Psalm 127

What's up, y'all? Good to see you this morning.

Oh, man. So, yeah, it is what it is.

This is very hard. So my name is Carlos.

I've been a pastor here for five years, five years.

Well, a year and a half before that and then back.

Yeah. So we, me and my family, we

moved to Des Moines 04 months before we planted this church to

be a part of the core team. And so we've been here for a

long time. And and so, yeah, this is my

last Sunday here and I have, I have a story for that.

Come to the party, I'll tell you.

But also I, I, I really do believe I have a word from the

Lord specifically for, for us that, that I've just asked God

to like, basically give me, give me like one last, what would you

tell these people? And so I think it's fitting that

today's the Sunday with all the kids in here because that

sermon, this sermon involves kids.

So we're going to be in Psalm 127.

So if you have a Bible, go ahead and open that up.

We're going to be there. We're going to be there.

But like I said, we're moving, we're moving down to Florida,

the Sunshine State. And I've been I've been thinking

a lot about Florida and, and my family.

And it reminded as as I've been thinking about that, it reminded

me of one of my favorite pictures of my family that I

have. It's a picture of my great

grandmother back in the rural Florida around 1920 something 19

early the early 1900s is black and white.

And it's just every time I look at that photo, I asked the

question, man, like what was life like back then?

You know, just a few decades from slavery and entrenched in

like Jim Crow, the Jim Crow era. What was it like to not just

live back then, but follow Jesus in that time period.

So let's ponder that a little bit, right this around this

time, families would have who would have been bound by change.

They were now, for the first time, free to build something on

their own, with little money and less land.

They gathered scrapped wood and made bricks out of mud and dug

with their bare hands. They built their homes with

sweat, but also with prayer. But here's what moves me the

most about this. Many of them, with the need to

build their lives in front of them, stopped on Sunday mornings

to worship Jesus, right. They lit lamps, they gathered

with others, they shared meals, they sat under God's preaching,

and they lifted songs to God. They didn't just work, but they

also worshipped. Why?

This is a good question I believe.

Why is because they believe that the homes they were building

were not just theirs alone. They believed that God was

building with them. They were poor, but they weren't

abandoned. They were tired, but they

weren't alone. They were free and now God was

their provider. And this isn't just for these

followers of God. If you look within the the

biblical narrative you will see the Bible is littered with

examples of people in real need to build houses and to seek

protection and to then to provide provision for

themselves. Yet they have an awareness and

the wisdom to work with God from a place of rest in God.

Now this confronts me and maybe this confronts you too.

As I have thought about what I wanted my last sermon to be and

what I felt like God wanted me to leave you all with, it was

this. This is the summary of my

sermon. My prayer is that frontier would

be known as a joyful people who work with God from a place of

rest in God, trusting that our good God will supply all your

needs. And this is what Psalm 127 is

all about. And this message should be

relevant because there is a lot of work to be done here.

Hospitality team, you got to meet people and walk with them.

Cleaning team, there's floors to be cleaned and dust to be

cleaned and the offices that we used to keep a mess.

I'm sorry about that. Thank you for cleaning those for

us. Pastoral team, the gospel needs

to be proclaimed. Souls need to be shepherded.

There's a lot to build. There's so much that needs to be

watched. There's provision that needs to

be gathered. And so it's natural that you

would be tempted to rise early, stay up late, worry, watch,

grind, or tell yourselves, or should I say convince yourselves

that this is all for the right reasons, right?

This is for family. This is for legacy.

We're doing this for Kingdom. But this song confronts me and

it should confront you because we have fallen for the lie I

believe that permeates our culture that and that I think

it's leaked into the church that says that I am enough.

We are enough for me. For us.

We have believed a lie that celebrates hustling and

overextending ourselves to get things done that where that we

have believe the lie that burnout is a badge of honor.

But I believe beneath all of that effort and all of that

vigor and all of that grind, what's really driving us is

fear. And so I can confidently say

this because this is my struggle.

I have been a pastor at this church for almost 10 years, and

this has permeated my life at times.

And as I leave, I want to preach against this so that you guys

can be labeled as a joyful people who work with God from a

place of rest in God, trusting that our good God, he will

supply all of your needs. And we're going to unpack Psalm

127. But as I read, I want you to

notice that within this Psalm there is a living, breathing

example of God's provision to you.

I want you to know that God sees and knows the church's tendency

toward anxious toil and me centered work.

