The Rejected Foundation

Acts 4:11-12

When you look at the Old Testament, you are likely to see one of two things: either a God who is full of judgment and wrath or you see the work of God through humanity, namely the Israelites to bring redemption to mankind. All of those sacrifices and tabernacle and temple rituals were to picture what God desires and requires of us. He desires that we be a pleasing aroma to Him just as the incense was to represent. He desires our purity and holiness just as the priests were required to be ritually clean before performing their duties. He desired for us to be rescued from death and His judgment as demonstrated in Egypt with the first observation of the Passover. The central focus of the work of Israel was and is to be God’s witness of redemption to the world. When the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity they continued to veer away from God’s desired and intended purposes for them. So when Christ came, they missed Him for the most part. They missed their redemption and the one who was to bring it.

In Acts 4:11-12, we see Peter pointing to the religious leaders that, “Hey you missed it. You tried to stop it, but what you rejected is the foundation. The main support for the whole building. The church.” When you attempt to build upon something other than Matthew 16:16, you are not building the church you are building your own work. If the church is built upon something other than the work of Christ then it is built upon a false foundation that will only one day collapse. If the church is built upon “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God,” then it will never collapse. Its foundation is sure and strong.

Based upon today’s passage I will give you three truths concerning the church. As we go through this keep in mind that they are speaking to the religious leaders of Israel. They are the builders. They are the ones who rejected the chief cornerstone. The foundational cornerstone is the most important building block.

When we reject Christ as the foundation we accept man’s untruth.

In church life, there is a great deal of focus upon growth and rightfully so. If you are an organism as opposed to an organization, then you should naturally grow. Life is defined by growth. That’s why Brennan doesn’t have clothes to wear, because he keeps growing. He is healthy. If you go to LifeWay, go to the church growth section back in the corner. Most of those books are developed on principles that worked in one church. So many of them are focused on growth for the sake of the numbers. The principles that they propose are based on man’s work and wisdom and research. We are not promoting a product, but we are proclaiming a truth, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God. And when you base your church’s structure and ministries on man’s wisdom from those books, you are not building upon Christ. Any church whose focus is other than Christ will one day collapse maybe not in the physical sense of the church falling apart an disbanding but spiritually the church will fail. What I mean is this: If you are not proclaiming Christ as the foundation but man’s wisdom you are more than likely going to see programs as the basis or structure of your ministry. Programs do not allow for flexibility and change, but when proclaiming Christ is your foundational focus, then you will be constantly seeking ways to proclaim Christ that are effective. If it becomes ineffective then you will seek another way to proclaim. If a program becomes ineffective, then you have not advertised it enough or your church has simply become uncommitted. Those are the excuses for the failure when in reality it is probably that your method or message was incorrect.

The two builders. Matthew 7:24- Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. Christ is that rock. Consequently, if you do not heed Christ’s words then you are building upon a foundation of sand. If you are not building a church upon Christ and proclaiming Him, then you are building a church upon the sand.

When Christ is rejected then you are accepting man’s untruth. Which would you prefer for the church to be built upon? A solid sure foundation or a weak and unstable foundation. A foundation which can withstand the pressure of storms or a foundation which will crumble under even some of the weakest storms.

When salvation is other than Christ alone it is untruth.

Acts 4:12 tells us that “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Salvation is found in the rejected cornerstone. There is no other name in which salvation is found other than the rejected cornerstone. And the rejected cornerstone is where salvation must originate. In short, it is Christ alone. Jesus alone. Jesus the Nazarene is the one in which salvation may enter into your life. So why look anywhere else?! When we look to church membership or attendance for signs of salvation, we are looking for the wrong symptoms. We should be looking to conformity to Christ. Do they look more like Christ today than before their day of salvation? If we are looking at their church membership or attendance then we would be asking, do they look more like their church today? But the church has no power to save only Christ has the power to save. There is no other name. There is salvation in no one else.

I am sure you have heard someone say, “Well, all religions are leading to the same place. They are all seeking the same being, which is God. Their expressions of God are different.” Well, no not really. According to Islam and Judaism we are heretics. According to Christianity, all other religions are wrong. We cannot be seeking the same thing if one religion says all of the others are wrong. Christ claimed to be God and His Son. He claimed that without Him there is no salvation.

Islam claims that the best expression of its religion is through total domination of the society and government. An Islamic empire is what they seek to establish. Christianity is waiting for the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth through His power. When we wait for the government to establish the church’s work or think the work of the government and the church is one and the same then we are terribly mistaken. Christ’s work is salvation. The transformation, the making new of people. The government establishes and upholds law. Christ fulfills the law of God. There is no other name.

When the mission of the church is other than proclamation the church is hindered.

I know you are thinking one of two things, that’s a strong statement or that’s what we are doing. Let me ask you, now be honest, are you really proclaiming? What I mean is this, are the people being affected by your church hearing the gospel in a way that they understand? Are they seeing the love of Christ and service that demonstrates Christ? I am excited about this picnic in September, because if we invite the unchurched and have those without Christ attend, then we have the opportunity to make relationships with the lost that could impact their lives. If we intentionally make the effort to be a cold drink of water on a hot day to them, what a difference that could make.

Christ told us that we are the light of the world. We are to be salt of the earth. What light is best? The sun pouring through a sky light directly above you on a hot day? What about a spotlight when all you need is a flashlight? What about a search light when all you need is your headlights? The light needs to be spread evenly. When it sticks together it is repulsive. What about salt? Do you want a piece of rocksalt in your green beans? You would probably prefer just a little bit spread throughout. When the church stays clumped together instead of being spread out among the world we are not being light or salt. We do need to gather regularly. We are commanded to gather regularly. But if we are spending time among only churched people we are not affecting any good among the world. Well, pastor, where do we find these lost people? Good question. I wish I knew. That is why we pray for God to bring them into our lives. Let me emphasize prayer. I wish I knew exactly what would work and what won’t but in order to get the lost to come and to get the churched to come it will take different means. But we must be willing to make the necessary efforts to connect with the lost when they come.

Do you see where I am going with this? If we are always sticking, emphasize the ALWAYS, with the saved, then we have no opportunity or influence among the lost. If we are not with the lost, we cannot reach the lost. It is perfectly acceptable to hang out with the lost, just don’t turn into the lost. Now if thy are getting drunk and doing drugs, you might want to find a different time to hang out with them so you are not implicated in their criminal activities. We need to be among the lost in order to be a witness to them.

When you think about what this church ought to be doing, what is your basis for that idea? Why should the church be doing what you think? What is the basis for your ideas? What is your foundation for church-life? Is it fellowship or is it Christ? If it is not Christ you are building on sand. If it is not, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, then you are building on sand and your church will be weak.

Salvation is based in God’s righteousness that is why Christ had to die. We proclaim Christ because He is the means to our salvation. Without Christ there would be no salvation, therefore we proclaim Him. But our salvation is based in the fact that God in His righteousness demanded our righteousness. So Christ came to make peace with our God in order that we might escape His wrath. Grace is what rescues us from God’s wrath.

If we are doing other than proclaiming Christ we are not being the church. You are probably thinking just a minute ago you said we were hindered. Yes if we are not proclaiming then we are hindered in being the church, because the church is to be proclaiming. We are not being the church if we are not proclaiming.

May we be the church that proclaims Christ, the foundation of our work, our salvation, and our world. We are rescued because He is our salvation.