Episode 268: The Church's One Foundation | +Quigg Lawrence

Introduction

Beautiful home and I don't know what it cost and today's money might be like 700,000. Beautiful home. They moved in this house, and after a couple of months, they started to see cracks about the size of a pinky going around all their drywall at the top. Right under the molding, they saw a crack and they thought, well, that's weird. Maybe we should get the drywall guy to come and fix it, but as week went to week, month to month, year to year, the cracks got bigger and bigger. I mean, they got huge, like three or four fingers, and they were like, we're going to have to tear our house down.

So they tried to fix it, like, how do we fix this problem? They called all these experts, and what they found out after a couple of years was it had nothing to do with the drywall at all. Whoever built that house, if you're the builder, sorry, you know it's true. Whoever built that house, strangely enough, it's actually hard to believe, they only put footers on three of the four sides. If the house was being cut into a hill, on the top part, they did not put a cement footer, and they rested it just on what they thought was hard ground. They did the cheap thing. It's actually illegal. You can't do that.

This family went to Roanoke County and tried to pull the paperwork to see who had approved their foundation. It was gone. Yeah. Yeah. And so, bottom line is, in this house, it was going to take about $250,000 to fix it because somebody didn't want to pour $150 worth of concrete on one side. They did not have a proper foundation, and it was a disaster.

The Context of the Passage

Paul is addressing the church in Corinth. Hey, he loves them. He started the church around 50 AD, which was only about twenty years after Jesus was raised from the dead. Only about twenty years later, Paul founded the church in Corinth, and they thought they were somebody special. You know, you've seen the people. They just have a little spring in their step. They think they're special. I'm from Richmond or I'm from somewhere or I went to UVA or I went—just think a little too highly of themselves.

But the Bible paints a picture of Corinth. The illustration might be a homecoming queen or king, or maybe like Miss America—they think there's something. But while they're being interviewed, they have spinach in all their teeth. And they've got this attitude like, I'm great. I'm like, excuse me, ma'am, you have spinach hanging out of your mouth and your teeth. And what was the spinach? What was the fault? What was the disconnect for this church that Paul loved—he laid his life down for them? What was the main problem?

Division. Division. Division.

Jesus said, in high priestly prayer, I pray that they will all be one. And I understand their temperaments. I understand their worship styles, but really, we all want to be one in the gospel and in Jesus.

And what were the other problems Paul was addressing with the church? Again, this beautiful beauty contestant or handsome man who had spinach in his teeth. I need a hearing aid, but what I would tell you is not only is it division, the other big problem was immorality. When you think you're it, when you're above everybody, you're better than everybody, you're more spiritual than anybody, then you can justify doing whatever you want because you think you're exempt.

Are there any other problems in the church at Corinth? Did I miss any? Division, sexual immorality, oh, they’re getting drunk at communion. I mean, we could go on and on, but the bottom line is there were many problems. Paul is addressing, like, look, I've laid a foundation. The reason this church got started is because of Jesus. Okay? Jesus came as a sin offering for you guys, and he actually handed himself over to sinful men. He was tortured. He was put to death. He was buried. On the third day, he was raised from the dead, and he appeared to many people.

So, again, the foundation was Jesus, Jesus Christ. Let's look in verse 10.

Paul’s Foundation and Building

According to the grace of God given to me, I like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds, for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now, I don't know if this would be true for you guys, but when I started reading the Bible, I thought Paul was so egotistical. Do any of you have that thought when you started reading Scripture? You're like, he goes, as to the law, blameless. Right? A Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, as to the law, blameless. Follow me as I follow Christ. I'm like, dude, could you have a bigger opinion of yourself?

But then, as I read about Paul and how much he suffered—shipwrecked, beaten, the 39 lashes minus one, cold, hungry, in danger in country and city—he actually was walking the talk. It's not really bragging if what you do is true. He was bold, but not egotistical. Right? Being bold doesn't mean you're an egotist.

He continues, "According to the grace given to me, I'm like a skilled master builder." Those of you who have played a violin or cello know that the greatest builder in the history of stringed instruments is Stradivarius. And for the few who follow Bluegrass, you’d know that Bluegrass has its own Stradivarius. Lloyd Lohr, who worked for Gibson in the twenties, every mandolin he made is worth between 150,000 and 250,000 dollars. They're all numbered. He was a master builder—the greatest in the history of mandolin, just like Stradivarius.

What Paul is saying is because of God's grace, it's really all the Lord. He says, it's not me. Because of what God did in and through me, I was able to plant this church, and it was all about Jesus, not about personalities. It's not about Paul or Apollos or who planted or who gave the word or watered it. No. He says, "Who's Paul? Who's Apollos? They're nothing. It's only Christ."

Christ is the foundation. And so, according to the grace of God, Paul says, "I laid that foundation." He sure did. We talked about that foundation:

First Corinthians 15: Christ came as a sacrifice for sin. He was handed over to sinful men, tortured, buried, raised on the third day, and appeared to many—Paul, the apostles, over 500, women, all of them. That's the gospel, the faith delivered to the saints. It's the foundation.

Paul says, I laid that foundation. And he says, someone else is coming behind me to build on it—that's not a bad thing, that's a good thing. And that shows Paul understood he's just part of the greater movement of God.

Think about the church in Richmond. We prayed for years, Lord, we want to go to Richmond. I lived in that city for twenty years before I knew Christ, and I thought they deserved to have a lot of Bible-teaching, evangelical churches where lost people can come.

