Sunday Worship Service — November 1, 2026
The Blessings of Obedience
Scripture: Luke 6:45–49
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Introduction
In 2026, the Barna Group, a well-known American research organization, reported some deeply troubling statistics about the Christian faith and the way Christians live.
Among American Christians who identified themselves as born again, only 12 percent reportedly said that they lived according to a worldview in which the fundamental teachings of the church were fully consistent with their actual moral conduct and relationships.
Even more troubling is the statistic concerning Generation Z Christians, those approximately 14 to 29 years old. According to the figures cited in this discussion, only 1 percent said that they regarded the church’s moral teachings and values as the guiding standard for their lives.
What do these statistics tell us?
They suggest that many Christians speak the language of holiness within the walls of the church but struggle to put their faith into practice in their everyday lives.
The responses of young Americans who do not attend church are even more painful to hear. When asked to evaluate Christians, approximately 85 percent reportedly described them as hypocritical, suggesting that Christians’ words and actions do not match.
The world is not simply looking at the church’s beautiful worship services or listening to its impressive sermons. People are deeply disappointed when they see the inconsistent lives and hypocrisy of those who profess to follow Christ.
But this problem is not unique to our generation. The same problem existed in the days of Jesus. In fact, it was a serious spiritual issue even then.
That is why Jesus gave His disciples a vivid and powerful illustration. He wanted them to turn away from a superficial faith—a faith that sounds religious but does not produce obedience.
This illustration is the parable of the two builders that we find in today’s passage.
Jesus describes two people who build houses. One digs deep and lays his foundation on solid rock. The other builds his house directly on the ground without a proper foundation.
From the outside, the two houses might look similar. Jesus does not focus on their outward appearance. Instead, He draws our attention to something much more important: the foundation on which each house is built.
In other words, Jesus calls us to become genuine disciples who not only hear His words but also put them into practice.
My prayer is that all of us gathered here today will become people whose faith goes beyond hearing the Word of God with our ears. May we become people who faithfully live out the Word of God in our daily lives.
And may we build houses of faith that remain firm even when the storms of life come against us.
1. We Must Understand What It Means to Build Our Lives on the Rock
In the parable of the vine and the branches in the Gospel of John, Jesus teaches us that He is the true vine and that we are branches who depend on Him.
As branches connected to the true vine, we are called to bear good fruit.
Today’s passage, Luke 6:45–49, explains what it means to bear such fruit by comparing our lives of faith to the construction of a house.
Listen again to Luke 6:46:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
When someone builds a house, one of the most important things is to establish a solid foundation.
How thankful we should be that God has given us Jesus Christ, the everlasting Rock, as the foundation for our lives of faith!
Yet there is something deeply troubling. Many people confess that they have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but they do not actually build their lives upon Him.
Instead of building upon Jesus, the Rock, they build their lives upon the shifting values of this world—values as unstable as dirt and sand.
Jesus wants such people to turn back to Him. He reminds us that every house will face the test of a flood. When the flood comes, the difference between the two foundations will become unmistakably clear.
The house built on the rock remains standing, even when the floodwaters strike it. But the house built without a foundation collapses when the rushing waters hit it, and its destruction is great.
Who, then, are the people who build their lives upon the unstable values of this world?
They are those who cry out, “Lord! Lord!” but do not actually obey what Jesus teaches.
Beginning in Luke 6:17, Jesus teaches His disciples the standards by which they are to live in this world.
He declares that the poor are blessed. He commands His followers to love their enemies and do good to those who hate them. He tells them to bless those who curse them and pray for those who mistreat them.
He also warns them not to judge others carelessly. Instead, they must first examine themselves and remove the plank from their own eyes before trying to remove the speck from someone else’s eye.
When the disciples first heard these teachings, perhaps they responded with a heartfelt “Amen.” Perhaps they sincerely promised to obey.
But what happens when they step out into the world and face real-life situations?
