Preached in Markham Baptist Church, July 13, 2003.

Matthew 7:24-27

JESUS IS THE ROCK

Jesus Rocks. So goes the theme for this year's Kids' Kamp. Jesus Rocks. Now some may think that that is a strange phrase to use in connection with Jesus. We often use the phrase to describe someone who is cool, who appears to have it all together. So we say that

· Michael Jordan Rocks – meaning he is a superstar, he appears to have it altogether. He’s got the moves, he got the ability as an all star athlete. He knows how to deliver again and again on the basketball court. So we say Michael Jordan rocks!

· Bruce Springsteen Rocks, meaning he is able to enthuse and fill us with an excitement by his concerts and ballads.

· Spider Man Rocks meaning his physical ability and agility to fly through the air on a spider’s web is so cool. He fearlessly battles evil and does not hesitate to enter the battle for good.

· The Rolling Stones Rock – meaning presently they are generously coming to Toronto to help boost a sagging economy.

But Jesus Rocks? We don’t very often associate the word and all that it means with Jesus. We might say that Jesus is sweet. We may say that Jesus is meek and mild. We might say He is a good teacher, a nice guy and some would say, “Jesus is boring” “Jesus is dull.” But never Jesus Rocks.

But this week you are going to learn through your cabin leaders and through Pastor Ron that Jesus Rocks. You may doubt it and you may question it, but I’m here to tell you that Jesus Rocks.

If that means that Jesus has it all together, then let me tell you that Jesus Rocks. You will never meet another person who perfectly holds power and grace, love and truth, strength and weakness so perfectly in balance. Jesus has it altogether, Jesus Rocks.

If it means that He has an amazing ability to take a life that is down and out, and transform it so completely and so fully so that we say that He makes all things new, then Jesus Rocks.

If it means that He is able to enthuse and excite people then Jesus Rocks. For He has a purpose for your life. And all through history Jesus has moved millions of people to sacrificially serve others to work for justice and peace and to proclaim the good news of His love and grace – Jesus Rocks.

If it means that He gives generously, then Jesus Rocks for He gives his love, and life and forgiveness and strength and peace and leadership to all who believe in Him.

If it means that He could have had it all in God’s kingdom – equality with God, but He chose not to grasp that – instead He humbled Himself and faced evil steadily, persistently and so completely that He gave His very life for you and me – then Jesus Rocks.

If it means that Jesus has won that battle against evil so that on the third day after His death he rose again from the grave then Jesus Rocks.

If it means that today through faith in Him He has enabled us to be victorious over every worry in this life, every difficulty in this life, every storm of trouble that may come our way - then let me tell you, Jesus Rocks.

For Jesus Christ Rocks because He is a Rock. This is what we learn in our passage today:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27) (NRSV)

Not only does Jesus Rock. Jesus is a rock. Now He is using picture language here and Jesus is saying that your life and my life is like a house. And He says that the stability, the strength of your life depends on what foundation you use. You know that the foundation of a house is critical.

There are one or two basic foundations. There is a sand foundation or a rock foundation.

You can build your house on a sand foundation but you need to know that when the rain comes down and the winds blow your house is going to fall with a great crash because you have built on sand.

There is a rock foundation, it is firm and strong. The winds will blow the rains will come down but the house built on a rock foundation will not be moved.

Similarly you have a choice about the foundation on which you build your life. You can build on a sandy foundation, so to speak, or a rock foundation. One is poor because it will not help you when life gets difficult and one is good because it will hold you up, it will not let you down when life is hard.

What is do these foundations look like? Mike Slaughter says it all boils down to devotion. Where ever your devotion lays that’s the foundation of your life. Whatever you have your heart set on that’s the foundation of your life.

Think of it. Think of what foundation you are using to build your life. It really is a choice that you have to make. It really is up to you, you need to decide what foundation you will use to build your life. Sand or rock. Think of the two. There is a sand foundation. There are all sorts of sandy foundations people use to build their lives, alcohol, work, money, things. Sometimes it changes as you grow older.

I went through this phase when the significance in my life was built on how high a score I could achieve on the pin ball machine at the arcade. I’d feed that machine quarter after quarter at Agincourt Mall. Day after day I’d try to get a high score. And what did I get out of it except a momentary thrill and an empty bank account?

I went through a phase when the significance of my life was built on finding a girlfriend. I went to the same camp you are going to year after year with the sole purpose of finding a girlfriend. I wanted to find a girlfriend to take to the banquet and go on the midnight walk. I had great cabin leaders, great Bible teachers all telling me about the love of God and how through faith in Jesus I could have a new life – a godly life – I could have my sins forgiven. But I wasn’t listening to any of that – not fully anyway – all I wanted to do was find a girlfriend. If I could find a girl I thought I would be seen as one who had it all together. I’d be the big guy from Hiawatha.

