Go Forth and Build

Well, brother and I have always been impressed by those who could build things and build them well. There are lots of ways to build, as we all know. Some people have learned to build buildings, to build houses, to build garages, to build game rooms. Others have learned to build swimming pools, motorhomes, cars, double-wide trailers, tree houses. Others have learned to build tractors, semi-trucks, cranes. Others have learned to build microscopes, telescopes, televisions, radios. Some have learned to build airplanes, jumbo jets, helicopters, tanks, nuclear bombs, atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs. Some have built skyscrapers, castles, great cathedrals, temples. Others know how to build microchips, computers, cell phones, Swiss watches. You name it, someone knows how to build it. The list goes on and on and on. But ultimately, where does all this building come from, or where did it originate? Well, I think we all understand that the awesome creator God obviously has a lot of marvelous qualities and traits. And I submit to you that God is a master builder. He's a master designer, a master creator. And that is ultimately where all this building comes from. God has made mankind in His image with the ability to create and to build many marvelous things. We are a chip off the old block, so to speak, when it comes to building. We have inherited from God this great ability to build and to design. In a very real sense, this ability to create is the very essence of who and what God is. Most importantly, God is now building an eternal family. In order to have an eternal family, God is in the business of creating godly character. We, who have been in the church a long time, certainly remember Mr. Herbert Armstrong talking about God building character within human beings, within those who are now called as the elect and the firstfruits. God is building godly character in you and in me, but He needs our cooperation, doesn't He? He doesn't force us to build character. He needs your submission to Him. He will do the building, but you must willingly allow Him to build character in you.

So what are you building? Or, perhaps better yet, what is God building in you?

Let's go to Genesis 1 and see an example of God as a builder.

God is obviously a great builder, and in the beginning, God built or created the heavens and the earth.

And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God, that is, the power of God, was hovering over the face of the waters, and God said, let there be light. And there was light, and God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness, and He called the light day. And the darkness He called night, so the evening and the morning were the first day. And we could, of course, go on and continue to read the entire creation account.

Instead, let's go to verse 26.

Then God said that us make man in our image, according to our likeness, because there were actually two beings at this time, the one known as God the Father, and the one who became known as Jesus the Christ, through whom God created all things.

God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God made man, or created man, in His own image. In the image of God, He created Him, male and female, He created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, and so forth, and so on, every living thing.

So we see God is a great builder. In verse 31, God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

And so the evening and the morning were the sixth day. And then we know that God created the Sabbath by resting on the Sabbath, and the Sabbath was made for you and me.

And I know we're very grateful to God for that. God is indeed a builder of worlds.

In the book of Genesis, we see the origins and what God is doing.

He's the builder of human beings. He's the builder of the family.

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

God is indeed building a family.

Now, we were created in His image, and this means that we, too, are builders.

Just look at our civilizations. Look at history, the various wonders of the world, and the different societies that have been built throughout the ages.

And we will see that, certainly, this is true.

Since ancient times, mankind has continuously built homes, temples, palaces, unique cultures in all parts of the world.

Man is indeed a builder. If we go to Genesis 11, we'll see that man was in a hurry, building things.

Let's go to Genesis 11. Of course, this was after the Flood.

Now, the whole earth had one language and one speech at this time, 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, they had asphalt for mortar, 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, it seems like we are getting there again. We pretty much have one language now.

You can get on a computer, and you can type something in English, and you can send it over to any country, pretty much, and they can translate it simultaneously, and we can communicate back and forth as though we had one language.

So God saw that things were just happening too quickly. God had a certain plan, a six-thousand-year plan, and things were just moving more quickly than God wanted at this time.

He says, nothing that they proposed to do will be withheld from them, because they were communicating, they were learning to build from each other, and things were really escalating.

Now, we know that the Scripture says that in the last days, knowledge will increase.

People will be going to and fro on the face of the earth, and knowledge is going to be increasing. Certainly, we see that today. We see unbelievable advances in just pretty much every aspect of our lives, especially in electronics and things that I don't understand, things that go on that are really mind-boggling with computers, and who knows where it's all going to lead in the next ten to fifteen, twenty years, if we have that much time. So, in verse 7, God said, Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

So, the Lord scattered them abroad from over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city, the city of Babel, or Babylon. Therefore, its 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.

True to our heritage, man is a builder of cities, of empires, of kingdoms, of governments, of various organizations.

We are wired with a need to create and to build from the time of our birth.

