WEBVTT 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:06.580 The Bible is rich with names and titles which 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:11.179 God uses of Himself. He calls Himself Creator, 00:00:12.419 --> 00:00:20.199 Redeemer, the Holy One, King, Savior. In addition 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:23.039 to these kinds of names and titles, there are 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:27.679 numerous metaphors of God. Now, those of you 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:30.469 who are still in English, Grammar, know that 00:00:30.469 --> 00:00:33.869 a metaphor is a figure of speech. A metaphor 00:00:33.869 --> 00:00:36.170 is a figure of speech in which one thing is likened 00:00:36.170 --> 00:00:39.750 to another different thing by being spoken of 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:44.490 it as if it were that thing. Our earlier chorus 00:00:44.490 --> 00:00:48.009 that we've just sung employs three metaphors 00:00:48.009 --> 00:00:54.770 for God. He's my rock. He's my fortress. He's 00:00:54.770 --> 00:01:00.759 my deliverer. In Him will I trust. Tonight I'd 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.099 like for us to think about this metaphor for 00:01:04.099 --> 00:01:08.920 God, the Rock. The Lord our Rock. Would you open 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:11.260 your Bible please to the book of Deuteronomy, 00:01:12.180 --> 00:01:23.959 the 32nd chapter. Deuteronomy 32 is actually 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:27.890 a poem or a song. that was written by Moses. 00:01:31.049 --> 00:01:33.310 And if you look through the entire poem, you 00:01:33.310 --> 00:01:37.670 find out that the rock is the key theme to it. 00:01:37.730 --> 00:01:41.609 It's the main name by which he identifies God. 00:01:42.510 --> 00:01:44.409 We're just going to read the first four verses, 00:01:44.629 --> 00:01:48.810 though, tonight. Moses says, Give ear, O heavens, 00:01:48.870 --> 00:01:52.489 and let me speak, and let the earth hear the 00:01:52.489 --> 00:01:56.709 words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the 00:01:56.709 --> 00:02:00.829 rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets 00:02:00.829 --> 00:02:03.650 on the fresh grass and as the showers on the 00:02:03.650 --> 00:02:08.509 herb. For I proclaim the name of the Lord, a 00:02:08.509 --> 00:02:14.069 scribe greatness to our God, the Rock. His work 00:02:14.069 --> 00:02:18.550 is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God 00:02:18.550 --> 00:02:22.849 of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous, 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:28.099 and upright is He. God is called here the Rock. 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:32.199 What is the significance of this biblical metaphor 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:34.620 for God? I'd like for us to think about that 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:36.580 for just a few minutes tonight and then we'll 00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:39.759 be on our way. I'd like to suggest in the first 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:43.199 place that there is a prophetic significance 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:47.439 to the Lord our Rock. I'd like to give you a 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.770 list of seven scriptures. These seven scriptures 00:02:50.770 --> 00:02:54.810 will help you trace the theme of the Lord our 00:02:54.810 --> 00:02:59.449 Rock prophetically through the Bible. In other 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:02.009 words, though we may look at some other scriptures, 00:03:02.810 --> 00:03:05.189 and though there are many other scriptures that 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:09.169 use this name for God, if you'll just remember 00:03:09.169 --> 00:03:12.830 these seven, you'll be able to outline prophetically 00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:16.569 the significance of the name the Lord our Rock. 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:20.620 We begin by going to the first place in the Bible 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:23.400 where it's used and that is in the book of Genesis 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:29.120 the 49th chapter and the 24th verse We have here 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:34.759 a record of Jacob's blessings upon his sons Before 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:38.300 he died he gathered them around as was the patriarchal 00:03:38.300 --> 00:03:41.819 manner of that day He laid his hands upon them, 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.500 and he spoke blessings to them And, of course, 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:49.199 among the sons, now restored to him was Joseph. 