The Inspection: How Are You Building?
Rev. Dr. Omar Williams Preached on 3/1/20261 Corinthians 3:10-17
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Summary
Rev. Dr. Omar Williams concludes the 'Under Construction' series by warning that a divine inspection is coming for every believer. Using the imagery of 1 Corinthians 3, he challenges the congregation to build their lives and the church using eternal materials rather than temporary ego, ensuring their work stands the test of God's refining fire.
Key points
- •The foundation of the church and the believer's life must be Jesus Christ alone; any other foundation, such as personality, wealth, or social trends, will eventually fail.
- •Every believer is a builder whose work will undergo a divine inspection by fire to reveal its true quality and motives.
- •Materials for building are categorized as either perishable (wood, hay, straw) representing cheap grace and ego, or precious (gold, silver, precious stones) representing spiritual discipline and sacrifice.
- •The church is a collective 'Naos' (Holy of Holies), a sanctified family that God takes personally; defiling it through false doctrine or divisive gossip carries severe spiritual consequences.
- •Building for eternity requires long-term tenacity, heart-checks, and a commitment to unity through love and gratitude.
Scripture
Purpose
Community
Holiness
Discipleship
Judgment
Life application
This week, conduct a 'motive audit' on your service and relationships within the church. Ask yourself if you are building with 'gold' (prayer, forgiveness, and sincerity) or 'straw' (seeking applause or harboring resentment), and make one concrete correction to align your actions with the blueprint of Christ's love.
Reflection questions
- If the fire of God's inspection were to test your recent ministry or family life, what would remain and what would burn away?
- In what ways might you be tempted to build on the foundation of 'personality' or 'reputation' rather than the solid rock of Christ?
- How does viewing your fellow church members as part of the 'Holy of Holies' change the way you speak to or about them?
- Are there any areas of 'divisive hearsay' or gossip you need to repent of to protect the sanctity of God's temple?
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Full transcript
0:00voice. I see it with my own eyes. I see
0:05it with my own eyes. He can everyone.
0:21He every proise forsaker means for I
0:33he keeps he keeps every proise
0:37never be forens
0:41keeps every proise for me for every pros
0:48every
0:51be forsaken.
0:52>> He won't fail.
0:55He won't fail.
0:59He won't leave you.
1:02>> He won't fail.
1:03>> He won't fail. He won't fail.
1:08>> He won't fail.
1:10>> I tried to call myself.
1:12>> He won't leave. He won't fail. No, he
1:15won't fail.
1:18I seen it with my own eyes. I seen it
1:21with my own eyes.
1:25He keeps every promise.
1:28Never been forsaken.
1:31>> I see it with my own eyes. I see it with
1:35my own eyes. He keeps He keeps every
1:39promise.
1:41Never been forsaken. I see it with my
1:44own eyes.
1:47my whole life.
1:50He keeps every pro
1:55for seen it with my own eyes. I seen it
2:00with my own eyes.
2:03>> He keeps every
2:10way. Hallelujah. How many of you believe
2:13that? He's always making a way. Yes, he
2:18is. Every single time. Come on, help me.
2:20He's always making a way.
2:23>> Does anybody believe that? He's always
2:26making
2:27>> He's always making a way.
2:30>> Hallelujah. Somebody else sing it. Come
2:32on. He's always making
2:35>> always
2:49making you sway
2:52making
2:53>> always making always making
2:57>> Oh, he won't fail. He won't fail.
3:02He won't fail.
3:05He won't leave you. No, he won't fail.
3:12>> He won't fail.
3:14>> I've tried for myself.
3:18>> No, he won't leave you. No, he won't
3:22fail.
3:26on
3:28Christ.
3:30The solid
3:33the solid rock
3:36I stand
3:40all
3:42of the ground
3:46is seeking
3:51Oh,
3:58the ground
4:05is sinking
4:07down.
4:10He won't fail.
4:15God will never fail.
4:21He won't leave you.
4:25No, he won't fail.
4:31Sister Williams, he won't fail.
4:38He won't fail.
4:43I say he will leave you.
4:48Heat.
5:01Heat.
5:30Sexy won't fail.
5:36>> He won't leave you.
5:43He won't fail.
5:47He won't fail.
5:51Remember that this week. He won't fail.
5:57He won't leave you.
6:01He won't leave you
6:05when you're on your knees and you don't
6:06know what to do. He won't leave you
6:10WHEN YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING
6:13ON IN THIS WORLD. HE won't leave you.
6:22When your mind is doing all kind of
6:24things and thinking he won't leave you.
6:30No, he won't. He can't. He won't fail.
6:37Just look to Jesus
6:42and the things of this world will go
6:44strangely dim.
6:48We need to keep our eyes upon Jesus.
6:56Come on everybody, just lift your hands.
7:01Remember that he won't fail.
7:04No matter what's going on around you,
7:08beside you, remember
7:12that Jesus Christ will not fail.
7:32He won't fail.
7:36>> He won't.
7:39He won't fail.
7:43>> No, he won't fail.
7:47>> He won't fail.
7:47>> He won't fail.
7:50>> He won't leave.
7:51>> He won't leave you.
7:54No, he won't fail.
7:57>> One last time. He won't fail.
8:01>> One last time. He won't fail.
8:05>> He won't fail.
8:06>> He won't fail.
8:09>> He won't leave you.
8:10>> He won't leave you.
8:13>> Yes. He won't fail.
8:14>> He won't fail.
8:17>> He won't fail.
8:18>> He won't fail.
8:21>> He won't fail.
8:22>> He won't fail.
8:31Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
8:33>> Hallelujah.
8:34>> Lift those hands to the Lord, everybody,
8:36everywhere.
8:38Thank God for his unfailing power.
8:41His unfailing love.
8:44It's more than life to us.
8:49No, he won't leave us.
8:51He will never fail. Thank you, Jesus.
8:55Thank you, Jesus.
8:57He's an unfailing God.
9:02Unfailing God.
9:05Unfailing God.
9:08Yes Lord.
9:11Unfailing God.
9:14Father, we thank you now
9:16>> for the glorious reminder in the service
9:20that you won't fail.
9:23coming from the lips of those who
9:26>> have walked with you for years
9:28>> and can testify that from our vantage
9:31point there are days where we think that
9:34you were four days late
9:37but in retrospect we can testify you
9:40were always right on time.
9:43>> You won't fail.
9:44>> You never fail. You never will fail.
9:49>> That's the confidence we have in our
9:51God.
9:52So Lord, we worship you today and we
9:54pray that you'll speak words of life to
9:55us another time.
9:57>> Words that will convict, convert, words
10:00that will transform and change lives of
10:03the glory and the honor of God.
10:06>> Do it now as we open our vessels before
10:08you in Jesus's name. And everybody say,
10:11"Amen."
10:13>> Amen. God bless you. You may be seated
10:15in the presence of our good and our
10:17gracious God.
10:19>> He won't fail.
10:22Hallelujah.
10:26>> Yes, Jesus.
10:33Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. He never failed
10:39me yet.
10:41>> He never failed
10:44me yet.
10:46Jesus love
10:49never fail
10:51me.
10:55Everywhere
10:58I go,
11:00I want the world
11:02to know that Jesus Christ
11:07never fails
11:10me.
11:13Hallelujah.
11:15Hallelujah.
11:17He is an unfailing God.
11:21Amen. Amen.
11:24Before we go to the scriptures this
11:25morning, I want to welcome back into the
11:28house Lady Failen Daily. Amen. God bless
11:31you. So good to see you. Amen. Amen. and
11:35you keep on defying the odds and
11:38overcoming by the power of the name of
11:41Jesus.
11:42There's some special guest at the back
11:44there. You know yourselves. Not going to
11:47blow up your spot today, but you know
11:48yourself. Welcome into the house. God
11:50bless you both of you. I see you looking
11:52at each other. Which one of us? It's
11:53both of you.
11:56God bless you. And to everybody that is
11:57here, we salute you in the Lord. It's
12:00always a pleasure to see the people of
12:03God in the house of God. I want to say
12:06congratulations to Lady Langston and
12:08Lady Webster this week. This week they
12:12Yes. Yes. Yes. Amen. After
12:17subjecting themselves to the preparatory
12:19courses for licensing with the United
12:22Pentecostal Church, they were I
12:24recommended them both and for licenses
12:27and they were interviewed this Wednesday
12:31at our uh UPCI Florida District
12:34Conference and were granted ministerial
12:37credentials. So now you got to say
12:41Amen.
12:43You got to say Reverend Langston and
12:46Reverend Webster. I mean, they don't
12:47care for all of that, but I'm just me
12:49messing around. Uh it and it
12:52particularly
12:53uh delights my heart because we have a
12:57number of brothers who are licensed in
13:00the church, but not a lot of females.
