The Foundation
1 Cor. 3:10-15
Part 2
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
During this past week I have either handed to you or e-mailed you a list of questions. If some how I was not able to get one to you there are copies here to take home. (If you are listening to this message on the web site, you can go into the files menu and get a copy of the questions.)
We discussed the calling of Moses last week. The fact that God calls us and uses who ever we are and whatever we have to do the work He calls us to do. At the end of the message I made this statement.
Far too often we go through life and never know why we exist. Mankind is unique. We have the ability to think abstractly. We can ask ourselves questions like, “Why do I exist.” With that questioning nature, we must ask at times, “why does the Church Exist?”
It is not enough just to say “to glorify God.” While this is true, there is so much more to the question; “What is the purpose of the church?”
Today I want to talk about the foundation of the Church. Paul shares with us in 1 Cor. Let’s read it together.
1 Cor 3:10-15 (NIV) 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through he flames. 16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
We learned last week that fire was to many nations, not just Israel, a significant emblem of the deity. Everyone will have to pass through the fire that is the judgment of God. I started reading Sacred Fire this past week. It is a book that has used extensive research to prove that George Washington was a devout Christian and not a Deist as revisionist history has portrayed him. The title “Sacred Fire” makes me think of the judgment of God. So today we will look at how to escape through the flames.
Paul in writing to the Corinthian church is using a metaphor. It is a metaphor of building. Any builder will tell you that the foundation is the most import part of a building. Paul here is saying that the foundation upon which we must build has to be the foundation of Jesus Christ. I don’t think that 80% of America would argue with that statement. Eighty percent of America consider themselves to be Christian. They would say that they have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Whether they are building on that foundation or not, that is what the Sacred Fire will determine when we stand in the judgment of God.
Let us make an assumption for the rest of today’s message. Let’s make the assumption that we are building on the true foundation, that of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, raised from the dead and returning one day for the living and the dead.
With that in mind let’s look at my first point.
1. We can build on the foundation with wood hay and stubble.
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown puts it this way: “The image is that of a building on a solid foundation, and partly composed of durable and precious, partly of perishable, materials. The "gold, silver, precious stones," which all can withstand fire, are teachings that will stand the fiery test of judgment; "wood, hay, stubble," are those which cannot stand it; not positive heresy, for that would destroy the foundation, but teaching mixed up with human philosophy and Judaism, curious rather than useful. Besides the teachings, the superstructure represents also the persons cemented to the Church by them, the reality of whose conversion, through the teachers' instrumentality, will be tested at the last day. Where there is the least grain of real gold of faith, it shall never be lost. On the other hand, the lightest straw feeds the fire.”
Notice that there is a distinction between heresy and human teaching. When something is being taught that is an obvious contradiction to the Bible, but is taught because it makes man more comfortable, or allows us as a society to be politically correct, and if often done because it is the easy road and rufles the fewest feathers. JFB rhetoric says it destroys the foundation, but I rather believe that in order to adhere to the teachings, you must move from the incorruptible foundation of Jesus Christ and build elsewhere. This verse may explain to some the reason you can find hypocrites in the church. (As I have said many times, in the church is right where hypocrites need to be, but that is another message).
There are many who have built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with materials that they have gathered themselves. I stood and listened this past week as two ladies talked to me not as an individual, but as a clergyman. They each gave me two theologically unsupported human philosophies on how they plan to get to heaven. Will they be able to withstand judgment, I don’t know, but if they do, that stubble ideology will be consumed, but if they had at the foundation of their lives, a faith in Jesus Christ they will be saved. I do know that they are gong to be held a little more accountable after this because I quietly and gently shared with them the truth of the Gospel as I believe it as it is written. Am I right, I believe so, and I believe I can back it up with the word of God, but if I am wrong, and I don’t think so, I am wrong in a wood hay stubble way upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and it will be consumed yet I will remain. My faith is not in what I have learned in Seminary classes, it is not in what I have studied through the writings of the great theologian, by faith is in Jesus Christ and a surety that He and He alone has forgiven me and my name is written in the book of life.
