The Material, Method & Motive

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: THE MATERIAL, METHOD AND MOTIVE

SEPTEMBER 23, 2001 P.M.

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.” JOHN 3:16-18

PSALMS 127:1 “EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT.”

THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT ARE LABORING IN VAIN. IT MEANS WHAT IT SAYS IN THIS VERSE. EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT. OFTEN TIMES WHEN GOD REFERS TO THE HOUSE HE’S REFERRING TO OUR SPIRITUAL HOUSE. WHETHER IT BE THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE THAT’S BEING BORN INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD OR WHETHER IT BE THE SPIRITUAL HOUSE THAT DENIES GOD AND IS ON IT’S WAY TO A DEVILS HELL. THIS OLD BODY THAT WE’RE HOUSED IN IS JUST FLESH. DOWN ON THE INSIDE WE EITHER HAVE THE SPIRITUAL MAN THAT’S BORN OF JESUS CHRIST OR WE HAVE THAT OLD WICKED MAN THAT’S NEVER KNOWN CHRIST IN THEIR HEART AS SAVIOR. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THE BIBLE REFERS TO THE HOUSE I BELIEVE IT’S TALKING ABOUT THAT PERSON DOWN ON THE INSIDE. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. PAUL SAID THIS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: WE KNOW IF OUR EARTHLY HOUSE OF THIS TABERNACLE WE’RE DISSOLVED, WE HAVE A BUILDING OF GOD, A HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS.

I REMEMBER A TIME IN THE BIBLE WHERE THE LORD SENT ISAIAH OVER TO SEE A MAN NAMED HEZEKIAH. HEZEKIAH WAS LOST AND ON HIS WAY TO HELL AND THE LORD SENT ISAIAH OVER TO HEZEKIAH’S PLACE AND HE SAID THIS TO HIM: SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER FOR THOU SHALT DIE AND NOT LIVE. THEN HEZEKIAH TURNED TO THE LORD AND GAVE HIS LIFE TO THE LORD. SO OFTEN TIMES WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD HOUSE IN THE BIBLE IT’S REFERRING TO NOT WHAT BUILDING WE’RE IN BUT THE HOUSE THAT YOU LIVE IN, IN THE OLD NATURAL BODY.

I REMEMBER THE SCRIPTURE WHERE JESUS SAID DESTROY THIS TEMPLE AND IN THREE DAYS I’LL RAISE IT UP. I DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND AT TONIGHT WITH GOD BUT I KNOW A GOD THAT KNOWS EXACTALY WHERE YOU STAND. MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE BUT GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART. GOD KNOWS WHETHER OR NOT YOU’RE SAVED. WHETHER OR NOT WE’RE RIGHT WITH HIM. IF WE’RE BACKSLID, OR LOST. WE CAN NOT HIDE IT FROM GOD. GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOU.

TURN TO GENESIS 11:1-9 “AND THE WHOLE EARTH WAS OF ONE LANGUAGE, AND OF ONE SPEECH. AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY JOURNEYED FROM THE EAST, THAT THEY FOUND A PLAIN IN THE LAND OF SHINAR; AND THEY DWELT THERE. AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER, GO TO, LET US MAKE BRICK, AND BURN THEM THROUGHLY. AND THEY HAD BRICK FOR STONE, AND SLIME HAD THEY FOR MORTAR. AND THEY SAID, GO TO, LET US BUILD A CITY AND A TOWER, WHOSE TOP MAY REACH UNTO HEAVEN; AND LET US MAKE US A NAME, LEST WE BE SCATTERED ABROAD UPON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH. AND THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE THE CITY AND THE TOWER, WHICH THE CHILDREN OF MEN BUILDED. AND THE LORD SAID, BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE IS ONE, AND THEY HAVE ALL ONE LANGUAGE; AND THIS THEY BEGIN TO DO: AND NOW NOTHING WILL BE RESTRAINED FROM THEM, WHICH THEY HAVE IMAGINED TO DO. GO TO, LET US GO DOWN, AND THERE CONFOUND THEIR LANGUAGE, THAT THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER’S SPEECH. SO THE LORD SCATTERED THEM ABROAD FROM THENCE UPON THE FACE OF ALL THE EARTH; AND THEY LEFT OFF TO BUILD THE CITY. THEREFORE IS THE NAME OF IT CALLED BABEL; BECAUSE THE LORD DID THERE CONFOUND THE LANGUAGE OF ALL THE EARTH: AND FROM THENCE DID THE LORD SCATTER THEM ABROAD UPON THE FACE OF ALL THE EARTH.”

EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD IT, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT. YOU AND I CAN DO NOTHING THAT WILL GET US INTO HEAVEN. I REMEMBER READING ABOUT THE LAWYER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND HE SAID LORD WHAT SHALL I DO THAT I MIGHT INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE? OUR INHERITANCE INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NOT BASED UPON WHAT WE DO. IT’S NOT BASED UPON OUR WORKS OR LABOR. IT’S NOT BASED ON HOW MANY TIMES YOU ATTEND CHURCH. YOU CAN ATTEND CHURCH FOR FORTY YEARS AND PUT YOUR MONEY IN THE OFFERING PLATE ALL YOU WANT TO BUT IT WILL NEVER GET YOU TO HEAVEN. SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD. FREE FOR THE ASKING. SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT IN THEIR MIND THAT JUST GOING TO CHURCH MAKES THEM A CHRISTIAN. I’VE GONE TO SOME CHURCHES AND MET SOME OF THE AWFULEST PEOPLE. THEY ATTEND CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY, GIVE THEIR TITHES, GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, COME UP TO THE ALTAR AND PRAY AND DURING THE WEEK THEY LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL. THAT’S NOT WHAT BEING A CHRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT. YOU CANNOT PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO FOR GOD. GOD WILL PICK AND CHOOSE AND THEN YOU’VE GOT TO BE WILLING AND OBEDIENT.