The Church’s Foundation is Still God’s Word 

You have probably encountered the advertisements of those companies that help resolve foundations issues in houses. Cracked walls, leaky basements, doors that don’t close properly, and unlevel floors may be signs of a problem with the foundation. It is an important matter which can have serious effects and can be costly to repair.

 I am concerned that the church has foundation issues these days. It is not only vital to be built upon a good foundation but also the correct foundation. What is our foundation? In one sense, we can rightly declare it to be Jesus. The Bible states that He is the chief cornerstone of His one true church. He is the key component in the foundation. If we deny Jesus’ divinity or His self-declared purpose of coming to give His life as the sacrifice for our sins, then we are moving off our one foundation. We have no right to call ourselves the church.

While Jesus is the cornerstone, the Bible further suggests that His Word is our foundation. In the familiar parable about the houses built on the sand and on the rock, one of those structures stands because it is built on the proper foundation. Jesus indicated that what He was talking about is hearing and doing His Word.

The Apostle Paul also makes this connection in a passage where he is picturing the church as a building. He says that it had “been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20). I don’t believe he was simply pointing to those individuals as the founding fathers of our faith, much like people might point to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others as the founders of the United States of America. Anything built upon the foundation of fallen human beings, no matter who they are, is going to be unstable. I believe Paul was referring to the special revelation those apostles and prophets had received from God. It seems to be saying that the scriptures, what we have come to refer to as both the Old Testament and the New Testament, are the foundation on which the church is built. Both the living Word – Jesus - and the written Word compose that all-important foundation of the church.

There are specific churches that have forsaken God’s Word as their foundation. Their beliefs are based more on popular thinking, common morals, and on man’s ideas about what is good or right instead of trusting in what God says about those matters. Instead of declaring with divine authority, “thus says the Lord”, they tenuously talk about “your truth and my truth”, “follow your heart”, and “we know better today.” The true church is not founded on philosophy, sociology, religious traditions, the vacillating values of our culture, or personal feelings. The church is based on God’s truth – what He has revealed to us in Jesus and His Word.

If a church has left its foundation, it is merely an organization of man, not the Body of Christ. That is not to say that there may not be some individuals in those particular churches who are still part of the true church. They may still be clinging to that firm foundation, or the Lord may still be clinging to them to keep them from falling. However, we need to realize how serious it is when churches or individuals leave their foundation. Picture a house being knocked off its foundation by a flood or storm. It is so unstable, it usually can’t be salvaged.

Let’s stand firm on God’s Word and the truths about Jesus and the significance of His death and resurrection. Let’s not fall away as too many others are doing today. If we compromise on God’s Word, we are dangerously forsaking the very foundation of the church that we profess to be part of.

 

A Relationship with Jesus Changes Our Values 

I have begun a long overdue task of cleaning up our basement. This part of our house became the storage area for piles of possessions that have now accumulated over several decades. So as not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, I am just taking it a little at a time. As I sort through the items, I separate them basically into three groups: what we plan to keep, what we can donate to a thrift store, and what needs to be thrown away. Some of the stuff I am classifying as garbage once had value to us. We had hung onto it either thinking we might use it again or that it might bring in a few dollars at a garage sale. However, some of it is now worthless. For example, I found some floppy disks for the computer. Not only is the information or the games on those disks outdated, but I don’t even have the equipment to be able to gain access to them anymore. They are useless to me. Garbage.

The Apostle Paul declared some things he once valued highly as being like garbage to him. He was referring to his status and actions before he came to put his faith in Jesus. He had put a lot of stock in his Jewish ancestry, his strict adherence to the law, and even how he had passionately opposed the followers of Jesus whom he considered to be enemies of God. However, after coming to know Christ, his values drastically changed. “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him” (Philippians 3:7-9). Compared to knowing Jesus, all those other things had become like worthless garbage to him.

If we are following Jesus, some of our values will be different from the world we live in. Our own values will change as we seek the kingdom of God first in our lives. Interests, desires, and activities that once were important and meaningful to us may begin to take a backseat to things that are more aligned with our growing relationship with the Lord and with His will for us. Some of them we may even come to value no more than we do garbage. We have no problem ridding ourselves of them completely.

I noticed a social media post from a friend in which he made it known that he had not watched this year’s Super Bowl. Although he has always been a sports fan, he intentionally chose not to participate this time, opting instead to spend time with his wife and children in other activities. And he declared that he didn’t miss it like he thought he would. I can relate to him, as in recent years I have intentionally pulled back from being an avid sports fan. Nevertheless, I decided to tune in to the first part of the Super Bowl, but after just a few minutes I was reminded why it no longer interests me as much. In what I witnessed on the field, in the stands, from the announcers, and on those famous commercials, I was reminded that my values were different from much of what was being displayed.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying being a sports fan is bad. It is simply one area in which this truth could apply to some people’s lives. If we are faithfully following Jesus, we are going to find some of our values changing. What was once important to you may become less important, especially in comparison to knowing Jesus. What do you value less these days? What should you value less? 

 

Keep a Healthy Respect for God 

One of my teenage grandsons had an unfortunate encounter with a chainsaw last week. He ended up with a deep gash on the back of one hand that required surgery to repair three tendons. As he explained what happened, it became apparent that he momentarily did something he knew wasn’t wise. Instead of keeping two hands firmly on the saw, he had taken one hand off and placed it on the log he was cutting. Therefore when the tool unexpectedly kicked back, he couldn’t control it, resulting in his injury.

