THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 12-3-17

LESSON TITLE: “ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM!”

WELCOME

TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.

IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US THIS MORNING FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU WITH US FOR THIS TIME OF OFFERING AND PRAISE TO OUR GOD. WE ARE GLAD YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY, AS WE TOGETHER STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD AND SING SONGS OF PRAISE TO HIS NAME. LET ME ENCOURAGE EACH OF US THIS MORNING TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME TOGETHER ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT. NOW LET’S BEGIN BY APPROACHING HIS THRONE IN PRAYER.

PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND EACH AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. FOR FATHER, WE KNOW THAT ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM YOU AND EVERY BREATH OF OUR BODIES COMES FROM YOU. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT ALL PHYSICAL THINGS AND ALL SPIRITUAL THINGS COME FROM ABOVE. AND FATHER, BECAUSE OF THIS WE LOOK TO YOU THIS DAY AND ASK THAT YOU'LL HELP US TO ALWAYS KNOW YOUR WILL THAT WE MIGHT LOOK TO YOUR WORD AND OBEY, TO BE FOUND PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT, THAT ULTIMATELY WE MIGHT BE RECIPIENTS OF NOT ONLY YOUR BLESSINGS EACH AND EVERY MOMENT OF THIS LIFE BUT ALSO FATHER THE ETERNAL BLESSING THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE LIFE TO COME. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS BECAUSE WE KNOW ALL THINGS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH HIM AND THE GREAT SACRIFICE THAT HE HAS SHOWN FOR US. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE, YOUR GRACE, AND YOUR MERCY. IN THE NAME OF JESUS WE PRAY, AMEN.

WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING IT IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SING SONGS OF PRAISE TOGETHER ON THIS PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, I REALLY ENJOYING WORSHIPING GOD THROUGH THE AVENUE OF SONG. OUR FIRST SONG THIS MORNING REMINDS US THAT WE ARE RICHLY BLESSED TO HAVE A SAVIOR LIKE JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE, IF WE EACH DO OUR PART AND FOLLOW GOD’S WILL WE KNOW THAT GREAT THINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN GOD AND AWAIT THE FAITHFUL WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER. SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING THE HYMN, “SWEETER THAN ALL!”

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

FRIENDSHIP IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC IN THE WORD OF GOD. IN FACT, WE SEE THAT JESUS INSTRUCTED US TO BE FRIENDLY IF WE WANT TO BE BEFRIENDED BY OTHERS.

I REMEMBER IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS FRIENDSHIPS EVERY MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE. THAT IS THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN JONATHAN AND DAVID. JONATHAN WAS THE SON OF SAUL, DAVID’S MAIN ENEMY. YET THEY NURTURED A FRIENDSHIP WHICH WE CAN ALL LEARN A LOT FROM. IN 1 SAMUEL 18:3, WE READ THE FOLLOWING, “THEN JONATHAN AND DAVID MADE A COVENANT, BECAUSE HE LOVED HIM AS HIS OWN SOUL.” NOTICE HERE THAT A TRUE FRIEND LOVES THE OTHER AS THEIR OWN SELF.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR DOESN’T IT. REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 22:39. THERE HE CLARIFIES FOR US THE SECOND AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT WHICH WE ARE ALL TO FOLLOW. THAT VERSE SAYS, “AND THE SECOND IS LIKE IT: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'”

WE MUST ALL LEARN TO BE TRUE NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, BY TREATING OTHERS AS WE WANT TO BE TREATED AND BY LOVING OTHERS AS WE LOVE OURSELVES. IF WE CAN LEARN THIS LESSON FROM GOD’S WORD AND APPLY IT IN OUR LIVES, JUST THINK HOW MUCH BETTER OUR LIVES WOULD BE WITH THOSE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS IN THEM.

