Jesus told his followers:

21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. 25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.

Matthew 7:21-29 - World English Bible

In Matthew, Jesus finished his first discourse (chapters 5-7) with a warning and a parable. First, he laid a caveat upon the disciple. One could not enter the Kingdom by simply evangelizing and exercising charisms; after all, the self-centered could behave as a Christian for his own ends. No, a disciple must focus on the will of the Father to enter His Kingdom.

Next, he parable of the wise and foolish builder summed up his teaching. In the story, he divided his audience into those who applied his words to their lives (the wise man who built upon rock) and those that ignored his teaching (foolish man who build upon sand). Notice the type of person he addressed and the position he took as teacher. The wise man was highly esteemed in both Greek and Jewish cultures, while the fool was more than a dolt; he was "godless" (Psalm 14:1). Jesus set himself up as the source of wisdom and, hence, the conduit to God. To hear his words meant to hear God's words; to reject his words meant to turn away from God. One way led to solid ground; the other way led to destruction.

At the end, his listeners sat astonished. Jesus did not claim any school of teaching, unlike the scribes who claimed legitimacy from a line of rabbis. No, he gained his authority from a higher source.

What is your reaction when you read the words of the Lord? How have you tried to apply them to your life?