Hi everybody,
Just finished speaking at a teenage weekend in Borås that left me feeling both energized and hopeful for the future. The Hestra Community Church (who more or less organized the event single handed) consists of a vibrant group of both young and middle aged people with a passion and vision to reach their community for Christ. I truly believe that this new generation of young might very well be the generation that could change the world for Christ. Authenticity and courage are two key words that come to mind.
On Saturday evening I was asked to have a short devotional to end the day. I chose to read from the gospel of Luke 6:46-49 the parable of two foundations. It is clear from the parable that Jesus is not literally speaking about building a physical house. Nor is he suggesting that by simply having a strong foundation that the floodwaters won't come crashing against the house. What he does say is that a house's foundation is what keeps it strong and solid. Having the right foundation in our lives is the only way we can withstand the trials and challenges of life and God wants nothing more than to be that foundation.
I have noticed, working as a pastor of a large inner city church for the past 9 years, that one reason people tend to fall away from the faith is because they have built their faith on the wrong foundation. For instance sometimes we wrongly build our faith on a church or an institution. We become very passionate about our specific church and may even develop a my-church-is-better-than-your-church attitude. But having had the opportunity to travel all over the world the past few years on various conferences and meetings I have found that there are a lot of great churches in the world doing a lot of cutting edge ministry in order to reach lost people for Christ.
It has been a very humbling experience for me to see dedicated Christians from many different denominations sharing the Good News in their specific contexts. In a very real sense we are all part of Gods Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all the commands God has given us (Mt. 28:18-20). Unfortunately all churches fall short of God's ideal and if we are truly honest we will admit that there are periods when we tend to major in minors and minor in majors.
Or we may have a favorite Bible teacher or may like one pastor or evangelist better than another. This is nothing new and even happened with first-century believers. The apostle Paul had to on several occasions warn the believers in Corinth to stop having favorites and comparing leaders with each other. He writes: "For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?" (1 Corinthians 3:4-5).
Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with liking a certain pastor or enjoying a certain church that you are a part of. But the point the bible is trying to make is that if you choose to build the foundation of your faith on these things you are bound to get disappointed. Churches will disappoint you, because they are run by people (sinful people) and people make mistakes. Sometimes they are misunderstood too. Pastors will disappoint you as well, because they are human like everyone else. So if you build your foundation on a church or on a pastor you can fall away one day, because those people are bound to make mistakes and even mess up from time to time.
Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul suggests a better foundation, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). In other words it is all about you (daily surrendering your life to God) and God (transforming your life from the inside out). And when you stand before Him one day, He will want to know what you did with Jesus (whether you had a living vibrant relationship with Christ) - not whether you knew the right people, or went to the right church or listened to the right preacher. So don't build your foundation on people or buildings. Build your foundation on Jesus Christ - the rock of all ages!
Challenge: Think about one specific "floodwater" that has broken against your life. Was your response more like "standing firm" or more like "crumbling"? How did your faith in Christ help you to stand firm in the midst of the storm? Share your experience with a friend who is going through a difficult time.
God bless
Berny