Foundations Matter!

We are going to begin a short theme series today that will cover a few weeks. The anchor for the teaching will be Luke 6, that's the verses that Gail read earlier. I am going to start at the end and work backward.

The writer of this Good News Account is Luke. He was writing a letter to give and orderly account to a Newer Christian. In essence, I want you to know Jesus. I want you to know how to follow Jesus. I want to Good News of Jesus to continue to spread.

Luke 6 is Luke’s equivalent to the sermon on the mount. But it is not written to a Jewish audience that would understand the entirety of the O.T. laws and regulations so Luke contextualized the teaching. Again Lukes goal is not information, but LIFE TRANSFORMATION.

We see Jesus has a crowd of disciples and a multitude of spectators. Jesus is going to teach and heal. A primary objective of this section is Jesus selecting 12 apostle. Literally a group of 12… apostle means sent out…

Luke 6:12–13 ESV

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Primarily Jesus is laying a foundation for how the Kingdom of God will grow. God’s method of ministry is incarnation missions . Just like God came to humanity in flesh and bone, God is preparing disciples who will be apostle. They will carry the message and very presence of God, Jesus God in flesh, to the regions around them. Discipleship, spiritual maturity, even what many before us have called sanctification an important adventure to be experientially transformed by Jesus in and through the circumstances of our life. as we are being changed by the grace of God, we offer that same grace to those we encounter on the Journey. Jesus wants to teach Disciples to navigate life as if on a Holy Quest.

However, on a fundamental level Jesus knows how unstable and flawed human perspectives and ambitions are. Therefore He sets out to establish or reestablish the foundations of whats important to those who will be truly Christian. He wants to teach and show them how to build their life, values, and how they will judge their success through the eyes of God.

So let’s jump to the end of the passage to set up how important Luke thinks this entire teaching of Jesus is and over the next few weeks we will look at the elements that hold the foundation together.

Luke 6:46–49 (ESV)

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

I am convinced that foundation for Christians is equal to TRUST. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE QUESTION, DO I REALLY TRUST GOD AND HIS WAYS. Will I dig down into what He says? Or will I build faulty, moving, shifting, broken ground.

The Foundation of anything will determine its outcome.

Foundations: Foundation is your origin, your root, the things that lead to your existence. The foundation of anything determines its outcome.

Operating on a faulty foundation is one of the most difficult things and a major hindrance to living God’s purpose for your life. You can not climb higher than the foundation you are resting on. Your foundation is your background; it has to do with your destiny. Foundation battles have limited many people’s destinies.

One of the greatest areas Christians today need deep prayer and deliverance is their foundation.

Jesus Question to His apostles, disciples, and the greater crowd of listeners is, “Will your foundation withstand the elements of time and the storms of life?”

God is a sure foundation for your life.

Psalm 18:1–3 ESV

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Life built on ANYTHING, I STRESS ANYTHING, OTHERS THAN THE SOLID, ETERNAL, TRUSTWORTHY nature of GOD is FOUNDATION PROBLEM THAT THE STORMS OF LIFES. THE RISING TIDES TREAMS AND FLOOD WATERS COME WILL LEAD TO GREAT RUIN.

However, I need you to hear this. God’s plan is not that you would fall in ruins! Instead, God would have your Foundation Repaired.

We wall have some cracks in our foundation… (Condo in Miami)

THE BIG QUESTIONS IS? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT OUR FOUNDATION ISSUES?

WE GET WRAPPED UP IN COSMETIC FEEL GOD CHANGES. Not cosmetic… we get rapped up in the cosmetic… See, Feel,

I think of the Miami Condo collapse and I a stunned by the thought of the millions of dollars of cosmetic work that was done. Yet the foundation knowingly compromised was left untouched.

How do we find and address our faulty foundations so our purpose in Christ can be fulfilled?

1. Examine foundation

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

What happens if we ignore the foundation problems?

Luke 6:49 ESV

But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

What are some common foundation problems:

Believing the great deception. Since the beginning the Evil One has tried to put cracks in our foundation by luring us to give into deception.

The deception is always a lie about who you are and who God is.

A lie about God’s intentions or even more about your power. If you will give into the deceit about you and God, you will have the keys to your life.

Life should be better than this!

God and following God’s ways are keeping you from experiencing life.

Buying into the lie: This is who you really are.

The abortive spirit of discontent.

Literally giving up on God’s plan and substituting a god and purpose of your own choosing.

I’m tired of waiting… I don’t care the concrete of my foundation isn’t ready. Let’s build.

Wealth and Status

Politics

Achievement

Relationships

Another part of the Deceptive Spirit of Disconnect is to Abort everything when the waters begin to rise.

But God’s foundational plan is that you and not even shake.

So how do we deal with this Deceptive Abortive Spirit?

Examine the foundation of your thought life. Where did it come from?

Examine the foundation of your fear life. What causes fear in your life?

Examine the foundation of your emotional life. What drives your emotions?

2. Authentically confess what need to be repaired.

To confess is to examine what foundation you have built your thoughts, feelings, fears, and future and to speak truth about the faulty foundation. To speak the truth to my thoughts, feelings, fears, and future.

The truth that I have been building my life on deception, lies, and false gods.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Colossians 2:14–15 (ESV)

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

3. Renounce allegiance to the faulty foundation.

We are attached to how things are or where. But to be direct, THIS IS ALLEGIANCE to deception and the abortive spirit.

I believe this is literal battle! It is a day in day out fight against our faulty foundation.

4. Pray for the blood of Jesus to heal the deepest cracks.

We need something that can go down in the cracks and remove what is faulty and replace it.

5. Obey and live the life of Jesus.

Follow Jesus and trust in Him and His vision of life.