Songs of Degrees, Part 8

What Are Absolutes?

Our everyday lives find structure in the thousands of things we accept as truths, from the numbers we use to the names of colors and textures. There are absolutes in the Bible, and they are constants in the spiritual realm, just as "2+2" is a constant in the physical realm.

Absolutes of God is about the Word of God and its building blocks of truth -- "the first principles of the oracles of God" (Hebrews 5:12) -- which have been forgotten or misplaced.

In our society, we have insisted that diversity is good. In reality, what we have are divisions created by an ignorance of God's definition of truth. The one Authority who can settle all arguments in the controversies that divide us is the Holy Ghost, and we have ignored Him!

God's desire is that the words He spoke become alive in His people so that He is seen in His church. God wants to be visible, not only to His church, but also to the whole world. He wants to see truth believed and lived out in front of the entire world.

Seven Absolutes of God

1. God's will for man is that he be perfect in Christ Jesus.

2. The knowledge of good and evil does not produce godly believers or healthy Christians.

3. The natural man does not receive the things of God.

4. Every believer must know the voice of God.

5. The Holy Ghost is the Teacher sent from God to indwell every believer.

6. Once we repent of our sins, we become His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.

7. The Bible was written both historically and spiritually.

Songs of Degrees, Part 8

Except the Lord Build the House

Songs of Degrees: This is a sermon series about Psalms 120 through 134. The Songs of Degrees, or the Songs of Ascents, are meant to teach us about our upward journey toward what God wills for His church. There are 15 of these songs and there were 1,500 years between the ministry of Moses and the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. When God gave Moses the plan for the Tabernacle, it was the beginning of His plan to restore man, to rescue man. This plan, we know, was fulfilled by the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord and Savior.

As these songs of ascents take us further on, we come to a very important lesson pertaining to leadership. No one can lead a person past the place where they are themselves. All who would heed God’s call to leadership in the church MUST submit to God’s refining fire in their lives or they will have no authority to lead someone else into deeper places in the Lord. The fire purifies the Word that is planted within us so that it comes forth as gold. If we can’t stand the heat, God can’t finish His work in us or use us as He would desire to.

Scripture References (Rollover with mouse to view or click here to open Bible in a new window)

Psalm 127

1	A Song of degrees for Solomon. 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.
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.
3	Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4	As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5	Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127

1 Corinthians 3

1	And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2	I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3	For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4	For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5	Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6	I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7	So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8	Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9	For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10	According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11	For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12	Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13	Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

1 Corinthians 3:1-13

1 Corinthians 3

14	If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15	If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16	Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17	If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18	Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19	For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20	And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21	Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22	Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23	And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

1 Corinthians 4

1	Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2	Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 3:14-4:2

Daniel 9

25	Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26	And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27	And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.