Even little kids with tinker toys will eventually figure out how to build something with them.

We have Lego land, where, you know, I've never been to Lego land, but I'm sure it's pretty fascinating where you can build amazing things out of Legos.

The desire to build is in our DNA. Since God gave us all the innate desire to build, to improve, and to increase our lot through building, let's consider this a little more in depth. Let's go to John 5.

John 5.

We'll start reading in verse 5. John 5.

John 5.

John 5.

Now, a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be made well?

The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.

So this is a rather incredible thing that was happening here.

Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk.

So this man didn't need the angels to stir up the water because Christ spoke, and it happened. Rise, take up your bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made well.

He took up his bed, and he walked, and that day was the Sabbath.

Now the Jews therefore said to him who was secured, It is the Sabbath that is not lawful for you to carry your bed.

Now this shows how petty human beings can be, especially those who are in charge at times, because they don't like anybody treading on their ground, so to speak.

They were no doubt jealous of Jesus Christ and what he could do.

So they were taking him to task for carrying his bed on the Sabbath.

Christ had rise up and walk, and the bed was probably just a little roll-up deal anyway.

And they were just trying to make trouble with this man who was just healed.

He answered them, He who made me well said to me, Take up your bed and walk.

Then they asked him, Who is the man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk?

But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, and multitude being in that place.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, See, you have been made well.

Or, lest a worse thing come upon you.

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he healed this man.

And they sought to kill him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath.

Now, who is the Lord of the Sabbath?

Of course, Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Christ is the one who made the Sabbath, the one who rested, the one who created all things.

In the book of Ephesians it tells us that all things were made by Jesus Christ.

Notice verse 17, Christ answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath.

Of course, he didn't break the Sabbath.

He is the one who makes the rules for the Sabbath.

And he says, it's fine to do good on the Sabbath.

And if you have the power to heal, then I would certainly recommend that you do so on the Sabbath or any other day.

But also said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

And Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do. For whatever he does, the Son also does in like manner.

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself does.

And he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel, for as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom he will.

Again, God is building a family, an eternal family.

And eventually all people will be called. Everyone will have an opportunity to respond to God's call.

Right now he's not calling everyone.

Verse 22, For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Now, let's ask ourselves, what kind of work is the Father and Jesus Christ doing today?

In John 9, let's go to John 9.

Again, we see that they are building a family, they're building a people, they're building a spiritual kingdom.

John 9, verse 1.

Now, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned?

This man or his parents, that he was born blind.

Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.

See, God is in the process of healing people.

That's what God is doing now. He's healing all of us.

He's been healing us in various ways.

And he is building us into his eternal family.

I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work.

Christ said, as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Christ brings light to the world.

Again, Christ goes on to show how he heals more people here.

And God wants us to also be in the business of healing, of building people up, of healing them in various ways. So we need to be also about building character within us, building spiritual character.

And of course, we do that partially by helping others, by giving of ourselves to others.

That's what God is all about.

God is love, and love is outgoing. It's outgoing concern.

It is building and helping others, building them up and edifying them.

So we do need to be serious about building spiritual character.

That's the most important thing. Now, some of you may really like to build things, and that's great. I think all of us, again, have an innate desire to build.

And there are many, many ways to build.

But the most important thing that we can be doing is yielding to God and allowing God to build that character in us.

On the opposite side of the equation, what does Satan do in his work?

In fact, what does Satan's name mean?

Satan tears down. Satan destroys.

He harms. He weakens.

Satan is the God of this world, and this world is headed toward destruction.

Now, we see, even in this country, we're so many trillions of dollars worth in debt.

How could we ever possibly dig our way out?

But we've gotten ourselves in such a huge hole.

One of his main instruments that Satan has is war.

War throughout the ages, man's inhumanity to man.

So war has been a big tool of Satan's.

We are the united Church of God.

That's what we're supposed to be.

We're supposed to be a united people, working together, doing God's will, doing God's work.

And the more united we are, the more effective we're going to be in building something of value.

So God wants us to learn these lessons. Satan wants to tear things down. Satan wants to see us in disarray.

And frankly, he's been pretty effective in many ways, even within the Church, to cause a lot of problems.

We still have human nature, don't we?

And we still have jealousies, and we have envy.

We tend to divide rather than unite.

So it really takes much effort to stay united.

God tests our spiritual building from time to time, doesn't he?

We've been through trials. God does test our spiritual building.

Let's go to 1 Corinthians 3 and consider some verses here.

