Spiritual House: The Building of the House — Stephen Kaung

Will you please turn to the gospel according to Matthew, Matthew chapter 16, verse 18. And I also I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and Hades gates shall not prevail against it.

Hebrews chapter 3, verses 4 and 5 and 6. Maybe we'll start from verse 3. For he has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses by how much he that has built it has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but he who has built all things is God.

And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a ministering servant for a testimony of the things to be spoken after. But Christ as son over his house, whose house are we if indeed we hold fast the boldness and the boast of hope firm to the end.

And the same book of Hebrews, chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 10. For he waited for the city which has foundation, of which God is the artificer and constructor. Verse 16. But now they seek a better that is a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Christ as the Foundation of God's House

First Corinthians chapter 3. Our brother read it this afternoon. First Corinthians chapter 3. We begin with verse 9. For we are God's fellow workmen, ye are God's halflingry, God's building. According to the grace of God which has been given to me as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it.

But let each see how he builds upon it. For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if anyone built upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, the work of each shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire shall try the work of each what it is.

If the work of anyone which he has built upon the foundation shall abide, he shall receive a reward. If the work of anyone shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved, but so as through the fire.

The Body Builds Itself Up in Love

And finally, Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 4, verses 15 and 16. But holding the truth in love, we may grow up to him in all things who is the head, the Christ, from whom the whole body fitted together and connected by every joint of supply, according to the working in its measure of each one part, works for itself the increase of the body to itself building up in love.

God’s Eternal Purpose for a Spiritual House

We have been considering before the Lord on this matter of spiritual house. First of all, we mention that God, even before he created, he had this very thing in his heart. He wanted, and that's the reason why he created the universe.

Not in the sense that he created the universe to be his house, because the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. The heavens are his throne and the earth is his footstool. What he created is not his house.

But then why did he create? And we find that he created man. So brothers and sisters, God is not after a physical house. If he is after a physical house, he could easily create it for himself. God is after a spiritual house.

And this spiritual house is made up of the man whom he created. He wanted to dwell among man. He wanted man to be. He wanted man to be his dwelling place, his home. And that is the eternal purpose. In the book of Hebrews, we are told, whose house will hold fast the boldness and the boast of our confession firm to the end.

In 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15, we are told that God's house is the church of the living God, the base and the pillar of truth. We can see very clearly what is this house or this home that God is after from eternity to eternity.

It is his church. We are his house. If we hold fast the boldness and the boast of our confession to the end. Brothers and sisters, it is of tremendous importance for us to understand what this house is.

We are involved in it. We are to be that house. And of course, we want to know what is the meaning of this house. Now yesterday morning we shared together a few of the meaning of the house of God. We went through the Bible, picking up some illustrations to illustrate the meaning of God's house.

We will not go back and go over again. But to mention it, the house of God means the union and communion of God and man in Christ Jesus as we are. We are like Jacob. Holy, righteous is our God. And yet it is his desire to come to us.

It is his desire that we may be joined to him. We may have communion. Now how can it be done? It is through that letter. Our Lord Jesus. So brothers and sisters, the first meaning of the house of God is the union of God and man in Christ Jesus and communion.

The Tabernacle as God’s Place of Fellowship

And then we find that when God commanded Moses to build him a tabernacle as his dwelling place. And why did he want that dwelling place? Because he wanted to communicate with his people. He wanted to speak to his people on the mercy seat between the two chalice.

And not only that, he also wanted us to speak to him. He desires fellowship. He desires communication. And are we giving him that? And then we find in the heart of David to build a temple, a place. Brothers and sisters, God has lost.

He has been seeking, searching, looking for, finding the lost. He is longing to rest in man. But as we mentioned before, unless we first arrest it in the finished work of Christ, we will not be able to give him.

And then in Solomon we find he built a temple. Not because he believed that God will really dwell in that temple, but he believed that God would put his name there. God would commit himself there. He would listen to the prayers of the people who pray in that house or pray toward that house.

