The Value Of Building On A Rock

By Eli Stutzman

November 1, 2012

Matthew 7:24-27 says: 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: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Recently, we had the opportunity to visit a cottage in the Georgian Bay area. The entire area is one large rock, solid granite with some soil on top. Trees cover most of the landscape which is dotted with numerous small lakes. The entire shorelines are lined with cottages where Toronto residents come to escape the rush of the city.

As I looked around, I noticed that our cottage had no foundation in the expected way of digging down and pouring concrete. Just a small glob of concrete in a few places and some cement blocks formed the underpinnings of the cottage.

I wondered is this a good way to build? But when I consider that the entire area, as far as the eye can see is one huge rock, I understand. The support underneath us has not moved in many thousands of years and is more permanent than the houses or anything else built on it.

Jesus, when teaching, spoke about the importance of building on a rock. He was not referring specifically to building houses, but building your life. What is of value? Houses may decay, burn or blow away, but never have I seen a solid foundation such as rock destroyed by fire, decay or wind.

As we go through life, we are in fact building a "house", or something we consider valuable. Jesus was of course teaching about more than building a house. He said that his words were more permanent than life.

One of the substitutes for building on a rock is our tendency to lean on traditions, teachings, and philosophy of men. This is true in every type of church. Many people who follow the teachings of their church and hope that God will accept their works of service. I once heard a person say, "I am doing my best-what more does God expect of me?" As long as we hope to achieve peace of the conscience and fulfillment through what we do for God, we will never get there. Many of these people do a commendable job of serving the poor and helpless. But, is it building on solid rock?

Good as it is to belong to a church, it is not the Rock. The church may refer to the Rock (Jesus), but adhering or belonging to a church will not be building on the Rock. If that were so, then it would depend on adhering or belonging to the right church. There are plenty of churches claiming to be the right church. Who knows which one to choose? If God selected His people He was going to save based on their choice of a church, then we are all in trouble. Also, the Bible would stress how to choose.

So then, I shall live my life in a church that promotes my well-being by pointing me to what Jesus says. I need to keep the teachings of Jesus always before me and put into practice what He says. He says He is the source of everything and will give the Spirit to anyone who asks. He is the head and, therefore, able to direct anyone to wherever He needs them. If He says I am needed in Africa or any other remote place, then I have to obey, or I am just pretending to be a believer and building on sand.

Will your house stand the test of a storm? When the storm winds blow, make sure you are built on the Rock that cannot be moved.

 

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