Unless the Lord Builds the House

This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. Welcome to All In with Pastor Jordan Easley. Today's message is about to begin, and we invite you to prepare your heart and mind to hear an inspiring message from God's Word. We hope and pray for God to speak to you today as you seek to live your life all in for Jesus Christ. And now from First Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, here's Pastor Jordan Easley. This is a great day to be in the house of the Lord. I'm gonna pray, and then we're gonna dive in together. You ready? Lord, today it is a privilege to be in your house. It is an honor to have a copy of your Word. And God, as we seek you today, I pray that we will find you as we seek you with all of our heart. We want to hear from you today. So get me out of the way and let us hear directly from you. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said. Amen and amen. Hey, you're here on a great day. Today we're opening up God's Word to Psalm 127. We're gonna unpack a verse in scripture that's gonna launch us in a brand new journey that we're gonna be diving into over the next several weeks. We're talking about the home.

We're talking about the family. And let me just begin this new series with kind of a summary statement that I pray will set the bar really high as we dive into God's Word. I want you to write this down. I want you to take notes throughout this series because I believe if you are in a household, if you are a part of a family, that God has a word for you. So get this as we launch in this thing together. Here's the statement. Are you ready? A home built without God cannot stand, but a home built with God cannot fail. If you agree with that statement, say amen. I want to hear it louder than that, say amen. Come on, this is a statement that doesn't come from me. It comes straight from the Word of God. And we're gonna talk about that all day long. Listen, you're gonna hear from God's Word today what it looks like to build a home that will stand. When you hear that word home, what picture pops into your mind? You see, when I ask that question, you have a lot of different people hearing it. And for some of you, when you think of home, I mean, you have this picture of a warm kitchen or the smell of hot coffee in the morning or laughter in the living room.

But for others, when you hear that word home, maybe it stirs up some negative emotions or memories for you. Maybe you think about pain that you experienced or fights that you watched or divorce or even absence. I realize that we have a lot of different perspectives and experiences in this room today and those of us who are watching this today. And so I ask this question about home, understanding that. But I also know that no matter who you are, no matter the perspective that you have, no matter your context, this is also true. Every single one of us are currently building something. Am I right? I mean, we are building marriages in this room. We are building families in this room. We're building futures in this room. And so understanding that we're all building something, I want you to ask this question as we begin our time today. What is the foundation that I'm building upon? I mean, think about the very baseline root question of this whole conversation. What is the foundation that you're building upon? You know, this week I was reading some different things and I came across the most expensive house in the world. I don't know if you've ever looked this up, but it's fascinating. The most expensive house in the entire world is in Mumbai, India. And the house is so elaborate that it actually has its own name. It's called the Antilia.

This house right here in the middle of the screen, it's 27 stories tall. It has three helipads for their private helicopters. It has a private movie theater. It has a grand ballroom. It has parking for 168 cars. And the price tag for the most expensive house in the world? Over $2 billion. I mean, I'm reading this and I'm fascinated by this incredible building. And as I'm reading this article, I think to myself, you know, even if you lived there, even if you lived in a $2 billion mansion, it can still be filled with anger and division. It could be riddled with emptiness and separation. I mean, think about this. You can live in a house that impresses the entire world that's watching, but it can also be a house that collapses under pressure if God isn't at the center. And man, that is the launching point for this series. That's why we're starting this series I'm calling Home Builders. In fact, over the next five weeks, we're going to learn what it takes to build homes that actually last. Homes that honor God, marriages that reflect Christ, and really just families that stand strong even when the storms start to rage. In fact, let me go ahead and give you a commercial for next week. Can I do that? Next week, I'm preaching a message entitled, Seven Landmines That Will Destroy Your Home. Seven landmines designed by the devil that will destroy your home. Go ahead and just make it a priority to be here next week, and maybe to invite someone with you that needs to be encouraged from God's word.

