Builders

I just found out that Melvin Edelbach is also on the line, so, Melvin, greetings to you. I hope that the technology is working, where we're coming through just fine, and you're able to hear everything. I also wanted to remind everyone that we are having some finger foods and some snacks after services today. You probably saw that, though, when you came through and saw that table that's just loaded with various things over there. So, you'll want to stay around a little bit and have some fellowship and partake of some of those things.

And then there'll be a Bible study as well afterwards. So, I've got a special topic for you today we're going to talk about. But first, let's get started with the sermon. Our awesome God obviously has a lot of marvelous traits and qualities. I mean, we could talk about so many of them that he has, each one of them a sermon in itself. But I'd like to discuss one today that is predominant throughout Scripture. That we find it, I think as we begin to cover various Scriptures, we'll find that it is all over the place.

It's a trait that sets Him apart. And it is one that we, as mankind, as part of His creation, have inherited. It's something that we have as well. One could possibly even say that we are just like our Father in this regard, and we're just like a chip off of the old block. Because we have this trait and this characteristic from Him.

We've inherited it from Him. This trait is the very essence of who and what God is. And it's the purpose that motivates Him to do what He does. In fact, it guides Him in everything that He thinks about, in everything that He does. It's His motivator. So what am I referring to? What trait am I talking about? What characteristic am I going to be discussing today? The quality I'm referring to is this. God is a builder. God is a builder. In fact, our great God is a master builder.

Let's take a look at Genesis 1 and verse 1. We'll go back to the very first verse of the Scriptures of the inspired Word of God. Genesis 1 and verse 1, it says, in the beginning, God created. God is a builder. He's a master builder. He created the heavens and earth. Not only is He a master builder, He designed and He built this orb, this world that we live on, this earth.

And it goes on to say that He made mankind, made Him in His own image. Let's notice that in Genesis 1 and verse 26. So just a few more verses down the page. Genesis 1 and verse 26. It says, then God said, let us make man. Let us make man in our image according to our likeness.

And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over cattle and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image. In fact, we see that we're actually mankind. You and I were actually the pinnacle of His creation, of what He is building. The very last thing, the sixth day before He rested on the Sabbath day, that we are the pinnacle of His creation. So God, it says, created man in His own image.

In the image of God, He created Him male and female. He created them. And then God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And then it says in Genesis 2 and verse 1, Thus the heavens and the earth and all of the host of them were finished. God made them. He built them. God is a builder. He's a builder of worlds.

He's the builder of a people. He's the builder of family. And we were created in His image, just like Him. And you know, that means then that we too are builders, because that's what He is. He's a master builder, and we're made in His image. You know, if you just look around and you see our different cultures and our different civilizations, what man has built, what he has made.

You know, we see that since ancient times that he's continuously built homes and temples and palaces and castles, and unique cultures around the globe, throughout history. Man, therefore, is also a builder. Let's notice Genesis 11 and verse 1. We'll advance here a few scriptures in the book of Genesis. Genesis 11, we'll see the Tower of Battle story. Genesis 11, and we'll read verses 1 through 9. It says, now, the whole earth had one language and 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 to one another, Come and let us make bricks, and bake them thoroughly. They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And it says, and they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, whose top is in the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, Indeed, the people are one, and they all have one language. And this is what they begin to do.

Now, nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there, from the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore, that name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth, and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. You know, true to our heritage, man is a builder. You know, they wanted to build this city, they wanted to build this tower, and God knew that if He didn't scatter them, that they would continue to build other things.

And He says, there's nothing that they could not do. God has given us that gift. We've inherited that from Him, of what we can build, what we can design, what we can create. True to our heritage, we're a builder. We build cities, empires, kingdoms, governments, organizations. We are wired that way. That's the way God designed us. It's almost like it's in our DNA, something that moves us, something that drives us, an uncontrollable need to create and to build. You know, if you even look at small children at play, you give them three building blocks, and what do they do? Start building! They start studying one on top of another, even as young little babies.

It's something that is in us. Now, in this particular scriptural example that we just read, God said this building program was not for a good cause. So it's something that He had to stop. He knew where this was headed, and it was actually intended to confront God and His sovereignty as God. So He had to intervene, and He had to scatter them. But you can see that that is something that is in each of us, to build. Something that is, I think, noteworthy to think about here is a point I'd like to bring out.

