# Is the Lord Your Builder

Key Passage: Psalm 127
Date: January 3, 2023

Would you take your Bibles and turn to Psalm chapter 127 tonight? We are going to read the whole chapter. It is only five verses. Psalm 127. I will try to go pretty quickly through this, and then we will get to the time I want to dedicate those children to the Lord and an invitation tonight. Psalms 127—this is a great passage about the home. We will just briefly go through this chapter tonight. For the internet, the title is, “Is the Lord Your Builder?” That will be the title for tonight. Is the Lord your builder? I am so thrilled to be in God’s house tonight. That is awesome.

There is just this excitement that God is working in hearts and lives. Psalms 127. Would you please stand if you are able, just to show the Word of God respect? We lift it high. We ought to. It is God’s Word, it is Holy Word, and it is what we go by. So we try to show it some respect.

At the beginning of the service, Psalm 127. We will read those whole five verses there. The Bible says: “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. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

How many of you got a nap this afternoon? All right, about half the crowd. That verse resonated with you this afternoon: “For so he gives his beloved sleep.” Lo, children are an inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Would you pray with me that God would point some truths out to our hearts tonight in this chapter? Lord, we do come. Father, I believe you let me just focus on this chapter. We are just going to try to go verse by verse. So, Lord, would you please make that come alive to us? Lord, would you make these truths—would you speak to each individual about these truths and bring light like only you can? Father, send your Spirit working in our midst. Father, we thank you for what you do. We ask for that, Lord, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. Would you go back to that first verse one more time? Let us just read that first verse again, where the Bible says: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

How homes, how homes. I mentioned this recently, but our country needs homes where the Lord is in. That is really the need of our country—just godly homes. It is crucial. Except the Lord build the home, the house, it is in vain.

America is trying to have good homes. We are trying all the techniques and what all shown here and there. Some professor says this, and some child psychologist says this. We are trying everywhere in the world to have a good home without God, and that is failure. Except the Lord, we have got to have the Lord in the home.

You know, the Bible uses this term 76 times—you will find this saying, this phrase, “man of God.” I remember years ago a guy was making fun of that phrase, “man of God,” and kind of laughing out loud. I thought, “Whoa, what a shame.” That is a biblical phrase, “man of God,” 76 times found in His Word. It can mean a lot of things. It can mean a preacher. But can I just say this: every single home ought to have a man of God in that home. I am talking about a husband, a dad—not perfect, there is no such thing—but a man that loves the Lord and is trying to lead his family in the Lord. He might have family devotion. He might lead his family to pray. If they eat in that house, they are going to pray before they eat. It is a man at home that is honestly, sincerely trying to serve the Lord. Every home needs a man of God in it. It is crucial.

Our country is falling apart because our homes are falling apart, and every home needs a man of God in there. A man that is trying to lead that family to serve the Lord. That is crucial. Except the Lord God working there, it is in vain. It is hopeless. Can I say this? Even if you have a home where the kids turn out successful, as our world says, and they make a bunch of money and it looks good to everybody else, and yet that man or that lady that grows up—that boy, the girl that grows up—and they do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, they may be successful to the world, but they are a successful person that burns in hell. That is a sad thing. Except the Lord build a home, the house, that is in vain.

What a sad thing. Even if we do have success, as the world says, and yet that child spends eternity burning in a lake of fire, as the Bible says many times. Oh, what a sad thing. What a sad thing. Except the Lord. Oh, dads, I hope you are saying, “Lord, I want to honor you in my home. I want your blessing on my home.” Ladies, how key it is. A godly lady can bring a sweetness to the home. I mean, just a lady, a sweet lady—not perfect, there is no such thing—but she wants to honor God. She wants to do it God’s way, and she wants children to grow up and live for the Lord. She is trying to bring God right in the middle of everything. Oh, you cannot replace that with anything else, just a God. Our homes must have, must have God. “Except the Lord built the house, they labor in vain.”

