Are you a hearer and a doer?

Well Pastor, do you hear and do what the Scripture says, or, are you a hearer only?

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matt. 7:24, ESV).

Jesus speaks with profound clarity. The one who hears and does builds a house that survives the ravages of the storm. By implication, if you merely hear, the house you build will be reduced to rubble by those same storms. There is a very important parallel in this account for local church ministry and for those who profess to be Leaders. The 'house' in this analogy represents the lives of God's people. Jesus has immense concern for these people. He has given Leaders the resources necessary to produce Transformation which is clearly the goal (Col. 1:28).

If you merely know about Transformation, but do not offer and implement the ministry structures and venues that God uses to produce the image of Christ in the lives of His people, you are forming sand castles rather than fortresses. You are focused on those things that matter least. You are producing disciples who are shallow, impotent and subject to every influence the culture throws at them (Eph. 4:11-16).

So what has been your experience? What would you share with other pastors about glorious victories or even lessons learned as you make this journey?