What Are You Building on the Foundation of Christ?
Pastor Tan Thai · Oct 30, 2016
This sermon, based on 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, challenges every believer with an important question: after placing faith in Christ, what are you building your life and church upon, and with what materials? The pastor examines three stages: laying the foundation of the church on Christ, choosing worthy building materials, and the final inspection by Christ on judgment day.
The sermon opens with a vivid comparison of two earthquake disasters: the 2010 Haiti earthquake (magnitude 7.0) that killed over 160,000 people, and the 2011 Japan earthquake (magnitude 9.0) that caused approximately 16,000 deaths. The difference was not in the magnitude but in the foundation and quality of construction materials. This serves as a powerful illustration of Christ's teaching in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise man who built his house on rock versus the foolish man who built on sand.
The first section focuses on laying the foundation of the church. The pastor emphasizes that the only valid foundation for the church and the Christian life is Jesus Christ, as Paul affirms in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. He warns against false foundations that churches may be tempted to build upon, such as a leader's personal talent, competition between churches, large programs, or individual reputation. Building the church on the foundation of Christ means genuinely believing Scripture, teaching God's Word accurately, and believers experiencing real transformation in their lives.
The second section addresses the building materials used on the foundation of Christ, drawn from 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Paul lists six types of materials grouped into two categories: gold, silver, and precious stones represent valuable and enduring work done out of gratitude and love for God; wood, hay, and straw represent fragile work done out of jealousy, pride, or desire for human praise. The pastor provides concrete examples from local church life to help believers examine their own motives for service.
The third section addresses Christ's inspection on the final day of judgment. The image of fire in Scripture symbolizes testing and judgment. Fire will burn up wood, hay, and straw but will refine gold, silver, and precious stones. Those who build with worthy materials will receive a reward; those who build with inferior materials will lose their reward, though they themselves will still be saved. The pastor uses the image of a house burning in the night to illustrate the painful loss of escaping with only one's life while everything valuable is destroyed, urging believers not to be satisfied with salvation alone but to invest in building their lives and church with precious materials.
The sermon concludes with a serious call: do not think that being saved is enough. Every believer must examine their attitude, motivation, and purpose in serving God. Christ himself will be the one who inspects all work, and the reward He has prepared for the faithful is His precious commendation: 'Well done, good and faithful servant' (Matthew 25:23). This is a practical and sobering reminder for the entire congregation.