13:03And we want this to be a sign to all the
13:06ladies. If you have a calling of God on
13:09your life, if the Lord has placed the
13:11Holy Spirit in you, he intends to use
13:14you for service.
13:16This is not a boy's club, but there is
13:20room for every gifting within the body.
13:22Is that all right? Amen. Amen. Go with
13:25me in your Bibles to First Corinthians
13:27chapter 3. We're going to today close
13:30out our series. We've been laboring in
13:32this series since the first Sunday in
13:34January. We're going to close out the
13:37series. Uh but the uh men and women who
13:41will continue preaching for the rest of
13:43this month, they will uh continue
13:45talking about the foundation of Jesus
13:48Christ. But uh this the series closes
13:52today.
13:541 Corinthians chapter 3 10-17
13:59is where we are today. I'll read verse
14:0110 to get us started. You may remain
14:03seated from the New King James Version
14:05of God's Holy Word. It reads like this.
14:09According to the grace of God which was
14:11given to me as a wise master builder, I
14:16have laid the foundation and another
14:18builds on it. But let each one take heed
14:22how he builds on it. Thank you, media.
14:24This is pretty good.
14:27As we close out the series today, we've
14:29talked about we've talked about the
14:31architect saying, "I'll build my
14:33church." We've looked on the blueprint.
14:36We've looked on the cornerstone.
14:39We want to talk today about the
14:42inspection.
14:44The inspection. How are you building?
14:49The subject today is the inspection.
14:53How are you building?
14:56This week I heard words,
15:00quote,
15:02"If the inspector comes and sees this
15:06work as is,
15:08you will fail without a doubt." unquote.
15:13These were the words that Pastor Chris,
15:16Lady Michelle Thompson, and I heard on
15:20Wednesday as we sought the opinions of
15:24two experts on some recently concluded
15:28work that is awaiting inspection from
15:31the city's building department.
15:34These words were hard to hear, to be
15:37sure. Nobody wants a negative assessment
15:40of the work that they do or that they
15:43oversee
15:44and especially work that expends great
15:49time and effort.
15:52To be sure,
15:54they
15:56didn't sound pleasant to the hearing.
16:01But yet, the sharp unbridled warning was
16:06and is a blessing for us. Why? Because
16:11this was not the inspector from the
16:14city.
16:16This was an expert in the area of
16:19building that we are concerned with.
16:23And we now know through that warning
16:28that we need to correct course.
16:32And not only do we know that we need to
16:34correct course, we know how to correct
16:38course before the day of inspection
16:42arrives.
16:44If we fail the inspection,
16:47the burden, the fault is on us because
16:50we have heard the sharp warning. If the
16:54inspector comes and sees this work as
16:56is, you will fail without a doubt.
17:01Brothers and sisters, I have come today
17:03at this closing sermon in this series
17:06under construction
17:09to say to us what Paul delivered to the
17:12Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
17:18delivered the same jarring warning that
17:21the experts gave to us. It delivered
17:24that warning to a gifted
17:27but immature Corinthian church and to us
17:32by application.
17:34And the message is clear. Paul is not
17:38mincing his words. They may be
17:40uncomfortable here, but he's not mincing
17:43words. He's saying to us, each believer
17:46is called into the body of Christ to
17:50build on Christ.
17:52You're called not just to occupy
17:55membership in a congregation, but you're
17:58called to build on Christ.
18:02And we are under construction now. We're
18:06building lives now. We're building
18:09ministries now. We're building up the
18:11church of the Lord now. But the po Paul
18:14is saying to us here that the moment of
18:18truth is coming when the building will
18:21be inspected according to the blueprint.
18:25The day of inspection is coming. The day
18:28is coming when Jesus Christ who is the
18:32author and the finisher of our faith.
18:35When Jesus Christ who is the architect
18:38and the inspector of our church. And
18:40Jesus Christ, the one who said, "I will
18:43build my church at the start of our
18:45series, will show up and he will walk
18:49through the sight of our lives." He'll
18:52walk through our ministries. He'll walk
18:54through our church. And here's the
18:56thing. When it comes on to inspection of
18:59a physical building, you may be able at
19:02last minute to apply a special coat of
19:05paint or some kind of filler to kind of
19:10uh take away attention from the flaws
19:13and the defects in the building. But
19:16here's the deal. When we come before
19:18Jesus on the day when he walks through
19:21our lives and lays it bare, no paint
19:25will be able to hide the defects from
19:28his allseeing eyes. Yeah. He will not be
19:32fooled by the veneer of our carefully
19:35curated reputation or our marketing
19:38campaign, how we appear on social media.
19:40No, he's going to look through all of
19:42that. He will test the very structure of
19:45our lives, the very materials from which
19:49our ministries are made. He'll know our
19:52motives. He will see everything.
19:54Everything will lie bare before God on
19:57that day of inspection.
19:59>> Brothers and sisters, Paul writes to us
20:01and there are three natural movements in
20:03this text. Firstly, uh he talks to us
20:06about the base of the building, the
20:07groundwork of the building. and he's
20:09trying to get across to us that uh the
20:12inspection will begin from the ground
20:14up. He's going to start from the ground
20:17up. He'll start with the groundwork and
20:19then he is going to look at the process
20:21of our building and he's going to look
20:24at how we respect the identity of that
20:27which we are building.
20:30He says to us that if we want to pass
20:32the inspection, here is the cheat sheet
20:35for you. Why don't you nudge your
20:37neighbor? The neighbor Paul is giving us
20:38a cheat sheet.
20:40Yeah, he is. He is giving us a cheat
20:42sheet. I told the first sermon this
20:44morning that this is not a shouting
20:45message. I just want to talk to us out
20:47of the volume of God's word. There is so
20:49much gravity in this. I feel like God
20:51wants us to hear this.
20:53>> Here it is. The first thing that Paul
20:55says that if we are going to be ready
20:58for the inspecting eyes of Jesus that
21:02firstly we must build on the singular
21:05foundation. We must build on the
21:08singular foundation. We must build on
21:11the singular foundation. In verses 10
21:14and 11, he says, "According to the grace
21:16of God which is given to me as a wise
21:19master builder, I have laid the
21:22foundation." Everybody shout the
21:23foundation. That mean there is only one
21:26foundation. Why don't you let it ring
21:28out in here? The church's one foundation
21:31is Jesus Christ the Lord. Yes. Yes. We
21:35have one foundation, the foundation, and
21:38another builds on it. But let each one
21:41take heed how he builds on it. For no
21:45other foundation can anyone lay than
21:48that which is laid, which is Jesus
21:51Christ. Paul is very clear in this verse
21:54that in these verses rather that there
21:57is only one sustaining and sustainable
22:01foundation. And the only way for us to
22:04build Godhonoring lives and God-honoring
22:07ministries and God-honoring churches and
22:10God-honoring families and careers is if
22:13we are building on the one foundation,
22:16the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ
22:20the Lord. That's where the inspection is
22:23going to begin. He's going to look at
22:25what foundation you're building on. If
22:27you go before him, when you do go before
22:29him, you can't go telling him, "I'm a
22:31self-made woman. I'm a self-made man. I
22:34I I built on what I felt like. I I I
22:37built on my own philosophy. I built on
22:40my personal truth." No, he is going to
22:42say to you, that's not a strong enough
22:44foundation. And there is only one
22:46foundation on which we can build
22:49something of everlasting value.
22:52>> He points out to us very clearly, let me
22:53back my way into these two verses here.
22:55He points out very clearly to us in
22:57verse 11 that the solid substructure for
23:02any enduring life or congregation is
23:05Jesus Christ. He is unequivocal about
23:08that. That the only solid substructure
23:11is Jesus Christ. There's only one
23:13foundation he says and that's Jesus
23:15Christ. And if you build on anything
23:17else, if you try to build on reputation
23:20or wealth or even some religion uh he
23:23says firstly that constitute a viol a
23:26code a violation code and here's the
23:29deal a code violation and it cannot
23:31support the weight of eternal destiny.
23:35Nothing else can hold us up when we come
23:39to eternity. Everything else of time
23:42will burn and fade away if it is not
23:44Jesus. The only thing that will sustain
23:48sustain us in time and eternity is if we
23:51build on a foundation that is Jesus
23:53Christ himself,
23:54>> the chief cornerstone.
