Turn with me to Psalm 127 again. Psalm 127, and let's read these
five verses one more time. Accept 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. Lo, children are an heritage
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. I was speaking Monday
morning with a dear brother and fellow pastor and we were confiding
in each other and I guess we were consoling each other by
way of confessing and expressing our inadequacies. and our inabilities
and our insufficiencies in doing this job, one pastor to another. We both acknowledged that there's
no room for pride in the pulpit, none whatsoever. And we acknowledged that based
on the word of God, when we feel weak in ourselves, we know this
to be so based on God's word. When we feel weak in ourselves,
that's when the scripture says we're actually strong. It's a
real feeling. It's not just, um, an acknowledgement
that, you know, we're supposed to feel weak. It's a real feeling.
But the scripture says that's when we're actually strong. When
a man feels strong in his ability and his sufficiency and his adequacy
to do this, he is actually weak. He's actually weak. It doesn't
matter how strong his speaking voice is. Doesn't matter how strong his
presence is. And it doesn't matter how strong
his outline is. If the power of it is in man,
it's weak. It's weak. If come the end of
this, you say, wow, now that man did a good job. It was weak. That's the truth. I am, let me
not get ahead of myself, that's the truth. If come the end of
this, you say, man, that guy did a good job. It was weak. If come the end of this, you
say, thank God for Jesus Christ. It was strong, spiritually. Zechariah 4 verse 6 says, this
is the word of the Lord, not by might, meaning man's might, nor by power, meaning man's power,
but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts. That's how my effectual
work is accomplished. By my spirit. By my spirit. We need the spirit of God to
preach. We need the spirit of God to hear. We need the spirit
of God to worship. It's by my spirit. This whole
thing is by my spirit. Yeah, I've told you before the
story of that couple. A long time ago, back in the
late 1800s, this couple, I believe they were from America. They
were going to travel to England. They were going to travel to
England and they wanted to hear Charles Spurgeon preach while
they were there. They'd heard of this preacher,
Charles Spurgeon. They'd read his publications
that he had sent out and they wanted to hear him preach in
person. So they got over to London and went to Metropolitan Tabernacle
that Sunday morning, which that's the church that he pastored,
and they got there last minute, and they were turned away. They
weren't taking anybody else in. I can't remember if that church
held 5,000 or 6,000 people, and they got there too late. They
were at capacity, and honestly, I mean, Would to God we would see that
again. Honestly, you know, you announce that a country singer
is going to come to fun fest and you can fill a football stadium.
But you tell people that the the way of eternal life is going
to be preached and you can't get, you know, 50 people interested,
but. That's the flesh for you. But
anyway, they got there too late. They were turned away and full
capacity. So the man said to his wife,
you know, just down the street, well, there's a church right
down there. Let's let's go down there. So they went to the service
and the pastor stood up and preached and he was a. Very eloquent man,
he was a very well spoken man, he was a very well educated man. And when the message was over,
the man and woman were walking out of the service and the man
said to his wife, what a sermon. My, what a sermon. That evening, they went back
to Metropolitan Tabernacle and this time they got in. And they
sat and listened to Charles Spurgeon preach the gospel. And when the
message was over, they're both walking out with tears rolling
down their faces. And the man said to his wife,
what a savior. Oh, my soul, what a savior. It is becoming more and more
clear to me the longer I do this that the flesh of man is not
a factor in the accomplishing of God's purpose. It may be a factor in how impressed
we are. It may be a factor in how emotional
we feel. But the flesh of man has nothing
to do with the strength of God's gospel. It has nothing to do
with the calling of his sheep. The flesh of man has nothing
to do with the call. That which is flesh is flesh.
All flesh is grass. It has nothing to do with the
calling of God's sheep. It has nothing to do with the
feeding or the blessing of God's sheep. Man is just a tool in
the master carpenter's tool belt. He is used as the master carpenter
sees fit. for the master carpenter's purpose
and end result. And at the end of the day, the
master carpenter gets all the glory for what has been done.
All the glory. Look right here at Psalm 127
verse 1. It says, except the Lord build
the house, they labor in vain that build it. And number one, We're not saved by man's works. We're saved by God's grace. Man
thinks he's going to work his way to heaven. Man thinks he's
going to do good works. He's going to say, you know what?
I tell you what, I've done all the bad things I care to do.
It's time for me to stop doing bad things. I'm going to start
doing good things. I'm going to start doing good
works because I want to go to heaven. And man can do good works
upon good works, upon good works, upon good works, good works.
He can be good, good. You know, scripture says there's
none good, but God. But man can do what he thinks
is good, good, good, good, good. And then stand before the judgment
and condemned. Except the Lord built the house.