00:03:50.379 --> 00:03:54.439 And in verse 22, he speaks of Joseph. He says, 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:58.860 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough 00:03:58.860 --> 00:04:03.060 by a spring. It's branches run over a wall. And 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:06.879 remember, he's speaking poetically. He's using 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.539 the license of a poet here to describe his son 00:04:10.539 --> 00:04:14.449 and his family that he has seen. He goes on to 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:18.009 say the archers bitterly attacked him and shot 00:04:18.009 --> 00:04:20.269 at him and harassed him. Who would the archers 00:04:20.269 --> 00:04:24.689 be? Well, if you know the life of Joseph, you 00:04:24.689 --> 00:04:27.709 know that those are his own brothers that Jacob 00:04:27.709 --> 00:04:33.490 has in mind. But his bow remained firm and his 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:37.529 arms were agile from the hands of the mighty 00:04:37.529 --> 00:04:41.670 one of Jacob, from the God of your father who 00:04:41.670 --> 00:04:44.889 helps you. And you'll notice that in the middle 00:04:44.889 --> 00:04:49.449 of that particular sentence, there is a certain 00:04:49.449 --> 00:04:52.269 clause that is slipped in by the Holy Spirit, 00:04:52.769 --> 00:04:56.110 in parenthesis, at least in my translation. From 00:04:56.110 --> 00:04:59.610 there, that is, from the mighty one of Jacob, 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:05.250 from that source, is the shepherd, the stone 00:05:05.250 --> 00:05:09.240 of Israel. This is the first occasion in the 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:12.379 Bible of this name for God calling him a rock 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:17.279 or a stone. It is used prophetically here pointing 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:21.560 to the one who would come from the mighty one 00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:26.220 of Jacob and would be known as the shepherd or 00:05:26.220 --> 00:05:30.800 as the stone or the rock of Israel. And of course 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:34.680 it is a messianic prophecy. It is a prophetic 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:40.259 utterance. pointing to the coming of the Lord 00:05:40.259 --> 00:05:45.399 Jesus Christ. Now as we think of this theme of 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:48.860 the Rock, we begin here. The next logical step 00:05:48.860 --> 00:05:51.980 would be in Exodus. I invite you to turn just 00:05:51.980 --> 00:05:58.819 a few pages to Exodus chapter 17. Those of you 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:01.920 familiar with the Exodus of the people of Israel 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:05.180 will recall that there was a time in the wilderness 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:08.470 when they were complaining about a lack of water. 00:06:09.889 --> 00:06:12.470 They thirsted and they grumbled against Moses, 00:06:13.069 --> 00:06:17.129 verse 3. So verse 4, Moses cried out to the Lord, 00:06:17.449 --> 00:06:21.189 saying, what shall I do to this people? A little 00:06:21.189 --> 00:06:24.069 more and they will stone me. The Lord said to 00:06:24.069 --> 00:06:27.189 Moses, pass before the people and take with you 00:06:27.189 --> 00:06:29.230 some of the elders of Israel and take in your 00:06:29.230 --> 00:06:32.550 hand your staff with which you struck the Nile 00:06:32.550 --> 00:06:37.019 and go. Behold, I will stand before you there 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:42.620 on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the 00:06:42.620 --> 00:06:45.819 rock, and water will come out of it, and the 00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:48.920 people that the people may drink." And Moses 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:51.879 did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:56.360 And so our second of seven stops is in Exodus 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:00.860 chapter 17. And here we see prophetically again 00:07:00.860 --> 00:07:05.170 that the rock spoken of by Jacob, would one day 00:07:05.170 --> 00:07:10.269 be smitten. It is very clear from the New Testament 00:07:10.269 --> 00:07:13.870 that what happened here in the striking of this 00:07:13.870 --> 00:07:17.470 rock was prophetic. In fact, it is a type. It 00:07:17.470 --> 00:07:20.290 is a picture of what would happen to the Messiah 00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:23.209 when he would come. He would be stricken. He 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:26.769 would be smitten. But as a result of his being 00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:30.189 smitten, there would be made provision for the 00:07:30.189 --> 00:07:33.769 people of God. It is a picture of the sacrifice 00:07:33.769 --> 00:07:37.970 of Christ, the rock who followed them through 00:07:37.970 --> 00:07:40.310 the wilderness, according to 1 Corinthians 10 00:07:40.310 --> 00:07:45.209 verse 4. By his sacrifice on the cross, when 00:07:45.209 --> 00:07:49.209 he was smitten, the Messiah supplied for the 00:07:49.209 --> 00:07:52.029 spiritual need of all of God's chosen people. 00:07:52.850 --> 00:07:57.430 From him flows the water of eternal life, the 00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:00.720 spiritual drink of God. that thirsty sinners 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:04.279 may come to and partake of and find their souls 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:08.839 need met. That is stop number two. But we turn 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:14.079 ahead now to Psalm 118. And we find out something 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:19.779 more about the rock in its prophetic significance. 