Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3: 10-23
10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. 16Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," 20and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
One of the things I have come to realize about myself is that I am a builder. I love building things. Now, I’m not the best carpenter in the world. Neither am I the best architect or designer. I can swing a hammer and drive a nail, but several nails do get bent in the process, and a couple of fingers have been known to get bruised. I generally can get by when it comes to constructing something, and I do try to build it to make it last. Nothing I accomplish is perfect, but the job eventually gets done. Part of my desire to build, I think, comes from something my family instilled me as I grew up. They taught me the importance of leaving something in better condition than when I found it.
Now, this can pose a bit of a problem in some cases. A few months ago, I asked if I could borrow a vehicle while mine was in the shop. One of our congregation members loaned me a Jeep Wrangler 4X4 that was essentially brand new. Now, how in the world was I going to leave that sucker in better shape than I found it? I had to think long and hard about that one, and it took me a while to figure out what to do. But when it was all said and done, the Jeep was left in this member’s garage, clean, with a mostly full tank of gas, and a six pack of Shiner Bock in the backseat. Now that this story is out, I wonder how many folks will loan me a car the next time I need one? :-)
As I read our second lesson this morning, I am glad my parents worked so diligently to instill this sense of responsibility deep within me–particularly since God called me to be a pastor. St. Paul writes, "10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire."
These words are actually a scary prospect for those of us who work at evangelism and Christian education. They are tremendously humbling as we think about them and as we think about the job we are called upon to do when it comes to helping people live the Christian life.
First of all, I realize I am called to be a builder. I guess it’s a good thing I enjoy doing it so much. However, the building I am working on is not something made out of wood or brick or stone. The buildings I get to work on are souls. Some, I get to lay the foundation of the Gospel on. I get to help give the basics of Christianity to. I remember a young lady at my previous congregation who was 18 years old. She had attended worship with a friend for several Sundays. She was not baptized. She wasn’t sure about this thing called Christianity. She and I met in my office one evening to talk about this thing called faith. We conversed for quite some time. She had no problems grasping the concepts of God the Father and Jesus the Son. She believed in those two persons of the Trinity, but she was getting caught at the Holy Spirit. She seemed to be butting up against a wall time and again. And I was working very hard to explain it to her as best as I could. Despite my efforts, we arrived at an impasse. She wanted to believe. She wanted to profess her faith. But I couldn’t get her there. So, we turned to prayer. I prayed that God would open her heart and mind to help her understand the Spirit.
After that prayer, this young girl looked at me and told me a short story about something that happened to her at her grandmother’s house one time. She spoke of sensing something leading her in a particular direction. She asked me, "Was that the Holy Spirit?"
I replied, "What do you think?"
She said, "Yes. I believe it was. I think I understand. I believe in the Holy Spirit."
I realized at that moment, I was laying a foundation. I would not be doing too much building because she would be heading out to college and into other places in the world. But I was fortunate to be in on the ground floor. It’s an exciting thing to do because so much relies on a solid foundation.
But after the foundation, other forms of building take place. And that can lead to some exciting things, to say the least. I’ve been fortunate to work with James Hering and Malcolm Dittert a couple of times in doing some renovation projects. It’s interesting to be involved in such a thing because when you delve into such projects, you not only have to have your ideas, you have to somehow try and see what others have done before you. You have to look at what they did and see if you can adapt and work to make additions. You have to see if you can meld the old with the new, and there is great celebration on heaven and on earth if you can actually accomplish it. :-)
And there is such a similar thing with working with people in their lives of faith. There have been several instances when I have done some teaching on a particular item and heard, "That’s not what I was taught growing up." Right then and there, I know I’m butting up against another’s building. It’s not necessarily good. It’s not necessarily bad. It just is. Sometimes that construction is such a central part of another’s building, that I’ve got to leave it alone. I’ve got to allow folks to hold onto it or it will damage them irreparably. Hopefully, I can add a few additions to what others have built, and do so in a helpful manner.
Of course, if I am lucky, I get a chance to do some major construction after someone else has laid the foundation or after I have gotten a chance to lay that foundation myself. There’s always a thrill when you are creating something new, building from the ground up. You can be as creative as you like working diligently with the material you have been given. You don’t have to worry about trying to make things fit in what others have done before. For instance, sometimes it’s hard to help a person who has grown up with a fundamentalist background understand the concept of free grace. It’s much easier to try and get that building in first.
But here is the kicker. I have to be very careful with my building. Because at some point and time, what I have built will be judged by fire. If I’ve used shoddy material; if I’ve done a poor job, if things aren’t properly put together, it’s going to come back on my shoulders. So while building on people’s soul’s is an exhilarating process, it’s also done with fear and trepidation. You’ve got to work with the utmost respect and utmost care. You can’t just do a half-way job. You’ve got to give it your best.
This is one of the reasons I love the church so much. In order to effectively build, I have to get to know people. I have to get to know you. I have to build a relationship with you and see what makes you tick. And as I get to know you, I can discover where things need to be added or subtracted. As I get to know you, I can help refine what others have done and hopefully make it better. And as I get to know you, I come to love what makes you--you. I come to see how unique and special you are as a child of God, and I come to cherish working with you.
Now, all this might sound well and good, but perhaps one or two of you out there are asking, "But what does this text have to do with me? It’s all well and good that you love the church so much because you get to build on us, pastor, but what about our walks of faith?"
Well, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let me ask you this: who do you think builds on me and on those who I don’t get a chance to work with? Do you think God may be calling you to be a builder too? Amen.
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