8/22/2019 Building the right foundation.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/building-the-right-foundationdoc 1/3

Building the correct foundation

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someoneelse is building on it. But each one should build with care. [11] For no one can layany foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] If anyone

builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, [13]their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will berevealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. [14] If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. [15] If it is burnedup, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved---even though only as oneescaping through the flames.

I know this is a hard topic and some use this to accuse this revelation to otherChristian and some will make an excuse not to go to church or a small group at all.Let me remind you that if you have a word of knowledge or a prophecy but withoutlove, you are nothing (1 Cor 13:2-3).

I have heard this several times, you need to go to church, connect to small groupsso that you will grow. The Bible says: ““I am the vine; you are the branches. If aman remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can donothing –John 15:5”. Inorder for us to grow, we need to connect to Jesus Christ notby the works of the law. Let us go back to the simplicity of the Gospel. The Biblesays:

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit byobserving the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? Afterbeginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”Gal 3:2-3

Let me ask you this question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you go to churchor you love to go to church after you have received the Holy Spirit? Did you receivethe Holy Spirit when you read the Bible or you loved reading the Bible after youreceive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you evangelize, open acellgroup or do ministry or you love to evangelize and do ministry after you havereceived the Holy Spirit?

Many Christians are blaming people who were backslidden because they did notconnect to a church or a small group, I think being backslide has nothing to do inattending a church. Those people have presented a wrong Gospel or perhaps a rightGospel but a wrong foundation. Perhaps their foundation is their cellgroup or theirlocal church and they have this wrong mindset that if you do not go to church, youare backslidden or they have been presented a wrong Gospel that if you pray theprayers sinner you will be saved.

 This is what I have observed: The more you impose rules on people like “you shouldgo to church” or “you should do ministry” – the more people won’t able to do it.

 That is why when there was a conflict on the early church as regards on the foodpreparation of the table Peter said: “We will turn this responsibility over to

8/22/2019 Building the right foundation.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/building-the-right-foundationdoc 2/3

them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. Acts 6:3b-4”. In short, Peter’s focus is on Jesus and what Jesus wants him to be done. Isn’t thissimple? We should focus our attention on Jesus Christ and what He wants us to bedone. Isn’t this message simple: “Repent and turn back to God for the forgivenessof sins thru Christ Jesus?”, isn’t this what our forefathers did in the early church?

Wise man and foolish man

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice islike a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streamsrose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because ithad its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine anddoes not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house onsand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beatagainst that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matt 7:24-27

Many people are focused on one teaching and reject the other teaching. Like: “youshould remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” – yet forget all other teaching

in the Bible that you should forgive those who have sinned against you; or “youshould preach the Gospel to all creation and make disciples of all nations” – yetforget to go to his brother that who have sinned against him and point out hismistakes and say I have forgiven you (Matt 18:15-20), or say “you should stopdrinking and doing drugs” – yet forget to love his neighbor as he love himself, or say“you should go to church with formal attire” – yet forget to help is neighbor who isin need. Jesus Christ clearly states that inorder to build a strong foundation, youshould put into practice what Jesus Christ really teach – there are so many of thembut in summary that is “Love the Lord your God will all that you have and love yourneighbor as you love yourself”. If you have kept this, you will do well. You will befree from fear of man because you love God more than man.

 The Bible says:

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do notbelieve, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,[b]”[c] 8 and, “Astone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” 1 Peter 2:7-8

Mind you this, this Stone is so precious that it become our capstone for those whobelieve. But it should be noted that it says: “The stone the builders rejected” and “arock that makes them fall”, that is why Paul said: “No, I beat my body and make itmy slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for

the prize. (1 Cor 9:27)”. Paul see this in his time that there are people who preachthe Gospel but later who reject the very Gospel they preach – they are the builderswho reject the stone – which is Jesus Christ.

 This is the message: “In Christ Jesus, there is forgiveness of sins which the law of Moses cannot justify” and “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no othername under heaven given to men by which we must be saved – that name is JesusChrist”

8/22/2019 Building the right foundation.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/building-the-right-foundationdoc 3/3

Let us go back to the simplicity of the Gospel.