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God our Father, look upon us with love. You redeem us and
make us Your children in Christ. Give us true freedom and bring us to the
inheritance You promised. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen
“According to the grace
of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and
someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.” -1 Corinthians
3:10-11
St. Paul tells us a
Christian is to be compared to a building, And Christ is the foundation. Since
there can be no building without a foundation, Christ is essential and necessary.
Any other foundation for life is inadequate. And unreliable. Other foundations
- they can’t be trusted! Because they do not work!
To have a foundation
of Christ is to look at each individual Christian as a building project. Living
the faith is a process. No Christian is ready-made. You are constantly in the
making. No one can claim to have arrived. Or to be finished. Or perfect.
Think about your
parents. Except for Tory, I’ve confirmed at least one if not both of your
parents! Do you think they are the same persons they were twenty-eight years
ago? Or twenty-five years ago? Or fifteen years ago? Or ten years ago? Of course not! They too have grown. And
matured. And developed!
And they will also
tell you that there are and there will be temptations. And challenges. And
issues in your road. That’s why you need Jesus. And His Word. And His precious
body and blood. And the support of each person in this room.
You belong to Christ.
How so? You are Christ’s because you have been born anew. You are Christ’s
because in grace you were received in baptism. Since you are in Christ, you
know who you are. And whose you are. You know where you have come from. Why you are here. And where you are going. You
are not alone.
1.
Jesus Christ provides the foundation.
A. All other foundations are excluded. They won’t stand the test
of time. They’ll break down.
1.
We are to exclude perishable foundations. Like
those who trust in money – whose god is green. Or in self-improvement. Or in
pride. "Inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin.”[1]
Pride is the mother of all sins...there is such a thin line between
righteousness and self-righteousness. the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts
are far from God
2.
We are to exclude personality cults. Trust not
in kings. They are but mortal. Place all your trust in Christ your Lord.
B.
Jesus Christ provides an imperishable
foundation. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. – 1 Peter 1:23 Put your trust in Jesus. He cannot fail you.
Follow no man. Follow Jesus. You are the Father’s handiwork. He did not make a
mistake. He has given His angels strict orders to protect His own. You have an
advocate, a defense attorney before the Father. He will not allow you to be shaken. You possess
His peace and His righteousness. Your sins are definitely forgiven. He loves
you!
2.
The Holy Spirit dwells in those who are His.
A.
He helps you to live as the holy person you
are.
1.
So get rid of futile worldly wisdom.
2.
And get rid of shortsighted craftiness.
B.
He builds you up in faith.
1.
He relates us to our work in an encouraging
way, saying, “All things are yours” –
This world, our life, our present, our future are directed by Him. He orders
your days. He directs your path.
2.
He makes you the possession of Christ.
a.
Christ takes a deep and personal interest in
you. He loves you. “This is real love. It is not that we loved
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
I John 4:10
b.
In Christ, the Father sees you as wise and
good. He is so rich in
kindness that He purchased your freedom through the blood of His Son, and your
sins are forgiven.
c.
He sustains you throughout your life. He has
forgotten your sins, even tomorrows sins. "And I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember
their sins." Hebrews 8:12
He has removed our rebellious acts as far away from us as the east is from the
west. Psalm 103:12 “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is
faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” I John 1:9
Remember the things that were taught you.
Cling to that which is good. Your Good
Shepherd goes with you. He leads. You follow. In every circumstance. "Give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
+ Soli
Deo Gloria +
Words -906
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