Andrew Isbell
May 9, 2021
Note: The transcript below is automatically generated and will contain errors.
Transcript:
Good morning. It’s good to be with you guys. Again, it’s good to see all these faces here with us this morning are grateful for our visitors who are with us this morning, and I want to talk to everybody about is work.
Specifically I want to talk to you about building.
God from the beginning of knowledge was a worker.
He began by creating in Genesis chapter 1 where he made all things and then in Genesis 21 through tree we read this.
Genesis 2 1 through 2. Thus the heavens and the Earth were finished and all the host of them and on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done and he rested from all his work that he had done.
From the beginning we see that God builds and this we are to be like God.
We need to build God has instructed his people to build many things throughout the history of the world Bible records many of these he told Noah to build an ark in Genesis 6 and Genesis 6 and 14. It says make yourself an ark of gopher wood then again in verse 15 of Genesis 6. This is how you are to make it.
And then he goes on and he’s very specific concerning the construction.
God cared about how it was built.
He commanded the construction of the Ark to save Noah and his family and to save his people and in Exodus 25 God commands the construction of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant.
God commands his building so that he can in Exodus 25 9 we read dwell in their midst.
God is also building his people during the same period he’s creating Israel and setting it apart as a nation and first king 6 God speaks to Solomon about the construction of the temple again here we find him being very specific and dimension and form.
He learn we learn from the Old Testament that God is a builder and that he builds and repairs and he rebuilds and that he does it with his people and for his people and that he is always building.
One of the most famous construction projects of the Old Testament and one that we’re going to talk about some this morning is the Reconstruction of Jerusalem described in the book of Nehemiah.
The wall around Jerusalem had fallen into disrepair and was in shambles.
Walls were a great benefit in the ancient times and they allowed for security from rating and from in defense from attack. And without the wall. Jerusalem was at the mercy of the none too merciful Neighbors.
When you think about the society we live in today the civilization that we live in here in the United States. It’s hard to imagine a time where
people would just come in and massive groups Andrade cities.
Run through the cities and take what they wanted. The easier. It was to do the quicker that you could get in and get out the more successful. You could be in the walls of those cities what made all the difference having a wall with keep that action from occurring quickly. It will give you a chance to get on your feet and to defend yourself. It will give you a chance to save lives and to save all the things you’d work for.
At the same time that there were those that that were in the neighborhood that sought to do them harm. There are also those who sought to fight against the construction of the wall and to kill them while they built it. There were those that didn’t want the wall rebuilt.
There were those who wanted Jerusalem week.
They wanted to see the wall week. They wanted to see it with holes. And so these enemies amongst them the ammonites and the has to deitz.
These enemies saw to keep the construction from occurring if you look at Chapter 3 of Nehemiah, and I’m not going to read all of chapter 3, but if you I would encourage you to on your time to pull up Nehemiah and look at 3 chapter 3 where they talk about the rebuilding of the wall.
What I want you to notice is how much detail there is.
I’m going to read a little selection of it here burst beginning in verse 6. The amount of 3 & 6 Joya the son of pasea and Muslim the son of bested. I repaired the Gate of Hashanah. They laid its beams and set its doors. It’s bolts and it’s bars and next to them repaired mellotts. I that give you a night and Jaden the Mariah night the men of gibeon and of misbah the seat of the governor of the province of the beyond the river next to them.
Lucille the son of her Ayah Goldsmith’s repaired next to him hananiah one of the perfumers repaired and they restored Jerusalem as far as the broad wall next to them or Falla the son of who or ruler of half the District of Jerusalem repaired and next to him a to the son of haja but Hashem Adonai repaired and again, and again, it goes on like this, right. So you see that you had these Israelites they were repaired and they had a section that they
they worked on and then next to them.
They had others that they knew working on next section and then others working on the next section and so on and so forth. They repaired this wall working together.
In the end. What I what I want to point out to you is that there’s a lot of detail in Nehemiah chapter 3 and there’s a lot of detail in here about the the people that actually built
The builders names are all recorded. God saw what each one of them did?
It was all recorded here in the scripture what they built what they down to to the individual things that they placed on the wall, obviously here. It is recorded in scripture and it was something that God paid attention to
what they built and their names now appear in the Bible for all to see
And Nehemiah for 10 we read in Judah. It was sad the strength of those who bear the burdens it’s failing. There is too much Rubble by ourselves. We will not be able to rebuild the wall.
And our enemies said they will not know or see till we come amongst them and kill them and stop the work.
