“[24] So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.”
Matthew 7:24 AMPC
As Jesus sat on the mountain with His disciples, and the crowd all around Him, this did not distract Him from laying down the rules of engagement for His kingdom. Too many times, we want to make the gospel attractive to people, and indeed it is, because it is the person, personality and power of God at work, but we must be careful not to seek to dilute the potency because we need numbers or applause. We also know that there is always a message for everyone who comes in contact with the Word of God. The disciples were the target here, and those who claim to know and follow Christ will do well to listen to and heed the instructions that have been laid out in the verse above.
The first emphasis is on hearing. It is always a choice: God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. All of us will have the opportunity to hear God's word. God is that fair; He knows that faith comes by hearing, and He will present opportunities for us to hear Him. He desires a relationship with all of His creation, and His Word is fundamental to a healthy relationship with Him. The second emphasis is the part about acting on what you have now heard. Both are quite important: Once God has spoken, and He does that often, the right response from all who claim to know and follow Him is obedience. Am I truly His child?
As the verse above makes clear, we are all building. The person who obeys is building something, just like the person who is also not obeying what s/he hears. The difference is the quality of the foundation. As we know, there is nothing wrong with the quality and depth of the message. As long as Christ is the focus, power is released. However, my response is what determines how deep the foundation will go. The person who obeys is described as a sensible, prudent, practical and wise man, who built his house upon the rock. Just reflect on what this means: the effort, time and resources required to ensure that the house stands. You do not pick up gold by the roadside; you do not harness the power of the Word by a lackadaisical search. Am I hearing right? Am I building right? God's time of favour is here.
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