How firm is your foundation?

(Luke 6) 5783 B”H

Luke 6:46 stood out to me today in my reading. It is part of the Sermon on the Plain, a fairly well-known passage that echoes the Sermon on the Mount, but goes beyond what we would call “beatitudes” and includes woes and warnings to ensure that God’s people seek to build their faith upon a firm foundation.

A Direct Question

“Why do you call me, ‘”‘Master, Master’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46, TLV

Yeshua (Jesus) is our Master, our LORD. Many of us are familiar with the New King James translation:

“But why do you call Me ‘LORD, LORD,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46, NKJV

He is LORD, and we are not.

Therefore, as followers of our Almighty and Merciful Savior, we are to very intentionally become servants of our Master Yeshua (Jesus).

Deliberate Faith

Oswald Chambers, a Scottish Baptist-Holiness evangelist, used the term “deliberately” to describe the relationship we are to be in: “The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ.”

Oswald Chambers deliberate signing away rights

Peter described himself this way:

“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ . . .” 2 Peter 1:1

This is all remarkably countercultural, of course.

The world seeks increase, but as John would preach, we must decrease (John 3:30).

Yeshua (Jesus) asks a very direct, but entirely fair question:

You call Me your LORD and your Master, so why don’t you do what I tell you to do?

Why don’t you do what I say?

Obedience

There are instances when we know we should have done one thing, but did another.

Times when we knew God was leading us in a certain direction, but we either ignorantly failed to really tune into His voice or we very deliberately or defiantly chose to ignore His leading.

Yet our Savior Yeshua (Jesus) died so we could be in relationship with Him. He gave His life so we could confidently live our lives knowing this life is not the end.

He simply asks us to obey Him.

Our Perfect Teacher

He is our Master as well as our Teacher:

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40

There is great truth in that statement.

If you have been taught by God-fearing men and women, you will learn to emulate them.

If you have been taught by the arrogant, a twinge of that arrogance will probably brush off on you.

As followers of the Perfect Teacher, we should absolutely be hearing His voice and seeking to be just like Him. That His Words would be our words and we would speak Truth and Life, Love, and the message of Salvation.

Yeshua (Jesus) taught using stories. This helps us visualize the lesson He is trying to help us to understand:

“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:47-49

A Firm Foundation

Throughout the Scriptures, the LORD emphasizes the need for us to have a solid foundation:

“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.'” Isaiah 28:16, NIV

As someone who fights an ongoing war with anxiety, I love the translation here in the NIV. We who rely on our Savior, our sure Foundation, will never be “stricken with panic.” Our faith must help us win every battle! Anxiousness really has no place in the life of a believer so it is a battle we must fight and trust Him to help us win. ” . . . God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7.

God has not given us a spirit of fear 2 Timothy 1 7

I am also a person who has a ton of faith. I’ve seen enough miracles to know His mighty power is still working today. Faith, built on a firm foundation will take you so very far and you will witness so many glorious works of the LORD.

Are you praying today for a loved one to be saved?

Trust in the LORD! Have faith!

Build your prayer life upon His promises and maintain a firm foundation.

No matter what comes up against you, you will prevail if you continue to build up your faith by reading God’s Word, listening to His voice, and obeying Him!

Rebuilding the Foundational Wall of Jerusalem

When Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem, there was adversity:

“But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” Nehemiah 4:1-2

Nehemiah was not deterred.

Nehemiah had a firm foundation, the anchor of his soul: he loved the LORD and wanted to do all he could to serve Him:

“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:6

The people had a mind to work.

When those who love the LORD set their minds to work for His Kingdom, amazing things can happen. Let those naysayers be, and keep working for the LORD. He will bless you and keep you safe from all harm because your foundation is found in Him.

Our Chief Cornerstone

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19:21, emphasis added)

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) is our Chief Cornerstone and our faith is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

When we are firm in our faith and understanding, we realize that we – together with God’s people all around the world of every nation, tribe, tongue – we comprise the temple, spiritually now. Our body, the Body of Christ, the Body of Messiah, is the temple of the Holy Spirit , (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Importance of Teaching our Children

“And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:1-7 (emphasis added).

This account from Joshua (Yehoshua) is a perfect example of attention devoted to children. The Israelites were journeying, they were tired, they had to contend with their fears and foes, and yet the LORD inspired Joshua to instruct the twelve men to carry a stone that would serve as an object lesson “in time to come” when the children asked about the significance of the stones.

Have you invested time into training up your children to know the history of their faith?

Do you come from a blessed background in which you grew up knowing about Jesus?

Not everyone grew up with a firm foundation, but we can all work to change that for future generations.

When you children ask in time to come all the details of faith, may the story of Joshua be included, for those stones began to lay a foundation even there in the wilderness.