23:57>> Build your family life on him. Build
24:00your church on him because any life,
24:03family, church that is built on
24:04personality, political affiliation,
24:07moralism, or just catchy social trends
24:11will eventually crack. You just need to
24:13look at what is happening now in the
24:15megaurch movement that were built on
24:17personalities and you'll begin to see
24:20that many of them are coming down that
24:22people are leaving those churches in
24:25droves and are forming little church
24:27houses because personality cannot
24:30sustain the church of God. We must build
24:33on Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the
24:36ground of our assurance. On Christ the
24:39solid ROCK I STAND. ALL OTHER ground is
24:44sinking sand. He is the only durable
24:47foundation
24:48on which we can build anything of
24:51eternal significance. Build on Jesus
24:53Christ. Make sure he's at the center of
24:55the church, the center of your family,
24:57the center of your business, the center
24:59of your education. Build on Jesus. So
25:03Paul says to us in verse 11, then he
25:06talks about the skilled stewardship in
25:08verse 10 a the skilled stewardship. He
25:10he says I am the master builder as as
25:13the wise master builder. I laid this
25:16foundation. You know the Bible says that
25:19the church is built upon the foundation
25:21of the apostles and prophets with Jesus
25:23Christ himself being the chief
25:25cornerstone. That is to say uh these men
25:29were the architecton. The architecton,
25:32wise master builder, the Greek there is
25:34architecton from which we derive the
25:36English word architect. The difference
25:38though is that whereas the architect in
25:41our context uh is relegated to one area
25:44of the job. They draft the plans for the
25:47building, the architecton
25:49not only drafted the plans but saw
25:52through the entire building. They were
25:54involved in the very laying of the
25:57substructure of the work. What Paul is
25:58saying is that I have served as an
26:01architecton
26:03because not only have I helped to lay
26:05the foundation in my preaching in the
26:08gospel that I preach, I made it clear
26:11that Jesus Christ is both Lord and
26:13Christ. But I am still involved in the
26:16very building of the body because every
26:19Sunday when you gather, you have a
26:21chance to read my words, what I have
26:23said about Jesus and how to live a life
26:26that is Christ centered. Is there
26:28anybody here that this week you've read
26:30something that Paul wrote? Anybody?
26:31Anybody? Anybody wrote read something
26:33that Peter wrote or that John wrote or
26:36that Matthew wrote? Why? Because these
26:38men that God used to bring the
26:40revelation that Jesus Christ is the
26:43Jewish Messiah but the Lord of the
26:45church that he IS GOD WHO BUILDS and
26:49sustain the church. Their words are
26:51still with us as we are building. Wise
26:55master builders laid the foundation of
26:57our church. When Paul went to Corinth,
26:59he said in 1 Corinthians 2:es 1-2, "When
27:02I came to Corinth, I determined to
27:05preach only Christ and him crucified."
27:08He said, "I didn't come with the
27:09philosophies of the Athenians." No, I I
27:12didn't come with that. I didn't come
27:13with with with with all kinds of
27:15revolutionary ideas and theories. No, I
27:18came with the message that Jesus Christ
27:21is Lord and before him every knee must
27:24bow and every tongue must confess that
27:27he is Lord. That's the message on which
27:30the church is built. And I am so glad
27:32that in 1996 when the Lord gave Bishop
27:35Robert Stewart the message and the
27:37vision to build this church to start
27:40laying the foundation of this church, he
27:42also laid a foundation that was
27:45cristocentric. He built this church not
27:47on himself but on Jesus Christ. Come
27:50here for a second. The reason this
27:52church will not die. We may go through
27:54waves of transition but we will never
27:57die. Here's the reason. Because of these
27:59words that are at the philos the
28:01philosophical foundation of this church.
28:03Focus on Jesus. Bishop Stewart didn't
28:06build this on himself. He built it on
28:09Jesus Christ.
28:11>> Am I talking to anybody here?
28:13>> He built it on Jesus Christ. He preached
28:16Jesus as the only foundation. Matter of
28:18fact, you can go back in the archives of
28:202005 and you'll see a sermon by Bishop
28:22Jesus the only option. And in that
28:25message, he underscored the fact that
28:27many people want choices. They we're in
28:29a microwave society. You want to go to
28:32Neiman Marcus if you can afford it. And
28:34if you can, you might want to go to you
28:35might want to go to our Target. Am I
28:37talking to anybody in this place? But
28:39but he said we have many we want many
28:41choices. But when it comes on to the
28:43church, there is only one option and
28:46it's Jesus. The foundation is Jesus.
28:49This church is a Christ centered church.
28:54>> Let the church say amen.
28:55>> Amen.
28:56>> Paul says, I did this by the grace of
28:59God. And our bishop was no different. He
29:01labored by the grace of God. Hence, our
29:0430th anniversary theme is 30 years of
29:07grace focusing on Jesus. For we
29:11acknowledge as Paul did that it was the
29:14mercy of God and the grace of God that
29:18saved him and enabled him to serve in
29:21the body. Nobody in here comes to
29:24service because you deserve to be
29:26called. Is there anybody in this house
29:28who felt like I deserve this calling of
29:31God? I merit being here. But is there
29:33anybody who feels humbled that God
29:35called you and that by his mercy he
29:38saved you and by his grace every day he
29:41keeps on using you to sing and to preach
29:44and to bless others and to testify. It
29:46is all the grace of God. Look at your
29:49neighbor right quick and say neighbor
29:50it's not that my I'm so good. Come on,
29:52tell him the truth. Tell the truth. It's
29:53not that I'm so good. No, it's because
29:55God IS SO GRACIOUS. GOD'S GRACE is what
29:59is ENABLING ME TO SERVE IN THE BODY. I'm
30:03here by God's grace. BISHOP LAID THE
30:07FOUNDATION BY GOD'S GRACE. THE CHARTER
30:09MEMBERS LABORED BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
30:12THANK YOU, Lady Miller. Thank you, Elder
30:13Miller. Thank you, Elder M. And here's
30:15the deal. WE TOO WHO ARE HERE, WE CAN
30:18ARISE AND BUILD BY THE SAME GRACE OF God
30:21through many dangers, trials, and
30:24snares. We have already come and the
30:28grace that brought us safe thus far. THE
30:31GRACE THAT BROUGHT US over 30 years is
30:33able to continue to lead US ALL THE WAY.
30:36I'M BUILDING BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
30:40>> We build by the grace of God. Paul
30:45recognized the limitations of his
30:47humanity. And so he says now he gave
30:51them the solemn safeguard to those who
30:54will come after him to those who will
30:56continue the work after him. He said to
30:59them build carefully. Everybody shout
31:02build carefully. In verse 10 the last
31:04part of verse 10 he said let everyone
31:07take care how he builds upon the
31:11foundation. He acknowledges that that uh
31:13his work in Corinth had finished and now
31:16Apollos was serving. And when Apollos
31:19was finished, somebody else would come.
31:20Bishop Stewart, thank God that he
31:22reached into St. Albins's, New York, and
31:25called for this lowly brother from St.
31:27Alburn's, New York, and call him to come
31:29down here to continue the work after
31:31him. And here's the deal. One day, my
31:34tenure of service will expire. Maybe
31:36I'll die or maybe I'll get to 70 years
31:39old and have a chance to retire
31:41gracefully. But but HERE'S THE DEAL.
31:43SOMEBODY ELSE WILL CONTINUE the work
31:45after me. But here IS A SOLEMN SAFEGUARD
31:49THAT has kept the church alive for
31:51generations from Paul until now. HERE IT
31:53IS. BUILD CAREFULLY ON the foundation.
31:58>> Build carefully on the foundation.
32:01>> Two things we must acknowledge in this
32:03part B of verse 10 is firstly you do not
32:07get to invent the foundation.
32:09>> You don't get to lay another foundation.
32:11HE SAID ONE FOUNDATION HAS ALREADY BEEN
32:14LAID. YOU ARE NOT CALLED TO BUILD A NEW
32:17FOUNDATION. YOU ARE CALLED TO BUILD ON
32:19THE ONLY FOUNDATION that already exists.
32:22>> You're not called to come in with some
32:23new kind of philosophy, some new kind of
32:25ideas that you got from somewhere. No.
32:28Make sure that the WORD OF GOD THAT
32:30SUSTAIN THE CHURCH, THE principles that
32:32govern THE CHURCH ARE SITTING SOLIDLY
32:35UPON the written WORD OF GOD. THIS IS
32:36THE FOUNDATION.
32:40>> Build upon the foundation. And then he
32:43says take care how you are building. So
32:48you must build on it but then you must
32:50consider you must reflect how you are
32:55building on this. How are you building?
32:58Are you building out of envy?
33:03Are you trying to outdo somebody else?
33:07Paul says there are many who are
33:08preaching the gospel, but they're doing
33:10it out of strife.
33:12>> They're doing it out of competition.
33:14>> Well, he preached uh so I'm going to
33:16make sure that I out preach him next
33:18Sunday or well, he is leading that so
33:21I'm going to make sure that that I'm
33:22doing better and we jockey for positions
33:25and we become political. PAUL SAYS BE
33:27MINDFUL HOW YOU ARE building
33:31>> because you might just be building
33:32something else and thinking you're
33:34building the body of Christ. Take care
33:37how you are building on it. Make sure
33:40that your message is cristocentric. Make
33:42sure your life IS CHRISTLIKE. MAKE SURE
33:45YOUR MOTIVES AND YOUR attitudes
33:49>> are Christlike.