God will continue to test us until Christ returns, until we're changed, until we become spirit, born into God's spiritual family.

In 1 Corinthians 3, let's start in verse 6.

And Corinth was a church that really had a lot of problems. They were very disunified. There was a lot of division, a lot of schisms going on.

In verse 6, Paul says, I planted, 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.

In other words, our focus should be upon God. And what God's doing, not so much on man and the frailties of man and the problems of mankind, but more on 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. We do reap what we sow, for we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building.

Again, he's talking to the Church of Corinth, and you are God's building as well, here in this little community here of Cave Springs. We've come in from miles around as the Northwest Arkansas congregation, but you are God's building. This is what God's doing here in this neck of the woods.

According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it.

But let each one take heed how he builds on it. See, Paul didn't have a problem with other ministers coming along and building, as long as they were building and not tearing things down.

Paul is really one who teaches a lot about unity and how the Church should be unified.

Verse 11, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Christ is the head of the Church. And if anyone builds on this foundation, with gold, with silver, with precious stones, with wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear, for the day will declare it. Speaking about the day of judgment or the day of God's wrath, or the day of the Lord, 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, built on it, endures, he will receive a reward.

If you build something that endures spiritually, you will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet as though through fire. Do not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you. Speaking about each of us individually, once we're baptized and we have hands laid upon us, and we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, then God's Spirit dwells in us. You know, God is certainly building in earnest in us once he gives us his Spirit.

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. You are God's building. God is working in you. God has called us out of this world. He does want us to change. He wants us to become different from what we once were. And he wants us to continually be striving to go in the right direction, closer to him, further away from Satan and Satan's world.

So God does promise a reward for those who build properly. Paul states that we are, again, God's field or God's building. And if the foundation is sound, the building will not be totally destroyed. The superstructure may suffer loss, but this structure can be rebuilt on the solid foundation, newer and better than ever. So we all mess up at times, don't we? There's no one here that's perfect. We fall short of God's glory. We have to pick ourselves back up once we've slipped, once we've sinned against God. And we may have to suffer some loss for that.

Our reputation may suffer. Our families may suffer in various ways. But as long as we get back up and continue to fight the good fight, something important, something worthwhile can be built on that foundation. God is indeed building us up into something useful and magnificent in His sight.

However, the foundation that we need to have is a sound and solid relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ is the chief cornerstone. If our spiritual foundation is in Christ, we can face any personal trial or tragedy, and we can still stand tall when it's all said and done.

We may not understand why we face the things that we do, why God allows us to go through the trials that He does. But we can have faith that God is in the business of perfecting us, of helping us grow spiritually, of helping us build character. When we face our trials and we do it cheerfully, and we do it in a way that honors God and shows that we have faith in God and that we trust Him, you can't put a price tag on that, can you?

You can't put a price tag on how important that example is. So we may not understand why we face the things we do, why God allows them, but we will endure and our foundation will be reinforced through the struggles that we go through. I talked about sheltering or, what was it, surviving life storms, I think? Probably, I think it was the last sermon I gave here. God continues to pour out trials upon us as God's people. But as long as we have faith in God and trust Him, then it all works out for the good in the end. That's another sermon I've given too, that all things work together for good.

Sometimes it's hard to see the good in things, so I've got another sermon to give. You don't get all my sermons because I don't get here as often. So I have to try to choose which sermon to give, but I may give that one here sometime. We may not understand again why we face the things we do, but if we have faith that God will never leave us and will never forsake us, we can trust that something good is happening. God is building something good in us. Let's go to Hebrews 11, where it clearly says that our builder and maker is God, and God is also building a city, the New Jerusalem.

And we will be a part of all of that. We're a part of all of God's plan. Hebrews 11, this is a very inspiring chapter. Let's start in verse 1. Let's read several verses here.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is something hoped for that has no proof or evidence. If you could only see it or taste it or hear it or smell it, touch it, it wouldn't require faith because you would have proof or evidence of it. Let's continue reading here.

It's omnipotent. God is all-powerful. God speaks and it happens. You know, I speak and a lot of things don't happen. But when God speaks, it happens.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. So that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. But God does take faith. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It's by faith that we do the things that we do when we honor God. And we do the right thing when we make the right choices. That's what Abel did. He made a good choice. Cain didn't make a good choice. Cain was holding back. Abel was giving the best that he had.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Through which he obtained witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts and through it he, being dead, still speaks. You know, Abel still speaks to us today, doesn't he? Because of his example, because of what he did. Because of the sacrifice that he made. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death. Enoch walked with God, remember? The example that Enoch said.

