Christ, Foundational
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro
Intro
Foundations are very important aren’t they. In fact, a foundation is needed for us to build upon anything. When you start building a house, you want a strong foundation, just try to put up walls without one, what’s gonna happen is it’ll collapse. Weak foundations deteriorate quickly, and harsh environments will quickly expose them as weak, and bring about utter destruction.
46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”
That’s exactly what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t it? That weak foundation led to destruction of the mans house, but Jesus goes on to elaborate even, that the destruction of the house was complete, or great. As in to say, it was totally destroyed. No not just a crack in the ceiling, or an offset stair from a bad foundation, total destruction. Everything was gone.
So what does a foundation on Christ mean for us?
11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
vs 11-13:
1. You were once excluded, now your included
This is remarkable, we have all felt left out before, some may still feel that way, but one thing is for certain, with Jesus Christ as the foundation of your life, you are included with all brothers and sisters who walk in this faith.
2. We are unified in peace by Jesus Christ
In a nation so often calling on peace and unity, the only element missing in these larger claims, is where that real peace and unity comes from. It comes from Jesus Christ! Unity on it’s own sounds like a great idea, but it doesn’t hold up just because people say lets be peaceable, lets look to unity. It holds up when the hearts of man/woman are turned towards God, and through the work of Jesus Christ comes unity.
We, Christians, are unified in peace by Jesus Christ, not by anyone else. No one can take that away from us, because no one can take Jesus from us, or what He has done for us.
(Fun Fact, in the temple there was an actual partition with a sign that warned gentiles going beyond it they’d receive swift and sudden death!) Can you say division much????
Christ is what unites us. It is significant to realize that the color of your skin doesn’t matter, your job, your upbringing, what hobbies you have, or your political party you support, or whether your a packers fan!!!!!
or a bears fan....BOOOOOO! Just kidding, all 2 of you bears fans out there know we love you! kidding. None of that matters in the bigger picture because we are unified by the bond of Jesus Christ that brings us into a brotherhood, and a sisterhood unlike anything else in this world.
a. so what we are unified by Christ, by peace, what does that mean for me?
Is there someone in your life your at odds with? Maybe it pains you to be at odds with them, but you disagree over something that may be important, and it’s caused this disunity? Even when our choices in things like politics, or preferences to culture or whatever aren’t in line, if we are in Christ, then we can find unity with each other. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we can agree on Jesus, that will unify you. But if Christ isn’t their foundation, then friends, it will always be hard to remain in unity, because something will always come up that will break that unity.
That’s why Christ is Foundational!
3. You are reconciled by the work of the Cross.
You have been reconciled to God when Jesus is the foundation of who you are. It’s because this reconciliation has taken place, that we have access now to our heavenly Father!
19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
The original church, and what leads to the churches across this world we have today was built on by the apostles and prophets.
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
Here’s the thing, Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that everything else is built on. This cornerstone was the first large stone placed at the corner of a building. The builders would line up the rest of the building to this corner stone. Jesus is that corner stone, the apostles were lined up by the chief cornerstone, and Jesus Christ is foundational to our faith. What we believe of Him, and His works are essential.
For us to be, Included, unified in peace, and reconciled to God, Jesus must be the foundation we build everything on
Alittle homework, read 1 Peter 2:1-9
on your own at home or with your families.
May Jesus be your cornerstone, your foundation, and may you build your lives and your families upon Him, that you may be secure, and weather every storm to come, Amen