What are your Foundations like, and what are you Building with ?

I live in the sea-side resort of Southport ,  Merseyside,  which is located 16 or so miles north of Liverpool,  the land around here is very, very flat because parts of the town are either built on Sand or on Marshy ground. 

In the 1790’s an entrepreneurial businessman/inn-keeper called William Sutton from Churchtown,(now part of Southport, then a community on it’s own) built an hotel/bathing house called the South Port Hotel in an sparsely populated area and that was mostly covered in sand dunes called South Hawes, it was  due to people travelling via the nearby Leeds-Liverpool Canal who would stop at the South Port Hotel and get involved in the new fad of sea-bathing that lead to the creation of Southport.

A few days ago,  I was walking into the town center and I noticed a rather large hole, of some concern despite this hole being some distance  from the sea-front the  hole was full of sand.    I was on my way to my local bank which is on Lord Street,  Southport,  my bank is a grade 11 listed building and has many fine architectural features inside the bank.

I spent my formative years in a small Pentecostal church in South Wales,  and had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home,  so from my earliest years I would hear Bible Stories both at home and at church (chapel) and sing choruses and hymns both in Church including Sunday School and at home with my parents and grandparents,  I used to love the loud action choruses that involved a lot of shouting, I’m sure most boys in Sunday School would too. 

One of my favorite choruses was The Wise Man and the Foolish Man or The Wise Man Build his house about the rock.

The wise man built his house upon the Rock,

The wise man built his house upon the Rock,

The wise man built his house upon the Rock,

And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down and the floods came up,

The rains came down and the floods came up,

The rains came down and the floods came up,

But the house on the Rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,

And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down and the floods came up,

The rains came down and the floods came up,

The rains came down and the floods came up,

And the house on the sand fell flat.

So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,

So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,

So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ,

And the blessings will come down.

The blessings come down as your prayers go up,

The blessings come down as your prayers go up,

The blessings come down as your prayers go up,

So build your life on the Lord.

This timeless song is based on the words of our Lord,  and can be found twice in the New Testament and both tell part of the Sermon on the Mount,  although most of us would familiar with the Beatitudes.

Matthew 7:24-29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Two Foundations

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and [a]acts on them, [b]may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the [c]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not [d]act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the [e]floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

28 [f]When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Luke 6:46-49 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Builders and Foundations

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and [a]acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who [b]dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the [c]torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the [d]torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

I became a Christian at the age of 11 in a Children’s meeting in my home town of Neath,  and I thank the Lord for the foundational  truths that would be implanted in me at that time.   It’s just over 30 years ago, that a young boy give his life to his Lord,  and he was walked with his Lord and Savior since then.

The unseen part of all buildings is the foundation, yet it’s the most important part,  you can have the most beautiful building in the World but if there are no foundation or inadequate foundations eventually the building will fall down or collapse,  many buildings can look strong and secure but if you examine them more closely , you see that crack haves started to appear and after years or decades the cracks become larger and larger and whoosh,  the building collapses!

Matthew 16:13-19New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Peter’s Confession of Christ

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, [a]Elijah; but still others, [b]Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are [c]the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon [d]Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 I also say to you that you are [e]Peter, and upon this [f]rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth [g]shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth [h]shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Ephesians 2:19-22New American Standard Bible (NASB)

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the [a]saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy [b]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Isaiah 28:16New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 Therefore thus says the Lord [a]God,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,

A costly cornerstone for the foundation, [b]firmly placed.

He who believes in it will not be [c]disturbed.

1 Peter 2:4-7New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The living Stone and a chosen people

4 As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

‘See, I lay a stone in Zion,

    a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

    will never be put to shame.’[b]

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

‘The stone the builders rejected

    has become the cornerstone,’[c]

1 Corinthians 3:11-17New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

11 For no one can lay any 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 be revealed 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 burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Our foundation is our Lord,  Jesus Christ,  our witness, our words, our work are built on this foundation,  can you imagine if a builder built an amazing  foundation for your new house, but instead of using the best building materials you decide to cut costs and use sub-standard  materials?  What would that house look like ?

1 Chronicles 28:9-20 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

David's Charge to Solomon

9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. 10 Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.”

11 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple,[a] and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; 13 for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the Lord, 14 the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, 15 the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, 16 the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18 for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.”

20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.