We've already covered that God is a builder and man is a builder, but that we ourselves are God's building. We ourselves collectively together are God's building. Let's notice John 5 and verse 17. We'll jump to the New Testament here. John 5 and verse 17. We'll see something that Jesus Christ has to say to those that were within earshot. John 5 and verse 17. He said, My Father has been working. He's been working until now, and I have been working.

Jesus Christ is telling the disciples and anyone else that was there is that, My Father is working. There's something that He's doing. And also, I am working. What kind of work is the Father and Jesus Christ doing? You know, if they're working like you and I, you know, we've had jobs, we've worked in the past. What is it that they're doing? What is the work that they're doing?

Well, among other things, they're builders. They are building people. They're building a family, and they're building a spiritual kingdom. Let's notice 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 6. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 6. This is what drives God. This is what motivates Him. This is the way He's wired. He's a master builder. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 6. I planted, Paul is writing to our brothers and sisters in Corinth, I planted and Apollos watered.

Sounds like an agricultural thing. I planted the seed Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither He who plants is anything, nor He who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Now, He who plants and He who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. So apparently, we're involved in some way that when it comes to whatever this is that's happening, that God is building. And you are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You, brethren, are God's field. You are God's building. Wow! What's God trying to tell us here as we try to wrap our minds around this? You know, we know that God talks about that He's building a temple made without hands. A spiritual temple that He's building. Something that's going to be magnificent. Something that is going to be overwhelming. Something that is going to be beautiful. And God says that we are a part of that building that all of us members together are part of that building. God says, you are God's field. You are God's building. Now, that word building, and we'll cover this in a moment, comes from a Greek word that sometimes is translated building. And sometimes it's translated edify, or edification. You are God's building. According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation. So, what Paul is saying is God has given me graciousness, or a gift, to help to build this building. He's given me grace to be a wise master builder. And he says, and I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. So, you and I as fellow workers together are also involved with this building. And what happens with this building? It says, let each one take heed how he builds on it, for no other foundation can anyone lay, other than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. And brethren, we've been emphasizing that a lot lately. That whatever we do, we have to stand on the Scriptures, the Word of God, which is either the written Word of God, or whether the spoken Word of God through Jesus Christ. That we need to make sure that we take heed how we build on that foundation, and our foundation, your foundation and mine, has to be Jesus Christ. He came as the teacher to help us to learn, to lead us to God, through that narrow path that leads to the kingdom. For no other foundation can anyone lay that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on this foundation, that's talking about all of us, with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear. For the day we'll declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work. So our work will be tested, brethren. What are we doing as part of this building? Are we helping to build this building? Are we fellow laborers, fellow workers together in what God is creating? The day we'll declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. So God says there's something that we have to do when it comes to building this building, and building it on the right foundation. And that some day, whatever we have built will be tested. And if our work which we have built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss. And yet, he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Let's talk about this foundational analogy here for a moment. Paul tells the brethren that they are God's field. That you and I are part of God's field, part of his building, that he is creating, this wise master builder that he is. It says if the foundation is sound, the building will not be totally destroyed. Only the superstructure can suffer loss, but the structure can be rebuilt on a solid foundation, and it can be even better than ever.

You know, if we think about it, a farmer is building underground. If you think about it, he or she prepares the soil, and then they plant seed, and then they provide the right environment, and then they watch to see what will happen in the field.

They watch it break through the earth and begin to grow skyward. In a different translation of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 9, I'd like to read this. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 9, different translation. It says, we are God's coworkers. You know, years ago, we used to utilize that term more than we have lately, that people that were helping to support the work of God, the preaching of the gospel around the world, that maybe were not necessarily members of the church, but they were assisting financially or prayerfully to get that message out, were returned coworkers.

But all of us together, when it comes to this building that God is building, God says, I want you involved in this building, and you're a coworker. You are God's field. I'm still reading now from this translation. You are God's coworkers. You are God's field.

You are God's building. And Paul says, as a skilled and experienced builder, I used the gift that God gave me to lay the foundation for that building. However, someone else is building on it. Each person must be careful how he builds on it. After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.

And there is no other foundation that you and I can build on. If we try, you and I will fail. People may build on this foundation with gold or silver or precious stones or wood, hay or straw. The day will make what each one does clearly visible. What each one of us does, the day will make it clearly visible, because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done. If what a person has built survives, he will receive a reward. If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss.

