You may have heard about the man who asked a mail-order company to send plans for a birdhouse. A large birdhouse.  Instead of sending him the plans for a birdhouse, they mistakenly sent him plans for a sailboat. He tried to put it together, but it just wouldn’t work. He couldn’t figure what kind of bird was going to live in this dumb birdhouse. So he wrote a letter and sent the parts back to the people. They wrote a letter of apology and added this postscript: “If you think it was difficult for you, you should have seen the man who got your plans trying to build a sailboat from your birdhouse.”

While that is a more humorous story the principle involved carries over into many more serious life events that have far more serious consequences!

Many people are trying to operate their lives by looking at the wrong plans… Like this man they are very confused because they are simply not looking at the right design or plan.

Our Creator God has designed this whole universe and how we are to live in the created order and to fit us for eternity.   We see this very clearly in this teaching of Jesus we have come to know as the Wise and Foolish Builders.    Let’s look at what all is contained in this story.

There are 2 men in this parable.  2 houses built.  Interesting here, it does not indicate if the houses were made from the same materials.  Like the story of the 3 pigs who made their houses out of different materials…One was straw, one was sticks and the other with bricks.  Although we do not know, it seems evident that these houses were built from similar materials.   The main difference in the houses was their foundation.  The wise man built on the rock and the foolish man built on the sand.  Of course, the Rock here is equated with hearing and doing the words of Christ.

One was saved. The other was lost… The wise man survived but the foolish man was overtaken by the storms.

I think it is important to note the Jesus called the man who built on the sand, FOOLISH.

In the earlier story, the man who was trying to build a birdhouse was ignorant or uninformed.  He simply did not know the design or plan was for a sailboat not a birdhouse.  This was a foolish builder.  And this is an important difference to note here:  Being foolish is different than being ignorant.  Ignorance is simply not knowing, not being informed about something.  Being foolish is when you have the right information.  You are informed but you simply do not follow the instructions or fail to follow the proper directions.  The foolish man in this parable heard the word… he received the instruction. But he simply failed to obey.  I think it hard to imagine those who listened to Jesus and literally heard his words… directly from the One who is the Word of God to us…  Yet they chose not to follow Him.  There are a couple of important aspects about God’s word that I want to emphasize today:

First, God’s Word Gives Direction

There is a great acrostic someone created about the bible…Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth   God’s word is to help direct our lives now and prepare us for eternity.

I mentioned a moment ago about lack of knowledge or ignorance and having the right information and being foolish.  First, I want to address those who do not know the Word or lack knowledge of God’s word.  So many have access to God’s word but simply do not read it or take time to study it.

Many do not know the Instructions or the Word…Even though it remains the best-selling book of all time. It is still one of the most unread books of all time.   And there are many excuses and justifications or rationalizations regarding the scriptures.

More people remember the ingredients on America’s favorite burger than remember the ingredients in America’s favorite book, according to the latest study.

In anticipation of the animated movie release of The Ten Commandments a few years ago, Kelton Research conducted a poll of 1,000 people to determine basic knowledge of the Ten Commandments. Eighty percent of those polled knew that a Big Mac had two all-beef patties and 62 percent knew that it had pickles. But less than 50 percent could remember even seven of the Decalogue or 10 Commandments.

Further polling via “man on the street” interviews also bore grave news. Testing knowledge of the Ten Commandments versus popular culture knowledge, most people polled could remember the names of all four of the Beatles rock group, but many could not even remember one commandment.  Or perhaps even one of the gospels.  So a large part of our mission is to make the word known to others.

I learned early in life that ignorance is no excuse, especially regarding the laws of the road.

Years ago, we were on vacation as a family in WV.  My brother and I went fishing in the beautiful Greenbrier River.  We parked our car and headed over the riverbank and put out a few casts.  In a few moments a conservation officers came over the bank.  He asked for our license.  We kindly showed him our license.  He then asked if that was our car parked up on the road.  Maybe we should have told him it depends on if there is a problem.  Just kiddin’.  He said the road was closed to any vehicles because it was a scenic trail.  We were so surprised and said, Really?   We told him we had no idea.  We did not live in the county and were only visiting.  He said that it is too bad…I’m afraid you will have to pay a fine! and he proceeded to write out a ticket.  We pleaded our case, but it was to no avail.  We went to the courthouse to pay the fine and learned a great lesson.  As has been stated, “ignorance is no excuse when you are handling a vehicle you are responsible to know the laws.   We were fortunate that it was a small matter and it was quickly rectified.  But we know there are other matters that have much greater consequences.

There is a great warning in the scripture regarding not knowing God’s word.

The prophet Hosea spoke some very convicting words about this lack of knowledge…and it is aimed at the priests who did not speak God’s Word.  Hosea 4:6

  6 My people are destroyed because they don’t know me, and it is all your fault, you priests, for you yourselves refuse to know me; therefore, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten my laws, I will ‘forget’ to bless your children.

Years agon, when I was attending Asbury College all students had to take biblical courses.  We had one OT Class, and a certain student just decided he would not study or know the material, particularly as he came to the final exam.  When the exam time came the student was unprepared.  He did not study for the final and when the exam came there were 4 essays questions… On three of the questions… he simply wrote, God knows the answer to this, I don’t!   He ended the exam by writing, “Merry Christmas”.  After the Christmas break students returned to see their exams in the CP0.  The student retrieved his exam book with the message from the teacher written in red ink, “God got an A.  You got an F”.   Happy New Year! 

