Let the Lord Do It

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Give Honor: Jessie Simon and Wife. My Wife. mentees

Church / Congratulations on 8 years of Ministry.

Psalm 127:1–2 NKJV

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Church, we’re in the book of Psalms......The 127th number........

This Psalm is that of a Psalms of Ascent.

15 Psalms......Ranging from Psalms 120-134

These Psalms were the songs that the Children of God sung.....… as they ascended toward Jerusalem,

climbing toward the temple, and pressing toward the presence of our God.

Legend has it that once they finally arrived at the temple… that their journey......... wasn’t quite over.

Because there were 15 steps......That led up to the entrance of the temple.

And the tradition said that on each step, they would pause and sing one of those Psalms of Ascent.....

one for every step.

Can’t you see it?

Fifteen steps.

Fifteen Psalms. One step, one song.

One level, one song.

One elevation, one song.

And today.....in this moment

we find ourselves at Psalm 127,

the eighth psalm, psalm of those 15 songs.....

which would have been sung on the eighth step......

The eighth step....................Right in the middle of the climb.

The eighth step......Right after We’ve come through some trials.

The eighth step.....Right after.........We’ve endured some storms.

The eithght step.....a step that would remind us that we’re not where we want to be, but not where we used to be....

The eighth step...........

What better Psalm to land on than this one?

Because Psalm 127 is a word of wisdom written by Solomon

The son of David,

the builder of the temple,

the wisest man to ever live.

And it seems like Solomon,

who knew a thing or two about construction projects,

stops us on the eighth step to say these words....

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

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives His beloved sleep.”

Now… what blesses me, family, is that of all the things Solomon could’ve written—of all the insights he could’ve offered…

He gives us a few words of wisdom......Let the Lord do it.

Remember, this is Solomon....is the son of a king,

the wisest man to ever live,

the builder of the first temple, t

he man with access, insight, and architectural brilliance.

He could’ve given us the blueprint to better ministry. He could’ve told us how to fundraise,

He could’ve helped show us how to organize leadership,

He could’ve helped show how to attract the right people.

He could’ve shown us how to build temples, write sermons, or design sacred spaces.

He could’ve rolled out a 15-step strategy for elevation—

But instead, on the 8th step, in the 8th psalm of ascent, on our 8th year,

he gives us just one revelation:

Let the Lord do it.

He doesn't tell us how to build. He doesn’t lay out who to call or what to chase.

He just reminds us: Unless God is in it, it’s empty.

Unless God builds it, it’s broken from the beginning.

and Unless God sustains it, it won’t stand.

Because the truth is, if we want to make it from year 8 to year 80, to year 180

from the 8th step to the throne room of heaven...

We have to keep one thing in the center of our minds.....

Let the Lord do it.

Because this text is tailored to teach us....

The Labor apart from the Lord is essentially useless....

And the best place to put your work,

The best place to put your worries,

The Best place to put your ministry,

and The best place to put your future.......is in the hands of the Lord.

So today I want to raise this question:

If Solomon had the wisdom to say it… and solomon had the sense to submit to it…

Then what do we think we need to do?

Solomon shows us three things we’ve got to let the Lord do: number 1.... we need to

1. Let the Lord Build it Psalm 127:1 “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it”

The phrase “Unless the Lord builds the house…”

is not simply architectural advice....it’s wise instruction.

The Hebrew word used here for “build” is bānāh, and it’s the same word used when God “built” Eve in Genesis 2.

It’s not just stacking bricks

it’s forming, establishing, and structuring something with the future in mind.

The “house” here can be understood as many things...

A literal house or structure......

A family of some sorts,

a nation or a temple temple, and in our case today—the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

and the truth is...this isn’t about construction—it’s about foundation.

And Solomon, the one who oversaw the construction of the Temple of the Lord,

is qualified to speak on this.

He’s seen what it’s like to build with blueprints,

He’s seen what it’s like to build with limited budgets,

and He’s seen what it’s like to build with burdens on his back.

and now he’s saying: “If God is not in it, it won’t stand.” In fact....it’ll be in vain....

The word “vain” shows up three times in this short passage.

It means empty, worthless, lacking substance or weight.

So what he’s really saying is:

“Unless the Lord is the one building this thing, your effort may be visible, but it’s still not valuable.”

This is Solomon confronting the illusion of control.

This is a king with resources telling us:

You can have all the skill, all the strength, and all the systems—and still fail if God isn’t the source.

and if we can be honest tonight, we know how to build.