However, he will be saved, though it will be like going through a fire. God is indeed building us up into something useful. He's building us up into something that's going to be magnificent. That's just the way he is as a master craftsman. It's no surprise when Jesus Christ walked the face of the earth that he was a carpenter, a builder. It's just the way that God is. And so God is building us into something useful. However, the foundation we need to have must be a sound one. It can't be built on any other foundation than Jesus Christ.

And you know, brethren, if our spiritual foundation is in Him, there's nothing that can stop us. We build on that foundation, that solid foundation. We can face any personal trial or tragedy, and we will still stand when the fire has come and gone. We may not understand some of the things that we go through, or why we go through them, because sometimes God allows certain things to happen to us, but we will endure if we are on that foundation.

Let's look at a few examples of someone that built on a solid foundation. Hebrews 11 and verse 7. Hebrews 11 and verse 7. Look at some of them gone before us. Examples for us. Hebrews 11 and verse 7. It says, By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive afterwards as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going.

By faith, he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of that same promise. And notice, for he waited for the city. He waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. That's what God is. He's a master builder. And he's building something in you and I individually and collectively. And he wants us to be involved in that creation as a builder and maker as well. So we see an example here of someone who had the right foundation.

These men lived by faith. Remember what faith is? It's believing in something that you do not necessarily have the evidence to see, hear, or touch to the senses. You can't prove it with any of your five senses. Faith is something that is hoped for, that has no tangible proof or evidence. Let me read here a different translation in Hebrews 11, verse 1, New Living Translation. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen.

It gives us assurance about things which we cannot see. If you could see it, touch it, taste it, then it's not faith. It doesn't require faith because you'd have the proof or the evidence of it. Abraham lived his life by faith. That's how he lived his life. The promises that God made that hadn't been made by faith, the promises that God made that hadn't come to pass, he believed. He had confidence in it. He thought if God promises it, it's just as good as done.

Let's notice Romans 4, verse 20. Where am I heading with all this? Romans 4, verse 20. We'll get to the part about what we need to do in a moment. Romans 4, verse 20. He did not waver, talking about Abraham, he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. He was assured of it. He didn't waver. But he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was able to perform. New Living Translation says this, Abraham never waivered in believing God's promise.

In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this, he brought glory to God, because he believed. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. Because of Abraham's faith in his foundation, he's going to dwell in that city, that city that we read about in the book of Hebrews, just a few chapters ago.

He's going to dwell on that new Jerusalem that's going to be built by God. Now, let's see part of Paul's message from Miletus to the elders and brethren before he left for Jerusalem. Let's notice Acts, chapter 20, verse 28. We'll see part of Paul's message from Miletus to the elders and brethren before he left for Jerusalem.

Miletus was a port city for Ephesus. So he had been there for quite a while. He's going to leave, and he wanted to share some things with them before he left. The point here is that the ministry, the shepherds, the elders, have the responsibility when it comes to building, to building up the flock, God's precious sheep, is what Paul talks about here in Acts, chapter 20, verse 28. So we'll spend some time with that here.

It says, "'Therefore, take heed to yourself, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.'" So we see that the elder, the minister, the shepherd, is an overseer that has to oversee those special sheep that Jesus Christ Himself purchased. They're His sheep. He bought them. You've been purchased by Jesus Christ with His own blood. And then He says, "'Because I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, and they will not spare the flock. Also, from among yourselves, men will draw away.'" Well, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away disciples, and they'll draw them away after themselves, a following for themselves. "'Therefore, watch, and remember for three years that I did not cease to tell you, and warn everyone, night and day, with tears.'" Wow! What did Paul know? He knew that some of these things were going to happen, and for three years, he reminded them that this is going to happen. That there will be savage wolves that will come in and scatter this flock that's been purchased, that Jesus Christ purchased sheep. And they had the responsibility to protect, to build up, to teach, to tend, and to care for.

"'Therefore, watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone, night and day, with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up.'" God's word, okay, we talked about that foundation as Jesus Christ, and it says, "'I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all of those who are sanctified, which means those who have been set apart for holy use.'" So Paul reminds the elders of their responsibility towards the flock.

The sheep need to be built up. They need to be cared for. And here's some of the responsibilities that Paul reminds the elders of towards the flock of Jesus Christ. Number one, the sheep don't belong to people. They don't belong to any group.

