There are plenty of rocks in Douglas County, Missouri. In fact, there are plenty of rocks all over this area. Go out and pick a bunch of rocks. Ones that can be written on. Now, take some time and write on these rocks. Write the things that you believe in, your opinions, your thoughts, and what you believe is true. In short, come up with all the things that make you, you. Those are your rocks. That is what your life is built on.
Rocks and stones are mentioned a number of times in the Bible. Answers.com says that the words stone and rock appear 320 times in 321 verses in the Bible. Note: For enthusiasts of Bible statistics, they can be found at biblebelievers.com. Our pastor titled his sermon Like A Rock. It’s a good title. Rock and Role could be a good one, too.
The text for the sermon was Luke 19:39-40. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, the disciples are rejoicing and praising God with loud voices for all the mighty things they have seen. The Pharisees don’t like it and want Jesus to scold them for being so loud. The reply: Even if the disciples were silent, the stones of the earth would cry out. Why wouldn’t they? After all, stones are part of the creation of God. Just their very existence is a testimony to the power of the Almighty.
Just three years prior to this, John the Baptist had been preaching in the wilderness, making way for the One to come. Even The Baptist speaks of stones. It’s in Matthew 3. He sees the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism and refers to them as vipers. Before they can say much, he goes on to tell them to not brag about how they are children of Abraham. Because, God is able to raise up children of Abraham from the very stones on the ground.
Romans 9:33 speaks of a stumbling stone and rock of offence. Paul is speaking of Christ. The end of the verse is “…whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Here, the rock is Christ. Which takes us back to Matthew 16 and the question Jesus poses to his disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13) Peter answers in verse 16, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus blesses him and says, “…upon this rock I will build my church…” (verse 18) The rock here is a spiritual one. It’s called faith. The church that Jesus builds is one built on faith. The rock of faith.
Other passages will speak of Jesus being the cornerstone of the foundation. (Ephesians 2:20-22) Also, that others have also come and built on this foundation. And that we are rocks (of faith) and are to build on this same foundation. The foundation is Christ. Faith builds His church.
Rocks and stones are mentioned a number of times in the Bible. Answers.com says that the words stone and rock appear 320 times in 321 verses in the Bible. Note: For enthusiasts of Bible statistics, they can be found at biblebelievers.com. Our pastor titled his sermon Like A Rock. It’s a good title. Rock and Role could be a good one, too.
The text for the sermon was Luke 19:39-40. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, the disciples are rejoicing and praising God with loud voices for all the mighty things they have seen. The Pharisees don’t like it and want Jesus to scold them for being so loud. The reply: Even if the disciples were silent, the stones of the earth would cry out. Why wouldn’t they? After all, stones are part of the creation of God. Just their very existence is a testimony to the power of the Almighty.
Just three years prior to this, John the Baptist had been preaching in the wilderness, making way for the One to come. Even The Baptist speaks of stones. It’s in Matthew 3. He sees the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism and refers to them as vipers. Before they can say much, he goes on to tell them to not brag about how they are children of Abraham. Because, God is able to raise up children of Abraham from the very stones on the ground.
Romans 9:33 speaks of a stumbling stone and rock of offence. Paul is speaking of Christ. The end of the verse is “…whoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Here, the rock is Christ. Which takes us back to Matthew 16 and the question Jesus poses to his disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13) Peter answers in verse 16, “Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus blesses him and says, “…upon this rock I will build my church…” (verse 18) The rock here is a spiritual one. It’s called faith. The church that Jesus builds is one built on faith. The rock of faith.
Other passages will speak of Jesus being the cornerstone of the foundation. (Ephesians 2:20-22) Also, that others have also come and built on this foundation. And that we are rocks (of faith) and are to build on this same foundation. The foundation is Christ. Faith builds His church.