They labor in vain that build it. It's not by works of righteousness,
which we have done. It's of his mercy. That he saved
us. Salvation is of the Lord. And. When it comes to this salvation,
when it comes to the building of his house, his house, I'm
looking at his house right here, this is not his house. His house
is not sheetrock, studs and shingles. His people. or his house. And when it comes to his house,
except the Lord build the house, it's not going to be built. They
labor in vain that build it, that try to build it. I love
how our Lord spent the majority of his first 30 years on this
earth as a carpenter, a builder, probably of houses. Well, verse 1 is speaking of
a spiritual house that only Jesus Christ can build, except the Lord build the house. They labor in vain to build it.
If God doesn't build the house, it's not going to be built. Turn
with me to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 verse 11 says, Wherefore remember that you being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands. that
at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ
Jesus, you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, and hath 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 in
himself of twain one new man, 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
which were afar off and to them that were not. For through him
we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now therefore
you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God. Watch verse 20. and are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and 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 builded together for inhabitation of
God through the Spirit. Who is the builder of that house?
God is. The Father is. Christ is. The Holy Spirit is. The Father
selected the stones of His house. God the Father chose who would be in His house. God the Father selected the stones
of his house. Christ laid the foundation of
this house, him being the chief cornerstone himself. And the
Spirit adds the stones that the Father selected. He adds them
where they go, when they go. It's the building of God. The
house of God is the building of God, meaning by God. God's house is built by God,
not by me, not by you, by God. Turn over to 1 Peter 2. Verse Peter 2 verse 3 says, if
so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming
as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God
and precious. That's speaking of Christ. Disallowed
of men but chosen of God and precious. Verse 5, you also as
lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained
in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,
elect precious. That's Christ. And he that believeth
on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe,
he is precious. But unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner. And a stone of stumbling and
a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word being
disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people,
that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. If the house is going to be built,
God is going to have to build it. And that's exactly what He's
going to do. By the preaching of His finished
work in Christ, the preaching of salvation being completely
finished in Christ, and that salvation being applied by His
Holy Spirit in His good and perfect time, He will build His house. He'll send his truth, he'll call
his stone and he'll build his house. Hold
your place right here in first Peter and go back to Psalm 127. Verse 1 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. I don't have
the ability to save one soul. You know, people talk about being
soul winners and going out and saving people. No man has that
ability. No woman has that ability. No
sinful man or woman has that ability. I especially do not
have the ability to save one soul, and I don't have the ability
to keep one soul. I don't even have the ability
to keep my own soul. Flip back to first Peter. This
time chapter one first Peter chapter one. Verse 1 says, Peter, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, to the stranger scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to
the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, that means set apart by the Spirit of God, unto
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. That means
unto the obedience of Christ, and the sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time. If any sinner is gonna be saved,
it's gonna be by the choice of the Father. Salvation is not
your choice. And it's not my choice. You know,
people stand up here and say, now, do you choose to be saved?
Do you want to be saved? You're going to make your decision
to be saved. Salvation is not by man's choice. Nobody chooses
to be saved. Salvation is going from death
to life. There has never been a dead man
that made the choice to live. Never. Not one time. You being
dead, hath he quickened. The only way men and women are
saved is number one, if God chooses a particular soul to save that
soul. That's the first way. Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God. That's what Peter said. And then
that soul that the father chose, he has to give that soul to Christ
and Christ had to die on the cross of Calvary and shed his
own blood. to die in the place of that soul,
take his blood and give it to God as a payment for all the
sin that that soul committed. You are a great sinner, so much
greater than you know, and so am I. And it took the blood of
God's son. Think about that, to pay for
that sin. The only way a sinner is going
to be saved is it's going to be by the choice of the Father,
it's going to be by the redeeming blood of the Son, and it's going
to be by the life-giving call of the Holy Spirit. Those three
things are known as the power of God. And then after that sinner is
saved, if that sinner is going to be kept to not fall away,
you know, you, you decide you want to be saved and you want
to do better and you want to get right with God. And then
that lasts for about a month. And then you fall off the bandwagon
again, you're all sudden you're a sinner again. But we never
stopped being sinners. Those who are saved are just
saved sinners. But after a sinner is saved, if that sinner is going
to be kept to not fall away, it's going to be by the same
means that they were saved. God is going to have to do it.
Father, Son, Spirit. They're going to be kept by the
power of God. That's where my comfort and encouragement
comes from in doing this job. This is not by me. This is not by me. Thank God,
none of this is by me. None of this is up to me. This
was started, this will be carried out, and this will end by our
Godhead, Jesus Christ. That's a comfort to me as a pastor
and as a preacher, but that ought to be a comfort to all of us
as believers. All of us. We didn't start this
work. God did. If you are sitting here
right now and you believe on Christ, you didn't start that
work. God did. And if He started it,
whatever He does is forever. If He started it, He will perform
it. All the way to the end. If He
started it, He will finish it because He already has finished
it. All the way to the end. Now very quickly, let's see that
in Psalm 127, and I'll be done. Go back to Psalm 127. Verse one
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. Rest comes from him. True rest only comes from him,
from a physical point of view, you know, a physical illustration. We rise up early so we can go
to work. That's why we rise up early.