They don't belong to any organization. They belong to Jesus Christ, who has bought them. You've been bought and purchased by Jesus Christ. You're His sheep. You're His flock. You're His congregation. He's the Good Shepherd. Elders are overseers. They do perform some shepherding responsibilities, but only as Jesus Christ leads them. And we're expected to nurture and to love and protect the flock of Jesus Christ. A different translation here, the NCV translation in verse 28 says, Careful for yourselves and for all the people that the Holy Spirit has given you to care for.

To care for, to take care of. You must be like shepherds to the church of God, which He bought with the death of His own Son. That almost implies God the Father purchased them with the death of His Son. Second point, elders need to take heed and examine themselves and their motives. Elders need to take heed and to examine themselves and their motives. For any man to draw people towards himself to have a following for himself, for his own personal agenda, is called in this context that we just read a perverse thing.

Perverse, twisted, wrong, evil, perverse thing, and should never be done. The task of an elder is to build up God's special flock. To build up the sheep, the task of an elder is to build not to destroy, not to scatter, but to build. To bring about an environment of peace, an environment where people learn and grow in a peaceful environment about God's ways.

A third point that a minister, shepherd, elder should do is to point the flock towards God and towards His Word. To point God's flock towards God and to His Word. When this is done faithfully, rather than when this is done by a minister, a shepherd, an overseer, an elder, faithfully, pointing at you towards God and His Word, God will grant favor here.

There will be blessings here. There will be peace here. There will be camaraderie here. There will be a building that's going up here. A healthy church culture here, with brethren helping brethren to build and to grow. We'll talk about that responsibility in a moment. Let's turn over to Acts 9 and verse 26. Acts 9 and verse 26. A healthy church culture is about building up the brethren and helping each other to grow. Not necessarily an elder controlling someone, but helping them to grow and to build and creating that environment.

Acts 9 and verse 26. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples. This is early in his ministry, where they still questioned whether he was really a disciple or not. Because he had been one that had been causing a lot of havoc and even consenting to Stephen's death early on.

His name is still referred to as Saul here. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. You can imagine, based on his history. And they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnamos took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord.

This is Saul, or Paul, his name changed to Paul. He declared how he had seen the Lord on the road and how the Lord had spoken to him. And how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. And he disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. And when the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and they sent him to Tarsus. And then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, notice, had peace and were edified.

Brethren, this was a whole different environment. There was a time when there was peace among the churches. It says, in Judea, in Galilee, in Samaria, they had peace and were edified. And that word, edified, is the same Greek word that we read earlier about building, or building up.

It says the churches were edified. They were building. They were being built. And they were walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Wow! Now that word, edified, like I said, comes from this Greek word. I'll just spell it because it's a long one. I don't know if I pronounced it correctly. It's O-I-K-O-D-O-M-E-O. Nine letters. O-I-K-O-D-O-M-E-O. And it means to be a builder, or a house builder. It means to construct. It means to confirm. It means to build. It means to edify.

It means to embolden. Brethren, the churches had peace, and they were being built up. They were being edified through God's Spirit, through the influence of God and His Spirit. Let's notice 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 9. 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 9.

For God did not appoint us to wrath. You know, we have appointments that we go to, doctors appointments, dentists appointments. Those are ones that maybe you'd rather not go to.

But I think we all know what an appointment is. And God says He didn't appoint us to wrath or anger, as it could also be translated. What to obtain salvation. That's God's appointment for you, His everlasting life. Salvation. That's His design right from the beginning. That's what He's building. That's what He's designing. That's what He's creating. To obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the Father's design. I want you to do this through my Son. My Son is a very important part of my plan. That's the foundation I want you to build on. I want you to do this through my Son, through the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for you, or for us as it says, that whether we wake or sleep, that we should live together with Him. Wow! We're to live together with Jesus Christ right now, is what we're supposed to do. How do we do that? Notice the next part of the verse. Therefore, knowing this, that we were appointed for salvation, that we are to live together with Jesus Christ, therefore, that transitional word, comfort each other.

Comfort. Begin to build. That's what God has designed us to do, to build up one another. Notice it says, comfort each other and edify. That word means build, build up each other. That's what we do. That's what God does. That's what His sons and daughters do. They comfort one another. They're trying to encourage one another. They're trying to build one another. Everything's positive. We're on the construction site together. We're part of the building. We are a part of a, I don't know whether we're the, you know, a wall or, you know, you can have these analogies. But we are part of this building and God knows exactly where we fit in this to be a magnificent structure when we're all working together and encouraging one another.

