Building a life approved by God

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as

an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.
But each one should be careful how he builds. For no
one can lay any foundation other than the one
already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds
on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones,
wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it
is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be
revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer
loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one
escaping through the flames
1 Corinthians 3.9-25 (NIV)
The Foundation
“For no one can lay any foundation other than
the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3.11 (NIV)
“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.””
Isaiah 28.16 (NIV)
 The Foundation
Not your dreams

Not your ambitions

Not your beliefs

Not your things

Not SOMETHING, but a PERSON

The Way to Build
“…He is like a man building a house, who dug
down deep and laid the foundation on rock.
When a flood came, the torrent struck that
house but could not shake it, because it was
well built.”
Luke 6.48 (NIV)
If you know Jesus superficially,
your life will also be superficial
The Building Material
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will
be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each man's work. If what he has
built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is
burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be
saved, but only as one escaping through the flames .”
1 Corinthians 3.9-25 (NIV)
gold, silver, costly wood, hay or
stones straw

Valuable Invaluable

Costly Cheap

Hard to get Easy to get

Last forever Don’t last long

You have to dig deep No need to dig

What does Paul mean by precious
stones, gold, silver? What kind of
building is it?
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by
men but chosen by God and precious to him— you
also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." “
1 Peter 2:4-6(NLT)
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold,
silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will
be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each man's work. If what he has
built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is
burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be
saved, but only as one escaping through the flames .”
1 Corinthians 3.9-25 (NIV)
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God."
“Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,
for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of
the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven."
Matthew 16: 16-19 (NIV)
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and
aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and
members of God's household, built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole
building is joined together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord.
Ephesians 2:19-21 (NIV)
The building material is actually people’s lives

We don’t build anything that will really last if it’s not about
building lives into God’s kingdom

Whatever you do, whatever business you are involved, whatever

your profession is, it should be about people’s lives

That’s what will give you the REWARD Paul is talking about. If you
spend your life after your own interests, you may be saved, but in
the end you will have no reward.