We’ve built families. We’ve built ministries. We’ve built brands

We’ve built businesses. We’ve built dreams from scratch.

We’ve built wealth

We’ve built many things... But Solomon presses us to pause and ask:

Did we build it… or did we let the Lord build it?

Because there’s a difference between doing something for God… and doing something with God.

One looks like service. The other feels like surrender.

If you start building without God—you’ve got to sustain it without God.

And that’s why some of us are tired.

That’s why some pastors are burned out.

That’s why some churches are busy but not blessed—because we’re trying to maintain what we never submitted to.....

And we celebrate year eight not just because we’ve worked, but because God has worked with us.

That’s why this word is critical in this season.

Eight is not just another number—it represents new beginnings, a fresh cycle, a second wind.

And if we want to move from year eight to eighty—from momentum to maturity—we’ve got to stop, and say:

“God, we don’t just want to do it better—we want You to do it in us.”

“We’ve got ideas, but we want Your intention.”

“We’ve got dreams, but we want Your design.”

This house—this ministry—this vision—must be built by God.

Because when God builds it—it can’t be buried.

When God builds it—it won’t break.

When God builds it—it doesn’t fall apart under pressure.

When God Builds it, negros can’t break it

When God builds it.. money can’t control it When God Builds it....Rumors can’t move it

When God Builds it.....The people can’t fumble it.

Because what God builds, God sustains.

When God built Noah’s ark, what God built floated.

When God built Abraham’s family, even old age couldn’t stop the promise.

When God built Moses’ leadership, even Pharaoh’s army had to let God’s people go.

When God built David’s kingdom, even after scandal, rebellion, and war—it still produced Solomon.

When God built Nehemiah’s wall, the haters talked, but the work never stopped.

When God built Jesus’ church, He said “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

And I don’t know who I’m preaching to tonight—but somebody needs to stop trying to force what God didn’t form, \

and start trusting the One who knows how to build without bricks and without blueprints.

Because when God builds it...

Money can’t manipulate it

Rumors can’t ruin it

Systems can’t shut it down

Hell can’t handle it

I need somebody to hollar God Build my church.....

And if you want to know how we made it to year eight…

If you want to know how we made it up the eighth step…

If you want to know how we’ve stood this long

Let me tell you...............

It wasn’t your money.

It wasn’t our preaching.

It wasn’t the flyers

It wasn’t the followers

It wasn’t the personalities

It wasn’t the programs.

It wasn’t the degrees

It wasn’t the designs.

It wasn’t the marketing

It wasn’t the manpower.

It was the hand of God steadying this house. It was the Word of God sustaining this house. It was the Spirit of God stirring this house. It was the plan of God prevailing over our own.

So before we shout about what’s next— Let’s give God praise for what’s already built.

We’ve gotta let him build it.....

2. Let the Lord Back it Psalm 127:1 “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Solomon shifts from construction to protection—from what’s being built to what must be backed.

He writes, “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”

The Hebrew word translated “watches over” is shāmar, meaning to keep, to guard, to preserve, to protect attentively.

This isn’t passive watching—it’s active, ongoing, intentional safeguarding.

And to understand the weight of this verse, you’ve got to understand the role of the watchman in ancient Israelite society.

In biblical times, cities were surrounded by walls, and stationed at strategic points on those walls were watchmen.

Their job was to stay awake through the night, scanning the horizon for danger—whether wild animals, thieves, or enemy armies.

They didn’t have surveillance cameras or digital alarms.

What they had was eyes, height, and vigilance.

A good watchman was the difference between safety and slaughter, between peace and invasion.

And yet Solomon, a king who had access to security details all around the city says:

“You can post your best guards. You can cover every gate. You can stay up all night.

But if the Lord ain’t backing you then it’s in vain.”

Because true protection doesn’t come from the wall—it comes from the One who watches over the wall.

In other words: God is the Watcher of the watchmen.

He’s the Keeper behind the keepers.

And if God isn’t keeping it, no amount of human effort can hold it together.

This is a word for every person trying to hold it all together.

We post emotional watchmen at the gates of our hearts.

We assign intellectual guards to our decisions.

We try to protect our reputations, our dreams, our ministries, and our peace…

But Solomon is clear: If God’s not guarding it, it’s already vulnerable.

You can have the best strategies,

the tightest systems, and still find yourself uncovered if God has not signed off on the security.

Because the truth is—some of us are still standing not because we’ve been strategic, but because God has been sovereign.

