Don't Quit Digging Before You Find Joy — Santosh Poonen — July 30, 2023
https://rlcf.church/media/sermons/dont-quit-digging-before-you-find-joy River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The sermon emphasizes that the foundation of a Christian life must be Jesus Christ, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 3. While laying the foundation is crucial, believers must also ensure that their subsequent works—their ambitions, efforts, and life's work—are built with things worthy of that foundation, such as gold, silver, and precious stones, rather than perishable materials like wood, hay, or straw. The ultimate goal is to live a life that honors the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What foundation are you building on?Paul explains in First Corinthians that the foundation of a believer's life will be tested by fire, and anyone whose foundation is not truly Jesus Christ will see their life's work burned up.
Does God's work require money?Money has unfortunately become the primary factor in modern Christian work, but Jesus and the apostles never operated that way, relying instead on God's provision and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don't stay lingering in the tombMany Christians live defeated lives because they stop short of experiencing the full power of the Risen Lord, lingering in the gloom of the cross or the tomb instead of going on to fullness in Christ.
Don't quit digging until you hit joyThe Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a messy field or junkyard, and when a man finds it, his joy causes him to sell everything he has to buy that field.Matthew 13:44
Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before HimJesus faced a field worse than any junkyard by becoming sin for us, enduring it because of the joy set before Him so that we could find the treasure ourselves.Hebrews 12:1
Though the outer man decays, the inner man is renewedEven when physical decay or sudden hardships accelerate in our lives, God is faithful to renew our inner man day by day if we place our faith in Him.2 Corinthians 4:16–17
