The Rock

I Pet.2:7-8 - Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Rom.9:32-33 - Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I Cor.10:3-5 - And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Many times in the Scriptures Jesus is referred to as the Rock. Of course this implies the unmovable and dependable nature of the Son of God, as well as the foundation for everything connected to eternal redemption. As God foreordained His ultimate plan for the redemption of man, He laid the chief cornerstone of that spiritual building. And that cornerstone was Christ Jesus. There can be no other foundation, and in fact, that foundation must never be shared by anything or anyone else.
Jesus the Christ stands alone, high and lifted up, and His sacrifice and subsequent resurrection is the only thoroughfare leading to eternal life. No one can add to or subtract from that path of redemption since Jesus alone purchased it for whosoever will believe. He is the eternal Rock upon which God planned, built, and carried out the sole plan for mankind to be ransomed. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” exclaimed Peter. And Jesus replied that Peter’s revelation of who Jesus is was the Rock upon which God will build His church.
No one who has been born again and adopted into the invisible family of the Living God has come in by any other means. All who claim otherwise are liars and thieves. The invisible church stands and lives upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. But as we read the three portions of Scripture I shared at the beginning we see something that they all have in common. Not only do they reveal Jesus as the Rock, but all three make mention of those who are offended at this Rock.
And if God ordained someone to write another book of the Bible today (which He would not) it would have to reaffirm that Jesus is the Rock, but it would also have to mention that many in these last days are also offended by this Rock. Religion and all its accoutrements is very alluring to the carnal man. And in the midst of all kinds of ecclesiastical structures that claim to be Christian, and that use Biblical phraseology, and label themselves as a church, in the midst of it all the name of Jesus is sprinkled in like salt on a main course meal.
But Jesus IS the main course meal and all the rest should be sprinkled in. Jesus has become an offense in this age of superior intellect and technological knowledge. So instead of remaining faithful to this Rock, many have made the Rock conform to the customs and culture and intellect of this modern age. And when that process begins, it always leads to spiritual collapse, even though ecclesiastical activity continues with great enthusiasm and energy. And this is what we have in large part today.
In today’s western ecclesiastical structure, Jesus is not the Rock, the preachers, pastors, and prophets are. Millions follow some man or women, and when the well oiled dog and pony show comes to town they flock to hear, watch, and give. Oblivious to the error and the opulent lifestyles of these snake oil salesmen, the crowd is dazzled by theatrics, sensationalism, and the overall aura created by technology and the power of suggestion. The sheep and the goats are spiritually raped.
When you see a picture of the area in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula called Gibraltar you will see the Mediterranean Sea, some islands, many houses, but the overwhelming feature to which all eyes are drawn is called the Rock of Gibraltar. This mammoth rock rises almost 1400 feet from the ground and can be seen from many, many miles. It dwarfs all the other landscape features.
And that is how our theology should appear as well. Even though we teach many things that pertain to Biblical theology, the Person of Christ should rise above all else and draw our attention. The Suffering Savior and the Risen Christ should dominate the theology and practice of those who claim to be His followers. Personally and collectively He should be our fortress and the cleft in which we escape the trappings of the surrounding culture. He must increase and we must decrease.
But that does not seem to be the case in this self centered culture which prides itself on individualism and personal success. National conferences are held to talk about church growth, reformed theology, emerging theology, church leadership, methods of worship, outreach techniques, church finances, and a myriad of other things that have something to do with church. But where are the conferences about Jesus? Where are the national conferences that are designed to bring men and women to a place of brokenness before Him? Where are the conferences that call believers from every state and every nation to prostrate themselves in prayer and seek the very face of the Living and Reigning Christ?
Jesus has become an insignificant pebble while the things of this world and of our own lives are the rocks about which we study and are concerned. But that is not Christianity at all. If He does not have all the preeminence then He is not there. We are not given a choice concerning the Lord Jesus and His place of honor among His people. If Jesus is not the centerpiece and the focal point, and if He is not exalted as the object of our obedience and worship, then all we have is a human religious construct. Concerning this there can be no compromise. None.
But as we can see, the Rock is an offense to the modern church. And His gospel has become stale and uninteresting. "We’ve heard that story before, let’s move on to something that fascinates and titillates us", says the congregation. But the reason Jesus no longer captures our hearts is because the real Jesus is no longer preached and lifted up. If Jesus is nothing more than a “life coach” and a guide to earthly success, then he is nothing at all. You may as well preach Trump and Gates and Oprah and all the others who have had undeniable earthly success. You may wish to follow them because if you follow the Lord Jesus Christ you may well have diminished earthly success as well as the scorn of the surrounding culture. If it is earthly success you desire then the teachings of Jesus Christ will be counterproductive to your journey.
If Jesus is to be the Rock in your life, then your eyes must be lifted up to gaze at Him. His teachings must be in your heart, upon your lips, and the light of your path. This Rock will either place you upon Him or He will crush those who refuse Him. Go ahead and limit His power to a meek and accommodating shepherd if you must, but in so doing you will seal your own fate. Jesus will not, He cannot, succumb to any earthly definitions that are in stark contrast to His very Being. This Rock is eternal in the heavens, and this Rock is God.
So I challenge you. Look around and see if Christ is the unmistakable core of the western expressions called the “church”. And if you are a pastor I challenge you as I have challenge myself. Reinvigorate your preaching with Jesus and His gospel. I know we sometimes get a little off track, but the Spirit will have us take inventory of our own ministry as we discern the ministry of others. Remember this: There can never be too much Jesus, but there is always the danger we have presented too little of Him.