5/18/08 CHRIST, THE SOLID ROCK
TEXT: 1 CORINTHIANS 10
VS. 1--4
INTRODUCTION: ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD; EVERY INDIVIDUAL, WHEN HE OR SHE COMES TO THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY*** MUST MAKE A DECISION.
1. EITHER TO STAND UPON THE SOLID ROCK OF SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OR
2. REMAIN UPON THE SINKING SAND OF SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION.
MATHEW 7: 24-27:
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
JESUS GIVES TWO EXAMPLES OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HOUSE.
ONE BUILT ON SOLID ROCK AND ONE BUILT ON SAND***
THE ONE BUILT SECURELY ON THE ROCK WILL WITHSTAND THE STORM. **
HOUSE AT 206 GLADE ROAD. WITHSTOOD THE STORM.
I. JESUS IS THE ROCK OF THE LIVING WATER.
Ex 17:3-6
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
(A) NOTICE THE CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE
UNWORTHY, MURMURING, COMPLAINING.
1. COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN WHERE THEY CAME OUT OF.
2. COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN THE SLAVE DAYS OF EGYPT.
3. EVEN HAD A DESIRE TO GO BACK.
4. LEARNING TO BE TOTALLY DEPENDANT UPON GOD.
5. SYMBOLIC OF LOST PEOPLE, WALKING AFTER THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH.
6. EGYPT LAY BEHIND THEM, THE PROMISE LAND AHEAD.
DOESN’T SEEM LIKE A HARD CHOICE TO MAKE. (COMPARE)
7. PEOPLE WANT EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD NOW!!!
FORGETTING THAT PARADISE IN HEAVEN AFFORDS MORE THAN THIS WORLD COULD EVEN IMAGINE.**
(B) NOTICE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACT OF GRACE.
NOTICE VERSE 6 (ABOVE)
1. THE WATER WAS FREELY GIVEN. (NOTHING DONE TO MERIT IT. CERTAINLY DID NOT DESERVE IT AFTER COMPLAINING CONSTANTLY. (JOHN 3:16)
2. ABUNDANTLY GIVEN. (JOHN 1: 12: AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM…..)*** NOT JUST A QUICK REFRESHING MOUTHFUL BUT IT FLOWED WITH ABUNDANCE
vast block of red granite, fifteen feet long, ten broad, and twelve high. (from Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
(C) GOD’S GRACE IS NEVER JUST A SHORT TEMPORARY SUPPLY, IT IS GIVEN ABUNDANTLY THAT IT MAY BE SUFFICIENT FOR EVERY NEED. (PAUL’S EXAMPLE)
II. JESUS IS THE ROCK OF THE LIVING WORD.
Num 20:7-8
7 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shall give the congregation and their beasts drink
(A) GOD’S WORD DECLARES: WE ARE CLEAN THROUGH THE WORD HE HAS SPOKEN TO US.
1. ROMANS 10:17: FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.
JESUS IS THE LIVING WORD THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND WAS MADE FLESH, LIKE UNTO US YET WITHOUT SIN. ***
2. LIVED A SINLESS SACRIFICIAL LIFE, DIED A SUBSTITUTIONAL DEATH HUNG ON A CROSS TO DIE FOR OUR SINS AND WAS PUT IN A GRAVE THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS AND THEN ROSE VICTORIOUSLY OVER DEATH HELL AND THE GRAVE.
(B) GOD’S WORD DECLARES WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM.
1. MANY TODAY STRUGGLE WITH THEOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY PSYCHOLOGY EVERY OTHER “OLOGY” YOU CAN COME UP WITH.
2. WHY DON’T YOU TRY SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED “ KNEE-OLOGY”
(C) GOD’S WORD DECLARES WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, FORGIVEN OF SIN, DELIVERED FORM SIN, PRESERVED IN CHRIST, SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND MADE FIT FOR HEAVEN THROUGH HIM.
1. IT’S NOT OUR KNOWLEDGE, ITS NOT OUR NOTIONS, IT IS BY AND THROUGH THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ON CALVARY’S CROSS THAT HAS SET US FREE AND MADE US COMPLETE AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED YOU ARE FREE FROM SIN AND WILL NOT FACE CONDEMNATION JN 3:18 **
III. JESUS IS THE ROCK OF THE LIVING SOUL. GENESIS 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
HE IS THE CREATOR OF EVERY LIVING SOUL.
Ps 139:13-14
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
(A) GOD’S WORD DECLARES A BABY IN IT’S MOTHER’S WOMB IS A LIVING SOUL. HOW CAN MAN STOOP SO LOW AS TO DESTROY WHAT GOD HAS FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE?
(B) HE IS THE CARETAKER OF THE LIVING SOUL.
Heb 13:5
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
1. WE ARE HIS NOW AND FOR ETERNITY.
2. HE HAS BOUGHT OUR SOUL OUT OF HELL’S BONDAGE.
Isa 53:10
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
3. HIS BLOOD WAS THE OFFERING FOR THE SALVATION OF OUR SOUL.
IV. JESUS IS THE ROCK OF THE LIVING CHURCH.
Matt 16:18 (JESUS TO SIMON PETER)
upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALED THIS TO PETER)
(A) MANY TODAY KNOW “ABOUT” HIM. YET THEY DON’T KNOW HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR.
(B) MANY KNOW HIM AS A GOOD MAN, A GOOD TEACHER, A PROPHET. YET THEY DON’T KNOW HIM AS LORD AND MASTER.
CONCLUSION: ARE YOU ON THE ROCK? OR IN THE SAND?
