Building a Lasting Legacy on Christ's Foundation

Devotional

Day 1: Building on the Unshakeable Foundation

Our lives and ministries must be anchored in Jesus Christ, the only foundation that ensures stability and endurance. Without this foundation, all efforts are in vain and will ultimately crumble. Just as a physical building requires a solid base to remain standing, our spiritual lives must be anchored in Christ to ensure they are not easily shaken. This foundation is not just about personal faith but extends to how we engage in ministry and community, ensuring that all we do is rooted in the truth of the gospel. [10:46]

"For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been relying on your own strength rather than the foundation of Christ? How can you begin to shift your reliance to Him today?

Day 2: Building with Eternal Materials

The materials we use in our spiritual construction matter. We must build with the genuine gospel of Jesus Christ, avoiding superficial or false teachings that will not withstand divine scrutiny. Paul warns against using inferior materials—symbolic of false teachings or superficial practices—that will not withstand the fire of God's judgment. Instead, we are called to build with the genuine gospel, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with God's truth and empowered by the Holy Spirit. [17:31]

"Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done." (1 Corinthians 3:13, ESV)

Reflection: What teachings or practices have you embraced that may not align with the true gospel? How can you seek God's guidance to discern and replace them with His truth?

Day 3: Living with the Awareness of Divine Inspection

Our works will be tested by God's holy presence. This is not about salvation but about the rewards or regrets we may face based on how we have lived and served. The anticipation of this day should inspire us to live with intentionality and purpose, seeking to honor God in all we do. Living with this awareness should inspire us to honor God in all we do. [24:43]

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV)

Reflection: How does the knowledge of an eventual divine inspection influence your daily decisions and actions? What changes can you make today to align more closely with God's will?

Day 4: Embracing Our Identity as God's Temple

We are the dwelling place of God's Spirit, called to live holy and set-apart lives. This profound truth invites us to embody God's presence in the world, contributing to His eternal kingdom. As we build our lives and ministries, we are invited to be the place where God delights to dwell, ensuring that our efforts contribute to the sacred skyline of God's eternal kingdom. [31:42]

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you better reflect the holiness and presence of God in your daily interactions and choices? How can you create an environment where God's Spirit feels welcome to dwell?

Day 5: Living with an Eternal Perspective

Our actions today have implications for eternity. By building with God's power and for His glory, we can make an impact that lasts beyond our lifetime, contributing to the sacred skyline of God's church. This eternal perspective encourages us to focus on what truly matters, aligning our lives with God's eternal purposes and seeking to make a lasting impact for His kingdom. [38:33]

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18, ESV)

Reflection: What temporary concerns have been distracting you from focusing on eternal matters? How can you realign your priorities to reflect an eternal perspective in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound question: "Are you building something that will last?" Drawing from personal anecdotes and the teachings of the Apostle Paul, we delved into the significance of constructing our lives and ministries on a foundation that endures beyond the temporal, reaching into eternity. The essence of our discussion centered on the metaphor of construction, likening our spiritual journey to building a structure that withstands the test of time and divine scrutiny.

We began by acknowledging the importance of building on a firm foundation, which for us as believers, is Jesus Christ. Just as a physical building requires a solid base to remain standing, our spiritual lives must be anchored in Christ to ensure they are not easily shaken. This foundation is not just about personal faith but extends to how we engage in ministry and community, ensuring that all we do is rooted in the truth of the gospel.

Furthermore, we discussed the materials we use in our spiritual construction. Paul warns against using inferior materials—symbolic of false teachings or superficial practices—that will not withstand the fire of God's judgment. Instead, we are called to build with the genuine gospel, ensuring that our efforts are aligned with God's truth and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The concept of inspection day was introduced, reminding us that our works will be tested by God's holy presence. This is not about earning salvation, which is secure in Christ, but about the rewards or regrets we may face based on how we have lived and served. The anticipation of this day should inspire us to live with intentionality and purpose, seeking to honor God in all we do.

Finally, we reflected on the incredible truth that we are God's temple, the dwelling place of His Spirit. This calls us to live lives that are holy and set apart, embodying the presence of God in the world. As we build our lives and ministries, we are invited to be the place where God delights to dwell, ensuring that our efforts contribute to the sacred skyline of God's eternal kingdom.

