author: Ryan Hayden Take your Bibles with me and turn to Luke 6. Luke 6.

As you know, we spend a lot of time in downtown Chicago. Noah has a lot of doctor's appointments at Lurie's Children's Hospital - which is right in the heart of downtown.

What you might not know, is that for most of my life, I was afraid of sky scrapers. I've never really been afraid of heights. Flying in airplanes has never bothered me but super tall buildings terrified me.

Well, when you are in downtown Chicago - supertall buildings aren't optional. Noah's hospital is 21 stories tall. The hotel we normally stay at is 16 stories tall. We regularly eat on the ground floor of the Sears tower when we are there (they have a great food court there) and that is 110 stories tall.

How do you build buildings that tall that stand for years and years. Sear's Tower (they call it Willis Tower now) is over 50 years old. That's fifty years of hot summers, cold winters and crazy storms. 50 years of wind. It's still standing.

They were figuring this out in Chicago in the late 1800s. They had a problem. Chicago is basically a swamp. So not only where they trying to figure out how to build supertall buildings, they were trying to figure out how to build them on a swamp.

The key, it turns out, is to go down. If you want to build up, you have to keep going down until you get to the solid ground - to the hardpan.

There is one building there: the auditorium building that they built in the 1880s or something and they didn't build it on a firm foundation. They didn't build down.

If you go to that building today, you have to step down four steps when you enter the first floor. That wasn't planned. Thats how much that giant building has sunk. It has big cracks in the basement where the building is pulling apart. I don't know about you - but I'm not staying in that building.

But most buildings now go down, down, down until they reach the hardpan. Sometimes they go down for hundreds of feet. Then they build a foundation up from there that they build the skyscrapers on. Those buildings have lasted.

Our text today is all about building on a firm foundation. Jesus lays out a foundational habit to build your life on, and promises that if you do this one thing then your life will stand when the storms come.

It's a short text today, let's read it:

[!bible] Luke 6:46-49 - KJV 46. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

If you grew up in church, then you know this passage. Kid's love to sing "The wise man build his house upon the rock and the rain came tumbling down."

That song, obviously, is based on this passage (and a similar one at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7.)

Remember, Jesus here is preaching to a great crowd of people. They had all come to hear Jesus. But that doesn't mean that all of them were following Jesus at the same level.

No doubt closest in to Jesus were the apostles - who had given up their life to follow Christ and that's all they did.

Maybe behind them were a group of disciples - people who were real Jesus' followers and who heard Him as often as they could.

Behind them were likely a large group of people who were interested in Jesus and had heard Him before.

Behind them was a huge group of people who were just there to see Jesus do a miracle or something.

So I imagine them arranged like a wifi symbol. With Jesus in middle and rings of people around Him.

But they were all come to hear Jesus. That's why verse 47 is the key to this I think. Look at that verse again:

[!bible] Luke 6:47 - KJV 47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

This verse has three verbs:

• coming
• hearing
• doing

And all of those verbs are in a present participle tense. That is a tense of continual action. The idea isn't just "come to Jesus once" but those who keep coming to Jesus. The idea isn't "hear Jesus once" but keep hearing Jesus. The idea isn't "do what Jesus says once" but to continue doing what Jesus says.

Then Jesus talks about those who do this are like those who build their house on a rock. Those who make sure their house is on a firm foundation.

So I want to tell you that this is the foundational habit for life. The foundational habit for life. If you want your life to stand firm, then you have to do what this verse talks about and to do it continually.

Now, I'm going to get very practical this morning. I'm not going to talk in abstractions. I'm not going to mince words. I'm going to lay out exactly how you can build your life on the rock.

I want to give you three points this morning as we think about these verses:

• First, I want to talk about the habit we need to build our life on. That habit has three parts. So there will be three subpoints.
• Second, I want to talk about how storms are coming to all of us.
• Third, I want to talk about what happens when we only do the habit part way.

Let's pray and we'll get into the message.

Pray

So the first thing (and really the main thing) I want to talk to you about today is...

1. The habit to build your life on

This comes from verse 47 where Jesus said:

[!bible] Luke 6:47 - KJV 47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

Again, I'm going to be very practical - very "how to" - in how I talk about this habit.

There are three parts to it:

• Coming
• Hearing
• Doing

So let's break it down. Let's talk about...

A. Habitually coming

Remember, these people had come to hear Jesus. They had come to what was basically a big open air church service to hear Jesus preach.

