The function of the church includes shaping people into intelligent individuals. People often attribute failure to not trying hard enough. However, a person's success or failure is greatly related to their intelligence or ignorance, shrewdness or foolishness. Intelligence can, in fact, be taught and cultivated. The rise of great nations is closely linked to education.
Education began with the Jews. Three thousand five hundred years ago, Moses wrote God's words into the Bible, and the Jews read God's word every day. The sinking of the Titanic was a result of human pride and arrogance. President Kennedy removed the crosses from schools, and his family suffered a curse, facing assassinations, mental illness, and disasters. Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Ip Man were highly skilled in martial arts, yet their endings were tragic. Those who act on God's word are wise.
Scripture: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its 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 built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Matthew 7:24-27)
First Point: Characteristics of an Intelligent Person
- Teachability: Not being self-conceited, knowing one's limitations.
- Exploration and Seeking
- Inheritance
- Development and Practice
- Looking at Results in Everything
Second Point: A Wise Person is Like Building a House - Built on Rock
- Foundational Questions: What is the meaning of your life?
- Building a life must have a foundation.
- Building the church to be a blessing to all nations – this answers why people live.
- Faith and salvation are the foundation for building the church.
Third Point: A Foolish Person is Like Building a House on Sand
If the foundation is destroyed, nothing can be done.
Fourth Point: The astute are not indolent
With a foundation, one must begin to build steadfastly.
Fifth Point: The astute inherit and learn
- Inheritance is standing on the shoulders of giants.
- One must see the restorative work God is doing within the Church.
Sixth Point: The astute constantly advance
- God is doing new things amongst us.
- Innovation leads to progress, improved efficiency, competitiveness, and reduced stress.
Seventh Point: The astute never give up - until it is done
- In life, one often encounters difficulties. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
- The story of the Waldorf Hotel.