Building on the Right Foundation

I Corinthians 3:10-15 (Verse 11 = text)

Go through verses 1-3, explaining these Corinthian believers were building on the wrong foundation – the foundation of men and not the foundation of God. They were putting their confidence in men, not in the unfailing foundation of God.

I. Verse 10-11, The foundation is Jesus Christ.

A. It is impossible for anybody to build another foundation that will last.

1. Many try to build their own way of salvation, but there is no foundation

2. Christ is the rock of ages.

B. He is the stone the builders disallowed.

1. Romans 9:32,33 - This generation of Jews didn't believe; therefore they weren't saved.

a. They sought to please God by works, not by faith.

b. They looked around them, and considered what to do instead of looking to God’s holy Word and doing what Jesus instructed them to do.

2. I Corinthians 2:12-14 - The natural man is spiritually discerned, and cannot believe spiritual things.

a. See chapter 1 how the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

b. Men are spiritually discerned, therefore we need the wisdom of God to be like God.

3. I Peter 2:6-8 - The Jews rejected the foundation; therefore could not build anything lasting.

a. Remember the nation of Israel had the oracles of God, but God rejected them because they rejected Christ.

b. Jesus repeatedly stated he would reject any church or people that rejected him.

1.) Revelation 3:16 – Christ will spew the lukewarm Laodiceans out of his mouth.

2.)

C. The foundation of Jesus Christ is salvation.

1. It is accepting what is already true.

a. Total depravity.

b. God's righteousness.

c. The way of salvation is accepting what God says about you, and rejecting what you say about yourself.

2. Without Jesus Christ as the foundation, every work of your life will be burned, and you will finally be cast into the Lake of Fire to burn forever.

II. Verse 12-15 - We must build on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

A. Revelation 1:14 states that the eyes of Jesus are like a flame of fire.

1. When Jesus examines the work of our lives with his eyes of fire, they will destroy every work that is wood, hay and stubble.

2. The only things left will be gold, silver, precious stones.

B. How can we know the difference between good and bad works.

1. Gold, silver and precious stones is doing God's will.

2. Wood, hay and stubble is doing our will.

C. What is service to God?

1. Serve with the Word of God.

a. John 1:1-5, Verse 14 - Jesus Christ is the Word.

b. The Bible is the living Word of God, Jesus Christ.

c. Nobody can serve God without the Bible.

2. Serve in His church.

a. Ephesians 2:20 - The church is build on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ is the chief corner stone.

b. Matthew 16:18 - Jesus said He would build His kind of church. He doesn't want us to start our own.

c. Ephesians 1:22,23 - And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. The local church is the only body of Christ on this present earth. If we are going to serve God, we must do it through one of His kind of churches, His body.

d. Ephesians 3:21 - Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

III. Give ourselves completely to God.

A. Matthew 16:2128 – We should give ourselves completely to God, as Christ gave himself completely to the will of God.

B. I Corinthians 3:15 – saved so as by fire.

1. Salvation is eternal and is retained, but the saved person has no fruits or works, therefore enters salvation with only salvation.