And because he is a good and gracious God, he gives us little

visible, noisy reminders that preach to our hearts the good

news that God is a good God who gives things to his children

even while they rest. So see if you can pick up this,

these little reminders while we stand for the reading of God's

Word. Let's stand if you're able.

And we're going to be in Psalm 127, the whole chapter.

I'm reading from the CSB version, but there are ESB

Bibles in the pews if you don't have them.

It's very similar. This is the word of the Lord, a

song of a sense of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds a house,

it's laborers labor over it in vain.

Everybody say vain. Unless the Lord watches over a

city, the watchman stay alert in in you get up early and stay up

late, working hard to have enough food.

Yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves first.

Three sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, Offspring a

reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

Are the sons born in one's youth happy?

Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.

They will never be put to shame when they speak with their

enemies at the city gate. Heavenly Father, I kneel before

you and I asked Lord that you would do what only you can do,

which is make your word come alive.

I pray that you would do what only you can do Lord, which is

convict hearts and courage spur on.

Come alongside those who need it Lord.

So just use me Lord, I am a tool in your hands.

Swing freely Lord with me this morning.

I pray all that Jesus name, Amen.

You can be seated. Pastor Eugene Peterson, who's

one of my spiritual heroes, has a book called A Long Obedience

in the same direction. When he's looking at all of the

psalms of ascent and he's summarizing them chapter by

chapter. He says this about our Psalm.

He says this. It'll be on the screen.

The greatest work project of the ancient world is a story of

disaster. The unexcelled organization and

enormous energy that we're concentrating and building the

Tower of Babel resulted in such a shattered community and

garbled communication that civilization is still trying to

recover. Listen to this guy's effort.

Effort, even if the effort is religious.

Perhaps, perhaps, especially when the effort is religious,

does not justify anything when we open up the pages of our

Bibles and turn to Psalm 127. Solomon, the writer of this

Psalm, calls the labor and work and watchfulness done apart from

God. What it is.

He says that it is anxious toil. So how do we identify what this

anxious toil may be in our own lives?

Well, you can identify this if you've ever thought this while

working. Man, if I don't do it, it won't

get done. If I don't protect, it is going

to fall apart. If I don't provide, no one else

will. If I don't put in over X amount

of hours, it won't get accomplished.

And working from this place, watching from this place,

building from this place is summed up to be vain and

Solomon's wisdom. He repeats that three times

within the the five verses of this chapter.

That's more times than there is verses.

The problem isn't our work, right?

We just did a whole sermon series on how work is good and

godly and there was work before the fall.

So I'm not re preaching that message.

You go on our own online and you can look that up.

The issue is with the type of work, with this type of work is

that when we anxiously toil, we work as though we were orphans

and not beloved children in whom God is pleased to provide for,

as if God is distant or disinterested or unwilling to

give us what we need. Solomon, who also happens to be

the widest, wisest builder in in Israel's history, tells us this

true work. He elusive.

This true work flows from rest. First one says unless God builds

bills, our building is in vain. Unless God watches, our watching

is in vain. Anxious toil is work that flows

from keeping us and our efforts at the center of our work.

Solomon says me center at work is vain.

Here's the thing about crazy. Here's the here's the crazy

thing about building from a place of anxious toil also is

that when you're, when you're building from this place, you,

you actually, you often times tear down the very thing that

you're trying to build. I've experienced this as a

business owner. I've built a business and it's

grown and I've been like, Oh my gosh, there's so much work to

do. I got to do this, I got to do

that, I got to do that. And by holding on anxiously to

everything, trying to do it all, I actually like end up tearing

it all down in the process when I should I actually just be hand

to get off raise coming alongside my my my employees to

help them do the work. I believe that it all depends on

me. But the same thing can be said

for watching from a place of anxiety too.

And watching and seeking to protect you inadvertently miss

the things that you actually need to be paying attention to.

Unfortunately, I've also fallen victim to this as well.

A couple months ago at the call, one of my best friend, he's the

best man in my wedding. And I was just meditating on

Psalm 127 like I always do. And I was just like, man, bro,

like your mom passed away like right when I moved to Iowa and I

was not there for you. I was caught up in me trying to

do ministry, me trying to prove myself and I just missed it.

And, and, and he was very gracious with me, like the good

friend he is. And he was like, man, you were

busy. And but the truth of what it was

is I was anxiously trying to build a new life and prove

myself in the work. And he was a victim of my

anxious toil. I missed him.

Does that make sense? Ultimately?