Maybe someone who's stepped on one of those landmines in the past, because we're going to see how God wants to build and rebuild homes that honor him. Today we're beginning that conversation at the very foundation, and the message title today is simply this, unless the Lord builds the house. Unless the Lord builds the house. Now, if you've read the word, you've probably heard that statement before. In fact, this statement comes directly from Psalm 127 verse one. It comes straight from God's word, and that is our primary verse today. Let's read it together. Psalm 127 verse one. Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain. Now, this is more than a single verse of scripture. This is also a warning and a promise wrapped up in one single sentence. See, Psalm 127 is what scholars refer to as one of the songs of ascent. Have you heard that statement before? Songs of ascent. If you have a copy of God's word in front of you, it may even say a song of ascent on the top of the page. But a song of ascent, what is that? Well, there's 15 of those songs that are recorded in the book of Psalms. And by the way, these were songs that were sung by God's people as they traveled to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Think of these songs as their road trip Spotify list. Okay? This is what they were singing. This is what they were hearing as they made their physical ascent to the temple to worship the Lord. As they made their pilgrimage several times a year, they would sing these 15 songs that are recorded in scripture. But it's important to know that these songs weren't just catchy phrases set to music.

These Psalms were actually soul shaping confessions that were sung by the people of God as they were climbing up to the temple to have communion with him. Do you remember who wrote the Psalms? Most of us know that David wrote the majority of the Psalms, but what you don't, may not realize is these songs of ascent were actually written by Solomon. Most scholars believe that this Psalm 127 was written by Solomon as one of the songs that they would have sung on their way to worship. Do you remember Solomon? We're talking about the wisest man that ever lived. We're talking about the guy who built the temple, the guy who had wealth beyond measure. He was the richest guy that's ever lived on planet earth. And yet what did Solomon say to God's people through this Psalm that we know as Psalm 127? Well here was the message if you look at it from 30,000 feet. He's showing us in every aspect of life, starting with the foundation of your family, unless the Lord is central, all is in vain. I want to say this again. Here's the theme. Unless the Lord is central, all is in vain. We see that word in verse one. Let's read it again. Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain. The Hebrew word here for house, it's not a reference to a building. I know many of us in our context, we think house, we think building. That's not what he's talking about here. He is instead referring to a household. He's talking about a family. He's talking about a lineage, a legacy. And here's the message I believe Solomon has for us today. He's saying you can build a structure, but only God can build a family. And there are two big differences between the two.

Today I want to share with you three truths from this passage, and I'm going to go ahead and give you the outline for those of you who take notes and it drives you crazy waiting for the next one. I'm going to go ahead and fill in the blanks right away. Here's the outline for this message today. The first thing I want to show you is the futility of building without God. The futility of building without God. Secondly, the foundation for building with God. And then lastly, I want you to see the faith to let God build through you. So we're going to launch off with that first point, the futility of building without God. And I want us to read our primary verse one more time out of Psalm 127. Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. What does that mean? Let's just go right to it and ask the question, what's he talking about? Here's what that means in modern day language. He's saying, no matter how much effort you put into something, if God's not in it, it's not going to work. Does that make sense? I mean, Solomon knew that firsthand. Remember, he was the one putting the pen to the paper and he was saying, hey, unless God's in it, it's not going to work. This was a guy who had built a lot of things in his life. Solomon at this point had built palaces, he had built gardens, he had built cities.

This was a man that had hundreds of wives. And yes, that's another sermon for another day. This was a guy who had massive wealth. He had all the wisdom in the world. And yet at the end of Ecclesiastes, what does Solomon say? You remember? He said, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. That word vanity is actually the Hebrew word hevel, H-E-V-E-L. It's the same word that means vapor in English. Vanity means vapor. It's also where we get our word breath or mist. Here's the word picture. You've got a cold winter's morning, you walk out of your house, you go, and what do you see? You see your breath, you see that vapor, you see a mist. Well, that's what Solomon was describing in this passage. He's describing our lives, our relationships. He's describing our work and our families. And he's saying, when we build those things on foundations other than God, that we are building them just like that. He said, if you build your house and the Lord doesn't build your house, you are building something that's vain, something that's meaningless. You're building something that's like a mist or a vapor that's here for just a second, but will soon disappear and become nothing very quickly. Hey, let me give you a phrase to write down