This scripture should encourage each of us. It essentially is saying you don’t have to always be right. While we are encouraged to “work out our own salvation” as it says in Philippians’ 2:12, and “rightly dividing the Word of truth”. As we read in 2Timothy 2:15, we are to do as much as we can, but as long as we have at the base the foundation of the church, Jesus Christ, we will be saved. It is a promise that we can rest in.
2. We can build on the foundation Gold, silver, costly stones.
(Find some pics of buildings that were stone and wood.)
This is I believe is one of the area’s where we come to the purpose of the Church, “The Edification of the Believer”. It is through the church that we have the opportunity to learn, to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ that which cannot be corrupted. Young Christians often have a problem finding the materials they need to build a strong building on the foundation of Christ. They come to that point of reckoning with Jesus and then they go about life as if nothing has changed. They hit and miss in attendance to church or Bible study, not giving them the opportunity to grow in the grace and to build on the foundation with materials that will last through time. So this child in Christ does not build on the foundation at all, and eventually move away from that foundational start and builds elsewhere.
God wants us to build strong vibrant Christian lives and all that He does in our lives if we let Him will build for us a structure that will endure the fires of judgment.
Peter puts it this way;1 Peter 1:6,7 (NIV)
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Here Peter acknowledges that Gold while it can go through centuries not loosing its worth, one day will wear away, yet the Gold of our lives, that is the faith that comes through perseverance, will never perish.
Adam Clark puts it this way; “But on that day the faith of Christ's followers will be found brighter, and more glorious. The earth, and universal nature, shall be dissolved; but he who doeth the will of God shall abide for ever, and his faith shall then be found to the praise of God's grace, the honor of Christ, and the glory or glorification of his own soul throughout eternity. God himself will praise such faith, angels and men will hold it in honor, and Christ will crown it with glory.”
I want there to be something left of my life after I go through the judgment of God. I do not want to pass through the fire and have all that is my life consumed yet I remain. We are assured through this passage that we can make a difference. Our faith can be praised by God. That is what I want.
So my final point today before we get to the application is:
3. What ever we build, if it is on the foundation of Christ, we will survive.
Not everyone can be a Billy Graham. Not everyone can master the languages and write volumes of books interpreting scripture from the context of the age. Nor does God expect everyone to write, sing, or preach in ways that move thousands of people over the years. But I know this; if we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, no mater what we build it will be enough for God. We cannot work our way into heaven, nor can we avoid hell any other way but through the everlasting foundation of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Application;
I do believe it is God’s stated purpose that we are fruitful, and that we do not just get by in this life. I believe that Gods wants each of us individually, and this church collectively to grow in faith, grace and holiness each day, month, and year. Do you remember that I started last weeks message with one church’s 3E’s of the purpose of the Church?
1. Evangelization of the lost,
2. Exaltation of God
3. Edification of the believer.
Let me in closing give you just to give a few references;
(Evangelization of the lost.) Romans 7:4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
(Exaltation of God.)Ephesians 1:12-14 (NIV) 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13
(Edification of the Believers.) John 15:1-5 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
(Exaltation of God.) Ephesians 1:12-14 (NIV) 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13
I once had a dream. I was coming to a friend’s birthday party, a little late, but I was coming. As I walked past the window I look inside and many of my friends were going towards the host. They all had nicely wrapped presents in their hand. I had nothing, and as I entered the room, I was glad to be at the party, but I felt bad because I had nothing to give to the host. I was welcome, and my host was pleased to see me, but how much more my joy would be had I been able to bring a gift to lie at His feet.
The dream was about going to heaven. We have a choice as we grow in Christ. We can choose our building materials. Anyone who knows anything about building materials knows that wood and hay will not last. But look at some of the buildings that have withstood the test of man’s time. You will not find 1000 year old wooden building that are safe and usable, yet all through out Europe you can to this day find 1000 year old building standing true.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Several times Ephesians uses the word purpose. In Ephesians 2:14-15 (NIV)
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
That he made the two one: that Jews and gentiles were no longer separated by a law that was repressive to the Jew, and impossible to the gentile, that one person out of two is the Church.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)
11 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV)
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