Anxious toil takes our eyes off of God and puts them on

ourselves or our circumstances. And that's because anxious toil

tells a lie that if we don't have enough, that we don't have

enough and the resources are limited.

But in the Kingdom of God, we know that's not true, right?

And as we look back at our text, that's what Solomon tells us,

doesn't he? He wants to remind the people

where their provision really comes from.

He says in vain, you get up early and stay up late working

hard to have enough food. Yes, he gives sleep to the one

he loves. Now, if you got a Bible, if

you're old school like me, you got a Bible, you got a pen.

I would circle that, circle that verse.

If you have a highlight or a pen, if you're on the phone,

just go ahead and click that on the Bible app and highlight it.

Solomon says that our anxious work amounts to nothing.

He says that our labor produces no real fruit.

Your work, you're waking up early, you're burning the

midnight oil. It is all in vain, he says.

It is useless, ineffective, futile, hopeless.

Why? Why it is hopeless.

It is useless. It is in vain because God is a

God who gives rest to his beloved.

Now, who is God's beloved? It's you, It's me, it's us.

It's the community of God. It's God's chosen people.

It's the remnant of God snatched from the world and brought into

fellowship and relationship with himself.

In fact, that phrase he gives sleep to the one he loves can

literally be translated like this.

This is so good. Lord have mercy.

He gives such things to his loved ones while they sleep.

He gives such things to his loved ones while they sleep.

Solomon is literally saying don't wake up early and go to

bed late, believing that your efforts you're building, you're

watching, you're working, We'll provide for you the security,

the safety and fulfillment that you need.

No, it is God who does that and he does it in the way he does

it. He does it while you are

sleeping. In fact, if you look at the

biblical narrative, the from from Genesis to Revelation, you

will see that this is how God relates to all His blessings

within the Bible. And I only have three from

Genesis. So this is your homework.

Go and mark the way that God blesses His people.

He does it. He gives them blessings while

they are at rest. Let me give you 3 examples.

In the garden God does what to Adam after Adam names all the

animals and and Adam says man I need a help or suitable for me.

I don't need a giraffe. I need like a like me but a

different. You know I thought it was funny.

What does the guy do? He puts them to sleep.

He puts Adam to sleep, and when Adam wakes up, the dude starts

freestyling. He's like, hey, yo, this is bone

of my bone and flesh. He starts singing.

In Genesis 15, Abraham is put into a deep sleep and it is in

this sleep that God establishes his covenant with him.

In Genesis 28, Jacob falls asleep and while he is asleep he

has his vision of this ladder that's going to connect heaven

and earth. Who actually is Jesus gets a

vision of Jesus and this is the point.

God provides blessing for His people apart from their efforts.

And Solomon is reminding us that God is the one who opens up His

hand and gives us what we need. And he does this while we are

asleep. And if we look back at our text,

your boy is struggling today. Excuse me?

If we look back at our text, it's almost as if Solomon knows.

It's almost as if Solomon knows that like this community is

like, bro, this is too good to be true.

Like while I'm asleep. And so Solomon, he shifts, look

back at our text, easy to shift. He points them to a living,

breathing example of God's provision, which are children.

Why this shift? Well, let me let me

contextualize this this this Psalm and I think it'll help us

make sense. Psalm 127 is 1 of 15 psalms that

the Jewish people. It's one of 15 psalms called the

Psalms of ascent, like Ascending, that the Jewish

people would sing and rehearse at 3, three times a year as they

journeyed up towards Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the highest point

in Palestine. And so they are literally

ascending to the city of God and they are singing these songs

together. They're singing these songs

together. They did this for the Festival

of Tabernacles, the the Passover, and they did this also

for Pentecost. So Jews from all over the

dysphoria would journey toward the city of God, reading and

singing these psalms, including Psalm 127.

They were used to prepare their hearts for entering into the

city that house the presence of God.

And when you think about this song being read and sung in the

context of community, then it makes sense why Solomon would

use members of the community to remind the people that God

provides for them apart from their efforts.

In fact, the psalms of a sin can be seen actually as an allegory

of what it means to journey with God as we walk toward our

heavenly home. And the lesson that this song

wants to get into your hearts and into your bones is that

children within the community of God are reminders of God's

provision apart from your efforts.

In fact, children are the reminder that God provides for

us out of our joy and while we are enjoying his good gifts.

And Solomon goes on the show how God's provision of children

shows us how He meets every need that we anxiously toil for.

