Summary: Storms come to everybody. A lot of things happen in our lives simply because we are asleep, we’re not watching, we’re not paying attention.

Nothing Is Going To Move My Rock

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like…..But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:47-49

My brothers and sisters, we must understand that storms come to everybody. And you must understand that it’s not a question of Why? How? or Where? But it is a question of when. Every year there are disasters in this world lead by storms. Tornadoes and hurricanes have reeked havoc in some places. When a storm on the horizon, the weather channels try to predict the directions from which the storm is coming. But oh brothers and sisters, I need to tell you that it don’t make no difference which direction the storm is coming, you just need to know a storm is coming. Oh I know that for some folk the sun is shining right now. I know for some folk there’s peace in the home. I know for some folk the bills are being paid on time. I know for some folk the job is secure, but what you got to understand is that the sun is not going to shine always. So the question is when will the storm come. I think I ought to tell you that some folk have had the advantage of the daylight hours and have seen the storm coming in the distance and were able to brace for it, or get out of the way. But for others there was no warning, they went to bed after a beautiful summer’s evening or spring evening and woke up to the sound of a tornado ripping their house apart destroying everything in its path. I wonder how many storms could actually have been avoided had we not been sleeping. I know some storms are unavoidable, but there are some storms that could be avoided if we would just wake up. All marriages don’t have to end in divorce. All sickness don’t have to lead to heart attack or stroke or cancer or sugar diabetes.

A lot of things happen in our lives simply because we are asleep, we’re not watching, we’re not paying attention. Oh brothers and sisters, I’m reminded of Samson. Samson didn’t have to have his eyes punched out, he didn’t have to suffer humiliation and play the part of a fool and a slave in a Philistine prison. This was a storm he could have avoided. Samson’s problem was that he was sleeping when he should have been praying. He was sleeping when he should’ve been reading the word of God. He was sleeping when he should’ve been in church listening to the word of God being preached, taking notes making preparation building his foundation. Samson was sleeping while the storm was brewing.

Samson closed his eyes to the obvious threat around him. Samson pretended everything was all right, when he knew in his heart it was all wrong. Oh brothers and sisters, I’m preaching to somebody today who has been going through a storm. I know some storms are unavoidable, but there are some storms that you don’t have to go through. Some of you today are in storms right now that you didn’t have to go through. Heartbreaks you didn’t have to experience. These are storms that are the product and the fruit of fleshly desires and decisions. Sampson’s life was a series of storms, tragedies, loss, heartbreak, and every one of them was a product of his own self-

will and actions birthed out of the desires of his flesh. We’ve all been there. No one can point a self-righteous finger at somebody else without pointing at yourself first. We’ve all blown it at one time or the other. We’ve all moved in the flesh at one time or the other. We’ve all ignored wise counsel, and did what we wanted to do. And like Samson we have found ourselves in a storm. But these are not the storms that we’re talking about in our text. The storms that we are talking about in our text are storms that we can’t see coming. This storm is a product of a conspiracy by Satan. It is designed to destroy our faith, to take us out. It is a fiery furnace designed, formed, created for the sole purpose of destroying the life of a child of God. Oh brothers and sisters, Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace was supposed to prove publicly that the faith of the three Hebrew boys was worthless. It was his intention to publicly humiliate the testimony and the confession of these three boys of faith. That’s the purpose of the storm. That’s why storm comes. Storms come to humiliate us, to ridicule us, and to destroy our faith in God. I think I ought to tell you that Satan will put us on display and say to the world we couldn’t make it. I destroyed them, and I’ll destroy you too. And the sad truth is there are many in the church that have been blown away by the storms and have fallen. And Jesus tells us why. It’s because they built their house on the sand. They went to church, they heard the preacher, they shouted, they danced, they even paid their tithes, but they built their house on the sand.

