There was once a story in the Oregonian, Portland’s morning newspaper, of a man who had helped construct a Roman Catholic Church in Mexico. He used inferior materials in order to make more money. At the dedication of the building, the roof collapsed, killing many of the worshipers including the contractor’s brother who was the priest.(1) The contractor built the church with selfish motives and not out of Christ-like generosity; and, therefore, his work fell apart.
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” If we try to build anything – physical or spiritual – apart from seeking God’s guidance and wisdom, then our labor will be in vain. If we try to serve the Lord through selfish motives, then whatever we set our hand to will fall apart. If we try to build a thriving ministry, or do anything in the Lord’s name when we’re in some kind of unhealthy spiritual condition, then our plans are sure to fail.
This being said, any church that operates with intentions and plans not sanctioned by the Lord will promote an unhealthy environment where people feel insecure and anxious. If the church is going to promote abundant life and begin attracting people, then it must become more than just a physical structure; it must be seen as a house, or rather, a “home.” It must become a place where people feel safe, and where they find release from the difficulties of life.
In our message this morning, we’re going to come to an understanding of the biblical definition of a house; and we’ll also discover how to properly build a spiritual home that will promote a secure atmosphere leading to a deeper trust in God, more meaningful fellowship, and ultimately abundant life in the Lord.
Building a Spiritual House (Psalm 127:1-5)
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat of the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (Psalm 127:1-5).
This chapter of Psalm portrays the building of a spiritual house. So, what’s the meaning of a house in this passage, and what message did Solomon wish to portray (Note: My Bible has a heading, calling this chapter “A Song of Ascents of Solomon”)? Harper’s Bible Commentary says that “throughout the Bible, to build a house meant to have a family. If the Lord does not give children, then every effort at building a home is useless.”(2) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says,
Joy and protection are pictured here as the results of fruitfulness in the bearing and rearing of children. Especially important are the sons of a man’s youth, who can protect him and plead his cause, in his old age, against his adversaries in the local court of justice inside the city gate.(3)
Building a house in this passage is a reference to building a family. So, the contextual application is that if we worry and fret about how we’re going to grow and raise our family, then we won’t have any peace in our life. If, however, we trust God to take care of it, then our burdens will be lifted and we’ll find rest for our soul.
For example, the Lord will provide the children we need to take care of the household, the farming, the hunting, or whatever needs there are that have to be met; and we can stand by and reap the rewards with confidence. We get into trouble when we, like Abram and Sarai, try to make our family grow through our own self-effort, a mistake that’s observed in Genesis chapter 16.
Now, Matthew Henry says that Psalm 127 can also be seen as representing a “ministry” that we attempt to grow or lead.(4) The book of Hebrews provides an example of the house as a ministry, as in a church or congregation of believers. Hebrews 3:4-5 says, “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant.”
Moses was faithful to lead the Israelites according to God’s will, because he trusted that the congregation – or “his house” (v. 5) – was being built and guided by the Lord. The house portrayed in Hebrews chapter three refers to the family of God, or the assembly of the Lord’s own devoted followers.
The House as a Model
So, the house can represent either “a literal family,” or “a spiritual assembly of people;” and we’re going to view this passage as representing the family of God, or the church, in order to springboard into an important discussion. If we’re going to build a thriving and life-giving ministry, then we must let the Lord lead. In order to allow God to build the house, we must have a framework that’s stable and built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.
So, how can we promote a trust in the Lord that will enable the church to stop trying to lead through faulty human methods? How can the church learn to trust the wisdom of the Great Carpenter? The answer lies in gaining an understanding of how our Contractor, the Lord Jesus Christ, desires for His homes to be built. It begins by visualizing the main components of a house, analyzing their physical function, and then grasping the underlying spiritual application.
In his book Romancing the Home, Pastor Ed Young provides the model of a house, and shares the spiritual function of what he identifies as the walls, the joining of the walls, and the roof.(5) I want to share with you this symbolism, and try to gain an understanding of how a house should be built in order for it to be constructed by the Lord and not through our own mistrusting, dysfunctional and futile human efforts.
Now, suppose a team of carpenters set out to build a house together, and each person made his own set of blueprints. What would be the result of the house that was built? It would be chaos. So, there are some basic components that we must include in home construction in order to build a spiritual house that meets God’s building code. For us to build otherwise will lead to a big mess.
The Walls of the House
The first component in building the Lord’s house is the walls. In the model of a spiritual house the walls represent “security.” Without security there’s no real intimacy among members in the family of God; there’s no honesty, and little trust. So, what two purposes are served by a wall? It’s constructed to keep things in, and to keep things out.
The Apostle Paul said, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). As brothers and sisters in Christ we must be able to share with one another our concerns and difficulties; and hold one another accountable; and edify each other in the ways of the Lord. In a body of believers all that’s said and done during these times must be kept behind closed walls. Our faults and struggles shouldn’t be an open book for everyone in the community to read.
For instance, we shouldn’t go out and broadcast to our coworkers about the marriage problems between brother and sister Smith that we learned about at the prayer meeting. How can we ever expect to grow in relationship to each other if we can’t trust one another enough to share our concerns? If we don’t trust each other, then we’ll be reluctant in bearing one another’s burdens; and we’ll instead try to carry our own burdens. When individuals try to bear the difficulties of life all on their own, they’ll often crack under the pressure and fall apart.
