Except the Lord Build the House

Post date: Aug 26, 2020 5:58:02 PM

Matthew 15: 9 “But in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of man.”

The birth of the Christian church didn’t come without its’ share of opposition. As a teacher Jesus taught His divinely inspired doctrine to a spiritually malnourished and disheartened but eager congregant. As a prophet Jesus’ doctrine challenged the teachings of a less than receptive religious establishment. Jesus stated; “I have come as a light into the world, that whosoever shall believe in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe I do not judge him; for I do not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12: 46-47) Jesus’ earthly ministry was brief but effective. After His death, the Apostle Peter addressed a crowd of Jesus’ accusers by saying; “ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our Fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you: and killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead…” (Acts 3: 13-15)

Acts 1: 8 “But you shall receive power, when the the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the whole house where they were sitting. And then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 1-4)

Jesus had prophesied that upon His ascension the Comforter would come. The Holy Ghost came, as it were, with the power of a spiritual tsunami!

Acts 4: 13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled; and they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Taught by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit a small band of spiritual warriors took their message to the streets of Jerusalem. The effectual spread of Christs’ gospel came as natural man cooperated with a supernatural God. Scripture states “…it pleased God by the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” (I Corinthians 1: 21) The Jewish converts who heard their message and witnessed the power of the gospel believed and followed willingly in the Apostles footsteps. The bible records “then those who gladly received his word were baptized: and that day about 3000 souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking bread and in prayers.” (Acts 2: 41-42)

Romans 11: 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should not be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

The Holy Spirits' fire continued to spread setting ablaze the religious doctrines and traditions of man. When Heaven came to earth a new spiritual normal was set in motion. After the ascension of Christ and by revelation, the Apostle Peter violated religious doctrine in order to obey a heavenly decree. Peters’ obedience led to the acceptance and the understanding that the gentiles, too, had been accepted into God’s heavenly family. Peter justified his perceived doctrinal violation by explaining this to his brethren; “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that could withstand God? When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life.” (Acts 11: 17-18)

Definition

Doctrine: A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party or other group.

Indoctrinate: Teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. (ie) “broadcasting was a vehicle for indoctrinating the masses.”

Romans 10: 14-15 “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, unless they be sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace who bring glad tidings of good things!

The Apostle Paul, a former high-ranking religious leader, became a believer and a preacher after encountering the risen Christ. To ensure that the Holy Spirit inspired gospel which he had been preaching was consistent with that of the perceived leaders of the movement he met to discuss any differences of which there were none. Paul, concerned that the doctrine his converts were hearing would lead them into spiritual maturity determined for himself that he would teach nothing “…among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection) (1 Corinthians 2: 2 AMP)

The pulpit:

Preach the gospel of Christ, live the gospel, experience the gospel.

The congregant:

Study the Word, hear the Word, know the Word, obey the Word, experience the gospel.

Note: Those believers who are growing toward spiritually maturity through the divine teaching of the Holy Spirit are not subject to indoctrination because they “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”(Hebrews 5:14).

Ephesians 4: 11-15 “And he himself gave some to be apostles; some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer more be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, who is the head -- Christ--.”

The church without Holy Spirit inspired truth; the church without Holy Spirit inspired knowledge; the church without Holy Spirit inspired understanding and a church without divinely inspired obedience and action is a church headed toward fruitlessness. A fruitful church magnifies and glorifies the risen Christ before the world. Paul taught this to his congregant; “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. These things, also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2: 12-13)

Psalm 127: 1 “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it…”

The church called by God, built by God, taught by God, is truly righteous and is truly holy. The scripture teaches; “For you are the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3: 26-28) You, the believer, are the dwelling place for God in the Spirit, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of light, a safe harbor and hope to a fallen world.