CARPENTERS FOR JESUS

The largest building in the United States is the Sears Tower in Chicago. There is only one other building in the world that is taller. The Sears Tower is 110 stories, 1,454 feet high. It contains 4.5 million gross square feet of floor space. It took three years to build and cost in excess of $150 million. In the Sears Tower is 43,000 miles of telephone cable, 2,000 miles of electrical wiring, 76,000 tons of steel, 16,000 bronze tinted windows, 28 acres of black duranodic aluminum skin, and 25,000 miles of plumbing. It contains enough concrete to build an eight-lane highway 5 miles long. The combined weight of the building is 222,500 tons. There are 2,232 steps from the ground floor to the roof. The building is so tall, that on a clear day visibility is 40 to 50 miles.

The Sears Tower is an amazing building. But there is a greater building that is being built. In our text Paul tells us about that building and describes our role in the construction of that building. Paul says in verse 9, "ye are God's building." He is talking about the Church. The Church is God's building. God has been in the business of building His Church (Building) for almost 2000 years. It is my conviction that it is almost completed. As we look at our text, we learn that God is using His people in the construction of His Building. Every believer is a Carpenter for Jesus.

In verse 10, Paul speaks of himself as a "wise masterbuilder." We get our word architect from this word. Paul speaks of himself as one of the original architects or builders in this building. He had a unique role in the construction of this building for he was in on the groundbreaking stage. He had served as a general contractor.

He also describes how the construction of this work has continued through the ages and how each believer is to be a part in the building of this building. Let's notice the text and learn a few things about being a Carpenter for Jesus.

1. THE FINISHED FOUNDATION OF GOD'S BUILDING!

In the beginning, Paul speaks about the substructure of this building. In verses 10-12, Paul mentions the foundation of this building 3 times. What does he say about the foundation?

A. THE PREPARATION OF THIS FOUNDATION IS COMPLETED.

The first thing that must be prepared when a building is built is the foundation. It is the substructure that the superstructure is built upon. The foundation is the chief means of supporting a building. In verse 10, Paul says, "I have laid the foundation." Paul had been used of God in the early days of Church to lay the foundation of the building that was to come.

The Book of Acts records those days when the foundation of the Church was laid. Those days immediately after Pentecost when the Gospel was first preached and Churches were established were the days when God laid the foundation of the Church.

In Ephesians chapter two, the Bible speaks of the Church as a building. In so doing, in Ephesians 2:20, it speaks of the foundation as being built upon the apostles and prophets. The ideal is that Paul and the early leaders were the ones that God used to lay the foundation.

B. THE PERSON OF THIS FOUNDATION IS CHRIST.

We read in verse 11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." There are basically 3 types of foundations. There is what is called spread foundations, which are slabs of reinforced concrete. There is also what is called pier foundations which consist of heavy columns of concrete that go down through the topsoil to a bed or firm rock. Finally, there is pile foundations, which are similar to pier foundations. Pile foundations are columns of steel or wood that are driven into the ground by pile drivers until a solid layer of soil or rock is reached. Some pile foundations go down as deep as 200 feet.

The Church, God's foundation is built upon The Rock, the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says the foundation of the Church "is Jesus Christ." Jesus Himself said in Matthew 16:18, "Upon this Rock I will build My Church." Jesus was referring to Himself. He is the foundation to God's building. The foundation of the Church is built upon the deity and person of Christ. It is built upon the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No other foundation can one lay. The foundation is complete and it is Christ.

You don't have to worry about the Church. Kings have tried to destroy it. Emperors have tried to wipe it from the face of the earth. It is built upon a good foundation and will stand through out the ages.

St. Paul's Cathedral in London is a most impressive structure. It has through the years survived many perils. It has been destroyed by fire several times. Oliver Cromwell used it as a Calvary barracks and stabled horses in its massive walls. The Germans bombed and firebombed it during World War II, yet it still stands in all its splendor and glory.

The Church of Jesus Christ will be standing long after St. Paul's has crumbed into the dust. Why? It is built upon the Rock of Ages.

2. THE FURTHER CONSTRUCTION OF GOD'S BUILDING!

In verse 10, Paul says that he laid the foundation but "another buildeth thereon." He first spoke of the substructure and now he speaks of the superstructure. He describes the building that is being constructed on the foundation that has been laid.