The Church as a House of Love

So brothers and sisters, what is the church? Where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of. Our Lord Jesus has committed his name to the church. And because of this, how much we need to be committed to that name.

And finally we mentioned the remnant returned to rebuild the temple. And they did it out of pure love. So what is the church? The church is a house of love. Now these are the things that we covered yesterday.

The Greater Cost of Building God’s House

Now this evening we would like to consider together before the Lord on this matter of the building of God's house. When you read the scripture, you find that whenever the house is mentioned, the word build is used.

Or to put it another way, the house is to be built. It is not to be created. Our God is the God of creation. But he is also a great builder. By his wisdom and power, he created the heavens, but he built his church by giving his own self.

So brothers and sisters, you do see that the building of the house is a greater work than the creation of the universe. In the universe, God only uses wisdom and through his power, the saints are directly involved.

But in building his house, you find that he is so involved himself that he even gave up his own beloved son. The cost is so much greater. Why? Because the house is so much nearer, dearer. We admire, but do we admire his creation?

We enjoy his creation, but how much do we really love his house? Everything in giving up his own son. And brothers and sisters, if this is the case, do you think we can give more for that house? Do you think that in giving to that house, it would be too much?

Because God is everything. If you love the house of God, it should cost you. It is a matter of the building of God's house. You find it is throughout the scripture. It is in types. In the beginning, in the book of Genesis, you find that God created man.

Creation and the Building of Woman

In chapter 1, God created man in his own image after his likeness. Male and female created he them. Now that is the creation of man. But when you come into the actual of creating man, you find that in chapter 2.

And there you will find God took the earth, the dust, the red earth, and he formed it into a body. He breathed into that form, nostril, the breath of life. And the Bible said, man became a living soul, was created.

Then God said, it is not good for man to be alone. So you find that God led all that he had created, all these living creatures, one by one, to Adam. I personally feel it is the law of elimination. Because God said it is not good for man to be alone.

He needs a help, a counterpart, his life. So God just brought all these living creatures to him, the big, the small, the queer, the strange, all kinds of animals, were brought to Adam. Let Adam look at them.

You know it is more than just a task of asking Adam to name these animals. Now of course he named all of them. He is a natural zoologist. He didn't need to go to school. He named every one of them. By naming them, he put them in their specific area.

He couldn't find his like in any of these animals. So God put him to sleep. And out of his side, God took out one of his ribs. Now in the original, it said God took out something, took something. We don't know whether it is a rib or not.

But God took something out of him. It built, was created. But woman was built. But woman was built, take another lump of clay and form the form of a female and breathe into it. He became a living woman.

God didn't do that. He took something out of Adam and built that something into a woman. And then he led that woman. Oh he, of course, woke up Adam first. He led that woman to Adam just like he led all the other animals to Adam.

But when a woman was led to Adam, Adam looked at her and said, well I see myself in him. This is me. Part of me. Bone of my bones. Flesh of my flesh. Call him a woman. And he said, well I see myself in him.

And they too. Now brothers and sisters, we know that Adam and Eve, they are types of Christ. This is the meaning of building. Now we know in studying the Bible, there is a principle called the principle of first mentioning.

You know, whenever something is mentioned the first time in the scripture, usually it gives you that basic idea of what that is. Now according to the principle of first mentioning, that word build is used the first time in the Bible.

And it is in building that woman. Now what is the basic meaning of building? Building is different from creating. Because creating is you create something out of nothing. There was nothing there. No material.

Nothing. And God just used his word. He spoke a word and it was done. In other words, he created the whole universe out of nothing. That's creation. But building is different. Building is taking something out of the original creation.

And build it up into something. Now that is the basic idea of building. Apply it to Christ and the church. And then you will see that God said it is not good for him to be alone. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, the Triune God, they were self-existing and one.