Solomon shows us how children help us.

Recenter, Recenter excuse me, Our building and our watching

and our work on God. Psalm 27.

Psalm 127 says that when we see children in our midst on the way

to the city of God, we are reminded of three things in

particular. We're reminded of God's legacy

given to us, God's protection given to us, and God's provision

given to us. So let's break this down real

quick. OK, three points.

Children. Point number one.

Children show us we have a legacy.

Where anxious toil seeks to build something that will last

apart from God, children are the reminder that God has freely

given us an inheritance that will outlast us even when we're

gone. First three says that children

are a heritage inheritance. You should say. 2 weeks ago I

was had a meeting with my business mentor and I was just

telling him like about my business and like how I was just

like, I want to build this business because like I don't

have an inheritance and like this is the thing that's going

to like help extend my legacy when I'm gone.

And then I had to roll up until Psalm 127 and be confronted with

the fact that bro, first of all, you don't know what you're

talking about. Second of all, God is giving you

a legacy that is beautifully and fearfully and wonderfully made

in Zion, Ezra and Elam. The only thing and and think

about this, the only thing that I contributed to that was my

enjoyment. That's the only thing that I

contributed. Eugene Amen.

Relax, we got kids in here. Eugene Peterson says this.

What do you what do you do to get sons and daughters?

Very little. The entire miracle of

procreation and reproduction requires our participation.

But listen, but hardly in the form that what of what we would

call our work. We did not make these marvelous

creatures that walk and talk and grow among us.

We did what we participated in an act of love that was provided

for us in the structure of God's creation.

Bars, huh? Please stop it.

But remember guys, remember, remember, before we go too far

ahead of ourselves. This is this Psalm is written in

the context of community. So not only are my kids

MyHeritage, but all these kids. This is our inheritance.

I mean, look around. God is freely given a signpost

that scream that God is going to build something that will

outlast us. Our work will not be in vain.

And to those in here who struggle with infertility, God

is giving you a community of children that you can look to

and stay hopeful if and when God decides to provide that for you

as well. This is a community.

This is God has given us these children to help encourage us as

we journey toward our our heavenly home.

But we must go on point number two.

Children show us that we have protection.

Our text says that although children are that that through

children, excuse me, we are provided with protection.

Verse 4 like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born

of 1's youth Happy, everybody say happy.

Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.

Now this is set to directly, excuse me, speak to the watchman

who are looking to protect the city anxiously apart from God.

Solomon says, bro, God is giving you freely giving you sons

that'll shoot your enemies in the face.

You have a bunch of face shooters in in your community

that needs to be a T-shirt. But seriously, as a community,

these children are the arrows that you that you get to launch

into the world. These children, they will grow

up and after being discipled by you and raised up by you and

influenced by you, they will have the capacity to be used by

God to keep you safe from the evil. 1 These young boys, they

will grow up and they will become qualified men to lead and

shepherd your hearts. These young girls, they will

become women who can lead you to pursue justice and mercy into

the city. These children are the arrows in

your hands to help you watch and fight against the Kingdom of

darkness. And guess what?

It's God who has provided these for you, not your efforts.

God has given these to you. And if God can effortlessly

provide you with the protection that you need like this, then

you can rest assured that He will provide for you in the

future, whatever may come. Children show that we have

protection and point #3 And lastly, children show us that we

have provision. You guys with me, rock with me,

OK? Children will be the legacy of

Frontier Church and children Kids you will be the ones that

God uses to protect the church, but you are also something else.

You are the church's provision. Verse 5 says this they you will

never be put to shame adults with their enemies at the city's

gate. Now, what Solomon is alluding to

here is the fact that parents, that sons were used to

legitimize parents while they were on trial, right?

And and those trials that happened at the city's gates, a

place that was considered the most vulnerable place in the

city. It was the entrance to the city.

And the more sons or kids that you had to more legitimize that

you were. So let me say this again, this

trial where these sons were happening, where it happened at

the most vulnerable place in the city.

And so this speaks directly to the to the rising early and

going to bed late to have enough food, which Solomon mentioned in

verse 2. Hunger does what it puts you in

a vulnerable state. In fact, when you're hungry, you

really can't I excuse me, let me speak for myself because I'm of

y'all are probably stronger than me.

When I'm hungry, I can't think about nothing else, nothing

else. And God through the wisdom of

Solomon reminds this community through the number numerous

amount of kids in the community that it is God who provides your

provision for you in the most vulnerable circumstances.