Having heard about numerous serious accidents involving chainsaws over the years, I have always been very cautious around them. While they can accomplish great tasks, they can also inflict great pain and do much damage. That fact should cause anybody using one not to treat it casually, not even for a moment. A person doesn’t have to become careless with one to suffer the consequences but simply not maintain the level of respect such a powerful tool deserves.

It is very similar when it comes to our attitude toward God. The Bible declares that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). This isn’t suggesting that we should be terrified of God anymore than someone should be frightened to use a chainsaw. However, we do need to maintain a proper view of God, never losing sight of His greatness and power. Even as we relish His love for us and are grateful He is such a merciful God, we should also keep in mind that He is the Almighty Creator of the universe, the Holy One whose character cannot tolerate sin, and the Judge who will pass righteous judgment on every soul. He is to be respected at all times.

Therefore we can’t afford to become careless in how we relate to Him. We should not take it lightly when we have chosen to disregard His commands. There are consequences to our disobedience. God may mercifully spare us from some of the results of our sin, but we should not presume on His mercy. Sometimes He may allow us to “face the music”, not just to punish us but primarily as a means of awakening us, teaching us, and helping us see our need to return to Him. We may find forgiveness, but still suffer some consequences of our careless behavior.

Likewise, we have to guard against developing too casual of an attitude toward God. God is love, however, like that chainsaw, He still has teeth. Just because He loves us, it doesn’t mean He is a pushover or that He will let us get away with whatever we do. He is not the huge tough-looking man who can sound harsh but in reality is simply a teddy bear at heart who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Neither is He the jolly Santa Claus giving us whatever we wish for. He is the holy God and we had best respect Him as such.  

The Bible tells us about an incident when the sacred ark of the covenant was being moved. A man named Uzzah reached out to steady the ark when the oxen stumbled as it was pulling the cart on which that object rode. God struck him dead. Why? Not only should Uzzah have considered the ark too sacred for him to dare to touch, but the whole move wasn’t being done according to the manner God had prescribed. God’s judgment came because of both a casual spirit and careless behavior.

Let’s be sure we have a healthy fear of the Lord. While we rejoice in His love and can draw close to Him as our Father, let’s remember that He is still Lord, King, and Judge. He is not only Someone to hug, but to respect, submit to, and obey.

 

Trust the Lord in Life’s Mysteries 

Do you like mysteries? I have always enjoyed them. When I was a kid, I collected and read many of the Hardy Boys books. I still like a good mystery, although I rarely sit and read such books today. But sometimes I am able to catch a good mystery movie. I am not talking about the ones where you know who committed the crime and you simply watch to see how the detective figures it out. I am referring to the ones that are a mystery to me, the viewer – the ones in which I don’t know exactly what is going on. I have to try to pick out the clues, put them together, and solve the case. We like mysteries, but we also like to be able to figure them out. If we can’t do that, it can get frustrating.

There are some real mysteries in life. There are things we don’t fully understand. We often look for clues, trying to put it all together so that we can say, “I think I’ve got this all figured out. This is what God is doing.” We like to try to figure out the mystery of where God is taking us personally and how He is going to accomplish it all. While it can be good for us to explore those mysteries, we also need to recognize that there are some things God may not intend for us to figure out right now.

There have been occasions when I have heard people lament, “If God would just give me a sign to help me believe or to assist me in figuring out what is going on in my life...” I heard a statement one time that stood out to me. It was said that a sign is not something God gives you now in order to make you believe. Rather, if you will believe, then somewhere down the road God will give you the sign or evidence to confirm your faith. One example would be when God called Moses to go to Egypt to deliver His people. Moses objected, “Who am I to do this?” God told him, “I will give you a sign. When you bring the people out, you will come back here and serve Me on this mountain.” Think about that. The sign wasn’t some spectacular manifestation God brought about right then in order to get Moses to believe. It was something God would do later, after Moses had trusted God enough to go down to Egypt and lead the people out of their bondage. It would confirm Moses’ faith after he stepped out and obeyed God.

We face mysteries in life. Why did I get in that accident that debilitated me? Why are my grandchildren suffering from a terrible disease? Why did that relationship not last? We try to see the clues and ask God to give us a sign to help us figure it all out. But maybe God doesn’t intend for us to figure it all out, at least not at this point. His main intention is for you and me to trust Him, believe, and follow Him. 

Life isn’t as simple as the Hardy boys made it seem. Joe and Frank always seemed to be able to find the clues, put them together, and solve the mystery. We may not always be able to do that as we grapple with the mysterious case of what God’s doing in my life. While we may investigate those mysteries, we shouldn’t get frustrated if God doesn’t give us all the answers right now. Let’s not give God an ultimatum that we need to see a sign and solve the mystery before we’ll believe and live for Him. Go ahead and believe. Do what God says in His Word. Live for Him. And as you faithfully walk that road, watch for the signs along the way that God will give you to confirm that you are putting your faith in the right place.

The Lord won’t always solve the mystery for us, but He will assure us that He has it all figured out, that we can trust Him, and that we can follow Him with confidence.