," said the contractor, "What a magnificent job you have done! You have been such a good and faithful carpenter all these years that I have decided to show my gratitude by giving you this house you have built, as a gift!" Life is like the building of a home. If the foundation is strong, there is real strength for the future. If the proper materials go into the construction, it will last a long time. But if we build with shoddy materials, cut corners, and take the easy way out, we build a weak house on a poor foundation. A long time ago Jesus challenged the people who gathered to hear his words. The time is different, but the words are the same. The challenge is the same. Christ calls you and me to hear his words and act on them, so that we may be like the wise one who built a home on a solid foundation. |
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05.18.03 - Building a Future on a Solid Foundation (Matthew 7:24-29)