And he was not found because God had taken him. Before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God. That was his testimony. He pleased God. What does God say about you? Are you pleasing to God? No doubt you are. You know, God loves you and there are certain choices that you make that are certainly pleasing to God. I'm sure there are times when we're not so pleasing to God because we make wrong choices. Verse 6, But without faith it is impossible to please him.

For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Now it's easy to get discouraged when we fall short, isn't it? When you sin, isn't it easy to get discouraged and perhaps let down and perhaps even sin more? And make excuses for yourself.

It takes faith to get back up and to get moving again. You know, we need to have that kind of faith. And know that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, those that don't give up, those that keep fighting the good fight. By faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household.

Now Noah, no doubt, was under great ridicule for doing what he was doing. I mean, it was a lunatic. It was clear. People could see what Noah was doing. He was building a big ark out in the middle of the desert. Not a lot of rain. Not a whole lot going on. But it was by faith Noah did this, and he was warned of things that were not yet seen. But he was warned that the rains would come and they wouldn't stop until the whole earth had been flooded.

So he 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, doing the right thing. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance, the land of Canaan, the promised land, the land that God told him he would give him. And so he went out not knowing where he was going.

And 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 the same promise. They also believed that promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations which builder and maker is God.

Only what God builds will last. Only what God builds will last forever. So if you last forever, it's because God is building something good in you. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age because she judged him faithful who had promised.

She might have laughed, but she really still had faith. I'm sure we might have laughed too, right? 90 years old you're going to have a baby? Sure. That is funny. But she also had faith and she bore that child. Therefore from one man and him as good as dead, because Abraham was 99 years old, and Abraham and Isaac were both as good as dead in terms of being able to reproduce and bear children. But from them were born as many as the stars of the sky and multitude innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Now we have to confess that we also are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. People think we're pretty strange, don't they? We don't keep these holidays when most people do. It's because we're strange. We have a strange religion. Right. That paper that Mr. Sandy, that's not strange. All these various myths and gods and other things. Interesting. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. Those who are pilgrims and strangers on the earth were seeking something different, were seeking something better. You are seeking something better. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. God has prepared a city for us. The New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven and will usher in an eternal kingdom that will last forever and ever. There will be no sin in the New Jerusalem. So there is something, certainly, that we should all look forward to. And it should help motivate us to get out of bed in the morning and to come here to church and to repent of our sins.

God wants us to draw ever closer to Him as we see things getting worse and worse in this world. Abraham had the right foundation. Abraham believed God. He had faith in God. He trusted God. He lived by faith. And it goes on to talk about how Moses had faith as well.

Moses trusted in God and he says that he was not willing to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, because he had faith that there was something better that God was doing through him and building in him. And that's the kind of same attitude and approach that we need to have. We need to forsake our sins, put them behind us, and walk more faithfully with God.

So Abraham had a right foundation. He lived by faith. He believed the promises that God had given him. So faith is believing in knowing something even though you can't prove it with any of your five senses. But if God says it, you know what's going to happen. Abraham lived his life by faith simply because of the promises that God had made to him.

His attitude was that if God promises it, then it is as good as done. What God promises in the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel and Isaiah and Amos and all the Bible, those things are going to happen. They're going to come to pass because they're promises that God has made.

Because of Abraham's faith and his foundation, he will dwell in the New Jerusalem that God is building. Now, as mentioned earlier, there is a different plan brought forth by a disloyal former member of the inner circle.

Of course, that was Lucifer. Sin was found in Lucifer. Pride welled up within Lucifer. He became Satan, the destroyer. In fact, let's go to Revelation 9 and we'll consider his name. Revelation 9. Satan is indeed a destroyer. Revelation 9. 6 Satan is the destroyer. Satan is the destroyer.

And if Christ doesn't intervene, no flesh will be saved alive. Isn't that not what Matthew 24 tells us? That God is going to have to intervene or all human life would be snuffed off the face of the earth.

He says, one woe is passed in verse 12. One woe is passed. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

Now, again, there are some cataclysmic and tumultuous times that are coming upon the earth. Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitors of the earth. That's what the Bible says. Now, again, these names of Satan, what do they mean?

The believers study Bible states, the king or angel who rules over these dissident spirits is also assigned a name which is characteristic of his work. The Hebrew word abaddon, in the Greek term apolion, both signify destruction. However, this should not be understood as annihilation.

