Most of us, given the opportunity, would fly first class. However the cost of a first class ticket keeps most of us from that luxury. Simply put, the cost of first class is not worth it to most of us. We would accept an upgrade to first class if offered. We would feel as if we were blessed. We would fly first class if it is given to us, but we are not willing to pay the cost. We would all like to have a blessed life, but often are not willing to pay the cost involved in achieving that blessing. We want better jobs, better marriages or better sprittual life. The truth is that we can have all of that if we simply pay the cost of achieving those things. People want a better future, but do not want to invest in the things that will lead to a better life. There is a way to a blessed life: Pay the price. Life is not reading tea leaves. It is not the right horoscope, or discovering the right combination of numbers to win the lottery. In our text, Jesus plainly explains how to achieve a first class life. He offers a life that would withstand the storms and pressures of life. He offers the key to that first class life. A life that, as Luke records, can not be shaken. Jesus simply, but profoundly describes the difference between success and failure in a story about two houses. At the center of this message is one fundamental difference: The foundation. The problems of this world are not cultural, but foundational. There are two different ways of going about life. There are two outcomes that are eternally different. Both houses were built with the same materials and using the same construction methods. Externally there was no difference between the two homes. The houses were the same except for the foundation. Our text conveys the simple truth that we cannot ignore the foundation. Our world is consumed with the external. When the inside is crumbling, it does not matter what the exterior looks like. We want a blessed life, but we try to achieve that without building it upon a solid foundation. This problem is not limited to the world. The distinction between the two builders is that one was a hearer and a doer, while the other heard, but did not do. This same condition exists in the church. Our text illustrates that the way to a blessed life is to hear and do. The word of God contains the instructions for a blessed life. If we hear the words and then act on those words, we can have the blessed life. If we hear the word, but do not act on that word, we cannot be blessed. Success does not come without effort. The first builder was described as digging deep. Digging is not an easy activity. Not only did he dig, but he dug deep. That took some effort. If we want anything in life, it requires work. What became very clear in the flood was the difference of the unseen. The foundation is not often applauded or praised, but it is fundamental to the success of the building. There are many unseen things in our life that can determine what our life will be. This story has a simple truth: There are no shortcuts to the blessed life. Digging the foundation and building it properly took time and effort; but that time was required to do it right. There has to be an investment of time and effort. The price for ignoring this lesson is great. "The ruin of that house was great." Both houses looked good, but when the flood came, only one survived. Not IF the flood came, but WHEN the flood came. All will experience a flood. The difference is what will the flood find The right foundation makes the difference. The right foundation is the best flood insurance.
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