They may continue to love money. When they are treated unfairly, they may seek revenge against their enemies. When someone hates them, they may respond with hatred and refuse ever to speak to that person again. When someone insults them, they may want to repay that person several times over.
These are examples of people who hear the Word of God but fail to obey it.
They may take pride in attending church every Sunday and following Jesus for many years. Yet when a decisive moment comes, they follow the world’s standards and strategies rather than the teachings of Jesus.
Such people are building their houses on unstable ground.
And this problem is not limited to individuals.
The same principle helps explain why the Korean church has lost much of its credibility in society and why some churches have become the objects of public criticism.
For example, a prominent church in Seoul chose a name emphasizing the supremacy of love. Yet its actions failed to reflect the compassion and love of Jesus, and its conduct reportedly caused serious hardship for local residents. Because of disputes surrounding the church’s construction and its handling of the situation, redevelopment in the surrounding area was delayed for eight years, causing substantial financial and emotional harm to many people.
Another large church, also bearing a name associated with love, faced severe criticism over a parking-related dispute involving the unauthorized encroachment upon public property.
In these situations, instead of demonstrating love and seeking the common good, the churches became embroiled in controversies that damaged their public witness.
What do these cases have in common?
Their actions failed to reflect the values expressed in their own names.
A church may have the word “love” in its name, yet fail to demonstrate love. A church may proclaim “truth,” yet fail to live according to the truth of God’s Word.
When people outside the church witness this kind of inconsistency, they conclude that Christians are hypocritical.
And the Lord confronts us with the same question He asked His disciples:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
2. We Must Listen to the Bible’s Warning That Disobedience Will Become More Evident in the Last Days
The Bible warns us that as the last days approach, people will increasingly profess religious faith while turning away from the practical obedience that genuine faith requires.
Consider the words of 2 Timothy 3:1–5:
“Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
Paul continues in 2 Timothy 4:3–4:
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Brothers and sisters, does this not describe many of the spiritual challenges we see in our world today?
When we watch the news and observe the direction of our society, we may feel that the return of the Lord is drawing nearer.
Of course, we must be careful not to claim that we know the exact time of Christ’s return. Jesus Himself told us that no one knows the day or the hour.
Nevertheless, the moral and spiritual conditions described in Scripture should awaken us and call us to examine our own hearts.
Dear brothers and sisters, the more we see disobedience spreading and the world turning away from God, the more carefully we must guard our hearts and walk in obedience to His Word.
Jesus also expressed His concern about the future of faith. In Luke 18:8, He asks:
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
This is a searching question.
When the Lord returns, will He find people who merely claim to believe in Him, or will He find people whose lives demonstrate genuine faith?
Will He find people who know how to speak Christian language, or people who actually live according to His Word?
Will He find people who worship Him with their lips but follow the world in their daily lives, or people who remain faithful to Him even when obedience is difficult?
May we become faithful servants who can stand before the Lord without shame, having lived lives of sincere faith and obedience.
3. What Must We Do to Build a House That Will Stand Firm in the Storms of Life?
What kind of people build houses that remain standing when the storms of life come?
Jesus gives us a clear answer in Luke 6:47:
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them…”
Jesus describes three essential steps in the life of a faithful disciple.
First, we must come to Jesus.
Second, we must listen carefully to His Word.
Third, we must put His Word into practice.
First, we must come to Jesus.
We must begin each day by turning to Jesus and seeking His presence.
Without coming to Him, we cannot build a life of faith on the foundation He provides.
Second, we must listen to His Word.
We must listen attentively to the living Word of God.
Thankfully, many of our church members consider attending worship and hearing the Word of God to be very important. That is a wonderful and commendable attitude.
But we must remember something important: listening to the Word is not the same as obeying the Word.
Think of it this way. When someone is preparing to build a house, gathering construction materials is only the beginning. The materials may be ready, but the house has not yet been built.
In the same way, hearing a sermon is an important starting point, but it does not mean that our spiritual house is complete.