The word apolion arises from the Greek word luo, which means to loose, and apo, which is a preposition indicating movement away. So the idea is that the destruction caused by Satan and sin is in effect the loss of all meaningful existence and is due to being loose forever from God.

So it's not having a relationship with God any longer. It's being cut off from God. Satan and his spirits are not builders, but they are destroyers, and their goal is the complete destruction of a family and a mankind.

The things that we read about, hear about, the murdering of all these little children and the teachers, that's Satan's doing. Satan's behind that. Satan is the one that stirs people up to do things like that. That's not a person in his right mind.

Satan is there. Satan is the destroyer.

Satan and his spirits are not builders, but they are destroyers, and their goal is complete destruction of the family and of mankind.

They desire to tear down relationships. They seek to cause alienation, frustration, and brokenness in human lives.

If we allow Satan, he will work in the church of God. Satan is not exempt from affecting church members. We all know that. We've seen Satan's hand.

Let's see part of Paul's message from Miletus to the elders and brethren before he left for Jerusalem.

Miletus was the port city for Ephesus. Let's go to Acts 20. Acts 20 Therefore take heed to yourselves 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.

Now, God cares a great deal about the church of God. We've been purchased with Christ's blood because the church of God is composed of those who have repented.

The church of God is composed of those who are the firstfruits, who have repented of their sins, who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have been purchased with his own blood. We have accepted the sacrifice of Christ. We've accepted his blood on our behalf.

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

That's always a danger, that there will be savage wolves who will come in among the flock.

Also, from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Therefore, watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

So this was something that Paul could vividly see. He could see the seeds of destruction that were there amongst the people of God.

He could see that some were not converted. They were not led by the Spirit of God.

They would speak perverse things, draw people away.

So he says, 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 and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Again, God is building us up. He wants to give us an inheritance because we have been sanctified and set apart for a holy purpose.

I have coveted no one's silver or gold, Paul says, or apparel.

Yes, you yourselves know that these hands are provided for my necessities and for those who are with me.

I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak.

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and he prayed with them all.

And they all wept freely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorry most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more than leaving on the ship.

So these were Paul's parting words to the church there.

And he was telling these people of God that don't be surprised when things happen.

Satan is powerful. Satan is destructive. Satan does have his instruments.

People that will reap destruction upon God's family, upon God's church.

Now let's consider what Paul reminds the elders of here in the book of Acts.

These were elders that he was speaking to here.

He was reminding them of their responsibility toward the flock.

First of all, Paul reminded them that the sheep don't belong to people or any group. They belong to Jesus Christ.

Christ, again, is the head of God's church. People belong to Christ. They don't belong to any men.

There shouldn't be factions in the church. There shouldn't be factions of people who follow one man and factions who follow another man.

We should follow people only as they follow Christ.

Because Christ is the head of this church. We should look to him. We should look beyond human beings.

To not follow men. No doubt, we'll be tested again in the future as we have been in the past.

People will be tested as to whether they'll follow Christ or whether they will follow men who are not following Christ.

So, again, Christ is the Good Shepherd. Christ shed his blood for the sheep.

Elders are simply overseers who are expected to nurture and to love the flock as a protector and as a trustee.

God is entrusted the care of the sheep to elders.

And we will be held accountable for the way we treat the sheep, the way we teach the sheep of God, and how we care for them and nurture them.

A real shepherd loves the sheep and protects the sheep. He takes care of the sheep. He doesn't abandon the sheep. He doesn't leave the sheep.

Acts 28, verse 28, in the New Century version reads like this, Be careful for yourselves and for all the people the Holy Spirit has given to you to care for.

Verse 28, again, these were words to the elders there, You must be like shepherds to the church of God which he bought with the death of his own son.

So, again, the sheep don't belong to people, to any group.

Secondly, elders need to take heed and examine themselves. They need to examine their own motives. And they need to do this on a frequent basis. For any man to draw people toward himself or his own personal agenda is called a perverse thing. It's a perverse thing. That's what we read a while ago.

It is a perverse thing in verse 30, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

So we have to be able to discern the truth from error, from falsehood, from lies.

The task of an elder is to build up, not to destroy or scatter the flock of God.

My job is to help build us up, not to scatter us.

All of us as elders need to do what we can to build the flock, not to scatter the flock, but to build it, to help the flock grow and become stronger. So elders need to take heed and examine themselves. They need to examine their own motives.

