BUILD TOGETHER
The word “build” is mentioned 236 times in the NIV Bible. In the Old Testament, the word build was primarily used in the context of constructing cities, walls, the temple, the altar, or objects for worship. The word "build” was also used to express the figurative building of a family, offspring, or dynasty. In the New Testament, the word “build” was used for physical structures, but in Jesus’ teachings and after the church was born in Acts, we see a focus throughout the New Testament of building one’s spiritual life, building our lives on Christ, building up our faith in Christ, build up one another in Christ, and expand the kingdom of God on earth.
The word “build” implies something important…work, construction, action. The opposite would be apathy, and that is the enemy of a disciple of Christ and the church. Idle hearts and idle hands with no focus, purpose, or task to fulfill are not good.
If you’re new to faith in and following Jesus (new believer, follower of Christ), where should you focus your heart and time? Or if you’re a seasoned believer and follower of Jesus, and you feel the need to refocus your life on what matters most…where should you focus?
Build your life on Christ. Level and center your life on Christ.
Build up your faith in Christ. Grow in your knowledge and relationship with Christ.
Build up the body of Christ. Encourage and strengthen your fellow believers.
Build the Kingdom of God. Actively reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Build your life on Christ - the foundation of our faith
Matthew 7:24-27 NLT
Jesus invites us to build our lives on Him. His invitation wasn’t just an analogy but was a spiritual reality for all who put their faith in Him.
Ephesians 2:16-22 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
(Cross references for study 1 Peter 2:4-5;1 Corinthians 3:9-11)
God forms new believers into a fellowship, a temple, a house, a family, a building, but we’re being built on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Our faith: belief and way of life is determined by Jesus and the Word of God.
Cornerstone illustration - vertical and horizontal guidance on worship, and loving and living with others.
Build up your faith and knowledge in Christ - Frame your life in Christ
Colossians 2:4-8 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
Grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ. Grow in your understanding of the Word and the core doctrines and beliefs of the Christian faith.
Scripture refers to growing up by using a metaphor of infancy to adulthood (1 john 2:12-14; 2 Timothy 3:15), or consuming milk to solid food (1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14).
2 Timothy 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Read and study the Word. Read God’s Word and let God’s Word read you. Let God’s Word feed you, correct wrong thinking, and teach you in right living. Obey the Word, and then you won’t only know scripture verses, you’ll experience the Word come to life, and your faith will be mature and seen by others.
Build each other up in Christ - Encourage one another to mature in Christ
1 Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. -But How? Discipleship Together
Ephesians 4:11-16
Colossians 3:16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Jude 1:20-23 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
We need biblical, Christ-centered church leaders and fellow followers of Jesus Christ in our lives. Just so you know, behind the scenes, I have couples reading and researching the Bible together. Brothers and sisters in Christ getting together in small groups to read and discuss the Christian faith and spurring one another on to living out the Bible. This is very encouraging. We need this in our lives, and I would encourage you to build this type of spiritual relationship with your spouse and other believers.
Build The Kingdom of God - reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ
What do you do with all the faith in Christ built up inside your heart? Keep it to yourself? No! You share your faith with those in your circles around you. Remember my sermon where I challenged us all to have our one…one person to help follow Jesus. Who’s your one?!
Prayer. Care. Share.
Colossians 4:2-6 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. 5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Pray for opportunities, but also create opportunities by offering care and prayer for those you work and live around. Watch God work!
Care for everyone around you. Live carefully and wisely among those who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity.
Share the hope you have in Christ with those around you
1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Serve and Give with Calvary
To serve with your local church and to give to your local church is to help build the kingdom of God right here in Delaware.
Our church is on a mission right here in Delaware. We do all we can so all may know God’s love and follow Jesus. This is our heartbeat. Everyone deserves to know the hope, love, and truth of Jesus Christ.
Your time, talent, and treasure help us accomplish this vision and mission.
We build up our careers, we build up our homes, we build up our nest eggs, so we know what it means to build. And it’s good to be successful and do well. We also must remember to build up the church and the kingdom of God because those are eternal, and everything else we own is not. We’ve built up the corporations by investing our time and money in Xfinity, Verizon, Wawa, Restaurants, Hobbies, etc.
What about investing our time, talents, and treasure in the eternal kingdom of God? What about the lost who need us to build a bridge for them to come to know Christ? Let’s work together, let’s build together! Let’s get to work for the kingdom! Keep building your faith relationship with Jesus, and keep applying everything else after!
Discussion
What is one thing from the message that resonated with you?
Jesus says the wise builder builds on the rock (Matthew 7:24–27). What are some ways we build our lives on “the rock”?
What are some “sand foundations” people are tempted to build on today?
Why do you think God designed spiritual growth to happen in community rather than privately?
Pastor Ryan shared, “Prayer. Care. Share.” Which of these comes easiest for you, and which is most challenging?
How can we as a church family better invest our “time, talents, and treasure” in building God’s kingdom instead of just our own lives?
If you’re a new believer, where do you sense God calling you to begin building?
If you’re a seasoned believer, where do you feel God asking you to refocus and rebuild?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
What can we pray for regarding the sermon? Do you have any prayer needs?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!