Foundation
of Faith
6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a
special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of
the earth. 7 The
Lord did not set his love upon
you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were
the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he
had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord
brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of
bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the
faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep
his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate
him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth
him, he will repay him to his face.
Deuteronomy 7:6-10 (KJV)
It has been said that the
greatness of our lives is measured in the foundation upon which we build our
lives. How does America measure up to
that litmus test? How does your
church? How do you?
As I have for the past month
studied the founding of our nation from its primitive years up to the
Revolutionary War, I have found something interesting, which I missed in my
secular studies of the History of our Nation.
It is simply this: When our forefathers stood upright, living godly
lives they were blessed; and when they failed to acknowledge God, the blessings
ceased.
The very purpose of the
founding of our Nation, the reason for Columbus sailing to the New World, the reason
for the Proclamation of Independence, was to establish a Nation, as “One Nation
under God.”
Reasons for this exploration
and creation of a New Nation are varied, but there are three things which stand
out to me:
v There
was a Covenant that was to be founded in faith.
v There
was a Consensus that God was the ultimate authority and these people wished to
make that known.
v There
was a Country that was to shine the Light of Christ to the World.
Ultimately, the reach of the
New Nation and its philosophy was to be to honor and glorify the Lord God of
Heaven. But as often does happen, even
led of God to do a task or be on a mission, people chosen to live such a life,
turned away from God. They were led by
selfish desires, allowing gold and the acquirement of land to stand in the way
of the basic principles. This happens to
all which call themselves by the name of Christ at various times and in trying
seasons. It is then when we seem to
allow the foundation to be assaulted and compromised.
Yes it is us-you and me-the
citizens of this great country. We, the
church, have allowed what is happening today to take root. In The Light and the Glory (Revell; 1977),
Peter Marshall writes:
“America,
America-until about fifteen years ago, the name itself would evoke a feeling of
warmth. Whether it was pride or
gratitude or hope, the response of the majority of people on earth was deeply
positive. America’s moral and fiscal
currency was the soundest in the world; you could bank on it, and most of the
world did. Abroad, we were the free
world’s policeman; an encouraging older brother to those young nations
struggling to achieve democracy; and the hope of all peoples still in
bondage. In general, we were the most
steadying influence on an uneasy globe.
And at home, we were supremely confident that we were indeed making the
world a better place to live in. We
believed that technologically and diplomatically, it was only a matter of time
before this assignment would be satisfactorily completed.”
In the time which Marshall
points to, several things took place, taking the country into a nosedive. The military began to tumble and things did
not go as scripted. The President was
assassinated, revolts took place on every hand, authority was belittled and was
ignored, nations we had helped were unanimous in their hatred to America,
foreign policy devolved into reaction instead of action and the economy became
erratic. Educational aptitude results
plummeted, mental and emotional disorders seemed to break out across the land,
and moral standards were swept into the gutter.
That was some thirty six years
ago and we are not seeing things getting better. For all common purposes, we are far, far off
the plumb line and seem to get more so with each passing day. There have been talks of Fiscal Cliffs,
acceptance of things we once shunned, and difficulties on every corner. Basically, the answer to these problems has
been tossed out with the bath water and we are in trouble on all fronts.
Why is this happening? Why do we see the Foundations of Faith being
brittle and broken? Why is it that we
are seeing a massive assault on the church and Christianity as never
before? I will not say I have all the answers,
but I will give you some of the thoughts I have; thoughts which come from the
Word of God and from time spent with Him-the author and finisher of our faith.
I wish to submit to you, the
problem is not in Washington, or the State House, or in the Boardrooms of
Industry and Business, but the problem is in the individuals who populate this
nation; men and woman who call themselves by His name, yet have failed to stand
on at least four basic pillars, pillars which will assure a firm foundation.
A
Pillar of Faith
Far to often we are seeing too
many who want to work in their own power, make their own way, live their own
life and faith in a Supreme Being becomes second place, or at worse non
existent.
Faith is that element of our
lives that believes in something even when there is nothing visible to see or
when you are not able to touch and feel.
Faith is best defined by the writer of Hebrews:
“Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1
KJV)
The writer continues:
“For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were
not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:2-3 KJV)
It is by faith that the blind
man was made to see, the crippled walked, the dead were made to live again, and
the thousands came to know the love and forgiveness of God.
