Building . ( Matthew 7 v 24 - 27 )

We have been considering the importance of  hearing and doing,as regards the word of God, as opposed to hearing and not doing. In James 1 v 22 ,we read,'Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves'. We are often quick to judge the preacher, for their ineffectiveness ,a certain well known preacher,preached a sermon that was full of  elegance,people praised him, his reply was ,'but did it accomplished'?.It could it be that it accomplished little because the people were not really listening. All preachers want their sermons to accomplish  something,consider the prophets they preached wonderful sermons,but the people refused to listen. And as for obeying the word of God ,that's something else,the greatest preacher ever Jesus, stressed the hearing and the doing. William  Hendriksen wrote the following  ,''The sensible man ,who shows by his deeds that he has taken  to heart the words of Christ, and is therefore building upon the Rock ( Christ) will never be put to shame, he quotes from a well known hymn'The soul  that on Jesus has leaned for repose,I will not,I will not desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake. '( Words by John Rippon )