I'm glad you're here this morning.
Good to see everybody here. I'm going to be talking about
building the house of the Lord this morning. Title of my message and you've
come to the house of the Lord in Albany, Georgia to worship
the true God this morning and I pray that he'll bless us as
we enter into this worship. If I should ask you to identify
a man named Memphis, he probably couldn't do so. His biblical
cup of notoriety is virtually empty. In fact, he's only mentioned
one time in all of scripture. But Paul wrote of him, and this
man, what as little is said of him should engage our attention
because he's a man of great notoriety, really. although we don't know
much about him. The Apostle Paul owned him as
a believer in the faith. He approved the work to which
he was engaged and called him a brother in Christ. Look with
me at Colossians chapter four and verse 15. The Apostle Paul
gave him this commendation in Colossians 4.15. Salute the brethren
which are at Laodicea and Memphis and the church which is in his
house. This man was so involved in the
gospel, he opened his house as a gathering place to worship.
He was so concerned that the gospel be communicated in his
day to his generation that he committed his all to that success. And such was the beginning of
the church at Laodicea. We don't have a whole lot written
about the church at Laodicea, but here was a man who gave himself
as a true believer to the furtherance of the gospel in his town, and
he opened his house. Now fast forward with me a few
years to Revelation chapter 3 in verse 14 through 19. Here Christ says, and unto the
angel or the pastor of the church at Laodicea write, These things
saith the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning
of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou art
neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or
hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm
and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because
thou sayest, I am rich and increased is good and have need of nothing. And knowest not that thou art
wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel
thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest
be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that
the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. And anoint thine
eyes with eyesalve that thou mightest see. As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent."
Well, what happened to the church at Laodicea? That which started
off so good had such a remarkable beginning. came to disfavor with
Christ so quickly, what happened? Is there a lesson there in this
for us? Can we ignore the obvious? John said this in the latter
part of his gospel, John chapter 20 and verse 31, these things
are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and
that believing you might have life through his name. What happened
in Laodicea is for our good. if we take heed to it. What happened
in Laodicea was not an isolated incident. All the churches of
Asia, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia
have gone the way of Laodicea. There's no church in Laodicea.
There's no church in any of these cities any longer. Well, what
happened to the church is obvious to those who know the Lord. In verse 17, he says, look at
it again, verse 17, because thou sayest I am rich. They appeared
to be rich. In other words, their spiritual
barns were full. You remember the story of the
rich young farmer whose barns were full, and he said, I'll
tear down my barns and build bigger. Well, this is what the
Laodiceans were doing. They thought they were rich in
good works. And in reality, their works were
evil works. Their spiritual barns were full
of good works. They appeared to be rich. Secondly, they appeared
to be righteous, but they were naked. They were exposed to the
wrath of God. All their righteousness was a
filthy rag, according to the scripture. They appeared to be
rich. They appeared to be righteous.
They appeared to be regenerated, but they couldn't see. They needed
not because they knew not. They knew not because they saw
not. and they saw not because they were dead in trespasses
and sin. They loved darkness rather than light. What a tragic
end. What began as a good work at
the last report stood in danger of utter failure. The same can
be said of every one of the seven churches in Asia Minor and Eager
Avenue Grace Church here in Albany too. If we're not diligent, if
we're not vigilant, if we're not on guard, we can lose our
light in this community. What about your house? What about
my house? You know, we're all building
a house. Everybody's building his own house. But by nature,
we don't build according to God's specifications and his plans. Although our house looks secure
and affords a certain amount of comfort and peace, it will
not shield sinners at the judgment, the house that we all build by
nature. God's testimony to this is numerous, and one in particular
is Matthew chapter 7 and verse 24 through 27, a familiar passage
of scripture. Jesus has just finished his Sermon
on the Mount, talking about how strict the law is and how the
law must pronounce a sinner guilty and condemn before the Lord based
on his best efforts to keep that law. And then he says in Matthew
7, verse 24, therefore, whosoever hears these sayings of mine and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his
house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon it, and it fell
not. Why? because it was founded upon a
rock. But everyone that heareth these things of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his
house on the sand. And the rains came, and the winds
descended, and beat upon it, and it fell, and great was the
fall thereof. Here Christ warns his hearers
of the danger of inadequate housing, and the judgment awaiting those
who fail to heed his warning. The problem is here, Two men
are building a house, one on the sand and one on the rock.
