Thank you, God!

How Firm a Foundation!

We are on a year long journey to build, rebuild or maybe even for the first time introduce using the Old Testament and New Testament working together.

The Foundations that are vital in our world TODAY… the building blocks of a relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit gives us courage, to explore our faith, build our faith and share our faith.

Why do we need this “strong foundation?” Now the camp song tells us that foundation needs to be built strong so when the rains come the foundation will remain unchanged.

When difficulties, tragedies, and tribulations come that foundation that has been systematically built can withstand anything that the world would be able to throw at it.

The very first thing when we begin to build the foundation of our house.

Plant the Flag

Our flag is our Faith in Christ.

Flags and banners have played a HUGE part in identifying friend and foe.

Planting the “Christian Flag,” a coat-of-arms or anything else that identifies the owner as a Jesus-Follower.

That can either make you a hero or a goat in your neighborhood.

That is a highly symbolic way to show were your allegiance lies.

It is also directed by Jesus for us to identify as Jesus Followers.

Philippians 3:17 NIV84

17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

Throughout time it was important to declare your allegiance to one commander or another, one king and kingdom or another.

Here is a BOLD statement that Joshua has made to indicate his allegiance.

Joshua 24:15 ESV

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

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Our next responsibility is building that foundation to withstand whatever this world throws at it.

Big Question: Does God leave us or forget us in the midst of our bad, sinful choices?

Building a Foundation

A building will NOT stand and protect unless it is built correctly.

Do you have a Foundation that is correctly built? Let me ask 3 questions

When trouble comes do you fallback to what has been built? Do you fallback on the foundations that you know?

When looking at the foundation is it built with sand and is washing away with each passing storm cloud? Or is it as solid as a rock?

Matthew 7:24–25 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

3. Do you know the source of the strength of your foundation?

Proverbs 18:10 ESV

10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Living Safely and Secure on the Rock

Our Foundation if built brick by brick, layer-by-layer, will give us the power and energy and the strength to live out our lives, regardless of what this world and the people in it, throw at us.

Psalm 122:7 ESV

7 Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”

God knows all of the things that are going to be thrown at us to attempt to get us off of our foundation.

If we leave our foundation… we are on settling sand and I’m afraid you won’t find bottom for a long time.

When “bottom” finds you… know that God still loves you and he wants to save you. You must turn from the wicked in your life and restore fellowship with the only one that matters that you are in fellowship.

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Our foundation is built upon a ROCK! We know that we can return to the giver of that foundation at any time and make corrections as needed.

What is the condition of your Foundation?

Strong and Firm… Ready to take on the world and what it throws at us.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV84

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

2. Lacking, with foundation slipping away, its raining very hard in your life and you are looking down and see shifting sands.

Ephesians 2:20 ESV

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

What can you do?

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing you can change your path, or change your allegiance. It will be rough for a time but God still has you in the palm of his hand.

Isaiah 49:26 (ESV) which in part says

26 “...Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Exodus 6:1-8

Exodus 6:1–8 ESV

1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”

I want to pivot and talk about Moses and his foundation. What where his strengths, how did he do building up his foundation?

Moses

Moses story is probably very familiar to many of us.

Moses spent the first 80 years of his life in Pharaoh’s house, herding sheep

Moses was born during the 400 years the Hebrews were in Egyptian captivity. The probably built some part of the sphinx and pyramids.

God has a HUGE plan and a HUGE job for Moses. He was going to ask him to lead His people out of Egypt.

Now considering it could have been 2-3 million people that was a HUGE job and was a huge success for God, the Hebrews and Moses and his family. OR… Is it a great big bust and he fails.

So we hold Moses up as an example of our faith, an example of courage, an example of one who completely relies on the Lord God to right every wrong and to smooth sail his life.

That’s maybe how it was intended but right out of the shoot Moses compromised his Foundation...

Exodus 2:11–12 ESV

11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

He committed murder… yes he was defending a Hebrew brother but it was still murder?

How is his foundation now?

Well… Foundation building is a difficult process, it takes a lot to build it. Carefully engineering it, finding the right material and finally putting it together correctly.

Yes, he committed murder...

Exodus 2:13–14 ESV

13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”

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Of course he knew what had happened.. He knew what the penalty was. DEATH!!! for killing the Egyptian.

His Foundation was in the toilet!!!

He ran and ran and ran because Pharoah, the King wanted to kill him...

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POINT #1 - GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH MOSES OR US.

Moses fled for his protection. He fled into the family that will be the beginning of a firm foundation for Moses and for the Hebrews.

God arranged the circumstances that allowed Moses to return to Egypt.

Exodus 3:10–12 ESV

10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

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Moses was hiding and ashamed what he had done… He thought God had washed His hands of Moses… BUT for God’s purposes Moses was redeemed and confirmed.

POINT #2 - How often do we, back away from God

Yet each time He calls us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and launch our lives again from a “FIRM FOUNDATION.”

IF he wanted us dead he just would have taken us.

So are we God’s play-thing that he gets to push around with his hands and feet and then just leave us when he is done..?

Categorically NO!!!

GEn 1.26

Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...”

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God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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This is what God thought about as he was observing what Moses had done, and what we do.

Maybe not commit murder as Moses did, but those transgressions of God’s law of any size and scope mean just as much to God.

POINT #3 - Redemption and Renewal are available!

Often times we read a verse of scripture, a verse and then hang ourselves out to dry because we are “want” it to fit our situation exactly and KNOW FOR SURE that God is OUT TO GET US.

That simply is not true… The consistent thread throughout scripture from Genesis through Revelation is one of hope for a future, hope for a world not ruled with fear, and consistent strife.

All of those things “good,” “bad,” and “ugly” are NOT unknown to God.

But He for some reason has allowed us to come back to him with contrite hearts and open minds to re-engage with him and his will and ways for us.

Let’s look at our BIG QUESTION again.

Big Question: Does God leave us or forget us in the midst of our bad, sinful choices?

He is the Lord...

And

Psalm 95:7 (ESV)

7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand...”

I pray that we can have the boldness, and humility of Moses in the face of insurmountable odds and people.

I pray that the forgiveness, Grace and Mercy shown to Moses gives us the courage and and responsibility to do what is right before the Lord God. Amen