Foundations

In any building project, no matter the size, scope, or place, the most experienced engineer will tell you the foundation is the most important part of the plan.  Just name the enterprise and in every case the foundation is the critical, without question. If the foundation is wrong or inadequate, the building or project suffers.

Take for instance the building of a ship.  Some might say it’s the hull that’s the most important part of the ship.  But experts will tell you it’s the skeleton of the ship, the "bones" onto which the hull is attached is the focus.  You have a weak skeleton, and you will have a weak ship.

In Japan earthquakes are constantly on the minds of everyone, especially engineers.  They have been experimenting with all kinds of materials from wood to metal and even precast concrete.  No matter the material used, the main purpose of the foundation is to mitigate, or even isolate the building from the moving ground.  Buildings have even been constructed on top of rollers to allow the ground to move while the building stays in place. The building then becomes less susceptible to the movement of the surrounding ground and stays intact on its foundation while those not ready for the earthquake suffer the effects.

Can this mitigation of movement be applied to the foundation of the church?  It certainly can. After Simon Peter preached the message of the risen Jesus in Solomon’s Colonnade where Jews and Gentiles heard, 3,000 believed the truth and became disciples or followers of the Gospel.  You take any organization and increase it by thousands of people in one day and you’d better have a solid foundation. Peter, the outspoken leader of the disciples, as well as the other disciples saw the crowd as a flock, and they were to be their initial shepherds.  They knew how to be such as they had learned from the Great Shepherd. All that God the Father had revealed to them and all that Jesus had taught them was now being put to good use. There was an excitement among the gathering of New Christians. They began to reach out to their friends, who also believed in the message, and scriptures say, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Strong leaders know the most important aspect of any organization is the foundation.  A strong, solid, reliable foundation is a must. Jesus knew this. The disciples knew this.  The New Testament church has existed for than two millennia and will continue even in the face of adversity and societal earthquakes.  What better foundation upon which to build the church, our families, and even our own lives than the foundation of Jesus Christ. He will stand in the gap between us and the world’s turmoil and serve as a solid foundation of all we do.  Let the world shake and quake, because a foundation of Jesus Christ cannot be shaken! Amen!