EDIFICATION: BUILDING UP!
Psalm 11:1-7
INTRODUCTION: At the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, the foundations of the United States of America were being destroyed. The very foundations of our blessed nation were being destroyed: Proverbs 14:34. Leaders at the very pinnacle of national leadership in government, education, religion, and the media seemed determined to tear down the very foundation our God and our forefathers had put in place to guide our nation’s future. Psalm 11:3 asks the question: “How shall we as God’s people respond to the tearing down of our foundations. We are at the point of 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Our Lord gave us His Word for such a time as this: 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
1. BUILD THE HOUSE!
Jumping from the pages of our Bible is the answer for such a time as this. The Word of God gives us a clear and specific mission for this very time in which we live. We have been instructed by our Lord to build the house. Matthew 7:24-27. Today, as a nation, we are building our house on the marshy ground of man’s wisdom: Psalm 33:12. We are to build up one another: Matthew 16:18. Our Lord’s church is built up as it is edified.
2. HOW IS CHRIST’S CHURCH EDIFIED?
Frist, the Lord adds to His church through the edification of evangelism: 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. The foundation is Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ, one by one is what will turn this nation around. Second, the church goes to work to build on that foundation of Jesus Christ to edify one another through the Word of God: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 2:1-5. We are the building: Made up of redeemed men and women, boys and girls. The true church spans cultures, languages, heaven and earth, time and eternity.
3. HOW DO WE EDIFY ONE ANOTHER?
When we study the word “edification” thought the New Testament Scriptures, it is amazing what we can learn. First, it is not only about you or me, it is about the body! We are all called to build each other up in the body of Christ not to tear one another down. Ephesians 4:29. We have a natural gift of tearing one another down, but we have a supernatural gift to build up one another: 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; Romans 14:19-21. Edification starts in our heart not in our heads: 1 Corinthians 8:1. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can see people the way God sees them and find ways to love and encourage them: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Sharing Christ’s comfort has little to do with head knowledge and everything to do with the inclination of our hearts. 1 Corinthians 14:12; 1 Corinthians 12:7. It is not which spiritual gifts you have, but it is the spiritual goal with those spiritual gifts the Lord has given you that is most important for building up others in the body of Christ: 1 Peter 4:10-11. If like me, you used to specialize in tearing others down; how can we switch gears so we begin now to build others up? Psalm 119:9; Psalm 119:11. Read the Bible, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it.: Jude 20. As we spend time in God’s Word we will build ourselves up so as to be able to build others up for God’s glory: Isaiah 58:12. The church of Jesus Christ is fully capable of the foundation restoration business: 1 Timothy 3:15. As the pillar and foundation of the truth, the church has a great work to do in this time of our nation destroying the foundations. Let’s be about our Father’s business!