This document discusses what it means to stand on the rock based on passages from the Bible. It says standing on the rock means hearing and doing God's word, while not doing so means hearing but not obeying. It emphasizes fully committing one's life to God rather than oneself. Key aspects include loving God with all one's being, keeping God's commandments like loving neighbors, and having compassion for others as Jesus demonstrated through his ministry.
This document discusses what it means to stand on the rock based on passages from the Bible. It says standing on the rock means hearing and doing God's word, while not doing so means hearing but not obeying. It emphasizes fully committing one's life to God rather than oneself. Key aspects include loving God with all one's being, keeping God's commandments like loving neighbors, and having compassion for others as Jesus demonstrated through his ministry.
This document discusses what it means to stand on the rock based on passages from the Bible. It says standing on the rock means hearing and doing God's word, while not doing so means hearing but not obeying. It emphasizes fully committing one's life to God rather than oneself. Key aspects include loving God with all one's being, keeping God's commandments like loving neighbors, and having compassion for others as Jesus demonstrated through his ministry.
This document discusses what it means to stand on the rock based on passages from the Bible. It says standing on the rock means hearing and doing God's word, while not doing so means hearing but not obeying. It emphasizes fully committing one's life to God rather than oneself. Key aspects include loving God with all one's being, keeping God's commandments like loving neighbors, and having compassion for others as Jesus demonstrated through his ministry.
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What Does it Mean
to Stand on the Rock?
Matthew 7:24-27 Build Your House on the Rock 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 26 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. 27 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.” • Being wise is hearing and doing the word of God. • Being foolish is hearing and NOT doing the word of God. In our next passages from Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus raises the commitment. It’s not just doing the word. It’s about fully living your life for God and not for self. 24 Then Jesus told his disciples: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? In Psalm 18, we read some snippets of David’s adoration and praise for God His fortress, rock and deliverer. Psalms 18:1-2 1 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 2 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. Psalm 119:1-11 provides clear instructions for standing on the rock. Psalms 119:1-11 1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame [guilt & condemnation], having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. 8 I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Is this inspiring you? Does it make you hungry for God? How can you stand on the rock? In Matthew 22:23-33, Jesus debated with the Sadducees, who don’t believe in the resurrection. In Matthew 22:35-40, a lawyer of the Pharisees and a believer in the resurrection, tried to prove their superiority by asking Jesus a question about the Ten Commandments. After all, what better way to stand on the rock than to follow the Ten Commandments, the centrepiece of the law - Diba? 35 And one of them (one of the Pharisees), a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” And if you’re struggling to love as God commands, consider the added benefit of loving one another from 1 Peter 4:8. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Compassion is the Key Compassion is not one of the gifts of the Spirit, but it is the basis for all forms of kindness. Compassion showed up in Jesus’ recipe for servanthood. Matthew 20:25-28 “25 You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Compassion also showed up in Jesus’ recipe for how we should treat our enemy. Matthew 5:38-39 “38 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:43-45 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. On various occasions, we see how Jesus was moved with compassion in His ministry. Matthew 14:14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. John 11:32-39 tells us how Jesus was moved with compassion to heal Lazarus. 32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” (There is no law against love.) 37 But some of them (the perpetual critics) said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again (with compassion), came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” To stand on the rock, we must remove the stone of disbelief. We must remove our ego. We must love our enemy. We must take up our cross. We must forgive even as we have been forgiven. We must first love God and then our neighbor.