THE HOUSE THAT GOD BUILDS – PART TWO

We are back, friends, to continue from where we stopped last time; as we were considering the House that God Builds. And the text was taken from Hebrew 3. In the interest if time we are going to read just from verse 4.

Hebrews 3:4-6

⁴For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. ⁵And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, ⁶but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

PRAYER:

Father, we come again; and we want to commit this hour when we look into the Word into Your hands, asking that Your Spirit will lead us and direct us, and that You will speak to us, to the hearts of all who listen now, in Jesus Name. Amen!

The House that God Builds.

Hebrews 3:4 says that every house is built by someone, and that the house that God is building, in verse 6, is the body of believers: the Church.

Last time we looked at the Outline of this discussion. And the outline is:

1. The blueprint or the plan of the house that God builds,
2. The foundation of the house that God builds,

• The walls of the house God builds,

1. The doors and the windows of the house God builds,
2. The equipping of the house God builds.

And we were able to do only one and two.

The blueprint: and we said that the blueprint of the house God builds is His Word; that God has shown us what the pattern should be. And the pattern is in His Word. But some are inventing their own patterns and building their own houses instead of the house that God wants to build – the blueprint.

Before you build you must have a pattern, you must have a drawing of the house you want to build. God is the Divine Architect. He has the blueprint.

Secondly, in terms of the structure, in terms of a building: nothing is as important as the foundation. The foundation of a building is what determines how wide you build, how high you build. The foundation is what determines the integrity of the building – the strength of the building.

We concluded with the statement that Jesus made in Matthew 7

Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Notice that the same circumstance came to both houses. The same thing that happened to the house with solid foundation happened to the house without solid foundation. One fell; the other stood. What made the difference? The foundation.

Friend, if you do not build on the solid foundation (and that foundation is Jesus Christ), when the storms of life come you do not have a chance.

Let’s go quickly to the third point.

Number Three

The house God builds is not only based on His blueprint, it is not only founded on Jesus Christ the Rock, it is also marked by walls – walls of discipline. The most disciplined people in any society should be the people of God – Christians; disciplined in thoughts, disciplined in speech, disciplined in attitude, disciplined in temperament and disciplined in the action. But unfortunately today we see increasing signs of gross indiscipline in the house of God especially among Christians of Pentecostal extraction. For example, in the mainline denominations, you do not get up and use whatever lethargy you like. You do not get up and teach whatever you like: call it new revelation. You do not get up and make yourself a bishop or an archbishop.

Pentecostals do some of these things. And they do these things claiming that they are led by the Holy Spirit. I heard one such person say, it is no longer a time for gentility; it is a time to show some rascality. And a rascal he was if you would know the kinds of things he was teaching and preaching.

Pentecostal friends do not be offended with me. Let us think seriously about the things that are happening in our circles these days.

Lack of discipline is affecting the effectiveness of the Gospel. It is affecting relationships in homes, schools, churches – and society at large. We complain of indiscipline in Nigerian politics – but the church is in the same boat.

Let me go to the fourth point.

Number Four

Apart from the walls of discipline, the house God builds has doors of access and windows of vision. Through the windows of vision we see the doors of access and opportunity God has provided for us in Christ. Some Christians don’t see this access. This is why they are easily taken captive by charlatans who convince them that they have to invoke the name of the god that bears their exclusive identity: the god of Obafemi, the God of Okunji, the god of Okafor – in other to receive a blessing from God. And you know, these people…they want to stay away from what the scripture has given us or what we find in the scripture. They want to stay away from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob He must also be my God. Well. But why don’t you teach your followers that it is their God too instead of invoking your name. But one thing they do not realize when God says I Am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He is simply saying I am the God of covenant – the God who keeps covenant. These teachers convince their followers that they cannot have deliverance except they “servants of God” mediate the deliverance.

Even a gentile army officer with an imperfect knowledge of the God of Israel knew better than some of these Christians. The centurion said to Jesus in,

Luke 7:6-7

“…Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. ⁷…But say the word [from where you are], and my servant will be healed.

He was aware of the fact that the power of the Lord knew no distance. And it was right for his servant was delivered in absentia – from a distance. The Lord has given us access to His riches through the sacrifice of Christ. No wonder He says in,

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God has given us access through Christ.

Number Five

Finally, the house God builds must be a replica of His blueprint, must have its foundation in Christ, surrounded by walls of discipline for safety, and must have windows of vision of access but last but not the least, is well equipped for service.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God or the woman of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Believer-friend, friend, are you part of the house that God is building? Are you a brick in the house that God is building? And if you are, are you remaining firm in this building – equipped to serve him and not yourself?

PRAYER:

Thank You again, Father, for Your Word. I bring my friends to you, and ask, O God, that You meet the needs in every life…as many as are reading now. Those who are outside the house that God is building may You bring them in, Father, by convicting them of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. And those who are already there may you solidify them in the building and make them well equipped to serve you, in Jesus Name. Amen!