Full text of renowned Bible teacher Derek Prince’s Laying The Foundation Series Part 1 titled “Founded On The Rock”.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Derek Prince – Bible teacher
We have learned by experience that there is no more effective way to release God’s power into a situation than by proclaiming His Word in faith.
In fact, I’ve told people many times but I’m never tired of saying it. I doubt whether either Ruth or I would be alive here today… if we had not learned to use this weapon of proclamation. We have both passed through, at different times, a period of severe sickness. As a matter of fact, I contracted something, or something was thrust upon me which is normally fatal.
But here I am today and, thanks to the doctors, and to God and to the power of Scripture, I am alive and well and serving the Lord. –
[Ruth: Hallelujah!]
So this morning we’re going to proclaim a passage from Isaiah chapter 55 verses 10 and 11, which are very appropriate to this particular series that we’ll be dealing with.
Isaiah 55:10-11:
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sowerAnd bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;It shall not return to Me void,But it shall accomplish what I please,And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”Amen.
Now the title of this first message is: FOUNDED ON THE ROCK. And that’s what we’re going to be dealing with to start with.
The Bible is a model of good teaching and it follows various principles of teaching. One in particular is that you start from the known to lead people on to the unknown. You never start with the unknown, you start with what is known and you proceed from there to the unknown.
One of the ways that the Bible does this is to take very simple, familiar, everyday experiences and activities and to give them a spiritual application. There are various examples.
The Bible speaks about a farmer sowing his seed, about a fisherman catching fish in a drag net, it speaks about a soldier putting on his armor. And then in a completely different kind of context it speaks about a bride preparing herself for her wedding. Those are just a few examples of this principle.
But the particular familiar activity that I want to focus on is that of constructing a building. And I think this picture of the Christian life is used at least as many times as any other picture in the Bible.
So we’re going to turn, first of all to the epistle of Jude, verse 20 and 21, which is a word of exhortation to us as believers.
Jude verse 20 and 21: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.”
So there the Scripture says we must build ourselves up in our most holy faith. That’s one of the ways in which this metaphor of building applies. We are responsible to build ourselves up.
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And then in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 21 and 22, it speaks about a holy temple in the Lord:
Ephesians 2: 21-22: “in whom you also are being built together for a habitation [or a dwelling place] of God in the Spirit.”
So that speaks about the collective Christian community that we are to be built together in the Holy Spirit as a place for God to dwell in.
And then in 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 4 and 5, speaking about Jesus as a living stone, Peter says this:
“Coming to Him – Jesus — as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.”
So there we are compared, each one of us, to living stones which are being built together into a holy temple which the Lord is going to occupy.
And then one final example from Acts chapter 20: The farewell of Paul to the Ephesian elders whom he loved with a special love. Because it was in Ephesus that his ministry had had perhaps the greatest impact of any place. And in this speech in Acts 20, he’s taking farewell and he’s telling them they’ll never see him again in this life. It was a very moving situation for all of them. And this is really the final thing that he wanted to leave with them.
In Acts 20:32: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
So there Paul says the main means that builds us up is the word of God’s grace: The Bible. And he says it is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance among all those who are set apart for Jesus Christ by faith in Him.
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