33:51So he said build on the singular
33:53foundation. Number two, he says build
33:56for the scrutinizing furnace.
33:59Build for the scrutinizing furnace. The
34:03the idea here is your work will be tried
34:07by the furnace.
34:09No, no, no. You are NOT WORKING TO
34:11PLEASE PEOPLE.
34:13>> You're working to make sure that your
34:16work can be scrutinized by the furnace
34:19that's coming.
34:21>> He said, "Build with that in mind." So,
34:23here are the verses. Let me read them in
34:25your hearing. Verses 12 to 15. Now if
34:27anyone builds on this foundation with
34:31gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay,
34:36straw, each one's work will become clear
34:40for the day will reveal it because it
34:44will be revealed by fire. Not Facebook,
34:48fire, not Instagram, fire, not YouTube,
34:53fire. It will be revealed by fire. And
34:56the fire will test each one's work of
34:58what sort it is. If anyone's work which
35:00he has built on it endures, he'll
35:02receive a reward. If anyone's work is
35:04burnt, he will suffer loss, but he
35:06himself will be saved yet as through
35:09fire. Now, this is where the text really
35:11hit home to me because Paul is saying
35:14here that we can be building on the
35:18foundation of Christ. We can be busy
35:22bringing people in the church and are at
35:26risk of being lost. So much so that
35:29there are some people Paul SAYS WILL
35:32SCARCELY MAKE IT IN.
35:38And and he said we we we've got to the
35:41defining thing is what's your motive
35:43that you're building with? Are you
35:46building with the perishable motive? He
35:49calls it in verse 12 the perishable
35:51motive. He he described these as wood,
35:53hay, straw. These are cheap.
35:57This is what Dietrich Bonhaofer refers
35:59to as cheap grace. The grace we give
36:02ourselves. The grace without
36:04disciplehip. The grace without
36:06sacrifice. the grace that we bestow on
36:09ourselves
36:11uh as the escape card out of doing the
36:15hard work that it takes to build genuine
36:18lives of faith that honor God and build
36:21his church.
36:23grace, cheap, common, quick to assemble,
36:27the quick temporary fixes that we apply.
36:32The things we do for human applause, the
36:35things we do out of our own egos, these
36:38are perishable. They are wood, hay, and
36:41straw. John Calvin laments. He says,
36:44"It's a great and terrible thing to
36:46reflect that many who boast of their
36:49building and who are admired by the
36:51world as excellent master builders are
36:54laboring in vain because they are
36:56heaping up wood, hay, and stubble." It
37:00looks good. It goes up quickly in known
37:03time. They are uh they are I mean
37:06ministering on huge platforms. And let
37:08me use the word ministering loosely here
37:10for a second. They are singing on huge
37:12platforms. They're preaching all over
37:13the world, but they have built something
37:16of wood, hay, and straw. It is not
37:20sustainable. It's quick. It goes up
37:22quickly. It might look good in the eyes
37:24OF THE PUBLIC, BUT IT CANNOT STAND THE
37:27TEST of the fire.
37:30>> Brothers and sisters, we must remember
37:32that this race of Christianity and
37:36disciplehip, it is not a sprint. It's a
37:38marathon.
37:39>> It's not a 100 meter dash. IT'S AN
37:41ETERNAL RUN. AM I TALKING to anybody in
37:43this place? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So,
37:46HERE'S THE DEAL. RATHER THAN BUILD WITH
37:49THE PERISHABLE, because immediately you
37:52can see the implications here. If we are
37:55building for the fire that will test our
37:58work. If you build with wood, if you
38:01build with hay, if you build with straw,
38:04those things won't make it to the fire.
38:07THEY MAY LOOK GOOD, BUT BY THE TIME THEY
38:09PASS THROUGH THE FIRE, THEY'LL BE
38:11NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF ASHES IN OUR
38:12HANDS. AM I TALKING TO anybody in this
38:15place?
38:17But on the other hand, he says, "Build
38:20with the precious stuff. The precious
38:23stuff, gold, silver, costly stones.
38:27These are rare. They're expensive.
38:31They're hard to find. You've got to mine
38:33for them. You've got to dig deep in the
38:36earth to find them. And this is the idea
38:39that Paul is trying to convey to us to
38:42build lives and ministries that will
38:44stand the test of time. They may not be
38:48erected overnight. They'll take a long
38:51time. And the building might look
38:52hideous, unsightly at first, and for A
38:56VERY LONG TIME. BUT AS YOU ARE DIGGING
38:58and you're searching, you will find
39:01gold. You will find precious stones. YOU
39:03WILL FIND SILVER and the building will
39:06gradually be completed. I mean such
39:09virtues as reading the Bible, such
39:11virtues as uh spending time in prayer
39:14and in consecration and in forgiving
39:17people and in making sure that our
39:19motives are right. THAT BUILDING DOES
39:22NOT GO UP QUICKLY. IT doesn't look good
39:24at first. But here's the deal. If you
39:27KEEP ON BUILDING, YOU ARE BUILDING
39:29something that will LAST FOR ALL
39:32ETERNITY. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY HERE?
39:35WHY DON'T YOU do me a favor? Nudge your
39:36neighbor as a neighbor. Neighbor, come
39:37on. Tell him a neighbor, my building
39:39might be taking a while to take shape.
39:41It might be taking a while to look good,
39:43BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. I'M BUILDING THIS
39:45THING FROM MY HEART. GOD KNOWS MY HEART.
39:49HE SEES MY MOTIVE. HE SEES THAT MY
39:52DESIRE IS TO PLEASE HIM. I MAY HAVE
39:55FAILED IN YOUR EYES, BUT GOD SEES THAT
39:59I'M TRYING TO DIG DEEP IN HIM TO BECOME
40:02THE BEST OF WHO GOD HAS CALLED ME TO BE.
40:08>> I don't want to stand and look pretty on
40:10the pull pit, but when the fire test me,
40:13I'm wood, hay, and straw. Oh, I feel the
40:16Holy Ghost in here. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
40:19yes, yes. I I I I WANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN
40:22I STAND HERE, IT MIGHT TAKE ME A WHILE
40:24TO GET HERE. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY?
40:27BUT I'VE SPENT TIME IN THE BACKGROUND
40:29DIGGING DEEP IN PRAYER, DIGGING DEEP IN
40:32MY CONSECRATION, DIGGING DEEP IN MY WORD
40:34LIFE. AND IT MAY TAKE ME A WHILE. I MAY
40:37LOOK LIKE I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE IN
40:39YOUR EYES, BUT IN THE eyes of God, HE
40:41SEES THAT I'M FINDING THE GOLD. I'm
40:43finding the silver. I'M FINDING THE
40:45PRECIOUS STONES IN MY TIME OF spiritual
40:48discipline. and sacrifice.
40:51Take all the time you need to find that
40:53gold. Hallelujah. Take all the time you
40:56need to make sure you're forgiving,
40:58right? Take all the time you need TO
41:00MAKE SURE THAT BITTERNESS and resentment
41:03is being worked out of you. THAT YOU'RE
41:05NOT TRYING TO WORK OUT OF RESENTMENT. AM
41:06I TALKING TO ANYBODY HERE? TAKE ALL THE
41:08TIME YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
41:11HEART IS right before God.
41:16>> Because here's the deal. There is the
41:19perishable stuff. There is the precious
41:21stuff. But what separates the two is the
41:23proof. Here it is in verses 13 to 15.
41:26The proof is coming. Hallelujah.
41:28Somebody ought to holler it out in this
41:29house. The proof is coming. Tell them.
41:31Tell them the proof is coming. Yeah.
41:33Yeah. Yeah. The proof is coming. HERE IT
41:35IS. THE DAY OF FIRE IS COMING.
41:39>> AH,
41:41I feel the Holy Ghost in here. The day
41:43of fire is coming.
41:45>> This is the proof of our work.
41:48Brothers and sisters,
41:51I know that we must use the social
41:53media. Well, I know that. I I know that.
41:57And I'm glad for how our team makes us
41:59look good on social media. Have you Has
42:02anybody seen our profile on Instagram?
42:05>> Has anybody seen it on Facebook? Thank
42:07you, Lady Shie. Thank you, Lady Grace.
42:08Thank you, media team. You're doing a
42:10phenomenal job making us look good on
42:13social media. We love that.
42:15But the best part, brothers and sisters,
42:18is that whatever is going to go on
42:20social media, we have the opportunity to
42:23make sure that it does not just look
42:26good, but it really is good AND IT CAN
42:28STAND THE FIRE THAT IS GOING TO judge
42:31and evaluate us at the end.
42:35>> When Paul talks about the day, I'm gonna
42:37take my time today. Give me a little
42:38time today. You won't hear me for a few
42:40weeks. So give me a little time today
42:42just to unbburden myself in the Lord.