Some people read the Bible extensively, listen to countless sermons, and accumulate a great deal of theological knowledge. Yet they may mistakenly believe that their spiritual house is already complete.
This danger can affect anyone, including pastors, seminary professors, and Christians who take pride in reading the Bible extensively.
Let me emphasize this point once again: hearing the Word is only the beginning of building our spiritual house.
We must actually build it.
And this is not something we accomplish all at once. It is a lifelong process in which we lay one brick of obedience upon another, day after day, through the ordinary circumstances of our lives.
Third, we must put His Word into practice.
What, then, does Jesus mean when He describes the person who digs deep and lays the foundation on the rock?
Does obedience simply mean following the words of Scripture mechanically, as though they were a list of legal regulations?
Absolutely not.
If obedience meant merely keeping religious rules in a literal and mechanical way, the Pharisees in Jesus’ day would have been the greatest builders of all.
They carefully observed the Sabbath and meticulously practiced tithing. Yet Jesus repeatedly confronted their hypocrisy and rebuked them for neglecting the heart of God’s commands.
Why?
Because they held tightly to the letter of the law while failing to live according to its deeper purpose: the will, mercy, justice, and love of God.
Jesus declares in John 14:15:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
True obedience grows out of love for Jesus.
Our obedience must be rooted in a heart that loves Him, seeks to understand His will through His Word, and responds with gratitude and joy.
The person who builds upon the rock is not merely someone who knows what the Bible says. It is someone who seeks to understand God’s heart and then lives according to His will.
Such a person is building a life on the solid foundation of Christ and His Word.
When the storms of life come, that foundation will hold firm.
4. Both Houses Face the Same Storm, but There Is a Decisive Difference
Let us look again at Luke 6:48–49:
“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Sometimes we see news reports of beautiful, expensive homes along the American coast being swept away by powerful storms, flooding, or destructive waves.
The sight is shocking. A house that looks magnificent on the outside can be destroyed when its foundation cannot withstand the force of the water.
At the same time, other houses survive the same storm because they have been built on solid foundations.
Here is an important truth we must not overlook: both the person who builds on the rock and the person who builds without a foundation encounter the same floodwaters.
Obeying Jesus Christ does not mean that the hardships of life will pass us by.
Faithful Christians may suffer from serious illnesses. They may experience financial crises when their businesses struggle. They may endure deep conflicts within their families or suffer painful betrayal in their relationships.
Sometimes, seeking to live according to God’s will may even bring additional conflict, opposition, and persecution from the world.
But please remember this:
Obedience is not a shield that prevents every storm from coming. Obedience is part of the foundation that keeps our house of faith from collapsing when the storm arrives.
People who have spent their lives drawing near to God’s Word and putting it into practice learn to stand upon His promises when crises arise.
They may still experience fear, sorrow, and discouragement. Faith does not mean that we never feel pain or struggle with difficult emotions.
But even when the circumstances before them seem overwhelming, they can continue to hope in God’s comfort and find the courage to persevere.
Why?
Because they have experienced, again and again, the joy that comes from trusting and obeying God’s Word.
They have learned through experience that God is faithful to His promises.
When they face difficulties, they can look back on the ways God has sustained them and continue to trust Him for the future.
Even in the midst of suffering, the holy joy that comes from resisting temptation and obeying God’s Word can lead us to offer songs of thanksgiving to God.
The Testimony of John Wesley and the Moravians
Let me share a well-known story from the life of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement.
In 1735, Wesley sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on his way to America for missionary service in Georgia.
During the voyage, the ship encountered a violent storm.
Enormous waves battered the vessel. The sails were damaged, and seawater swept across the deck and into parts of the ship. The passengers were terrified. Many feared that the ship would sink and that they would lose their lives.
In the middle of this terrifying storm, Wesley witnessed something that deeply impressed him.
A group of German Christians known as the Moravians were traveling on the same ship.
