Building on a Foundation for the Future

Introduction

April 10th, a little over a month ago, marked 121 years since a one-dollar-bill was given to the founder of our institution that solidified a tug on the 28-year-old’s heart to start a school on the east coast similar to D.L. Moody’s school in Chicago. 78 days later on June 27 the first classes were being held and the legacy of Practical Bible Training School, Practical Bible College, Davis College was set into motion, yet it was all because of the foundation that the school was built on. That April evening in Elmira, John A. Davis was preaching a sermon entitled “The Two Foundations” from Matthew 7:24-27 where he asks the question, what foundation are you building on?

The Parable

Matthew 7:24–27 NKJV

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

This parable comes at the end of the sermon on the mount where Jesus challenged Pharisaic interpretations of the Mosaic Law and introduced such radical ideas like loving your enemy, calling God your Father in prayer, and not worrying about food or clothes. Jesus introduces two men, a wise man and a foolish man (similar to Psalmist in Psalm 1 has the blessed man and ungodly man). Each man chose to build a house, but what they chose to build on is what made them wise and foolish.

In his sermon, John A. Davis said, “All are building. You cannot dodge that truth. It is a fact, whether we realize it or not; whether we believe it or not. We cannot help it. Boys and girls, men and women; young and old. All are building, yes building a character for eternity, and how few stop to think what it means. Eternity—think of it, and it is just ahead of you!”

Each one of us as believers in Jesus Christ and Board Members of Davis are building on some foundation. Likewise we as corporate board we are building on a foundation.

Later in his sermon John A. Davis said these words: “We must building on something. That is common sense. We cannot build on air; we all know that we must build on some foundation. It is true that at times all build what they call ‘air castle,’ but they do not amount to anything. So then, if all are building and must build on some foundation how very information it is to know what we are building.”

Throughout the history of our school we have seen many ups and downs and some of the downs have been very down. We are now building back up from one of those dips in our 121 year history and I am thankful for the leadership and for this board. I believe we are building on the right foundation and I have seen God’s hand in the midst of everything that has transpired in the past few years, but we need to stay the course that God has put us on as we look to be thankful of our daily bread and be wise and discerning to be good stewards for the future.

Conclusion

So for each one of us individually and us a corporate board I want to challenge us to look and see what foundation are we building on in our personal walks with the LORD and also as we make decisions today and in the future. Is our goal to make His name magnified? Is our goal to train men and women to be salt and light (one of the thing Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount), and to be people who take 2 Timothy 2:2 to heart. To be the faithful men and women who have been trained, discipled, and now are committing them to other faithful men and women who will be able to teach others also. We have been put together here for this season for such a time as this. God has given each one of our talents and gifts to advance His kingdom and glory through the ministry of Davis College.