THE WISE MAN SOLOMON CONCLUDED, “A MAN WHO HAS FRIENDS MUST HIMSELF BE FRIENDLY, BUT THERE IS A FRIEND WHO STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER,” PROVERBS 18:24. ARE YOU PROVING YOURSELF TO BE FRIENDLY? DO YOU TREAT YOUR FRIENDS LIKE BROTHERS? WHY NOT FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE OF JESUS AND BE FOUND PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT.

THIS MORNING WE WILL CONTINUE OR SERIES ENTITLED, “COMPLETE IN HIM.” THE TITLE OF TODAY’S LESSON IS, “ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM!” SO, PLEASE STAY WITH US AND IN A FEW MINUTES I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD. NOW IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE DAY, IT’S NAME, “TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE.”

LESSON

RAY SULLINS

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING WITH US THIS DAY AND CERTAINLY IT'S A GREAT BLESSING THIS DAY TO COME TOGETHER AS GOD'S PEOPLE OR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND TO STUDY FROM HIS WORD. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WE'RE NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR NOW AND ACTUALLY IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER BUT THIS YEAR'S FLOWN BY AND NOW WE CONCLUDE SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD'S WORD FOR THIS YEAR. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE MAYBE A GOOD TIME TO CONCLUDE AND CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO BE MORE OF WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE SO THAT WE'LL START THAT NEXT YEAR OUT, 2018, IN SUCH A PERFECT AND IN A GOOD WAY. WHAT WE BEGAN LAST WEEK LOOKING AT IS THE IDEA REALLY OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE AND WHAT WE CAN BE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. AND WE SPECIFICALLY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME VERSES IN THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS, SPECIFICALLY THERE VERSE 10, NINE AND 10 OF CHAPTER 2. AND IN THAT TEXT ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT IS JESUS. IT KEEPS TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT JESUS IS CERTAINLY THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD, HOW THAT ALL THINGS ARE WRAPPED UP IN HIM AND HOW HE'S THE HEAD OF THE BODY. BUT IT MAKES THAT STATEMENT AT THE FIRST PART OF VERSE 10 THAT SAYS THIS, THAT WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM. AND SO WHAT WE TRIED TO BEGIN DOING LAST WEEK AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO NOW FOR SEVERAL MORE WEEKS IS TO LOOK AT THIS IDEA OF HOW DO WE REALLY COMPLETE OURSELVES IN JESUS? WHAT HAS HE DONE? WHAT HAS HE MADE AVAILABLE AND WHAT CAN WE DO SO THAT WE'LLL BE CONSIDERED AS COMPLETE OR PERFECT. THAT MEANS SOMEONE WHO HAS MET THE STANDARD, WHO IS LIVING UP TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT THAT GOD HAS REQUIRED THAT WE MIGHT BE CONSIDERED IN A GOOD STANDING IN RELATIONSHIP TO THAT AGREEMENT. YOU SEE, GOD OFFERS US SALVATION. HE OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE CHURCH'S FAMILY. HE OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF HIS FOLD, THE HOUSE OF GOD AND THEREFORE, WE HAVE A PART TO PLAY WITHIN THAT HOUSE, WITHIN WHAT HE REQUIRES. NOW, LAST WEEK WE BEGAN LOOKING AT THERE IN VERSE 6 THE IDEA OF BEING THOSE WHO WALK IN HIM. IF WE'RE TO BE COMPLETE IN GOD, CERTAINLY WE MUST WALK IN HIM. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF ASPECTS THAT BROTHER BRENT COVERED FOR US LAST WEEK IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN AND THAT WE HAVE TO WALK IN IF WE ARE TO BE COMPLETE IN OUR CREATOR.

AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THIS DAY IS THE NEXT VERSE, VERSE SEVEN, AS IT SAYS THERE, THE FIRST PART OF AT LEAST, THAT WE ARE ALSO, “ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM.” NOW, THOSE TWO CONCEPTS ARE CERTAINLY VERY NEAT IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE BECAUSE IF WE THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS ROOTED WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS FOR A PLANT TO HAVE A ROOT. AND WE KNOW THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ROOT IS IN THE FACT THAT THE ROOT DETERMINES WHETHER IT IS ABLE, THAT IS THE PLANT OR THE TREE OR THE BUSH OR WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE CONSIDERING, THAT THE PLANT OR THAT TREE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEEK OUT THE MOISTURE, TO SEEK OUT THE NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL. TO GROW TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S ABLE TO SUPPORT WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS ABOVE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, SOMETIMES WE'LL THINK OF MAYBE GREAT TREES OR MIGHTY TREES. AND THOSE MASSIVE TREES HAVE NO WAY OF TELLING HOW BIG OF A ROOT SYSTEM. AND IN FACT IT'S ESTIMATED BY SOME IN RELATIONSHIP OF SOME TREES THAT PROBABLY THE ROOT SYSTEMS ARE AS MASSIVE ALMOST AS WHAT WE SEE ABOVE THE GROUND. WELL, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ROOT? THE ROOT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE. AND SO WE ARE TO BE ROOTED IN HIM. THE ORIGINAL WORD HERE SAYS THAT WE ARE TO BE FIXED BY THE ROOT. WE ARE TO BE PLANTED AS THE ROOT OF THE LORD. IN OTHER WORDS, ESTABLISHED AS THE ROOT. ALL OF THESE IDEAS SHOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS FIRM, THAT IS SURE. SOMETIMES WE SEE, UNFORTUNATELY SEE, NATURAL DISASTERS AND WE'LL SEE MAYBE FLOODING. WE WILL SEE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CATASTROPHES, MAYBE HURRICANES. ALL OF THOSE THINGS OFTEN DESTROY A LOT OF FOLIAGE AND REALLY THE PLANTS THAT ARE AROUND. AND SOMETIMES AGAIN MASSIVE TREES WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN AS IF THEY ARE NOTHING BY SUCH GREAT CATASTROPHES. WELL AGAIN, NO MATTER HOW DEEP THAT ROOT IS SOMETIMES THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOT TO HOLD OR STAND FIRM. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN THE SAME CATASTROPHES THAT HURRICANE COMES OR THAT TORNADO COMES AND YET ALTHOUGH IT COMES WHAT IS STILL STANDING? SOME OF THE LARGEST AND MOST MASSIVE OF TREES ARE ABLE TO STILL WHAT? TO BE STANDING AND FIRM EVEN THOUGH WHAT? THEY HAVE BEEN TESTED BY THE WINDS, TESTED BY THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING. AND WHEN THEY STAND FIRM, WE KNOW THAT THEIR ROOT SYSTEM IS SECURE. SOMETIMES IN RELATIONSHIP TO DISASTERS, LIKE FLOODING SPECIFICALLY, IT WILL BEGIN TO ERODE OR QUICKLY WASH OUT THE GROUND WHERE THE ROOT IS. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH OF A ROOT SYSTEM IT'S THAT WHICH IS AROUND THE ROOT HAS DETERIORATED IN EXTENT AND TO THE POINT THAT EVENTUALLY THAT TREE OR THAT PLANT COLLAPSES. WELL, ALL THESE THINGS I WOULD HOPE HELP US TO UNDERSTAND IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE ALSO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE OURSELVES ARE ROOTED IN GOD AND SPECIFICALLY ROOTED IN JESUS CHRIST.

