“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-15)
This text shows how having a solid for living is important. Just as a fixed compass bearing points the way, having a clear sense of purpose as a church helps us weather this world’s storms through God’s power. Our foundation isn’t set on feelings or fluctuating circumstances, but on the Bible’s principles. This is especially important when we live in a constantly changing culture that sways with secular trends. I read just recently about a pod of whales that ended up stranded on a beach in Sri Lanka. Scientists don’t know exactly how events like this happen, but they surmise that it may happen when a closely knit group of whales get disoriented as they’re pursuing a school of fish. The hunting instincts of a few whales kick in as they chase the fish and end up getting disoriented and washed into the beach by the pounding waves. Once these few whales take this risky maneuver, the rest of the whales often follow suit and the whole pod ends up getting beached. In this particular case on November 3 this year, about 100 pilot whales and some dolphins ended up getting stuck in the sand. It took a many hours for several teams of workers and local villagers to finally rescue most of the whales. Unfortunately, even with all this help, a few whales didn’t make it.
This illustration shows the importance of staying focused on trustworthy, biblical principles. We all have an influence on those around us. When we take our responsibility to each other seriously friends. We can face the future with confidence, knowing that we’re building on a foundation of biblical integrity and true concern for the spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being of those around us. Let’s stay focused and not lose our mission in the midst of the shifting tides of popular opinion. It’s a privilege to build our foundation on the Word.