And that's the problem, men building their own house. Because by nature,
we don't know how to build our spiritual house. We don't know
what it takes. But the scripture's full of men
like these two men. We have Cain and Abel. They were building
their house. One was building his house on
a rock, the other was building it on the sand. We have the praying
publican and the proud Pharisee. We have the prodigal son and
his brother. We have the Pharisee and the
prostitute. We have the woman at the well.
We have Nicodemus. And on and on and on we go of
people, men and women, building their church. But look with me
at Psalm 127, verse 1. Except the Lord build a house,
they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the
city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Jesus told his hearers
in Matthew chapter 16, I will build my church. Men can and
do build beautiful edifices today that people enjoy the comforts
of, enjoy the beauty of, but building a spiritual edifice
is something beyond you and yours and my ability by nature. We
read the blueprints, which is the word of God. We look at the
specifications, but we don't measure up to that. We build
a house. It's not sufficient to take care
of us when the time of judgment comes. None of us have the expertise
to build our spiritual house. That's why God said salvation
is of the Lord. It's all of Him building the
house. Well, there are two options for
those of us who need a spiritual house. Buy one already built
or have someone build one for you. As a former builder, if
I could give you some advice, don't build. If you can find
one that meets your needs, not your wants, but meets your needs,
I recommend that you buy it. The problem is, We don't know
what we need by nature. That's our problem. If you insist
on building, let me recommend somebody as a builder. His house is adequate for your
needs. It will stand the test of time, and you can afford it.
It's to his plans and specifications. In this house, which is in a
gated community with only one gate or many mansions, and the
many gates of hell shall not prevail against this house. When
you see this house, nothing short of occupancy will satisfy you.
If God gives you faith to see this house, this spiritual house,
you'll desire it, and as Lot did when he left Sodom, you won't
look back, but you'll desire totally the house of the God,
this house of the Lord. David said this in Psalm 84,
in verse 10, I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to
dwell in the tents of wickedness. And this change will come about
because God has promised to build his church and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. He promised to build his church
and Christ can't fail to save one for whom the Father loves. Though his elect are all by nature
living in Laodicea. That's where God finds us all,
in Laodicea. Worshipping in a house built
by man, at an altar of self-righteous legalism, we can't remain there. God's sheep will not remain there.
His people will be delivered. Read with me Revelation 3.19
again. As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent.
What God is saying here is that those he loves are going to love
him. They're going to repent. They're going to change. And they're going to have faith,
God-given faith. And God's going to call them
out of Laodicea in every generation and give them faith and repentance
and put them in a house of many mansions that he's made, not
made with hands, but those who love him and are called according
to his purpose. Well, I want us to look at his
house this morning for a few minutes. The Psalmist David saw
the beauty and desirability of this house in Psalm 18, verses
one through three. So let's look at these verses
for just a few minutes. And he sets forth the particulars
of this house in these verses. He says, I will love thee, O
Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress,
my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust. my buckler,
and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower, I will call
upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be
saved from mine enemies. What makes this house special?
What makes this house desirable? What makes it safe? What about
this house makes it affordable? Well, I have six things I'd like
for us to consider briefly this morning. First of all, the house
of the Lord is a spiritual house. It's a strong house. It's a stable
house. It's a secure house. It's a house
for sinners. And it's a sacred house. So let's
look at these six qualities that are pictured in type and shadow
of our Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, it's a spiritual
house. Look at Psalm 18a again. The psalmist says, I will love
the Lord. I will love thee, O Lord. It's a house where love is the
only cause. and continuance of habitation.
