In One Ear Out the Other

For the past 16 weeks we have been learning from the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Remember great multitudes followed Jesus wherever he went.

He set himself up on a mountain and taught the people. We call this the Sermon on the Mount

It started in Matthew Chapter 5 and it ends in Chapter 7.

I want you to think about all the lessons we have learned from Jesus up to this point.

He showed us how to live a blessed life, how we need to be the salt of the earth, to let our lights shine before men to glorify God. He taught that he came to fulfil the law, not to destroy it. He showed us that everyone is guilty of murder and adultery because it happens in the heart before it happens outwardly.

He showed us what it looks like to wear the mark of our Father in Heaven. He warned against doing things to be seen and praised by man. He taught us how to pray effectively. He warned us that we must forgive others to be forgiven by our Father.

He taught us to lay up treasures in Heaven and not on earth. To not judge your brother before you judge yourself. He taught us that our Father in heaven is ready and willing to give us spiritual gifts.

He commanded us to enter in at the strait gate and warned that the broad way leads to destruction.
He warned against false prophets and how to identify them.

And that brings us to the final verses of this great sermon filled with wisdom, doctrine, and truth.

Jesus sums it up with a powerful call-to-action…

Matthew 7:24-27 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.

Life is filled with decisions. And Jesus is presenting all who hear his message with a choice…

You can either hear all the sayings and lessons from Jesus and do them like a wise man that builds his house on a rock.

Or you can hear everything and not do them like a foolish man that builds his house on the sand.

Think about receiving instruction from the Creator of the Universe. He has Infinite wisdom and knowledge. We can’t even imagine what that’s like. Our heads would explode.

He made you, he understands every inner working of your body, soul, and spirit. His knowledge of you is infinite—far beyond what you could ever comprehend about yourself. And he is talking to you through His recorded Words.

His instructions for you lead to unimaginable blessings, and physical and spiritual protection.

After you hear all these things from God himself, you have a choice to make. You can hear all these sayings and do them. Or you can let them go in one ear and out the other.

The Foolish Man

In our society, the attention span of human beings today is basically 5 seconds or less.

Scrolling through Tik Tok and Instagram is degrading the minds of both children and adults. 

Today’s Social media and entertainment trains you to seek instant gratification.

People would rather look at a screen and watch short videos of people dancing and acting like a fool instead of reading or listening to something to gain wisdom and knowledge. 

These things degrade your ability to focus, comprehend, and retain.

So when people do hear something important, it goes in one ear and out the other.

For example, kids at home who just want to play video games, watch TV, and scroll on your phones all day long. When your parents give you instructions, and those instructions go in one ear and out the other. You need to understand you are like a foolish man that builds his house on Sand.

A foundation made from sand has no strength. Think about a sandcastle that you build on the beach. One wave comes and it’s gone. It washes away in an instant.

When a wave comes into your life and you haven’t listened to your parents’ instructions, that house you are building on the sand, your life, will be washed away.

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

When you are at school and your teachers are trying to give you instructions that will later help you get a job, understand finances, save money, how to read and write effectively.  When you let those things go in one ear and out the other. You are like that foolish man that is building on the sand.

If you don’t listen to the instruction of teachers, you will not be able to get a job, you will always be dependent on everyone around you, you will become lazy, and you will probably end up homeless, in jail, or dead. All because you let instructions go in one ear and out the other.

Proverbs 21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Adults, when you are working a job and your employer gives you specific instructions on when you need to show up at work and how to do your job properly.

And then while on the job you sit on your phone, you waste time, you let everything you were told go in one ear and out the other. You are like the foolish man who builds on the sand.

You will not keep that job. The foundation of sand that you’re building on will be washed right from under your feet. Your life will be filled with turmoil, strife, and destruction.

These are just everyday life examples…

So when Jesus gives you instructions in His word, and you hear them just like you have heard them these past 16 weeks. You now have a choice to make…

Will do the things that Jesus has said? Will you be like a wise man that builds his house on a rock.

Or will you ignore these sayings from Jesus and be a foolish man building on the sand.

There are many people in the Bible that received instruction… but did not take action and it led to destruction.

Let’s look at a few Biblical examples of people that heard but did not hearken.

Adam and Eve

Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Lot’s Sons in Law in Sodom

Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities where the people lived wickedly and committed abominations before God. God sent two angels to Sodom to warn lot and his family to leave before it was destroyed.

Genesis 19:12-14 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. 14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Genesis 19:24-25 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

You don’t want to be like Lot’s sons in law who mocked at God’s warning.