in your notes today that I want you to remember at the end of this message. Are you ready? If God's not in it, it'll only last a minute. I want you to think about this. I know it just sounds like a catchy phrase, but that is the summary of what Solomon's trying to teach us today. If God's not in it, it'll only last a minute. I'm not telling you that you can't build a successful business without God at the center, you can. What I'm telling you is the success that you build will only last a minute. It'll only get you so far. That success has a shelf life and I'm sorry, but you cannot take that success with you beyond the grave. I'm also not saying that you can't raise respectful children who make good grades and have good manners without Jesus being central in your home or central in their heart. You can, but you also need to know mom and dad that good grades and good manners will not get your kids into heaven. I mean, what we're saying here and what Solomon is reminding us of here is that everything temporary is temporary. Everything temporary is temporary. And if you build something on a temporary foundation, all you can really expect are temporary results. I personally appreciate Solomon's candor in this passage

because he was like, hey, why would you build your house on a temporary foundation? That makes no sense. He's saying that's not smart because you're building on something that won't last. In another passage, we also read him say this. He's saying, when you pursue the things of the world and a lot of us know what that's like. When you chase things under the sun, things other than God, what does he say? That chase is like chasing the wind. Have you ever seen somebody chase wind? You should try it sometime, all right? If you've ever seen somebody that's chasing the wind, they probably have other people watching them as well, right, just evaluating their mental state. I can't think of anything that makes a person look crazier than chasing wind, but that's exactly why he chose those words. Right here, Solomon's saying, hey, you would be crazy to build your house on anything other than the things of God because those things, those foundations cannot provide for you lasting satisfaction or meaning. I read about a man the other day who built his dream home. This was a lifelong goal, a lifelong dream. The house, he had figured it out in his mind exactly what it was gonna be like. It was 15,000 square feet. It had an indoor swimming pool.

It had its own movie theater. It had elevators instead of stairs. This was his life goal, and he finally fulfilled his mission. However, six months after moving in, the home. His marriage ended and this is what he said at the end of the day. He said I built a house but I lost my home and Here's what I want us to see today You can build your life and your family and your relationships and your home You can do that and you can build it big and you can make it beautiful from the outside But if Christ is not the cornerstone It's only a matter of time before it crumbles So husbands, let's be honest with ourselves today Ask the question who really is the architect of my marriage? Who's calling the shots and how we operate the decisions that we make? Moms and dads, let's be honest. Ask the question whose blueprint are we truly following and raising our kids today? Are we looking at the Word of God as the foundation under our feet? Or are we keeping up with the Joneses living by the culture and doing everything we can to get our kids ahead? Singles ask this question today. What foundation am I truly laying for my future family? Because the truth is you're making decisions today that are going to impact tomorrow When it comes to building your home, here's what Solomon says. Don't just chase the wind Don't just chase the wind But be focused on the foundation that you're laying. Hey, my challenge to you is this take inventory this week Look at your own life. Look at how you spend your time and your money Look at how you you establish your habits the priorities that you have in your own life and ask this question Is God truly the builder or am I building this thing all by myself? Hey the futility of building without God, we've all been there, but the Lord says you don't have to stay there Let me go to point to the foundation for building with God We're gonna see the sharp contrast between these two builders in Matthew chapter 7 In fact, if you have a copy of God's Word flip over to Matthew 7 real quick