Can I talk to you about sand? Sand is always moving, always shifting, always changing and it’s unstable. You got to understand that they thought that just because they were baptist, the house would stand. They thought that if they built on their good deeds, their house would stand. They thought that if they built on their righteousness,, their house would stand. They that if they built on their own wisdom and understanding, that house would stand. Oh brothers and sisters, I need to tell you that all of these things are nothing but sand moving and shifting with the rising tide. No wonder the songwriter said, “On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.”I tell you, it’s no mystery to us when someone falls, regardless of how big or beautiful the house. Jesus reveals to us that when a house is destroyed in the storm, it has a foundation problem. And I think I ought to tell you that how you stand in the midst of your storms is dependent upon your foundation and this is where so many folk miss it. Some folk want to build something that they can brag on to impress others. They want the anointing and they want to minister. They want to preach, they want to teach, sing, or evangelize. They want big houses, fancy cars, reputation, and popularity, but the problem is they put all of their energy into what you can see, and they fail to build a strong foundation. Oh brothers and sisters, Jesus said that, the wise man dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. You see the wise man understands that the most important thing in his house is the foundation. The wise man is more concerned with what others cannot see, than what they can see. Jesus spent thirty years of His life laying a foundation for a three and half year ministry. We know Jesus was born, we saw Him at twelve years of age in the temple, but we know nothing of His life up until he was twelve and we know nothing of his life after twelve years old until He started His open ministry at thirty years of age. During those unrecorded years, He was building. He was laying the foundation for

His ministry. Now Jesus was teaching us how to build our lives. Oh brothers and sisters, He taught us to do our praying in secret in the closet, to do our alms between ourselves and God, to fast secretly unto the Lord, not seeking attention from others. But He didn’t stop there.

He also told us that when we have done these things secretly, God will reward us openly. The wise men dig down deep. The wise man is willing to invest time and effort in building a good foundation. Jesus reveals that the reason one man’s house was destroyed by the storm, and the other was not, was all because of the foundation. And I need to tell somebody here today that when it comes to laying the foundation for a successful life, it’s hard work. Anybody can shout, dance, run, and praise God from the top of their voice when things are going well. But it’s hard to shout and dance, to run and holler when you’re digging and hitting rocks and roots and getting things out of the way that are unstable, undependable, shifting and loose in your life. It’s easy to say thank you Jesus when you don’t have to worry about where your next meal is coming from. It’s easy to walk around with a smile on your face when you don’t have a doctor’s appointment. It’s easy to lay down and go to sleep at night when all the bills are caught up. But oh brothers and sisters, what about when stumbling blocks get in your way. What about when you have to have more tests done at the doctor’s office. What about when the bills are due and you don’t know where the money is coming from. The wise man digs down deep. And I think I ought to tell you that if you are going to build on a solid rock, you got to dig deep. You got to dig past feelings and emotions. You got to dig past what folk say about you. You got dig past being so holy that you forget about salvation. You got to dig past your education and how many degrees you got. You have to dig past other folk testimonies and get to know Him for yourself. Yes, there are storms in life that we can’t get around. There are storms that take us by surprise. But Jesus is telling us that if the house has the right foundation it will still be standing no matter kind of storm is when the storm is over. Oh brothers and sisters, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had my share of storms, but I’m still standing. I know somebody here feels like I do. You may see me standing up here this morning and it looks like I got it all together, but that don’t mean I ain’t ever been through a storm.

You may hear me up hear speaking words of encouragement and blessing, lifting you up, but that don’t mean I ain’t never been down. I don’t have time to talk about all the storms I’ve been through in my life. There are some storms that I could have avoided and there are some I couldn’t, but the message I want to get to you, is that I’m still standing. I took a good hit, but I’m still standing. It was a bad storm, but I’m still standing. It tore up stuff all around me, but I’m still standing. I lost some stuff I thought I couldn’t live without, but I’m still standing. It blew some people away that I thought were my friends, but I’m still standing. Sometimes it felt like the storm would never end, but I’m still standing. I believe that I can one or two witnesses in here who know for yourself that after all the things that you’ve been through, you’re still standing. There are some folk who gave up. There are some folk who fell by the wayside. There are some who just quit. Somebody here may ask how did I survive the storm. Well, I’m going to tell you and I’ll leave you alone. In order to make it through your storm, you have got to find the

