The Firm Foundation

In the early Church in Acts 4, before the meeting place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciple’s sincere prayer was to be given boldness for God’s glory, not their own. For Christ-followers, this must be the foundation of absolutely everything in our lives.

Verses 29 & 30 of Acts 4 records this… “And now, Lord… grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your Word with all boldness while you stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

The result? The text says “…with great power they continued to give testimony about the risen Jesus.”

Tragically, church history is full of examples where man’s glory and his own ideas have attempted to usurp God’s. What a “black eye.” A classic early example is found in the case of Diotrephes (most likely in the Church at Ephesus), as recorded in the much-overlooked book of 3 John.

In verses 9 & 10 the Apostle John is writing to a Church leader in Asia Minor named Gaius: “I have written… to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.”

What’s the context here? Diotrephes aspired to be the preeminent one in the church therefore, he perceived everyone else with any authority — including the Apostle John — as a threat. Because of Diotrephes’ desire for control, he rejected what the apostle had to say and even apparently withheld John’s letter to the church.

From what we read in 3 John, John exposed Diotrephes for the following reasons: Rejecting Biblical teaching, making unjust accusations, being inhospitable, and excommunicating those who didn’t follow his own way.

The motivations behind Diotrephes actions show some deep deviations from the a Biblical foundation. Research shows that of professing Christians in America, only 9% possess a Biblical world view, or foundation.

Additionally, Biblical Christianity clearly declares that the Bible is God’s Word, that it’s God’s divinely inspired and inerrant message to us. But, another research study recently found the following. Note, these stats are not from Christian studies, not an outside source:

• Only 45 % of those who regularly attend church reported reading the Bible more than once a week.
• Almost 1 in 5 churchgoers say they never read the Bible.
• Just 3% of Christian adults say they are actively discipling at least 1 other believer.
• Only 41% of lead pastors say they have a Biblical worldview.
• Only 22% of associate pastors say they have a Biblical worldview.
• Only 12% of youth pastors say they have a Biblical Worldview.

2 Peter 1:20 to 2 Peter 2:2 says this-

…you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them… Many will follow their depraved conduct and will blaspheme the way of truth.

The Apostle Paul said this to Timothy in 2 Tim 3:16-17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete (mature), equipped for every good work.

Paul also said this to the church at Corinth in 1 Cor 3:11-14- For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day of the Lord will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

In Matthew 7, Jesus said that everyone who hears His Words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the Rock (Him). Then He went on to say everyone who hears His Words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

The message is crystal clear. A proper foundation is not only necessary, it’s VITAL. 

Blessings,

Rev. Jon Barrett | Executive Director of CVCCS