we're gonna look at Jesus's words and he's gonna pick up on the same theme that Solomon just warned us about in Psalm 127 and also in the book of Ecclesiastes But this time Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount and he is going to drive this point home With a parable a parable that we're gonna read beginning in verse Jesus says everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is Like a wise man who built his house on the rock The rain came down the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house yet It did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock And these verses Jesus isn't just giving you construction advice He's giving you kingdom truth. And this is what he's saying building is inevitable But the foundation you build upon is a choice He recognizes we're all builders. We're all building something But what we choose as the foundation under our feet is going to determine a lot about what happens the rest of our life See in this part of the world in the first century homes were built very low to the ground and they were very simple homes And the primary materials that were used in that day were simply stone and mud There weren't a lot of sticks. These people were living in the Middle East there's a desert region and so they didn't have access to two-by-fours and studs and all the things that we build homes with today, but because the The materials were very limited the foundation and what that foundation was made out of was very important Without a solid base a flood could come in a strong wind could come in and quickly destroy Everything that you have I'm talking about your home your possessions everything you own could be swept away in just a moment Here's what Jesus wants us to see today You can build your house on the rock and we're gonna see more about that in just a second Or you can build your house on the sand But the foundation that you choose will determine the future that you have. I Know you've seen families on vacation that build sandcastles I've read a story the other day about a guy who went to the beach and he decided I don't want to build just a Sandcastle I want to build the most epic sandcastle the world has ever seen This wasn't just like a bucket and shovel job. I mean this guy had blueprints He had tools and he even had his kids fetching seashells for windows and driftwood for doors

I mean he was like in that mode. He wanted to impress the world with this and this this sandcastle Hours later. He looks at a miniature He looks at this thing and it looks like a miniature seaside mansion and people are stopping by they're taking selfies And the dad is so proud you can see him in the corner He's just like giddy because he had just built this massive Castle he even looked at his wife. He said babe, maybe we should just live here. I mean look at the view I mean, this is a beautiful spot, but about 10 minutes later, you already know what happened. The tide comes in and he's watching as that first wave makes its way to an outer wall and he's like, oh, it didn't do anything. But then the second wave came and what happens? It knocks off one of the towers. The third wave comes in, the whole mansion was wet sand and the dad's just standing there. He's destroyed. He's in shock. His kids are getting ice cream like nothing happened. But here's the thing. Here's the point. A lot of us are doing the same thing if we really get honest with ourselves. You know, it doesn't matter how pretty it looks. If you build something on the sand, it's not going to last. And the same is true for us. The same is true for our families. Without Christ as the foundation, the first storm that comes along is going to wash everything away. But Jesus says what? He said, you don't have to build on the sand. He said, you have an option here. You can build on the rock. You say, what is the rock? How do I build a house on the rock?

Well, the rock is the word of God. The rock is the truth that you read in the word of God. It is the church of God. It's the principles of God. And Jesus tells us you are building on a stable and movable foundation that will prove to be strong in the end. You have the choice to build on the rock. But he also said, you still have a choice to build on the sand. What is that? Well, the sand is the things of the world. The sand is the things that culture has brainwashed you to believe are the most important things in the world. Things like money and stuff and success and sports. It's your appearance and your pleasure and what you drive and where you live and the people you spend time with. If you build your life and your household on that stuff instead of the things of God, here's what Jesus is saying. He's saying you're setting yourself up for failure. Why? Because you're building on a foundation that will always be unstable. A foundation that is always moving and always on the brink of collapsing. Storms are inevitable, but collapse is optional. And what determines the difference? Here's what the word says, the foundation. The foundation you choose. If your foundation is faulty, your future will be very fragile. See Jesus in his passage, he draws a distinct line between two different types of builders. And he says, these two builders are completely different and they will receive different things. He shows us both builders are going to experience the same storms.

Did you catch that? He doesn't say if the storms will come. The Bible says when the storms come. And then he says, when they come, the winds and the waves are going to expose the foundation that you chose. When the storms come in your life, they're going to expose the foundation you chose. In 1992, as Hurricane Andrew swept across South Florida, there were a lot of different news reporters making their way to that part of the world. And they were watching all of these neighborhoods as they were being leveled. But one reporter did a story about this one house that stood standing in a neighborhood of absolute ruins. When they interviewed the guy who, his house had survived, the owner said this. He said, you know, I built that house myself. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. I followed the Florida state code exactly. And then he said, I guess nobody else in the neighborhood did that. Listen, this guy wasn't just lucky. He wasn't just spared by chance. He followed the code and he built his house right. In the same way, Jesus gives us the building code for our houses, our homes right here in this verse. And this is what he tells us. If you build your house on the rock, your home will stand strong even when the storms begin to rage. Listen, when the storm comes, your foundation will determine your future. You say, Jordan, then where do I start? How do I build my house on the rock? Here are a few suggestions. I would recommend daily scriptures and not just Sunday sermons. I would recommend prayer as a lifestyle and not just prayer as an emergency plan.