We’ve had seasons where we lacked the resources,

the numbers, and the strength—but God was still keeping us.

You didn’t get here because you were brilliant.

You didn’t get here because the plan was flawless.

You didn’t even get here because of who was around you.

You got here because God said, “I’ll cover you when you can’t cover yourself.”

and the reason why we are here to day is because God built it....AND GOD BACKED IT......

When God backed Israel, they walked through water on dry ground.

When God backed Moses, Pharaoh had to let go.

When God backed David, Goliath hit the ground.

When God backed Daniel, the lions couldn’t even open their mouths.

When God backed the Hebrew boys, fire couldn’t even burn their clothes.

When God backed Nehemiah, the wall went up while enemies plotted.

When God backed Paul and Silas, the jail became a sanctuary.

And when God backed Jesus, the grave lost its grip.

ALL IM TRYING TO TELL YOU IS....

When God is backing it—hell can’t block it. When God is backing it—enemies can’t end it. When God is backing it—you don’t have to stay up all night watching, stressing, and checking to see if it’s going to fall apart.

Because what God keeps—stays kept.

Lamentations 3:22 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.......THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING...GREAT IS HIS FAITHFUL NESSS”

LET THE LORD BUILD IT. LET THE LORD BLOCK IT...

BUT LASTLY 3. Let the Lord Bear It Psalm 127:2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows: For so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

NOW THE FIRST TWO POINTS WERE FOR YOU....BUT I BELIEVE THIS LAST POINT IS FOR THE SHEPARD OF THIS HOUSE.

—to the one who’s been carrying the weight of it all.

The one who’s been getting up early,

staying up late,

toiling with anxiety,

and eating bread laced with fear and fatigue.

He says: “It is vain…”—empty, useless, unfruitful—to rise early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil.”

In other words, working without resting is not a virtue—it’s a red flag.

This isn’t a call to laziness, it’s a call to trust GOD IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL.

This isn’t a verse against responsibilitY..IT’S a warning against self-reliance.

AND HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS.....THE BIBLE SAYS....

“For He gives His beloved sleep.”

The Hebrew here can be translated two ways:

“He gives sleep to His beloved,”

or, “He gives to His beloved even while they sleep.”\

Either way, the idea is the same: God does not need your exhaustion to bring His will to pass.

God doesn’t build and pass off

—He builds and bears.

Which means: Whatever He started in you—He plans to sustain in you.

This verse is for the tired preacher, the burned-out builder, the anxious parent, the worried dreamer.

You’ve been staying up at night—wondering if it’s going to work.

You’ve been waking up early—trying to manage what only God can move.

You’ve been carrying what’s too heavy for human hands.

But Solomon reminds us: You don’t have to kill yourself trying to keep together what God said He would carry.

If He built it—He’s strong enough to bear it.

If He called you to it—He’s committed to carry you through it.

If He started the work—He’ll be faithful to finish it.

Some of us are stressed—not because God failed—but because we forgot

You don’t have to eat the bread of anxious toil anymore.

You don’t have to live in a cycle of grind AND GUILT…

You don’t have to prove your value through productivity.

You can lay it down… because He gives His beloved rest.

You don’t just let Him build it. You don’t just let Him back it. You’ve also got to learn how to let Him bear it.

Because God is not looking for more partners in pressure.

He’s looking for people who will rest in His promises.

So whatever you’re facing—

Whatever’s been keeping you up at night— Whatever’s been weighing on your chest, stealing your joy, draining your strength—

Place it in His hands.

I Brought Some Friends In Here to Tell You Why You Should Put It in His Hands...

PAUL HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

HE SAID

Philippians 4:6–7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

SOLOMON HAS SOMETHING TO SAY Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

PETER HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

DAVID WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING TOO Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

ISAIAH HAS A DOUBLE WORD FOR YOU Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you… I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 40:30–31 “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

MATTHEW WANTS YOU TO HEAR JESUS Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

MOSES WANTS TO REMIND YOU Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

THE PSALMIST HAS A TESTIMONY Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

THE WRITER OF HEBREWS WANTS YOU TO KNOW Hebrews 13:5–6 “GOD will never leave you nor forsake you… GOD is my helper; I will not fear…”

ROMANS HAS THE LAST WORD Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Now Church, If That Ain’t Enough…

Put your stress in His hands. Put your calling in His hands. Put your family in His hands. Put your church in His hands. Put your future in His hands. Put your mind in His hands. Put your heart in His hands.

Because His hands are big enough to hold it— And strong enough to handle it.

Let the Lord do it.