You know, God called you and He knows exactly, the Father knows exactly where you fit in this building to be able to provide benefit to the rest of the creation. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to be responsible for bringing somebody down and finding out that they don't fulfill the very destiny that God had in mind for them as part of this building made without hands that He's constructing. I'd rather, God, wouldn't you rather hear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, you encouraged my people. You comforted my people. You were an edifier. You were a builder. That's what I wanted. That's what I designed you to do. You built on that foundation.

Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also doing. Paul's an encourager, isn't he? And I know some of us have been doing that already and have been doing that for years. And God is pleased with that.

Edify that same Greek word, oikodomeo. You know, instead of judging one another, instead of thinking the worst about one another, instead of competing with one another, we should be comforting one another, edifying one another and building one another up. But there's another spirit out there, isn't there? There's another spirit that's out there in the world, one that is contrary to what the Master Builder is doing. Satan, he's just the opposite, totally opposite. There are so many scriptures, and I'm going to cover a sermon on him and all of his names and what they mean. But one of them is destroyer. You know, a name often tells a little bit about the character of a person or of a being, and one of his is destroyer. Let's notice Revelation 9 and 11. Revelation 9 and 11. Satan is referred here to as the angel of a bottomless pit. Revelation 9 and 11. Referred to as an angel of the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon. But in Greek, he has the name Apollon. What do these names mean? Well, according to the Believer's Study Bible, the king or angel who rules over these dissident spirits is assigned a name which is characteristic of his work. The Hebrew name Abaddon and the Greek term Apollion both signify destruction. Abaddon literally means destruction. Apollon literally means destroyer. Destruction or destroyer? You know it's a lot easier to destroy something than it is to build.

A lot easier to tear something apart than it was to design and build it in the first place. But destroyer is his name. It's one of his names. Destroyer. And destruction, I suppose you could say, is his game. That's what he does. That's what he is. He's just the opposite of God who's the master builder. These two titles, destruction and destroyer, perhaps sum up his character, Satan's character, Satan's goals, Satan's purpose, probably better than almost anything else that we can find in the Scriptures. Because this is the end result of everything that he is striving for.

Complete and absolute and total destruction. If he can't have it all as some of the Scriptures that we will see in this next sermon I possibly will bring to you, if he can't have it all, then he's going to take everyone down with him that he can. If he can't have it all, he wants to destroy it all. He wants to destroy everything that God is building. He hates God so much, he wants to destroy everything that God is building or has his hands involved in. And we're part of God's building. And that's why he hates you, and that's why he hates me, and that's why he wants us destroyed. What a contrast! How can you have a greater contrast than that? The Master Builder and the Master Destroyer. What a contrast! The Destroyer with the Great Creator, the Great Builder. God is the one who creates. He's the one that builds. He's the one that edifies. He's the one who makes and who gives us so many beautiful things and so many wonderful blessings and so many great gifts that we have. He's the one that does all of these things, and Satan, on the other hand, is the Great Destroyer. That's just the way that it is. Satan and his spirits are not builders, they're destroyers. And their goal is complete destruction of the family unit and of mankind, and of everything that God is building. They seek to tear it down. They seek to tear down relationships that we have. They seek to scatter God's people, to scatter His flock, to destroy His flock. He knows the concept of divide and conquer. Scatter, divide, conquer, and destroy. He seeks to cause alienation, frustration, and broken lives. What about you and me, brethren? There's two spirits out there. What spirit are we going to follow? What spirit are we going to emulate? What are the some of the ways ... this gets to the meat and the potatoes. What are some of the ways that you and I can be a builder? Like God. We're created in His image. We were not created in Satan's image. We were created in God's image. He's a master builder. So let's get to some specifics. We've touched on some of them already. But let's get to some specifics.

I'm going to give you three points on how we can begin to be a builder, the way that God's a builder. Point number one, encourage and comfort one another. Encourage and comfort one another.

