Broken Foundations – Part 1

by admin

 

                        “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.”

                                                                        Ephesians 2:19

 

The casual observer will note that instability is everywhere evident in our world. The recent conference on Global Security held in Munich Germany ended with a real note of despair in that it concluded with the thought that serious conflict appears to be on the horizon of world affairs. It’s almost as if the human condition has reached “critical mass” and is no longer able to stop the outcome. It’s like clicking on the send button of an email and then desiring to stop it. It’s just to late! Jesus certainly warned that unless the days before His coming are shortened no flesh would survive (Matthew 24:22). There is something desperately wrong with humanity since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and so, sadly, it is seeking solutions that will not stop the rot.

The Gospel of Jesus is of course the only answer as it powerfully and effectively addresses our sin problem (Romans 1:16) but it too is rejected by a world that essentially wants nothing to do with the God of the Bible (John 15:23). In fact as we have recently witnessed in America, Christians are now mocked openly in the various media outlets, even those like Mike Pence who hold high office. Jesus said that we would be hated by all nations (John 15:18-19)! Still the answer to the world’s woes is the Gospel and the remarkable life of Billy Graham certainly proved this. Where the Gospel is preached simply and powerfully lives are indeed eternally changed. We have a remarkable message and the antagonism to it only proves the real existence of evil and should embolden us to preach it more (Acts 5:27-29).

Sadly however, even vast segments of the Church today have moved away from powerful Gospel preaching because people could be offended. Subjects like sin, the wrath of God and the need for repentance are routinely ignored and thus even the foundations of the Church are crumbling. This is not speculation but the honest truth. The Bible is clear about the fact that we cannot lay any foundation in people’s lives other than Jesus Christ and His saving Gospel (1 Corinthians 3:11). This is urgent business and those of us who love God and honor His word must attend to these issues. Like Nehemiah of old we must repair the broken walls and foundations of the Church of Jesus lest we become a Church that He will “vomit out of His mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

The gospel is an offence to many people because it calls upon them to repent and turn away from their sins (Galatians 5:11). We cannot and we will not avoid this offence and Paul’s life certainly demonstrates this. We have to build on a good foundation now more than ever because the night is coming when no one will be able to work. God is looking for those who will rise up and be repairers of the breach. Will He find you and me?

 

“Those from among you shall build the old waste places;

                         you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

                         and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the

                         Restorer of Streets to dwell in.”

                                                                        Isaiah 58:12

 

Malcolm Hedding

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