One of the most famous landmarks in the world is a little tower in Italy called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's famous not because of its height -- it's only 179 feet tall. And it's not famous because of its architecture -- there's plenty of examples of Romanesque around the Tuscany area. It's famous for one reason--because it leans. And it leans farther over every single year. It's been around over 800 years, and it falls one-twentieth of an inch every year. And they are predicting that one day it's going to collapse.
The trouble is because of its foundation. The word Pisa means marsh or marshy ground. So right there is an indication as to why it's teetering. It's got very unstable foundations.
My dad was a builder in Southern California, and he would tell you that a building is only as good as the foundation. And when he would build homes for people, he would give them a list of options: kinds of carpet, tile, doors, lights, etc. But a foundation was never optional. It is the most important part of a building.
Our Lord Jesus taught the importance of building our lives on solid foundation. In Matthew 7, He talked about two men who built homes. One built on the sand and the other built on the rock. Both houses looked good; they both had great curb appeal. The difference was what's underneath, the foundation.
And another thing: There's the impression they were near each other, and were subject to the same storms. Jesus put it this way about the house that didn't have a solid foundation. "The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (v. 27).
Years ago, all the experts predicted that in the year 2007 the Leaning Tower would topple. But they strengthened it and moved it back eighteen inches to the position it had in 1838. Now, they're predicting it won't fall till the year 2300. But eventually, they say, it will fall. It might not be until 2300, but a storm could blow through that could cause it to fall sooner. So, going into the Tower is always a risk.
The thing about storms is they are unpredictable. You never know when a storm is going to blow through your life. So all of us should make a wise choice, like in the old song: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness ... On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."
One storm is predictable, and it's one we all will face: the coming judgment. "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
So we build only on solid ground, and as believers that means the foundation of Christ, the framework laid by the early apostles and prophets. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. It's the only thing that will allow us to stand in the storms that we know will come.