A. THE PERSONNEL THAT IS EMPLOYED IN THE BUILDING.

Note the words in verse 10, "another buildeth thereon." Paul had been used of God to lay the foundation, but there are others that God uses to build the building that is constructed on the foundation. Who are these others? It is every person who has been saved. If you are saved then you have been employed by God to be a carpenter in the construction of His building.

The idea suggested is that every believer is to be working in the building of the Church. How is the Church built? Each time a person is saved, the Church is being built. Each time you witness to someone and they receive Christ, the Church is being built. Each time you get someone to come to Church with you and they get saved, the Church is being built. Every believer is to be a heavenly carpenter. Each of us is to be involved in the work of getting people saved. Every Christian should pick up their spiritual hammer and saw and go to work.

In construction terms, there is what is called the dead load and the live load. The dead load is the total weight of the building and all its parts. The live load is the weight of the furniture, equipment, occupants, etc., in the building. May I say that God's in God's building there is both a dead load and a live load. The live load is those who are working, involved, and helping to build God's Building. The dead load is those who do nothing but sit on Church pews. They never witness. They never try to get people to Church. They never pray, tithe, work or get involved.

Some church members belong to the destruction crew, not the construction crew. Some Church members are like blisters. They never show up until the work is done. I once heard someone speak of "Lily-Baptists." They neither toil nor spin.

An unknown author has written:

I think that I shall never see
A Church that is all it ought to be:
A Church whose members never stray,
Beyond the strait and narrow way.
A Church that has no empty pews,
Whose pastor never has the blues,
A Church whose deacons always "deak,"
And none are proud but always meek.
Where gossip never peddles lies,
Or makes complaints or criticize,
Where all are always sweet and kind,
And all to other's faults are blind.
Some perfect Churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me,
But still we'll work and pray and plan,
To make our Church the best we can!

Every member of this Church ought to be a Carpenter for Jesus. Every member should be a worker. Every member should work and pray to win others to Christ. Every member should be working to get people in the Church. Why? Because, as we reach others in this place, we are building God's building.

Notice in the latter part of verse 10 that Paul says "every man." Every believer is to be a carpenter for Jesus.

I read about a Church that had a special day. On that day they had a wonder horse named Ed. People were encouraged to ask the horse questions. One man asked, "How much is one plus one?" Ed the wonder horse tapped his foot twice. Another asked, "How much is two times two?" Ed the wonder horse tapped his foot four times. One fellow got up and asked, "How many hypocrites are there in the Church," and Ed started galloping in a circle. I wonder if we ask Ed the wonder horse how many workers are in the church, would he even move?

B. THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE EMPHASIZED.

Notice the last part of verse 10, "But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." We are not only to be carpenters but also should be greatly concerned about how we build. The Lord is deeply interested in the quality of our work.

In verse 12, there are six types of building materials that are mentioned: gold, silver, and precious stones, and wood, hay, and stubble. The first three are permanent materials and the last three are perishable materials. Jerry Vines in his book, "God Speaks Today," says the first three come from the King's treasure house; the last three come from the devils lumberyard.

Someone has suggested that the material of gold speaks of the power of our service. It is work done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The silver speaks of the price of our service. It is service that is sacrificial. The precious stones speak of the persistence of our service. It is faithful and dependable service.

On the other hand, the wood, hay, and stubble speaks of that which is perishable and of little value. It is materials that decay and perish over time. What Paul is saying is that our work is to be of a permanent quality. This kind of work is to be free of impure motives and objectives. It is to be the kind of work done in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is to be the kind of work that calls for commitment and sacrifice. When we just give God an hour here and an hour there, that is wood, hay, and stubble. In fact, the word "stubble" refers to the grain left lying in the field after harvest. When we give God our leftovers it is nothing but stubble. When our work is done without passion and dedication is wood, hay, and stubble.

It is to be the kind of work that is marked by faithfulness and dependability. When we are more faithful to our jobs than we are to God's House we are building on wood, hay, and stubble. Gold, silver, and precious stones is the kind of work that is puts God first and is faithful to the area's in which we serve.

I think of the city of London. You will not find a wooden building in the city. Every building is made of stone, concrete, brick, or some kind of non-perishable material. The reason is due to the great fire in 1666. Most of the city built, largely of wood, was destroyed. The city was rebuilt with brick and stone to prevent such a disaster from ever happening again.