And Jesus said to them "Whoever comes (and keeps coming)"...I will liken to.

Now, how do we come to hear from Jesus today? I believe we do it by coming to church. Coming to the weekly church services where Jesus is preached and the word is preached.

What we are doing today is absolutely a continuation of what Jesus was doing in Luke 6. Jesus died, rose again, ascended into heaven and then what? His disciples continued His work by starting the church and the key feature of the church is the preaching of the word, the preaching of Christ.

And God would have you - Christian - to be a person who comes and keeps coming to hear the word preached - to hear Christ preached. I believe this is part one of a foundational habit in the Christian life. I believe it is literally part of the foundation of your life as a Christian.

We know in the early church that they got together daily. Acts 5:42 says:

[!bible] Acts 5:42 - KJV 42. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

But we also know that they put special emphasis on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

We know for instances that Paul preached to people on the first day of the week. That they took up on an offering on the first day of the week. John called this "the Lord's day."

So from the beginning, the early church has had a day set aside where they came together to hear the word preached.

Hebrews 10:25 says

[!bible] Hebrews 10:25 - KJV 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

The foundational habit starts with coming. Coming to church.

I want to challenge you to make church attendance a prioritized habit in your life.

Prioritized meaning you make coming to church more important than anything else. More important than sports. More important than work. More important than your hobbies.

Habit meaning you do it automatically. You shouldn't have to think on Saturday night "am I going to church tomorrow?" No! It's automatic. It's habitual.

Jesus said if you do this habit, you will build your life on a firm foundation. The first part of that habit is coming. So I want to challenge you - it's still early in the year - make this a habit. Come and keep coming. Come to hear Jesus.

The second part of the habit is...

B. Habitually hearing

Again, Jesus said Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings. Coming is only part of the habit - you have to come to hear. You have to come to listen to God.

I'm not so foolish to think that many of you aren't sitting here right now thinking about all kinds of other things. Maybe bills you have to pay or tasks you have to do accomplish. Maybe you are daydreaming about a new house or an upcoming vacation.

That is not hearing. That is not listening.

I used to fly a lot, and every time I would get on the plane the flight attendant would give this safety spiel. No one listened. Everyone was checked out, listening to music, playing on their phone. That's how some of you do church.

It does you no good to be the most faithful church attender, if you do not come to listen. It's like going to a restaurant every day and starving to death because you go, but you do not eat. How foolish.

2 Timothy 4:2 gives me my job, it says:

[!bible] 2 Timothy 4:2 - KJV 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

That's what I'm doing up here. That's what I'm giving my life to.

But there is a job for you too. Verses 3-4 say:

[!bible] 2 Timothy 4:3-4 - KJV 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

You have to endure sound doctrine, you have to turn your ears to the truth.

Let me tell you how to listen. Let me break this down for you:

First, you need to open your Bibles and look up here. I'm as much of an app guy as anyone on planet earth - but I think there is something to be said for opening a paper Bible and putting it on your lap - it puts you in "listening mode."

Second, you need to actually try to pay attention to what is being said and to follow along. Imagine that there will be a test later. Listen.

A third part of listening is turning to the passages as they are read. If I say "turn to Matthew 7" there should be the sound of Bibles turning to Matthew 7. Let's practice. "Turn to Matthew 7."

Let's read verses 24-27 while we are here:

[!bible] Matthew 7:24-27 - KJV 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: 25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27. 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.

Ok, now turn back to Luke 6. (See, good job.)

Finally, I think you should take notes. Take notes. When you come to church, you shouldn't just bring your bible, you should bring a notebook and a pen and be ready to take notes on what you hear.

An old preacher of mine used to say "A short pencil is better than along memory." An old Chinese proverb says "the faintest ink lasts longer than the longest memory."

One of the most interesting things I found as I read for the message this week is that historically, when there has been revival, there has been a revival of note taking in church.

The quote is "revived hearts lead to scribbling hands."

So as you come to church open your Bibles, look up, turn to different passages and take notes. Imagine you'll be tested later, or better yet, imagine you are going to teach this to someone else someday. Listen with intention.

So this foundational habit has three parts:

• Habitually coming (Come to church)
• Habitually hearing (Listen actively)

But there is a third part and that is...

C. Habitually doing

This is the main point of our text today. It is not enough to come. It is not enough to hear. You must do. You must put Christ's words into action in your life.

Turn with me to James 1. (See). James 1.