Key Takeaways

1. Building on a Firm Foundation: Our lives and ministries must be anchored in Jesus Christ, the only foundation that ensures stability and endurance. Without this foundation, all efforts are in vain and will ultimately crumble. [10:46]
2. Using Genuine Materials: The materials we use in our spiritual construction matter. We must build with the genuine gospel of Jesus Christ, avoiding superficial or false teachings that will not withstand divine scrutiny. [17:31]
3. Anticipating Inspection Day: Our works will be tested by God's holy presence. This is not about salvation but about the rewards or regrets we may face based on how we have lived and served. Living with this awareness should inspire us to honor God in all we do. [24:43]
4. Being God's Temple: We are the dwelling place of God's Spirit, called to live holy and set-apart lives. This profound truth invites us to embody God's presence in the world, contributing to His eternal kingdom. [31:42]
5. Living with Eternal Perspective: Our actions today have implications for eternity. By building with God's power and for His glory, we can make an impact that lasts beyond our lifetime, contributing to the sacred skyline of God's church. [38:33]
** [38:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[05:33] - Building Something That Lasts
[10:46] - Foundation on Jesus
[17:31] - Genuine Gospel Materials
[24:43] - Inspection Day: Reward or Regret
[31:42] - Being God's Temple
[38:33] - Living with Eternal Perspective
[45:00] - The Call to Build Together
[50:00] - Closing Prayer and Commitment

Sermon Clips

1) "Are you building something that will last? Are you building something? Something that's going to be around. You know, I grew up with a whole lot of construction workers in my family, a whole lot of construction tools in the garage, and so I loved being able to see what can be built if you've got the skills, if you've got the tools, and maybe a few YouTube videos. We didn't really have those back in the day, so you had to depend quite a bit more on, on some of the things that were going on, and somebody knowing what they were doing, and this is something I always remember seeing." [00:57] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "You know, whether you realize it or not, you're a part of building something. You are building something with your life. Maybe one of the things you're building is a healthy context for your family, a place where your family can be, can grow and thrive. That is a great thing to build. Maybe you are a part of building, you're a supervisor or your boss's vision for a company that will make a difference in our world. That can be a great thing. Maybe you're starting to build some things, and whether we realize it or not, whatever we're trying to build, we've got to ask the question, will it last?" [03:00] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "If you want to make a lasting impact, an impact that can last five million years and beyond, then I've got these two invitations for you. Number one, we are called to build the church using God's construction standards. We are called to build and to adhere to God's code of, hey, this is the standard. This is the way you're called to build. This is the way that you're building. It's going to not be torn down at some point in the future. So I've got a question. Are you ready to build?" [08:00] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "Without that foundation, the whole thing will crumble, and I've got to be honest with you. Here at Village Bible Church, if we build anything within this church, within our ministry structure, within our vision and mission, if we build anything and it's not squarely on the foundation of Jesus Christ, it's all going to crumble. Amen? If you've got your Bibles, I want you to go ahead and turn with me to 5 .5. 1 Corinthians chapter 3." [12:00] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "The question I have for you is, as we serve together, are we building on the foundation of Jesus Christ? Because it's possible for us to be building on the foundation of comfort. You know, to say, okay, well, as long as church is pretty fun and not too stressful, I'll stick around for that. but uh but if god calls me to abandon an area of sin in my life this one that i got over here kind of hidden yeah i don't know i'm i'm gonna have to be ducking out for that one we shouldn't be building on the foundation of comfort we shouldn't be building on a foundation of looking good." [14:00] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "The reward for faithful service is the master's pleasure and his confidence, which leads to a further entrusting of responsibility. In heaven, there will be opportunities given for leadership, for continued service within heaven as we spend all eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, enjoying his presence, fellowshipping with other believers, worshiping him, and somehow it seems there will be some responsibility and opportunity given to continue serving him and enjoying his presence in that way, doing the very thing we've been created to do." [27:00] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "God's been doing the same search. He says, where is the place I want to dwell? He's dwelled at times in a tent. He's brought the fullness of his presence to the holy of holies in the temple, but now in the fullness of his plan, God says, I want to dwell in the hearts of my people. I want to dwell in the sons and daughters of Jesus Christ. What an astonishing truth for us. Paul asks a question of the Corinthians, because he's like, I'm not sure you remember this. Take a look with me at verse 16. He says, do you not know that you are God's temple?" [32:00] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8) "God wants to be with us. What a blessing. God wants to be with us. Does that occur with, occur to you as you wake up each morning? God wants to be with me. Number two, God wants to talk with us. God delights to hear us pouring out our hearts. There are some things in our hearts that are like, nah, I can't tell anybody about that. But no, God wants to hear it. What's going on in you, the things that are breaking you up inside, the pain that you've had, some sort of a relationship that's not going the way you believe God's called it to be." [38:33] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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