Message
“Foundations”
Luke 6:46-49
Good Afternoon! Today we’re going to talk about Foundations. Our scripture comes from the Book of Luke, Chapter 6 verses 46 through 49 and you can be turning there in your Bible.
Dad's occupation was a carpenter. Growing up in a carpenter's household, I learned the importance of foundations.
My first encounter with foundations occurred when my parents were having their house built in 1954; now I was only three years old at that time and it's actually amazing that I would have this memory.
Dad and I were looking at the beginnings of our new house one day. He was telling me that this would be our new house, but all I saw were blocks and dirt. I asked why we were going to live in a place that had dirt floors and no top. He explained that the house would be built on top of the blocks.
I accepted his answer and didn't ask any more questions as he lifted me over the block wall where I could dig in the dirt to my heart's content.
As I got older, I understood about the need for a good foundation for a house and why those blocks were necessary. Any good contractor knows the most important aspect of a house is having a good solid foundation.
The whole house does sit on top of the foundation, just as Dad told me. The foundation provides the support of the house and should keep the house from settling as well as protecting the house against all kinds of bad weather.
If we skimp on the foundation and something in it fails, it's not an easy fix.
If the foundation is out of square and not level, by the time we get to the roof of the house, we will find that it doesn't fit!
And it won't take a contractor to tell that it doesn't fit...pretty much everyone who looks at it will see that something is wrong and the whole look of the house will be affected.
Now let’s read from Luke Chapter 6 verses 46 through 49:
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
This passage should help us to stop and think about what foundation we’re building our lives on.
Let's pray: Heavenly Father, Thank You that the Christian faith continues to grow throughout the world. And thank You for the faith of those who have influenced and touched our lives so that we, too, might have a growing faith in You.
Thank You for Your Word, the Bible, that sheds light and provides guidance for us each day.
Please strengthen us and grant us courage and wisdom to live our lives completely for You. Please use us to influence and touch other people’s lives with Your great love and mercy so that others may know that You are God, the Almighty who created us and loves us, and that they may come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Please reign in our lives now and forevermore.
Now let the Church hear Your words, not mine. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Vince Lombardi was one of the winningest coaches who ever coached in the NFL. Once, after losing a game, he called for a team meeting with his seasoned players in the locker room. He held up a football and said, “Men, this is a football and we need to get back to the basics.” Lombardi knew the importance of never forgetting the basics of the game. He believed that the strength of their game lay in the foundations of football.
The same is true of the Christian life. (Hold up the Bible) The Bible is more than a book; it is God’s written revelation of Himself to mankind and our guide in all matters of faith.
When Paul says to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God,” he is literally saying: “Scripture is God’s breathed Word.”
The Bible is also an invitation to salvation and eternal life as well as a blueprint for living.
In the Bible, the prophets spoke of foundations, Jesus spoke of foundations and Paul spoke to Timothy about foundations.
As we said earlier, a good foundation is essential to the integrity of any building as the ability of a house to weather storms and decay is dependent on the quality of its foundation.
Spiritually, Jesus Christ is the only foundation of the Christian faith that will stand the storms of time and the eternal judgments of God.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
How does Jesus Christ become our foundation? The Scriptures teach that we receive Jesus Christ by faith in His person and work. We must believe that Jesus is the sinless, virgin born Son of God; that as a man He died on the cross for our sins; and that He was buried and rose again the third day for our eternal justification.
When we become Christians, we are building a new life. And as we just read in Luke, Jesus compares building this new life to building houses and teaches the importance of foundations.
In our scripture, there are two builders, a wise one and a foolish one. They each build a house; each has a different foundation and each had different destinies.
Jesus compares the two builders to Christians who are building their spiritual foundation.
A wise builder hears the Word of God, applies it to his life, and as a result, stands firmly through turbulent times, just as the house built on rocks withstood the storms that hit it.
However, because the foolish builder doesn’t obey or apply God’s principles and instructions, he’s ruined when a raging storm hits his life, just as the house which was built on sand was destroyed when the storms hit it.
Jesus said that those who do not build upon His truth are like those who build upon sand.
If you have ever walked barefoot on the beach and allowed the tide to go past your feet, you will feel the sand being sucked out from under your feet as it recedes. And if you don't move, you likely will fall because you no longer have a firm ground underneath your feet.