Christ’s Search for His Bride

One day in eternity past, the Father looked at the Son. He loved his Son so much. It is not good for my Son. He will give him a helpmeet. God had that idea even before he started creating. He created man.

But unfortunately that man fell into sin. Since that time God was looking for that man who could be his Son's helpmeet, his Son's counterpart. Just like his Son. But he couldn't find it. So finally he had to send his Son into this world.

Do you know why our Lord Jesus came into this world? You know the Gospel of John is the Gospel that gives us the inner meaning of the life of Christ. Why did God's Son come into this world? He came into this world.

Well in other Gospels you find that he came to seek and to save the lost. But if you read the Gospel according to John, you get into the inner meaning or you get into the very mind of God. You find that God sent his Son into this world for one purpose.

To seek for his bride. To look for his. He was on earth for thirty-three years. He looked everywhere but he couldn't find. So finally God put him to sleep. But his sleep was different from Adam's sleep.

The Crucifixion and the Cry of Forsakenness

Because when God put Adam to sleep there was no sin in the world yet. Sin had not come into the world. So you find that Adam's sleep was a very peaceful sleep. And not only that, that operation was a painless operation.

No blood. No blood. But with our Lord Jesus, man has sinned dreadfully. The Son of Man. He had to bore our sin. He who knew no sin was made sinful. It is a mystery. We do not understand. We understand somewhat the rejection by man of Satan when our Lord was on the cross.

In other words, we can understand the first three hours of our Lord's crucifixion. Because during the first three hours there he suffered from the hand of man and of the powers. We can understand a little bit.

But we couldn't understand the last three hours. At midnight we find the sun hit. The earth turned into darkness. Why? Because made him. This made sin. And because he was made sin, God the righteous one, my God, my God.

He did not say my Father, my Father. He has such sweet fellowship with his Father through eternity. And when he was on earth there was uninterrupted communion. He always pleased the Father. He did the things that the Father wanted.

The Father was always with him. He always saw the Father's face, smiling face. But during that time he could only say my God. Why? He stood in our ground. Corrupted, defiled, rebellious. My God, my God, why?

Has doubtful sin. It was painful. But thank God. Before he gave up his spirit. The work is done. He has borne our sins. The next day was a Sabbath day. And the Jews wanted to be hung there. Because to be hung on the cross is a curse.

So the soldiers came, broke the legs of the two robbers because they were strong. They were still living. So they broke their legs to speed their death. But when they came to our Lord Jesus, they saw he was already dead.

To make sure that he was dead, a soldier thrust a spear. Of the spear came out blood. You read John chapter 19. John was there. He saw the spear thrust in. He saw it was drawn out, the blood. Then he bore testimony that what he saw was true, that you may believe.

Now why did he make it so emphatically? What is the meaning of that? It is because there you find God put our Lord Jesus. God took out blood. Now I do not know. Some people said that is the last drop of water, of blood still in his heart.

He shed all his blood and there was still some remaining in his heart. But he died of a broken heart. So the blood disintegrated. But anyway you find that something from his very heart, blood. So brothers and sisters, here you find blood and water.

Jacob, Israel, and the Material for God’s House

We have and this is united he built. We mentioned about Jacob. Jacob thought that if God will bless him, give him food to eat, garment to wear, and lead him safely, peacefully back home, then he will make God his God.

And he will use this pillar that he used for his pillow. He put it up and said, now this pillar shall be the house of God. And I will give one tenth. If God shall bless him, serve God, he will build God a house.

And actually he built God a monument, not a house. Because a pillar is a monument, it is not a house. He will build God a monument. And also he will give God one tenth. In other words to show his gratitude he will serve God with his work, with his service.

He thought that is the way of building the house of God. But God said, no. God will take hold of Jacob, this original thing and transform into Israel. And with Israel he will build the house of God. And the children of Israel, God redeemed them out of Egypt.

You know not only they were redeemed, their women, their children, their cattle, their sheep, all these were taken out of Egypt. But more than that, before they left Egypt, they spoiled Egypt of her wealth.