When you're on vacation or a Saturday, you set your alarm clock for
5.15? No. We rise up early to go to work.
We stay up late worrying about our problems, trying to figure
out our problem. We eat the meager bread of sorrows
throughout this life so that we can hopefully have a little
bit of rest from all that in the end. But generally, when we get to
the end, we realize that it was all in vain. There's still no
rest. There's still no rest in this
flesh. No rest in this flesh. We can
work and work and work. There's never any rest. Not outside
of Christ. He is our rest. Rest only comes
from him. Except the Lord give us rest,
spiritual rest. Saving rest. Rest in Christ. Rest in the finished work of
the cross of Christ. Rest in that payment of the blood
of Christ. Rest in the satisfying righteousness
of Christ. Accept the Lord. Give us that
rest. It's not going to be had. We're
going to have to look to him for that. And that's where my
comfort and my encouragement comes from in doing this job.
I can't give you rest. I can't. I can't give me rest. We're going to have to look to
Christ for that. We're going to have to look to Christ. That's all a preacher does is
he points everybody to Christ. Verse three says low children
are in heritage of the Lord. I want every person in this room
to be a child of God. Now, in most places of religion,
you know, it's just assumed that everybody in the room is saved.
If you're here, you're saved. It's not so. It's just not so. It's just not so. But if the Lord is willing, it's
so. With God, all things are possible. I want every soul in
this room to be saved. And I was going to have you turn
to Romans 9, where Paul said, I could wish that I would be
accursed from God and sent to hell so that my family members,
my kinsmen after the flesh could be saved. He said that's how
badly, that's how deeply I want them to be saved. What a thing
to say. I can't imagine saying that. Lord, send me to hell and save
the rest of them. Can you imagine? But he said,
that is how badly I want them to be children of the Father. I love them. And then in the next chapter
in Romans 10, he said, Brethren, my heart's to God and my prayer
for Israel is that they might be saved. I want every soul in this room
to be a child of God. But all of us are going to have
to look to the Lord for that. You can't look to me for that.
You can't look to yourself for that. We've got to turn our eyes
to Him. Children are a heritage of the
Lord. That's in the Lord's hands. Psalm
127 verse 3, lo children are a heritage of the Lord. And the
fruit of the womb is his reward. People talk about being born
again. Born of God, you know, I'm a born again Christian. What
they talk about, I'm a born again Christian, the fruit of the spirit,
the fruit of the womb of the spirit, born of the spirit. That
work is of the Lord. I cannot build God's house. I
cannot keep God's city. I cannot give God's people rest. I cannot make one soul to be
a child of the Heavenly Father. And neither can you. Neither
can you. We're all at the mercy of God
Almighty. God be merciful to me. If I could
honestly tell every soul in this room to say something and mean
it from the heart, it would be this. You turn to the Lord in
your heart and silently in your closet, meaning quietly within
yourself, you say, God be merciful to me. I'm the sinner. We're going to have to look to
the Lord. We're going to have to wait on the Lord. We're going
to have to hope in the Lord. And in doing that, the promise
of God's word gives us much hope. If he has caused us to hope,
then we have much hope. Look at verse four. It says,
as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, So are children
of the youth. They're like precious arrows
in the hand of God. You know, you only have so many
arrows in a quiver and you see an archer shoot an arrow. Do
you think that archer wants to lose that arrow? It's precious
to him. And that's how God's children
are. In the hands of Christ. as arrows
are in the hands of a mighty man. Mighty man, that's how the
children of the youth are in the hands of Christ. Verse five
says, happy is the man. And that's speaking of the God
man, that's talking about Christ. Verse five says, happy is the
man that hath his quiver full of them. My margin in the center
of my Bible says, filled his quiver with them. Happy is the
man that hath filled his quiver with them, his beloved children,
his beloved house. in his beloved city. That's what
Christ has done. You know, people read that verse
and think, oh, it's precious to have kids. It's a gift from
God to have a lot of kids, have as many kids as you can have.
I'm sure that's so. That's talking about Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ, that's what Christ has done in his grace,
in his mercy, in his kindness, in his favor, in his love. He has redeemed a number of sinful
souls that no man can number. In mercy, our Lord Jesus Christ
has filled his house with redeemed sinners. And because of their
redemption in his blood, verse five goes on to say, they shall
not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the
enemies in the gate. Speak with means subdue or destroy. A victory over all their enemies
has been given to them. May God be merciful to us. I mean this little closing benediction
right here with all my heart. May God be merciful to us. Save us, Lord. Save us. Save all of us for Christ's sake. We're looking to you. Amen.