Achan

There was a city called Jericho which had a great wall. God delivered Jericho into the hands of the children of Israel. He commanded them to march around the city 7 times and on the 7^th they were to blow the trumpets and shout with a loud voice and the walls would come down.

God told them to not take anything from the city for themselves.

Joshua 6:17-18 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

Joshua 7:12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Joshua 7:24-26 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Because Achan heard God’s instruction but did not obey and do the things that he was told to do,
Achan brought destruction upon him and his family.

You don’t want to commit the same mistake that Achan made in your life…

We have these bibilical examples for us so we can see what happens when we don’t do the things that God tells us to do.

1 Corinthians 10:11-12 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

We don’t want to be likened to a foolish man that is building his house on the sand.

James 1:21-24 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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.

You can hear Gods Word, but if you don’t actually do the things that he says, you are like someone that looks at a mirror and as soon as you walk away you forget what you saw in the mirror.

Imagine yourself looking into a mirror and seeing dirt all over your face but then turning away and forgetting you have dirt all over you and you never do anything to clean it off.

You don’t want to be like that.

If you come to church and hear that God hates lying lips and that it is an abomination to him, but then you leave church and lie, cheat, and steal.

Or if you come to church and learn that God greatly hates fornication and that 23,000 people were destroyed in one day because of sexual sin. And then you turn around and continue living in fornication.

Understand that Jesus is likening you unto a foolish man that is building a house on a foundation of sand, and that house will not stand. It will be flattened. It will be destroyed.

And that goes for every time you hear from God’s words. You have to make a decision to either be a hearer only, or a hearer and a doer.

The Wise Man

We want to be like that wise man who builds his house on a rock. On a sturdy foundation.

James 1:25 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.

Do you want to be blessed in your deeds? Do you want God’s protection in your life? Do you want to live long on the earth? Then you must apply the things that you hear. You have to be a doer the word.

Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.

Proverbs 15:31-32 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

When you refuse to take the things that you hear from God’s word and apply them in your life. You need to understand you are despising your own soul.

If something convicts you from His Word it’s going to hurt a little, sometimes it hurts a lot. But we need to have humility and say, “God knows what’s best for me, I’m going to do the things that HE says”…

When you hear the reproof and instruction and listen to it and obey, you are building on a foundation that cannot be moved or shaken. You are building on the rock that is Jesus Christ.

Psalm 62:1-2 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.

Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

We will not be shaken or confounded when Jesus Christ is our foundation.

Our soul is saved forever the moment you put all your faith and trust in Him.

But you still have decisions to make while you are here on earth. And what you choose to do while you’re here will greatly impact your life and eternal rewards.

The Storm

The storm of life is coming. For some of you it may already be here. Maybe you’ve already gone through a storm. Maybe you haven’t been through one yet. Either way there is a storm coming and you don’t know if it’s going to be big or small.

Remember the sandcastle that you make on the beach. When the wave comes, it washes away in an instant. It doesn’t take much water to loosen a sandy foundation.

If you are letting God’s wisdom and instruction go in one ear and out the other, understand you are not ready to face the storm.

Matthew 7:26-27 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.

The warning is right there. If you don’t do the things that Jesus says, your fall will be great. You will not stand in adversity.

God gives you many chances to get things right in your life. He is long suffering and patient. But don’t test God’s patience.

Proverbs 1:23-31 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Don’t wait to get to this point in your life.

Think about who is talking to you right now. These are the Words of the everlasting, all powerful, all knowing, infinite God who created all flesh, all principalities, and dominions, the universe and everything that is contained within it.

He is speaking to you right now and he wants you to hearken to His words. For your own good. Because He loves you. Don’t ignore your creator. Do what he says and when the storms of life pass through in your life. You will be ready.

Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Proverbs 10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

Matthew 7:24-25 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.

Closing Thoughts

So the Sermon on the Mount is coming to a close. I want you to think back on everything that we have been learning. And I encourage you to go on our website and watch all the previous lessons if you need to be reminded.

Let’s look at the last two verses of Matthew 7

Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Notice that after Jesus ended all his sayings the people were astonished at his doctrine.

I hope all of us are astonished and amazed at the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Now that we’ve heard it,
it’s time to take action. Are you going to be a hearer only? Are you going to be like a foolish man that builds his house on the sand? And that cannot stand in the smallest of storms.

Or are you going to hear and do all these sayings? Are you going to be like the wise man who builds his house on the rock, Jesus Christ. Our strong and firm foundation that cannot be shaken or moved even in the strongest of storms.