Look at verses 23-25:

[!bible] James 1:23-25 - KJV 23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Ever look at yourself in the mirror and think "that's not good." Maybe there is something black in your teeth. Maybe you missed a big spot when you were shaving. Maybe your hair needs attention.

Imagine doing that and then just walking away. That's what God compares going to the word of God and then not acting on it to.

When you hear the word of God, it's going to point out things in your life that need to change. It's going to point out things that need work. When you hear those things, you have to do them. You have to act on them.

As one preacher put it:

Every time we truly hear the word and are authentically moved, we must resolve to act upon it.

For instance, last week the preacher preached a message about how we can fail the grace of God and get bitter and how bitterness leads to profanity and fornication. It was a great message. I needed it.

What do you do when you hear a message like that? You have to act on it. You have to pray and ask God to help you put it into practice. You have to think about it more than right after you hear it, but through the week. You have to grade yourself on how you are doing with it.

Imagine if your doctor said to you "You are 50 pounds overweight, you have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. You are headed for a stroke. You need to stop drinking soda and start eating healthier and trying to exercise every day."

And you were like "true. Man, you are right. Thank you." Then you walk out and never do anything about it. Did that do you any good?

And so it is with God's word. When God's word speaks to you - you have to act on it. You have to put it into practice. You have to turn the news into action.

Look at our text again (starting in verse 47):

[!bible] Luke 6:47-48 - KJV 47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

These three things are the foundational habit for a good life. Come to church and hear God's word, actively listen and then put it into practice - let God's word change you.

Now, there are two more things I want to bring out and I'll be quick about it. The second thing this passage teaches us is...

2. The inevitability of storms.

Jesus talks about how the storm comes to both the man who dug a deep foundation and the man who built on the sand.

And I think this is meant to teach us that every one of us is going to face storms. Every one of us is going to have his faith tested.

James 1:2-4 puts it this way:

[!bible] James 1:2-4 - KJV 2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

You are going to have testings and those testings are going to require patience (or endurance) and God will use those testings in your life to perfect you.

Listen, the storms are coming. You don't get to not have the storms.

And one of the things life's storms do is they reveal our foundation. They reveal what our life is built on.

You cannot fake it through a storm.

Think about these two houses. They both look the same. From the outside, they both seem like solid houses. Two families may live in these houses side by side for years and they both fulfill the same purpose.

But when the flood comes, one house goes down, the other house stands firm. The flood reveals the foundation. The storm shows what the houses are built on.

And it may be so with you - maybe you are someone who is faking it. From the outside everything looks good. You look like a Christian. You come to church. You hear. But you know that the foundation isn't there.

Can I tell you - the storm is coming. When it comes, it will test your foundation. What are you building your life on?

So I told you this morning I had three points:

1. The foundational habit.
2. The inevitable storms.

There is one more thing I want to talk about today and I'm done, and that is...

3. The benefit of partial completion

In other words, what happens if you only do 33% of what Jesus said to do here? What if you come.

I'm glad you come. Please keep on coming. But realize that coming doesn't help you in the storm.

Maybe you do 66% of what Jesus told you to do - maybe you come and you listen.

Again, that is 66% better than most people. That is really good. But unfortunately 66% won't help you in the storm.

What if you do 90% - you come, you listen, you even call Jesus "Lord?" (Like verse 46)

Well, unfortunately, you still don't have a solid foundation and the storms will reveal that. In order for this to have any benefit you must come, you must listen, you must do. That has to be the foundation of your life. Coming, hearing and doing God's word.

Conclusion

So let me wrap this up and ask you a very pointed question: Is your life built on this habit? Do you come to church faithfully, do you actively listen to what God is saying to you? Do you put it into practice?

Maybe some of you today need to commit to more faithful church attendance.

Some of you today need to do better at listening. Maybe you need to start taking notes. Maybe you need to work at getting rid of the mental distractions so you can hear.

Maybe you need to put God's word into practice more.

Why not do this right now, before the instruments come, take out a piece of paper or your notes (or if you have to, your phone) and write this statement: "In order to build my life on the right foundation, I need to..." and then you finish the statement with something specific.

Now, there is one more thing I want to say and I'll close. Maybe you are a house today that isn't built on the right foundation. Oh, you look just like the other houses. You serve your purpose now - but you know that maybe you've never been saved. Maybe it's just formalism to you. Maybe you are just going through the motions.

The storm is coming and the storm will reveal. Take care of that today.

Let's stand for prayer and invitation.