So Nehemiah station to guard and said do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome fight for your brothers. Your son’s your daughters your wives and your homes.
There was no retreat.
There was a determination to build.
Read from you for you in Nehemiah for Nehemiah chapter 4.
verse 14
Nehemiah foreign 14 and I looked in a rose and said to the Nobles of the officials into the rest of the people do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers your son’s your daughters are wives in your homes. Don’t be afraid of them.
Now we’re talking about people that were murderers people that wanted to keep them weak so they could murder them more so they could take what they want and he’s telling them not to be afraid.
These people are trying to sneak in amongst them.
So that with the intent to kill them in the stop the work and keep in mind the reason they want to stop the work is because they want to make it easier to kill them later.
To take what they want.
So these are the worst kind of people we have these people around today all over the world. They’re still here. I want to come in they want to take they won’t want to work. They want to steal. They want to kill the one a murder.
They don’t like what you have to say. They don’t like what you have to do or or sometimes. They just want what you have your world two goods.
But he says here do not be afraid of them. Remember God there was no retreat there was only determination to finish to build and to restore the wall the people of God armed themselves.
But did not change course.
Now I want us to pay attention to this they arm themselves, but they did not change course. They did not flee. They do not go find another place where they could protect themselves better. They didn’t leave the work and go out and say well, where could we where could we go to take refuge? Where could we go would be a better tactical advantage to us? They stayed right there and they kept working they armed themselves, but they continue to do the work they Incorporated the Warfare into their work.
They did not trade their work for weapons. They did not slink away. They did not stop the work. They worked with their weapons in their hands.
Nehemiah 4 and 17 it says those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
The modern Christian faces the same challenges as The Men Who labored in on Jerusalem’s wall.
We have to fight and we have to build we’re going to be under attack all the time. We have to recognize that we’re going to be under attack all the time, but we can’t we can’t lose focus on what it is that we’re here to do while we’re going to have to fight so that we can build.
The purpose is to build the purpose is not to fight.
We’re forced to fight so that we can build but building is the goal the modern Christian phases the same challenge at those who labored on Drew’s and multifaceted and at a cursory glance. You may say well most of what you’re talking about. Andy is is in the Old Testament. God did a lot of building in the Old Testament.
He commanded a lot of things built. He detailed a lot of buildings. He had a lot of construction take place. But in the New Testament unlike the old we don’t see that.
Seems to stop building, right?
Buildings don’t seem as important to God as they used to be.
We didn’t receive any instruction from the Lord on how to build the building that were sitting in now.
He didn’t tell the Brethren here what type of wood to use he didn’t tell us how to build the foundation or the slab. He didn’t seem he doesn’t seem to care. We’ve said this many times where we worship the place that we choose to assemble. It’s not Material could be here could be in the parking lot. It could be in a field.
So why is it seem like he doesn’t care about building things anymore.
There are no lampstands. There are no arcs. There are no temples. There are no cities He commands for us to build.
For for us to construct in any of The Commandments of the New Testament of Christ or the apostles, but the truth is that the focus and the methods of construction simply shifted with the message Christians still have to be builders.
now we know the project that God always cared for most
the building of his people
we each must build a very specific portion just like the sons of hasn’t just like zadok just like Joanna just like mullet I each built his piece our section of the wall is given to us, too.
Our section of the wall is our self.
We must be his Temple First Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know that you are God’s Temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you.
First Corinthians 3:9 through 15 for we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field God’s Building according to the grace of God given me like a skilled master builder. I laid a foundation and someone else is building upon it Let each one. Take care how he builds upon it for no one can lay a foundation. Other than that, which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.
So here we find out what we’re supposed to be building now.
right
God’s given us a foundation to build upon. It’s the only foundation that will hold is the only foundation of work God’s given us the truth. We have the foundation to build on. There are still those many who seek to build their own foundations Builders. We are to be Foundation Builders. We are not
we have a foundation to start on and build up from but we can’t build Our Own Foundation. If we do build Our Own Foundation, it will not hold.
Our building is our Christianity.
Our building is our love for God. We choose how to build the quality of our construction. We will build with will we build with gold and precious stones or cheap materials?
when we build with effort or we sit and make do
Continuing Corinthians 3. It says now if anyone Builds on the foundation with gold silver precious stones wood. Hay straw each one’s work will become manifest because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test the work each is done.
Each one of us has her own work just like they did on the wall. Each of our works will be tested just like there’s would be
what we choose to build on the foundation that God has given us is up to us.
How we choose to build it is up to God. He’s told us the right way to build.
what we build Only We Know
and only we know how we serve God and why we love God. I don’t know what anyone else here is building.