One way that a church can promote an atmosphere of security and trust is to be certain that believers are separate from the world, and that people can tell through our actions that we do indeed follow and serve Jesus Christ; that we do “walk the walk,” and live by what we say we believe.
A little boy walked down the beach, and as he did, he spied a kind looking woman sitting under a beach umbrella on the sand. He walked up to her and asked, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes,” was her reply. “Do you read your Bible every day?” She nodded her head, “Yes.” “Do you pray often?” the boy asked next, and again she answered, “Yes.” With that, he asked his final question, “Will you hold my quarter while I go swimming?”(6)
If we wish for people to trust us with their quarters of confidential information, then we must present ourselves as model believers in all areas of our life.
The Joining of the Walls
The second component in building the Lord’s house is the joining of the walls, or the corners. If the walls represent security, then the joining of the walls represents “stability.” The walls of a home aren’t just propped up; they’re put together by nails and mortar so they can withstand the pressures from without and within.
The joining of the walls is crucial for the structural integrity of any house, and that’s why the cornerstone of a building has to be the largest and strongest of them all. Stability is based on who’s the head of the household. The household shouldn’t be run solely by one individual, or even by one group of people, but by Jesus Christ alone. For example, in Ephesians 2:20-22, Paul said,
Jesus Christ Himself [is] the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Jesus must be the head of the household in all plans and decisions in order to have true stability. No human being has the blueprints for building a spiritual house. Only God has the correct set of house plans, and we need to trust Him, and the hands of the Master Carpenter – which is God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
We entrust our lives to the Lord when we come to an understanding that we’re each individual stones within the building of God (1 Pt 2:5), and that one stone – or one person – can’t support the entire weight of the load. We have to work together and listen to one another; and if we’re each faithful in our walk with the Lord, then God will convey to us collectively the vision for His purpose. Working together will enable the house to be much more stable, and we’ll be walking closer to God’s perfect will.
The Roof of the House
In Genesis chapter 19, we read about how there were numerous men of Sodom who wanted Lot to hand over the angels that were taking refuge in his house. Lot pleaded with the men of Sodom not to perform the horrible and wicked deeds that were in their heart, and he stated that “[protection] is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof” (19:8); therefore, the roof of a house represents protection.
The final component in building the Lord’s house is the roof, for no home is built without one. The roof represents “serenity” and “peace.” A spiritual house needs the comfort of having a roof overhead; for as we’ve already learned, a house is to provide a place of refuge from the elements, a place of rest, and a place of protection from enemies. The roof finalizes and “caps” the intended atmosphere of peace, security and protection.
A church family should be a place of serenity in contrast to the raging storms of the world. However, in many churches there’s not a house at all, but a war zone. In such a dysfunctional church, brothers and sisters in Christ might be angry with each other about the color of the carpet, or some other petty issue. We need to work hard at making God’s house a place of peace and shelter.
In order to promote a place of peace we must develop an atmosphere of grace; and incorporate one of the attributes of grace, which is forgiveness. Zechariah said that the final capstone, or the highest point on the “roof” of the temple, would be completed “with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it’” (Zec 4:7); therefore, the roof of a spiritual house can only be completed by the “grace” of God.
Grace is a free gift of help in our time of need. Grace pardons and forgives our mistakes, and grace steps in to help us whenever we need help the most. When we’re in disagreement with another person in the church over some issue; rather than condemn that individual, we need to extend grace through humility, understanding, and forgiveness. Paul reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).
People receive enough condemnation from the world. If a person feels condemned within the church, then he or she might decide to take matters into their own hands, and leave the church for one that’s more grace-filled. Even worse, there could be a huge scar left on that person’s heart that will cause him or her to never feel at peace inside a local church, and depart from the church altogether.
Instead of fighting and condemning each other, let us love one another, forgive one another, and therefore provide an atmosphere of serenity and peace; representing the roof of a spiritual house, and our shelter under the shadow of the Lord’s wings, wherein where we find our refuge (Psalm 57:1).
Time of Reflection
So, we’ve just learned what it takes to build a spiritual house (which is God’s house); one that’s life-giving, in which we can live in peace, trusting the Lord to bring the home to completion. The building materials that we’re supposed to use will promote security, stability, and serenity; all of which will help us place our complete trust in God, rather than taking matters into our own incompetent hands.
Now, keep in mind that these building materials are far from being cheap, for they cost Jesus His very life when He died on the cross. Remember, that Jesus is truly the One in whom the whole building is being fitted together, as Ephesians 2:20-22 tells us. Jesus is the one who does the construction of the church. The Apostle Peter tells us, “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house . . . through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
The building of the church begins as people are brought into the family of God by becoming believers in Jesus Christ. Becoming a believer means confessing your sins, asking God’s forgiveness, and confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
NOTES
(1) P. L. Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, on Logos CD-ROM (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, 1979, 1996).
(2) James L. Mays, Harper's Bible Commentary (San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1988, 1996).
(3) C. F. Pfeiffer, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1962).
(4) Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991, 1996).
(5) Ed Young, Romancing The Home (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1993), pp. 24-28.
(6) Michael P. Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1997), p. 389.