David loved the Lord. We know he did because the scripture
says he was a man after God's own heart. But David's love is
not the cause of his salvation. It's not the cause that he is
in this house of the Lord. We love God because he first
loved us. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that he loved us and gave his son to be the propitiation
for our sin. So this house is the propitiator's
house. This is the house God built Christ
to be for his people. It is in this house, those who
are in Christ, that are saved. It is where the heart of the
justified is eternally housed. 1 John 4, 19, we love him because
he first loved us. Look with me at 1 Chronicles
17, verse 4. David, the king of Israel, was
sitting one day talking to Nathan, the prophet, and he said, you
know, Nathan, I'm living in this beautiful palace made with the
cedars of Lebanon, the most expensive wood that you could build a house
out of. And he said, my lord lives in
a tent, a house of curtains. He said, I'm going to build the
lord a house. And Nathan said, David, whatever you do, go ahead,
whatever's in your heart, and the Lord is with you. But the
scripture says in 1 Chronicles 7, 14, God spoke to Nathan the
prophet, go and tell David, my servant, thus saith the Lord,
thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in. Look at verse 10b,
the Lord will build thee a house. You remember David's deathbed
confession in 2 Samuel 23? He said, although my house be
not so with God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, ensured, for this is all my salvation,
although he maketh it not to grow. I'm glad David didn't build
the Lord's house. He had trouble building his own,
so he couldn't build the Lord's house either. But God made David
a promise. Look at 1 Chronicles 17, verse
11 through 15. Here's what God says to David
through the prophet Nathan. And it shall come to pass, when
thy days be expired, and thou must go to be with thy fathers,
that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of
thy sons. And I will establish his kingdom. Speaking of the
Lord here, he shall build me a house. Remember Jesus told
Peter, upon this rock I'll build my house. And I will establish
his throne forever. and be his father, and he shall
be my son, and I will not take my mercy away from him as I took
it from him that was before thee." In other words, from Saul, the
first king. But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom
forever, and his throne shall be established forevermore. According to all these words
and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
The house of the Lord is a spiritual house. And Paul, the apostle,
wrote about it to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians chapter
5. Let's read beginning in verse
1. Paul says, for we know. Somebody knows something. Who
is it? God's people, those who've been
called out know something. And we know it by revelation
and faith given by God. We know that if our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved. Now what is he talking about?
He's talking about our physical body. This earthly tabernacle
is a temporary house. And it's what Paul, in the vernacular
that they used at that time, called it a house. For we know
that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,
we have a building of God and a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens. So death is really not the end.
It's the beginning. those who are in God's house.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
He says, for in this, in what? In this earthly body we groan.
You remember what Job said in Job 14.1? Man that is born of
woman is a few days and full of trouble. So, for in this we
earnestly groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our new
house, our new body, which is from heaven. If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. Many will find out to
their dismay and it'll be too late that they were naked when
they thought they were clothed. So we have a choice to make today.
It's the day of salvation. We need to give diligence to
make our calling and election sure. Be sure that we're clothed
with that new body. For we that are in this tabernacle,
this body do groan being burdened. We labor in a heavy laden, not
that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might
be swallowed up of life. Now, he that hath wrought us
for this selfsame thing is God. What that word wrought means
to me, made fit. He has made us fit. And how are
we made fit? We're charged with his righteousness,
all of salvation. And we're put in his house. And
he says, he has also given us the earnest of the spirit. Therefore,
we are always confident, knowing that while we're at home in the
body, we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith and
not sight. We are confident, therefore,
and where's our confidence? It's in Christ. We look to Christ.
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from
the body and to be present with the Lord. What Paul is saying
is here, as long as we're in this body, We wait for that time
when we'll have our new body, and death is when we'll have this new body in Christ.
So here Paul describes the spiritual house. It's a building of God,
it's not made with hands, it's not temporal, it's eternal, and
it's in the heaven. It is infinitely, eternally better,
and those who own it will not be found naked as Adam was found. It's God's spiritual house, which
is the church. Secondly, it's a strong house.