I would encourage you to worship at home and not just worship here on Sundays. I would say obey the Lord in all things as you read the word and not just in the big things. Listen, at the end of the day, we can all stand here and say, no, I'm building my house on the rock. But at some point we've got to truly look under the hood. We need to be honest with ourselves. Listen, what is it that's really shaping your home today? What shapes your home more right now? Would you say Netflix or the Word of God? Be honest. What is the priority of your family today? Is it travel ball and getting that batting average up? Or is it truly raising champions for Christ who are gonna make a difference for the kingdom of God? What is it that's really shaping your information? Where are you getting your wisdom? Where are you getting your guidance today? Is it from social media or is it from the supernatural God that you say you've surrendered your life to? I mean, we can keep going. You're like, Jordan, why are you meddling? The reason I'm meddling is because we all have one shot to get this right. And Jesus is saying the only way for you to get this right, the only way that's gonna happen is if you begin today building your life, building your relationship, building your marriage, building your house on the rock instead of the sand, the futility of building without God, the foundation for building with God. But thirdly, I want you to see the faith to let God build through you. The faith to let God build through you. May I tell you something today?

God doesn't wanna just bless your home. God wants to build your home. Do you understand the difference between those two things? God doesn't wanna just bless your home. God wants to build your home. And let me say it this way, Jesus never signed up to be the co-builder of your house. He doesn't want to co-build your life. See, when Jesus moves in, Jesus takes over. He does not need your help. He is quite capable of building your house, building your household, building your relationship on the foundation of who he is all by himself. Here's what he wants us to do. You ready? He wants us to take a back seat and put Jesus in the front seat. But if we're going to experience what that feels like, what that looks like in our household, it's gonna take more than just a new religious routine. It's gonna take real faith and it's also gonna take complete surrender. You see, faith isn't just believing that God can build something great through my life. No, faith is handing Jesus the blueprints and clearing the job site and saying, Jesus, I completely trust you to be the builder, I'm just gonna be in the corner as a tool in your hand. You see, faith is trusting God, not only with your Sunday, but with your schedule, with your stress, with your parenting, with your marriage, with your future, with your finances. I'm talking about fully surrendering to God and trusting Jesus with your everything. But that is a scary thing, isn't it? Am I the only one who thinks that's scary? It's a scary thing to let go of control, especially when you've been taught to believe that you are the architect of your own success and you've heard that your entire life. We like to be in charge. We like it when the hammer is in our hands.

But sometimes the best thing you can do for your house is to drop the tools and to take a step back and to admit from your heart, God, I cannot do this without you. I can't do it without you. I'm depending on you, your leadership, your guidance, your word, your truth. Convict me of sin that doesn't need to be there. Move me in a direction that I need to go. Open doors I can't open, close doors I can't close. Be the God of my life, I surrender all to you. You know, many years ago, I read about a pastor who visited a small community in Mexico. And as he's walking through this community, he's going door to door and he meets a man named Mateo. Mateo lived in a shack that many of us wouldn't even believe is a home. This was a place that had no electricity, no running water, had dirt floors. The roof was patched with shavings of metal and pieces of plastic. And yet there was a certain peace in that place. And the pastor is trying to figure it out. So he asked him, he said, hey, how do you live with such joy when you have so little? And in that moment, Mateo smiled and he pointed to the open Bible that was sitting on his desk. And he said, sir, this house is not built with money or materials. It was built with mercy. And every single day, I let Jesus build it all over again. Listen, that man has something that billionaires cannot buy. A house that was small on the outside, but was full of God on the inside. Hey, does that describe your home? Maybe you're here today and you know that you have been building without God. And now you're standing in a structure that looks fine on the surface, but you can still feel the cracks in the foundation under your feet. Hear me when I say this. It is not.

