Reach High, Dig Deep
2 Thessalonians 3:3, Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and set you on a firm foundation... Amplified
For the month of September 2012, I have been teaching and preaching on the theme “Benefits of a Firm Foundation.” These messages are available at my iTunes Podcast.
Romans 10:17 states, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” The more I study the principle of foundation, the more I recognize our dependence upon the finished work of Christ. There are no new foundations in the Kingdom. There is only the foundation of Jesus Christ. We also rely on the word of God and the work of apostles of Christ such as Paul who laid the foundation for the New Testament church.
1 Cor. 3:10 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. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Cor. 3:10 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. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
We’ve all seen great bridges and tall buildings that we call “skyscrapers.” We marvel at the scale and height of these structures, but we also understand that tall buildings require deep and strong foundations. Builders must dig deep to lay foundations.
This principle was never more true or needful that when we consider our lives as believers and our work together as the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing of eternal significance can be accomplished without the benefit a firm foundation. It is not just a matter of size and scale, it is also a matter of quality and endurance.
In Luke Chapter Six Jesus told a parable of two houses that were built, which looked identical. It took a storm to reveal that one house was founded on a rock, while the other house was built on the ground without a foundation. The two men who built their houses had two things in common: 1) They both came to Jesus and, 2) they both heard what he said. They wanted to "reach high."
But there was a third factor that made all the difference: Doing what Jesus said. One house stood and the other fell because one man acted on Jesus’ instructions, while the other did not. Without digging deep in order to connect to foundation, there is no reaching high.
Loving God, obeying the Scriptures, learning kingdom principles, following good patterns and examples, living in community rather than isolation, serving others, and functioning under loving authority, are all normal behaviors for believers who are building on a firm foundation.
The greatest benefit to living and building on firm foundations is the opportunity for everyone of us to become a part of something far greater than “a ministry,” or “a church.” We can become a “holy temple” in the earth and a “dwelling place” of God’s presence to our generation!
Click to listen to the message "Reach High. Dig Deep"
Click to listen to the message "Reach High. Dig Deep"
