The Blessing Of The Storm | Sermon On The Mount | Pastor Adam Bishop

Aug 23, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When the Storm Exposes Shallow Roots

The same storm topples one tree while leaving another standing. What appears stable in calm weather gets tested when winds roar. Storms don’t discriminate—they hit every life. But they reveal what’s hidden: the depth of our trust, the substance of our faith. Like trees with unseen root systems, our spiritual foundations are laid long before the crisis comes. The blessing of the storm is its power to show us where we’ve built on rock and where we’ve settled for sand. [35:55]

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25, NIV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels most shaken by recent storms? How might this exposure reveal where you’ve built on something other than Christ’s teachings?

Day 2: “Lord, Lord” Is Not a Password

A shocking truth: religious activity guarantees nothing. Prophecy, miracles, even driving out demons can mask a heart estranged from God. Jesus warns that familiarity with His name isn’t the same as surrender to His lordship. The difference isn’t in the volume of our confessions but the alignment of our obedience. On judgment day, what we called ministry may crumble if it never flowed from intimacy. [38:17]

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23, NIV)

Reflection: When have you been tempted to treat spiritual achievements like a resume? How does your current obedience flow from relationship rather than performance?

Day 3: The Birth You Can’t Fake

Salvation isn’t a gradual improvement but a sudden birth—as definite as a newborn’s first cry. Just as physical birth involves pain, surrender to Christ requires acknowledging our helplessness. No one inherits faith through family ties or church attendance. The new life Jesus offers leaves no room for ambiguity: either we’ve been born again through Him, or we’re still spiritually stillborn. [44:16]

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’” (John 3:3, NIV)

Reflection: Can you point to a specific moment when you received new life in Christ? If not, what hesitations keep you from being “born again” today?

Day 4: Miracles Don’t Mask Motives

Ministry success can become the enemy of authentic faith. Crowds cheer when demons flee and miracles happen, but Jesus cares more about why we serve than what we accomplish. Using His name for influence, approval, or personal gain proves we never truly knew Him. The storm of judgment will collapse every work built on sand—even those that looked impressive in the moment. [47:31]

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23, NIV)

Reflection: What hidden motives might Jesus be inviting you to surrender in your current acts of service?

Day 5: The Gracious Warning in the Calm

Jesus’ harsh words are His kindest gift—a wake-up call before eternity’s deadline. The storm metaphor isn’t about fear but clarity: better to have our foundations tested now than to face collapse later. His “depart from Me” is the last mercy rejected souls will hear. Today’s discomfort of self-examination prevents tomorrow’s irreversible disaster. [50:19]

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV)

Reflection: What area of your spiritual life have you been avoiding examining? How might addressing it now be an act of receiving God’s patience?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 7 brings Jesus to the end of his words with a picture everybody can understand. The rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew, and the storm beat against two houses. Jesus says the difference was not the storm, because the same storm hit both houses. The difference was the foundation.

Storms are inevitable in any area of life, and storms are not selective. The rich and the poor, the wise and the foolish, the person doing well and the person barely holding on all face storms. The fallen tree beside the standing tree shows the point. The storm hit both trees, but the storm revealed what was under the surface. The root system mattered more than what could be seen from the road.

Jesus uses that storm picture because of the word “therefore.” The house on the rock and the house on the sand point back to the warning just before it. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 7 presses the most serious question a person can face, not whether religious words were spoken, but whether Jesus truly knew that person.

Jesus warns that a person can profess Christ as a Christian and still be lost. A person can know the right language, say “Lord, Lord,” be around church, sound spiritual, and still never receive the free gift of salvation. The gospel is not outside-in behavior, Christianese, church activity, or family faith. The gospel is the holy God sending his perfect Son, Jesus, to die for sin, rise from the dead, and offer life to sinners who could never earn it.

Jesus also warns that a person can be part of successful ministry and still be lost. Prophecy, demons cast out, miracles performed, and impressive results do not prove that the name of Jesus is actually being pursued. The name of Jesus can be used for influence, votes, reputation, or ministry success while the heart remains far from him.

Jesus gives the warning now because mercy speaks before judgment does. The words “I never knew you” do not have to be heard later if the truth is owned now. The free gift of salvation must be received personally, with the mind understanding the gospel, the heart responding to grace, and the will turning in repentance. As long as there is air in the lungs, no life is too far gone for Jesus to save.