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:33.679 Psalm 118 verse 22. It says, the stone which 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:38.080 the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:42.940 This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in 00:08:42.940 --> 00:08:45.980 our eyes. You say, well, what could that be speaking 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:48.740 of? Well, again, we have the light of the New 00:08:48.740 --> 00:08:51.840 Testament to shine upon this Old Testament passage. 00:08:52.659 --> 00:08:57.159 For example, Matthew 21, 42. Our Savior Himself 00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:02.220 refers to this text. In Acts 4 in verse 11, Peter 00:09:02.220 --> 00:09:06.240 draws upon this text. What is the significance 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:10.139 of it prophetically? It is that the stone who 00:09:10.139 --> 00:09:14.440 was to come, the stone of Israel, the stone who 00:09:14.440 --> 00:09:18.220 was smitten, would be a stone that would be rejected 00:09:18.220 --> 00:09:22.879 by the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:26.340 or its leaders are the builders here who saw 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:30.299 the stone. And instead of putting it into place, 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:33.679 they rejected it. They threw it aside. They did 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.879 not want it. But it says that God has made that 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:42.100 same stone the chief cornerstone. It's the Lord's 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:46.419 doing. It's marvelous in our eyes. And so this 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:50.200 stone was rejected by the nation of Israel. And 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:53.000 of course, that all has to do with our Lord's 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.649 ministry culminating in His crucifixion. Now 00:09:58.649 --> 00:10:01.250 if you'll turn with me to Isaiah chapter 8 and 00:10:01.250 --> 00:10:07.490 verse 14, we come to stop number four. We see 00:10:07.490 --> 00:10:10.929 something more regarding Israel and this stone. 00:10:14.009 --> 00:10:18.990 Isaiah 8 and verse 14. In this chapter Isaiah 00:10:18.990 --> 00:10:25.669 is speaking to the nation of Judah. Isaiah has 00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:29.019 produced a son which has been assigned to the 00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:32.379 nation. That judgment is coming upon them. His 00:10:32.379 --> 00:10:36.000 name is Meher Shalal Hashbez. Now you might try 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.460 that for your child the next time around. We'll 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:42.259 put up three roses for anybody who names their 00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:48.620 child Meher Shalal Hashbez. And a prophecy then 00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:52.200 followed, further confirming the fact that the 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:55.179 nation was in deep trouble. And in verse 14, 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:59.179 Well, verse 13, let's back up. He says, it is 00:10:59.179 --> 00:11:01.919 the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. 00:11:02.659 --> 00:11:05.279 In fact, they had more respect for the king of 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:09.659 Assyria than they did for their own God. They 00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:12.259 were more concerned about what he might do, or 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:15.240 his power, than they were the Lord. But Isaiah 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:17.340 goes on to say, and he shall be your fear, and 00:11:17.340 --> 00:11:20.279 he shall be your dread. Then he shall become 00:11:20.279 --> 00:11:24.799 a sanctuary, but to both the houses of Israel. 00:11:25.049 --> 00:11:31.649 a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over. 00:11:33.070 --> 00:11:35.850 And so as we think of the stone or the rock prophetically, 00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:39.429 we must remember that the stone that was rejected 00:11:39.429 --> 00:11:43.830 by the nation also became to them a stone of 00:11:43.830 --> 00:11:49.110 stumbling and a rock of offense in Christ's first 00:11:49.110 --> 00:11:53.580 coming. Romans 9, 32 speaks of this. 1 Corinthians 00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:57.700 1, 23, the preaching of the cross is to the Jews 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:02.659 a stumbling block. And so the Christ whom they 00:12:02.659 --> 00:12:05.960 rejected, that stone that they pushed aside and 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:10.059 did not choose, then became a stone of stumbling 00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:15.860 to them as a people and stumble they have. At 00:12:15.860 --> 00:12:19.220 this point it's important for us to pick up a 00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:23.720 side theme in one sense, a central theme in another, 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.879 and that's in 1 Peter. So we'll turn to the New 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:34.480 Testament. 