Jesus The Builder Allow Him To Build A Strong Foundation In Your Life

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Today we are talking about Jesus. He is the reason for being alive. He is our light of the world. He is the reason we want to do more each and every day. A lot of people believe that Jesus was a carpenter, and in today’s world, today’s definition of a carpenter is someone who maybe does rough framing construction or building with wood or maybe they build this podium or cabinets or something like that.

They are in the carpentry trade, however, that is a misconception. Jesus was not really a carpenter. He was a builder and we are going to dive into that. We even have in Matthew Chapter 13:55, so if you have your Bible, turn with me.

Otherwise, everything will be in the description below so you can come back later and look them up. Matthew 13:55, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother’s name Mary, and are not his brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?”

It is widely believed that Joseph was a carpenter and that Jesus became a carpenter as well, however, like I mentioned, the term we use today does not accurately portray what it was then. It is not really representing the job that Jesus and His earthly father Joseph did.

In the original Greek, the word used was “tekton,” which means builder. In the day and age of Jesus, there were no lumber mills. They did not have big saws like today. They did not have telephone poles. They did not have logging companies that did all of this stuff and machinery.

In that region, there was not much lumber at all. If you have ever been over in that area, if you have ever been to Israel, it is pretty sparse. If you have not been there, it is a trip you have to take. You must take it, you gotta do it. It will change your life. I mean it is really really incredible.

But anyway, Solomon, he had to haul in trees from Lebanon. He had to have them logged. He sent workers to Lebanon by the tens of thousands and they would cut down these trees, get them ready, and then transport them via the waterways back so that he could build the temple. There was not enough wood in that area for him to do that. 1 Kings 5:6, “So give orders that the cedars of Lebanon be cut for me.”

Jesus lived in the desert. The same sort of climate in which the pyramids were built and the pyramids were made of mud and limestone, sand, brick, they are all rock, not wood. Therefore Jesus was most likely a stone mason or a bricklayer; he was a builder.

They used the materials they had around them. Mud, water, limestone, other stones to build the things they needed. Stone, mud, straw, water, the sun. Jesus was not a full carpenter who used wood, like the carpenters of today.

Of course, He most likely had skills with wood. Who built the tables? Who built the chairs? Who carved out toys for the children? Jesus most likely did that as well, but that would not have been enough to sustain a livelihood. His father Joseph would have most likely taught Him how to be a builder.

How did they build their houses back then? They probably had wood frames for the doorways and windows, but the houses were most likely of mud. Mud huts really, or similar to what we have as concrete today. Straw roofs or flax roofs with reeds or rods holding them up, beams.

They used a combination of whatever materials they had. So Jesus was not only a wood carpenter, He was a builder. Now you say, “What is the point of all this and how do we know this is true? Does it matter that Jesus was a mason or a bricklayer?”

Well, we do have some supporting evidence for this point. Jesus, throughout His ministry, used building a lot as a reference. He spoke in His parables and in His stories with builder’s analogies and obviously, the reason, probably, that He did this is because that is what He was familiar with on Earth. That was His trade, so to speak, exactly like how when He went and recruited disciples, He told the fishermen that “I will make you fishers of men.”

He told them something in a language that they would understand. He spoke to their knowledge. He did not come up to them and say, “I will make you some type of a builder and you will build houses with strong foundations,” and they are like, “But I am a fisherman.” No, He said, “I will make you fishers of men.” He related to their language and their understanding, their frame of reference.

So Jesus was a builder, He worked with many materials. Wood, stone, construction materials, mud, masonry, bricklaying. Jesus was a builder. What does that have to do with your life? What does that mean for your life? Well, let’s take a look at some of the building analogies that Jesus used.

We are going to go to Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 24 to 27, “Therefore everyone who hears the words of mine and puts them to practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had a foundation on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. The rain came down, and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Jesus used building as an analogy. If you hear the words and do what they say, you will build your house on a solid foundation. If you hear the words and do not do what they say, you are building your house on sand and it is going to crumble, it is going to fall, there is no foundation there.

Jesus used building as an analogy because people could understand that. They understood that their house had to be solid, similar to your life. If you build your house on a strong foundation, it is going to stay. Now we are not simply talking about your house, after all, you might not build your house, you hire to get that done or you move into a house that is already built.

This is your spiritual house you are building, your faith, and you build your faith on a strong foundation. Jesus is the strong foundation; He is a builder. Build your faith on Him and you are like the wise man who is building their house on a strong foundation, build your faith.

Matthew 16:18. This is a great story. If you go to Israel you have probably been here. They go to really a place that is called the gates of hell and this is a place over there where people would sacrifice their children.