WE SEE THE SAME IDEA BACK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. IF YOU LOOK THERE IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH CHAPTER 17 VERSE EIGHT, NOTICE WHAT JEREMIAH SAYS IN RELATIONSHIP TO JUDAH'S SIN AND THE PUNISHMENT THAT WILL COME UPON THEM. IN THAT VERSE WE READ, AGAIN JEREMIAH 17 VERSE EIGHT, “‘FOR HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATERS, WHICH SPREADS OUT IT'S ROOTS BY THE RIVER, AND WILL NOT FEAR WHEN THE HEAT COMES; BUT IT'S LEAVES WILL BE GREEN, AND WILL NOT BE ANXIOUS IN THE YEAR OF DROUGHT, NOR WILL IT CEASE FROM YIELDING FRUIT.” OH WHAT AN INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL PICTURE! BECAUSE HERE WE HAVE A TREE THAT YOU MIGHT THINK WOULD DIE OR WOULD NOT MAKE IT IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. WHY? BECAUSE IT SAYS HERE OF THE HEAT THAT COMES OR THE WEATHER OR THE WINDS OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. AND YET BECAUSE THAT TREE HAS BEEN WHAT? PLANTED BY THE WATER, BECAUSE IT IS STILL ABLE TO GET THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AND NUTRIENTS THAT IT NEEDS, IT CONTINUES TO BE LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL. I KNOW I'VE BEEN SOME PLACES IN THE WORLD, PARTICULARLY I'M THINKING ABOUT BOTSWANA WHERE WE USED TO LIVE AS MISSIONARIES. IT WAS A VERY DESERTOUS PLACE AND AS YOU'LL THINK ABOUT THAT PLACE THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF LARGE TREES AND SUCH BECAUSE 3/4 OF THE COUNTRY WAS COVERED WITH THE CALIHARI DESERT. BUT WE LIVED ON THE EDGE OF THAT DESERT AND IT WAS ALSO INTERESTING TO ME THAT AS LONG AS THERE WAS WATER ALMOST ANYTHING COULD GROW. AND AS YOU WOULD MOVE CLOSER TO THE VERY FEW BODIES OF WATER OR WATERS THAT WERE PRESERVED AND MADE AVAILABLE BY DAMS OR WHATEVER ELSE WHAT YOU BEGAN TO SEE WAS A LOT OF LIFE. AND YOU BEGAN TO SEE LARGER TREES AND SIGNIFICANT TREES THAT COULD NOT EASILY BE MOVED. YOU SEE AGAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT ROOT SYSTEM?