Eventually, the Lord led us there, and we picked a young guy straight out of seminary to be our pastor. I had another church planter call me and ask why we picked him. It felt good—after twelve years of waiting, lots of resources—we chose the man we felt the Lord wanted.

He wasn’t very flashy. He didn't have a lot of show. And someone said, "Well, he's not very pizzazzy." And I thought, exactly. I didn’t want the funny guy or the captivating orator. I want someone steady—over twenty-five, thirty-five years—not a Roman candle, but someone who disciples his children with grace and truth, who nurtures peace in his home. That's the kind of person we want. So we chose Steven, and he's doing great. He knows Christ is the foundation.

But we built the church knowing someone else would come behind us—that’s always been the plan. It wasn’t about us. We did our part, and God would bring others. It’s so encouraging to see how that church has grown. My prayers have always been, Lord, don’t let them slip away. Don’t let them exchange the truth of God for a lie.

We laid the foundation, and leaders like Steve Breedlove are building upon it. Paul mentions this pattern. As you invest in the body of Christ—whether as individuals or as a church—be careful how you build. Warning, Will Robinson. The tendency is to want to get fancy, to do something new, or to stray from the basics.

In middle school football, I always wanted to do the Statue of Liberty play. My coach told me, "That’s great one time, but you can't do it every play." We often want some flashy, new thing. Do you ever get annoyed with Billy Graham or Greg Laurie, who always talk about Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection? And I think, yeah, I've heard that a million times. But they keep focusing on the gospel—the main thing. Keep the main thing the main thing.

The warning to us all: take care how you build. Whether personally or as a church, invest carefully. Because no one can lay a foundation other than that which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11 – For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

If anyone builds on this foundation with materials like gold, silver, and precious stones, or with wood, hay, and straw—each one's work will become clear.

1 Corinthians 3:13 – Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

God invites us to participate in His work. We’re not forced, but we’re called—each with gifts and graces—to build on the gospel of Jesus. The question is, what are you going to build? Will you choose to give God your best, or will you settle for lesser things? Are we building with materials that last?

You can build—metaphorically—on the gospel with gold, silver, and precious stones—materials that endure. Or with less durable stuff like wood and straw. Do we give our very best? When I think about my own age and health issues now, I'm tempted just to sit and do nothing, to veg out in front of the TV. But is that what I want to leave behind?

When there are children in our community without parents, are we going to be content just to sit and watch? Or will we use the gifts God has given us to build His kingdom? I love relaxing at home, but I love seeing God move in people's lives even more.

He says, your life matters. Your ministry matters. Everything you do for Christ—how you invest your time, energy, and resources—actually matters. No one is hiding in the closet; we're all called to participate. Are you prioritizing your gifts? Are you building with excellence?

The materials we choose matter. Gold, silver, and precious stones represent the best we can give—material that withstands fire. When we give our best, when we live for God's kingdom, it really does make a difference.

In the end, a day will come when everything will be disclosed before the Lord. There will be rewards for faithful service but also a sobering reality for those who have only gone through the motions.

If you have not embraced the true gospel, if you've just been going through the motions, know that your work will be burned up. That would be heartbreaking—a house built with straw that’s destroyed overnight by wind.

God cares about how we live. He cares how we use the gifts and graces He's given us. He invites us to work with Him—and to walk with Him—building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

On that day, everyone’s work will be made clear.

Application

What kind of foundation have you built for your life? How about for your children? Do you believe the truth, or have you been seduced by lies? Do you think having a good job and getting a good education are the ultimate goals? Many who look successful are miserable inside.

The Lord calls us to invest what He's given us for His kingdom. There’s no dress rehearsal, no second take. What you're doing now for the King will be known in the end. It will all be manifest.

My prayer for you and for me is that the Lord will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." That you’ve invested your life where true riches are found. That you haven't been seduced by a different gospel or fooled by fools gold, but that you have sought His kingdom.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Closing Reflection

Thank you, Quigg.

So, a week ago today, Sunday night, my wife and I were spending the evening together when my phone started blowing up with notices that Clementine, the daughter of Mary Jane and Jeremy, granddaughter of Joel and Anne Claire Shepherd, was in great distress—she had stopped breathing and had been rushed to the hospital. Within an hour, we learned Clementine had passed away.

This sweet three-month-old girl died in her mother’s arms. We were just so sad. There’s this dark cloud that crept over everything. It’s not only because of Clementine’s death—that’s tragedy enough in itself—but because our church community is going through one of the most painful seasons in our entire history: eleven lives lost, many of them young.

The next day, as the news spread, there was a heavy weight in our office. A lot of us wondered, what kind of world is this, so marked by pain and loss? Many of you have experienced this sorrow firsthand. Some of you are living through it now.

There are moments of joy, times when laughter fills our homes, and times of profound sorrow. This has been one of those weeks where it just feels too much.

And so, today, after our usual time of prayer, we want to do something different. If you are feeling the weight of this broken world, if grief presses on you in a particular way, we invite you to come forward—down to the curved rails. Maybe it’s a fresh sorrow or a lingering grief. Whatever the case, come and pray.

We also encourage those who are not in the immediate orbit of grief but see friends and loved ones up here, to come and lay hands on them, pray over them, and meet with the Lord in this moment. We know 1 Thessalonians 4 talks about not grieving like those who have no hope, and yet, it’s okay to grieve—just with hope.

So, as you see your friends come down, come behind them, and let’s surround each other in prayer. I will close with a prayer in a few minutes, but this is a time to meet the Lord in our pain, to seek His comfort and peace.

Come as the Spirit leads, and let us pray for His healing, His presence, and His hope in this broken world.