On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand

TITLE: ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND

SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 17:6 / I CORINTHIANS 10:4

Many of the wonders of the world were made of huge rocks, and because of this they have survived in part to this day. We are familiar with -

• The Great Wall of China -- seventh century b.c.

• The Great Pyramid of Egypt -- twenty-sixth century b.c.

• The Parthenon of Greece -- fifth century b.c.

• The Aztec Temple of the Sun -- two hundred a.d.

• The Stonehenge in England -- three thousand to two thousand b.c.

The rock is the symbol of stability, and that is why when men build something to last they use rock, or stone if you prefer. The two terms are used as synonyms in the New Testament.

• I PETER 2:6-8 calls Jesus the STONE, THE CORNERSTONE, THE PRECIOUS STONE, THE STONE THE BUILDERS REJECTED -- THE CAPSTONE, A STONE THAT CAUSES MEN TO STUMBLE -- AND A ROCK THAT MAKES THEM FALL

• Jesus is referred to as the Rock and the Stone

There are endless parallels between men's use of rocks and stones, and who Jesus is. Jesus is the rock, and Jesus is the way. If you study the history of roads, you will discover that those that have lasted are made of rock.

• The old Roman Roads of New Testament days are still being used where they were made of stones

• The old cobblestone roads of early America are still being used in places

• I love the old cobblestone roads around Europe

• The modern superhighways are built with a foundation of various size rocks

• So is the bed for railroad tracks

If you want to make a way to anywhere that will be lasting, you make it with rocks. Jesus is the permanent way to God and eternal life, for He is the Rock of Ages. The songwriter says it like this -- ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND, ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND.

• Man knows that anything that lasts has to be built on a solid rock foundation

• That is why there are over three thousand (3,000) commercial crushed rock plants in the United States

• They play a major role in the construction of our nation

If you go to the Capital of our country - Washington D.C., you will discover that it conveys an image of strength and endurance, for all of its major buildings and monuments are made of Quarried Sandstone - Limestone - or Marble.

• The White House

• The Capital

• The Supreme Court

• The Smithsonian Institution

• The Washington Monument

• The Lincoln Monument

• The Jefferson Memorial

• Plus many of the lesser known buildings are all made of this material

Rocks are enduring; they stick around a lot longer than we do: they have been the primary symbol of the enduring and the everlasting for a long time.

• When we build a life on Jesus The Rock, we are building an enduring everlasting life

• Time diminishes our physical bodies and earthly structures but time will not diminish our relationship to Christ, nor our treasures in heaven

• ST. MATTHEW 6:19-21 “LAY NOT UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES UPON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DOTH CORRUPT, AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL: BUT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN, WHERE NEITHER MOTH NOR RUST DOTH CORRUPT, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK THROUGH NOR STEAL: FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO”

When God reveals the eternal city where we will dwell forever, it is a city of such strength and endurance. The temple is Jesus - the Rock of Ages, and the walls, according to REVELATION 21:17, are around 200 feet thick. There has never been such a city for security. And for beauty its vast walls are all decorated with the most precious stones god has ever created on this planet. The study of precious stones in the Bible is a subject in itself that we can only mention at this time.

Rocks are the source of great riches. Almost all the treasures of this world are hidden in rocks, which are the many jewels of history. Treasures of the Earth metamorphic and igneous rocks are reservoirs of precious stones and metals. Through geological processes involving heat and pressure, rocks give rise to gemstones like Diamonds - Rubies - Emeralds - Sapphires. These gemstones, renowned for their beauty and rarity, have significant cultural - aesthetic - economic value.

Rocks were a part of the everyday environment of Bible people. They were everywhere, and they were used constantly for building – grinding - for weapons.

• Not only did man use rocks to build altars to God, but God used rocks to give His laws to man