Preparing To Build, Part 3
In Order To Build Up, You Have To Dig Down!
Today, we continue our series about building. Two weeks ago, we started talking about building. Talking about the importance of building our church for God and building our lives for God.
Our theme verse for this series is 1Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Steadfast, immovable means being anchored in Him, in God’s word. Always abounding means to be working hard, praying hard, always doing something for Him. Accomplishing great things for God.
And, over these past two weeks, I hope we’re starting to get the picture that in order to become all that God wants our church to become, and for us as individuals to become all that God wants us to become, that we must PREPARE!
Preparation is vital in order for God to use us. For God to use our church. Preparation is vital to see our vision succeed. It doesn’t simply happen, you don’t cast the vision and then sit back waiting for it to arrive. YOU PREPARE, THEN YOU DO IT!
It’s PREPARATION WITH PASSION. We talked about our passion for planting churches, our passion for missions, our passion for serving, and our passion for souls. All of these things are important, all of these things are central in the FUTURE FIVE years. But all of them take preparation.
That’s the focus of this series. That’s our focus as we seek to PREPARE for God’s blessings.
Last week, we chose a builder. We talked about how there are so many competing philosophies out there of building. How there are many who would like to build our churches and our lives.
We mentioned the GOOD WORKS GUYS, THE MEMORIAL BUILDERS, THE CUSTOM BUILDERS, THE SHOWMANSHIP ARCHITECTS…and we talked about how none of these are based on the Word of God.
We then talked about the FIRM FOUNDATION. That is the right choice, the choice that will bring us success in our vision, success in our lives.
Christ said in Matthew 16 that UPON THIS ROCK, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH. We have chosen to build our spiritual house on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ.
We talked about how you can build on the rock or build on the sand. And, while both have intrinsic value, only one can withstand the inevitable trials that they will face.
Today, we focus on the FOUNDATION. You see, once we’ve chosen the builder, the work must commence. And, in order to build the house that we want to build, there must always be a foundation.
The foundation is always that part of the structure that transfers and distributes the weight of the building onto the ground. In other words, we must transfer the massive weight of a structure onto something that has far greater mass, far greater strength, if we expect that structure to stand.
And, the larger the structure, the deeper and the more important the foundation becomes. The EMPIRE STATE BUILDING was built in the 1930’s and because of its height, they had to employ 300 men just to dig the foundation. The WORLD TRADE CENTER, because of the height of its towers, needed a foundation over 70 feet down into the bedrock of Manhattan. The PETRONAS TOWERS in Malaysia, currently the tallest buildings in the world, has a foundation that varies from 120 feet to 300 feet deep.
You see, the larger the structure, the deeper the foundation. Likewise, the larger our church becomes, the larger you become in service to Christ, the deeper the foundation required to sustain it.
Col. 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
That is the basis for our time together today. IN ORDER TO BUILD UP, WE MUST DIG DOWN…before we build. Laying the foundation that will sustain us as we move forward with God. It’s often been said that if we will PAY ATTENTION TO THE DEPTH OF OUR MINISTRY, GOD WILL PAY ATTENTION TO ITS BREADTH.
You’ll notice today that our pile of dirt over here has transformed into a construction site. Today, there is caution tape surrounding it and caution signs that let us know about the dangers that exist as the construction begins.
Any builder will tell you that one of the most dangerous times on a construction site is when the foundation is being dug. That is when the potential liability is at an all time high. Why? You have a big open hole. You have a site that is not yet fully developed and there is a great risk associated with the early stages of development.
The foundation is such an important part of the building of a structure, but during this phase, it is also the most dangerous.
The same is true in the development of our church, and our lives. At the beginning of a new vision, when we are preparing to do new and exciting things for God, that is when we are at our most vulnerable. That is when dangers lurk in our midst.
1Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Satan knows that he can never move the hand of God, so he will always attempt to change the heart of man!
You see, it is during this time in our lives, and in the life of our church, when Satan will do anything he can to destroy our commitment. To destroy our vision. To destroy our desire to serve God.
He is looking at what he can do to stop what is happening in this church, and in your heart. Why? Because he knows he can’t defeat God, but he knows he can defeat us, if we’re not vigilant.
He learned that lesson early on in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. He knows how to get to us, and if we are not careful, he can destroy our foundation.
We must be committed to building the proper foundation. We must be committed to digging the proper foundation. A foundation that can transfer the great weight of our lives and our church onto something that has far greater mass in order to support such a structure.
We must build our foundation on the Solid Rock.
How many times have you made a conscious decision to follow Christ, to have a regular, meaningful prayer time each day, to read His Word, to study it, to digest it…and then after some time, we fall away from that commitment. We need a foundation that will support us during the tests and trials of our lives. We must build our lives on the foundation of Christ.
And just as this tape screams CAUTION! The Bible cautions us against not building the proper foundation in our lives.
Matt. 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Phil. 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
That’s what this CAUTION tape is all about. It is guarding this construction site, and its owner, from potential liability. Likewise, God provides protection for us. The word GUARD here is the word for a GARRISON which really is a fortified wall around our hearts and minds.