42:45When Paul talks about the day, he uses
42:49an escodological term. Escodological
42:51means something that is coming at the
42:52end of time.
42:54It's the word that means the day of the
42:57Lord. The day of the Lord is not just
43:00one day. It's a period of time that
43:03begins when the Lord comes for his
43:05church and ends after the white throne
43:09judgment in Revelation chapter 20.
43:12That's a day of the Lord. It's a very
43:14long period referred to as the day of
43:17the Lord. It will be a time of testing
43:20and evaluation.
43:22That's a time when the truth of EVERY
43:25HEART WILL BE REVEALED to God. the
43:28things that the pastor can't see and the
43:30associate pastor can't see and the
43:32leaders can't see. This is where the
43:34wheat and the tears
43:36will NOW FIND THEIR PLACE OF reckoning
43:40with the master of the vineyard. Am I
43:42talking to anybody in this place?
43:44>> Ah, and he says at that day there'll be
43:49the crucible of the furnace. The
43:50crucible of the furnace. This is the
43:52crucible. The crucible is a testing
43:54place. He says everyone's work will be
43:56placed in the crucible. The crucible is
43:58the the place where it's a
44:00metallergological term. It's a place
44:01where metals were placed into a heated
44:05chamber and fire would be applied to it.
44:08And he is saying this is a place where
44:11the testing is where the testing is
44:13occur. And I'm testing you for three
44:15reasons. One to prove you to see if you
44:18have the substance that can stand up to
44:21scrutiny. Now, if you're built of wood,
44:23hay, and straw, you won't pass this
44:26first level of proving because you're
44:28going to be burned up immediately. Am I
44:30talking to anybody here? But if you are
44:32built of gold, and silver, here's the
44:34deal. Those things are not destroyed by
44:37fire. They are rather improved by fire.
44:40Am I talking to anybody here? So, they
44:42are proven. They are improved. And
44:44lastly, they are approved. You've got to
44:47go through the crucible OF THE FURNACE
44:49TO be approved. Those who have got a
44:52gold watch or gold ring on your hand,
44:53just wave it in here. For some of you,
44:55maybe on your left hand, just Yeah.
44:57White gold, yellow gold, whatever gold
44:58it is.
45:00>> Yeah. Wave it in the house. Now, here's
45:03the deal.
45:06THAT GOLD HAD TO GO THROUGH THE fire to
45:09the furnace to be proved
45:13to be improved by removing the
45:16impurities out of it. AND THEN LASTLY,
45:19TO BE approved by getting the signature,
45:22the seal, the stamp of the master on it.
45:27Lean in here for a second. I want to
45:28make sure that I build with something
45:30that is so tenacious, that is so
45:33durable, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES ME,
45:35THAT WHEN I AM PROVED and I'm improved
45:38and I'm approved, that he'll stamp me
45:41AND HE'LL SAY, "WELL DONE, GOOD AND
45:43FAITHFUL SERVANT." YOU'VE BEEN FAITHFUL
45:45OVER A FEW THINGS. I'LL MAKE YOU RULER
45:47OVER MANY THINGS. ENTER THOU. AND IS
45:49THERE ANYBODY IN THIS HOUSE THAT WANT TO
45:51HEAR HIM SAY, "WELL DONE, GOOD AND
45:54FAITHFUL SERVANT." I WANT TO HEAR HIM
45:56SAY, "WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL
45:59SERVANT."
46:01>> Let me tell you this.
46:03I realize
46:06that God puts a little stubbornness in
46:09everybody who is called to pastor.
46:13He puts a little stubbornness in all of
46:15us. Honey, I apologize to you. I ask God
46:19why he made me stubborn.
46:22But it's it's the truth. He puts just a
46:25little stubbornness in everybody whom he
46:27calls to lead the church. Why? Because
46:31if you are in this and you don't have
46:33the tenacity
46:35to make unpopular decisions,
46:38>> if you don't HAVE THE TENACITY TO
46:40SOMETIMES STAND AGAINST POPULAR
46:43OPINIONS, if you are a people pleaser,
46:46YOU ARE NEVER EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO
46:48PLEASE GOD. IF YOU BOB AND WEAVE WITH
46:50PEOPLE'S OPINIONS, AM I TALKING TO
46:52ANYBODY HERE? LET ME TELL YOU THIS. I
46:55appreciate all the good comments you
46:57make and I also sometime hear the
46:59negative things, BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. MY
47:01GOAL IS TO HEAR GOD SAY, "WELL DONE." I
47:05FEEL HIM IN HERE. THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL
47:07SERVANT, ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THE
47:11LORD. That is my intention. Oh, I feel
47:14God in here. I STAY UNDEVIATING THE
47:17FOCUS BECAUSE WHAT I WANT TO HEAR HIM
47:19SAY IS WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL
47:22servant
47:24>> into thou. Hallelujah.
47:25>> Hallelujah.
47:27>> In the joy of the Lord. Let me tell you
47:29this brothers and sisters. There is so
47:31much good in the worst of us and so much
47:35bad in the best of us that it's not up
47:38to any of us to talk about or to judge
47:40the rest of us. HERE'S THE DEAL. LET GOD
47:42DO his work in people's lives. Because
47:45here's the deal. There is a CERTAINTY OF
47:47THE FIRE. IT IS A FIRE THAT IS GOING TO
47:50CLARIFY. It is a fire that is going to
47:52reveal what God is really doing.
47:56>> Oh, I feel him in this place.
47:59>> But lastly, let me talk about the
48:00consequences of the flames because the
48:02fire will reveal stuff and there will be
48:06consequences.
48:08Here it is. He said some will be
48:09rewarded. I talked about it earlier. He
48:11will say to some, "Well done, good and
48:13faithful servant." But there are some
48:16whom, he says, they will they'll make
48:19it. They they they may not be lost, but
48:21they'll make it. Hear this. As one
48:24escaping through the flames,
48:27put in uh modern colloquialism, they'll
48:31make it by the skin of their teeth.
48:33THEY'LL SCARCELY MAKE IT. THEY'LL JUST
48:36BARELY BUT SLIDE INTO HEAVEN. NOW,
48:39BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I don't know about
48:40you, but there is a lot of things I
48:43could be out in the world doing.
48:47>> And and don't tell me that there's not
48:48pleasure in the world because Moses said
48:51that there was some pleasure in the sin
48:53of Egypt.
48:54THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I COULD BE OUT
48:56THERE DOING. I DO NOT, LADY SAM. I DON'T
48:59WANT TO SPEND YEARS serving God in his
49:03church, MAKING SACRIFICE AFTER SACRIFICE
49:06AND THEN SCARCELY MAKE IT. I DON'T WANT
49:09THAT TO BE MY END. I FEEL LIKE PREACHING
49:12IT HERE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE IT. I want
49:15him to roll out the red carpet. I want
49:17Gabriel TO BLOW THE TRUMPET AS OMAR
49:19WILLIAMS MARCHES IN. WELL DONE. IS THERE
49:23ANYBODY IN HERE WITH ME? I'LL SERVE HIM
49:26NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS, HOW MUCH
49:28SACRIFICE I GOT TO MAKE, HOW MUCH I GOT
49:30TO DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND MY MIND AND MY
49:32FLESH. BUT I WILL WORK FOR JESUS TO HEAR
49:35HIM SAY IN THE END, WELL DONE.
49:38Good and faithful servant, ENTER THOU
49:42INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD.
49:46>> HALLELUJAH.
49:48HALLELUJAH. I want to walk around heaven
49:50with crowns. Oh, hallelujah. that every
49:54time I come before Jesus, I just lay
49:56them down before him at his feet. I
49:58don't want to walk around with a pile of
49:59ashes from my wood, hey, from my ego and
50:03from am I talking to anybody here, BUT I
50:05WANT TO LAY GOLD AND SILVER AND PRECIOUS
50:08STONES BEFORE HIM. HERE YOU ARE, LORD.
50:11THIS IS FOR THE GRACE YOU GAVE ME. THIS
50:13IS FOR THE SALVATION YOU BESTOWED ON ME.
50:15THIS IS FOR THE CALLING. GOLD AND SILVER
50:17AND PRECIOUS things I want to lay before
50:20God.
50:22Ah God.
50:24>> Hallelujah.
50:25>> Hallelujah. Let me close.
50:28So build on the singular foundation.
50:32Build for the scrutinizing furnace.
50:36But let me close when I share with us
50:38the last admonition that Paul leaves
50:40with us in verses 16 and 17. He says,
50:43"Build up the sanctified family."
50:48>> Let me let let's unpack this. Verses 16
50:50and 17. Do you not know
50:53that you are the temple of the living
50:56God? That the spirit of God dwells in
51:00you? If anyone defiles the temple of
51:03God, God will destroy him. The temple of
51:07God is holy which temple you are.
