Ever wondered what the bible meant by the rock? Matthew 7:24-27 shows that hearing and obeying the word of God is like building a house on a solid rock. So what does this mean? Basically the rock is the word of God and we know from scripture; John 1:14, that Jesus was the word made flesh. Our lives therefore are meant to have Christ as our solid rock.
Unfortunately, this sometimes is not the case. Some people have built their lives on shaky foundation which is anything other than Christ. Such a life is doomed to fall whether one likes it or not. All our lives will be tested by trials and storms but only those who hear and obey God’s
word will be able to persevere and stand strong. A good example of a guy who had a solid foundation was Job. Even after losing everything that he possessed, he still chose to remain faithful to God. In the end, Job was blessed more than before. With this information at hand,
what would stop you from having Christ as your solid rock?
Jesus gives an analogy in the book of Matthew of man who built his house on the rock and when the rains fell and the winds blew his house was not swept away. The rock here represents a firm foundation. In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul writes that: no other foundation can any man lay other than one which is laid in Jesus Christ. Any architect would know that a
foundation gives support to a building, and once there is a foundation the rest of the structure can be built. The same would apply to Christians. This is simply to say that Christ should be the center of any believers’ life and nothing else. A foundation based on Christ produces steadfast
faith and life and allows us to be living examples of others. Having knowledge of this many Christians then ask, how then do we keep Jesus as the foundation of our lives?
In Luke6:47-49, Jesus gives the differences between a wise builder and the foolish one. A builder who is wise hears the word of God, applies it to his life and as a results when turbulent times arise he is able to stand firmly. Note where he says he applies the word. As for the foolish
builder he neither obeys nor applies Gods principles or teachings and as a result he is ruined by storms during turbulent times. We know that faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God. Let’s therefore start by saying that reading the word of God is a very essential discipline to
build a believer’s faith. Now to build a solid foundation it is crucial for us to follow and act in obedience to the teachings of Christ. This calls for us submitting to Gods wisdom by allowing him to direct all our paths.
The other discipline would be prayer. Prayer is an act of worship that glories God and reinforces our need for him. We seek God through prayer and therefore no foundation can be laid when we neglect the place of prayer in our lives. Walking in fellowship with brethren is also as
important. As Paul writes in Hebrews we should not neglect coming together but instead we should spur each other towards love and good works. A believer’s walk with God needs other brethren and therefore as we set ourselves to lay a foundation in Christ, fellowship should be
upheld among us.
FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN LIFE ASIDE FROM GOD’S WORD; BUILDING ON THE SAND
Some few years back, actually not many, there were frequent cases of collapsing storey
buildings in the city of Nairobi. Many lives were lost; properties not an exception. Well when a
house collapses, we can all acknowledge one undisputable fact that storms our minds
immediately; improper/poor/weak foundation. The architecture had missed the mark that’s
why the structure collapsed. The many times we’ve gone to church, there’s a message that
almost every Christian has heard more than once the pastor speak about; Christ the solid
foundation. However, there are many people, believers and non-believers alike, who have built
their lives on other foundations. Thus, what are these foundations? Do they really stand the
test of time?
1 Corinthians 3:11
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ”
1. FAME AND POPULARITY
Do you want to be famous? To be known for something at least amongst your peers, in your locality or even are optimistic to be the next big name in a particular field? Well, be careful. Fame and popularity give us a sense of social tolerance and acceptance and the result is always a feeling. Not just but a mere feeling, but a really good feeling. Thus, is there a risk of building
our lives on the basis of these factors? Having the gut feeling already that a foundation on fame and popularity might crumble? Yeah, it’s inevitable to feel that way. Even to such a question, our hearts long for something more concrete that we can be rooted onto. There’s a void in us that fame can’t and popularity can’t fill. And that’s why anything built on these factors will
ultimately crumble at one point. They can’t stand the storms and tests in this journey of life.
2. MONEY AND POWER
“Remember this, as you gain seniority, position and fortune, people will treat you better; they will hold doors open for you, they’ll get you a cup of coffee even without you asking, they’ll call you sir and ma’am and they’ll give you stuff. None of that stuff is meant for you, that stuff is
Simon Sinek
meant for the position you hold. It is meant for the level that you have achieved of being a leader or success…”
Simon Sinek.
You’ve heard of a powerful and wealthy man or woman committing suicide? Money and power, as Simon Sinek says, puts us in positions where we feel “excessively valuable” we never get to really understand that at some point we might be bankrupt and loose the money. Then the
people who were buzzing around us will not have a reason to stay because the ”why” of them sticking around has fizzled away.
What happens when you can’t command such a large group of people as you used to before? That’s when you realize that your life has all along been built on a sandy ground; a ground unable to sustain you when things change. And for a fact, changes will be there, it’ll just take time; short or long.
As an architect is planning to build a house, the most vital part is always the foundation. It’ll determine whether the house being built will stand or fall. Therefore, being an architect of your own life, what foundation do you choose?
Mathew 7:26-27
“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them , will be like a foolish man who build his house on sand. And the rain fell, and then flood came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
How to evangelize about the rock
i) Personal Evangelism
Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, was a product of personal evangelism.
Just as Peter was brought to Jesus through one-on-one evangelism [Luke 5:1-11], there are people out there that need Christ as their Rock, fortress, deliverer and strength [See Psalm 18:2] and are desperately waiting for you to bring the Gospel to them that they may have a firm foundation in Christ and experience the joy of salvation!
Peter having encountered Jesus Christ, became a veritable instrument in God’s hands. You too can be an instrument!
ii) Lifestyle
The way we live as Christians in crucial!
We must strive to walk in Christ’s footsteps, believe in the light which is Christ and become the people of light! [John 12:36]
Let people see Christ in you and glorify God, our Rock!
So in conclusion, let us put our trust in Christ and His great love that He has for us. John 3:16 &17 :- For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
Let us lean on his word and learn to rely on Him for everything we need. We have His words to give us wisdom and life.
As we go through life we might be tempted and pushed to please our flesh and to depend on things that in the end shall pass away as Solomon did. After disobeying God’s commands, he found Himself empty and tried to fill that emptiness with all kinds of things, but at the end of his life he awoke from his slumber and realized that all the things that we chase after are
vanities. In those moments he found true treasure.
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.