Egypt was a very wealthy nation at the time. And when they came out of Egypt, they literally spoiled Egypt of all her wealth. They had gold and silver and all these precious things with them. Now our brother mentioned, they became a free people.

Not only a free people but a wealthy people. Now how are they going to live their lives? How are they going to use their wealth? They could easily live a very comfortable life, luxurious life, enjoy themselves, because they had all the wealth.

But brothers and sisters, God asked them for a heave offering, love offering. They shall offer what God had given them to build that. You know it is very easy for God to a tabernacle from heaven. In a sense, you know when Peter was in ecstasy, he was on that roof, you know, it was noon time and he must be hungry, so he was thinking of food when he was praying.

And God gave him a vision. A white sheet coming down from heaven and full of potipars and creeping things. And the boy said, rise, kill and eat. Surely God can easily drop a tabernacle from heaven and say, now I am going to dwell among you.

That would be creation, not building. So God said, no, out of what I have redeemed, you give and then with that, build that tabernacle. That is building. See, the basic idea of the building of the church is building.

You take something that God has already given and then you build it into. That is the concept. Now who is the builder? Our brother has already stolen my message. I just want to re-emphasize it, that's all.

You already know it. Now who is the builder? The Lord's and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The church is so precious to our Lord. He cannot commit the building of it to anyone other than Him.

Christ Alone Builds the Church

He is the builder. The only builder. The only one who can build that house. Many people can build. But He is the only one who can build a house for God to rest. He is the only one who is able to do that.

Nobody else. You cannot do that. I cannot do that. None of us can do that. The angels cannot do that. We will build my church. He said that we should have more honor than Moses. Just as the builder of the house is more honorable than the house.

So here you find Moses is the house. The Lord is the one who builds. You find Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They wandered in the promised land as sojourners. If they wanted to go back to their homeland, the earth of Chaldea, they could do that.

Even halfway to Haran, they can do that. But they were looking for a city with foundation, whose architect and constructor God has prepared for us of that earth. If you find in Revelation 21 and 22, God's house can dwell together in unity.

Now who is able to build that house except? God cannot trust anyone to be the architect of that house. No architect has the wisdom to draw the design. He cannot trust anyone to construct it. No construction company in the world can do this job.

God alone is the builder. Now brothers and sisters, we cannot emphasize enough on this. Because we find in Christianity today, out of good intention to build God's house. We have been trying for 2000 years, almost 2000 years.

And what do we get? We get the tower of Babel, not the house. Therefore I hope that tonight there is none among us who has a secret desire to build the house of God. You better give that up. We hear a lot of church painters, church builders, but what they build is the tower of Babel.

To spread their names, not to give God. Don't try it. God is the only builder. He designs it. He builds it. He does everything. But then brothers and sisters, you will challenge me and say, did I not read in the very beginning some scriptures that tells us we are the builders?

Believers as Fellow Workers with God

Our brother already mentioned this afternoon so thoroughly. Paul said, we are God's workmen and you are God's husbandry and God's building. Paul said, I'm like a wise master builder. Now some version said, a wise architect.

And some version said, an expert builder. A master builder. But as a matter of fact, if you try to put it more properly, probably what Paul means is, I am a wise chief foreman. Paul said, I am a master builder.

I lay the foundation. Even Christ Jesus. And there can be no other foundation but Christ. And then each one of you, remember he wrote to the Corinthian believers and to all who call upon the name of the Lord.

So we are included. Each one of you, pay attention to what you build upon. If you build with gold, silver and precious stones, or you build with wood, straw and stubble, one day a fire will appear and will test what you build.

If you build with gold, silver and precious stones, it will just glorify it and you will receive a reward. Now if you build with wood, straw and hay, it will be burned. But you will be saved. Barely. You are building.