Faith is a stone in the
foundation we cannot live without. We
must have faith that even in the midst of the evil that permeates the world,
the troubles we see on every side, and the factions that have drawn the lines
in the sand; our God reigns and He will prevail. In FAITH I believe the book and the words say
that He will have His day; until then I hold firmly to His hand and when I
can’t trace His hand I can trust His heart!
A
Pillar of Freedom
Freedom of Religion; Freedom
from Queens’s demands; freedom from undue taxation; freedom from fear.
It seems to me that many more
today want freedom from religion, freedom to be chained and shackled to a king,
freedom that does not cost something.
Listen, the freedom you and I
have, which was given to us by the Preamble of the Constitution are worth
fighting for, at any cost. The freedoms
we celebrate as Americans are wonderful, refreshing, and more than others have. Many fought hard and long to gain and keep
these freedoms and I must, will say, God Bless America!
Freedom cost someone else-a
freedom of the soul-their very life.
Jesus willingly laid down His life so that you and I might live. We have freedom here and hereafter because of
His payment on the cross of Calvary.
A
Pillar of Prayer
As I looked back over the
founding fathers, and the Pilgrims establishment in Jamestown and other places,
I noted a common thread. It was so
simple and is so needed today. The most
important ingredient for a Foundation is PRAYER!
Prayer has become nothing more
than a second thought, an hour with five or ten minutes of meaningless words to
impress and inspire those who are listening.
I like the story of the young
girl who was asked by her daddy to offer the blessing for the food at
supper. Everyone bowed their head and
waited. After a few moments of silence,
the girl said, “Amen.” She immediately
started filling her plate as her daddy looked at her in bewilderment. He then spoke, “Honey, we did not hear your
prayer.” She said, “I wasn’t talking to
you daddy.”
She knew who she was talking to
and she knew who needed to hear her prayer.
We need to pray. As never before we need to seek the help and
hope that only Jesus can give us, and it comes through praying. We are to pray without ceasing. We are to pray for everything and
anything. We need to talk with the
Father about life and decisions, and problems and circumstances.
A
Pillar of Praise
Celebrations and feasts were a
common occasion back in the founding of our nation. But before you say we have nothing to
celebrate and very little to feast on, let me add quickly that these were more
times of praise and celebration to God for His intervening in their lives than
anything else.
We need to make praise a
regular part of our lives. We need to
glorify Him and His name in all that we do.
He is active and involved and
He deserves the praise of His people. If
we lift Him up He will draw all men to Him!
In the good it is easy; in the
difficult, it seems hard. But in the
hard times, the difficult times, the troubling times, the sick and death times
of life, we ought to lift up our hands to the God of Heaven and declare His
name to the ends of the earth. For His
names sake, we should praise Him!
The
Sure Cornerstone
As I conclude, I again submit
to you that the elements of faith, freedom, prayer and praise are a part, vital
parts, of the foundation which have been long neglected. But in my final summation and humble
estimation, I believe that the Chief Cornerstone has been long neglected and in
some places removed from the foundation all together.
This is the stone which was set at
nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Acts 4:11 (KJV)
In our day the word
“cornerstone” has little significance to the actual building of a strong
foundation. Most “cornerstones” are
nice, bronze plagues with the names of important people who made the building
possible. In ancient days, as in the
days of Christ, this was not the case.
The cornerstone was valuable and depended upon to make the rest of the
foundation strong enough and secure enough to build a building that would last
through the storms and elements of time.
In ancient times, the
cornerstone was the first block or pillar laid into the trench or on the
prepared ground. It was adjusted,
situated and checked to make sure it was appropriate. As the other stones or pillars were placed in
succession, the carpenter would always return to the cornerstone, making
adjustments to the next part of the foundation, measuring from the cornerstone. The cornerstone was the “plumb line” or the
level used for the rest of the foundation.
If the cornerstone was not correct, then the rest of the foundation was
off center, incorrect, and could cost the contractor a building, as it would
collapse without a sure cornerstone.
Anytime you look at a house…the
most important thing carefully to inspect is the foundation. It doesn't matter how beautiful, how
inexpensive, how well arranged, or how great the location, if the foundation is
not solid-steer clear of it. A faulty
foundation will cause more heartache, grief, and expense for a homeowner than
any other part of the house, because a house is no more sure than that upon
which it is built.