1 Peter chapter 2, as we come to stop 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:41.379 number 5. 1 Peter 2, beginning in verse 4. Peter 00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:44.679 writes to Christians, to believers, to both Jews 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:48.980 and Gentiles who have trusted in Christ, He says, 00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:54.740 In coming to him as to a living stone, rejected 00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:58.840 by men, but choice and precious in the sight 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:02.559 of God, you also as living stones are being built 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:05.600 up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:09.700 to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to 00:13:09.700 --> 00:13:13.419 God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained 00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:18.389 in Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion. a choice 00:13:18.389 --> 00:13:24.110 or a chosen stone, a precious cornerstone, and 00:13:24.110 --> 00:13:27.669 he who believes in him shall not be disappointed." 00:13:27.669 --> 00:13:30.470 And so we see that the stone that was prophesied 00:13:30.470 --> 00:13:33.309 and which was to be smitten, which was rejected 00:13:33.309 --> 00:13:36.389 by the nation and which became a stone of stumbling 00:13:36.389 --> 00:13:41.549 to Israel, is actually now God's chosen stone 00:13:41.549 --> 00:13:47.019 in the church. God has made him the chief cornerstone, 00:13:47.259 --> 00:13:51.419 the foundation of the church, and the foundation 00:13:51.419 --> 00:13:55.759 of each one who places his faith in Christ, who 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:59.940 comes to him as a living stone, as Peter says 00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:04.639 here. It was to Peter that Jesus said, and upon 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:09.940 this rock I will build my church. Speaking there 00:14:09.940 --> 00:14:13.639 in Matthew 16 of that rock of his confession. 00:14:14.009 --> 00:14:17.409 of what he had said, thou art the Christ, the 00:14:17.409 --> 00:14:20.690 Son of the living God. Well, the nation rejected 00:14:20.690 --> 00:14:23.750 that truth, but Peter recognized it is true, 00:14:23.789 --> 00:14:27.009 having been taught it by God himself. And upon 00:14:27.009 --> 00:14:30.409 that confession of who Jesus was, Jesus says, 00:14:30.549 --> 00:14:34.269 and upon that rock I will build my church. If 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:37.909 you are a Christian tonight, then your life rests 00:14:37.909 --> 00:14:43.649 upon this rock, Jesus Christ. The rejected stone 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:47.809 has become the foundation stone of the Church 00:14:47.809 --> 00:14:52.669 of the Lord. Now let's go back to the Old Testament 00:14:52.669 --> 00:14:55.509 once more, this time to the book of Daniel, and 00:14:55.509 --> 00:14:59.389 we have stop number six as we think of this theme. 00:15:03.210 --> 00:15:05.029 When you come to the book of Daniel, it's the 00:15:05.029 --> 00:15:13.389 second chapter. We don't have time to read here 00:15:13.389 --> 00:15:20.169 the whole dream which Nebuchadnezzar had. It's 00:15:20.169 --> 00:15:24.169 an interesting dream. It's a dream that speaks 00:15:24.169 --> 00:15:27.850 of things to come from that day and things that 00:15:27.850 --> 00:15:31.950 even touch upon our day. As a matter of fact, 00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:36.669 my opinion, for whatever that's worth, is that 00:15:36.669 --> 00:15:39.570 the amazing things that we see happening today 00:15:39.570 --> 00:15:45.169 in East Germany, Poland and parts of Europe are 00:15:45.169 --> 00:15:47.830 just helping to set the stage for some of the 00:15:47.830 --> 00:15:51.470 things that Daniel talks about in his prophecy. 00:15:53.389 --> 00:15:55.110 We're not going to go into that though tonight. 00:15:55.250 --> 00:15:59.250 In verse 31 though, Daniel speaking to Nebuchadnezzar 00:15:59.250 --> 00:16:02.570 says, You, O King, were looking and behold there 00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:07.870 was a single great statue. That statue which 00:16:07.870 --> 00:16:11.649 was large and extraordinary splendor was standing 00:16:11.649 --> 00:16:15.230 in front of you, and its appearance was awesome." 00:16:15.230 --> 00:16:18.950 Now he, Daniel, describes what the king had seen. 00:16:20.029 --> 00:16:22.909 The head of that statue was made of fine gold, 00:16:23.929 --> 00:16:27.389 its breast and its arms of silver, its belly 00:16:27.389 --> 00:16:31.710 and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet 00:16:31.710 --> 00:16:36.049 partly of iron and partly of clay. You'd continued 00:16:36.049 --> 00:16:41.590 looking until a stone. was cut out without hands 00:16:41.590 --> 00:16:46.990 and it struck the statue on its feet of iron 00:16:46.990 --> 00:16:53.389 and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the 00:16:53.389 --> 00:16:56.950 clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were 00:16:56.950 --> 00:17:00.870 crushed all at the same time and became like 00:17:00.870 --> 00:17:04.569 chaff from the summer threshing floors and the 00:17:04.569 --> 00:17:07.250 wind carried them away so that not a trace of 00:17:07.250 --> 00:17:11.970 them was found. But the stone that struck the 00:17:11.970 --> 00:17:15.829 statue became a great mountain and filled the 00:17:15.829 --> 00:17:19.309 whole earth. And in fact that was Nebuchadnezzar's 00:17:19.309 --> 00:17:23.990 dream. And now Daniel goes on to describe the 00:17:23.990 --> 00:17:29.069 meaning and to interpret it. For time's sake 00:17:29.069 --> 00:17:32.390 tonight we're going to go down to verse 44, skip 00:17:32.390 --> 00:17:35.410 over part of the interpretation. It says, And 00:17:35.410 --> 00:17:39.829 in the days of those kings That is, the latter 00:17:39.829 --> 00:17:45.289 kings. You see, the statue outlines the whole 00:17:45.289 --> 00:17:50.970 age that we call the times of the Gentiles. It 00:17:50.970 --> 00:17:56.990 lays out the great empires in Gentile world history. 