rock. You got to learn to dig past everything and everybody else. You got to dig past some church folk because everybody in church don’t like you. You got dig past other folk religion who always telling you that if you do it their way, you’re prosper. You got to dig past emotions and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You got to dig past hurt feelings about what other folk say about you. You got to hit the rock. Oh brothers and sisters, I’ve weathered storms before. I’ve felt the rain as it pounded on my life. I’ve heard the thunder roll and seen the lightning flash. I felt the hand of fear as it tried to grip my heart, but I kept digging and finally I hit the rock. When I felt the rock under my feet I knew I was safe. When I felt the rock under my feet I knew I was going to make it. For I found out that matter what storm came in my life, no matter how severe the storm, I found out that nothing can move my rock. Since I can’t get nobody in here testify with me, let me call on some old saints who all about the rock. 2

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David also said, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.” Psalm 46:1-3says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Oh brothers and sisters, all David is saying and I agree with him, is that it doesn’t matter what comes my way in life, I am going to make it, cause nothing can move my rock. The earthquakes broken spirits can’t move me. The twisting tornadoes of doubt can’t move me. The tsunamis of despair can move me. The hurricanes of hell hounds on my track can’t move. The volcanoes of vicious gossip can’t move me. The floods of heartaches and pain can’t move me. The pestilence of pouting in the midnight hour can’t move me. Oh brothers and sisters, I stop by to tell you that nothing can move my rock. Somebody here listening to this message right now, you are in the storm of your life. We’re not even concerned today with whether it can be avoided or not. We’re not asking you today if you caused it, or not. The point is, you are in a storm and stuff is shaking all around you and you need help and you need it now. Everything you’ve been holding on to is shaking and falling apart. That’s when you need to make to the rock. Not just any old rock, but a rock that is higher than you are. I’m talking about a rock that rock that is higher than your storm. The rock that is higher than the fight you’re in. The rock that that is higher than the fire you’re going through. The rock that is higher than the enemy that is going up against you. Samuel 22:2, And he said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer” David said, “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.

Conclusion:

* I don’t want to hold you to long, but I got to talk to you about my rock for a minute. In Exe 17:6-7 Water came out of the rock and quenched the thirst of between 1-3 million Israelites. In Judges 6:21, Fire came up out of the rock and consumed Gideons offering. In Job 29:6 He said: The rock poured me out rivers of oil. In Ps 81:16 He said he would satisfy with honey from

the rock. In 1 Co 10:4 It says: There was a rock that followed the children of Israel all through their wilderness wanderings, and then it says (and that rock was Christ Jesus). That’s the rock I’m talking about: It’s the same rock that Jesus said (Upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it). That’s the rock I came to lead you to today: He is the rock that never rolls. He is the foundation that never shifts. He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He is the captain that never lost a battle. He is your shelter in the time of storm. He is your fortress, and your high tower. Everything in your world may be shaking right now, the wind and the rain may be beating on your life, and it may look like there’s nothing and no one, you can depend on, but I came to lead you to that rock, and if you’ll step up on on the rock, you’ll make it. I can’t promise you the storm will stop, I can’t promise you that all the problems will disappear, but I can promise you, that you will make it (cause nothing can move my rock). I wish you’d touch three people right now and tell them: Nothing can move my rock. world government is shaking, the worlds economy is shaking, the religious world is shaking, the family structure is shaking, everything around us is shaking, Except the rock Now tell your neighbor: Your going to make it, you’ve made it to the rock, You’re going to make it. Come hell or high water you’re going to make it, because you made it to the rock, and nothing can move my ROCK. If you’re building on this worlds religious system you’re going to fall, If you’re building on this worlds economic system you’re going to fall, If you’re counting on the government to take care of you, you’re going to fall, If you’re faith is in social security, or welfare, or government housing, you’re going to fall. If you’re counting on your ability to play the stock market, you’re going to crash. There is only one thing you can depend on in this world today, there is only one foundation that is sure, and it’s not the Rock of Gibraltar. It’s the ROCK OF AGES and his name is Jesus Christ, and if you build on any other foundation, the bible calls you a fool. Look at your neighbor and tell them: I believe I’ll build my house on the Rock, Cause nothings going to move my Rock.