East of Stockton on highway 4 - in the Sierra Foothills - is the small, rural community of Copperopolis. The spiritual needs in this hardened town were evident. The church had been shut down long ago and the building converted into a town hall of sorts.

John Rush - in his book,"The Man With The Bird On His Head," shares this personal experience.

“Under the guidance of what I had come to recognize as being God's voice, I began holding services on Sunday afternoons in the rundown former church. I would sweep the rustic floorboards, dust off the chairs and place a hymnal on each one. Then I would tune up my guitar in anticipation of the congregations' arrival. But Sunday after Sunday, it was rare that anyone would come.

I had visited door to door and invited the community to the services. I had handed out flyers, but no one seemed to be interested. The first time this happened, I was greatly discouraged. I wanted to simply give up and go home. I began folding up the chairs and collecting the hymnals, but God's voice in me was saying, ‘No, you sing. You preach and do what you've come here to do.’

‘There's no one here,’ I pointed out needlessly to God. The still, small voice urged me on. ‘That doesn't matter. Do what I sent you here to do.’

At the time, this seemed to be the single most nonsensical thing that God could ever ask me to do. Feeling utterly silly, I stepped up to the front of the room and began to sing and play the songs I had chosen for the service. I finished the songs and cleared my throat, ready to preach my message to my audience of empty chairs.

Over the months, this process repeated itself with only an occasional inquisitive spectator. Worshipping and preaching became a matter of discipline and obedience rather than something reaping obvious rewards. I remember driving home from Copperopolis, pondering this strange exercise that God seemed to be putting me through. I will never forget how He opened my heart to a whole new dimension when He explained simply, ‘Your unseen audience will always outnumber any audience you will ever see.’

I realized that every message I had spoken and every song I had sung had been cheered on by angelic participants and had made a difference in the unseen realm. Indeed, we are surrounded by a heavenly host, a cloud of witnesses.

This revelation was confirmed nearly two decades after my final visit to Copperopolis. In 1994, I was speaking at a church in San Andreas. After the service, a woman approached me and asked me to come and talk to her mother who was unable to walk to the platform. Her mother, upon hearing that I was in town, had very much wanted to meet me.

I was certainly surprised and asked what had caused her interest. The daughter related to me that her parents had been pastoring in California and in their senior years had felt God specifically telling them to minister in Copperopolis. They had since planted a thriving church there.

I was delighted to meet this lovely woman of God. She excitedly shook my hand and explained that from their first arrival in Copperopolis she had sensed such a sweet presence of Jesus in the town hall. She had told her husband that surely someone had spent many hours praying and preparing the way for their work.

It had been years later that she came across a church bulletin in which I had written the story of my seemingly fruitless efforts in Copperopolis, and her speculations had been confirmed. They had put that bulletin on the front page of their church history, and every year on the church's anniversary, someone would read my article to the congregation and give thanks to God.

I now look with joy upon those hours I spent with the birds and the angels, learning that success has nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with obedience to God.”

Sometimes I wonder if what I’m doing is really accomplishing anything. I’m 36 years old - approaching the 1/2 way point in my life - working 60 - 80 hours per week in ministry - and I wonder if the results will be worth the investment. For that matter, what am I accomplishing as a husband and father?

All of us ask these types of questions. “Do I make a difference?” As a church, “Do we make a difference? Was there value to our efforts as individuals and together? 30 to 40 years from now will there be a lasting result of my life?”

In the verses that we read - Paul focuses on what really makes a difference - what counts - what leaves lasting results. And, the bottom line of what he says is in verse 11, “No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Whatever you do - or we do as a church - the basis - the foundation must be Jesus Christ. Build on Him and the results are eternal.

Practically - Paul says that we must:

1. REALIZE THAT WE ARE PART OF A PROCESS

Verse 10: “As a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it.”

Today we are commemorating Memorial Day - a day set aside to remember those who gave their lives to defend this country. The focus is on remembering with honor. And in this country we have many ways of remembering. Some of the most sobering are the memorial monuments. Many of us have been to the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor - and looked at the thousands of names listed there. In Washington, D.C. there are numerous memorials - The Vietnam War Memorial alone - contains a list of 58,209 names of those who died in the Vietnam War. Lists of men and women - sons - daughters - to whom we owe gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy today.