And thirdly, an elder should point the flock toward God and his word.

We shouldn't point you toward any man, including, especially, ourselves.

When this is done faithfully, God grants his favor and is able to build up his people.

A healthy church culture is about building and growing as brethren, as people. And, you know, I am a member, a brother first.

I was a member long before I was an elder.

And we're all in this together. We're all brothers and sisters in Christ.

And we just have different responsibilities, some of us, who have been ordained as elders, as deacons. We have different responsibilities, but the most important thing is that we're all converted.

You know, that tells whether or not we're truly God's children, whether or not we're a part of his family.

Are we converted?

In Acts 9, beginning in verse 26, it uses the word edified here. Now, I think we recognize the word edifice, or we know what the word edifice is. It's just a building. This is an edifice.

This building that we're in today is an edifice.

From this word is the word edified in Acts 9.

Let's read... where am I at here? Acts 9. Let's start in verse 26.

Acts 9, verse 26.

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. Now, this was shortly after Paul had been struck down on the road to Damascus. You know, Paul had been busy persecuting the church, having people dragged out of their homes and cartered off to prison. Some of them killed. So is it any wonder that they were afraid to have him come amongst them? They were all afraid of him. They didn't know if he was a spy, if he was just doing this, so he could find out who all the Christians were.

You know, they were suspicious.

And they did not believe that he was a disciple. You know, they had a hard time believing that he'd really changed.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Now, Barnabas, that's the son of encouragement, you know, Barnabas could see that Paul was genuine, and he was willing to go to bat for Paul. He's really willing to stack his neck out for Paul.

So Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that he had spoken to him. Now, of course, Paul is describing this. And now he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem coming in and going out. So he was being active from Jerusalem.

And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists. But they attempted to kill him. They began to persecute him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. And it talks about how the church begins to prosper.

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, and they were edified. They were built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied, and God was blessing them. I'm hoping that we will begin to see more and more of God's blessings upon this little flock. I'm hoping that one day we'll have this room filled with people that God sees fit to call.

I don't know if that's going to happen or not. I hope that it does. Certainly I know that God is in charge, and what God does is what needs to be done. As He sees us and as He works with us. The word edified here that I just read to you is from the Greek word ochodomio. It's kind of like okey-dokey. That's a good okey word.

Ochodomio. O-I-K-O-D-O-M-E-O. It means to be a house builder, to construct or confirm, to build, to edify, to embolden. Again, the word edifice comes from this word, ochodomio. The churches had peace and were being built up through the Spirit of God, through the Holy Spirit. The end result was growth in their love and eventually even in their numbers. They were being multiplied. 1 Thessalonians 5. Let's go back to 1 Thessalonians 5. I'm hopeful that we will return to some of the power of the early church. The last days, the last remnant, that the remnant of God's people will have some of the same power that the early church had. I think that may well be the case.

Perhaps we will be a part of that. Perhaps we will see God pour out His power in amazing ways within His church among His people. Now, in 1 Thessalonians 5, let's go there. 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 9. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Those of us who God is calling out at this time, He did not appoint us to wrath. Now, God is going to pour His wrath down on those who are sinning people who have not repented of their sins, who aren't fighting the good fight, who aren't growing and overcoming and building character in their lives and in themselves.

God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. That whether we wake or sleep, in other words, whether we're alive or dead, we should live together with Him. In other words, spiritually, we need to be close to God, we need to have the right relationship with God, that we should live together with Him, therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing.

So they were doing this, He encouraged them to do more of this, to edify each other. This is a small group. You all know each other fairly well here, except some that might be here for just a few times. But, you know, we're getting to know each other pretty well.

We need to certainly edify each other, build each other up, be there for each other, help each other grow and develop. So let's talk about three ways that we can build each other up. Three ways that we can be a builder like God and not a destroyer. The first point is to encourage and to comfort one another. By the word that same word we just read in this last verse, in 1 Thessalonians 5, is also ocodomio, to edify, to build up. Instead of judging and competing with one another, all of the elect of God are called to comfort and build up one another.

We shouldn't be competing with each other. I've heard people refer to competing groups or organizations. I hate to hear that. That just is so wrong. We shouldn't be competing with one another. What are some of the ways that we can be a builder like God and not a destroyer? First of all, encourage and comfort one another. Really be there for each other. Go out of your way for each other.

