OceanSide church of Christ

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WHEN YOUR ROCK CRUMBLES

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.  Can a preacher do a sermon about rocks?  Absolutely!

1.    Rocks were used to stone those who violated the Law of Moses (Lev. 20:2; 24:14, 16).

2.    God provided water from a rock for the children of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness (Exo. 17:6; Num. 20:11).

3.    David smote Goliath using a smooth stone (I Sam. 17:50).

4.    Many giant stones were prepared for the temple of God which Solomon built (I Chron. 22:2, 4; I Kings 5:17).

 

B.   This morning, we want to talk about rocks in our lives.

1.    We will be examining the kind of rocks upon which we are building our lives.

2.    The title of the lesson is:  “When Your Rock Crumbles.”

 

I.         THE NEED FOR A ROCK

 

A.  When we are born, we immediately stand in need of a support system, a rock.  That foundation for most is a mother and father.

 

B.   As we grow, we learn how fragile we are.

1.    We seek for something to make us strong.

2.    We seek for something to protect us.

3.    We seek for something to in which to believe, something that makes us feel that our feet are on solid ground.

 

C.  Without this foundation, we are only a shell.  Our lives can quickly crumble.

 

II.       MANY TYPES OF ROCKS

 

A.  People can be our rock:

1.    Parents, a spouse, friends, teachers, mentors, leaders

2.    Example:  King Saul for the nation of Israel (I Sam. 12:13)

 

Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired!  And, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.

 

B.   Treasures can be our rock (I Tim. 6:17a)

 

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches…

 

C.  False gods (Deut. 32:37)

 

And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted?

D.  Ideologies

1.    Areas of thinking in which we put our trust

a.    Worldviews

b.    Political systems

c.    Religious thought

2.    We often base our lives on these theories.  Our choices and behaviors are determined by how we think.

 

E.   Career/Business

1.    Almost every moment of every day revolves around our work.

2.    A person lives for his business.

 

F.    Health

1.    When we are young and healthy we think we have it all.

2.    We believe ourselves to be undefeatable.’

3.    We are proud of and boast of our health.

 

III.      CRUMBLING ROCKS

 

A.  If our rock is a human being, it can crumble.

1.    The negative actions of men:

a.    Men sin.

b.    Men forsake us.

c.    Man fail to fulfill promises.

2.    Both David and Jesus experienced friends who forsook them (Ps. 41:9; John 13:18).

 

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

 

B.   If our rock is our treasure, it can quickly dissipate.

1.    Proverbs 11:28

 

He that truseth in his riches shall fail…

 

2.    Proverbs 23:5

 

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?  For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

 

C.  If our rock is a false god, he will never bless.

1.    Jeremiah 10:14b

 

…for the molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

 

2.    I Corinthians 8:4

 

…and we know that an idol is nothing in the world…

3.    The false prophets of Baal learned this lesson on Mount Carmel (I Kings 18:25-29).

 

D.  If our rock is a false ideology, it will only disappoint.

1.    What false ideologies do to us.

a.    They lie.

b.    The do not fulfill their promises.

c.    They can become oppressive and enslave us.

2.    Recently, I have reviewing the ideology of Communism.

a.    It makes bold promises of equality.

b.    It is an evil system.

1)     Oppression by the ruling class

2)    Removes God, religion, and morality from society

3)     Destroys individuality

 

E.   When careers are our rock, we can be hurt.

1.    Businesses often fail.

2.    Businesses change.

3.    Businesses can let us go regardless of our loyalty.

 

F.    When health is our rock, we can be disappointed.

1.    Some young people believe that they will always have their health.  They think of themselves as being strong and invincible.

2.    Ecclesiastes 12:1

 

…while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

 

3.    The problems with health

a.    Sickness

b.    Disease

c.    Old age

 

IV.      THE EFFECTS OF CRUMBLING ROCKS

 

A.  Heartache and sorrow

 

B.   A loss of trust in mankind

 

C.  Shattered lives:  often the lives of many people, some who are innocent

 

D.  Sinful actions:

1.    The hurt person turns to sinful things in order to cope with his crumbling life (ex., drugs, drinking, etc.).

2.    The wounded person acts out sinfully toward the person who hurt them.

 

E.   Death

 

V.        OUR ROCK MUST BE GOD

 

A.  God is described as a rock in Scripture.

1.    Twenty-four (24) times in the book of Psalms, God is referred to as a rock (Ps. 18:2).

 

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God…

 

2.    In the New Testament Jesus is described as a rock.

a.    He was that spiritual rock of the wilderness wanderings (I Cor. 10:4),.

 

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:  for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them:  and that rock was Christ.

 

b.    He is also said to be the cornerstone of the temple of God (Eph. 2:20).

 

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

 

B.   Some facts about God as our rock.

1.    He is stable.  He is a rock upon which all can stand with assurance (Ps. 40:2).

 

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my going.

 

2.    He is a refuge.  He is a rock behind which we can hide in safety (Ps. 94:22).

 

But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.

 

3.    He is our strength.  He is a rock upon which we can rely.  No enemy can penetrate Him (Ps. 62:7).

 

In God is my salvation and my glory:  the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God.

 

4.    He is trustworthy.  He is a rock upon which to build that will withstand all storms (Matt. 7:24).

 

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.

 

5.    He is eternal.  He is a rock that will never crumble or fade (Deut. 33:27).

 

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.  After Hannah was blessed with a child by God, she praised the Lord.  She expressed a truth that applies to our lesson (I Sam. 2:2b).

…neither is there any rock like our God.

 

B.   If we place our trust in God, the true rock, we will never be disappointed.

 

C.  When we come to understand the stability and strength of this rock, we will echo the words of the psalmist in Psalm 95:1.

 

O come, let us sing unto the Lord:  let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

 

D.  Let each of us do as the old hymn exhorts:  “Rock of ages cleft for me.  Let me hide myself in thee.”