WHAT IS THEN THAT WATER? WHAT IS THEN THAT FOUNDATION THAT WE NEED? WELL, IT IS HIM! IT IS JESUS! AND THAT'S WHY IN THE SAME VERSE BACK IN OUR MAIN TEXT HE DOESN'T JUST SAY ROOTED. SO WE SPIRITUALLY MUST GROW THAT ROOT SYSTEM THAT WILL BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN US SPIRITUALLY NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF WINDS OR WAVES COME. NO MATTER WHAT TYPES OF PERSECUTIONS OR TRIALS, GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS, THAT ROOT SYSTEM THAT CAUSES US TO BE SECURED TO STAND FIRM NO MATTER HOW HARD THE WINDS BLOW. BUT THEN HE USES THIS SAME IDEA BY SAYING ROOTED AND BUILT UP. THE ORIGINAL WORD HERE OF THE REFERENCE OF BEING BUILT UP IS REALLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO A FOUNDATION. SO IT IS REALLY A NEAT CONCEPT OR A MORE NATURAL IDEA OF A ROOT SYSTEM ON A PLANT OR A TREE AND THE OTHER BEING SOMETHING MAYBE THAT IS LITERALLY BUILT UP OR BUILT UPON BECAUSE MAN OF ALL AGES HAS DONE WHAT? HAS BEGAN TO BUILD STRUCTURES. AND REALLY THE STRENGTH OF A STRUCTURE IS OFTEN WITHIN IT'S WHAT? FOUNDATION. IN FACT, IF YOU HAVE A BAD FOUNDATION WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT A STRUCTURE? IT MIGHT EASILY FALL, IT MIGHT EASILY COLLAPSE. AGAIN, TRAVELING THROUGHOUT AFRICA AND HAVING LIVED IN AFRICA, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF TIME STRUCTURES THAT ARE BUILT AND IT'S NOT HARD SOMETIMES TO TELL THAT THERE WERE CORNERS CUT BECAUSE MAYBE THERE ARE NOT CERTAIN STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY MAYBE EVEN THOSE IN AUTHORITY. AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL SEE A BUILDING BEGIN TO MAYBE SAG OR BEGIN TO SINK BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT ON SAND OR WAS BUILT ON SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT FIRM. AND YET THEY MIGHT BUILD A ONE STORY OR A TWO-STORY OR EVEN HIGHER ON AN IMPROPER FOUNDATION. WELL, YOU AND I UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NOT ONLY HAVING THAT ROOT SYSTEM BUT HAVING A FOUNDATION. IF I'M GOING TO BUILD A STRUCTURE HAVING A FOUNDATION THAT I'M ABLE TO BUILD ON AND TO KNOW THAT THAT FOUNDATION IS GOING TO REMAIN FIRM AND THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BEND AND I'TS NOT GOING TO SAG OR IT'S NOT GOING TO SINK, IT IS GOING TO REMAIN INTACT. IT SAYS WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND THIS IS A VERB THAT IS USED HERE, IT SAYS THERE THE IDEA OF BEING BUILT UP OR THAT I BUILD UPON A FOUNDATION. NOW, THAT ALSO IS AN INTERESTING CONCEPT BECAUSE WE KNOW THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THAT THERE REALLY IS ONLY ONE FOUNDATION. AND GUESS WHAT THAT FOUNDATION IS? WELL, IF YOU'LL TURN BACK WITH ME TO FIRST CORINTHIANS AND IN THE BOOK OF FIRST CORINTHIANS IN CHAPTER 11, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME THERE AS PAUL IS DEALING WITH THE IDEA OF WHAT ONE DOES OR THE WORK THAT ONE DOES FOR GOD AND HOW THAT HE BUILDS FOR GOD. NOTICE THE FOUNDATION THAT IS REQUIRED IF WE ARE TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. VERSE 11 (I CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3 VERSE 11) SAYS, “FOR NO OTHER FOUNDATION CAN ANYONE LAY THAN THAT WHICH IS LAID,” AND THEN IT ADDS, “WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.” SEE, PAUL SAID I BUILT, BUT THE FOUNDATION I BUILT ON WAS JESUS. IT WAS A STRONG, IT WAS A FIRM FOUNDATION! IT WAS A FOUNDATION THAT COULD NOT BE MOVED. THAT COULD NOT BE SHAKEN!