51:11Brothers and sisters, this is strong
51:12language here. when Paul talks about the
51:17temple
51:19and in this there is a change in the uh
51:25in the pronouns that is used here
51:28because now he's moved from singular
51:31pronouns to plural pronouns
51:34in the Greek when he says you are the
51:37temple of the living God brothers and
51:40sisters we must understand that he's not
51:43talking about one person. He's saying
51:46all of you together, you are the temple
51:50of the living God. Hallelujah.
51:53What he's saying to us is THAT THIS
51:55BODY, THE CHURCH OF GOD, IS A sanctified
51:59family. Everybody shout sanctified.
52:01>> Now, let's make it plain. To sanctify
52:03something, it's like when you go to the
52:06store. When you go to the store and
52:07you're looking for a toothbrush to buy,
52:10you choose the one that you think is
52:11best for you. You buy that thing, you
52:15take it home and you sanctify it. You
52:18make it your own.
52:21Spouses get bent out of shape if their
52:23spouse, you love your spouse, but you
52:25don't want your spouse using your
52:26toothbrush.
52:30You have sanctified it. You've made it
52:33yours. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY HERE?
52:36WHAT GOD IS SAYING IS WHEN YOU BECOME A
52:40PART OF MY CHURCH, DON'T THINK YOU ARE
52:42JUST A PART OF SOMETHING TRIVIAL. DON'T
52:45THINK YOU'RE JUST A PART OF SOMETHING
52:46THAT BISHOP STEWART STARTED. DON'T THINK
52:48YOU'RE JUST A PART OF A GATHERING AT 7TH
52:51AVENUE. NO, YOU ARE A PART OF A
52:53SANCTIFIED FAMILY THAT GOD CHOSE, THAT
52:56HE BLED FOR, HE SAID BLOOD FOR, HE GAVE
52:59HIS SPIRIT TO. GOD IS SAYING YOU'RE A
53:01PART OF SOMETHING THAT I'VE SANCTIFIED.
53:05OH HALLELUJAH. THIS FAMILY IS MINE. THIS
53:08CHURCH IS MINE.
53:11>> Now this is deep. He's saying that the
53:14church is the sacred structure in the
53:16world. We are God's temple. Verse 16.
53:21This again is not individualistic. He's
53:23looking at the collective body of
53:25believers and he's saying all of you.
53:27All of you. Who who who is a temple? All
53:30of you. And there's a verse in chapter 6
53:32where he will talk about us being
53:34personally God's temple. But in this
53:36particular verse, he's saying in verse
53:3816a, he's saying, who is the temple? All
53:42of you. You, the church family. You are
53:44the temple of the living God. You are a
53:48sacred STRUCTURE IN THE EYES OF GOD. AND
53:51HERE'S THE DEAL. GOD IS SERIOUS ABOUT
53:54THAT WHICH BELONGS to God. WHO REMEMBER
53:56PAUL? Saul on the the road to Damascus
53:58as he was persecuting the church of the
54:00living God. And here's THE DEAL. THE
54:02LORD SAID TO HIM, WHY ARE YOU
54:04PERSECUTING ME? AND HE ASKED GOD, WHO
54:06are you? And he said, I am Jesus whom
54:09you are persecuting. He didn't feel he
54:11was persecuting Jesus. But by
54:13persecuting the church, HE WAS PERSE THE
54:15LORD TAKES THE CHURCH PERSONALLY. AM I
54:18TALKING TO ANYBODY? COME ON, SHAKE THAT
54:20NEIGHBOR AND SAY, "NEIGHBOR, GOD TAKES
54:22OUR CHURCH SERIOUSLY." YES. WHO WHO IS
54:26THE TEMPLE? THE CHURCH IS A TEMPLE OF
54:29GOD.
54:31>> HALLELUJAH. The church family is the
54:34temple of the living God.
54:37>> Why? So who first 16a answer the
54:41question who you all of you? Somebody
54:44shout all of us.
54:45>> Say we're in this together.
54:47>> We are the temple of God.
54:49>> Yeah. But then WHY ARE WE SO SPECIAL?
54:53BECAUSE GOD'S SPIRIT RESIDES HERE. 16B.
54:56THE SPIRIT OF GOD RESIDES IN THIS PLACE.
54:59I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST IN HERE. WHAT HE'S
55:02SAYING IS to the Corinthians AND TO US
55:04BY EXTENSION, DON'T TAKE MY CHURCH FOR
55:07GRANTED BECAUSE MY VERY SPIRIT RESIDES
55:10HERE. WHEN YOU COME TOGETHER
55:13COLLECTIVELY, YOU EMBODY THE FULLNESS OF
55:16THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
55:18>> God's spirit is here.
55:20>> What God is saying is, I see how you
55:22treat each other.
55:2416b Why? Because God's spirit resides
55:27here. God is saying that I inhabit what
55:31you're building.
55:33DON'T TREAT IT ANY WAY THAT IS LESS THAN
55:36EXCELLENT. DON'T TREAT EACH OTHER WITH
55:38ANYTHING THAT is less because I live
55:41here. I live IN THE ENTIRE BODY
55:44TOGETHER.
55:45>> Now let's work with this a little
55:46further here
55:48>> because there are two Greek words for
55:50temple. One is heron and heron refers to
55:53the entire complex of the temple. That
55:55is every part of the temple from its
55:57fencing to its furniture. But then the
56:00other one, the more intimate word is
56:02naos.
56:03N A O S. Nas. And this is the word that
56:06Paul uses here. Naos is referring to
56:09that part of the temple that Moses
56:12called the holy of holies. Yes. This is
56:15the place where the ark of the covenant
56:18is. This is the place where the mercy
56:21seat that had the BLOOD OF THE
56:22SACRIFICE. THAT'S WHERE IT IS. I FEEL
56:25LIKE preaching in here. THAT'S THE PART
56:27GOD IS SAYING THAT EVERY TIME YOU WALK
56:29IN HERE, YOU OUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THIS
56:31THAT YOU'RE WALKING INTO A PRESENCE
56:33where only one person could go, ONLY ONE
56:36TIME A YEAR, but you have the
56:38opportunity to WALK THROUGH THOSE DOORS
56:41WITH BOLDNESS AND WITH CONFIDENCE. YOU
56:43ARE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES. AM I TALKING
56:46TO ANYBODY HERE? WHAT IF YOU KNEW THAT
56:49EVERY TIME YOU HAD A CONVERSATION, YOU
56:51WERE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES? I FEEL THE
56:53HOLY GHOST IN HERE. EVERY TIME YOU
56:55TREATED YOUR NEIGHBOR A CERTAIN WAY, YOU
56:57ARE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES. LET ME TELL
56:59YOU THIS, BROTHERS and sisters. Naab and
57:01Abai who one time tried to bring strange
57:04fire before GOD. THEY WERE STRUCK DOWN
57:06DEAD. I FEEL LIKE PREACHING IN HERE AND
57:08THE LORD SAID TO TELL YOU, YOU OUGHT TO
57:10TAKE MY CHURCH SERIOUSLY BECAUSE YOU ARE
57:13IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES. I HAVE TORN THE
57:15VEIL IN TRUE AND I'VE GIVEN YOU ACCESS
57:18INTO THE PLACE WHERE ONLY ANGELS RESIDE.
57:21I FEEL HIM IN HERE. YOU ARE IN THE HOLY
57:24PLACE.
57:27>> You are in the holy place. Hallelujah.
57:29Shake that neighbor's hand and said,
57:30"Neighbor, we're in the holy place."
57:32Said, "Neighbor, THIS IS HOLY GROUND.
57:34THIS IS A HOLY FAMILY. GOD TAKES US
57:37SERIOUSLY BECAUSE HE HAS BROUGHT US INTO
57:40HOLY GROUND."
57:45>> I feel the Holy Ghost here. What he's
57:48saying to the Corinthians and to us by
57:49extension is when you think about my
57:52church, know that it's holy ground.
57:54Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And
57:57my people are holy PEOPLE. WHY? BECAUSE
57:59BY MY grace I call them. YOU DARE NOT
58:03JUST TALK TO SOMEBODY HOW YOU FEEL LIKE
58:05TALKING TO THEM. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY
58:07HERE? Because my body is holy. YOU DARE
58:11NOT JUST GO AROUND GIVING RANDOM PEOPLE
58:13A PIECE OF YOUR MIND BECAUSE I GAVE MY
58:16WHOLE LIFE TO SANCTIFY THEM ON THIS IS
58:19HOLY GROUND.
58:25>> OH, let me close this message here.
58:28>> Paul closes with a serious sanction.
58:32A very serious sanction. Here it is in
58:36verse 17.
58:38HE SAYS, "ANYONE WHO DEFILES A TEMPLE,"
58:42HALLELUJAH.
