"The Builder"

May 11, 2025

FBC Baxley

am service

Jerry Norris, Mother’s day_____________________________________________

Welcome radio and online guests…

Vision Statement: FBC Exists to Live & Share the Love of Jesus Christ, through worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry & Evangelism.

** I want you to know, GOD LOVES YOU!

*It’s ok however you’ve entered, we are all here seeking God’s will, way and plan.

Some rescued, redeemed, Some Saved….Some Not..

All Loved…

*Acts 4:12 (repeat)

*John 3:16

Sermon Title: The Builder

Scripture Passage: Psalm 127:1-5

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

2 It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

PRAY-

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Three Points:

The Futility of Self-Reliance

2. The Fruitfulness of Spirit-Led Homes

3. The Foundation of God’s Sovereignty

Key Text: Psalm 127:1

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.” – Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

INTRODUCTION: “The Abandoned Foundation”

A few years ago in North Carolina, a developer began building what was planned to be a luxury neighborhood.

Streets were paved, lots were marked, and concrete slabs were laid.

But something went wrong.

Permits weren’t secured properly, funding ran dry, and lawsuits ensued.

Today, if you walk through that area, you'll find beautifully laid foundations—untouched, overgrown, and abandoned.

They started with ambition, but without wisdom—and especially without the Lord—the work crumbled before it began.

In many ways, homes and families today are like that failed development.

We pour concrete plans—careers, schedules, sports, savings—but without God as the builder, we're just laying abandoned foundations.

TEXTUAL BACKGROUND

Psalm 127 is one of two psalms attributed to Solomon.

It forms part of the Songs of Ascents—pilgrimage songs sung by families and communities journeying to Jerusalem.

It's fitting that Solomon, known for his wisdom and massive building projects—including the Temple—would remind us of who truly builds the house.

The Hebrew word for build in verse 1 is בָּנָה (banah) — meaning not just to construct, but to establish, restore, and perpetuate.

This is more than bricks—this is legacy.

1. The Futility of Self-Reliance (v. 1–2)

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it...”

A. Pointless Labor

Labor in vain (Heb: שָׁוְא (shav)) = empty, worthless, without purpose.

Working hard without God isn't just inefficient—it’s ineffective.

Many families look successful but are spiritually bankrupt.

B. Powerless Protection

Even the watchman fails if God isn’t guarding.

You can set all the filters, alarms, and safeguards—but if God isn't your fortress, the enemy still finds a door.

C. Paralyzing Anxiety

“It is vain for you to rise early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors…”

Overwork kills intimacy. The bread of sorrow feeds no peace.

God “gives to His beloved even in sleep” — divine rest is better than driven toil.

2. The Fruitfulness of Spirit-Led Homes (v. 3–5)

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

A. Purposeful Offspring

Gift (Heb: נַחֲלָה (nachalah)) = inheritance.

Children aren’t interruptions; they’re intentional investments from God.

B. Prepared Arrows

“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior…”

Arrows must be crafted, aimed, and released.

Discipleship starts in the home.

***Your children are either sharpened by the Word or dulled by the world.

C. Protected Legacy

“They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”

The “gate” was the legal and social hub of a city.

God-honoring families will stand with confidence in the public square.

3. The Foundation of God’s Sovereignty

“Unless the Lord builds…”

The phrase doesn’t say, “unless man invites God to build,” but unless the Lord builds.

God isn’t just a consultant—He’s the Contractor, Architect, and Owner.

A. God Is the Originator

Genesis begins with God building a home in Eden. He formed man, gave him a wife, and established the first home.

Homes didn’t originate from culture or convenience—they came from covenant.

B. God Is the Overseer

Proverbs 3:5–6 — “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

A home that is not submitted to God will eventually split at its seams.

C. God Is the Outcome

The goal of our homes is not just happiness, but holiness.

The greatest testimony of a Christ-centered home is when Christ is seen through it.

*** not acknowledged as just a mere christian home, but home home producing fruit...

Illus. Plum trees at home

LIFE APPLICATIONS

1. Submit Every Room to the Builder

Don’t let God into the living room and keep Him out of the bedroom, budget, or calendar.

Yield every decision—discipline, dating, dollars—to His blueprint.

2. Replace Busyness with Blessing

Stop glorifying exhaustion.

Make room for Sabbath, for table talk, for prayer nights—rest is spiritual.

3. Raise Arrows, Not Consumers

Don’t raise kids to “get everything they want”—raise them to go where God sends.

Focus on character over comfort, calling over careers.

CONCLUSION

Every home is under construction.

The question is—who's holding the plans?

Will your home be like those abandoned foundations—ambitious but aimless?

Or will it be a place where God builds, guards, and blesses?

Let the Lord be your Builder—and your home will become more than just a house.

It will become a holy habitation for His glory.