A wall that can protect us from Satan who is seeking to destroy our lives, and our church.
1Chr. 22:19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.”
We must set our hearts and our souls on Him. Focusing on His direction, on His will. Knowing that with His protection, we can build His house. We can build our lives for Him. We can build our church for Him!
Today, I want to share with you three areas where we must be guarded. Three signs that must be noticed and heeded if we are to become what God intends.
SIGN 1: PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Failure to Heed May Cause Permanent Damage
This sign refers to the hidden dangers around this site that can destroy us. It refers to the fact that we must keep a close watch on those hidden dangers.
In our lives, those hidden dangers are hidden sins. Things that creep up on us and destroy us. Sins that slowly but surely destroy are minds and our hearts.
We must be aware of what is overtaking our lives that can leave permanent damage in our life and in our church.
Remember a few weeks ago, from the book of Joshua, we talked about Achan. How one man’s sin, one man disregarding God’s words, can harm an entire nation. And, how one man or one woman’s sin can destroy an entire church’s testimony.
So, how do we PROCEED WITH CAUTION? How do we make sure we are heeding the potential warning signs and dangers?
Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Eph. 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
The word circumspectly comes from two other old English words. The first is “SPECTATE” which means TO LOOK. The second word is “circumference” which means around.
So quite literally, it means, to look around. To evaluate as you walk. To evaluate your steps. To make sure you are not stepping into the wrong areas.
In the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, this verse says: Eph. 5:15 (NLT) So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise.
Be careful how we live. Notice the things we do. Look around as we walk. Why? Because it is during this time, this vulnerable time, that Satan is seeking to devour us.
Josh. 7:13 (NLT) “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things.
Satan has seen the hundreds who have walked these aisles over the past few weeks. He has seen the hundreds who have stepped into that baptistery in the past few weeks. He has seen the 17 SINGLES who are right now in Alaska on a missions trip. He has seen the commitments we have made to the vision.
And, he wants to destroy us! He wants to destroy our church! He wants to destroy you!
The second warning sign we must notice:
SIGN 2: ANOTHER QUALITY JOB By The Firm Foundation
We must trust the promises of the chosen builder. We must see that God will guard us. He will protect us. He will bring us through all of the challenges we will face. We must put our faith in Him.
So many times, we are following God, we are working for Him, following His will…then problems come, crisis arrives, and we forget that we serve the all-powerful God.
Ex. 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, “Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
We must remember that the same God that delivered Moses can deliver us! How do we do that? By always remembering what God has done. We talked about that a few weeks ago on our 51st anniversary. That we will always remember God’s miracles in our church’s history, in our history. We will remember His faithfulness.
Those miracles will give us encouragement to carry on!
The third warning sign we must heed:
Sign 3: NOTICE: DAILY INSPECTIONS REQUIRED
It is a very scary reality that you and I can become spiritually sick inside. I don’t know if you have ever thought about this, but in James 5:13 – 14a, the Bible teaches that a believer can become spiritually sick and spiritually “weak.” James 5:13 – 14a says:
13 Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you?...(KJV)
The word “afflicted” refers to someone who is getting beat up spiritually but still has some strength. The word “merry” refers to someone who is spiritually strong. BUT the words “Is any sick among you” refers to a believer who is spiritually weak.
These verses imply that if we don’t heed the cautions that we have been talking about this morning, our spiritual house can become comprised with sin and become spiritually weak.
How do we prevent our spiritual house from becoming spiritual weak?
Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
This is where we dig. This is where we spend our time digging deep. Seeing what is within us, examining our inner selves, our secrets, our sins, and purging ourselves of anything that can destroy us.
As we look at this construction site, we see a shovel. A shiny shovel that is impressive. As shovel that is actually quite pretty. We look at this shovel and we see what so many Christians do in their lives.
You see, we fully understand what it means to dig. We know how to use this shovel, we know what it’s for. But, we don’t use it. We don’t want to get it dirty. We don’t want to mess it up. We don’t want to do the work. We want to take the easy way out. We want something that is a showpiece.
We show it to the world. But we don’t use it. This is what so many Christians do. We know what it takes to examine ourselves. We know it’s necessary. We know we must dig to get rid of the nastiness within us that we know is there, but we keep so hidden. But we’re not willing to do the work.
Instead, we allow the foundations of our lives to be built without much depth. We don’t allow our lives, and our churches, to be built on a foundation that will transfer the great weight to something of far greater mass, our God.
We want to keep our shovels clean. Shovels that we can show the world. We are Christians. We love God. We go to church. We sing in the choir. We teach in the Sunday School. We give our tithes. BUT WE’RE NOT WILLING TO DIG A DEEP FOUNDATION.
We’re not willing to accept the fact that in order to build a tower for God. To build a large structure for God. To develop a huge complex for Him. Our shovel should like this one.
One that is covered in dirt. One that has been well used. One that has been used to dig deep, has rooted out imperfection, has rooted out sin. It has been used to dig down to the bedrock, the firm foundation, that can withstand the powers of Satan, the dangers of life, and the destruction that can come, when we try to BUILD UP WITHOUT DIGGING DOWN!
Col. 2:6 (NLT) And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