In 2 Corinthians 2, again, it shows us how we need to take this seriously, that we need to really go out of our way to encourage one another. It's always very encouraging for me to come here on the Sabbath. This is always a good day to come here.

You are an encouraging, comforting people. I appreciate that, and I hope to set that kind of example myself, to encourage, to comfort each other. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21, Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God. God and Christ work together. God calls us, He brings us to Christ, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. We have the Spirit of God in our hearts.

The Spirit of God is not a person. The Spirit of God is the very nature, it's the power of God. God grants us a bit of that. He has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. It's a guarantee, as long as you have God's Spirit, when you die or when Christ returns, you shall be changed to Spirit. It's a guarantee. Moreover, I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.

Not that we have dominion over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for by faith you stand. Again, we elders are to be helpers of your joy. By faith you stand. You trust in God. You look beyond me to God. I'm just a man. God is the one that you need to listen to. As God speaks through me or any other man. If we don't speak sound words, then don't listen to us, don't follow us.

Only follow us as we follow Christ. It is by faith you stand. So we need to have faith in God. We need to have faith in our faith, what we believe. Do you have faith in what you believe? Or are you wishy-washy about that? Are you convicted that you're in the right place? We need to have faith in God. And by faith we stand.

You help me to build my faith, I help you as well. We help each other. That's the way it's supposed to be. In context, Paul wrote a strong and corrective letter to Corinth in the previous letter, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. There was a corrective letter there. I remember the man who was sinning with his stepmother. There was a very corrective letter that Paul wrote there. Paul knew in his heart that his major calling was to encourage them, even though he sometimes had to correct them. He had to help them receive more spiritual fulfillment that would lead to happiness. That was what Paul was always striving to do. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 24 says, Not that we have dominion over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, and it is by faith that we stand. So we are all fellow workers together on a construction site. All the tradesmen work together and coordinate their skills to get the building construction completed. We know the blueprint or drawings. It is God's plan revealed through his holy days. God shows us, and we are fellow workers working together. Just as all the men on a construction site, they all have a job to do. We also have a job to do in God's church. God shows us his plan, and we are to be there. On the Sabbath, the annual holy days, these are all important days. They open our minds to God's plan of salvation. So again, the first point is to encourage and to comfort one another. Being here on the Sabbath is an encouragement. If at all possible, be here. Some of you drag yourselves here, and you can be commended for that. I know some of you are hurting in various ways, but you are here because this is a commanded assembly. You are going to be sick at home anyway, as long as you can't pass it on to someone else. Then why not be here? Among God's people, it will probably encourage you, lift you up, and help you. So as long as you are able to be here, then by all means, be here. Let's help one another. The first point is to encourage and comfort one another. The second point is to pray and fast for one another. It's very closely related to the first one. Pray and fast for one another. James 5. We should be praying regularly, and we should be fasting on a regular basis. Whatever that means to you. That's your choice. It's your decision how often you might fast. Certainly, prayer should be something daily. We dare not fast every day. We wouldn't last long. We pray on a daily basis. James 5. James 5.16. Of course, this is right after it talks about anointing, to be anointed. Is anyone sick among you? Let them come to the elders of the church. Let them pray for them. Verse 16. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. We need to pray for each other. We need to be prayer warriors for each other. Certainly, there's a lot of sick people in God's church. So, we need to be diligent and faithful in praying for one another. God ultimately decides whether or not He's going to intervene and heal. We just need to be sure we're doing our part in praying for each other. Confess your trespasses to one another, pray for one another, and that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. So, we should have faith that God hears our prayers. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was just a human being. He was a prophet of God, but he was flesh and bone. He prayed earnestly that it would not reign, and it did not reign on the land for three years and six months.

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Maybe we need to pray more for some rain, too. I know you guys may have had a little bit more rain than we have in Oklahoma, but I think we're all under serious drought. My pond continues to be dry. There will be no shooting of ducks on my pond this year, unless there are very stupid ducks that come to a dry pond.

My pond is dry. I've lived there 17 years. I've never had a dry pond. And I think many years before that, that pond had water in it. I don't know how long it's been since they had this little rain.

Anyway, Elijah prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, then someone brings him back. Let him know that he who turns the center from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. There's certainly great power in helping others, especially in helping them see the error of their ways and help them repent of their sins. So pray and fast for one another.

Prayer is powerful, and it can literally change the course of history. It did in Elijah's case. It changed the course of history. We need to pray for one another so that we can be healed spiritually, physically, emotionally, and in every way.