Let's note 2 Corinthians chapter 1. Well, let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 9 first. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. And we'll start in verse 9. Well, let's jump to verse number 11. I guess we've touched on this already. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another just as you are also doing. You know, it's one thing to have it in here. So another thing for you and I to actually be doing it, isn't it? In fact, that's quite a great difference, isn't it? To know what the truth is and to actually be walking in it and doing it. And God has been trying to tell us this from generation to generation to generation. But sometimes we slip and we go back into a different way of thinking. A different nature, human nature, I suppose. Satanic nature, I suppose. Where we don't always comfort one another. We don't always build up one another. We don't always encourage one another. We don't always care for one another. And yet, that's what God does. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21. Wouldn't it be nice if we could hear these things once and then just do them? And remember them always? And have them as the forefront of our eyes that guide us all of our life? And then when we get up in the morning, we think, how can I help build today? How can I leave something better than what I found? How can I encourage someone today? How can I make their life better today? How can I comfort them today and do it every single day for the rest of our lives? What would happen to our character? It would transform us. We'd become more like God is, wouldn't we? 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. God's establishing you. He's anointing you in Christ. And the one that's doing this is the Father, who also has sealed us and has given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. God says, I'm building something in you, and I'm going to give you some of the very essence that I am composed of, the Holy Spirit, as a guarantee. You know what a guarantee is? That God's going to follow through with the rest. It's a down payment. A guarantee. Moreover, He writes, I call God as a witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth, not that we have dominion over your faith. Paul says, I don't have dominion over your faith. God does. But He says, but I am a fellow worker with you for your joy. He said, I'm trying to build you up. I'm trying to edify you for your joy. I'm a fellow worker for your joy because by faith you stand. Hopefully on that foundation God's been telling us about. So in context, Paul writes a strong and corrective letter to Corinth, that he had done in his previous letter. But Paul knew in his heart that his major calling was to build them up, to lead them to joy and to happiness. Different translation of 2 Corinthians 1, verse 24 says this, We are not trying to control your faith. You are strong in faith, but we are workers with you for your own joy. We are all fellow workers, you and I, together, on a construction site.

Building on a foundation, which is Jesus Christ. You know, on a construction site, all the tradesmen work together in order for there to be a successful completion of the building. They coordinate their skills. They all have different skills, don't they? They all don't have the same skills. They all don't have the same talents.

But they work together to build. We know the blueprint or the drawings. God's revealed that to us through the Scripture. Of what he's building, those plans are seen through the Holy Days and throughout the rest of Scripture. Second point. Pray and fast for one another. Pray and fast for one another. Let's notice James 5, in verse 16.

James 5, in verse 16.

James, writing to God's people, you and I, in a sense, as well, as we read and hear and listen. Confess your trespasses to one another. You know, that's something that I don't think we do very often, do we? No. I'm trying to wrap my mind around what God is trying to tell us here. And you know, I've done that every once in a while. It's under special occasions, I think. You know, when you really trust your brother or your sister to confess your trespasses to one another. But in the times that I have done that, I've seen fruit that's been born from that. Because you know, the person that I'm talking to realizes that they have their own sins. And you have an affinity because you realize you're struggling together. You're struggling together in trying to build, I suppose, in a way, the character of Jesus Christ in yourself. And all of a sudden, you come down to the same playing field. And you realize, boy, I know that person's got faults, but I know I've got faults too. And you almost have an affinity for each other when that happens. The Scripture says, confess your trespasses to one another and notice and pray for one another. You know, God says things for a reason. You know, that word prayer gets thrown around a lot, I think. Prayer is nothing more than talking to God, carrying on a conversation with God or with one another, I suppose. But God says, I want you to pray, not for yourself necessarily, although we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. So I suppose there's a time when we ask for God's intervention in our own life. But to ask for God's intervention in somebody else's life. To build. To help edify. God says things for a reason, and He tells us, He commands us to pray for one another. Now, that changes the dynamics. When we start to pray for one another, it changes the way we think about somebody else. It really does. Our mind gets turned from where it was going, and it gets turned in a godly way when we pray for somebody else. We pray for them, for their good, for their edification. And as we can help, we encourage and comfort, as we saw in the first point. It says, the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails little. Is that what that Scripture says? God must know what He's talking about, doesn't He? He says, I hear an effective fervent prayer that comes from the heart, that comes from sincerity, that comes from the right perspective of someone who's trying to build and edify, because that's what I am, that's what I do. And I hear that prayer. When someone's praying for another one of my sons and daughters and is concerned about them, and is trying to build them up and to encourage them, that they're right on the same wavelength with me. Because that's what I'm doing. That's what I think about. That's what I talk about with Jesus Christ when we work. That's what's on our mind, is building this building. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. He makes a difference. God's making a difference. He wants you and me to make a difference. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. Elijah was like you and me. He was a man, part of mankind. And it says, and he prayed earnestly. Talk to God earnestly, and that it wouldn't rain. God answered that prayer, because there's no way Elijah could stop the rain from coming. God could, and God did. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain, for three years and six months. And then He prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth, this is from the Scriptures now. If anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back.