00:17:58.410 --> 00:18:00.930 And he says, in the days of those kings, at the 00:18:00.930 --> 00:18:04.730 latter end of it all, the God of heaven will 00:18:04.730 --> 00:18:07.670 set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. 00:18:08.140 --> 00:18:11.460 And that kingdom will not be left for another 00:18:11.460 --> 00:18:15.539 people. It will crush and put an end to all these 00:18:15.539 --> 00:18:18.839 kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:23.019 Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out 00:18:23.019 --> 00:18:27.019 of the mountain without hands, and that it crushed 00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:29.539 the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and 00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:33.900 the gold, the great God has made known to the 00:18:33.900 --> 00:18:37.799 king what will take place in the future. So the 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:40.539 dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:44.680 So what is all of this? Well, what Daniel interprets 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:47.380 this dream to be, and God gives him the interpretation, 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:54.099 is that that stone cut out without hands is the 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:58.579 Lord, the Messiah. And he says there will come 00:18:58.579 --> 00:19:02.660 a time at the end of Gentile world domination. 00:19:03.210 --> 00:19:07.970 when this stone will absolutely crush and destroy 00:19:07.970 --> 00:19:13.029 the Gentile powers accumulated through the centuries. 00:19:15.190 --> 00:19:19.730 And all of the Gentile glory and all of the Gentile 00:19:19.730 --> 00:19:24.509 world domination will cease and it will all amount 00:19:24.509 --> 00:19:29.109 to so much chaff the wind will carry it away. 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:33.859 And then that stone in the vision begins to swell 00:19:33.859 --> 00:19:37.740 and expand until that stone becomes itself a 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:41.619 great mountain. And Daniel says that that mountain 00:19:41.619 --> 00:19:45.920 is the Lord's kingdom which He will establish. 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:52.339 And so leaving it at that point, stop number 00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:55.640 six tells us that this stone that was prophesied 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:58.579 by Jacob, the stone of Israel, which would be 00:19:58.579 --> 00:20:02.880 smitten and provide salvation. This stone that 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:05.839 would be rejected and become a stumbling stone 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.859 to the nation of Israel, but the chief cornerstone 00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:12.019 for the church. That that stone would one day 00:20:12.019 --> 00:20:16.380 be the end of Gentile world domination and would 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:20.640 establish the kingdom of the Lord upon the earth. 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:26.299 Well, that's quite an expanse, quite a horizon. 00:20:27.130 --> 00:20:29.029 prophecy that we've looked at there but there's 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:31.069 one more reference to the stone that I think 00:20:31.069 --> 00:20:34.049 is important to look at and that's Matthew chapter 00:20:34.049 --> 00:20:39.509 21 as we think of the prophetic significance 00:20:39.509 --> 00:20:46.069 and it is a warning Jesus has referred in verse 00:20:46.069 --> 00:20:50.930 42 to that text from Psalm 118 but in Matthew 00:20:50.930 --> 00:20:59.250 21 in verse 44 Well, let's begin in verse 43. 00:20:59.309 --> 00:21:01.869 He says, Therefore I say to you, the kingdom 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:06.369 of God will be taken away from you. He is talking 00:21:06.369 --> 00:21:08.970 now to the nation of Israel and its leaders. 00:21:09.789 --> 00:21:12.569 And be given to a nation producing the fruit 00:21:12.569 --> 00:21:19.029 of it, that is really the church of Christ. And 00:21:19.029 --> 00:21:23.569 he says, He who falls on this stone, which one? 00:21:23.609 --> 00:21:26.670 The one rejected in verse 42, referring to himself. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:29.880 He who falls on this stone will be broken to 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:33.660 pieces and on whomever it falls it will scatter 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:38.880 him like dust. There is the solemn word of warning 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:44.200 by Jesus himself that to reject him and thus 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:46.920 to fall upon the stone and have the stone roll 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:53.019 over on you is to be absolutely ruined. To reject 00:21:53.019 --> 00:21:57.190 him is to be crushed as it were. under God's 00:21:57.190 --> 00:22:00.990 judgment. And so I plead with anyone tonight 00:22:00.990 --> 00:22:05.970 who is rejecting this rock, Jesus Christ, please 00:22:05.970 --> 00:22:08.250 understand that your rejection will lead you 00:22:08.250 --> 00:22:13.089 only to ruin. Oh, how great is the grace of God 00:22:13.089 --> 00:22:17.029 today that He allows you to come and partake 00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:19.670 freely of the water of life that He has provided 00:22:19.670 --> 00:22:23.420 through a sacrifice. But if in fact you turn 00:22:23.420 --> 00:22:25.819 away from that water, you will not drink of it, 00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:28.880 you will not believe on the Lord, then you leave 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:33.200 yourself no recourse, no other destiny, but that 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.460 this stone would fall upon you eventually and 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:42.079 crush you in judgment. Flee from that judgment. 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:46.440 Well, so much for the prophetic significance 00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:49.740 of this theme. I'd like just in closing to look 00:22:49.740 --> 00:22:52.380 at a couple of ideas regarding the practical 00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:56.220 significance of it. For this picture of a rock, 00:22:56.779 --> 00:23:00.859 the Lord our Rock, provides a sense of security, 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.980 protection, and stability for the child of God, 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:09.380 the one who believes. In the first place, the 00:23:09.380 --> 00:23:15.990 Lord our Rock is a rock of salvation to us. There 00:23:15.990 --> 00:23:18.069 are so many texts to look at, but would you turn 00:23:18.069 --> 00:23:23.130 back again to the Psalms in Psalm 40? We have 00:23:23.130 --> 00:23:30.890 a wonderful word of David He says in verse 1 00:23:30.890 --> 00:23:33.529 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined 00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:38.410 to me and heard my cry He brought me up out of 00:23:38.410 --> 00:23:43.029 the pit of destruction out of the miry clay and 00:23:43.029 --> 00:23:48.900 He set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:53.359 firm. The Lord is a rock of salvation. And one 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:56.500 who believes in Him knows the meaning of being 00:23:56.500 --> 00:24:00.160 lifted up from the pit of destruction, from the 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:05.819 miry clay of sin, and having his feet set solidly 00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:13.950 on rock." I can remember as a kid. after heavy 00:24:13.950 --> 00:24:18.309 rainstorms going out into our cow lot. Now if 00:24:18.309 --> 00:24:20.150 you've been raised on a farm, you know a little 00:24:20.150 --> 00:24:24.509 bit of what that's like. I can remember having 00:24:24.509 --> 00:24:28.509 hip boots on that were too big for me. And when 00:24:28.509 --> 00:24:31.369 I would walk out there where there were normally 00:24:31.369 --> 00:24:34.869 cattle and sheep and other kinds of animals, 00:24:36.470 --> 00:24:39.029 after a heavy rain I would sink down into that 00:24:39.029 --> 00:24:44.630 mud. Two inches four inches six inches so much 00:24:44.630 --> 00:24:46.769 so that on one occasion. I walked right out of 00:24:46.769 --> 00:24:50.549 my boots And then what do you do you can't get 00:24:50.549 --> 00:24:52.849 back into them very quickly because you're so 00:24:52.849 --> 00:24:56.930 dirty What a great feeling it was after walking 00:24:56.930 --> 00:25:00.650 across the cow lot in that mud and finding yourself 00:25:00.650 --> 00:25:03.950 Just lifting each foot with effort to step upon 00:25:03.950 --> 00:25:07.990 the rock That led us into the barn kind of a 00:25:07.990 --> 00:25:11.630 stepping stone up into the barn itself, and to 00:25:11.630 --> 00:25:15.269 be free from that extra weight, that pull, that 00:25:15.269 --> 00:25:19.089 mire of the mud. Oh, and so it is when we come 00:25:19.089 --> 00:25:22.470 to the Savior, we are released from that mire, 00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:26.009 from that pull downward that holds us, and we 00:25:26.009 --> 00:25:28.470 are set free, and there is solid footing for 00:25:28.470 --> 00:25:32.950 us. The Lord our Rock is a rock of salvation. 00:25:34.009 --> 00:25:37.359 In the second place, The Lord, our rock, is a 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:42.980 rock of strength. Look in Psalm 18, verses 1 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:49.240 and 2. For the child of God, the Lord is a rock 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:54.079 of strength. Again, David. I love thee, O Lord, 00:25:54.140 --> 00:26:00.279 my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress 00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:05.369 and my deliverer. My God, my rock in whom I take 00:26:05.369 --> 00:26:09.490 refuge, my shield in the horn of my salvation, 00:26:09.569 --> 00:26:13.650 my stronghold, I call upon the Lord who is worthy 00:26:13.650 --> 00:26:17.789 to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies." 00:26:17.789 --> 00:26:20.250 You'll notice that these verses have been used 00:26:20.250 --> 00:26:22.470 for a number of the scripture songs that we enjoy 00:26:22.470 --> 00:26:25.289 singing, including the one that we sang earlier 00:26:25.289 --> 00:26:30.029 tonight, verse 2. He says, the Lord is my strength. 