Look at Psalm 18, verse one again. I will love thee, O Lord, my
strength. David wrote in another Psalm
115, verse three, but our God is in the heaven. He hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased. And in another place, nothing
can stay his hand. Jesus told a parable in Luke
chapter 11, verse 21. He said, when a strong man armed
keeps his palace, his goods are at peace. That strong man armed
is Christ, and he keeps his palace. He is my strength. He alone is
the only one who can save me. Exodus chapter 15, verse 11,
Moses wrote these words. Who is like unto thee, O Lord,
among the gods? Who is like thee? Glorious in
holiness, in other words, you're a just God. Fearful in praise,
doing wonders. Not only are you a just God,
but you're a savior. Think about the wonders of salvation.
Here you have the triune God that dwelleth not in temples
made with hands, that spoke to the darkness and it fled away.
And God said, let there be light, and there was light. And he created
man. after he had created the heavens
and the earth and everything therein, the created man in his
own image. But his greater work, which demonstrated
a greater power than the power of creation, was shown when he
justified the ungodly based on the righteousness of his son.
We can't begin to comprehend all that is said in that one
verse. a holy God who must do right,
who cannot clear the guilty, who cannot change, how can this
holy God be just and justify an ungodly sinner whom he said,
in the day you eat, you'll die. The soul that sinneth it shall
surely die. How can a holy God be true to
himself and be faithful to himself and still justify the ungodly
sinner such as we are? That's the question that's asked
and answered throughout the scriptures. And it's the wonder of all wonders,
the greatest work of God. And in the great display of this
power, God still remains a just God and a savior. Paul said this
in Romans chapter 5, for when we were yet without strength
in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. or scarcely for
a righteous man would one die, yet peradventure for a good man,
some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Why on earth
would a sinner seek his own power over this power? There's only
one reason. He doesn't know this God. This
God is not his strength. Let me read you 1 Corinthians
5 again, where he says, Now he that hath wrought us for this
selfsame thing is God, who hath also given us the earnest of
the spirit. God has done a work of grace in the heart of his
people. that displays his strength alone. The earnestness of the
spirit is evidence of his presence. So the question is, is the spirit
evident in my life today? If my house is a strong house,
it's because he is in that house. Are you pleading the merits of
this man along this God-man? If you are, it's a strong house. Thirdly, he says it's a stable
house. In Psalm 18 verses 2, he said,
the Lord is my rock. It's a stable house, but with
the only foundation that will endure. Look at 1 Corinthians
chapter 3 and 11. Paul writes, for other foundations
can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
It has a good foundation. My house is set on a rock. In
Ephesians 2.20, Paul wrote this, and are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. To Peter's confession, thou art
the Christ, the son of the living God, Jesus said, I will build
my church on this rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. Remember the two builders in
Matthew I mentioned earlier? One built his house on a rock,
And the rains came, and the winds blew, and the house fell not,
for it was built upon a rock. Look with me at 1 Peter 4, 19.
Peter writes, for the time has come that judgment must begin
at the house of God. And if it first begins at us,
those in Christ, what shall be the end of them that obey not
the gospel of God? The rain and the wind here is
the judgment of God. against the house, and that house
Christ built on that rock withstood the judgment of God. How? He satisfied every demand of
the law against all those for whom he represented. Based on
his satisfaction, God is vindicated for the eternal justification
of all whom he made satisfaction, and God is just to justify every
residence in his house. That's why I can say my house
is a stable house. Fourthly, it's a secure house.
Look at Psalm 18 too. The Lord is my rock and my fortress. What is a fortress? It's a house
built on a rock. It's impenetrable. None can enter
uninvited and none can escape it. It is secure because no one
can lay anything to the charge of God's elect. No one, because
it's God that justifies, no one can condemn us because Christ
that died, yea rather than is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of the Father, who also maketh intercession for
us. We sing the song, a mighty fortress is our God, and true
it is. Nothing can separate me from
the love of God, because my house is secure. My house is Christ. Fifthly, it is a sinner's house.
