Except The Lord Builds A House by Rev. Christie Bature: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Foundation That Cannot Be Shaken

The theme is: except the Lord builds the house. Psalm 127:1 — except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. One of my favorite translations is the Message: if the Lord does not build a house, it is useless for the builders to work on it. If the Lord does not protect a city, it is useless for the guard to stay alert.

A second scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 — for other 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 stones, wood, hay, 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 abide which he had 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, yet so as by fire.

God has already laid the foundation — you are not being asked to prospect for the land or look for materials. The cost of the foundation can almost equal the cost of the building. God has already paid the highest price. He has put the foundation for you. Nothing can shake the foundation. There is no other foundation that we can lay except that which is already laid, and that is Christ.

The worst thing that can happen to me is to get to heaven and God say, "All the work you did has no value. You are saved, but your work in heaven is security guard position." That's double tragedy if you also suffered here on earth.

The Foundational Crisis of Our Generation

The foundational crisis of our generation is that many people are trying to have successful families without God's blueprint. God is not only interested in giving us a family — he is interested in teaching us how to build one.

Part of the reason we're having some of the challenges we're having is because we're trying to build families like we saw our fathers and mothers do. But what they built may have been good for then but not feasible for now.

Many people are occupying houses but they are not building homes. Many people are raising children but they're not discipling them. Many people are living together but they're not growing together. And many people are existing as families but not functioning to God's design. Then we're wondering why things are falling apart, why there is so much rancor and pain.

The Bible begins with a family in Genesis and ends with a family — the bride of Christ in Revelation. Family spans from beginning to end. God's primary institution is not government. It's not business. It's not even the church. God's primary institution is the family. The strength of a nation depends upon the strength of its families. The strength of families depends upon the strength of marriages and parenting. If God is the builder, marriages and parenting will be strong. If marriages and parenting are strong, families will be strong. If families are strong, nations will be strong.

What Are You Building?

A house can be bought, but a home must be built. A house is physical. A home is relational. A house provides shelter. A home provides security.

A home is made of love. It's made of trust. Can your wife trust you? Can your husband trust you that where you said you are going is where you are really going?

A home is made of honor. That's the one many of us don't give our spouses or our children. We honor people outside but hardly will you hear the word honor inside the home. The Bible says the marriage is honorable in all things — and the mindset of honor extends to the marital bed, such that what one is not comfortable with doesn't happen on that bed.

A home is made of forgiveness. Every meeting I go to, when we pray for bitterness, many hands go up. Who are we bitter at? My spouse. I do not belittle the level of pain a spouse can cause. But it is for your own good and in obedience to the word of God that you let go the offense and forgive. Do not allow the root of bitterness to grow deep in your soul. Bitterness will make you too heavy to be raptured.

A home is made of sacrifice. The divorce rate is so high now because people are choosing selfishness over sacrifice. The atmosphere of marriage and family will demand a certain level of sacrifice. But we have become such self-centered, self-absorbed people that it has to be about us all the time. It is selfish to use scripture to beat your spouse into the ground. It is selfish to expect that everybody does everything you want all the time.

A home is made of God's presence. I can enter your house and know if the presence of God is not there. His presence cannot be in your home hanging in the air. Somebody has to be actively chasing his presence and creating the atmosphere for his presence to dwell in your house. God does not expect only one person to do it. The man is the spiritual leader. If you have not spent the time to become spiritual, stop saying your wife is more spiritual.

Who Are You Building For?

Many people build for image, for status, for personal comfort, for social media approval. But God calls us to build for his glory, for future generations, for kingdom impact.

Psalm 78:4-7 — we will not hide them from our children. We will show to the next generation to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make known to their children. What are you making known to your children? Is God a part of the curriculum at home?

Genesis 18:19 — God says of Abraham, "I know him. He will command his children and his household after him." Can God say that about you? He will command — not advise, not suggest. He will command. And how do you command? By example. Do you have the confidence to tell your children, "Be like me. Live like me. Make choices like me"?

Abraham built with generations in mind. Contrast him with Lot. Lot chose the fertile land — nice grass, nice environment. But his daughters were defiled by the environment he took them to. They learned moral laxity in Sodom. When the chips were down, they exhibited that moral decadence. The family you build today becomes the inheritance your grandchildren will carry tomorrow.

What Qualifies You to Build?

It is not age that qualifies you. It is not education. It is not money. It is not culture.

Before building a family you need to ask: Am I emotionally healthy? Are you spiritually mature? Are you able to manage conflict? Can you forgive? If you don't have the capacity to forgive, please don't marry — because your spouse will offend, your children will offend, your in-laws will offend.

Can you be corrected? There are some people who are permanently right — morning, afternoon, night, in season, out of season. If you cannot be corrected, don't enter relationship.

Can you model what you expect? You expect complete compliance from people — can you completely comply? You expect people to make sacrifices for you — can you make sacrifices for people? You expect people to respect you — can you bring respect to the table?

Luke 6:40 — the disciple is not above his master, but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master. We often become consistently what we consistently observe, especially our children. That is why the greatest gift you give your children is not your success — it is your wholeness. How whole are you? How healed are you? How stable are you? How faithful are you?

David is another example — 2 Samuel 11-18. A man after God's own heart. Great king. But unresolved sin and passivity in parenting affected Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah, Tamar. David doomed his children because of unresolved sin in his life. He had no moral courage to confront his children when they did wrong, because he himself had taken his friend's wife and killed him in the process. David's failure in family leadership produced consequences that echoed through his household to generations.

Eli had a house, had sons, had a ministry — but he failed to build a godly home. He did not take the anointing on his life and translate it into the assignments attached to him as a father. His sons became corrupt priests. His family line suffered judgment.

But Aquila and Priscilla — Acts 18 — came from Rome on exile. They woke up one day and lost everything overnight, arriving as refugees. But these people, in spite of adversity, their home became a center for ministry. Their marriage advanced God's kingdom. Their house became a home that blessed generations.