Jesus was a carpenter by
trade. He understood the importance of a
good foundation. At the end of the
Sermon on the Mount He gave a parable of two houses built upon different
foundations: one built upon a rock and the other built upon the sand (Matthew
7:24-27). It seems both houses were of
the same quality except the foundations differed. The one built upon a rock stood firm in the
storm, but not so with the house built on the sand.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a
rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a
rock. And every one that heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built
his house upon the sand: And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:
and great was the fall of it.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV)
Jesus was teaching an important
principle to His hearers with this illustration. The emphasis being-build your faith upon a
secure foundation. Most people fall away
from the church because they have not built their faith on the rock of God's
Word but have chosen instead a sandy, shifting foundation. These "sandy" foundations can come
in various forms.
The majority of the converts in
the church today are the result of members' children being converted in the
faith. As long as these children are
under Mother and Daddy's roof, sheltered from the problems of the world, they
remain faithful. There comes a time,
however, when they must move out to go to college or begin their own home. This is the time when they are most
susceptible to the wiles and temptations of the devil. If they have built their faith upon their
parents' faith, rather than having their own, they often fall. We cannot ride on our parents' coattails to
Heaven; we must establish our own righteousness. God told the prophet of Israel:
"If I send a pestilence into that
land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they
shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls
by their righteousness" (Ezekiel 14:19-20)
In other words, having a father
that is an elder or preacher will not excuse one's lack of faith. Your faithful grandparents aren't going to
get you into Heaven. It doesn't work
that way! "The soul that sinneth,
it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).
Building our faith upon our
education or some other man's education can be deadly. We are not to rest in man's wisdom but in the
wisdom of God. "Hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world?" (1 Corinthians 1:20). Many young people forsake their faith when
they enter into our colleges and universities.
Sadly, this does not exclude our "Christian"
universities. Young people come face to
face with professors sporting their credentials next to their names, claiming
to be "learned" men. The
problem is, most of these men have been influenced by the godless theory of
evolution and are now determined to push it upon the innocent. Paul describes these men:
"When they knew God, they glorified
him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans
1:21-22)
Those ungrounded in the faith
will quickly assume that whatever these men say is right because of their
credentials. "The fool hath said in
his heart, There is no God" (Psalms 14:1).
Don't be fooled by a fool!
Some people even try to build
their faith upon ignorance. "What
you don't know won't hurt you," the saying goes. The truth is, we alienate ourselves from God
through ignorance
“Having [their] understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart…” (Ephesians 4:18 KJV)
Paul gave a grave warning,
"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of
God: I speak this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 15:34). We are all agreeable to the Law of
Christ. Study it, know it-your soul
depends upon it!
If you want a house to stand
for years to come, make sure the foundation is sound. If you want your faith to stand the trials of
Satan, it must be built upon a firm foundation.
It is to be built upon a rock--the Truth. (John 17:17)
“Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)
This
is the only way we can be counted as a part of the family of God. Paul assured Timothy, "The foundation of
God standeth sure" (2 Timothy 2:19).
Don't be found homeless because of a faulty foundation.
Notes:
Ø The Light and the Glory is a book
written by Peter Marshall and David Manuel, published in 1977 by Fleming H.
Revell (a division of Baker Book House Company, PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids,
Michigan 49516-6287). It deals with the
founding of our nation, with a view into the Covenant Way of those faithful
Pilgrims who came to a New World, with a desire and a perceived calling from
God to be a light of and for Christ.
ISBN: 0-8007-5054-3 or 0-8007-0886-5.
Ø As part of the point dealing with
the Cornerstone, material was adapted from my copy of the Sermon and
Illustration Database, a free resource found on the Internet. (KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION; ID Number:
24032; TITLE: A Secure Foundation; AUTHOR: Rev. David Lemmons; http://lemmonsaid.net/; HURST STREET HERALD; Volume XX,
#24, June 20, 1999; Author: Larry
DeLong) Go to www.jesusplusnothing.com and follow the directions for downloading your copy,
today.
Ø Pastors: This manuscript was used as
a sermon at Rockford Baptist Church on January 13, 2013 in the AM service. It is the second in a series of sermons
titled A Picture of America. While I was
able to make it one sermon, there may be a possible use in whole for two
messages. By utilizing the last point,
The Sure Cornerstone, and adding to it, you might be able to follow up with a
sermon on the four pillars of the foundation in your next message. You are welcomed to use all or part in any
fashion you see fit, with little or no credit to this author. I am at your service.