not too late for you to begin the rebuild. But if you're going to do that, if you want a house that lasts, if you want a family that stands, if you want to live a life that matters, man, you got to stop building it your own way. And you've got to let Jesus take over. And the good news is, Jesus doesn't condemn you for building without him, but he does invite you. To start all over again, this time with Jesus as the cornerstone of your home. I love this passage in Isaiah 28. It says, look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. But then it goes on to say, and the one who believes will be unshakable. See, Jesus is the cornerstone. And the Bible says that if you choose to believe in him, if you choose to build your life on him, your marriage on him, your relationships on him, that you too will be unshakable. But you know what the problem seems to be over and over again? Many of us want the very best that God has to offer, but for one reason or another, we never fully surrender to him. May I just tell you something? God cannot build your house until God has ownership of your heart.

So ask this question today. Does God truly have ownership of my heart? You know, when you're saved, you give your life to Jesus, right? Shake your head if you're with me. You give your life to Jesus. You surrender all to Jesus. We grow up singing songs about, I surrender all to him. All to him I owe. But how many of us have maybe even unintentionally taken back some of the things that we surrendered to Jesus on that day? Maybe you've said, Jesus, I got this one all by myself, or Jesus, I can handle this on my own. Jesus, I don't need your help in this. May I tell you something? You do. We do. But God cannot rebuild your house until God has full ownership of your heart. You say, Jordan, I've never given Jesus my everything. I've never truly been saved and redeemed and restored and forgiven, but I want to be a child of God. I wanna know him. I wanna yield to him. I wanna surrender all to him. I wanna know that if my heart stops beating today, that he looks at me and says, well done. You are my son.

You are my daughter. What do I need to know? Hey, let's get real simple. You ready? The Bible says Jesus came to this earth. He lived a perfect life. He died on a cross for your sins and for my sins. And you know why he did that? Not only so you could be saved in a moment, but it's also so that you can stop chasing wind for the rest of your life and start building a life that will stand forever and make a difference for his kingdom. So ask this question today. Have I done that? Have I surrendered all to Jesus? Is he the foundation under my feet or is he just decoration on the walls of my house? Is God truly the builder in my relationships and the builder of my home? Or have I been building in vain? Hey, will I hand over the blueprints today or will I keep building based off of what I know and what I see and comparing myself to other people that I know? Hey, if you've never made the decision to trust Jesus and make him the savior and Lord of your life, this is your moment. Today's your day. The master builder can take this thing

and take it to a whole nother level if you'll surrender to him. And so let me just say, you can leave this house today and know that you are on a path to saying, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, but you've got to surrender to him first. Hey, God is in the building business, amen? And he can build your life. He can build your home. He could build your marriage in a way that you and I never will be able to do it, but we've got to trust him. We've got to follow him and we've got to take a backseat and trust him to take this thing to a whole nother level. Are you seeking to deepen your faith and grow in your walk with Jesus? I invite you to visit our online store at goallin.tv right now. Our store offers a variety of resources that are absolutely free to you. You can browse at your convenience, select the items that'll benefit you the most, and we'll mail them to you right away. Available items include a free Bible in a year reading guide, a powerful prayer study guide to enhance your prayer life, and a guide to the Holy Land with incredible photos from. various sites all across Israel, just to name a few. To find the right resource for you, scan the QR code on the screen right now,

or visit the website. Once again, that's goallin.tv. Click the store button in the menu and you'll be right where you need to be. Thank you for watching today's broadcast. And please know, I'm praying for you today as you grow closer to Jesus every single day. God bless you, see you next time. Hey, we never wanna end our broadcast without giving you the opportunity to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. If you'd like to make the decision to trust Jesus and wanna know more about what it looks like to follow Jesus, get in touch with me right now. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen so that we can pray for you and also put information in your hands right away. Today, we celebrate your decision and look forward to being a part of your personal journey of going all in with Jesus Christ. This episode of All In with Pastor Jordan Easley has been made possible by the generous support of viewers like you. We hope today's message encourages you as you strive to live your life fully committed to Jesus Christ. ♪♪