You know, God talks about leaving the 99 and go find the one that's strayed. That's how important each one is to God. You know, we really need to humble ourselves, don't we? We need to be thinking about the things that God thinks about. You know, to strip off the pride and to strip off our own wrong thinking, and begin to think the way God created you and I to think.

To begin to become like Him, to be like the Father. Prayer is powerful, and can literally make a difference. We pray for somebody else. We pray for someone who's maybe wandering away from the truth. Are we making effort to comfort or encouraged to build them up? We do everything that we can. God does everything He can.

To turn them back. Let Him know that He who turns a sinner from the air of His way will save a soul from death. Now, I think that's talking about eternal death, not a physical death. You remember what God's appointment was in this building that He's making without hands? Salvation. Not death. Not destruction.

He will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Hopefully changing somebody's life and direction, or they stop the air of their way. Stop wandering away from the truth. Truth of the Scriptures. Prayer is powerful. Fasting is powerful. When it's done according to God's instruction, where we humble ourselves. Remember, in the book of Isaiah, it talks about the kind of fast that God does listen to, and the prayer that He does listen to, it makes a huge difference.

Huge. Psalm 35, verse 11. Psalm 35, verse 11. Now, brethren, what's it going to take for us to have the kind of church that God wants us to be, the kind of congregation that He's called us to be? Where we have peace? Where we're edifying one another? Where we're looking out for the interests of others? What's it take to do that? Well, God's telling us today. He's telling us today. Psalm 35, verse 11. See an example of David here. David said, "...fierce witnesses rise up, and they ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul." David said, I've got witnesses, false witnesses, that are rising up and saying things about me.

I don't even understand what they're talking about. I don't even know what they're saying. "...and they reward me evil for good." David said, I have not been evil towards them. I've been good towards them. But they reward me evil for good. "...to the sorrow of my soul." He said, it was affecting me. It was sorrowful to me to see this happening. He said, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.

He said, I humbled myself, and he's sincere. It's not a false humility. I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though they were a friend or a brother. Wow, what an example here. He was moved towards them. He prayed, and he fasted for somebody that was not treating him very well at all. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother. I bowed down.

He prayed. He bowed down heavily as one who mourns for his mother. Wow! What an incredible example of, let's just say what it is, this love, godly love, towards somebody else, one of the fruits of the Spirit. An incredible example of King David's love. When his enemies were sick, he fasted and he prayed for them, that they would be healed, just as if they'd been his own brothers or sisters, or even his own mother. If he's willing to do this, how much more should we be praying and fasting for those of us here that are part of this master building?

How much more should we be praying and fasting for brethren that are maybe going through a terrible trial? Because that happens, doesn't it? Some of you are going through that right now. We don't even necessarily know what you're going through. Third point. Offer to help one another and to care for one another. Offer to help others and to care for others. James 2, verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but he doesn't have any works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food? Wow, we're talking about somebody that doesn't have enough clothes to wear and doesn't know where their next meal is coming from that day.

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, part in peace, be warmed and filled, and if you do not give them the things which are needed or needful for the body? That's something they need. You're just using words is what he's saying. What does that profit? What does that do? What does that change? What does that build? What does that edify? Thus also, faith by itself, if it doesn't have works, is dead. Not faith at all. It's a fake faith, I suppose, if you want to put it that way.

It's a counterfeit faith. If we don't care for one another, if we don't help one another, then we don't have faith. I think we do. We're deceiving ourselves, not according to the Scriptures. And that's what we stand on, the foundation that we stand on.

But someone will say, well, you have faith and I have works. He has to straighten us out. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God and you do well. Even the demons believe that and they tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Wasn't Abraham, our Father, justified by works when he offered Isaac? He was willing to give up something that God said that He wanted.

