The Rock That Will Not Roll

THE ROCK THAT WILL NOT ROLL

Isa. 28:16

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Father Michael, of St. Mary’s Church said, “I was on a plane last week from Edinburgh to London, when we ran into some very severe weather which resulted in turbulence. As it got worse, the passengers became more and more alarmed, and even the airline stewards began to look concerned.

2. Finally one of them noticed that I had ‘Reverend’ in front of my name on the passenger list, so she approached me, and said, “Sir, this is really frightening. Do you suppose you could, I don’t know…….do something religious?” “So I took up a collection,” retold Father Michael with a grin.

B. AN AMAZING PIECE OF STONE

1. July 21, 2021, Christian Widener, a PhD in mechanical engineering and formerly a professor at the South Dakota School of Mines, published his findings on the location of the Jewish Temple.

2. After a deep examination of the Temple Mount and historical records, he said the location of the Holy of Holies lays in plain sight. The entire Temple Mount was paved to match the level of the original bedrock in the Dome of the Spirits, a small alcove 280 feet NW of the Dome of the Rock.

3. The ancient, pocked pavement inside it IS the original bedrock that the Temple sat on! This same rock lines up with the Eastern Gate. Someday the Jewish Temple may be rebuilt on that ancient stone! [https://www.godreports.com/2021/ 07/researcher-finds-true-location-of-jewish-temple-hiding-in-plain-sight/]

4. But God spoke of another stone, a greater Stone, through the prophet Isaiah; “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone...for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be shaken” (Isa. 28:16, NIV, NIRV).

5. That’s the Stone we’re looking at today – “The Rock that Will Not Roll.” If you’re a rock-hunter (“rockhounding”), this one Rock you’ll want to acquire!

I. FALSE ROCKS & THE TRUE ROCK

A. FALSE THINGS THE WORLD DEPENDS ON

1. A “ROCK” is defined/ thought of, as something solid, immovable, something you can build on, something unchanging. We’re always looking for something solid.

2. Only a few things in life are thought to be unshakable, so solid that they cannot fail. Things like...

a. The U.S. Government

b. Human Justice

c. International Banks & Corporations

d. Family ties

3. Yet history shows that all of these have failed. Many empires have come and gone. They failed to produce what they promised. Or they collapsed or were overrun by wars. Even families sometimes fall apart.

4. When we see that all the other “rocks” HAVE ROLLED (moved), that’s when we begin to appreciate how Jesus Christ is the Rock that WILL NOT ROLL! (Amen?)

B. KING DAVID’S DISCOVERED GOD AS HIS ROCK

1. David discovered the Living God would be his “rock;” he called God his “rock” 18 times in Psalms. He said, “The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer...in him will I trust: he is my shield...my high tower, and my refuge, my Savior....The Lord lives; and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of the Rock of my salvation” 2 Samuel 22:2-3,47.

2. In his constantly shifting world, David came to rely on God’s faithfulness. In one crisis after another, when David prayed for help, God come through over & over. God saved David from his enemies, from sickness, and from death.

3. In one dark hour, when all David’s men gave up in despair, the Bible says, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord!” David took his eyes off his circumstances and put them on the Lord. There’s times that only God can save us!

4. David reminded himself of all the things God had done for him; he recalled God’s faithful character; he remembered all the promises God had made him. And he knew that God would certainly keep His promises, for God is a promise-keeper! God says, He will never change His mind.

5. NOBODY BIGGER(ILLUS.)

a. An old country preacher was challenged by an atheist. The atheist said, “Why do you Christians have faith in an invisible God? What makes you think He will help you?”

b. The old preacher replied: “Well, son, it says in the beginning of my Bible that God was in charge when time

started up. Then I flips over to the end of my Bible and reads that God will be in charge when time runs down.

c. So I figure that between the beginning and the end there’s nobody big enough to whoop ‘em.”

II. JESUS IS GOD’S ROCK FOR US

A. THIS ROCK IS A SURE FOUNDATION

1. Jesus told His disciples, “...on this ROCK (the ROCK of His identity as the Messiah) I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” Mt. 16:15-18.