The Convictions of God’s Household
Look at how Paul describes the household of God. He writes: "God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
The church - that is, the community of believers in which God dwells - is meant to be a pillar and a foundation of truth; holding up the truths of the Word of God with strength and conviction, so that people can come into our communities and learn (and relearn) the truths God communicates through His Word.
Think about the two things Paul mentions here: the pillar and the foundation.
The Church as a Pillar of Truth
Do you remember a few weeks back we spoke of the Temple of Artemis, where all that strange cultic behaviour was happening in Ephesus, leading women in particular astray? That temple had 127 huge pillars. So Timothy, no doubt, knew about pillars when he read this.
Pillars, of course, keep buildings up. The church needs to hold up the truth about Jesus, the good news, for all to see.
You've heard it said that someone might be a pillar of the community? That is someone who stands firm and is reliable and trustworthy in the community. Well, Paul here is saying that the church itself should be like a pillar in the community. Trustworthy, committed, unbending.
Building Your Life on a Solid Foundation
He says, too, that the church offers the world a foundation on which to build their lives.
Perhaps you remember that old song that says "On Christ the solid Rock I stand - all other ground is sinking sand." As people of God, we have a message for the world: a message that says when everything else falls apart, we know the One who is a pillar of truth and won't fall - and when the ground under you starts to shake… we know the One who is a solid foundation under your feet!
Jesus Himself said that if you hear His words and then build your life on them, you have a solid foundation that won't give way when storms come.
But if you just listen and don't do anything, you have no foundation.
So let's be at a church - a household of God, a community - that holds the truths of the Word as a pillar, as a foundation.
Why the Church Is a Landmark of Truth
During World War II, an American bomber pilot wrote home to Texas about his missions over Germany. In his letters, he said something interesting about flying over England: "You wouldn't believe how many churches there are here," he wrote. "Church towers everywhere, reaching up into the sky. When the weather turns nasty - when the fog rolls in and we can't see a thing - those church towers become our lifeline. We've memorised them. When we drop below the clouds and spot one, we know exactly where we are. I can't tell you what it means to see that tower break through the mist."
The church - the household of God - is a landmark bringing us back to the foundational truths. This is why we gather together week after week at church! Because we need that foundation of truth! We need that pillar of truth! We need that landmark of truth through the fog of worldly ideas and teachings and difficulties and struggles! In the household of God, we find it.
Sure, sometimes the community can be challenging. Sometimes somebody hurts you or gets something wrong. The household of God is not perfect - sometimes we can make mistakes. But even so, this is the place where we are enabled to hold fast to our convictions.
Don't give up on the household of God when you've been hurt or misunderstood. Keep coming back so that you are reminded of your foundation, of those pillars of truth that keep your life together.
Paul calls the church the pillar and foundation of truth - a landmark that holds believers steady and points them back to what's true when life gets foggy or hard.