Look at 18.2b. The Lord is my rock. He's my
servant. He's my deliverer. Jesus told
his disciples, in my Father's house are many mansions. If it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I'll come again
and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may
be also. This house is for sinners who
have been delivered. He has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light. Look at Psalm 54, verses six. I will freely sacrifice unto
thee. I will praise thy name, O Lord, for it is good, for he
hath delivered me out of all my trouble. The accuser of the
brethren can do no more than that. He can accuse, that's all. Why? Because mine eye hath seen
God's desire upon mine enemies. And what is that desire? Totally
to destroy. power and influence of Satan
over the people of God. David said this in 1 Samuel,
moreover the Lord hath delivered me out of the paw of the lion
and out of the paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, go
and the Lord be with thee. Satan can only accuse. No one
can lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Not only has
he delivered me from mine enemies, but he's delivered me to his
house. You see, I was in Laodicea. I wasn't in the house of the
Lord. I was like everybody else in false religion, worshiping
the God of my imagination. But he delivered me and brought
me to a house of which I knew nothing. He brought me inside
a house of which I wanted no part. He shut the door lest I
desert the gospel. And make no mistake, folks, if
God didn't keep us, we would desert his house and his gospel. He discovered to me a danger
disguised as a blessing in my former house and gave me the
urgency to leave that house. And he made me willing in the
day of his power to move to his house. Paul said this to the
church at Ephesus in 1 verse 13, in whom you also trusted,
After that, you heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom after you believed, you were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise. You were shut up to that house
of Christ, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory.
So this house is for sinners only. And last of all, it's a
sacred house. Look at verse 18 again. The Lord
is my rock and my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my strength,
and whom I will trust. And he identifies himself three
ways here. He says, the Lord is my buckler. He's the horn of my salvation.
And he's my high tower. So it's a sacred house because
therein dwells our Lord. He says, we're two or three gathered
together. There I am in the midst of you. Who is the lord of this
house? First of all, he's a buckler.
What is a buckler? A buckler is a small shield about
30 inches in diameter that the soldier wore on his opposite
arm of his sword hand or his spear. And it was to defend himself
against the arrows and knives or whatever
of the enemy as they attacked him. Protection for the vital
organs of the body in combat and in Ephesians chapter 6 and
verse 16 Paul writing to the church at Ephesus Taken the shield
of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked And the fiery darts of the wicked are Satan's
accusations against us That he hurled out of state by day and
he can't make more and stick because Christ is has already
put away our sins, past, present, and future by his death on Calvary. In other words, he effectively
disarmed the devil as to hinder God's elect from entering God's
house. Every charge against me and every elect son of God or
daughter of God was discharged and satisfied by the Lord Jesus
Christ and his death on the cross. and his shield of faith and his
sword is our defense against Satan's forces. Well, the question
is, do you have a buckler? No man can live without one.
