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Laying A Good Foundation
September 07, 2008
Every sturdy building requires a good foundation. The Christian life requires Jesus as the foundation. There is no other foundation substantial enough to keep us stabilized in this life, as well as for all eternity.
Bernie Parsons
Laying A Good Foundation
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to the Globe Church of Christ on 09-07-2008
I'd like to talk to you about building. We all build things. Some of us may have built our own house. Have you ever heard of someone deciding to build a new house, but who decided not to first lay a solid foundation for that house?
When we become Christians, we are building a new life. In fact, building this new life is compared by Jesus and the apostles as to building a house.
Matthew 7:24: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26: And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
Jesus said that those who do not build upon His truth, not only by hearing it, but also by doing it, are like those who build upon sand. If you have ever walked on the beach and allowed the ocean to surge past your feet, you will feel the sand being sucked out from under your feet as it recedes.
By contrast, He said that those who listen to His word and obey it, are like those who build a house, using rock as its foundation. Only by standing on the rock will our Christian life survive the onslaught of the storms of life that will assail us.
1 Peter 2:6 "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7: 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."
Matthew 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43: Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44: And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."
If we stumble over this chief stone, this master stone, this cornerstone, we shall be broken. If we ignore it, it shall fall upon us and crush us to powder!
Romans 9:33 "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
How do we lay this firm foundation that is Jesus Christ? We begin by becoming a Christian.
Hebrews 6:1: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2: Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3: And this will we do, if God permit."
The underlying foundation to the Christian life is the understanding of the basics. We must repent of our past life, our past sins.
Mark 1:14: "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
We must believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the Almighty God, and is thereby able to save our souls eternally. We have to be baptized into Jesus Christ in the likeness of His death, burial, and resurrection.
Mark 16:16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Acts 2:38: "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Romans 6:3: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4: Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10: For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."
We have to understand that there is a judgment, and that all of us are appointed thereunto.
Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
Once this perfectly sound foundation is laid, we must build thereupon.
Luke 14:28: "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29: Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30: Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."
We see from this that we do not merely lay a foundation without plans to build a building of some sort on that foundation. What shall we build upon the foundation that is Jesus?
1 Corinthians 3:9: "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11: For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Acts 4:10: "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Philippians 2:9: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Colossians 3:17: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Upon this foundation, we are to build a Christian life. In doing so, we build a temple wherein God dwells in us through Jesus Christ. (More on this later.)
Ephesians 2:19: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. With Christ in our hearts, we grow our lives in God, listening to His word and obeying it. I plan to discuss this in the coming lessons.
Luke 11:28: "But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
1 John 1:1: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2: (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4: And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
Do the right thing, and build on that foundation that is Jesus Christ. Believe, repent, confess you sins and confess Christ, and be buried with Him in baptism.
