- The particular, familiar activity I want to focus on is that of constructing a building.

This picture of the Christian life is used at least as many times as any other picture
in the Bible.
- Tested by fire
- Throughout scripture the Christian life is likened to the construction of building.
- But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God. Jude 20-21
- We are responsible to build ourselves up.
- The strength of Christian life is hinged on your response to the Word of God.
- ... 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. Ephesians 2:21-22
- That is speaking about the collective Christian community that we are to be built
together in the Holy Spirit as a place for God to dwell.
- Then, speaking about Jesus as a living stone, Peter says:
- Coming to Him [Jesus] as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by
God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5
-
- There are certain things that you never be able to learn in any other way except
through experiences/ circumstantial experiences. God at sundry times
orchestrates situation, events and times to train you up for your next and higher
level in life.
- Those of you that have done science that are certain concepts that you may never
properly grasp except through experiments.
- Then let’s look at one final example from Acts 20. It is the farewell of Paul to the
Ephesian elders whom he loved with a special love because it was in Ephesus that
his ministry had perhaps the greatest impact of any other place. In his speech in
Acts 20, Paul is saying farewell and telling them they will never see him again in
this life. It was a very moving situation for all of them. This is really the final
exhortation he wanted to leave with them:
- So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is
able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are
sanctified. Acts 20:32
- Paul is telling us that the main means for building us up is the word of God’s grace,
the Bible. He says it is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance among all
those who are set apart for Jesus Christ by faith in Him.
- In any permanent building, whether it is built of brick or stone, concrete or timber,
the vital area is the foundation. The Bible deals specifically with this, and it is an
issue of great importance for every one of us.
- The foundation sets limits to the building that may be built above it—both in size
and in weight. The foundation sets the limits, and this also is true in the Christian
life. You cannot build more successful Christian life than your foundation will
permit. This is the vital issue: What is your foundation? Have you laid the right
foundation?
- There is only one foundation that is adequate and all-sufficient. It is the person of
Jesus Christ. Paul, writing to the Corinthian Christians uses two metaphors.
- For we are God’s fellow workers [working together with God]; you are God’s field
[that is the agricultural metaphor and] you are God’s building [that is the
construction metaphor]. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as
a wise master builder [Greek, “architect”] 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.
- When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples,
11saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say
John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” [Then
He makes it very personal.] He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living
God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven. And
I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
- Matthew 16:13-18
- “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 [the bedrock, petra]: 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 19 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.” Matthew 7:24-27
- First of all, it is important to see that each house was subjected to the same test.
Neither house was free from being tested. The same storm that hit one house hit
the other. The Christian life is not a storm-free life. We will go through storms. God
has never guaranteed that we will not. In fact, Paul and Barnabas said to the early
church, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts
14:22). If we are on a road that has no tribulation, it is questionable whether it
leads to the kingdom of God, because that is what Paul said.
- There are certain things you may never get to learn in other ways except through
God’s dealings.
- The wise man builds in two ways: by hearing and doing the words of Jesus, the
words of the Bible. How can we build on the foundation? In just the same way: by
hearing what the Bible says and doing it. We cannot be just a hearer only, because
the Bible has no promises for them, but only for the hearer and doer. It is practical.
It is applying the teaching of the Bible and the teaching of Jesus in our own lives.
We find as we go on in this that God will continually open up new areas in which
we need to apply the truth.
- “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”
- Luke 6:46 That is an important question. It is futile to call Jesus “Lord” if you do not
obey Him, because the very title means someone who is to be obeyed. Jesus
wants us to beware of just having a vocal confession.
- that does not affect the way we live. He goes on:
- “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” [the
 bedrock, the petra]. 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.”
- verses 47-49