There was a stream in this rock mountain area and they would put their babies in this stream and send them in and they were going to be sacrificed in there to the devil. That is what they were doing. It was a satanic place.

So Jesus is there with His disciples, they are looking at this place and Peter is there and Jesus says the following, 16:18, Simon says, “That you are the Christ, you are the son of the living God.” Then they get on this and Jesus says, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

What does Jesus mean by that? Well, it is another building analogy. On a rock, just like having a firm foundation, building on a rock. Now, as Jesus is specifically saying “On this rock,” because if you have ever been there, it is all rocks. It is big big boulders and rocks, like huge, almost like a platform that they just cut out of the mountain to make this temple of evil worship.

So they are up there and Jesus is saying on this rock “I will build my church.” Does that mean He is going to build it right there in that spot? No, He is meaning Peter, you are becoming a rock, you are a solid foundation, on you I will build my church. He is going to use Peter to build the church.

What is the church? We have talked about it before on who the church is. The church is the body of Christ. That is you, that is me, we are the church. Are you on a solid foundation? Is the church going to be built on you? Can you go out there and recruit more people and convert them to Jesus? Can you share Jesus with more people and build the church?

Jesus even says the gates of Hades will not overcome it. He said that because that is the place where they were. Even this place that has been known for worshiping the devil, where people have done tons of evil, even the power of this, that people on Earth think this has, it will not overcome it. Because it is nothing compared to Jesus.

On Peter, Jesus was going to build His church. Using Peter, through Peter. If Jesus were here with us today, could He say that of you? Could He say, “Hey, you are so and so and you will build my church. On you will be the foundation. You are a firm foundation. You can go out and build my church.” I hope so. I hope so.

Let’s go to Matthew again, we have got 28:16. This is a verse I read all the time. “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me.

“‘Therefore go and make disciples out of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus is telling His disciples, “Hey, get out there. Be the foundation, and start building the church.” This is the Great Commission. This is what we are doing at Social Media Ministries. We are trying to build the church. We are giving you the materials to build your foundation, to get out there, to share, to speak about Jesus, to talk about Jesus, to have that confidence.

A strong foundation, a rock. When the storms come it is not shaken, it is confident, it is bold, it is strong. If you are on the sand and you do not have a good foundation, when those storms come, it is scary. Make sure you have a good foundation. Your faith is strong just like Jesus says. Build your faith and then build the church. Point one, point two, build your faith, build the church.

Let’s go to John 14:3. Giving you some time to dig out your Bible if you have not already. John 14:3, Jesus says, “‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, that you may also be where I am. The way to the place where I am going you know.’” Then later on they say, we do not know the way. “Jesus says, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.’”

Where is Jesus going? He is going to prepare a place for you. He is a builder, He is going to build you a house. You can get there through Him. Where is this house? This is your eternal home. You have to build your faith, then you have to build the church, then you have to build your eternal home.

Jesus is already working on it for you. How do you get there? How do you build your eternal home? You can only build that on Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Build your eternal home on Jesus and at the same time you will be building your faith, and while you are doing that, go out there and build the church.

Matthew Chapter 6 Verses 19 to 21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Where is your treasure? Are you building a great house and a great place here on Earth or are you working to build your eternal home with Jesus? Build your faith. How do you do that? Live in faith, trust God, lean not on your own understanding. Trust God. He has got you. He will handle it. He has got everything under control.

You want to be like the person who builds their house on a rock. Then look at Peter, he becomes that rock that is building the church. A bigger building houses multiple people. We are the church. Peter became so strong in his faith that the church was going to be built upon him; he became a foundation for the church. That is your goal.

So strong in your faith that Jesus can say to you, “Be the foundation of my church, get out there and build.” The great commission. Get out there, preach, share to all nations, share to the world about Jesus.

Be the foundation of my church, and in so doing, Jesus is preparing a place for you. He is building your eternal home, your job is to build your faith and to build the church. Jesus is taking care of your eternal home. How to get there? Jesus is the way. Help others, tell them how to get there. He is working on a place for everyone. Some places will be empty, they will not get there unless you help them.

Let’s pray. Jesus thank You so much for everything that You are doing for us, for the home that You are building. We cannot wait to be there and live there in this paradise, this mansion in Heaven. Lord, I ask that You help each and every person build their faith. That their faith would be so strong that they would become the foundation of the church.

That they would be bold and courageous. That they would step and live in faith, fully relying on You, and that they would grow the church. That they would be able to show others the way to their eternal home. There is plenty of room. There are so many rooms, it is a big house with lots and lots of room. Lord, I ask that they would go out there with a mission, to fill those rooms. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What are you waiting for? Build your faith, build the church. Your eternal home and theirs is waiting. Fill it so you have a full place. Have a great week. God bless.