I. “IF” That word alone is mentioned 1,420 times in Scripture.
A. The Dictionary describes "IF" this way : in case that; granting or supposing that; on condition that: Sing if you want to. Stay indoors if it rains. I'll go if you do. even though: an enthusiastic if small audience. 3. whether: He asked if I knew Spanish. 4. (used to introduce an exclamatory phrase): If only Dad could see me now! 5. when or whenever: If it was raining, we had to play inside. –noun 6. a supposition; uncertain possibility: The future is full of ifs. 7. a condition, requirement, or stipulation: There are too many ifs in his agreement. —Idiom 8. ifs, ands, or buts, reservations, restrictions, or excuses: I want that job finished today, and no ifs, ands, or buts.
Ge 18:26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
I didn’t read all 1,420 but through all the ones I did it always related make to man. This verse is the only verse that I could find that would try to tie make to God by asking a what if question in relation to God.
God asked Job in Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth.
• Mal 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not; …
• Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
• Re 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
• God is before all things, and by him all things consist.
II. What is the nature of foundations?
A. The word “foundation” is a term used in relation to buildings.
In the Bible we are described as God’s building.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
I Corinthians 3:16
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
I Corinthians 3:9
…but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.
Hebrews 3:6
It’s encouraging to know that we are not just an ordinary building but we are called “God’s building.” This means that God is very interested and involved in the process of ensuring that a solid foundation is laid in our lives.
B. Buildings are only as strong as their foundations.
A foundation is something that is put in place first before the building is built; yet many Christians only come to understand the importance of foundations long after they get saved. In most cases this means they have built their lives in the wrong order. Fortunately in God’s grace we can go back and rebuild our foundation to ensure our stability for the future.
C. A foundation is actively placed but hidden from public view.
The word in the Bible for foundation speaks of something that is put down as the substructure of a building. This is significant because even though it is unseen it is vitally important. It is derived from a word which means to place, sink down, settle, set, ordain, purpose or conceive.
D. A solid foundation can be very costly to build properly.
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.”
Luke 14:27-30
E. When you begin to build up you have to dig deep. When designing a building the architect and engineers work together to design the foundation of the structure. A smaller building like a house would not require the same foundation as a skyscraper. A house may only require a foundation to be dug down a few feet while larger buildings can require a foundation to be dug down in excess of 150ft. such as in the case of the tallest building in the World the Burj Khalifa standing at 2,722 ft with a 163ft foundation.
1. Reasons for a deep foundation are determined by the structure that is being built and its purpose as well as the ground itself. For structures that are to serve a great capacity and function they cannot just have a foundation on the topsoil but require a foundation beneath the subsoil with a support system reaching down deep into the bedrock.
2. A structure is only as good as its foundation. If a building is to be built high it must first start low. The greater the height the lower it must go. The Burj Khalifa would have fallen to the ground had they just threw that thing up with no thought to all the hardships that a half a mile building would endure from the ground level all the way to top.
3. The leaning tower of Pisa is the world’s most famous poorly built structure due in part to its weak foundation. It was built on a 9 ft deep foundation set in weak unstable subsoil. The tower began to sink early during the construction of the second floor. It took 344 years to complete; its design was modified to account for the poor foundation. In the end after almost 3 ½ centuries we are left with a tower known only for its flaws.
F. Joseph is prime example of a good foundation. I always looked at this story in 4 stages, the Pit, Potiphar, Prison, and Palace. I tried to figure out what stage I was in, how close to the Palace am I, surely by now I am in the Prison and next in line. God reminded me that it all started with the pit. The pit was the starting place for the process to get Joseph ready for the palace, had there been no pit there would have never been a Potiphar or a prison. You don’t get through in stages; it’s the pit to the palace.
1. The pit you are in now has a purpose, it is the foundation of your destiny, your promise; had Joseph never been placed in the pit he would have never seen the palace. Without the pit there could be no palace; the pit was the foundation for his palace. You got to get low to end high. Your pit is what will hold up the promise.
a. When you look at a skyscraper no one ever asks, “How hard was it to lay the foundation, how many setbacks were there”, the reason being is because we know it is all part of the process. You break ground and then there is a grand opening.
2. I know you feel like the pit you are in now is more of a grave than a foundation. All the hell you are going through, all the setbacks, all the delays, every rejection, every door that closed, every widow that was shut; felt like a deeper grave was being dug; right now you may feel like you are digging yourself a deeper hole, but in reality you are digging yourself out.
