As I conclude our sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount, I can't help but reflect on the profound impact of Jesus' teachings. We've spent weeks looking  at what might be the greatest sermon ever preached, and today, I have the privilege of bringing it home with a message that I believe will challenge and inspire you to build a faith that lasts.

The Parable of the Two Builders: More Than Meets the Eye

Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount with a powerful parable about two builders. One builds his house on rock, the other on sand. It's a story we've heard many times, but I want to challenge you to look at it with fresh eyes.

For years, I pictured this story in a modern context – maybe a beach house foolishly built on shifting sands. But that's not the picture Jesus was painting. He was speaking to people in an arid, desert climate where the ground is often dry, cracked, and hard as rock.

The foolish builder isn't someone who knowingly builds on obvious sand. He's someone who builds on ground that looks sturdy, feels sturdy, and even holds up most of the time. It's only when the rare storm comes that the truth is revealed – what looked like rock was actually sand all along.

The Danger of Building on Shifting Sand

This realization hit me hard. How many of us are building our lives – our faith, our relationships, our future – on things that seem solid but may not stand the test of time?

I'm going to be blunt here: if you're building your faith solely on people, circumstances, or even your pastor (yes, even me), you're in for a rude awakening when the storms of life hit. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for support systems and relationships. But people will fail you. Circumstances will change. I hate to say it, but even I will disappoint you someday.

When that happens – when the scandal breaks, when the leader falls, when life doesn't go according to plan – will your faith crumble like a house built on sand? Or will it stand firm because it's built on something unshakeable?

Digging Deep: The Hard Work of Building on Rock

So what does it mean to build on rock? In Jesus' parable, the wise builder doesn't just find a convenient rocky outcropping. No, he has to dig. He has to break through layers of hard-packed sand until he reaches the bedrock below.
This isn't just a story about a smart builder and a dumb one. It's about an active, committed builder and a lazy one. They both know where the rock is, but only one is willing to put in the work to reach it.

The same is true for us. Building a lasting faith isn't about finding the easiest path or the quickest fix. It's about doing the hard work of digging deep – past our comfort zones, past our reliance on others, past our hard attitudes and stale habits – until we reach the solid foundation of obedience to Jesus and His Word.

The Uncomfortable Truth: Change is Necessary for Growth

Let's be honest – this kind of digging is uncomfortable. It's much easier to stay on the surface, to build our lives on what looks good enough. But true Christianity isn't about comfort. It's about transformation.

When I preach, it's not just to say something that makes you feel good or gets a vocal response. I want to see behavioral change. I want to see lives transformed by the power of God's Word applied.

When was the last time a verse, a sermon, or a prayer impacted you so much that it actually changed your behavior? When was the last time your faith caused you to do something differently in your daily life?

If you can't remember, it's time for a wake-up call. Faith without works is dead. We need more believers who are willing to get uncomfortable, to go through the process of growth, to actually apply what they hear on Sunday to their lives on Monday.

The Problem with Pop Christianity

I've grown up in church my whole life, and I've noticed a troubling trend in what I call "pop Christianity." We have unprecedented access to sermons, podcasts, conferences, and inspirational content. Christians are taking in more "spiritual food" than ever before.

But here's the problem – it's all intake and no output. We're becoming spiritual hoarders, accumulating knowledge without applying it. We're experts at looking good in the spiritual gym without ever breaking a sweat or building any real spiritual muscle.

I'd rather see you read one verse of Scripture and actually change something in your life because of it than listen to hours of podcasts and do nothing. Real maturity comes from application, not just accumulation.

The Call for Spiritual Maturity

We often talk about the problems in our culture – fatherlessness, absence of leadership, lack of mentors. But how long are we going to just talk about the problem? Who's going to step up and be the spiritual fathers and mothers our world desperately needs?

I believe there are potential spiritual leaders in this room. But there's an unwillingness to go through the process of becoming one. God is calling some of you to grow up in the spirit, to get wiser, to mature. But that process isn't comfortable. It requires change, discipline, and perseverance.

We need Christians who are willing to dig deep, to do the hard work of applying God's Word to every area of their lives. Only then will we have the wisdom and strength to guide others.

Built to Last: Preparing for the Storms of Life

Here's a truth that might be hard to swallow: storms will come. I wish I could tell you that life will be easy and comfortable now that you've got Jesus. But that would be a lie. The loving truth is that difficulties, challenges, and heartbreaks are part of life – even for believers.

But here's the good news: when you build your life on the solid rock of Jesus and His Word, you can weather any storm. When people fail you, when diagnoses come, when finances crumble – it's the habit of digging into God's Word and applying it to your life that will keep you standing.

No matter how bad the storm gets, you can always get up in the morning and put your face in the Word again. That's what it means to dig down to the rock. That's what it means to build a life that lasts.

The Power of Patience in the Process

One of the biggest obstacles to this kind of deep, lasting faith is our lack of patience. We want overnight success, instant transformation. But anything built that quickly can be torn down just as fast.

What if it took you a year of consistent application before you saw significant change in your life? What if it took a year of hard work to restore your marriage? Would it be worth it?
I'm talking about developing a mature faith that takes years to build. Because let me tell you, when you've been building something for 10 years, two months of difficulty isn't going to shake it. It's sturdy. It's sure. It's built to last.

 Standing Firm When Everything Else is Shaken

Recently, I was at the beach with my son, teaching him to stand firm as the waves crashed around us. As the water receded, pulling the sand from beneath our feet, he kept asking, "Are we sinking? Are we moving?"

I told him, "No, we're standing in exactly the same place. Everything around us is changing, but we're not moving."
That's the picture of what mature believers can be. When the storms of life crash in, when everything around us is shifting and changing, we can stay planted on the solid rock of Jesus. We might feel like we're sinking or moving, but if we keep our feet firmly planted on Christ, we'll remain unshaken.

A Promise for Those Who Stand

Proverbs 10:25 gives us an incredible promise: "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever." 

Yes, storms will come. But I'm also proclaiming to you that storms don't last forever. And on the other side of your storm, if you've built your life on Jesus, you'll still be standing. You're built to last.

The Challenge: Dig Deep and Change Today

As we conclude this series on the Sermon on the Mount, I want to challenge you: don't just be a hearer of the Word. Be a doer. Let this message change something in your life today.
Ask the Holy Spirit, "What do you want to correct in me? What needs to change?" And then – this is crucial – act on what He shows you.

Building a faith that lasts isn't about how loud you can shout "Amen" or how good you look on Sunday morning. It's about how you live on Monday. It's about the daily choices to apply God's Word, to dig past the comfortable surface, and to build your life on the unshakeable foundation of Jesus Christ.

Are you ready to build a life that lasts? Are you willing to do the hard work of digging deep? The choice is yours. But I promise you, when the storms come – and they will come – you'll be glad you built on the rock.

Let's be a church of wise builders, applying the words of Jesus and changing the world one transformed life at a time. Because that's what it means to be built to last.