For the past two weeks we’ve been examining basic issues in Christianity that everybody must know about. We have talked about following Jesus as Lord. We have also seen that God expects us to be rooted in Christ. This is what will guarantee our growth and stability in him. This morning, I want us to look at the third part of our scripture and the message is entitled, “A life built on him.” Let’s begin with our theme scripture.
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2.6-7 NLT)
There are two reasons why we should build our lives on him. This means building your life and faith on no other thing but Christ.
1. Jesus is the only solid rock on which we can stand
The first reason is that Jesus is the only solid rock on which we can stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Building your life on any other person or thing that is not Christ only results in collapse. Deuteronomy 32.4 says,
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he. (ESV)
We see God here referred to as a rock whose work is perfect. Psalm 18.2 says,
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (ESV)
In the Old Testament the rock was defined as our deliverer, shield, horn of salvation, and stronghold. Going to the New Testament we find,
and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10.4 NLT)
As the Israelites traveled through the wilderness to the Promised Land, they needed water but water was nowhere to be found so God directed Moses to a rock. A miracle was performed and water came out of it. This was not an ordinary water but spiritual water. All the people of Israel drank from the same spiritual rock—a mobile, traveling rock. The Bible says that rock was Christ. So, Jesus was the moving rock that accompanied the people of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness to the Promised Land, Canaan.
Jesus is the solid rock on which we stand. If you build your faith and life on Jesus, you are building on a rock that is solid and cannot be broken. I come to call all of you to Jesus Christ, that he would be the center and focus of your life; that you would build your life not on personalities or human beings but on him alone.
Rocks are strong and impregnable. They are unconquerable and invulnerable. That means Jesus is solid and so strong that you cannot penetrate through him. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe (Proverbs 18.10). May our lives be built on this solid rock that cannot be conquered. Everything can move and change but Jesus is solid, impregnable, and invulnerable.
Rocks are durable, permanent, and lasting. They neither grow weak nor grow weary. They are not weakened with age but continue same from one generation to the other. So, Jesus as the rock is durable and permanent. Heaven and earth will pass away—if you have built your life on your pastor, he will pass away but Jesus is permanent and lasting. So, no matter the changes in life we are solid when we have Christ as our foundation. He is the immovable mover. He cannot be moved but he can move others. This is the first reason why you must build your life on Jesus.
2. When your life is built on Christ you can withstand whatever storm comes your way
You are not afraid of the storm or the wind. That which is built upon the rock stands sure in any stormy season. When there is any stormy season, or season of instability, the one who has his life built on Jesus is not afraid.
I want to refer you to one of the parables that Jesus gave. It can be found in Matthew 7.24-27.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (ESV)
For both buildings, the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew. All these three elements came against the house built on the rock, but it did not fall because it was founded on the rock. Remember the rock is Jesus Christ. Contrast this with the house built on sand which fell when the elements came. Jesus said, “great was its fall.” The sand can be the wisdom of this world or a man—anything apart from Christ. Because the building was not built on a solid foundation it fell and great was its fall.
The two buildings faced the same test—the rain, the flood, and the wind. The only difference between the two was their foundation. The rain can come, the storm can come, and the flood can come but the thing that will differentiate believers is the foundation on which their lives are built. May our lives be built on the word of Jesus. Forever O God, your word is settled in heaven.
Every building looks secure and safe in good weather; however, it is the rain, flood and storm that will determine the quality of the building. It is when you have gone into challenging times and trials that you will see whether you are planted on the rock and safe.
Know that we are not going to have good weather all the time. A time will come when the rain and the flood will come. There will be a time when the wind will blow. When that time comes will your building stand secure or will it shake and break down? There is always a period of testing—a period that when you go through you know things are not normal. When it comes to that point, will your building stand? When the odds are against you what will be the state of your building?
In this time that the weather is good, build on the solid rock—Jesus—because there is going to be a day of reckoning, a day when the foundation of the building is tested and when you are built on rock you will stand.
No other foundation can anyone lay but that which is laid which is Christ Jesus. He is the only foundation that has been provided. When you build on him you will not fear moments of trial. In fact, the key characteristic of the life built on Christ is that that life stands in the midst of rain, flood, and wind. Irrespective of the rain, flood, and wind, that building stands. It does not succumb to changes in the weather. It does not break down and collapse when the weather conditions change.
That kind of life agrees with Paul on the question, “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Nothing can separate me from the love of God. Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Romans 8.35) The one whose life is built on Christ can look at all these and ask, “What can separate me from the love of God?” He is solid in all seasons. The Bible says that,
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8.38-39 ESV)
This is the saying of the one whose life is built on Christ. If you have built your life on any other thing, I want to change your mind to build your life on Christ. Refocus your attention and mind on Christ. Shift your attention from human beings and build your faith and life on Christ Jesus. He is the only one on whom if we build, we can stand the tests of life.
Main references
Colossians 2.6-7, Deuteronomy 32.4, Psalm 18.2, Corinthians 10.4, Matthew 7.24-27, Romans 8.35-39