58:44"ANYONE WHO DEFILES MY FAMILY," the word
58:48there is ti, which is to corrupt or to
58:50cause to spoil. ANYONE WHO SPOILS OR
58:53CORRUPTS THE NATURE OF MY FAMILY, THEM
58:57GOD will destroy. This is a God of grace
59:00and mercy saying, "I love my body so
59:03much. I LOVE MY SANCTIFIED FAMILY SO
59:06MUCH THAT IF YOU TRY TO CORRUPT MY
59:08CHURCH, I WILL GET YOU. Am I talking TO
59:10ANYBODY HERE? THIS IS A SERIOUS SANCTION
59:13THAT WE OUGHT TO PAY ATTENTION TO. God
59:16said,
59:18"THE PASTOR MAY NOT KNOW, BUT IF YOU ARE
59:21GUILTY OF DESTROYING MY BODY, I'll get
59:24you."
59:27Now, the question I immediately ask of
59:31the text is, "How can I know if I'm
59:34guilty of defiling the temple?
59:37How can I know if I'm guilty of
59:38destroying?" Because God, I certainly
59:40don't want to be on that side.
59:42>> Now, within the context, there are two
59:45ways in which we defile the sanctified
59:49family of God. Number one is through
59:52doctrinal heresy.
59:55Through doctrinal heresy. That is to try
59:58to preach or teach something else that
60:02is not Christ centered. It is what Paul
60:05says in Galatians 1 that you are
60:07preaching A WHOLE OTHER GOSPEL THAT IS
60:09NOT THE gospel of Jesus Christ. If I try
60:11to bring human philosophy in the pulpit,
60:13if I, as much as I love psychology, IF I
60:15TRY TO PSYCHIZE THE whole church, IF I
60:18TRY TO BRING MARXISM and the social
60:21GOSPEL IN THE PULPIT, THEN I'M TRYING TO
60:24BUILD ANOTHER FOUNDATION AND I AM GUILTY
60:28AND I AM ON THE VERGE IF I DON'T REPENT
60:32of being destroyed by God.
60:34>> God doesn't want any erroneous doctrines
60:37in the house. Make sure that whatever we
60:39are preaching and teaching is seated in
60:40the word of God.
60:43>> Doctrinal heresy spoils
60:46the body.
60:48Secondly,
60:50and this one I think is more pervasive.
60:53So there's doctrinal heresy, but there's
60:56also divisive hearsay.
61:01Divisive hearsay.
61:04So doctrinal heresy means false
61:07doctrine.
61:09But divisive hearsay is more popular in
61:13churches today.
61:15Hearsay
61:17means you hear it and then it's so sweet
61:19to you, you got to say it to somebody
61:20else. That's how the rumor mill and the
61:23gossip mill in our churches thrive. YOU
61:26HEAR THE GOSSIP OF THE PASTOR and before
61:28you instead of a meeting with the
61:29pastor, you got to go tell somebody
61:31else. YOU HEAR A YOU HEAR SOME NEWS
61:33ABOUT A MEMBER IN THE CHURCH AND RATHER
61:35THAN GO TO THEM, YOU GOT TO GO. AM I
61:37TALKING TO ANYBODY HERE? AM I TALKING?
61:39SO THERE'S DIVISIVE HEARSAY THAT spoils
61:42the body.
61:45This is what was going on in Corinth.
61:46They were practicing envy, strife,
61:48gossip, clicks, factions. Some were
61:50saying, you know, that Paul, he's known
61:53good. I prefer Apollos. And some were
61:55saying, no, I prefer Peter. And there
61:57was this kind of divisive hearsay that
61:59was going on in the body. But I want you
62:01to hear me in this place, brothers and
62:03sisters, because gossip may seem
62:05harmless, but God said, "I take it
62:07personally." Let me go to Proverbs 6 to
62:1119. I'm almost through. Proverbs 6 16-
62:1419.
62:16These six things the Lord hates. Yes,
62:21seven. In other words, the seventh one
62:24is an abomination to God. Now there are
62:27only a few sins that God refers to as
62:30abomination.
62:32Why? Because those sins are so heinous
62:35in his sight because of how they degrade
62:39the dignity of the human person.
62:43They cut against the grain
62:46of our human dignity.
62:49So here are the I want you to count with
62:50me because we want to identify what that
62:53number seven is. That number seven that
62:55is such an abomination to him. Here it
62:57is. Let's go. First one. A proud look.
63:01That's one. A lying tongue. That's two.
63:05Hands that shed innocent blood. That's
63:09three. A HEART THAT DEVISES WICKED
63:11PLANS. That's four. Feet that are swift
63:15in running to evil. That's five. A FALSE
63:18WITNESS WHO SPEAKS LIES. That's six. Are
63:22you ready for number seven?
63:25and the one who sws discord among the
63:29brethren. You've got to hear me. God
63:31says IT'S NOT JUST INNOCENT GOSSIP. IT
63:35IS DIVIDING MY CHURCH. IT IS setting
63:37people AGAINST EACH OTHER. AM I TALKING
63:39TO ANYBODY? IT IS DIVIDING MY BODY. AND
63:42I WILL GET YOU IF YOU DON'T REPENT.
63:48>> I've got to close.
63:50I don't want to be guilty of spoiling
63:52God's body.
63:54>> I don't want to be guilty of corrupting
63:55God's body. Am I talking to anybody in
63:57this house? So, HERE'S THE DEAL. I WANT
63:59TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF MY ACTIONS ARE
64:02edifying and unifying the body. There is
64:04another text I want to leave in your
64:06hearing. Colossians 3:14-17. It says
64:08this, "But above all these things, put
64:11on love." Everybody shout, "Put on love.
64:13Love which is the bond of perfection.
64:16And let the peace of God rule in your
64:19heart to which also you were called into
64:21one body. And be thankful. Somebody
64:23shout, "Be thankful." YEAH. COME ON,
64:25SHOUT IT OUT. SAY, "Be thankful." Yeah.
64:27Come on. Say, "I'm thankful for the
64:29church I'm in. I'm thankful." I FEEL
64:32LIKE PREACHING IN HERE. WE GOT OUR OWN
64:34QUIRKS. WE'VE GOT OUR OWN THINGS WE GOT
64:36TO WORK THROUGH. BUT I'M THANKFUL FOR
64:37THE PRAISE TEAM. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE
64:39MEDIA TEAM. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE
64:41BRETHREN. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE
64:43MUSICIANS. I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST IN
64:45HERE. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. THERE MAY BE
64:47MORE UH UH PROMINENT MUSICIANS AT THE
64:51POTTER'S HOUSE, BUT I'M THANKFUL FOR
64:53YOU, ELDER. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY IN
64:54THIS PLACE? SOMEBODY SHOUT, "I'M
64:56THANKFUL. I'm thankful." Let the word of
64:59God dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
65:03teaching and admonishing one another in
65:05psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
65:09singing with grace in your hearts to the
65:12Lord. And whatever you do in word or
65:15deed, I feel God in here. Let everything
65:17be done in the name of the Lord. Let
65:20everything BE DONE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF
65:22GRATITUDE. LET EVERYTHING BE DONE WITH
65:24PRAISE. AM I TALKING TO ANYBODY HERE? I
65:27FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. DOES ANYBODY WANT
65:29TO LIFT YOUR HAND IN THE HOUSE AND SAY,
65:31"LORD, I THANK YOU.
65:33I thank you for MY CHURCH. YOU BROUGHT
65:36US THROUGH 30 LONG YEARS, AND I THANK
65:38YOU THAT WE ARE HELD TOGETHER BY THE
65:41GRACE OF GOD. AND I'M GOING TO DO
65:43EVERYTHING WITHIN MY POWER TO BUILD UP
65:46THE BODY OF CHRIST. SHAKE YOUR
65:48NEIGHBOR'S HAND AND SAY, "NEIGHBOR,
65:51you're my brother. You're my sister.
65:54TAKE ME BY THE HAND BECAUSE TOGETHER WE
65:59WILL WORK. I FEEL HIM IN HERE. We will
66:02work. WE WILL BUILD. WE WILL SACRIFICE.
66:06WE WILL GROW UNTIL HE COMES." THERE IS
66:10NO FOE THAT CAN STAND BEFORE US. THERE
66:13IS NO FOE THAT CAN DEFEAT US AS WE'RE
66:17WALKING SIDE BY SIDE. AS LONG AS THERE
66:21IS LOVE. I SAID AS LONG AS
66:29THERE IS LOVE, WE MAY NOT BE BACK IN OUR
66:33BUILDING YET, BUT AS LONG AS THERE IS
66:37LOVE, WE WILL STAND. SOMEBODY SHOUT IT
66:40IN HERE. SAY, "We will stand." I feel
66:43him in this place. I SAID, "I FEEL GOD
66:45IN THIS PLACE." SLAP SOMEBODY ELSE HIGH
66:48FIVE AND SAY, "BUILD IT." COME ON, TELL
66:50THEM. TELL THEM, "BUILD IT. BUILD IT.