Now let us apply that truth. We really did not get to have the last service of the year. We did Christmas morning, Christmas night; our pipes froze and all that. We did not have service Christmas night. That would have been Wednesday night, and I am sure Brother Anthony did a wonderful job preaching for us on Wednesday night. But we did not get to have—sometimes you have New Year’s Eve service; we have not had that. So, a little bit of service is a touch like that tonight, but also the beginning of the year. Can we just apply this phrase, this truth in the Bible: “Except the Lord build the house”? First Timothy 3:15 says the church is the house of God. You know, there are a lot of churches where it is just a man-made organization, a social club, a gathering, a feel-good place. But if it is going to be a successful house of God, it must be the Lord.

Church family, can I just say a word to you tonight? In 2023, we do not want what we can do. We do not want what the pastor can do—that is really nothing. We do not want what Sunday school teachers, what the bus work, what the deacons [can do]. We do not want all that. We want what God can do. Oh, friend, I hope you have a longing in your heart. We want you working at our church. I have a fear: I hope I never hinder the Lord from working in Rutherford County Baptist Church. I hope you say, “Lord, is there something in my life? I do not want to hinder you from working in Rutherford County Baptist Church.” Except the Lord…

…God’s house. We are called out for a minute. By the way, we can put on programs, we can get people in and all that, but only God changes lives, saves souls. I do not know how many it is, but I remember for a while we had a good number of men in our church that had given up the bottle. God—they had overcome. Many of them were alcoholics, functioning alcoholics. And I am saying you do not get that just—that is not man’s work. That is the Lord. Church, we do not want man’s work. We want the Lord. Except the Lord build the house. I hope you have a desire. We want to see the Lord working in 2023. We want the hand of God working in this church. God is still saving souls and changing lives, you understand. Do not get caught up, “Well, it is the last days. Everything is so bad.” That may be true, but God is still changing lives. His hand is not shortened that it cannot save. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. God is still working today, and we need that in our heart and our life. Oh, Lord, we want you working in our church. Except the Lord. It would be a pity if we stand before the Lord, and the Lord says, “Your spirit, your attitude, your fault—whatever may have hindered me from working in that church.” It is a sad thing. Except the Lord build the house.

The house. Now, what is the last part of that verse? We are just trying to go through this chapter real quick. You say, “Pastor, we know it is not going to be real quick. We know better than that.” I am trying. All right, give me a little mercy there. All right, trying to hurry along. But that last part of the verse there, it says, “Except the Lord keep the city.” Oh, the city—the government, the nation. If except the Lord keep the city, you could put “politician” in there.

You could put military in there. Brother Steve Page told me right before service, or maybe shaking hands, he said, “Have you heard about the little girl that sat on Stan’s lap?” And the little girl said, “Are you a politician?” And he said, “No, I am not at all.” And she said, “Well, you know, they always promise more than they deliver. I thought maybe you were.” So anyway, we tried. All right, now we are trying here, okay? Now, you know these jokes. But the watchman can be the military or politician, but the watchman waketh but in vain. You know, America was made great by God. God made America great. We did not do that for you. I mean, in the beginning, we were 13 ragamuffin colonies.

America at the beginning, in the War for Independence, the Revolutionary War, we did not even have enough finances, enough means to clothe our military. We had military dying because they did not have enough clothing and food. Many died in Valley Forge. I mean, we were a ragged group. Our leaders at the time, our military leaders—George Washington, one of them. I love him. He is a man of God. I think he is a man of prayer, a wonderful man. Do not believe all this they are trying to smear him with. He is a great man of God. But can I be honest with him? Military-wise, he made a great amount of stands in the Revolutionary War. God said, “I am going to bless those 13, the humble, the ones that knew they needed God.” And they were crying, yes, for political freedom, but religious freedom too. And God said, “I am going to bless that group of people there.” And God blessed our nation and made it a great nation. Woe be to us if we think, “Oh, we are a great America without God.” That is why we are falling quickly. Oh, except the Lord keep the city. Watchmen make it better.