While many of the other passengers were overwhelmed with fear, the Moravians remained calm. They sang hymns and praised God, displaying a remarkable peace in the midst of danger.
Wesley was astonished.
After the storm had passed, he approached one of the Moravians and asked whether he had been afraid during the storm.
The man replied that, by God’s grace, he had not been afraid.
Wesley then asked whether the man’s wife and children had also been frightened.
The Moravian answered that they had not been afraid of dying because they trusted themselves and their children to the Lord.
This experience made a deep impression on Wesley. He began to examine his own spiritual condition and to reflect more seriously on the nature of genuine faith and assurance in Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, what a powerful testimony!
The Moravians were not calm because they possessed extraordinary human courage or because they were certain that nothing bad could happen to them.
Their response reflected their deep trust in God and their confidence that their lives were in His hands.
Their example reminds us of what it means to build our lives upon the Rock.
A person whose faith is rooted in Christ may still tremble, weep, and struggle when facing a storm. Yet that person can continue to trust God, even when the outcome remains uncertain.
We should also remember that the story of the Moravians is not a promise that every faithful Christian will experience the same emotional calm in a crisis. Rather, it illustrates the peace that can grow out of a life of trust in God.
That is the kind of faith we should seek.
Not a faith that assumes we will never face trouble, but a faith that enables us to remain faithful to Christ when trouble comes.
Not a faith that merely speaks of God’s goodness, but a faith that continues to trust and obey Him in the darkest moments of life.
The Moravians’ testimony challenges us to ask ourselves: Is our faith deeply rooted in the Lord, or does it depend mainly on favorable circumstances?
When the storms of life arrive, may our lives testify that Jesus Christ is our Rock and our sure foundation.
5. Conclusion: Build Your Life on the Rock Through Obedience
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come to the end of today’s message, let me ask you a question.
Where are you building the house of your life?
Are you building it on the shifting sand of worldly success, human approval, and personal ambition?
Or are you building it on the solid rock of Jesus Christ through humility, love, and practical obedience to His Word?
The storms of life come to everyone, often without warning.
When they arrive, what sustains us is not an impressive religious résumé, the number of years we have attended church, or a profession of faith that exists only on our lips.
What matters is a living faith that holds firmly to the Word of God and expresses itself through daily obedience.
We must not be content simply to hear the Word of God. We must put it into practice.
When Jesus commands us to love our enemies, we must seek to love them.
When He calls us to forgive, we must learn to forgive.
When He teaches us to show mercy, we must demonstrate mercy in our relationships.
When He calls us to humility, we must examine our own hearts before criticizing others.
And when He calls us to trust Him, we must continue to trust Him even when we cannot understand our circumstances.
We will not obey perfectly in this life. There will be times when we fail, fall into sin, and need to repent. But genuine faith does not make peace with disobedience. It continually returns to Christ, receives His grace, and seeks to walk in His ways.
Our obedience does not earn God’s saving grace. Rather, because we have received His grace in Jesus Christ, we respond with love and obedience.
Therefore, beginning today, let us turn away from the empty values of this world and build our lives firmly upon Jesus Christ, our only sure foundation.
May we become faithful disciples who not only call Jesus “Lord,” but also demonstrate through our lives that He truly is our Lord.
And may we, by His grace, build houses of faith that remain steadfast through every storm, bringing glory to God and bearing witness to the transforming power of the gospel.
May the Lord bless each one of you and enable you to live a life of joyful obedience to His Word.
In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us Your holy Word.
Forgive us for the times we have called Jesus our Lord with our lips but failed to obey Him in our lives.
Teach us not merely to hear Your Word, but to understand Your will and put it into practice with love, humility, and faithfulness.
Help us to love those who are difficult to love, forgive those who have hurt us, show mercy to those in need, and trust You when the storms of life come.
May our lives be firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, our Rock and our sure foundation.
By Your grace, help us to bear good fruit and become faithful witnesses to the gospel in our homes, our church, and our community.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.