It is a funny story again… But it has serious consequences as the student failed the class… It was a costly and foolish error.   When the Lord of the universe calls us will He find us ready and prepared.  The only way that will happen is if we are hearing and practicing His holy Word.

Like this parable of the wise and foolish builders.  In the OT Joshua had to take over after Moses.  This is like coaching after Nick Saban retired, to replace him.  I’m sure Joshua was very unsettled about what to do next and what was going to happen… He was struggling with direction…there were some big decisions to make, and he didn’t want to make a mistake.  So here is what God told Joshua…

 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Note here the instruction be careful to do everything written in it… This means that he had to obey or respond to the directions God had given him.  He was not to stray from those laws or commands.  This is very similar to the wise builder who was hearing and doing, not just hearing, but DOING or responding obediently to the instruction of Lord.

Of course we know that Joshua went forward to lead Israel into the Promised Land and was successful in following the direction from God.  He followed the direction of the word of God and was fruitful and successful to go into the Promised Land.

I want to be more personal here again as we talk about direction from God’s word.

Being the pastor here at 5 Rivers was a big decision for me.  I was looking for direction and praying and seeking God’s word for that direction.  But there on the walls of my sisters-in-law’s home was the Word of God as clear directional sign:

Isaiah 43:19  I am about to do a new thing;  now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.   When I saw that on the wall it was unmistakable for me… but then I had to act on what was plainly written down.

Another parallel scripture I was reminded of is Psalm 119 which speaks again of helping direct us with light in the time when we are making decisions and need answers about what to do or where to go.   David put it like this:  Psalm 119:105

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet…. Things near to me things coming quickly

And a light to my path…Things further away that I must go through or treacherous places I must cross.  God’s word will help direct me through those times and give light in those dark places.   So God’s word will direct us…show us the right plan for our lives.

Second, God’s Word Gives Protection

Remember the foolish builder heard the Word…He knew the right instruction but simply refused to act upon the Word.  Notice here that the Word did not protect the builders house from winds and rains and floods.   We need to be careful not to extrapolate too much from this parable.  But I think it is correct to say that we will all face storms, some of them very dangerous and difficult.  Some of you are facing some storms right now with health concerns of financial concerns or relationship concerns with people in your family.  Every family, every person, every house will face storms in life.  We are not exempt from them…But it does mean as Andrae Crouch sang…Through it all… through it all… we learn to trust in Jesus…we learn to trust in God. And whatever happens, even if our earthly life is taken.  We recognize that we have only one foundation and anchor of our souls.

Several years ago, we had a family trip to Sanibel Island.  As usually happens, in the afternoon, a large thunderstorm was brewing across the bay in N Fort Myers.  We watched the dark cloud formation and the thunder and deadly lightning strike in multiple places. We quickly got our gear and left the beach to go to the condo for safer ground.  We watched the news that night and learned that 2 young boys were killed during that storm.  They saw the storm and decided to stay on the beach, even drinking from aluminum cans.  They were stuck by lightning and killed.  That is a day that still stays in my mind.  They knew the conditions, they had the right information, yet they failed to act on that right information.

They were tragically and needlessly taken.  Jesus said of this house when it fell… great was the fall of it.  It means that it was a very tragic loss that could not be rebuilt or repaired.

One last scripture that we used as the Call to Worship from Psalm 1.

Psalm 1  Blessed is the one  who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,    and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—    whatever they do prospers.

Note the core principles of this passage:

The righteous man meditates on God’s word day and night… He will be like a tree planted by waters… he will bring forth fruit and prosper….

This parallels what God told Joshua:  meditate on the word day and night and be careful to do all that is in it.  Then you will be prosperous and have good success.

And then it comes back to this teaching of Jesus and the Wise Builder.  Be sure that you are not just hearing the words but that you are putting them into practice…day and night this will secure your home.

What if the Psalmist or Joshua had not followed the directions? What have they had simply decided to go another direction and follow their own ways.  They would be like the foolish man who did not follow God’s commands/laws or the foolish builders who heard but did not obey.

October 19, 2010, a test was conducted at the Institute for Business and Home Safety in Richburg, South Carolina. Researchers constructed two 1,300-square-foot houses inside a $40 million laboratory and then observed how a simulated hurricane would impact the homes.

The first home was built according to conventional standards. The second home included reinforcement straps that connected every level of the building, from the foundation all the way to the roof. Then the researchers turned on giant fans, creating gusts of wind up to 110 miles per hour (equal to a category 3 hurricane). In the first two experiments, which lasted under ten minutes, both homes survived the intense winds. But when they tried a third experiment, turning on the fans for more than ten minutes, the conventional home began to shake and then collapsed. In contrast, the home with the floors and roof reinforced to the foundation sustained only cosmetic damage.

Tim Reingold, an engineer working on the experiment, summarized the results with a pointed question: “The bottom line you have to ask yourself is, which house would you rather be living in?”

Not just what the house is made out of but the foundation upon which it rests.  Make sure you have the right foundation…

House in Prattville… Beautiful custom home split in half because the hillside caved in after a heavy rain.  The foundation was not solid.  The home was totally lost.

Let me close by simply asking:  As you assess your life right now…Are you a Wise or Foolish builder?

Since we are talking about houses.  There is a story of the last house a home builder made before he retired…He cut corners and put in cheap materials.  It was not his best work…He just wanted to finish it quickly and retire.  When the house was completed, the owner gave him the keys to the house.  He told him this is your retirement home!  Surprise!!  My how he wished he had done better work and better materials and taken his time to get it right.