We are to build with non-perishable materials. We are to give God a work of quality.

3. THE FUTURE INSPECTION OF GOD'S BUILDING!

First, the foundation is laid and then the building is built upon that foundation. Then when the building is completed it goes through and inspection. Paul describes for a future inspection of the work that has gone into the building.

A. THERE IS THE REVIEW OF OUR WORK.

We read in verse 13, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." The quality of our work will be manifested or revealed. There is a day coming that will declare what kind of work we have done for God. There is coming a day when every man's work will be tried and tested.

The day that Paul is speaking of is the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:10, "For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." The word "bad" refers to that which is worthless. It is not speaking of sin or something evil. The issue at the Judgment Seat will not be our sin but our service. It will not be our position but our practice.

Why you do what you do will one day be revealed. How you do what you do will one day be revealed. If you are not doing anything, it will be revealed. What the Bible is teaching makes it very clear that God is very serious about every believer being a carpenter. He is in the building business and we are to be His carpenters. For all who do not take God's work serious, there will be a day when you will wish you did. For those who never take time or make time to do something for God, there will be a day when you will wish you did.

For those who never share their faith and tell others about Jesus, there will be a day when you will wish you had. For you that never invite people to Church and never work to get people in the Church, there will be a day when you will wish you had.

Verse 13 says that our work will be revealed by fire and the fire shall reveal what sort was our work. Figuratively, the fire will show what was permanent and what was perishable. The fire will consume the wood, hay, and stubble. Whereas, the gold, silver, and precious stones will survive.

Many Bible scholars believe the fire literally speaks of the penetrating eyes of the Lord Jesus. One by one, each of us will stand before the Lord. His eyes will see through all we have done, whether it is good or bad, worthless and valuable.

B. THERE IS THE REWARD OF OUR WORK.

Notice verse 14, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." There is a payday for God's carpenters. The word "reward" speaks of the victor's crown that was given during the Olympic games. The Bible speaks of crowns that will be given to those who work for God and give Him quality work.

I read the story of a band of minstrels who traveled from town to town presenting music to make a living. They had not been doing well. Times were hard; there was little money for common folk to come to hear the minstrels, even though their fee was small. Attendance had been falling off, so early one evening the group met to discuss their plight. "I see no reason for opening tonight," one said. "To make things even worse than they may have been, it is starting to snow. Who will venture out on a night like this?" "I agree," another disheartened singer said. "Last night we performed for just a handful. Fewer will come tonight. Why not give back their meager fees and cancel the concert? No one can expect us to go on when just a few are in the audience." "How can anyone do his best for so few?" a third inquired.

Then he turned to another sitting beside him. "What do you think?" The man appealed to was older than the others. He looked straight at his troupe. "I know you are discouraged. I am too. But we have a responsibility to those who might come. We will go on. And we will do the best job of which we are capable. It is not the fault of those who come that others do not. They should not be punished with less than the best we can give."

Heartened by his words, the minstrels went ahead with their show. They never performed better. When the show was over and the small audience gone, the old man called his troupe to him. In his hand was a note, handed to him by one of the audience just before the doors closed behind him. "Listen to this, my friends!" Something electrifying in his tone of voice made them turn to him in anticipation. Slowly the old man read: "Thank you for a beautiful performance." It was signed very simply--"Your King."

The greatest reward we could receive is the well done of the Lord Jesus. Notice verse 15, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." If our work has been without quality, commitment, sacrifice, dedication, and faithfulness, there will be no reward.

Such a believer will not lose their salvation and not be allowed in heaven, but simply will have no reward. He will be saved, yet so as by fire. If I could put it in a very simple way: He will be saved by the skin of his teeth. No one should want to just get in heaven. They should want to have reward and bring pleasure, honor, and glory to the Lord Jesus on that day by presenting to Him quality work. It all depends on our work.

I think of something Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Here is a good searching question for a man to ask himself as he reviews his past life: Have I written in the snow? Will my life-work endure the lapse of years and the fret of change? Has there been anything immortal in it, which will survive the speedy wreck of all sublunary things? The boys inscribe their names in capitals in the snow, and in the morning's thaw the writing disappears. Will it be so with my work, or will the characters that I have carved outlast the brazen tablets of history? Have I written in the snow?"

Are you being a carpenter for Jesus? If so, are you writing in the snow?