The greatest need our country has is for revival, getting back to God. Is that the Lord build it? We are done. I am very involved in politics. I encourage us to vote and all that, and I am for us getting the right politicians in office. But there is not a politician that can solve America’s problems. We have got to have God. By the way, if we have a revival, we will get better politicians in office. No doubt about it. Let us keep going. We have got to hurry along because I said I would be short. I am trying, at least. All right. Verse number two, verse number two, 127. You will be tonight, amen? Look at verse number two. He said, “It is vain for you to rise up early and to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

Can I just word it a little bit like this? If I am trying to do it all—trying to make my home, trying to make the church and the country—without the Lord, I am just kind of exerting all my energy, but it is not going to work. If I do it God’s way, I get God in the middle of it all. I mentioned this recently, but some in America are just working themselves into the grave trying to get ahead, trying to get ahead, trying to get ahead, trying to get ahead. I wish they would just do it in God’s way. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added.” God can take care of the needs. God can meet you in ease. There is rest there. There is peace there. It is so much more restful doing it God’s way. I can work hard and I can stay up late and just do all I can, yet if God is not in it, it is going to be a failure. Yet if I get God in the middle of it, hey, there is rest.

Someone mentioned this morning about a burden; someone is trying to slander their name a little bit, and it is a sad thing. I mentioned that verse, it is Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me.” And he said, “Thank you, I needed that.” There is rest when you are just doing the right thing. You are honoring God. God can take care of your problems. There is sleep, there is rest there. Verse number three. All right, we are moving along now, amen. We are at the halfway point here. Verse number three. Only five verses. He says, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

I thought about some people I love very much. A husband and wife, one saved, the other not. For a while, they had both kind of gotten a little bit—they graduated from a university and both have degrees and whatnot—and they got maybe a little humanistic. You know, “We are all right. Man has it figured all out.” And then the wife could not have a baby. They went to all the doctors, and they went through all the doctor wanted to do, and beyond maybe the norm, the doctor said, “Look, there is just nothing else I could do.” A couple months later, that lady got pregnant. I have tried—we are praying for them—but she came. She is not saved, and she is Jewish, and so on. She said, “You know, I know that was a divine thing. The doctor said they couldn’t do anything,” and that really changed her mindset. She is not saved yet, and you can just see God really use it now. That is what it is talking about—how children are from the Lord. It is an inheritance of the Lord. It is His reward. That is God’s blessing. Maybe a child is one of God’s greatest blessings.

I thought about Brother John and Miss Maria. Of course, they already have the best, right, Emily? They had Emily all these years, and they wanted more children. I asked if I could mention—John said yes. But about eight years ago, Miss Maria was expecting, and they lost that one. So tragic. That is so painful. Some of you have been through that; I have never been through that. Such a sad thing. Can I just say that? That baby is in heaven, by the way. It just broke their hearts. You could see it. They were so faithful during that time—faithful to church, faithful to do junior church and all those things. But sometimes you are just doing it while you are brokenhearted. You could see it for a good while. They stayed faithful. They wanted more. Long, long eight years they could not have more. Miss Maria, if I get this part right—I am not sure, but I think this is true, she can correct me—I think it came to the point where Miss Maria said, “I just give up, Lord. I give it to you. I know if you give us more children, fine, but I am just going to stop asking and begging. It is just your call.” And just a little bit after that, she would have twins. Wow. I mean, the fruit of the womb is a reward God gives that. God said, “I have seen their faithfulness even through the time of toil and burden,” and God says, “I will bless them twice over.” It makes it so special tonight. Twins—I think it is the first time we have had twins born in our church. What a special thing how God gave that to them. What a special thing tonight they are dedicating those children back to the Lord.

