Speaker: Bro. Bobby Rodriguez, Elder, The Lord's Flock Catholic Charismatic Community

" The Foundation That Lasts "

The Two Foundations 

“ Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined .” (Matthew 7:24-27).

With this parable about the wise man who built his house on a foundation of rock and the fool who built his house on sand, Jesus not only teaches about obedience to God but also about building our lives on a firm foundation that lasts.

Building Blocks of a Firm Foundation of Christian Faith

Six building blocks form an immovable foundation of Christian faith.

1.  The Cross – On this Cross at Calvary , the Son of God gave up his life for all of us. His sacrificial death was payment for all of our sins. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

Without the Cross, we could not experience the unconditional love and forgiveness of God. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that every one who believes on him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16-17).

2.   Believer's Baptism – Baptism is God's will for each believer. He loves us so much that His Son came to earth to identify with us. We identify with God through the act of baptism. “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (John 3:3).

3.   The Church – The ministry of the church was ordained by God . This church is the body of Christ. Within this body, we learn about the truth of God's Word and we grow spiritually. “We should not stay away from our assembly, but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25).

4.  The Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is our comforter, encourager, advocate, and our intercessor. He remains always at our side. He convicts us of our sins and guides us back into the light of God's truth.

5.  Christian Service – This service is the believer's highest honor. True service is not a matter of deeds done well. Instead, it is the evidence of God's outpouring of love through our lives to those in need. “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).

6. Surrender – We surrender daily our lives, desires, and will to God. He is glorified when we surrender. He opens to us a door to tremendous blessings. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

Living a Life of Surrender

We should live a life of total surrender to God. We should let God conquer our self-will and desire to follow our human inclinations. Otherwise, our pride and selfishness will eventually rebel against God.

When King Saul of Israel went into battle against the Amalekites, he knew what God wanted him to do. But he did not surrender his heart to God's plan. He did not fully obey the Lord. (1 Samuel 15:1-34). His partial obedience is not obedience. It is disobedience.

As Israel's king, Saul did not fully surrender his life to God. He had thoughts of pride and self-sufficiency. He viewed himself as being both powerful and able to make decisions apart from God's wisdom.

God hates pride because it separates our hearts from His heart. Pride prevents us from experiencing the fullness of God's blessings. Pride keeps us from understanding the depth of God's love.

Let us experience the fullness of God's joy by entering into a close and personal relationship with Him. We view Him as a God of forgiveness and unconditional love. He accepts us when we change our hearts (Ezekiel 36:25-27) and we humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Our life of sin is restored to a life of holiness.

Living a life of surrender is placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. This surrender is essential in building a firm foundation of faith and in understanding God's desires for us in baptism, in the church, in the work of the Holy Spirit, and in our Christian service.

God has given us a limited free will. We can choose between what is right and what is wrong. We can choose between loving and obeying God and not loving and disobeying Him. The choice is ours: to surrender our lives and hearts to God, or to refuse His love and blessings.

Why God Wants Us To Surrender To Him

1. God seeks the surrender of our lives to Him because He loves us. He desires our worship and our fellowship with Him.

•  God wants our service and ministry to be faithful and effective.

3. God wants to bless us after we ask and receive forgiveness of our sins.

When we surrender our lives to God, we can have an intimate relationship with Him. If we do not hold anything back from God, we can know Him completely and experience fully His blessings.

Why Some People Resist A Full Surrender

1. Some people resist surrender because of their pride. They think they know better than God. They think they can do without God's help.

2. Some resist surrender because they are afraid of what God will or will not do for them. They are fearful that if they let go of their lives, they will lose control.

3. They also resist surrender simply because they are too busy to hear and experience what God offers them. They do not realize that God always has their best in His mind. “For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). He has so much to give us. “Mine is the silver and mine the gold.” ( Haggai 2:8). Let us remember that God created us; He will sustain us. There is nothing too great for Him to carry. There is nothing He will refuse us when we live our lives in complete surrender to His will.