Sermon 08 06 01

The Rock

Matthew 7:21-29

I love the comparison between building a house on rock and building a house on sand, you could say that it’s a very ‘concrete’ example that’s easy to understand and illustrates the point being made really well.  As a child it was a concept that was easy to remember.  I can remember building sandcastles on the beach and thinking of this story from Jesus as the waves would come up and wash them away.

When the first house Terri and I ever owned was built on a sand hill, I have to admit that I was a little concerned that sand wasn’t a great foundation to build on, and I had a Biblical precedent to go on.  But thankfully when the rains came and the wind blew the house never fell, the concrete slab that it was built on must have had a firm enough grip on the clay-based sand to hold it all together!

I also know of a guy in Adelaide who spent thousands of dollars excavating rock from his house site but who in the long run had a really solid foundation for his house to be built on.

When I think back to when I watched the houses being built at Roxby I can remember how easy it looked for the guys preparing the trenches for the foundations to be poured.  They seemed to be about three houses ahead of the crew pouring the concrete and they would build a whole street in a few weeks.

By comparison, I spent about 10 hours a day six days a week working underground in a hard rock mine.  I was constantly aware of how hard it was to get a firm grip on the rock if you wanted to anchor something to it.  For example my office was connected to the rock with a series of bolts wedged into the wall and floor in holes drilled by a large percussion drill.  This took a fair bit of work and expense, but as a result it was strong enough to withstand explosive blasts nearby without shaking loose from its grip on the world.

I hope you can see from this example that there is much less effort involved in building a foundation on sand than there is to build one on rock.

Jesus wasn’t talking literally though, he was speaking another parable, he was giving an example of the different experiences people might have depending on their response to his Words.  To hear his words and not act on them is in some ways the easy option.  It’s not hard work to hear them and do nothing in response but by doing this, taking the easy way out, these people run the risk of falling in a heap when rain and winds come in their lives.  So by taking the easy option up front, there is no real foundation to cling to when suffering comes along a bit further down the track.

On the other hand the more difficult task is without a doubt to build on the rock.  That is, to grapple with Jesus words, to understand them, to apply them and slowly but surely drill deep into them, creating a solid anchor to build on further.  So when the rain and the wind come, and they surely will, we may be able to draw our strength from those words. 

This takes time, studying, learning and applying God’s word, in fact you may find that the more you read of God’s word the more you have to struggle with, but that’s part of the process of growing in faith.

You may have noticed that in Jesus’ example the two houses were subjected to identical treatment, there was no special treatment for either the wise or the foolish man’s houses.  There were rains, floods and winds that blew and beat against both houses, and yet one fell and great was its fall, but the other didn’t fall at all.  And what was the reason given?  It was built on the rock!  It had a solid foundation. 

What a blessing it is to spend time with someone who is facing some form of storm in their life when they can turn to the word of God for their comfort and strength.  I have been truly blessed to spend time with several people in their last hours on this earth who have been clinging firmly to a favourite text from the Bible that they held near and dear to their hearts.

These weren’t just idle words or cliché’s that someone had given them, these were the words of God, the very foundation of their faith.  Perhaps texts that they learnt at Sunday school as a child or during their confirmation classes.  Wherever they learnt them they had committed them to memory, but more than that, they had tried to live their lives with them in mind.  As we heard in our first reading, they had put these words in their hearts and souls, metaphorically bound them on their hands and foreheads.

In the most difficult time in their lives, they had God’s word in their hearts and minds, so that in God’s word of promise they could find refuge.  For some people it is just one short verse, but it’s what they cling to.  Do you have a verse like that?  Is there a verse that you’ve committed to memory and draw on in your hour of need? 

I pray that you do have one, but if you don’t I encourage you to find at least one and commit it to memory, draw on it in your good times and in the tough times.  Bind it on your forehead and on your hand, not literally, but perhaps it might help to have it written somewhere that you can see it regularly.

Here’s a couple of simple but powerful ones you might like to try out for size…

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.

John 14 - In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

Romans 3 - For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

As you know there are many others to draw from, make a start, or continue on your journey.  If you’ve just been scratching around on the surface or digging a little trench, don’t be afraid to drill a bit deeper, dig down to make the foundation a little firmer, so that your house, your life, might be better equipped to withstand the storms that come your way. 

And I’d like to finish with one more verse,

Philippians 4:7 - The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen.