Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.
Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. In the fall here at our church, he built this pulpit. We've been wanting a wood pulpit in here and he went to town and built this from scratch, made it match so good with our our kind of wood wall here behind us and we brought it on here. We're going to try out the height and all this good stuff and this thing is solid and I appreciate he spent a lot of time on this. Let's give him a hand for that.
I appreciate it. Brother David, even in his business, what he does, he does right and I appreciate his time and effort and expense doing this so very, very much. Psalm 127, we want to talk today about building a house or building a home. Fathers are fixers and we're builders in a sense and we have the greatest task imaginable and that is building a home. God holds us men, us fathers, husbands accountable.
It takes everyone. It takes the wife to follow God's mandate for her. It takes the children to follow God's mandate for them.
But I believe everything rises and falls on leadership. And God holds us accountable men, fathers, for the home. So, let's go over Psalm 127 in February. I have used this verse at times, you know, different things but I've had this verse on my mind since February about once a week.
I'll just if I'm sitting and and I don't have to think of anything particular. This verse would come up. I have just meditated on it and meditated on it and meditated on it and there's a verse today that God would have today a day to just share some thoughts. It's I still don't have everything that's in this in this one verse but this this verse has always intrigued me and so especially to fathers who are here this morning.
I think it's appropriate but really to each of us we're going to have to determine whether we want a house or we want a home. This is going to be the principle given through this passage. It's a great verse and it's a familiar one and yet there might be a few things in this verse that you've not quite maybe seen or or or even noticed. Psalm 127 verse one. Except the Lord build the house.
They labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city. the watchman waketh but in vain.
Hold your place there. We'll we'll come back. Let's pray and ask God to bless our time this morning. Lord we thank you for all that you've done and Lord this verse has just been on my heart for months. You know that so Lord I pray that you'd help us to rightfully divide your word but most importantly to apply the principles of it to our own lives. Lord I can preach it but I can't apply it for every person they have to do that.
I can speak it but they must receive it. Lord I pray that you'd help today. Thank you for our fathers. Father's Day is a special day. We love you in Jesus name. We pray.
Amen. I mentioned on Mother's Day, one of the most outstanding characteristics of Father's Day is that it's the one day a year. Father's Day breaks the record every year for the most collect phone calls. Mother's Day breaks the record for the most phone calls but Father's Day breaks the record every year for the most collect phone calls. God still has to pay for his own phone call.
That's the way it goes and such is the illustration of Father's Day. I want you to notice number one in Psalm 127 verse one. I want you to see a person in the house. Number one, I want you to see a personal god.
Now, I believe with all my heart, God created the heavens and the earth. Do you agree with that? Say amen. By the way, I think he did it in six literal days. But that's just that's just me.
Okay. God built the mountains. He designed the landscapes. He crafted continents. He built the recreation. I don't recall many times where we're told that God built very many houses.
Now, it seems a bit, I'm going to be honest. It seems a bit beneath him. Now, Jesus was a carpenter when he was here on earth. So, I'm sure that building was part of a number of things that he was exposed to. I wouldn't build a house but it does appear that he is busy doing greater, more meaningful things than to frame walls, pour concrete, put up drywall, and run plumbing. What this verse is teaching, it shows that although our God built the universe, he is also interested in building your home. He's not just a powerful God. He's a personal God. He cares about your house. Yes, God can build mountains and God can build oceans and he can build galaxies and he can build solar systems, but he loves and cares for you enough that he also wants to build your home.
I don't know about you. That means something to me. Can I have an amen right there? Number two, I want you to see the priority of the home. Psalm 127 one says, accept the Lord, build the house. Building a house is not the priority. Making sure God builds the house is the priority. Everybody understand that your biggest priority in your life is not building your home. Your biggest priority is to make sure you let God build your home. This verse gives us an illustration and obviously a house is normally the dwelling place of a family.
And hopefully that house that is built will become a home. God is telling us not only is he capable of building a marriage and building a family and even a home, but it is of utmost importance that you let him do it. Knowing God is capable is one thing, but making sure he's the one that builds your home is another because you and I want to take over constantly.
We can't help but become control freaks when it comes to our home, our family, our lives, our jobs, everything about it, and we want to take control. But dear friend, I'm here to tell you, God has to be the one to build your house. We are told in this passage that our efforts would be futile. It would be a waste of our time for us to try to do this without God. May I say this, the most important, the critical thing in your life is to this morning as you sit here to answer this question, has God built your home or have you? Number three, I want you to see the potential problems with our homes. This verse gives it all.
This isn't coming from Daniel Autry. This is coming from Psalm 127. Notice what it says, except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
The potential problems with our homes, what is it? It's us being self-sufficient. It's us thinking that we can do it, that we can build it, that we can figure it out, that we can manipulate it, that we can think and make it happen, that we can figure something out. I want you to notice first, according to this passage, man can labor but not get the desired results. Here it says God builds the house, but man labors in vain. By the way, building a house and laboring in vain are two totally different things. Now listen, I'm not a mechanic.
There are a handful of things I certainly understand and know how to do when it comes to a car, and I love cars. But growing up, we were on the road going preaching at a different church every week of our lives. It's not like we had time in the evenings for dad to show me how to work on cars or anything. There's a number of things that I've just had to figure out for myself over the years because of our lifestyle. We were in church every night of my life until I went to college. Think about that, every night of my life. Now I know how to lead singing, and I know how to put together an outline, and I know how to run a church service, and I know how to sleep in church.
And I know how to fake it that you're living righteous when you're not. But there's just other things that I didn't have the chance growing up, and mechanics is one of them. Now look at me, if you brought me a car with no engine, and you had an engine in a crate sitting there right in front of me, I could labor for years, but I would never get the results I need. I could work hard, I could labor, but I still wouldn't get that car running like it should. Our churches are full of families and marriages in which everyone involved is working hard. They're laboring, they're doing everything they know to do, but it's all in vain.
In fact, they're worn down, exhausted, and their home is crumbling. It's not because they're not laboring, it's because they're laboring in vain. You see, only God can build a house. Which brings me to point number two, man builds a house, God builds a home. Look at the verse, if you would, it's that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. The point here is that man can build a sturdy house, but only the Lord can build a strong home.
Man can build a structure, God can build a family. That's what this verse is teaching, except the Lord build the house. Except the Lord does this, all your labor is going to be in vain if He doesn't build the house.
Which brings me to point number three, I want you to please notice this, a house is being built either way. Now, notice in this verse that those who labor in vain actually do build a house. Look at the verse, except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Now I've often heard this verse teaches that if God doesn't build a house, there is no house, and that's not the case. In fact, I know a lot of families that have been built without God. I know of a lot of houses that have been erected without God. You see, a house is going to be built either way. It's either going to be a house built by God or a house built by you.
And we're going to see the difference in that very, very quickly. I've seen many families that were built without the Lord. I've seen many marriages that were built without the Lord.
Spiritually speaking, can I say this? There's houses all over the place that are being built without the Lord. And trust me, you can see the difference. Point number four is this, potential problems, remember? You don't use a bad builder and end up with a good house. You don't use a bad builder and end up with a good house. You've heard, I'm sure, when it comes to buying a house, you get what you pay for.
Some of you have been through that. The house is really only as good as the person who builds it. Can I have an amen right there, Kerwin Baptist Church? Potential problems with our homes is this, when we start trying to do it without God. Now, it takes everybody cooperating and it takes everybody accommodating, but dads, fathers, Father's Day, God looks to us. God holds us accountable. God says of all the members of the family, the one that has to depend upon God, the one that must depend upon God, the one that absolutely will not proceed if God's not involved, it would be the Father.
It would be the husband. Which brings me to number four, the plan for building our homes. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
Let me give you two things here. Number one is this, God does the building, we do the obeying. It's very simple. The plan for building your home. We do the obeying, God does the building. Listen to me, if we try to build our house, our house will only be as strong as us.
Look at me, please get this. If the house is built by us, then our house will only be as strong as us. And I don't know about you, I need my home and my family to be stronger than me. So that means this, if God builds the family, it'll be as strong as He is. If man builds the family, it'll be as strong as that man is. And none of us are strong enough. I don't know about you, I need God to make my home and my family stronger than me.
Because I'm weak, and I fail. Trust me, let God do the building. Second principle is this, God does not need us, but we sure do need Him. Notice Psalm 127 one, except the Lord build, except the Lord keep.
You see, He doesn't need us, but we sure do need Him. And we need to remember that, except for the Lord, except for the Lord, unless the Lord does this. Everything in our family, everything in our home should be centered around the Lord. We ought to read His Word at our house, we ought to obey His Word at our house. We ought to talk about God's Word at our house. Our house should be built by God.
Number five, and we're almost done. I want you to see the protection of our homes. Now I'm still absorbing and I'm still mulling over things in my mind about this passage. Because I absolutely love this verse, but I want you to notice this. Except the Lord keep the city. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, but except the Lord keep the city. The watchman, excuse me, waketh but in vain.
What are we talking about here? The protection of our homes. Number one is this, what God builds, God can protect. What you build, you can't protect. Dear friends, if our homes are built on you, there's no protection. But when God does the building, God can do the protecting.
You say, what do you mean? Notice this passage. It is interesting to me that God tells us the importance of us letting Him build our house. But then He says it's important for God to not keep the house, but to keep the city. It is clearly explained in this verse that we need God to build us, but it is also explained in this verse that we must have God to protect us.
You say, well, what do you mean? This Hebrew word for keep here, it means to hedge about, to guard, to attend to. That means God is totally capable to completely surround, to constantly survey, and to compassionately shepherd His people. That can only be done by Him.
Look at me, I can't completely surround my home. I can't go with my kids everywhere they go, but God can go with them. I can't be with my wife all the time.
She does not want to be with me all the time. But God can be with her all the time. You see, I can't protect my family, but God can. And here He says, let me build the house, but then He says, except the Lord, keep the city.
What in the world does He mean? Number two, this reminds me that my house is not the only one that matters. What is a city? A city is made up of a number of houses. Listen to me, this verse says that God builds the house, but then it says He needs to protect the city. My house and your house is not the only house He's built.
A city consists of a number of houses and individuals. That tells me that all of us need God to do the protecting. It's not just about my house, and it's not just about your house.
We need God to protect the whole city. Why? Because when your house falls, it affects my house. When I'm wounded, it affects you.
When you're wounded, it affects me. Please listen to this. That means you and I serve the same God, and as we are, Satan is seeking to devour all of our homes. We have an entire city to be concerned about. You know what, that's why at church we ought to be praying for each other, praying for each other's kids, supporting each other, not criticizing each other, not tearing each other down, not complaining about how they do things at their house. We ought to be praying and supporting and loving each other.
Can I have an amen right there? You know why? Because we need God not just to protect my house, we need God to protect the whole city. Why? Number three, this reminds me that if we do not keep Satan out of the city, Satan will soon take over our home.
Do you get this this morning? God needs to build your house. But we need God to not just protect around your house, we need God to protect the city. Look at me, because if Satan gets in the city, it won't be long until he gets in your house.
This isn't just about you and it's not just about me. This is about what Satan's trying to do. And it is totally important for every one of us to make sure God does the building in our home. And dads, today you ought to commit as a father or recommit that I want to make sure God builds this home. And you can't have God build a home without God's Word.
It ought to be prevalent and it ought to be important in your house. But I'm saying this, we need God to build our house, but we need to be praying that God will protect the city. Because if Satan gets in the city, it won't be long until he's in your house. Can I say this, we can't wait until Satan is banging on our door before we start trying to protect ourselves. We've got to set the protection way before that. To protect the house, it's better to protect the city. Let me put it this way, protect the city, you'll protect the house.
Protect the city, you'll automatically protect your home. Let me give an illustration of this. I am in no way endorsing or anything, I don't even know this individual.
He might be worthless for all, I just don't know. But there is one thing that I admire that I read years ago, and of course it may hit the news. And in the previous administration, our vice president was Mike Pence.
I don't know much about him, you know, not necessarily my favorite person in the world, whatever. But he had this rule, and his rule is that he would not go and eat lunch with a woman by themselves. How many of y'all remember this hitting the news?
His rule was that I don't eat with a woman by ourselves, there must be another man there or something like that. And the media had a heyday with that. Comedians were making fun of it, news programs were making fun of it. You know what, they didn't criticize all these NBA stars that got 12 kids from 10 different wives.
They didn't criticize that, they don't criticize these ballplayers that are on drugs, hanging out guns, you know, raping women and all, they don't criticize them. But bless God, one person says that I'm not going to have lunch with a woman besides my wife, now they get crucified. And they made fun of him and they questioned him about it and he said yes. And this is what he said. He said the odds are high that if I never allow myself to be with a woman by myself that I probably will not cheat on my wife.
Y'all with me, say amen. You don't wait until you're in a room by yourself with a woman and then all of a sudden decide, hey I need to try to fight this. The way you protect the house is to protect the city. He set the standard all the way back there that one of the best ways to make sure you don't cheat on your wife is to make sure you're never alone with a woman. Everybody got the principle? Except the Lord keep the city.
Can I give you this next principle? If you protect the city, you protect the homes. That's why you and I need to quit fighting with each other. That's why we at churches need to quit fighting each other. And we ought to start praying for each other. Because Satan's breaking through churches. And if Satan breaks into this one, guess who he's coming for?
You and me. Let me give you this next principle. If we're not wise enough to build the home, we are not strong enough to protect the home. I don't care how many guns you have.
You can act like you control your own fate if you want to. I don't care if you've got a whole artillery, and I hope you do. But I don't care if you have an entire artillery, you need God. The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally.
Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans 3 23 says for all of sin and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, we're not good enough to obtain God's glory or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6 23 says for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of our sin or the payment of our sin only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Savior. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt.
The Bible says in Romans 5 8, but God commended his love toward us. In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ by faith as your Savior. Romans 10 9 says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way and calling upon his name. The Bible says whosoever, that's anyone, can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this.
Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192. Or visit our website at KirwanBaptistChurch.com or visit us at Person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you.