00:26:30.309 --> 00:26:35.710 He is my rock. and my fortress, my deliverer." 00:26:35.710 --> 00:26:37.529 He goes on in this psalm. We don't have time 00:26:37.529 --> 00:26:40.690 to read it all. It's a long psalm. But he explains, 00:26:40.869 --> 00:26:43.009 he elaborates on what the Lord, his strength, 00:26:43.089 --> 00:26:47.690 enables him to do. Especially beginning in verse 00:26:47.690 --> 00:26:52.349 28 and on. He talks about God being his light. 00:26:52.890 --> 00:26:56.589 He says, for by thee I can run upon a troop and 00:26:56.589 --> 00:27:00.589 by my God I can leap over a wall. He goes on 00:27:00.589 --> 00:27:05.970 to explain what God strengthens him to do. What 00:27:05.970 --> 00:27:08.390 this really is, is no more than an Old Testament 00:27:08.390 --> 00:27:13.329 elaboration of Philippians 4 .13. I can do all 00:27:13.329 --> 00:27:17.349 things through Christ, who what? Who strengthens 00:27:17.349 --> 00:27:20.670 me, because the Lord is the rock of strength. 00:27:22.130 --> 00:27:25.190 Then we have touched upon this, but in 1 Corinthians 00:27:25.190 --> 00:27:30.509 10 .4, there is the word that the Lord is the 00:27:30.509 --> 00:27:33.990 rock that followed Israel through the wilderness. 00:27:34.910 --> 00:27:38.029 The rock who provided, which provided, spiritual 00:27:38.029 --> 00:27:41.930 drink that they all shared in. Let me just say 00:27:41.930 --> 00:27:44.930 that the Lord, our rock, is a rock of supply. 00:27:46.269 --> 00:27:49.309 You and I have by His grace the fullness of the 00:27:49.309 --> 00:27:53.150 Holy Spirit. We have provision for our earthly 00:27:53.150 --> 00:27:57.140 journey. just as Israel was ministered to in 00:27:57.140 --> 00:28:00.779 a spiritual sense by this rock throughout their 00:28:00.779 --> 00:28:04.079 years, their decades of wandering in the wilderness. 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:08.220 So as you and I as pilgrims in this wilderness 00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:12.380 world walk, we have a rock who ministers supply 00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:16.240 to us. We have the fullness of spiritual drink 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:19.480 that comes from Him that nourishes us in the 00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:24.450 inner man. And finally, Let me say by way of 00:28:24.450 --> 00:28:26.670 practical significance that the Lord our rock 00:28:26.670 --> 00:28:32.190 is the rock of safety the rock of safety Turn 00:28:32.190 --> 00:28:35.450 over to Isaiah chapter 32 for our final text 00:28:35.450 --> 00:28:45.609 tonight Verses 1 & 2 Isaiah again is speaking 00:28:45.609 --> 00:28:49.809 of the Messiah here in his kingdom And he says 00:28:49.809 --> 00:28:55.259 behold a king will reign righteously, Isaiah 00:28:55.259 --> 00:29:01.539 32, and princes will rule justly, and each will 00:29:01.539 --> 00:29:05.519 be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:10.359 from the storm, like streams of water in a dry 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:15.500 country, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched 00:29:15.500 --> 00:29:20.190 land." Isaiah is thinking here of a rock. that 00:29:20.190 --> 00:29:24.950 provides shelter. If you're walking through wilderness 00:29:24.950 --> 00:29:29.250 and that sun is beating down upon you and you 00:29:29.250 --> 00:29:33.529 are thirsty and you are looking for escape, what 00:29:33.529 --> 00:29:36.250 do you do? You go to that rock that is higher 00:29:36.250 --> 00:29:40.509 than you are. That rock that gives a shadow and 00:29:40.509 --> 00:29:44.589 you rest in the shadow of that rock. It becomes 00:29:44.589 --> 00:29:49.079 to you a rock of safety. Our Lord is to us a 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:52.200 rock of safety from the wrath of God, a rock 00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:57.200 of safety from the conflicts of life. And so 00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:00.079 as we think of the Lord our rock, rejoice tonight 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:02.940 if you're a Christian. Rejoice that he is to 00:30:02.940 --> 00:30:06.140 you the rock of salvation. He is the rock of 00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:09.299 strength, the rock of supply, and the rock of 00:30:09.299 --> 00:30:14.759 safety. A shelter in the time of storm. There 00:30:14.759 --> 00:30:17.759 is of course a hymn that is written on that theme, 00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:22.779 the Lord's our rock, in Him we hide, a shelter 00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:27.019 in the time of storm. Secure whatever ill betide, 00:30:27.099 --> 00:30:31.000 a shelter in the time of storm. Oh rock divine, 00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:35.359 oh refuge dear, a shelter in the time of storm. 