Building on a Firm Foundation

John Pape, Jr

1 Kings 5:17-18 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

Luke 6:48-49 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Why the Foundation is so important.

Any building needs solid foundation in order to remain standing. The foundation is the base upon which everything is built. In our study here we need to understand that Jesus is the foundation to everything we do in the worship ministry. In this section we will examine the relationship we have with him and how to maintain that relationship so that the foundation will remain strong and solid.

It starts with a relationship.

Before anyone can worship God they must first have a relationship with Him. Once you have the relationship then and only then can you truly worship in spirit and in truth. In this chapter I will share with you three reasons to worship. Each of these reasons is built on a relationship that is only available through fellowship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. First you need to know that God loves you very much. Second God gives us grace that allows us to love Him. And third because of our relationship we have a hope for our future.

God Is Love

First you need to know is that God loves you. He always has and always will. I believe one of the greatest experiences is to know that you are loved. That by itself is reason enough to worship God. After all, God is the creator of love. He is the very essence of love. Not only does he love us; He also wants to have a relationship with us. We were created to have fellowship with God. Fellowship is a relationship. Since God loves us we ought to show our appreciation. We do this through our worship of Him. But the reason for loving God goes even deeper. You need to understand that God loves you so much. He desires intimate fellowship with us. That is where the second reason to worship comes.

God Gives Us Grace

The second reason we worship God is that we received His wonderful gift of grace. Let me explain. We are sinful by nature. We are born that way. It is our heritage. The problem with this is that when we are in the state of sin we are unable to truly experience God’s total love toward us. There is a barrier between God and us. This barrier is so large no man can bridge the gap.

We are stubborn, self-willed, and independent wanting to do what we want. It is our desire to feed our flesh with worldly things. While in the state of sin we have a death sentence on our life. Our destiny is eternal damnation totally separated from the best things that God offers. You will never experience the fullness of worship unless you have an intimate relationship.

But, in His mercy towards us He provides a fool proof method of reconciliation. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Here is the key to grace. If you learn anything reading this article this is the most important. He sent his son Jesus to reconcile us back to God. Jesus paid the debt we owed because of sin. He took on death and beat it. His pure a sinless life allowed Him to rise from the dead. Through Him we can now have the kind of fellowship God wants. All a person needs to do is believe the gospel is true. We worship Jesus for the great and mighty sacrifice He did to restore our relationship with God.

God Give Us A Hope For The Future

Not only does God love us and have given us a priceless gift of grace, he also gives us a hope for the future. The very moment you receive the free gift of salvation immediately you have a place in heaven. You citizenship is there. Your name is written in the Book of Life. As a matter of fact Jesus is there preparing a place for you. The thing about worship is it is an opportunity to prepare for our time in heaven. You can begin to experience a taste of heaven. The most precious moments I experience when I worship are those times when I am in the very presence of God. What I desire is to think of this as practicing for that day when I am before God in all His glory, bowing down at the throne. Seeing Him face to face for the very first time in person. Worship allows us to get a small glimmer of this. I get excited when I meditate on this awesome time.

Now that we have taken a journey toward the reasons we worship let me recap. First, we know that God loves us very much. He desires to have fellowship with us. But because we are by nature sinful we are separated from God’s love. It is impossible for us as individuals to fix that. Which brings us to the second point. God gives us grace. He devised a plan that allows us to be reconciled back to Him. Jesus came to die on a cross for our sin. But, because He was without any sin he was able to beat the death sentence and raised up from the grave. The grace is that we have salvation by believing in Jesus. That’s it! It is so simple. Just receive it. And third, God did all of this because He desires eternal fellowship. Therefore, He have given us a future hope in that we can now live forever and we have a place in heaven.

One final thought. You need to be connected to the Savior Jesus. If you have never asked for salvation, now is the perfect time to begin a relationship with God through Jesus. Ask Him today and believe me you will never be the same. Here is a prayer you can pray to begin your journey with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forging my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the person you created me to be.

Amen.

Building Blocks to nurture your relationship

Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
Talk to God in prayer every day.
Tell others about Christ.
Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.
As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

In Conclusion

Before you are able to truely mininster to the people you serve, you must have a foundation that is built on Jesus. That foundation is started at the point you begin a relationship with God though His son Jesus. This is the greatest give anyone can receive and the best part it is absolutely free. Take advange of your position in Christ. Know that he loves you and that he has a hope for your future.

RESOURCE BOX

This article is an excerpt for the new book by John Pape, Jr titled "Building a House of Worship" For more information on how you can get your copy of this book go to...
http://www.buildingahouseofworship.com
SPECIAL NOTICE: Please feel free to publish this article in your e-zines, newsletters, on your website or in your book. I only require that you publish the Resource Box and the end of the article.
Copyright John Pape Jr.

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