The Bible also contains memorial lists. Genealogies of those to whom the nation of Israel owes her physical heritage. And in Hebrews chapter 11 - a memorial list of those to whom we owe our spiritual heritage. Listen to these names - Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samuel, David - men and women who trusted God with their lives - who lived faithfully - and have given to us a rich spiritual heritage.

And, as Armenians we can add to this list - Thaddeus and Bartholomew - Krikor Lousavorich, Sahag and Mesrob - Fr. Mkhitar Sepasdatsi and Der Dibajian who were reformers in the 18th century - The missionaries - William Goodell, Isaac Bird, Elias Riggs and others - the first converts to the evangelical movement in Armenia - Der Sahakian, Der Yeznakian, Der Baghdassarian, and Krikor Peshtamaljian. The 40 original members of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Constantinople - and the first Armenian Verabadveli, Apissoghom Khachadourian.

It is important to remember those who have gone before. To realize that we are not isolated - we are not alone. And, that we are part of a process in which God is working to redeem mankind to Himself.

Our focus is not on individuals but on Jesus Christ - His salvation - His work - and our part in that work.

I’d like to encourage you to make a memorial list. A list of those who have had the greatest spiritual impact in your life.

One way to get started on this list might be to ask this question. “Which Badvelis have had the greatest impact in my life?” - I’m not limiting this to Badvelis - But, it might be a good place to get the mental juices flowing.

I hear people in this congregation - and others - talk about Badvelis from their youth - those who served in the Middle East and in the Bay Area. And, not just Badvelis - Who are those who have had the greatest spiritual impact on your life? - a Sunday School teacher? a family member? One person on my list is Grace Spinella - through her Vacation Bible School ministry I came to trust Jesus as my Savior.

As we put these lists together - it becomes really evident that the common thread through each of their lives is the emphasis on living faithfully trusting Jesus as their Savior. That the foundation of their lives was Jesus Christ. And because of this they had a spiritual impact on our lives.

If you want to have an impact on someone’s life - to make an eternal difference - the focus of your life should not be on personal recognition or achievement - but on who Christ is in your life - what He is doing in you and through you - how you can encourage others to know Jesus as Savior - and to grow in their relationship with Him.

Secondly, Paul says - if you want to make a difference:

2. REALIZE THAT ONLY THE GOOD STUFF LASTS - ONLY WHAT IS OF REAL VALUE ENDURES

Talking about the foundation, Paul says in verse 10: “Let each man be careful how he builds upon it.” Here’s the building materials list - verse 12: “Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, - that is valuable stuff - or - wood, hay, straw, - ie. the cheap stuff - each man’s work will become evident...”

Recently, Rev. Dr. Vahan Tootikian, surveyed 130 Armenian Evangelicals in various countries. Among the questions he asked was this one, “What in your opinion is a successful Church?”

More than 50% stated that a successful church is primarily one with a beautiful sanctuary and social hall, with adequate physical and material facilities and with sufficient financial resources and good leadership. As for “good leadership,” for the majority of respondents, this meant a highly-educated minister, who is an eloquent preacher, a good administrator, with a sharp business sense.

I hope that we all feel some concern with this answer. Because it shows a tremendous focus on physical things and not personal involvement of everyone in the spiritual ministry of the church.

As Armenian Christians we should know better. Between 1846 - when the first Armenian Evangelical Church was founded - and 1915 - the time of the genocide - The Armenian Evangelical community in Turkey had 137 organized churches - after the genocide there were 31. During the genocide, the Armenian nation suffered tremendous material and cultural losses - 1,800 churches, 200 monasteries, thousands of schools, numerous cultural centers, libraries, publishing houses, and works of art were either confiscated or destroyed.

The material things that we are often so proud of - the physical things that we accumulate to pass on to our inheritors - even in this country - can so very easily become worthless.

Maybe you’ve heard this poem. It sticks in my mind as so very true.

“Only one life twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

This is what Paul says is important - the valuable materials of life - like gold, silver, and precious stones - those things which cause us to live in an ever deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. The materials of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ - of building up believers - of living a Christian life that corresponds to the teaching of scripture.

Paul says, build your life this way and the results will stand the test of time.

And there is an ultimate sense as well. In verses 14 and 15 Paul speaks to our standing before Jesus in judgment. All that we do here will be judged. Those things which have been built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ will produce eternal reward. Anything else - is worthless.