66:53I'M BUILDING RIGHT BESIDE YOU. BUILD
66:55WHAT YOU'RE BUILDING." GO ON WITH YOUR
66:57BAD SELF. BUILD WHAT GOD HAS called you
67:00TO BUILD. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU CUZ
67:04we're building THIS TOGETHER. AND WHEN
67:07WE STAND AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT, WE WANT
67:10TO HEAR HIM SAY, "WELL DONE."
67:15SOMEBODY shout well done. Hallelujah.
67:17Well done, good and FAITHFUL SERVANT. I
67:21FEEL LIKE PREACHING in here. give when
67:24you GIVE THE BEST OF YOUR SERVICE
67:27TELLING THE WORLD THAT THE SAVIOR THE
67:31SAVIOR HAS COME THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY
67:36FOUNDATION THEN DO NOT BE DISMAYED when
67:39people don't believe you because he will
67:43understand and he will SAY WELL DONE oh
67:50when I've come.
67:55WHEN I'VE COME TO THE END OF MY JOURNEY,
67:59WEARY OF LIFE AND THE BATTLE IS WON.
68:04I'LL STILL BE CARRYING THE CROSS AND THE
68:07CROSS OF REDEMPTION. AND HE WILL HE'LL
68:11UNDERSTAND AND HE'LL SAY, "WELL DONE." I
68:15FEEL THE HOLY GHOST IN HERE. SOMEBODY
68:17SHOUT, "HE'LL SAY, "WELL DONE.
68:21HE'LL SAY, "WELL DONE."
68:25HE'LL SAY, "WELL DONE."
68:32What do
68:33Shama, I'm trying to let it go, but my
68:37soul HAS CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHAT do you
68:40want the Lord to say? Come on, ask a
68:43neighbor. SAY, "NEIGHBOR,
68:46WHAT DO you want THE LORD TO SAY?" I
68:50WANT HIM TO SAY, "WELL DONE, GOOD AND
68:55FAITHFUL SERVANT. ENTER THOU INTO THE
69:00JOY OF THE LORD."
69:04I WANT TO HEAR HIM SAY, "WELL DONE."
69:09HALLELUJAH.
69:10HALLELUJAH.
69:12I'm working to hear him say, "Well
69:15done." I said, "I'm striving to hear him
69:18SAY, "WELL DONE." I'M DIGGING TO HEAR
69:21HIM SAY, "WELL DONE,
69:24>> good
69:25and faithful
69:27servant."
69:29Let's raise those hands.
69:32Let's raise those hands before the Lord.
69:35>> Hallelujah.
69:37>> Hallelujah.
69:39I want to hear him say, "Well done." I
69:42want to hear him say, "Well done.
69:46We've been building for 30 years." Ha.
69:49>> 30 years we've been building in this
69:52place. Brothers and sisters, let me tell
69:54you this. A day is going to come,
69:56Hallelujah. Hallelujah. When we'll no
70:00longer hear the sound of equipment.
70:02We'll no longer hear the sound of
70:04praying. Hy shama. We'll no longer hear
70:07the sound of singing and preaching.
70:10We'll no longer hear those sounds. We're
70:13building right now. WE'RE HEARING THE
70:14SOUND OF OUR BUILDING. We're hearing the
70:17singing. Thank you, praise singers.
70:19We're hearing the preaching. We're
70:21hearing the musicians. We're hearing the
70:23preaching and THE TEACHING. BUT A DAY IS
70:25GOING TO COME WHEN THOSE sounds will
70:27cease. Hallelujah. A day will come.
70:29Hallelujah. When the construction tape
70:32will come down. A day will come when
70:34they'll break down the scaffolding.
70:35Hallelujah. And the inspector will split
70:38the clouds wide open. Hashama,
70:41I said he'll come with trumpet sound.
70:44HE'LL COME. HE'LL COME. THE INSPECTOR is
70:48coming. Hallelujah. What will he say
70:51about you? What will he say about you?
70:54What will you go to give him in your
70:57hands? Will you go with a pile of ashes?
71:02because the fire has burned up what you
71:06are trying to build with.
71:09Or will you go to him with gold? With
71:11silver,
71:14hallelujah, bruised and battered, but
71:17with gold, silver, and precious stone,
71:20laying them before him. Let the four and
71:2220 elders lay their crowns at his feet.
71:25Will you lay gold before him? Will you
71:27lay silver before him? will lay a
71:29precious stone before him and say, "God,
71:31thank you for your grace. Thank you for
71:33saving me. THANK YOU FOR CALLING ME.
71:35THIS IS WHAT I BUILT BY YOUR grace
71:39>> or will you lay ashes?
71:42Will you barely make it?"
71:45Brothers and sisters, today is a day,
71:47this week is a week to examine ourselves
71:50individually.
71:52>> What am I building? Hallelujah.
71:55>> How am I building?
71:56>> Am I building on the foundation? And
71:58here's the deal, per adventure. YOU
72:00MIGHT BE BUILDING with the wrong
72:01materials right now, but can I tell you,
72:03thank God FOR THE GRACE OF OUR GOD.
72:05THANK GOD THAT TODAY, IF WE will be
72:09honest, he can change the stuff we're
72:12working with. He can change that heart.
72:14Hallelujah. And make us be with the
72:16right motive. I The altar is open. If
72:18you want to come, you can come. If you
72:19want to stay where you are, I want us to
72:21enter a time of reflection.
72:25I want us to enter a time of reflection.
72:27Hallelujah.
72:29>> I want you to ask God. Hallelujah.
72:31>> What am I building?
72:33>> How am I building?
72:37>> Do I need to make some corrections now
72:39while there is time? Somebody may even
72:43be asking themselves, am I even building
72:45yet? Do I have the Holy Ghost?
72:47>> Am I baptized in water in the name of
72:49Jesus?
72:51If you said no, I invite you to the
72:53altar to pray for you.
72:56Oh God,
72:58>> thank you God. Prayer singer is a
73:00there's a song that we did. I think it
73:02might have been the the second day of
73:03the series. I want to close with that
73:05song. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
73:08Don't let me leave
73:11>> behind.
73:12>> Come on praise singers.
73:14An unfinished task.
73:18Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank
73:21you Lord. I want you to reflect right
73:24now church. I want to invite us into a
73:25serious moment of reflection. How are
73:30you building? What will you HAVE TO SHOW
73:34GOD FOR THE GRACE HE HAS GIVEN you
73:38>> for putting you on the very foundation
73:40of Jesus Christ? The lamb slain from
73:43before the foundation of the world.
73:46Reflect on it today. Do you need to ask
73:48God
73:50to change your heart and your motives?
73:53Yes. Lift it up. Praise singers.
73:59If I carry the gospel to the lost near
74:02and far,
74:09if I can
74:12bring the gospel
74:15to the lost
74:17near and far.
74:20I won't stand
74:23emptyhanded
74:25>> at God's at God's judgement.
74:30>> For I dare not relax.
74:32>> But I dare
74:35not
74:36>> until I finish
74:39>> finish.
74:43I will leave
74:46behind
74:49and unf.
74:53>> You have run.
74:54>> You have
74:56you've
75:00kept
75:02the faith.
75:05>> These are the words
75:07I long to hear.
75:10My shavior sh
75:14and my
75:21just one thing
75:24I ask
75:29behind.
75:35>> First one again. If I carry If I carry
75:40>> the gospel to the lost, to the lost
75:45near and far,
75:47>> then I won't stand
75:51emptyanded at God. God,
75:57>> but I did not last. I did
76:01not rest
76:03until I'm done
76:06all these
76:08le I
76:12behind
76:14and all
76:17his you have you have run you've run the
76:22race
76:24you have
76:27the perfect faith He's
76:30all
76:32I long to hear my savior.
76:40And when my life
76:42on earth is passion
76:49I ask don't leave
76:54behind
76:57and
77:00two when I've come when I've come
77:04to the crossing. Yes, I believe
77:09been behind. Hallelujah. Oh my earth
77:15leave possessions.
77:17>> But this but this I won't mind. Nobody
77:22would make
77:25>> make my heart glad. If I should leave
77:32you
77:36behind
77:39and all
77:42you have,
77:43>> you have
77:45you've run the race.
77:49You have
77:51you have
77:53>> these words.
77:55I long to hear my savior.
77:58I s
78:04my
78:07pass
78:14your heavenly
78:23you have you have
78:26you rise forever.
78:29You you have kept
78:32these
78:35words I love to fear
78:39my savior.
78:44Oh, and when my life on earth is passing
78:52the Lord as don't let
78:58behind
79:00and all
79:05don't let
79:08behind behind