NOW, THERE'S ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT THAT REALLY TIES ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER AS WELL AND THAT IS FOUND THERE ALL THE WAY BACK IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS (PSALM 118 AND VERSE 22) AND YOU MIGHT OR RATHER YOU MIGHT BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE IDEA THAT IS BEING SPOKEN OF HERE, THE PROPHECY, BECAUSE IT SAYS, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.” WELL, WE HAVE THE SAME IDEA THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT. IN MATTHEW 21 JESUS SPOKE OF HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. AGAIN, IN THE BOOK OF ACTS CHAPTER 4, GUESS WHAT? JESUS WAS AGAIN CALLED THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. WE MIGHT READ THAT TOGETHER. THERE IN VERSE 11 THE BIBLE SAYS, “‘AND THIS IS THE STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS,” (THE JEWS), WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.’” WHO WAS THAT? JESUS CHRIST. AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE IN VERSE 12 IT SAYS, “NOR IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, FOR THERE'S NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH ONE MUST BE SAVED.” THEN WHO? THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST! HE IS THAT FOUNDATION. HE IS THAT CORNERSTONE. SO AS WE THINK ABOUT A FOUNDATION, THIS KIND OF TAKES IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL BECAUSE, WITH A FOUNDATION, WHAT DO YOU ALSO NEED? A PROPER STARTING POINT. YOU KNOW, I HAVE BUILT A SHED BEFORE AND IT IS HARD IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO GET THAT SHED SQUARE. AND BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE ROOF IT'S HARD TO GET THOSE SHINGLES TO MATCH UP JUST RIGHT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT SQUARE, IF YOU HAVEN'T STARTED OUT AT THE BEGINNING JUST RIGHT, THEN YOU CAN BE IN TROUBLE. AND SO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT FOUNDATION IS RIGHT AND YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE IT IS SQUARE AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT FIRST ALL OF THOSE FIRST WALLS YOU PUT UP ARE SQUARE AND STRAIGHT IN ORDER TO DO WHAT? TO HAVE A GOOD STRUCTURE, A PERFECT STRUCTURE, A STRONG STRUCTURE. SO ONCE AGAIN WHAT DO WE LEARN HERE? JESUS IS THAT FOUNDATION! THAT WE SHOULD BUILD ON JESUS AND THAT AS THOSE WHO BUILD ON JESUS WHAT ARE WE? WE ARE CONSIDERED, AS PETER SAYS IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER 2, WE ARE THOSE LIVING STONES. THE SAME TERMINOLOGY IS USED THERE IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER 2. NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE FOUR AND FIVE, “COMING TO HIM AS A LIVING STONE, REJECTED INDEED BY MEN, BUT CHOSEN BY GOD AND PRECIOUS.” NOW, HEAR VERSE FIVE, “YOU ALSO, AS LIVING STONES, ARE BEING BUILT UP A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, TO OFFER UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.” THERE IT IS. THOSE STONES. YOU CAN IMAGINE THEN THE FOUNDATION BEING LAID. AND THAT MASON COMING IN AND LAYING THE FIRST CORNERSTONE AND PLACING THEN THE STONES IN ORDER FROM THAT POINT THAT WHEN HE GETS FINISHED, WHAT DO WE HAVE? SOMETHING THAT IS HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY PERFECT! THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE! THAT LOOKS GOOD! AND CERTAINLY THEN IS SOUND AND MORE SOUND IN IT'S ABILITY TO STAND. YOU SEE THEN THE BEAUTY OF THE STATEMENT THAT IS BEING MADE HERE? THE ONE WHO WALKS IN GOD IS THAT VERY PERSON WHO WE LEARN NOW IS WHAT? ROOTED AND GROUNDED. THAT VERY PERSON, WHO NOT ONLY HAS A FOUNDATION, BUT KNOWS CLEARLY THE FOUNDATION OF JESUS CHRIST. AND THEREFORE, BECAUSE OF THAT FOUNDATION THEY HAVE BUILT THEMSELVES UPON THAT FOUNDATION TO BE A STRUCTURE THAT CANNOT BE MOVED. THAT CANNOT BE DESTROYED. BUT THAT STRUCTURE THAT EXEMPLIFIES THE FOUNDATION AND ITS STRENGTH ITSELF. BUT THEN I WANT TO ADD BACK THE IDEA BEING ROOTED. YOU KNOW, A TREE, A GOOD STRONG AND POWERFUL TREE WITH THOSE BIG ROOTS, CAN EVEN BEGIN TO BREAK WHAT? A FOUNDATION. EVEN IT CAN BEGIN TO BUST UP CONCRETE SO IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE IF YOU'LL THINK ABOUT THAT FOUNDATION AND THAT BEING JESUS AND NOW WE'RE BUILDING AND NOW IN A SENSE SPIRITUALLY THAT WE ARE THAT STRUCTURE. BUT THAT TREE, THAT PLANT ON THAT FOUNDATION, THAT NOW BEGINS TO PENETRATE AND PUT THE ROOTS DOWN INTO THE CONCRETE, INTO THAT PERFECT FOUNDATION. WHAT THEN DOES THAT ULTIMATELY GIVE A PICTURE OF? OH MY! SOMETHING INDESTRUCTIBLE. WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO BE WITH JESUS? INDISTRUCTIBLE IN THE SENSE OF A SPIRITUAL NATURE. WHAT WE ABLE TO HAVE? EVERYTHING. ALL THINGS THAT WE NEED. WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO DO? ANYTHING WITH HIS HELP. WHAT WE ABLE TO HAVE? ALL OF HIS BLESSINGS. AND, ULTIMATELY, WHAT WILL WE RECEIVE? WE'LL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HEAVEN. SO AS YOU BEGIN TO TIE TOGETHER THESE THINGS, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT! BECAUSE PAUL HERE BETTER THAN MOST UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS TRUE FOUNDATION IS AND WHAT THAT TRUE FOUNDATION MEANS EVEN TO YOU AND I AS CHRISTIANS TODAY.

