No one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid

1 Corinthians 3:5-23 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

¹⁸ Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

In Matthew 16:13-19 it says: Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Today’s text says:  No one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.   It is the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus Himself said He would build on. Christ means anointed one, chosen one, Messiah. The foundation of all that we should build the church on, is that Jesus is the Messiah, the one chosen and anointed to be the Savior and redeemer of the world. In Mark 8:36 Jesus says: “What does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”  Those who build their churches on the benefits and the blessings of Jesus build something that will not last.  

The text says:  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.  In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus says:  “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

The house that is built on the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the one who hears Jesus words and acts on them, Jesus says: “The gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  We need the power today to stand against the gates of Hell. These are the entry points of evil into the world and we can see in our society and culture that they are standing wide open. In Isaiah 5:20 God says:  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Surely that is where we are today in our culture. Jesus says though that the church He built, the church founded on the revelation and the truth that He is the Christ, will stand against the gates of Hell. He says that we have the power to bind and loose in heaven and on earth. Jesus taught us to pray saying: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  We are to be those who are the fulfillment of that prayer, binding the evil and darkness of earth and loosing and releasing the glory of God, His righteousness and light to earth.

The text says:  Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus says:  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  In John 14:12-17 Jesus says: “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, founded on the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, my Savior and redeemer, may I stand against the evil and darkness in the world. May I be salt and light. By the power of the Holy Spirit in me, may I do the works that you have given me to do. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, in and through my life.  Amen.