You go to battle without a buckler, you're a dead man already. He who would surely destroy us
if it were possible cannot go beyond God's, excuse me, You may not go beyond God's bidding
against us. Our buckler shields us from temptations,
from doubts and fears and accusations, and even the guilt of our sins,
and preserves us alive in Christ. How does he do this? He pleads
his righteousness on our behalf. So he is our buckler. Secondly,
he is the horn of salvation. Here the psalmist used the metaphor
of a horn to describe Christ. A horn is an instrument of communication. In its earlier form, the bugle
was used in battle to instruct the army. The army was trained
to listen for certain sounds. There was a certain sound for
the charge and a certain sound for the retreat. To ensure victory,
everybody had to understand the sound of the of the charge of
the bugler. And Paul talks about this in
1 Corinthians chapter 14, where he says, and even things without
life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction
in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself
to the battle? Paul's subject here is communicating
the gospel to God's people. To this he concluded in 1 Corinthians
14, 9, yet in the church I had rather speak five words with
my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than
10,000 words in an unknown tongue. In other words, I want my message
to be clear and concise and everybody to understand it. And to this
in Christ is our horn of salvation. He is our cornucopia, a horn
of plenty. Nothing is left to chance and
nothing unsaid as to what sinner needs to be saved. John wrote this in John 8, 26,
where Christ said, I have many things to say of and judge of
you, but he that sent me is true. And I speak to the world those
things which I have heard of him. And the scripture says elsewhere
that they shall all be taught of God. This horn of salvation
declares loud and clear where people can hear and understand
what God requires and what God has provided in the Lord Jesus
Christ. So he is my horn of salvation
in that sense, but there's another sense in which Christ is our
horn of salvation. Look with me at Luke chapter
one, verse 68 and 69. Here's Simeon in the temple at
the circumcision of John the Baptist said these words, blessed
be the Lord God of Israel for he has raised and redeemed, he
has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn
of salvation for us in the house of his servant, David. A horn is that part of an animal
by which he either attacks or defends himself against his enemy.
Christ is our horn of salvation by virtue of his defense of us
and his victory for us over Satan and his minions of death. He
has crushed Satan's head a death blow by his death on the cross,
which was payment in full to a holy God for all the charges
against every one of God's elect. Every requirement I owed, he
paid in full, removing them as far as to the east is from the
west. If God can't condemn me, who can? Paul says, I'm persuaded
that nothing can separate me from the love of God. And I say,
I'm persuaded, like Paul, that nothing can separate me from
the love of God because Christ has paid my sin debt in full.
My horn of salvation has defeated mine enemies, but he's more than
this. The scripture says he's my high
tower. No sinner is safe and secure
without Christ as his high tower. Towers were those places strategically
located around the cities of Palestine, and they were manned
by sentinels who were vigilant to guard against and watch out
for the advancing enemy. These towers were safe havens
for those who retreated to them for refuge when the enemy attacked.
Satan cannot circumvent God's purpose and providential will
concerning those who abide in Christ's house. As their sentinel,
Christ is ever on guard against dangers to the household of faith.
So not only has he visited and redeemed us, but he ever liveth
to make intercession for us. Look with me at Ephesians chapter
two, verse 14. Paul writes, for he is our peace
who has made both one, both Jew and Gentile one, and has broken
down the middle wall of partition between us. having abolished
in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained
in ordinances, for to make of himself of twain one new man,
and so making peace. And that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby,
and came and preached peace to you who were afar off, that's
the Gentile, and to them that were near, that's the Jew. For
through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father.
Therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
of the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the
foundation of the saints, the apostles, and the prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in
the Lord, in whom you also are builted together for an habitation
of God through the Spirit. So is this your house? Is this
your dwelling, your spiritual house? Well, it is if Hebrews
3 verses 1 through 6 apply. Let me read them for you. Paul
says, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses
was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy
of more glory than Moses, And as much as he hath built the
house, hath more honor than the house. In other words, Christ
built Moses' house, and he has more honor than Moses. For every
house is built by some man, but he that builds all things is
God. And Moses verily was faithful.
In other words, he was obedient in all his house as a servant,
for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken of after.
But Christ, as a son over his house, whose house are we, if
we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope until the
end. So if we hold fast our confidence until the end, it evidences that
we're in the household and family of God. And one last verse, 1
Corinthians 3 and verses 10. According to the grace of God,
Paul writes, which was given me as a wise master builder,
I have laid the foundation and another buildeth their own. But
let every man take heed how he buildeth their own. For of the
foundation, one single foundation, can no man lay than that which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this
foundation, gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, or stubble,
every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare
it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try
every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abides
which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If
any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he
himself shall be saved, so as yet by fire. Know you not that
ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.
For the temple of God is holy. Which temple are ye? Well, God
has built his house. He's building his house. And
there's room in this house for whosoever will. The welcome mat
is out, in other words. Is this your house? Remember
Laodicea and be zealous, therefore, and repent.