He was willing to offer His Son on the altar. Do you see that faith was working together with His works? Do you and I see that? That our faith will work together with our works. And by works, your and my faith is made perfect. It's built up. It's made.

And that's what God wants. It's a perfect faith. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God. You see then, the transition, you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. Brethren, the works that he's talking about are many, but they include edifying one another, encouraging one another, comforting one another, building up one another, not tearing down.

Faith and works were not in contrast or in competition with each other. They worked together to achieve and build greater things. Brethren, when we have the ability, especially when we see others that have needs, physical needs, down in the dump needs, spiritual needs, we can encourage, we can help financially. We should help. We should encourage. We should care for, with encouragement, with prayers, with fasting.

And helping the physical needs as we can. So let's conclude. Let's wrap things up here. In conclusion, our God is a great Master Builder. It's what He is. It's what He's been doing. That's the work that He's doing along with His Son, Jesus Christ.

He designed and He built the world in which we live. He made us in His own image. He created us in His own image with the desire to construct and to build. It's a part of what we are. It's your destiny. And if we don't follow our destiny that has been God-given and created, we will forever be frustrated and may not be a part of God's family.

He made us in His own image with the desire to construct and build, and He's building character in you. He's building a family right now. He's building a kingdom right now. It's in the construction process. In contrast, the adversary is a destroyer. Complete opposite. So many Scriptures that I could cover about Him, no light in Him, that there is no truth in Him at all.

It's gone. And that's pretty frightening, isn't it? Pretty frightening of what happened to Him. He's a destroyer. He's our enemy. He's a master divider. He's a master scatterer. He destroys families. He destroys the work. He destroys the church. He desires to destroy ultimately all mankind. Plain and simple. He desires chaos. He desires confusion. He desires suspicion. He wants us to have contempt towards each other and towards God. Whose example are you and I going to follow?

Whose example will we follow? Because we have the ability to choose, don't we? I encourage you to choose to be a builder, to be a people builder, to be an edifier. Make it your life mission to build up everything and everyone around you.

You know, we talk about mission statements. Maybe you've heard about that. Some people have talked about having your own personal mission statement. I don't think that's a bad idea. I really don't. But you look at every single morning when you get up, and it guides you throughout that day, it guides you throughout the rest of your life.

Make it your mission, your life mission, to build up everything and everyone around you, in your influence, in your sphere of influence. Will it always be appreciated? Will it always be respected? No. No, it won't. That's just the way it is. But you know, that isn't our problem, is it? God continues to love you and to love me, despite the way we've lived our lives. He continues to try to edify and build us up with incredible, long-suffering and mercy.

He continues to love and build us up, even though we often take it for granted of what He's doing in you and in me. You know, I've been to a few construction sites around over the years, and sometimes I've observed, even just with a few weeks before the grand opening, that things are still kind of a mess around the construction site. Trash, garbage, pieces of material that were still left there on the ground. You know, in just a few days, sometimes, before the grand opening of any magnificent building, you can see this mess that can be scattered around.

Maybe you feel a little bit like that in your own life right now. There's a little bit of a mess that's there. But don't get discouraged, and don't question the master builder. And what he's building in you, and in all of us together. Be patient with yourself, and be patient with others. And please don't ever forget that you are the building of God. You're His building. Let's finish with one last scripture, Romans 14, verse 9. Romans 14, verse 9. Oh, excuse me, Romans 14, verse 19.

Romans chapter 14 and verse 19. Transitional word, therefore, knowing what's gone on before us, or what we've read before us, verse 18, For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore, let us pursue things which make for peace. Let's pursue ... you know what that name means, or that word means? You're running after somebody, aren't you? I'm pursuing them, okay? They've got my car keys. They took my wallet, or whatever. You're pursuing ...

what are we to pursue? Pursue those things which make for peace. You want to run after something? You want to be quick to get going in a certain direction? Then pursue the things which make for peace, and not the other. The things which scatter, the things which divide, the things which confuse. Pursue the things that make for peace. And also, as we read verse 19, And the things by which one may edify another. Wow, is it clear, brethren? I think it's pretty clear, isn't it?

I hope I haven't stressed it so much, if you think, shut up. You know, I hope you don't think that. I hope you think, you know what? If we all followed this, if we all followed these Scriptures, we pursued, we ran after peace, and the things that build up somebody else, how that would change everything. Brethren, let's all, together, as individuals here, as committees of one, let's be builders.