TOPIC: BUILDING LIFE CAREFULLY
Text: I Corinthians 3:10b
v. 10b, “10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.”
Introduction:
Balance living is what people needed in our time. Balance life will bring you to a healthy, simple life. When I say balance life it refers to the totality of a person. Many people today are good in disciplining their diet, many are good in balancing their time, many are good in balancing their schedule, etc. But these are just part of having a balance life, and to have this kind of life we must be careful how we build it. This morning we will try to dig in deeper what are the keys ingredients in building our life carefully so that we can have a balance life. Let’s open our Bible in I Corinthians 3:10 (read, put emphasize on 10b).
From this verse we can see the key ingredients to building a balance life:
1. It should be Intentional “But each one…”
For almost I think more than a month we talked about the Sermon on the Mount and we are not yet finished but when started our series I told you that we God’s kingdom builders. We build our life and the life of others. In this chapter Paul point out also this truth that we are building our life also the life of others. Paul used also the allegory of planting, watering and growing in our life and the life of others. This is a balance life, a life that is growing, but before it comes to the point of growing it undergoes to the process of planting, watering, caring, and nurturing. And Paul emphasize that it is should be intentional on our part, “But each one…” When we say intentional, it should be deliberate, planned, on purpose, it is not something that accidentally happen. (ILL. Vitamin C) Remember the two builders on Matthew 7:24-27, the wise builder is intentional in building his house, he planned it, he builds it on purpose and that is to become strong to withstand even the fiercest storms.
How about us in our Christian life are we intentional? Do we build our life on purpose? Do we plan everything we do in our life? Many are planning their life but not its totality, sometimes people just plan their future as having a stable career, a house, a car, a family, etc. This is not wrong but it’s just a small part of our total being. There is man in that Jesus told like this one in Luke 12:16-21, “16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 "Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."’ 20 "But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Jesus called this man fool, not because what he did is wrong but because of his perspective in life, for him life is just physical, for life is just what he is living now here. Both this man and the other builder was called by Jesus foolish, why? Because they are not balancing their life, they are just concentrating, focusing on earthly life, temporal life but miss their social, their spiritual life. We must be intentional, only us can do it, people can only help you if you first recognize your need to balance your life.
2. It should be Ideal “…should be careful…”
We must not just intentional, but we must also be ideal, “But each one should be careful…” When we say ideal or careful, we must give our very best in what we are intentionally doing. Being best doesn’t necessarily mean being number one. For what you are doing you might already giving your best and yet for others it’s not. It’s okay, because you are not doing it for man but for God who know your heart. Your motive should not be to please man but God. Being best doesn’t necessarily mean being smart, but being wise. Careful builder know first the what, his plan is clear to him, what he would like to build, he already see the finish building. Not only that he should know the what but he must also know the how, the right material and the right people to hire so that he can carefully execute the plans. If a builder know only the what but not the how there will be problem, because others who know their own way will do it and before you know it the structure you want to build is a mess.
3. It should be Incessant “…how he builds.”
We should also be incessant, meaning persistent, constant, non-stop, and consistent. In our time people are very much use to quick fix, instant, fast food, etc. Our lives now are almost revolving on easy thing mindset. We don’t want any more do to the hassle of lining and waiting up to mail our letter, we just open our computer and there it goes. We don’t want any more to bother to cook so we just either buy an instant meal, or go to fast food chain. Even sometimes in getting a wife, we don’t want any more to go the long years of “panliligaw” at “pamamanhikan” or even the trouble of going to the house of the girl and serenade them, now we can just also go to friendster and look for someone to marry or text to have a girlfriend or boyfriend, etc. We don’t want any more go into the natural process. Even now you can graduate even if you don’t go to school, or you can listen to message even if you don’t go to church. This changing values and culture change also our way of building our life to having a balance life. In our time we also don’t want to go into the process, the how in building is a process, and if we are going to think regarding God’s creation, process is always there, there is no instant. When we go into process we are healthy compare to instant, because God created everything in process. And to build a balance life we need to go into the process. Here at BCBC, we have a process of building everyone in a balance and fruitful life, but you need to be faithful, incessant, consistent, constant and determine to go into that process. This is what God is looking for; this is what God rewards – John 15:16, “16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” Matthew 28:19-20, “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus wants us to experience a fruitful, healthy & balance life but we need to go into His process – John 10:10, “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Conclusion:
God wants you to build your life in a balance, in a healthy, fruitful life but you need to be intentional, ideal and incessant. If you want to become intentional, ideal and incessant, BCBC is here to help you to go into the simple process of building your life in balance. In our vision statement and purpose statement we can see the simple process and we made it more simple so that we can easily build our life and the life of others for a balance and healthy life, before we call it ladder of success, but we would like to call it ladder of a healthy and fruitful life, we will discuss it one by one in the following week. We now use BCBC to make it more simple and stand for B-orn (this the basic requirement, you need to be born again) C-are (As an infant in faith you need care, and that is the important of being in a cell group) B-uild (God has given each one a spiritual gifts, talents, experience, etc. to minister, we will help you how to use your God given talent, etc.) C-ommission (God want you to also to become father or mother to others, God want you to help others know how to have a healthy, balance and fruitful life. Now it’s up to you to become intentional, ideal and incessant.
How we response to God in three person is also not balance, sometimes we are very strong with the Father, some with Jesus and some with the Holy Spirit. (Explain & help)
