I love Bible conversations. And Sunday School class is the perfect time (if your church program is designed as such) to share thoughts on how the scriptures apply to our everyday lives. At First Baptist Church of Grantsville, one of the adult classes, (taught by Rick Godfrey) is working our way through the book of Ephesians. It was during this week’s study that the Lord really dinged my bell with Paul’s words in chapter 2, verse 20. But for reference sake, I’ll provide Ephesians 2:19-22
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
It was the word foundation that caused a little anxiety in my heart, which I’m sure sounds like an odd word to scare someone with. But hear me out…
In chapter 2, much of the text is Paul discussing the Jew and Gentile connections in the word of God and perhaps the prejudices of the day. A popular topic in America even today! (That’s not the scary word for which I’m blogging about today, by the way) but helps us to understand the relevance of God’s word. God adopting the Gentiles into the Kingdom was a new concept for the children of Israel. They’d been the star of this show since time began, and will be again in end times. But for then and now, Jew and Gentiles were on an even playing ground with the Lord.
But as Paul continues his Sunday School class with the community of Ephesus he tells them how the Jew and Gentile connection became the modern church of today. No denomination, just the believers in Christ Jesus which were built upon the foundation (the scary word) of the apostles and prophets. Apostles of the New Testament and the Prophets of the Old Testament. One book, two stories, now connecting all the people of God.
But when Rick Godfrey read the words of Ephesians 2:20, my mind focused on my own accountability to the Lord Jesus Christ on making sure I didn’t mess up the foundation for which my children and grandchildren and the people who are kind enough to follow “The Jesus Chick” blog stand on. That’s a scary thought.
When a stone structure is beginning to be built, the first block has to be laid in a manner that keeps every one to follow in line. In the church it’s called the Corner Stone, which is Christ. He is the foundation stone of our church. Perfect in every way. The apostles were the first to follow with their preaching of the Gospel of Christ. (Which God insured His word was perfect in every way. As the church began to grow, they understood the importance of making sure those who followed them understood and taught the word of God correctly. Those laying the spiritual blocks in the church continue today building upon what Christ began.
That’s our job folks. To keep building this structure of the living church, where each block represents a child of God, privileged to be a part of the Kingdom. But it appears the vast majority of the church think they’re a single stone and have no responsibility for keeping the building erected and moving toward Heaven. They’re stones mortared into the family of God, but they’re sitting there cockeyed or even outside the building and thinking that the structure is safe and sound.
THAT’S A SCARY THOUGHT!
How can the foundation of the building be safe when some of the stones are cockeyed or missing? And how do we think our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are going to make it to Heaven on the foundation that we are now in charge of, if we’re not in our place, studying and teaching them the word of God, or for Pete’s sake, we’re not even in the building.
I watch as families struggle, morals fail and respect is gone and realize it’s because the foundation of the church is on very shaky ground. But then I look at myself, who goes to church, takes part in leadership, loves reading the Bible and studying the word of God and yet my own failures are messing with the foundation. We all have a responsibility in building the Kingdom. It’s not just the Pastor’s job or the Deacons. Unfortunately in many churches they don’t even think it’s their job! The worldly church is too busy powdering the butts of the congregation and keeping them happy with coffee and donuts before service to concern themselves with laying a right mix of mortar to glue them together.
I know that’s a lot of metaphors and I hope I’m clear with what I’m saying and why this scared me.
This is why Sunday School Class is important. Having your family in church is important. Living the word of God, not just having it sit on the shelf is important. It’s the reason that families are falling a part. Not the only one, but one of the main foundational pieces of keeping the parents and children in line. If you’re in church that’s so wonderful! But what are you doing, what am I doing, to get the rest of my people mortared in?
Churches across the nation are sitting empty, children have their eyes glued to a computer or phone screen filled with both good and evil, but I’m pretty sure which one has the greater influence and it’s not the good. If we want our families saved and in the Kingdom with us for eternity there has got to be some conversing going on between us and them about the Word of God. And if not, they’ll likely not be there. Are you ready to do Heaven without them? I’m not.
That’s reality and that’s scary.
Life is not a game to be played, it’s a war to be won. I pray for us all, that today we’ll talk to someone we love about Jesus.
SHARI JOHNSON, THE JESUS CHICK