Built to Last – Received

In 1994, Jim Collins wrote Built to Last. He asked a simple but profound question: Why do some companies endure while others, just as promising, fade away?

His conclusion was clear. Lasting success is not built on what’s trendy. It’s built on deep values and a strong foundation.

What Collins put into words in 1994, the apostle Paul was teaching nearly 2,000 years earlier.

People still ask the same question today: How do you build a faith that actually lasts? That’s the question we’re exploring. And Paul addresses it head-on in two short verses from Colossians.

A Young Church in a Noisy World

Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians to a young church in a small town in what is now modern-day Turkey. Interestingly, Paul had never even visited the church. It was started by one of his coworkers, Epaphras.

The believers in Colossae were surrounded by competing voices and confusing philosophies. Paul calls them “hollow and deceptive philosophies.”

This make me think of those chocolate Easter bunnies. They look solid until you bite into them. Then you realize they’re hollow.

That’s the challenge for the church in every generation.

That’s why Paul spends all of Colossians chapter 1 reminding them who Jesus really is:

• The image of the invisible God
• The creator and sustainer of all things
• The head of the church
• The conqueror of death
• The fullness of God in human form
• The one who brings peace through the cross

Only after establishing the supremacy of Jesus does Paul say this:

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6–7)

Jesus is the only foundation for a faith built to last. That’s why our mission at Calvary is simple: to raise up followers of Jesus.

Who Is This Foundation?

Paul uses three words to describe our foundation:

• Christ means Messiah, the Anointed One, the Savior.
• Jesus points to the historical person who actually lived.
• Lord means the risen and reigning King.

That last word carried serious weight in Paul’s world. Roman culture declared, “Caesar is Lord.” To say “Jesus is Lord” was not just spiritual language. It was countercultural and dangerous.

Calling Jesus your Savior emphasizes what he has done for you. Calling Jesus your Lord emphasizes who he is over you.

C.S. Lewis famously pointed out that you cannot reduce Jesus to merely a good moral teacher. Jesus never claimed to be just that. He claimed to be the Son of God. As Lewis put it, Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.

There is no middle ground.

What Does It Mean to Receive Jesus?

The word Paul uses for “receive” means to actively take hold of someone. To welcome them fully. Receiving Jesus as Lord means welcoming him into every area of life, even the uncomfortable ones.

Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 6 when he talks about our bodies:

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

This isn’t about more rules or religious pressure. It’s about ownership. It’s about aligning our whole selves with God’s original design.

If you take Jesus seriously, you cannot treat him like a house guest.

“Hey Jesus, come over for dinner sometime. Just don’t rearrange the furniture.”

Receiving Jesus means giving him the rights of ownership. That’s what Lordship is.

Some people want Jesus as Savior but not Lord … “I want forgiveness, but don’t tell me how to live.”

Others want Jesus as Lord but not Savior … “I’ll try harder and earn God’s approval.”

Neither approach is the gospel. The real Jesus saves us by grace and then leads us with authority.

So What About You?

Here’s the question I want to leave you with: Are you building your life on what will last?

Success will not do that. Good intentions won’t either. Only Jesus can.

If you haven’t yet received Jesus as Lord, your first step is not learning how to love God. It’s learning how much God already loves you.

Paul says it this way:

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

For new believers, receiving Jesus is not just your starting point. It’s the posture of everyday faith. Christians are open-handed people.

And for mature believers, never outgrow the wonder of the Jesus you have received. One simple practice this week: start every prayer with thankfulness.

A faith built to last is not built on effort, trends, or performance.
It is built on receiving Jesus as Lord and letting him be your foundation.

And that foundation will never fail.