Foundation

We are all co-laborers in the Kingdom of God, if we are followers of Jesus - some are more well-known or high-profile than others, yet we all have a place to fulfill, and foundation to build on. 1st Corinthians 3 states:
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

We can ask ourselves, "on whose foundation, on what basis am I doing what I am doing?"  The Bible calls Jesus the "Chief Cornerstone," and we recognize that He has given us the resources and direction in order to build on that foundation.  He has established the foundation and said that He would build His Church. So, we can make sure that we are contributing to His work rather than trying to do our own work, which does not glorify Him.

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In John 15, Jesus is addressing His disciples about the topic of fruitfulness, recognizing that permanent fruit comes from the power of our Savior:
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

For the past three years, evangelist Luis Palau has been battling cancer - the journey certainly had its ups and downs, but when the announcement came a few weeks ago that the great minister had been placed in hospice care, it was a sign that the end of his life was coming.

And, what a productive life it was!  Palau was born in Argentina in 1934 and came to America in 1960, according to an article on The Christian Post website.  The article said:

Palau was known for gathering large numbers of people for outdoor revival events that include music and preaching, often cooperating with local congregations. For example, Palau brought together more than 1,000 New York City churches to organize around 60,000 people in Central Park for an evangelism event in 2015.

The memorial service was held this past weekend, and the Post article mentioned three of the Palau sons, who spoke at the service, as well as ministry leader Josh White, who is "the lead pastor of an Oregon-based family of churches called Door of Hope." He noted that Palau’s “sophistication flowed out of the simplicity of faith.”  The Post reported that:

White said Palau kept the cross at the center of everything, which helped him in holiness. He said Palau’s legacy is that “he shows the world the simplicity of the Gospel.”

As Palau is credited with leading more than 1 million people to Christ, White stressed that Palau’s ministry will carry on.

Luis has been heard, along with son, Andrew, on Reaching Your World, a 2-minute feature on Faith Radio, which is aired weekdays at 11:40 a.m. and 6:25 p.m.  Andrew has been actively involved in preaching on behalf of the ministry his father founded, and even the weekend before his death on March 11, Andrew was carrying out the work of the ministry at a major evangelistic event in South Florida. 

ChristianHeadlines.com reported on the event, stating, "Last week, the family told the world that Luis Palau's health was failing, but decided to host the festival anyway to show that the work to spread the gospel doesn't end because an evangelist cannot be as mobile as he used to be, CBN News reports." 

The Christian Headlines article went on to say:

Hundreds of churches reportedly came together throughout the Brevard County area for the evangelistic festival.

In addition to the festival, Andrew Palau led multiple outreaches and gatherings in prisons, holding a first responder breakfast, a luncheon for civic and business leaders, and two women's gatherings that were led by Andrew's wife, Wendy, CBN News reports.

According to the Palaus' website, the "event marks 14 years since the Palau Association last came to Florida. The last campaign in 2007 was led by Andrew’s father, evangelist Luis Palau ... The movement has also been providing opportunities for the churches of Brevard County to set aside differences and unite in service."

The event featured well-known Christian musical artists, as well as "a Family Fun Stage, skateboard and BMX trick shows, and even freestyle motocross shows."  The article reports that more than 2000 people gave their lives to Christ during the event, a tribute to the work of the Holy Spirit and the obedience of Luis Palau and his son, Andrew.

The baton has been passed and the Association shows no signs of slowing down, with events planned around the world, according to the article.

Just days before his death, the ministry of the Luis Palau Association was communicating life - eternal life through Christ. Yes, the evangelist was honored because evangelism went forward in his name and ultimately in the name of Jesus Christ.  It's a testimony that a meaningful way to honor someone is to carry out the work he or she has established.  Andrew and the ministry are now committed to carrying out the work his father had started, building on the strong foundation that was left.  It's a pattern that we have seen in other ministries, as well, perhaps most notably through the work of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

While great men and women of God have been used to carry out His work, I would imagine they would tell you that it is not their work.  While human beings become the "face" and "voice" of various ministries, ultimately the ministries and churches are certainly not about a person, but the person of Christ. That's why what we do is not to make ourselves famous and draw attention to ourselves, but to make Jesus famous and call attention to the work that He wants to do in people's lives. According to The Christian Post, "Andrew Palau said his father wanted his headstone to say this: 'Here lies Luis Palau. He wasn’t perfect, but he sure loved Jesus.'”  We can be motivated to seek to glorify God, not ourselves, and depend on Him to produce the fruit He desires, fruit that will be permanent.