Christ the Foundation
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:11
Originally preached Sept. 18, 1966
Scripture
11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Sermon Description
What is the foundation in this life? Is it personal possessions or sense of security? People put their hope and base life on many things. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:11 titled “Christ the Foundation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that any foundation in life that is not Jesus Christ is doomed to fail. All other foundations are passing and transient; they satisfy, but only temporarily. Jesus Christ is an eternal foundation that can never be shaken. He is a foundation that never leaves His people wanting for more. Christ alone can satisfy one’s deepest needs and desires. It is only Christ who can take away sin and make one a child of God. The greatest tragedy is that many reject Christ as their hope, and turn to everything else that is vain and passing away. Christ calls His people to turn away from the world and trust solely in His work on the cross for salvation. All other foundations are like sinking sand, but Jesus Christ is God’s appointed means of salvation as the only sure and steady foundation for all who believe.
Sermon Breakdown
-
The sermon begins by introducing 1 Corinthians 3:11 as the main text and focus. The verse establishes that Jesus Christ is the only foundation for the Christian faith.
-
The sermon then provides context for why Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. False teachers had arisen in Corinth and were teaching a different message, leading to confusion in the church. Paul wrote to lay out the foundational truths of the faith.
-
The sermon emphasizes that the false teachings were undermining the gospel itself, not just minor issues. The teachings made void the cross of Christ.
-
Paul keeps repeating the foundational principles of the faith to combat the false teachings. He does this out of pastoral concern for the souls of the Corinthians.
-
The sermon then transitions to discuss the message of the gospel for all people. The first point is that people need a foundation in life to build upon. Without a foundation, there is no meaning or purpose.
-
The second point is that humans cannot provide an adequate foundation for themselves. They do not have the wisdom, knowledge, or capability to do so.
-
The third point is that Jesus Christ alone provides the foundation, as stated in 1 Corinthians 3:11. No other foundation can be laid.
-
The sermon explains that the gospel is exclusive - it is the only message, not one among many. The gospel is also definite and unchanging. It does not shift based on the times.
-
The sermon states that God himself laid the foundation of the gospel, not any human. The Bible has proclaimed this message of salvation through Christ from the very beginning.
-
The sermon then examines the adequacy and perfection of the foundation of Christ. The foundation consists of Christ's dual nature as God and man. It has depth to handle humanity's sin and guilt. It has height to satisfy God's perfect righteousness.
-
In Christ, we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ defeats all enemies - sin, Satan, death. He provides all we need and makes us perfect before God.
-
The sermon concludes by asking if we are built upon the foundation of Christ. We must rely on Christ alone, not ourselves or anything else. Christ is the solid rock, all else is sinking sand. We find lasting joy and treasure only in Zion, the city of God built upon Christ.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Foundation of Jesus Christ?
What does "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" mean?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, this verse (1 Corinthians 3:11) means that Jesus Christ is the only true foundation upon which we can build our lives. He emphasizes this is an exclusive claim - not merely one option among many, but the only foundation that can adequately support the weight of human existence. Lloyd-Jones stresses that any other foundation we might try to establish will ultimately fail when tested by life's challenges, death, and God's judgment.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe modern society lacks a foundation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies that modern society lacks a foundation because it has rejected absolute standards of truth and morality. He points out that the modern world prides itself on constant change and evolution of thought, creating a society where "there is no meaning in life to the vast majority of people. No purpose, no object." This results in moral chaos, aimless existence, and people moving from "one sensation to another" without any fixed principles to guide them through life's challenges.
Why can't humans lay their own foundation according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, humans cannot lay their own foundation for several reasons: 1. They often take the wrong approach, being in a hurry and unwilling to take the time to establish proper foundations 2. They cannot provide a foundation strong enough to support the weight of human existence 3. They cannot meet God's standard of righteousness that requires loving Him "with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and all thy strength" 4. Their foundations will ultimately be tested by God's judgment and found wanting
How does Lloyd-Jones describe Christ as the perfect foundation?
Lloyd-Jones describes Christ as the perfect foundation in several ways: 1. He has the right material - being both fully God and fully man 2. He has sufficient depth - able to reach down to the depths of human sin 3. He has sufficient height - satisfying God's perfect righteousness 4. He provides everything humans need - wisdom to know God, righteousness to stand before God, sanctification to become holy, and redemption from death 5. He alone can bring us through life's storms, through death, and into eternal life
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the consequence of building life on the wrong foundation?
Lloyd-Jones warns that building on any foundation other than Christ will result in catastrophic failure when life's storms come. Using Jesus' parable of the two houses, he explains that a house built on sand (representing human wisdom, morality, or achievement) will collapse when "the rain descended and the floods came and the wind blew." These storms represent life's trials, death, and ultimately God's judgment. Those who build on sand will find themselves unable to withstand these pressures, resulting in spiritual ruin.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.