By contrast, Jesus 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 solid rock of Jesus Christ will our Christian life survive the storms of life that will come our way.
Listen again to verse 46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?".
Jesus asserts his authority over the lives of those who claim to follow him. In short - He's Lord; He's the king; He’s the Boss.
Yes, He loves us, and in other passages of scripture Jesus assures us of that love in deep and profound ways. Probably the best known is John 3:16. Please say it with me...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But here, in Luke 6:46, Jesus is asserting his ruler-ship over our lives.
To say 'Lord, Lord' is to pledge faithfulness to Jesus which draws us towards action.
But CALLING Jesus Lord isn't enough; it doesn’t take much to proclaim Jesus as Lord. If that’s all you can say about your faith in God, then James says you have the same religion as the demons. It's submitting to His instruction where real discipleship begins.
Jesus defines what Lordship means: doing what He says.
This is not complicated - it's quite simple. However, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.
There are two points of difficulty with this.
First, how many of us like to be told what to do? No, we prefer to do what we want to do. Obeying Jesus may not always be a priority in our plans.
Second, we prefer to agree with the statement in our minds rather than actually giving Jesus our obedience, understanding it but not putting it into practice.
Neither of these are sufficient. To follow Jesus well, we have to submit to His Lordship and do what He says.
In verse 47, Jesus describes the three steps that lead to a blessed life:
“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like.”
Note the order: Come to Jesus, Listen to Jesus, Obey Jesus
Repeat these with me:
Come to Jesus, Listen to Jesus, Obey Jesus
We come to Jesus because we believe He has something worth saying.
We listen to Jesus because we believe that He knows stuff we don't.
And we obey Jesus because He's Lord.
Again, what is the person who is building on the good foundation of Jesus like?
Jesus tells us in Luke 6, verse 48: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
We need to go beyond the surface-level of Christianity; not just reading our bible, but sharing it with others; not lip service, but doing what God asks of us; not just showing up for church, but making our lives a worship to Christ. Are we hearing and obeying His Word each day? Not just now and then but each day.
Are we digging through the clay to the solid rock of the foundation which is Christ and then building upon His Word? We need to dig down deep to make sure our foundation will last.
Again, note the steps:
digging, digging deeper, laying a foundation on the rock.
This person has a strong life because they have a strong foundation.
They are building their foundation on Doing the Words of Jesus.
Through studying the Bible, we begin to understand the character of Jesus.
We learn how to love our neighbors, how to seek the lost and how to live fulfilling lives here on earth.
We also learn how to endure trials in this world.
Peter says that our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We are constantly surrounded by sin and ungodliness.
When our faith is tested and we have a strong foundation, we begin to mature. Without a strong, firm foundation, we will not last in this world.
Sometimes we learn from negative examples, and that's the teaching technique Jesus uses in His last example, Luke 6, verse 49, But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.
The ruin of that house is great. The word in the Greek for 'great' is 'mega'. This is a mega collapse - a mega ruin. This house may look great on the outside. But on the inside, its foundation is a disaster and it's coming down.
What is the foundation of the foolish builder… anything other than the Word of Christ.
As followers of Christ, our spiritual foundations are essential to our lives, both here on earth and in eternity. Following God and submitting to His wisdom enables us to build a solid foundation based on God’s values.
Once we have this sound foundation laid, we need to build on it. 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.
And, as we base our lives on Him, there are a few areas we will need to continually focus on to cultivate a strong, healthy spiritual life. This won’t only benefit us; others will reap the blessings as well.
The first area is Faith. Now tell me, what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Our trust in God, our growing relationships with Christ, and our obedience and application of God’s Word are all crucial to building a solid foundation of faith.
When the storms of life come our way, we’ll be grounded in biblical truths and remain steady as a rock in our moral beliefs. Plus, we’ll remain strong inwardly by trusting in God’s sovereignty. If we disobey Him, our foundations will begin to crack.
Psalm 139:23-24 tells us it’s important to seek God daily and ask Him to search our hearts and make known what displeases Him.
The second area is Family and Godly Friendships. Relationships are vital and should be cherished!
