Scripture: for teacher background:
Matthew 7:26
Making contact:
Have you ever watched a house being built?
They first dig down – for foundations – pouring concrete in these trenches and
then they lay the bricks for the walls and the concrete slabs and then the roof
trusses, then roof tiles or corrugated metal, then they do the plumbing and
wiring and then the window frames, doors, tiles, bathroom fittings, glass.
Hopefully all this comes together at the right place and time and then you can
paint and move in.
Exploration:
The Bible is shaped a bit like 2 houses. If
you can understand this, then you will understand the Bible better and find
your way around it easier.
It is in 2 parts. The Old Testament and the
New Testament. These 2 parts are actually about the Old Covenant and the New
Covenant. We mustn’t think because of the word “Old” that we don’t need to read
the Old Testament.
It is very important to us.
Think of the first house. This is the Old
Testament.
The foundations are the first 5 Books.
Genesis to Deuteronomy. These books tell us how God gave rules so that
He could live with people on earth. He wanted to be their friend, but could
only come close through their clean living and worship in the
tabernacle.
So He taught them how to do this. Thee are also many stories of
what happened between God and the people.
The next part is the walls of the house.
These are the books of History that tell how it went with the people of God
trying to live as God wanted. Many stories are of their failure. These are the
books from Joshua to Esther.
You can see into a house through its
windows and doors. We can see into how the people felt through their
poetry and songs. We can see how they prayed. These books are Job, the Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. The prayers, songs, poetry and prose
show us a lot about God too.
The roof is very important – it protects.
The major and minor prophets were trying to protect God’s people. They kept warning
them when they went wrong. But it was often like living through a storm without
a roof and the house fell down.
This house did not last – the people
disobeyed everything that God said and everything fell apart. All the pieces
were scattered. It was as if the house
fell down and it was over. No more relationship between God and people.
BUT God built another house. The New
Testament.
The foundations this time were much
stronger –He sent the Saviour, His only Son – the Rock, Jesus Christ. The
Gospels tell all about this wonderful strong foundation. This house will never
fall down!
The Gospels tell of His birth and life and
what He taught, His miracles and how He died and rose again. If you build your
life on Jesus you will stand forever and live in eternity forever.
The walls are how the Gospel grew and how
the Apostles preached throughout the world. This is all in the book of Acts.
The protection –we read about the roof in
all the letters of Paul and Peter and a few others. There is warning, teaching,
and protection of the Gospel, trying to keep people to the truth. They taught
them how to live, how to love one another, how to give, how to be holy.
The door is the final entry into heaven –
the Book of Revelation, which shows how we will live with God in glory forever.
It shows the future.
Application
It is important that
we build our lives like good houses.
Firstly, we need to build on the rock. We
need to base our lives on Jesus Christ. When the storms of life come we will
remain strong.
The part that is
hidden but most important is the foundation. What is the foundation of every
day? Is it Jesus and the Bible and prayer? We need to build on Jesus.
The walls are how we
grow as Christians. Like the early church, let’s spread the Gospel – build a
double story house for Jesus!
The roof is the
protection. Are we listening to the warnings in the Bible of keeping away from
sinful living? Are we listening to the prophets and teachers in the Bible
teaching us and warning us? Then we have the roof on our lives.
Our windows are how we
pray and feel and worship.
If we don’t have time for this then it’s like living
in a house without any windows.
Go to church – it is another window. Sing songs
about Jesus, pray all day just chat to the Lord. He is your best friend. Lots
of windows let in lots of light and sun and fresh air.
The door is how open
you are to hear God speak and how ready you are to go to heaven.
Challenge to Mission
People watch us closely to see how we build
our lives.
They might mock when they see you make God your foundation.
They might
laugh at your singing, praying and reading your Bible, but keep building like
Noah built the ark, because one day, your house, your life will stand firm.
Like Noah did, urge your friends to also build on the rock. Tell them of the
dangers of building in the sand.
Consolidation
There is a worksheet showing how all the
Books of the Bible fit into this pattern.
Memory Verse
“Anyone who hears these words of mine
and obeys them is like the man who built his house on the rock.” Mat 7:24
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