Every day we are building. Every day you are putting something on. And then you look at Ephesians chapter 4. You find that all the different members of the body work together, fitted together and work together according to the measure that God has given to each for the self building up in love.

In other words, we are all involved in this building work. No one is accepted unless you are not the Lord. If you are the Lord, you are involved in that building. Now how are you going to reconcile these two opposites?

God Works in Us as We Work Out His Purpose

I think there is one verse that can solve that problem. And it is found in Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 and 13. Said my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both the willing and the working according to his good will.

Now indeed, the Lord himself is the only builder. But how does he build? Works in you. That you may work out with fear and trembling. Now do you see this picture? In other words, not that you have an idea what the house of God should be like.

So you draw up a blueprint. You give it the concept. No. God is the architect. He is the one who has the concept of the house of God. He is the one who draws the blueprint. But he works this in you. My beloved.

By revelation. He reveals that to you. And after you receive that revelation and understand it, it is working out. So who is working? Who is building? He builds. He builds after all the work is done, all you can say is, he has done it.

You haven't done anything. Because all that comes out of you is what he has worked in you. The same thing is true. Not only with the blueprint. It is true with the whole process of building. You find that everything that is put into the house of God, he first works in you.

And then it works out from you with fear and tremor. The materials he first worked in you. And then you give it back to him with fear and tremor. Power he first gives to you. And then he works it out from you.

So brothers and sisters, thank God he wants us to work together with him. But actually he does all the work. But we share the glory. I always remember that story. One day the father is going to move a table.

It is a heavy one. But the father is strong. So he began to lift up the table. And a little boy, there is a father, let me help you. So the father said, good, I need your help. So he allows that boy to hold one of the legs.

And together they move the table. As a matter of fact, you find that the boy puts more weight to that table. So he bears not only the table but also the boy. And finally he moved the table and the boy said, father, now that is what it is.

And that is the reason why after everything is done, you have to go back and say, we are but unprofitable servants. He is. Now brothers and sisters, if only tonight we can remember this, it will save us lots of headaches.

Not only you, but your brothers and sisters. Lots of headaches. Let's come to this matter of, I am just starting, you know. I am telling the truth. How does God build? We need to go into some of the processes, building processes.

Redemption Creates the New Building Material

You know, that is important because that is how it is built. Alright? God had the idea of building man into his house. But unfortunately, man did not obey God. Man did not follow God. Man did not eat the tree of life.

If man should eat the tree of life, he would receive that uncreated divine life in him. And thus, they can be united with God in life. And from that life, it can be developed into a house. But unfortunately, man ate the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Man declared independence of God. Man fell into himself. Man became flesh, spirit, lost content. Man became under the bondage. When God looked at this material and built his house, before it became a vessel, there was no way to repair it.

Always thinking of trying to repair it, to reform it, to beautify it, to decorate it, to add something to it. And then it will become. God looked at man and said, I cannot do anything with it. I cannot build my house with this kind of material, polluted, defiled.

The holy God cannot dwell in that unclean. The thing you find God had to do, he had to send his beloved son into this world. To do the work of redemption. God did not throw away man completely and say, well, this is finished.

I will create another kind of man. Maybe a kind of man without a free will, so I can build up to be my house. God cannot do that, because God is the free will. And for the free will to dwell in no will, he couldn't do that.

It is not like him. No counterpart. Yet you find God did something. I do not remember who said that. Maybe it is Mudeen. He said, God will take the cast away of the devil. What devil cast away? God said, I will have it.

And that is what it is. We are a bunch of nothing, worse than nothing, and God had to do everything. You think of the devil, you think of the devil, of redemption. You see the heart of God. He loves us.

So he had to give us his son. Christ has to die for us. In order that he may give us a new life. If anyone be in Christ, he is anew. All things have passed away. All things are made new. And all things are of God.

So brothers and sisters, you do not know the cost that God paid in building his house. So the first thing is, he has to do a work of redemption. He has to bring in a new race that is all forgiven in the sight of God.

