The Church That the Lord Does Not Build
“Because they do not regard the deeds of the Lord nor the work of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up.” (Psalm 28:5)
We see far too often that issues within the church are taken to secular courts. The precious offerings that believers have given to God are being heavily used in legal battles in the world. Legal fees, newspaper advertisements, and more—offerings consecrated to God are being misused, and this is a truly heartbreaking reality.
I wonder what our Lord must think as He sees these serious problems in the church He purchased with His own blood. With a fearful heart, I also wonder whether the Lord would truly build up such churches.
In the second half of Psalm 28:5, the Bible clearly tells us that there are churches which God “will tear down and not build.” Based on verses 3 and 5 of Psalm 28, I would like to reflect on two characteristics of such churches.
First, the church that God does not build is a church that does not sincerely love its neighbor.
Look at the second half of Psalm 28:3:
“… they speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.”
A church that the Lord does not build may appear outwardly, through words, to resemble Him, but its heart is filled with hatred, envy, and jealousy.
If we speak of “peace” with our lips but harbor evil in our hearts, the Lord will not build that church.
In fact, Scripture tells us that the Lord will “tear down” such a church.
The writer of Proverbs says it like this: “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips…” (Proverbs 10:18).
We must listen to these words with a fearful and reverent heart.
If we do not genuinely love our neighbors and only love them with our lips, the Lord will not build our church.
If, within our Korean ministry, we speak of peace with our lips but do not live as peacemakers—rather, live in ways that break peace—the Lord will not build our church.
Applying this more broadly, if members of our Korean ministry say with their mouths that the Hispanic ministry members are one church and one family, but in their hearts hold worldly prejudices, disregard them, or treat them with discrimination, then the Lord will not build our church (Note: At our Victory Presbyterian Church, we have Korean, English, and Hispanic ministries).
If our words are sweet but our hearts are bitter, that is false love. It is not true love.
False love cannot build others up; in fact, it tears them down.
The writer of Proverbs says, “Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart” (Proverbs 26:23).
We must listen to and obey the words of 1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Our Korean ministry must become a “mother ministry.”
That means we must take on the role of a mother.
Therefore, we must embrace and love the members of the English and Hispanic ministries with action and sincerity.
Just as a mother embraces and loves her children unconditionally, no matter how they behave, our Korean ministry members must embrace and love the English and Hispanic ministry members.
We must not merely speak of “peace” with our words, but become true peacemakers, tearing down every wall that divides us with the gospel of Christ and truly proving to the world that we are one body in Christ.
Finally, secondly, a church that God does not build is a church that does not consider or reflect on the works of God.
Look at Psalm 28:5:
“Because they do not regard the deeds of the Lord or the work of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up.”
If we apply this verse to our church, it means that if our church members do not acknowledge that the Lord is still building His body—the church—according to His promise in Matthew 16:18, then the Lord will not build our church.
On the contrary, the Lord will tear it down.
Therefore, we must earnestly pray that the Lord would open our spiritual eyes to see the work He is doing in building up His body, the church.
Then, we will be able to confess with sincerity before God and people, as in Nehemiah 6:16:
“This work had been done with the help of our God.”
Without the Lord’s help, our church cannot be built.
The church of the Lord can never be established by our strength alone.
Only when the faithful Lord fulfills His promises can His body, the church, be established.
The amazing truth is that our Lord is still carrying out this work today.
First, He has shown me—who am lacking—the “gaps” that need to be repaired, tearing down what must be torn down, and rebuilding with strength. I am personally experiencing the Lord’s work of building.
Furthermore, I am witnessing how the Lord is working in the lives of each of our church leaders, building them up.
Our church is the Lord’s church, and it is the Lord who builds it (Matthew 16:18).
To become a church built by the Lord, each of us must sincerely love our neighbors and also reflect on the work the Lord is doing.
But if we only love our neighbors with our lips and do not carry out the ministry of love that makes peace, then the Lord will surely not build our church.
Likewise, if we fail to recognize that the Lord is building His church, He will not build ours.
May we humbly receive this lesson and join together in the work the Lord is doing to build His body, the church.
Victory!
Victory Presbyterian Church—A Church Built by the Lord
A Reflection by Pastor James Kim
(Listening to the Word of God that awakens the dawn)