3. When you started this walk it wasn’t deep, you were tripping over all the roots sticking up, but the longer you stayed in the hole the deeper you got, what used to trip you doesn’t any more, what should have bothered you doesn’t anymore etc… you are getting past the soft stuff making your way to solid rock. My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. Ps 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.
a. Luke 6:47 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. Jesus Christ is the Rock of my foundation, the Rock of my salvation. When I started this walk I was a mess, He had to bust up some things in my life, I went through many dangers, toils and snares, but I kept getting deeper. I am too far in it now to quit and give up. I plan to run this race and finish this course. The heavens may feel like brass, but I can’t stop now, I put in too many hours, to many tears, too just walk away now.
G. Everything you are going through has a purpose. Joseph never blamed God for his circumstances he saw that God was ordering his footsteps; Ps 37:23 The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: God showed him the end so he could get through the middle of his hell.
1. Acts 7:9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, (10) And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; David in two different Psalms speaks of God’s plan for Joseph, Ps 81:5 This he ordained in Joseph [for] a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: Ps 105:17 He sent a man before them, [even] Joseph, [who] was sold for a servant:
a. In the end he told his brothers ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, his brothers were always part of the plan, his brothers said let us cast him into some pit; this was not just some pit they found the pit was always part of the plan. When God called Abraham out from among his people and promised him he would become a father to many nations, somewhere within those three generations someone dug a well to provide water for themselves, but that well would dry up and become the foundation of the Promises of God that was spoken to Joseph’s great great grandfather.
b. The pit you are in now believe it or not is not some pit you fell into; God placed you in it to accomplish the plan He has for you For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Brothers and Sisters it’s all part of the plan.
2. Your pit is a by Divine design. God is getting you to a place where He can build His promise to you, know this the deeper your pit is the greater the foundation, structure, the promise, the blessing; I know its uneasy and uncomfortable, I know it seems like it’s all a cruel joke God is playing on you, but don’t rush God, don’t get in a hurry, I know you want the dream now, but the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. God said before you were born, I knew you and ordained you. He has already laid the infrastructure. Within you is the power to tread on serpents and scorpions, etc…
a. All the junk you have been enduring was only pushing your faith deeper, your pit may be deep and wide, but now that you are on firmly planted on Rock bottom, there is nowhere else to go but up; Isa 37:31 …take root downward, and bear fruit upward: you have gone as far as you can go now it’s time to come out. Ec 7:8 Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: It’s time to stop the pity party and feeling all pitiful for yourself and get back to digging. Don’t let the enemy flood your pit with despair; the Bible says, the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
III. The only footing we need is Jesus.
A. Jesus is the only sure foundation. Death, hell, and the grave could not destroy Him.
As we emphasize foundations it is important to highlight that in order to have a solid foundation Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives. Everyone’s life is built on something, but is Christ at the center?
I Corinthians 3:9-11 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:11-12 This is the “stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
It is important to note that although Jesus was the cornerstone, He was rejected by many. Foundations are so important and yet are often neglected or outright rejected.
B. The foundation of Christ is laid based on our hearing and doing what He says.
This is seen in Jesus’ parable of the builders (Mt. 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49). The difference between the two builders is that while both heard the word, only the wise man practiced the word that he heard.
Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.
IV. How are foundations established in our lives?
A. Our foundations are established by the teaching that we have received.
Many people become Christians but are not grounded in foundational doctrine. As we make disciples it’s important to ensure that they are grounded with solid foundations. We must resist the temptation to focus on obscure revelations just because they are fascinating.
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
B. Our foundations are established by how we are connected to the body of Christ.
Ephesians 2:20-22 ...having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
C. Our foundations are established by our obedience to God’s Word.
Luke 6:49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.
D. Our foundations are established by our freedom from spiritual deception.
Colossians 2:6-8 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
V. Why do we need God’s foundations?
A. We need God’s foundations because only God’s foundation stands forever.
II Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
B. We need God’s foundations to withstand the storms of life.
Luke 6:47-48 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
C. We need God’s foundations so that we are not easily moved.
Proverbs 10:25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
D. We need God’s foundations because only what endures is rewarded.
I Corinthians 3:12-14 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
VI. Why do many people resist laying a proper foundation?
Based on the story of the two builders in Matthew 7 and Luke 6 we can say that the foolish builder built his house without a foundation because of the following reasons:
A. Building without a foundation is easier and does not require obedience.
B. Building without a foundation is less painful because it does not require digging deep.
C. Building without a foundation is quicker and you can reach your goal sooner.
D. Building without a foundation is cheaper...at least at first.
Building without a foundation ends up being more expensive because at some point the house without a proper foundation will collapse and have to be rebuilt. It is cheaper to build a house properly the first time than have to rebuild it over and over again.