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:39.740 Be thou our helper ever near, a shelter in the 00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:43.440 time of storm. Or there is that great hymn written 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:45.740 a couple of hundred years ago now by Augustus 00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:51.319 Toplady, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:56.940 myself in thee. Or the hymn by W .O. Cushing 00:30:56.940 --> 00:31:00.960 written just 110 years ago, written in a time 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:03.339 in his life when he said no one in the world 00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:05.940 could know the struggles and the conflicts he 00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:10.200 was going through. But during that time, He came 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:12.880 upon some of the truths we've talked about tonight 00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:37.640 in the Word and penned these words, When pressed 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:41.759 by the foe, I have fled to my refuge and breathed 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:47.000 out my woe. How often, when trials like sea billows 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:52.960 roll, have I hidden in thee, O thou rock of my 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:56.500 soul. And then we have the hymn in our own hymnal. 00:31:57.339 --> 00:32:00.619 He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock. A 00:32:00.619 --> 00:32:04.859 wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord. I'd like for 00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:08.519 us to close tonight by singing another one using 00:32:08.519 --> 00:32:13.500 this same theme, On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, 00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:18.339 number 340 in your hymnal. And I would hope tonight 00:32:18.339 --> 00:32:21.079 that this is in fact where your faith is resting. 00:32:22.339 --> 00:32:24.640 If you do not know the meaning of salvation, 00:32:26.220 --> 00:32:29.539 if your life is not upon the solid rock that 00:32:29.539 --> 00:32:33.670 God has provided, You can trust Him. You can 00:32:33.670 --> 00:32:36.990 believe on Him, just as those who testified tonight 00:32:36.990 --> 00:32:41.829 so eloquently. You can come to know Him, and 00:32:41.829 --> 00:32:44.269 you will find your feet lifted from the miry 00:32:44.269 --> 00:32:48.789 clay and put upon that solid rock. Well, let's 00:32:48.789 --> 00:32:51.809 stand together as we sing, number 340, the first 00:32:51.809 --> 00:33:08.259 verse. My hope is built on nothing less than 00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:14.480 Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:20.259 the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' 00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:28.319 name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, on other 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:40.759 ground is sinking sand. We talked earlier about 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:43.000 the prophetic significance of the rock. Let's 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:45.619 sing the last verse that talks about the time 00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:49.339 when he will come with trumpet sound. Fourth 00:33:49.339 --> 00:33:55.289 verse. When he shall come with trumpet sound, 00:33:55.910 --> 00:34:02.369 O may I then in him be found, Dressed in his 00:34:02.369 --> 00:34:08.769 righteousness so long, For blessed to stand before 00:34:08.769 --> 00:34:15.349 the throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand, 00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:25.920 is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:32.139 sand. Well, as you go home tonight, be thinking 00:34:32.139 --> 00:34:35.880 about this theme, onto the Lord our Rock, and 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:39.300 realize afresh what a foundation He's put unto 00:34:39.300 --> 00:34:43.820 your life by His grace. Let's bow together in 00:34:43.820 --> 00:34:46.960 prayer. And if there be someone here without 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:49.920 the Savior tonight, I'll be here and others will 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:52.860 be around. Our pastors would be happy to talk 00:34:52.860 --> 00:34:56.619 with you about your spiritual need or call us 00:34:56.619 --> 00:35:01.860 this week, won't you? Father, thank you for the 00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:04.980 theme of the rock. Oh Lord, we love you. You 00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:10.280 are our strength. You are our rock, our shelter. 00:35:12.329 --> 00:35:15.690 We rejoice tonight in all that you are to your 00:35:15.690 --> 00:35:19.489 people and all that you offer to all who will 00:35:19.489 --> 00:35:25.090 come in faith and believe. As we go from here 00:35:25.090 --> 00:35:27.969 tonight may we rejoice on that foundation that 00:35:27.969 --> 00:35:31.429 we have heard about and sung about and may we 00:35:31.429 --> 00:35:37.530 stand and stand secure and solidly and strong 00:35:37.530 --> 00:35:44.789 this week upon the Rock. Jesus Christ. And it's 00:35:44.789 --> 00:35:47.110 in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.