Key Takeaways

1. Storms reveal the real foundation Storms do not create the foundation, they expose it. The same wind can hit two lives, but what is beneath the surface determines what remains standing. A storm can become a strange mercy when it shows that the roots were weaker than they looked, because what is revealed can still be rebuilt on the rock. [35:55]
2. Profession can hide a lost heart Jesus does not treat religious language as the same thing as salvation. “Lord, Lord” can be spoken by a mouth that has never surrendered the life behind it. Matthew 7 presses past appearance and asks whether the free gift of salvation has actually been received. [40:08]
3. Ministry success is not communion Jesus names prophecy, deliverance, and miracles as things that can happen without a saving relationship with him. That warning strips away the false comfort of visible results and impressive activity. The name of Jesus must not be used while the heart pursues another name. [47:02]
4. Jesus’ warning is gracious mercy The words about judgment are severe, but their timing is kind. Jesus speaks them now so that nobody has to hear “I never knew you” later. Grace does not always sound soft, because sometimes love gives a heads up before the crash comes. [50:44]
5. Salvation must be received personally A grandmother’s faith, a church background, or a decent moral record cannot stand in for being born again. The gospel calls for personal trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, with repentance that turns the life toward him. The most supernatural move possible is not a feeling, but passing from death to life.

## [57:34]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:36] - Worship and Gathering
[27:44] - Life Groups and Spiritual Growth
[28:58] - Prayer for the Team
[30:52] - The Blessing of the Storm
[32:37] - Two Builders, Two Foundations
[33:43] - Storms Are Inevitable
[35:55] - Storms Reveal the Foundation
[37:16] - Jesus Warns About Judgment
[40:08] - Profession Without Salvation
[43:23] - What Born Again Means
[46:16] - Successful Ministry Can Still Be Lost
[49:59] - Own It Now
[54:34] - Grace for the Too Far Gone
[57:34] - Receiving Salvation Today

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” [32:48]

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” [38:11]

Romans 10:17
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” [52:33]

Observation questions

In Matthew 7:24-27, what is the one difference between the two builders, and what is the one thing they both experience?
What words do the people in Matthew 7:21-23 say to Jesus, and what surprising things do they claim to have done in his name? [47:02]
What did the storm reveal about the two trees that looked similar before the storm came? [35:55]
According to Romans 10:17, where does faith come from, and what is heard that leads to faith? [52:33]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says “therefore” before speaking about the house on the rock and the house on the sand. How does that connect the picture of the storm to the warning, “I never knew you”? [37:16]
Jesus shows that a person can say the right religious words and still be lost. What does that reveal about the difference between outward profession and truly knowing Christ? [40:08]
Jesus mentions prophecy, deliverance, and miracles, then still says, “I never knew you.” Why might visible ministry success give a false sense of security? [47:17]
Jesus gives this warning before judgment day arrives. How should that shape the way a person hears hard passages like this one? [51:06]

Application questions

Storms reveal the real foundation. When pressure has hit recently—fear, loss, conflict, disappointment, temptation—what has it exposed about what life is resting on? [35:55]
A person can know the language of faith and still never personally receive Christ. Is there any place where it has been easy to lean on church background, family faith, or outward behavior instead of personal trust in Jesus? [44:16]
Salvation involves the mind understanding the gospel, the heart responding to grace, and the will turning in repentance. Which of those feels clearest right now, and which feels hardest to honestly face? [44:25]
Jesus warns that it is possible to use his name while really pursuing another name. Where might the pull of image, approval, influence, or success quietly compete with simple obedience to Christ? [47:38]
“Own it now” is a mercy. Is there anything that needs to be honestly owned before God right now instead of being delayed, explained away, or hidden? [49:59]
Some people struggle to receive grace because they feel decent enough without Jesus, while others struggle because they feel too far gone for Jesus. Which struggle feels more familiar, and why? [54:34]
As long as there is air in the lungs, no life is too far gone for Christ to save. Who comes to mind that seems far from God right now, and how can this group pray and stay hopeful for that person? [56:04]

Sermon Clips

41s

#SalvationNotPerformance

“And Jesus is trying to warn us of this, that there will be some people on that day that that was their version of Christianity, and they were shocked to hear the words, depart from me. I never knew you. They called themselves a Christian their entire life. They walked an aisle. They prayed a prayer. They signed a card. They led a life group. Heaven forbid, they pastored a church, but none of those things get you into heaven. It is only through the free gift of salvation that Jesus Christ offers you. Here's the second thing that we see from this passage. You can be part of a successful ministry and still be lost. Happens all the time.”