A people who have his own life. Now that is the first thing. Our brother also already mentioned that. The building material of God is man. But not just any man. Any kind of man. Not just a man that we know.

God builds with man, but it is a new man. A born from above man. A regenerated man. A man who is with God's life. That new creation is the building. You are not the building material. It is the new creation in you.

It is Christ in you. It is life in you. That is the building. The reason why you find when Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God, what did Christ say to Peter? You are a stone.

Living Stones and the Church’s True Material

Formerly you were dust. But now on your confession a new element has entered into your life. You now become a living stone as our brother mentioned. Come to the Lord. First of all you will find from dust we are turned into stone.

The tower of Babel built is built with brick. And brick is mixing up with straw. The house of God is built with stone. Living stone. The life of God. Our problem is we say what is the church? The church are the gathering of the believers.

The church is the gathering of you and me. And that is the church. But that is the problem of the church. The problem of the church is because of you and me. We try to come in and build with wood, hay, instead of letting the life in us be the building material.

We come in with our human nature. Our own glory. Our own energy. Our own work. And we say we are building the church. That is the problem of Babel. You have to build with gold, silver and precious. It is the Christ in you.

It is the Christ in me. The hope of glory. You have no hope of glory. I have no hope of glory. The hope of glory. So brothers and sisters, what is the church? The church is Christ in me. The Christ in you, the Christ in me are built together.

These stones are built together. And that is built. It is you. Anything that is me has before you enter. We try to bring anything of ourselves into the church. Remember, you destroy, you do not build.

And that is the reason why it is an awesome thing. We need to build it with fear. Not only that, we find that when the Lord builds with stones. These are not just stones. These are precious stones. You know when you read the holy city, the New Jerusalem, you find these are precious stones, not just stones.

Character Formed Through Suffering and Testing

Sometimes we think that well, as long as we are saved. So God just built all these saved ones together into his house. Now you build a nursery. All babies here. Any weeping here, crying there, and every baby is very self-centered.

At midnight if he is not happy he cries. If you do not cater to his desire quick enough he gets angry. Well that is what you have today. Not just stones, not just babes in Christ. God builds with stones.

How can stones be turned into precious stones? You find these elements. You know precious stones is a compound, not an element. You find all these different elements buried deep down in the earth, in darkness for centuries, under great pressure, heat.

Eventually certain elements began to be compounded together to become a precious stone. And this precious stone is different from the other precious stones. Brothers and sisters, God builds with precious stones.

As our brother said, our Lord is a precious stone himself. Not just a living stone, a precious stone. What is that? That is character. Simply with life is not enough. This life has to develop, to grow into character.

You know when life follows its natural nature it becomes character. Life has a nature. But if you follow that nature long enough it becomes a character. If you do not follow that nature it does not become a character.

Immature. We have too many babies. On the one hand it is good. We love babies. But on the other hand, it breaks. Because we are always in a stage of receiving, receiving, receiving. Self-centered. Everything is for me.

God is for me. Christ is for me. Everybody is for me. Me, me, me. How can you build a church? God's house. But brothers and sisters character building. The reason why I always feel, if God saved me, raptured me to Him right away, that would save me all kinds of temptations, all kinds of trials.

Why does He leave me on this earth, miserable earth, passing through all these trials and testing and many failures? He wants you to be precious stone. He wants to develop character. Through suffering, different elements begin to fall in a special way, become.

John is another precious stone. But they are all not John. And yet it is in Peter. All the character of Christ must be developed within us through much. Then brothers and sisters, not just precious stones.

Individuality and Being Fitted Together

You go to the museum and you see some precious stones displayed there for people to look and admire. And maybe some people hope that they may have it. But that's not God's purpose. God's purpose is not just to create some spiritual giants that He can display to the world.

What's the use of that? It only brings spiritual pride. God is too practical for that. You find that these stones, now in one sense it is important to see these stones being developed into precious stones.