So let us all take some time in this coming year to pray and to fast for one another in greater ways than we ever have before. That would be a good resolution as we're approaching another pagan year coming up.

January 1st.

But it would still be a good resolution from this day forward. You don't have to wait till January 1st. Start right now.

So let us all take some time to pray and fast for each other.

Now, I'm not going to take the time to go to Psalm 35. I may read it to you. You can go back and look at it later.

Psalm 35, David said, Fierce witnesses rise up. They ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.

I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother. I bowed down heavily as one who mourns for his mother.

Now, this was an incredible example of love by King David. Christ said that we should pray for our enemies.

This is what David was doing here.

David is a man after God's own heart.

Because David was a man who did love people.

He did care for others. He prayed for them. He fasted for them. When his enemies were sick, he fasted and prayed that they would be healed as if they were his physical brothers or even his own mother.

If he was willing to do this, how much more should we pray and fast for our own brethren?

Who are going through terrible trials. We should pray and fast for each other. Now, the third and last point is to offer to help one another and to care for one another. Praying and fasting is wonderful. It's something that we ought to do. Encouraging someone is great. But just to say, be warm and be filled is not enough.

Matthew 25 shows that you need to put some action behind your words, behind your prayers, behind your good words of encouragement. Do something else to help one another and to care for one another. James 2, verse 14.

I'm not going to read all this. We could read just about the whole chapter here. We're starting in verse 14. It talks about faith without works is dead. We've read this many times before. Faith without works. Abraham had works. Abraham was willing to go out and sacrifice his own son. He left early in the morning. Do you remember that? He rose up early in the morning and didn't dawdle. That's because he had faith in God. He knew that the promises were to go through Isaac. He knew that somehow that promise would be fulfilled. So if God required him to sacrifice his son, then God would resurrect him. And that's what enabled him to do what he did. That's what enabled Abraham to go out there and be willing to sacrifice his son. Because he knew that God didn't lie. That God promised that those promises would be fulfilled through Isaac. How could that happen if Isaac was dead? So he had faith in that. He trusted God. And so he went up early in the morning to take care of business. You know, God wants us to be willing to step out and to have faith and to help one another. Faith and works are not in contrast. They're not in competition to each other. They work together to achieve great things. And that includes helping others. Our great God is a master builder. He designed and built the physical world that we live in. He made mankind in his own image with a desire to construct and to build. So God is building character in us. He is building a family. We need to help one another. Again, Christ was a carpenter, wasn't he? He was a builder throughout his life. Even in his physical career from the ages of probably 13 or so to 30, Jesus was a builder. He was a builder his entire adult life. Now, again, in contrast, as I mentioned before, the adversary is a destroyer. He's a master divider. He wants to divide us, to divide and conquer, to destroy families, to destroy nations, to bring confusion in our lives. Make it your life mission to build up everything and everyone around you. Will it always be appreciated or respected? Probably not. But that isn't our problem. We need to do the right thing. In Romans 14, we'll make this our last scripture today. Romans chapter 14.

Romans chapter 14 verse 19. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace, and the things by which one may edify or build another. Let us pursue the things which make for peace, and the things by which one may edify another. You know, in this split that we had a couple years ago, it should have been pretty clear where God was working.

It really should have been. It shouldn't have been so complicated for a lot of people. Let us pursue the things which make for peace, and the things by which one may edify another. Build each other up. If we look at a typical construction site, you will observe just a few weeks before the grand... You'll see just before the grand opening that it's still a mess. Right? That's typically the way it goes. That it's a mess until it actually has to be completed and done. There's usually trash and scattered construction parts everywhere before that grand opening. Now, you may feel like your life is a mess right now. Maybe it is a mess. But don't get discouraged or question the wisdom of the great builder. Have faith that he will bring it all together before your grand opening. Before the end... before it enters into God's kingdom, have faith that as you enter the kingdom anyway, your mess will be cleaned up. You'll no longer be flesh. You'll no longer be physical. Have faith that he will bring it all together before your grand opening in his kingdom. So be patient with yourself. Also put a pride on yourself. Help others, encourage others. Don't ever forget that you are God's building. God's building something good in you. Our great God is indeed a master builder. He designed and built the physical world that we live in. It is an awesome creation. He made mankind in his own image with a desire also to construct and to build. So let's get out there and build. Build something worthwhile. God is building character in us. He is building a family. Surrender to God and make your life mission to build up everything and everyone. So go forth and build.