39s

#HeartOverAppearance

“So it's all about the right appearance and saying the right thing, and how are you, brother? And all these light little, you know, churchy things that we say, and speaking Christianese, and listening to the right music, and doing all of this, and not doing all that, and avoid that. And and that's not what it's about at all. Those are external things. It it's about a heart change that happens when you receive the free gift of salvation, and it's a choice you have to make that nobody else can make for you. And then there should be evidence from this choice. Like, it should be noticeable. Not not that you're perfect, but Jesus describes salvation as being born again.”

45s

#UnderstandTheGospel

“Your intellect. Do you understand the good news of the gospel message? You asked this question to a child. You asked this question to a teenager. You asked this question to an adult. Yeah. I understand that I'm a sinner in need of a savior, and God sent Jesus to pay the price. I have an understanding. There's an there's an intellectual component to this. But then there's also emotion involved. There's just to be an emotion. Like, it's not a prerequisite for salvation, but, I mean, if you really think through the implications of the good news of the gospel message that God sacrificed his perfect son for you. Like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. God sacrificed his son. I need to ask Jesus into my heart. Where are going for lunch? I mean, like, if that's kind of your disposition, I'm not sure you're hearing the words.”

28s

#ThisIsYourSign

“People make that mistake every day. They just keep on that. I'll I'll get around to that at some point as if you know when your life's gonna end. The bible tells us our life is but a vapor here one day and gone tomorrow. And I think there are some people who think, well, you know what? I mean, if that were really where I was at, I'm pretty sure that god would give me a sign. I need you to look around this room right now. This is your sign. Okay? He brought you here. He brought you here.”

48s

#OwnYourFaith

“but you just wanna own it. We get ourselves in trouble sometimes when we just, you know, dig our heels in, and we're stubborn, and we wanna be right. And and what Jesus is is trying to say here is, man, if if you hear this passage and you realize that I'm talking to you, own it and do something about it. I think it's really kind. Sometimes people read these words of Jesus like, man, like, that It's kinda mean spirited. No. Don't think it's mean spirited. Think it's incredibly gracious. I think he's given us a heads up. I think he wants us to see this passage and not be counted among those who he's talking about. So what is the thing that we don't wanna hear Jesus say? Verse 23. I'll tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.”

54s

#StormsRevealFoundation

“They reveal what's beneath the surface. They reveal what's at the foundation. I drove past both those trees every day driving off my property. Those two trees looked the same. It wasn't until the storm showed up that the difference was revealed. What was the difference? The foundation. What was beneath the soil? The root system. One was strong, One was not. And storms will do the same thing in our life, church. Sometimes you're going through life and you think, man, things are good. I think I've got my life built on the right foundation, and it's not until trial. It's not until storm shows up that you begin to recognize, wait a second. Maybe my foundation isn't as firm as I thought. And this is how storms can become blessings in our life. They start to reveal to us what's actually happening, what's really going on. And I think this is why Jesus is using this illustration.”

36s

#DontDelaySalvation

“And if if you're at a place right now where you're recognizing, I'd I I don't think I've ever really given my life to Jesus. I've been around church. I've been around godly things. I've got, you know, some spiritual relatives. I'm not, a terrible human being, but I just don't know if I've ever given my life to Jesus. What I would encourage you with right now is to own that and do something about it. I'm a tell you here in a moment what you can do about it. But if you ignore Jesus' words and you just keep going on in your life, I'm I love you enough to tell you this. You're not promised tomorrow.”

52s

#JesusWordsBringFaith

“You've heard the good news of the gospel message. All I am is a messenger. In fact, if I were to have a job description, let me tell my job description would be flawed messenger. I'm a flawed messenger. I'm no no more special than any of you. Just the messenger that god's speaking through, and all I've done is give you Jesus' words. And it takes Jesus' words in order for faith to begin. And you've heard these words from Jesus. And if the holy spirit is starting to work on your heart, that's a really wonderful thing. That is God drawing you to him. That is God pointing out to you that today is your day of salvation, that you've heard the good news of the gospel message.”

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