Honest truth is I don’t know.
There is evidence that I can see that I can honor when I see people loving God right but in the end, I don’t know what you’ve built.
I don’t know. Why any man here or woman here does what they do.
They know God knows their heart. I don’t know their heart.
Now if anyone Builds on the foundation with gold silk, I’m sorry. What we build Only We Know.
We know we have to serve God and how we build our building what materials whatever we give but one day.
Everyone will know one day what we build will be revealed.
It is difficult because we must fight to build just like the wall Builders as Christians were always always under attack, but it’s not enough to say I survived.
It’s not enough to say I hid I retreated and I survived.
This world is not about survival. Our time here is not about survival.
We know we’re not going to survive this world.
It’s not a race to see who can live the longest who can build the most worldly wealth who can die with the most stuff.
In the end we have to build we have our we have no Temple.
We have become a desolation.
We must do his work while we defend ourselves from this world.
We cannot defend ourselves instead of serving God.
Ephesians 6:10 through 20
the Ephesians 6:10 through 20
We read this finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
So many now believe that there are no schemes of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm stand therefore having fastened on the belt of Truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and his shoes for your feet having put on the readiness.
Given by the gospel of peace and all circumstances take up the shield of Faith which you can extinguish all the Flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that and keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints and also for me the words may be given to me and opening of my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains that I may declare boldly as I ought to speak.
speak
keep alert with all perseverance.
That’s exactly what they did when they were building the wall they to keep alert and they had to persevere.
It wasn’t enough just to fend off the Raiders. It wasn’t enough to fend off the enemies.
Too many times we can lose our Focus.
We are under attack by so many we can look at defending ourselves as being the point.
It’s necessary. The point is to build. That’s what we do we build.
The world attacks us constantly through tragedy through Temptation through selfishness and through worldliness. We must defeat these enemies so that we can build our Temple sword in one hand and burden in the other.
We are building ourselves every day.
While under attack we build ourselves up through loving God by following his way and not our own by loving others as ourselves.
God tells us and gives us instruction. God gives us his commands. He gives us what he wants for us. He gives us his way and we build ourselves by following it.
The world and Satan don’t want us to build.
We’re under constant attack. We cannot put down our sword to pick up our tools. We cannot put down our burden to pick up our sword in the end. Love is what we have to build with.
If we get caught up in defending ourselves from the attacks of the world, if we Retreat and hide if we let the attacks of the world make us stop loving God and we have lost.
One day you will show God what you build.
You’ll show him what you did all of your love all of your obedience.
Brother and I would ask you this build and fight while you can build today. Don’t wait for tomorrow pick up your sword and your burden overcome both your fear and your selfishness and build a remember that everything you build. Not on God’s foundation will be washed away.
All the efforts that you make in this world that are for this world will not stand and nothing that you build for yourself will survive.
Because in the end you can’t build your own Foundation.
You can’t make your own way. You can’t lay your own course. I do a lot with building when you pour the foundation the bounds of the building or set.
Can’t build over this over the ground. That’s not over the foundation.
The bounds of the building are set when you pour the foundation.
You can extend it.
You can’t decide well, I’m going to add a room over here. I’m going to I’m going to add another hundred foot with no Foundation. It won’t work.
If we don’t build on the Lord Foundation nothing we have Will Survive.
Imagine each time you serve God each time you love God each time. You work for him each time that you love your neighbor each time that you follow his commandment each time that you care and love him enough to know his will.
It’s your building this project.
Because you are.
What will you present to the master builder in the end?
What will you show God?
The age of gods Builders is far from being over. It’s not past.
the age of gods Builders is now
question that we all have to ask ourself each and every day is what are we building?
How are we going to spend our day? Are we going to spend our day building something the got that God has told us to build our we in spend our day building something for ourselves.
In the end, that’s the decision that we have to make.
If you’re here to today if you’re here this morning.
And you’ve not begun building.
You’re not accepted God’s Foundation. You haven’t heard the word. You haven’t believed it. You haven’t repented of your sin. You haven’t been baptized for a mission of that sin and begun building.
I would ask you to come forward as we sing. I would ask you to let the brother here. No will help you in any way.
Support you in any way pray for you, whatever it is that you need from us. We will be glad to give you because we’re working next to each other. We’re all Building Together.
Each of us has our own work, but we encourage each other. We lift each other up and we choose to see the Lord’s work done because we’re all working for him.
Appreciate your time this morning. That’s a lesson.