Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind n earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19

Intro: We have all heard the term “Rock Bottom.”

For the most part it means: The lowest possible level.

We have all heard someone say, “They will never get better until their life hits rock bottom.”

You know exactly what they are talking about.

Those “stop and cringe moments.”

Those times that still come back to haunt you

in certain situations

in unexpected flashbacks.

For our purpose today I want us to agree that there are different types of “rock bottom.”

Some are sever, life and death

Others are lows that while they are dramatic

They resulted in a change in your life

A transformation that resulted in bringing you out from your new low…, up to a better place.

Wednesday morning at about 6:00 I was at Super America to get cheddar cheese combos

When I pulled in there were two cop cars.

I noticed they had this guy in handcuffs.

Now I know looks can be deceiving.

And we are not supposed to judge others.

But my first thought was this guy doesn’t look like someone who you normally see in handcuffs.

The guy in handcuffs was the victim of a hit and run.

Let that sink in for a moment.

His car was hit by a guy with no license and no insurance.

So I am thinking this doesn’t make sense.

Come to find out the guy was in handcuffs car had been hit,

He called the police.

He followed they guy who hit his car to Super America.

But then he took out his phone and started filming.

Now there is nothing wrong with that.

But he started yelling at the other driver.

And then to make things worse he had been yelling at the police.

And even began pushing and shoving the police in a belligerent, and aggressive manner.

As they put the victim of the hit and run the back seat of the police car.

The title to today’s sermon came to my mind “Rock Bottom.”

At the same time I was thinking…, could that have been me?

Under a slightly different set of circumstances, could that have been anyone of us?

“Rock Bottom” could be something as simple as:

Maybe when you were younger

when you sang along with a song with your friends

and when it came to that obscene word you just kept singing

knowing that the word wasn’t funny

but you just kept singing anyway.

Not a life and death moment, but a life changing moment

Because later in your life you would realize words do have meaning,

Even words in rap and music.

Words that your little five year old gets in trouble at school for saying.

And suddenly you are in the principal’s office with your child

And instead of thinking “Rock and Roll” you are thinking,

This is a new “Rock Bottom.”

Rock Bottom could be the time when you joined in a nasty-toned conversation tearing someone down

only to walk around the corner and find that person standing there staring you in the face.

Having heard every word you said.

Or maybe it was when you were trying to offer a compliment

Or be polite.

You ask the lady when is the baby due?

Only to find out she is not pregnant.

We could all be nominees for the “Foot in Mouth Award.”

Whether out of ignorance or callousness or cruelty, we have all found ourselves sunk to a new low.

Doing something wrong for the wrong reason.

It is falling-face-down-and-sinking-over-your-head.

Life is complicated and often painful.

Your mother falls and is put in the hospital.

A house fire causes someone in the church to lose their home.

Life is not always easy,

and living the Christian life in the midst of all of this is more than just saying I believe.

Sometimes we hit rock bottom, before things start to get any better.

I want to challenge you today.

Let today be your “rock bottom.”

Just turn to someone you are sitting beside and say to them

Let today be your “rock bottom.”

Don’t go lower tomorrow than you are today.

Let today be the lowest day for you, and there is nowhere else to go but up from here on.

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,

‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’

They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’