Unless the Lord Builds the House

“Unless the Lord builds the house,

    those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

    and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

    for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalms 127:1-2 ESV)

I don’t believe the intended meaning here has to do with a physical house or a building being built with physical hands. I believe it has to do with our lives, with our households (families), and with the gatherings of the church. Unless the Lord builds (creates, shapes, constructs, puts together) the house of the Lord, the church, his body, or our lives or households, those who build it labor in vain. Those who decide how it should be constructed and shaped labor in vain if the Lord is not the one doing the creating and shaping of it.

And that is absolutely relevant to much of what is being called “the church” here in America today but is being built (created, put together) by human labor and scheming and planning, and is not being led by the Spirit of God. For so much of what is called “church” here in America are businesses of men, created in the minds of businesspeople who are trying to market the gatherings of the church to the ungodly. Thus, they are patterning their gatherings after what the world is craving, to draw them to “church.”

So, even though the church is not a building, not a business, not a corporation under the state, not a social club, and not a civic center, and not a church denomination, this is what the church gatherings have largely been turned into by humans who are building them, because they are not letting the Lord build them while they submit to God’s will and purposes for his church, and while they follow his leading and guidance and direction in the building (spiritually making disciples of Christ of) his church.

And this applies to our individual lives and to our family units, as well. If we are not surrendered to Jesus Christ, following his ways, listening to his voice, and obeying the Lord, in practice, in holy living, then our labors are in vain if we are trying to make something of our lives and if we are trying to create a family unit that will also follow the Lord Jesus Christ in holy living. For all must be surrendered to the Lord, and we must allow our Lord to give us guidance and direction, and then we must follow his guidance.

For far too many people who profess the name of Jesus are still running their own lives, choosing their own choices, and doing their own will, and not the will of God. They may or may not read their Bibles and pray, and they may attend weekly church services, but God is not the one in control of their lives. They are. They are still the ones making all the decisions for what they will or will not do and for how they spend their time. He is not truly Lord of their lives because he is not their Owner-Master, as he should be.

So those who are still the ones in control over their own lives and whose lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ and who are conducting the gatherings of the church of the flesh, and not of the Spirit, are doing so in vain, because all that will be accomplished will come from the flesh, and not from the Spirit, and so what is produced is of man (flesh), and not of God, and so they end up following man and not God, and the ways of man, and not the ways of God. So on a spiritual level, this is all worthless.

And the same applies to the watchmen (and women) who are the Lord’s servants and messengers who are supposed to be spiritually alert and watching out for the enemy approaching so that the people can be warned. If we are relying on humans and their teachings and their ways of doing things and not on the word of God and his ways and his truth, then all is vanity. It does not accomplish what our Lord desires. And the people are, thus, not being warned, and so they are easy targets for the enemy.

For all is vanity if our lives are not surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ in submission to his will and purpose for our lives but if we are still going our own way, doing our own thing, and making our own choices outside of the counsel and wisdom of God and the teachings of the Scriptures. And the same applies if our worship of him is in formality only, but not in submission to his will in walks of obedience to his commands. For God put us on this earth and he saved us from our sins so we will obey him with our lives.

And this messes with the gospel message, too, for those who are followers of man are many who are listening to and who are accepting diluted, altered, and twisted teachings from the Scriptures which are being taught outside of their intended context and which are being made to say what they don’t say in context. And so many people are getting this idea that they can make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, have all their sins forgiven, and be on their way to heaven, but regardless of how they live.

But Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now honor God with our bodies. And so by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, it ends in death. But if we obey obedience, we have life eternal with God.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

The Lord’s Anointed  

An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving. 

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to 

Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to wear, 

As the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior, 

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness, 

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations. 

https://vimeo.com/114836524