Nice to talk about verse number three. Let us keep going, verse number four here. Verse number four. He says, “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth.” Now, mighty man—think about that, especially back in Bible times. They did not have .357s or .44 Magnums. They did not have ARs and all that. They did not have guns, but they had bows and arrows and other weapons. Those mighty men were very skillful at taking those arrows and putting them in that bow, and they could turn it any way they wanted to. They had control over that arrow. The Bible says here it is talking about young people—because when you get older, you release that arrow; you shoot them out—but it is talking about young folk here. He says, just like that mighty man has control over that arrow, we are to have control of our children. They are supposed to be in control by our hands, if you will. Like that mighty man and the arrow, you have control over your children. By the way, sad thing in America: you know who usually runs the home in America? The children nowadays. What a sad thing. No, no, no, no. It is not supposed to be like that. Like a mighty man has those arrows pointing out, we are supposed to point our children toward the Lord. We are skillful at that. We have control over them.

I remember Curtis Sutton saying years ago—and he is now in heaven—but he used to say, “You ought to be able to tell your child, ‘Sit down,’ and they sit down. You tell your child, ‘Stand up,’ and they stand.” He said, “You ought to have that control over your child.” Do not fall for this idea that you are going to warp them. No, no, no, no. You are going to do them good. You can teach them control. That is what we are talking about. It is like the mighty man. Now, once you shoot them out—you know, you can shoot an arrow; it might not be real straight; it will turn—and they have a mind of their own. I said so often, we are responsible for how we raise them. They are responsible for what they do with those decisions. “Well, my mom and dad did this.” Your mom and dad are going to hurt over it, but you bear the consequences for your decisions. When you are young, those children are supposed to be like an arrow. You can point them in any way you want. You are supposed to have control over them. Let us keep going. Let us keep going, verse number five. Verse number five here, Psalm 127. Look at verse number five. He says, “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” Now, what is the quiver? It is those hunters. They have their bow and arrows, but then they have that little quiver that they put all their arrows in. It is a container for the arrows. Nowadays, a lot of these bows have a little thing where you can hook the arrows right into it, keep them on their back. Back in the day, you had a little quiver you would wear around on your back or whatnot. Those arrows would be in there, and you can pull that arrow out. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. Now, a couple things about that: all quivers are not the same size.

You do not have to have seven kids to have a full quiver. Well, maybe for you, but maybe not for me. By the way, it is not just talking about having children, because a lot of people have a lot of children, but yet they have no control of the children. Notice what he says there. He is going back to the verse before: “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” What are “them”? Children that are like the mighty man that has the arrows in his hand. You have got control over them. I could have a hundred kids, and yet I have got no control over them; I am not going to be a happy man. I am always talking about somebody that has control over those children, and he has his quiver—whatever the quiver is for you—they are full, full of those type of children.

Then he finishes up: “They”—that is the children—“shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” They shall not be ashamed. You are talking about children that the parents have control over them. You say, “Well, it is going to mess them up for life.” No, it will help them for life. They will have a good life. They will not be ashamed. They will not be ashamed. They will not be ashamed. They will have some direction in life. Their life is not a wreck because they have had some parents that gave them some direction. They had some control in their life. He says, “They shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” The gate typically was a place of business, and they will be able to handle the enemies of life with business—not kill them, but speak with them. They will be able to handle themselves in business. It kind of goes in line with, “I have been young, I am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging.” So vital.

Now we just briefly went over this chapter. Briefly. Can I just finish it up? We are done tonight. We are going to have an invitation and a time to dedicate these children. Can I ask you, just real quickly here tonight: Who is building your home? Who is building your home? Whether you have children or not, whether you are single or not, who is building your home? “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain to build it.” Who is building your home? It is so important. I can get up early and stay up late, and yet if the Lord is not building my home… Hey, let us ask as a church family: Is the Lord building RCBC? Is the Lord in this? Do we have God’s hand of blessing, God moving in your church? I want that, friend. Except the Lord.

Original File: Is the Lord Your Builder - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday PM 1012023