IN OUR LAST FEW MINUTES WE'LL FOCUS ON WHAT IS SAID THERE IN A SIMILAR SENSE IN EPHESIANS. OF COURSE, THE SAME AUTHOR PAUL WROTE THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS, BUT THEY'RE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3 VERSE 17 NOTICE A SIMILAR TERMINOLOGY AND THEN NOTICE WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. HE SAYS IN VERSE 17, “THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEART THROUGH FAITH; THAT YOU BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED,”...HERE IT IS...”ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE.” HE'S JUST TALKED ABOUT THE INNER MAN, HE'S JUST TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE FAMILY OF GOD, WHAT IT MEANS TO EXEMPLIFY WHO GOD IS AND WHAT GOD IS ABOUT. AND THEN HE SAYS WHAT WE MUST BE, WHAT WE MUST STRIVE FOR IS THAT IN OUR HEARTS. WE MUST HAVE FAITH AND AS WE HAVE THAT FAITH WHAT IS THAT FAITH BUILT ON? IT IS BUILT ON LOVE. IT IS BUILT ON THE ABILITY TO BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE. NOW, WHO IS THE FOUNDATION? JESUS CHRIST. AND WHAT IS GOD? WELL, ACCORDING TO FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 3 AND 4, GOD IS LOVE. GOD IS LOVE. GOD THAT FOUND JESUS THAT FOUNDATION. JESUS WHO LOVED US ENOUGH TO COME TO THE EARTH AND DIE FOR OUR SINS, WHO LOVED US TO BECOME A MERE MAN! THAT'S HOW MUCH HE LOVED US. THAT'S HOW MUCH HE HUMBLED HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. AND WHEN HE DID THAT HE GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT? TO NOT ONLY KNOW THAT LOVE; THAT FOUNDATION BUT TO BUILD UPON IT AND THEREFORE TO BE THOSE WHO IN THE INNER MAN TO ALLOW THAT FAITH TO GROW OR BUILDING UPON AND ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN THE LOVE OF GOD SO THAT WE WILL NOT ONLY KNOW HIS LOVE BUT THAT ULTIMATELY WHEN WE SEE THAT LOVE WE WILL RECIPROCATE AND WE WILL LOVE AS GOD LOVES. WE WILL WALK AS GOD WALKS. WE WILL LIVE AS HE HAS COMMANDED US SO THAT WE WILL BE BLESSED NOT ONLY IN THIS LIFE BUT THAT ULTIMATELY WE MIGHT HAVE THE GREAT REWARD OF HEAVEN AND THE LIFE TO COME.

CLOSING COMMENTS

THANKS FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD’S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.

NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

The Living Word 2540 N. Kansas Expressway Springfield, Mo. 65803

Many of these materials are also available on our website: That address is: www.thelivingwordprogram.com

Or if you prefer, you may call us at: (417) 869-2284

WHAT A GREAT BLESSING WE HAVE IN THE PERFECT FOUNDATION GIVEN BY GOD, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. THE QUESTION IS, “HAVE YOU BUILT UPON THAT GOOD AND TRUE FOUNDATION OR HAVE YOU BUILT ON ANOTHER?” CHOOSE TODAY TO SERVE GOD AND SERVE GOD ALONE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER FOUNDATION GIVEN THAN IN HIS HOLY NAME!