There are some who build their lives on sports. Sports, sports, sports. In the winter its hockey. “I won’t be at worship on Sunday pastor I’ll be playing hockey. And I can’t give any of my time to help the needy during the week because I’ll be playing hockey” In the summer it’s golf.

I was watching the Red Green show the other day and he was playing a game with another fellow where a word is given by Harold and Red Green has to get the other guy to guess the word. He was trying to get the other person to say the word, “Church” Red gave the clues, “a place where you go every Sunday”. The other fellow said, “The golf course”.

“No, No” said Red, “A place where you pray”

The other fellow said, “The ninth green”

“No, No its’ a place with a peaked roof.”

“The club house?” and on it went.

There are some whose lives are all sports. But that is building your life on sifting sand. I can tell you that sports are good, having a girlfriend is great, getting the high score on the game is thrilling but they cannot sustain your life. What will you have when difficulty comes your way? What will you have when hardship and disease come to you? As you sit in the doctor’s office and he tells you that you have a form of cancer. I suppose you could tell him all about your lowest golf score. But I doubt that will sustain you as you come face to face with your end.

But let me tell you about the rock foundation – it is a foundation you can build a life on. It is a foundation that will never let you down and never let you go. This foundation is Jesus Christ. Why is He a rock foundation? Because He gives us peace with God. I don’t know about you but I have a strong conscience. I often think about conversations I’ve had and think I shouldn’t have said that, or I should have said that. Sometimes I go to bed at night and think, “I’ve really blown it now – look what I did.” And there was a time when I wouldn’t be able to get to sleep. There was a time when my stomach would be tied up in knots with worry and anxiety thinking of how God must be angry with me. And I felt like my life was going to collapse with guilt.

But I’ve got to tell you that that’s all behind me now because I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe that I am forgiven by God because Jesus died for me. And He died for you. Now when my conscience flares up and I think “I’ve really blown it now” I bow my head and I say, “God forgive me, I’m sorry” and I know because of His Son I am forgiven.

And some will say – it’s that easy? Do you mean to say that I am forgiven of all my wrongs by believing in Jesus? Yup. Didn’t I tell you that Jesus Rocks? He rocks, and He is a rock because He gives me peace with God.

Not only does He give me peace with God, but Jesus is a Rock because He gives me the peace of God. I don’t know how many times I’ve been at the death bed of a person who has devoted their lives to Jesus Christ – they have loved Him, they have worshipped Him, they have sought to live for Him, they have made Him the foundation of their lives - and there they are on the brink of death and there is a peace. There is a calmness as they step from this life to the next. Why? Because they have the supernatural peace of God. They know that nothing can separate them from His love.

The peace of God. It’s a wonderful gift, and it’s a gift that Jesus gives to each of His followers. In my previous congregation there was a man named Reg – he was Welsh and he was always singing. That’s what the Welsh do, they are always singing. Well Reg lost his job because of downsizing. He was in his 50’s, a talented engineer, and after he lost his job I visited him and I was bracing myself, preparing myself to console him. And when I went to visit him I discovered that he was still singing. He was singing God’s praise, and he said to me in his thick Welsh accent, “Don’t you worry pastor, our God will provide” And sure enough God did. And I marvelled that here was a man who built his house on the Rock of Jesus Christ. He believed that he was a child of God and that God would provide. He had the peace of God.

To be sure we sometimes look at people who seem to have it all together, people we say “rock”. They have built a life of worldly success and fame and wealth all being built on the foundation of sand. But every now and then you hear of one who is honest and says that all that money, fame and stuff is nothing.

I recently read Michael J. Fox autobiography. For those of you my age you will know Fox from the TV show "Family Ties" and the hit series of movies "Back to the Future".For those of you younger you know him to be the voice of Stuart Little. You may know that Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's Disease – a disability that causes him to shake uncontrollably. Do you know the title of his autobiography? It’s called “Lucky Man”. Why? Because he discovered through his disease that he was building his life in sand.

All the fame, all the alcohol, all the parties, all the money, suddenly were shown to him for what they were sand. They did not sustain him or help him when he needed them most. And he says that he was a lucky man because he discovered the truth! So many people never discover the truth.

The truth is that there is only one foundation worth building your life on and that is Jesus Christ. Let Him be the center of your life, let Him be the center of your attention. Let Him be the focus of your love and time. Let Him be the one whom you obey and follow – it doesn’t mean that you will be kept from the difficulties of life, it doesn’t mean that you will never have hard times – what God does guarantee is that when the difficulties of life come your way, when the storms of strife and hardship come your way you will not be moved, because you are resting on the rock who is Jesus Christ who gives you peace with God and the peace of God.

This week you will be faced with a choice. No one will force you, no one will choose for you. You must choose. In a moment we are going to meet someone who has decided to build his life on the rock of Jesus Christ as he gives himself to God through baptism. I pray that as you hear his story you will choose to believe in Jesus Christ and live for Him too.

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - July 2003