Luke 6:47-49 (KJV)

 

⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

It is not the trials in your life that develop or destroy you; but your response to those hardships. I have over the many years experienced many things in my life that just crumbled under the weight of adversity. There were times that I struggled to get over some of the things that I had been working on with diligence, but suddenly fell when encountered with a flood of negative events. At other times I counted my losses and moved on graciously in the strength of God. Every one of us is building on something in this life and depending on the materials faithfully used it will determine the durability of the structure when the storms of life bang up against it; and you can count on it that the storms will bang up against it, for Jesus promised in this life we would experience trials and tribulations.

Years ago I worked with my wife's dad in construction pouring commercial concrete foundations. It didn't take me long to figure out this is not what I wanted to do with my life. On one particular job north of Dallas/Ft. Worth (for those who do not know of these cities they are in Texas, USA); we were setting up our forms when we encountered a major problem. The very surface was consistent with bedrock. What this meant was that we could not just drive wooden stakes in the ground and set our forms as we had many times in other parts of the city. This time we were required to rent a jack-hammer which we had to use to make holes in the rock before we could drive the stakes allowing us to hang our forms. This was a process that was very difficult to achieve as we cut into the rock.

Our lives often accumulate layers of soil over time that consists from hurts, pain, regrets, abuses, disappointments, and things of this nature. What I generally see happen, is folks who are born again usually start building their new life as a Christian without ever digging deep enough to hit bedrock before they build. So, what tends to happen is the storms of life blow-up around them and washes away sections of their life they had been working on. This process has produced a great deal of frustrated Christians over the years that just don't seem to understand why this happened to them; and some even walk away altogether.

Countless people come to know the Lord each year around the world, but many of these never enter into a lifestyle that builds on the Word of God. In other words, they receive salvation and tend to grasp a few Scriptures to associate with other church goers; but as life unfolds in its many challenges they are ill-prepared to stand against the storms of life. For many, Christianity is simply holding onto often unsuspecting doctrines of demons that they hear get spoken from the pulpits and around the church. For example: If its God's will then He will heal so and so. That is a doctrine of demons because it defies the Word of God. The Word says, "I am the God that heals you!" Again, it says that, "He sent His Word to heal our sickness and deliver us from our destruction." These statements from God's Word cannot be changed to say something that is more convenient for what we have happening on a natural level. We either believe or we don't.

I want us to look at something in the Holy Scriptures that I would like to point out in order that we may all understand the need to pursue the Word of God just as diligent as a Church leader should. However, with this in mind, I don't want you to get the idea that I'm saying that a table ministry is of no value, or that it is beneath us as mature Christians. On the contrary, I believe emphatically that everything should be done as unto the Lord that He may be glorified in whatever we do. With that said, let's now look at the Scripture that I want to focus on regarding this teaching.

Acts 6:1-2 (KJV)
¹ And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
² Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

This is not a clash between two races. This is not a demonstration of anti-Semitism. The word Grecians here means "Hellenists," Greek-speaking Jews. They had a background of Greek culture while the Hebrews in Jerusalem closely followed the Mosaic Law. Naturally, a misunderstanding developed. What appears to be happening is that the Grecians were feeling like their widows were being over-looked by the Hebrews in the daily distributions. This matter was brought before the apostles in hopes that they might assist in this conflict. But notice with me something here in this verse. The apostles made it clear that it was not reasonable for them to leave off from studying the Word to wait on tables. That might have seemed to suggest that this ministry was beneath them. However, we can look into this and see a deeper meaning without taking away the importance of serving in a table ministry or being a church leader.

Acts 6:4-5 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

It is easy to see from this passage of Scripture that leadership within a ministry should devote themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. I think most people understand that this is very important to any work, that its leaders should be in-tune with what God's Word is saying regarding His church. However, I would like for us to look at this in a broader sense. Without a doubt the Word in the life of a leader is imperative to the advancing of that ministry to be successful. In light of that revelation, we need to see the same application would apply to every person in the kingdom of God. In other words, prayer and the ministry of the Word should be pursued by all believers with the same tenacity and discipline as the apostles mentioned here in Scripture did.

Can you imagine if the entire body of Christ were advancing in the areas of knowing the known will and purposes of the Lord that are written in His Word, just what we would be effectively doing for the kingdom of God in this world right now? Man, it would be phenomenal to say the least. I want you to look at what happens when the Word is attended to diligently as the fuel for the soul, and where prayer is the continual fan that blows across the embers of those Words as they lay on our hearts.

Acts 6:7 (KJV)
⁷ And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Experience has proven time and time again to me personally, that the Word that is tended to faithfully: will increase and multiply divine provision within your life, and the lives of those you influence with that Word that has impacted you. We are all building on something, and I pray that you are building on the "Rock" and not the sand. You can't afford to always have a table ministry that is always taking up your time and energy instead of putting spiritual sustenance back into you which comes from the ministry of the Word. That Word that has been given to you and me is everything that enables us to survey the land, develop from a divine architectural blueprint that is sound, and the substance of materials that will not collapse under a potential strong and disastrous floods of life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)
¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.