Foundation Legacy

A STABLE FOUNDATION IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PASSED DOWN AS A LEGACY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

 But what’s a stable foundation looks like? The world would have us believe that a foundation of money, power and achievement are things that make us more enduring and secure. But in Proverbs 22:17-19, the Bible stays to,

“Keep the wisdom of God’s Word in your heart, treasure it’s sweetness deep within you and have it ready on your lips so that your FOUNDATION IS TRUST IN GOD.”

As believers, our foundation- or the Legacy that we are to pass down from generation to generation is TRUST IN GOD. In Matthew 7:24-27, we learn that only foundations built on Jesus will stand. The Bible says,

“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

We are to build our lives with quality products, and be expert builders- equipped by God, to shape our legacy on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. We build with biblical teaching, Godly wisdom, and effective stewardship of our time, talents, and treasures. We invest in these eternal things- but it’s the foundation that gives our lives, and our legacy staying power.

In architecture: A TALL BUILDING MUST HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION IF IT IS TO STAND FOR A LONG TIME.

In our lives: WE MUST HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION IN CHRIST IF WE WANT OUR LEGACY TO LINGER LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE.

Deuteronomy 5:10 speaks clearly about Legacy: 

“I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

I don’t know about you, but my cry to God is that He would lavish unfailing love on my descendants for a thousand generations! So let’s examine how the foundation of Christ enables this to happen.

The foundation of a building serves 4 distinct purposes:

1.    It acts as a protective barrier between the ground and the structure

2.    It serves as an anchor

3.    It bears the load of a structure

4.    It holds up and holds together the structure above it

The foundation of a building serves as a protective barrier for a building, and JESUS IS the PROTECTIVE BARRIER for us.

Psalm 3 says that God wraps around us like an impenetrable shield, and my favorite translation of Psalm 16:8 (Passion) says, "Because You are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment." He covers us, He wraps around us, He hems us in, and He protects us.  

In Zephaniah, God is described as a powerful, valiant warrior that protects us, and in Psalm 121, one of my all-time favorite Psalms- it says that “The Eternal keeps you safe, so close to Him that His shadow is a cooling shade to you. Neither bright light of sun nor dim light of moon will harm you. The Eternal will keep you safe from all of life’s evils, from your first breath to the last breath you breathe, from this day and forever.”

Start to finish, top to bottom, first breath to last breath, Jesus is our foundation and He is our protective barrier.

The foundation of a building serves as an anchor to a building.

It keeps it rooted and sturdy and strong. In Hebrews 6 the Bible says that our hope in Jesus is a STRONG AND TRUSTWORTHY ANCHOR for our souls. Hebrews 6 expands upon this anchor concept by saying that this hope that we have leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.” The Greek text uses the word, "prodromos"- or forerunner- to describe Jesus in this verse. Forerunner, in the 2nd century, referred to a small boat (or dinghy) that was sent into a harbor during a storm when it would be dangerous for larger ships to enter. This little boat would carry the ship’s anchor with it into the harbor, and lower it down, thus giving the storm-tossed ship a secure hold in the sheltered area. The crew from the small boat would then go to ashore and wait for the storm to end, and when the ship could safely sail into the harbor, the crew would be reunited. So… Jesus is said to be our forerunner; He is the one who goes ahead of us to heaven, and He is the anchor that secures our place there. He’s waiting for us and we will get to reunite with him soon!

Jesus is our foundation and He is our strong and trustworthy anchor.

The foundation of a building bears the load of a structure, and when we cast our cares at the feet of Jesus- He bears the weight of all our sins and all that concerns us. 

In 1 Peter 5:7, the Bible even instructs us to let God bear the load of our worries. It says, “cast all your cares all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns on Him, for He cares about you with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully.”

He offers a resting place for us in His luxurious love and makes our burdens light when we come to Him.

Matthew 11:28-30 says,"Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shoulders—it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Jesus is our foundation and He bears the weight of all of our sins and all that concerns us.

The foundation of a building holds up and holds together the structure above it, and Jesus holds everything together.

In Colossians 1: 15 The Bible talks about the supremacy of Christ. It says,

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, efor through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— Everything was created through him and for him.  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

 This isn’t just imaginative talk. Jesus literally holds us together. You see there’s this cell adhesion molecule in the human body called Laminin, and it’s basically the glue that holds us together. What rebar is to a building structure, Laminin is to our bodies. In construction, rebar is the steal that they put in concrete to hold a building together, and laminin is the adhesion molecule that binds a cell together. Now here’s the miraculous thing about Laminin: the shape of the Laminin molecule is actually a cross. The stuff that holds our body together is in the perfect shape of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that is amazing to me!

Colossians goes on to say that

“God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”  Isn’t that cool?! Jesus is our foundation and He holds everything together.

If you're an anatomy freak like me, check out Louie Giglio's talk about Laminin. He does a WAY better job describing the mysterious and miraculous creation of our bodies. It's worth your time to watch and it will leave you saying, "WOW GOD!"

LET'S REFLECT:

• What's the condition of your foundation? Is it cracked, unsettled and in need of some restoration? Be encouraged...it's never to late to start patching it up. Just imagine what the Creator of the Universe and the Author of Life can do with a life that's solely dedicated to Him. Psalm 23:2-4 (Passion) "His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. That's where He restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God's pleasure, and leads me along in His footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to His name. Lord, even when Your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for You already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace."
• What are you spending your God-given time, talents and treasures building upon? Is there anything in your life that you think about more and adore more than Jesus?
• What makes you feel safe and secure? Would your answer reflect what the world tells you brings peace and stability, or would your definition be more reflective of what the Bible says anchors us?
• What pieces/attributes of your life would you want God to pass down to a thousand generations? What sins or strongholds do you need Him to redeem and break?

A STABLE FOUNDATION IN CHRIST IS SOMETHING ENDURING THAT CAN BE PASSED DOWN AS A BEAUTIFUL LEGACY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

"You, Eternal One, are my sustenance and my life-giving cup. In that cup, You hold my future and my eternal riches. My home is surrounded in beauty; you have gifted me with abundance and a rich legacy. I will bless the Eternal, whose wise teaching orchestrates my days and centers my mind at night. He is ever present with me; at all times He goes before me. I will not live in fear or abandon my calling because He stands at my right hand. This is a good life- my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy, and my body is at rest...You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment." ~ Psalm 16:5-11

FIX YOURSELF TO THE ROCK THAT’S HIGHER THAN YOURSELF, BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THE FOUNDATION OF CHRIST AND LEAVE A LEGACY THAT CAN BE PASSED DOWN TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS.

For my daddy- who can build anything....