I'm blessed with a wonderful family. However, not all of my family were naturally born into our family. Some have been added by unofficial adoption. My parents raised our cousin from the time she was five years old after her parents died. By blood she is my cousin—by love she is my sister.
But God has done this for all Christians. He has given us a new family through Christ. He has blessed us all with new Brothers and Sisters.
Our relationships with them are important to God, and we need to value them. God desires that we love others and seek to build them up, not tear them down.
Also, knowing that bad company corrupts good character as we’re told in 1 Corinthians 15:33-34, we should be careful about who we spend time with.
The third area is our Finances. Simply put, a tithe is 10 percent of our increase. An offering is what we give above that out of our free will. It can be any amount of money and is separate from our tithe. And the Bible tells us to give both.
So, if my increase is a thousand dollars this week, what is my tithe? Yes, $100.
If my increase is $5000 this week, it would be? Yes $500 and I want to know what that job is and if there is an opening!!
Then my offerings would be anything I give in addition to the tithe.
I like the New Living Translation of Malachi 3:8-10: 8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do You mean? When did we ever cheat You?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to Me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating Me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!
Being a good steward over our finances is a spiritual discipline that blesses God, others, and us. Living outside of our means, accumulating material possessions and irresponsible debt is unwise.
Mark 8:36 says “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
When we manage our finances wisely, we eliminate needless stress.
The fourth area is Food and Fitness. Our bodies are God’s living temple; His Spirit resides within us.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you are bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” Keeping our bodies healthy is a spiritual discipline that is part of the life God calls us to and allows us to carry out God’s greater plans for our lives.
The last area is Fellowship with Other Believers.
It’s important that we’re planted in a local church that preaches and teaches the true Word of God where we can worship God, hear His Word, fellowship, pray, encourage and lift each other up as members of the Body of Christ.
There, we’ll grow and mature spiritually, as well as be able to put to use the spiritual gifts God has blessed us with and work together for the good of His Kingdom. As a result, His church will be built up.
1 Corinthians 14:12 tells us “Since you are eager for the gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
Recapping these, when we wisely invest ourselves in these various ways, we’ll become more spiritually, relationally, financially, physically, emotionally, and socially fit to live a life of influence for Christ. After all, He’s the chief cornerstone of our faith as Ephesians 2:19-22 reminds us:
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit."
Jesus’ own words tell us that the only sure foundation is found in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and accepting Him as the Lord of our life. Jesus is the only foundation that will stand against every test, every storm and every trial.
Whether your foundation is based upon Jesus or not, the rain, floods and winds are surely coming.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "...for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
That tells me that just because we trust in Jesus and base our lives upon that sure foundation, that the storms of life are still going to come with all their fury.
Storms don’t make appointments. They don’t text ahead, and they don’t knock politely. They gather on the horizon and make their way into our Mondays where it seems everything goes wrong that day. A diagnosis on a Tuesday. A pink slip on a Friday. A call at midnight that drops us to our knees. And there we stand in the downpour, wondering, Will our house hold? Will our heart hold?
If it were true that Christians would never have to face the storm, it would be so much easier to get people to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, knowing they would never face another trial, test or sickness.
People would flock to Christianity by the millions, but that’s not the reason that Jesus wants them to come.
Jesus doesn’t want people to love Him and accept His great salvation just to get the blessings.
Jesus wants people to accept Him and live for Him because of who He is, what He has done for us and because we love Him.
When we set our lives upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, we will be cemented into place by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We get all caught up on how beautiful a building is; but Jesus is really into foundations. Don't worry about the cosmetics of your Christian life; focus on:
1) hearing the word of Jesus;
2) believing the word of Jesus;
3) obeying the word of Jesus.
This is a strong foundation for life and the pathway to fruitfulness. There is only one sure foundation, Jesus Christ.
If we don't want our lives to be faulty houses, let's base our life, our eternity, upon faith and trust in the Blood of the Lamb.
That’s the only way to salvation. That’s the only way to win in the end, building on the foundation that is Jesus Christ.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, during the coming week I pray we all take time to draw closer to Jesus. I pray that we spend time studying Your Word and that we spend time in prayer with You. I pray that we use the gifts You’ve given us to serve and honor You and that we find ways to share Jesus with our brothers and sisters through our words and deeds. I also pray that everyone is blessed abundantly beyond their expectations.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.