Luke 14:28-30 28. For which of you. intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29. Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him. 30. Saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.
Who can put it in better terms than the Master himself? Who knows the heart of men but God himself? In a world full of nastiness, and anger, bad disposition, promiscuity, deception, gossiping, witchcraft, rage, despair etc. Jesus came to set the record straight and that record was that not one of us would have to walk that road if we follow him. Jesus routine is simple and it is light and it requires sacrifice from us, and that is to pick up our Cross and follow him, as well as building ourselves up on the rock.
Jesus told the people what it would take for disciples to really be his disciples he told them to pick up their cross and follow him, as well as hate (not literally despise but be willing to set aside) your Mother and Father etc. in other words the things that tie you to this world. We have to be willing to set them down. The Master then goes deeper than that by telling them foundation building is not enough. What is foundation building? It is a plan in which to build a structure upon and many want to build a structure but cannot see beyond the foundation. That is why in many building programs there are foundation builders and then there are the actual builders of the house. They specialize in areas that the other may not be skilled or as skilled at the other.
In the Kingdom of God though we have to build our foundation upon the cornerstone Jesus the Christ. It says we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ himself as the Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20). We have been given the floor plans but it is up to us to begin to build, I have a point to this and it is simple. We live in a world I described as above, and the keyword is sacrifice and it takes counting the cost to build a house. We have to build our own house using the plans given to the Apostles and Prophets. We build upon Jesus but, many times people hit points and stop because they get tired, angry, sad, disgruntled, lazy, or just quit. Jesus said however, people will mock us if we just stop where we are. It is not always the reasons I named above, it also is in the sense of spiritual walk.
The worship, for instance, many people are powerful with it, jump holler scream and shout, but lack knowledge of the word. The Indoctrinated, there are many that are in this and can explain Jesus name and baptism in the name of Jesus etc. but lack spiritual depth and insight and discernment. The Miracles, there are many that are in this and have the miracles and knowledge, and worship, but have no time whatsoever to go out and witness to the lost.
When Jesus spoke of building the foundation he told people a person with common sense will look at what he’s laying before he lays it, he will count the cost to make sure that it will be balanced like it should be. The foundation is only the floor plans but the rest of the house must be built in order for it to look balanced. Many sit down and go for just worship, or just miracles, or indoctrination but leave out building them all upon the foundation.
We have a duty and a word from the Holy One who told us that we need to count the cost, before we build it, not just before we are born into the church, but also while we are in it because the house will be seen by Christ and need his approval we need to make sure we have it all planned and ready. We have to have the fruits of the spirit in all aspects including the congregation itself. And not just attitude, but in love, and not just worship, but in knowledge because they all coincide with one another.
I am not presenting some whacked out idea, I am simply encouraging each of us after we count the cost, and begin to build the foundation to not stop at what we know or what we do, but get depth and frame up the house, lay out the groundwork for an attic and a living room, and rest areas, and dining rooms etc. Let us not just build upon the foundation and stop so people who want the truth will mock that all we have is one thing, but let us be balanced and finish building upon the foundation Christ and show the lost what a beautiful house Christ has helped us begin to build.