Not you, not your efforts, not your giftings.

It is God who provides and frontier.

This is a very important point for you because you are in a

vulnerable state. I'm gonna call a spade a spade.

You are in it. We are in a vulnerable spot.

Budgets need to get balanced right.

My position needs to get filled. Systems need to be further

established as we move from church plant to establish

church. We are in a very vulnerable spot

and the enemy stands at the gate waiting to devour.

But what the chatter in this room reminds me, and what it

should remind you, is that God will provide for you in your

moment of vulnerability. He will provide for you in your

moment of vulnerability. He will put the shame, the

schemes of the enemy. These little ones remind me that

that though that vulnerability is real, there is an army rising

up. There was an army rising up.

God will provide for you and your moment of vulnerability,

and it is your responsibility to work with God and to not

anxiously try to provide for yourself.

Now, I've said a lot. How do I know all of this is

true? I know Solomon says this to this

community way back when, but how can, how can we be assured that

this is that this is going to be true for you guys?

Yes, children were a legacy. They were a source of

protection, they provided provision.

But how can we be sure of this today?

Well, let me tell you, Frontier, I can be sure of this.

I can be certain of this because this is your reality right now.

This is your reality right now. Just like the Jewish people who

are on a journey, you 2 are on a journey.

We all walk through the desert Rd.

Of life in search of a city where God can be found.

A place that promises life. A place that promises security.

A place that promises fulfillment and purpose.

A place that promises that what we build it will last.

Yet if you are like me, we often times find ourselves coming up

short. And so we attempt to build our

own lives apart from God. But it never lasts.

And we try to stay alert and watchful, but there's just way

too much to to look for. And we we grind early and burn

the midnight oil, hoping to satisfy the hunger and thirst of

our souls. Trying any and everything to

simply feel some relief. Yet like the prophet Jeremiah

says in Jeremiah 2, we have dug our own cisterns, broken

cisterns that cannot hold water. We are we are trying to dig our

own source to draw water, but our cups have holes in them.

And this is what the Bible calls sin.

It's our propensity to grab at life and do it on our own.

But the Bible says that this is the life at all.

This is death. In fact, Genesis 3 says that we

were dead because we lack the power, or I would say the

ability or the the the willingness to find life at the

source. We went for it ourselves.

And while this is your reality or excuse me, was your reality.

What's also our reality is the beautiful good news of the

gospel that comes to you while you were sleep in your sin.

The apostle Paul says this in in Ephesians 2.

He says, but God, who was rich in mercy because of his great

love for you made you alive in Christ, even though you were

what dead in your trespasses and sin.

You have been saved by grace, meaning that the riches of God

came flooding to you while you were asleep in your sin.

Or as the psalmist says this morning, he gives what we need

even while we sleep. And what did he give us Himself?

God gave us his Son, His Son. The beauty of Psalm 127 is the

reality that God gives us his very beloved while we were

asleep, so that all those who place their faith in Jesus

become the beloved of God. This is the good news of the

gospel. Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus is the reward of God. Jesus is the richest of God.

And that reward and those riches are freely given to you while

you were asleep, while you while you could do nothing.

Psalm 127 is simply a shadow of the gospel that you live into

today. Jesus is the Son of God and the

arrow of God sent down from heaven to shoot the enemy of God

in the face, so that all who would give up their anxious toil

and their anxious striving should experience in a real way

the protection of God in Christ. Satan has been defeated.

Amen. OK, I was like, that's good news

y'all. Your sin has been obliterated

and you now have free access to run to the throne of God to have

your soul satisfied because the thing that kept you from God has

been removed. Your sin, which is the main

stumbling block toward your relationship with God, has been

destroyed because the Son of God took on sin on Himself.

Your tips at trying to provide for yourself?

They can cease because the Son of God has completed the work

for you. And so now you can build with

Him the things that can never be destroyed.

And now you can watch within the city that will never get

invaded. And now you can live this life.

Oh my gosh, you can live this life in rest knowing that

although life will bring moments of vulnerability, you will

always have what you need. And the very cherry on top of

all of this, the very cherry on top of all of this, is that we,

the promise of the city that we're we're going toward will be

ours. Death is no more.

And what was and what was once the end of our story is now a

comma that the holy of the holy city that we're journeying

toward our whole life. So this is so good.

I just want to stay at her all day in Christ.

When you stand at the gate of that city, vulnerable, exposed,

the enemy accusing you of what you did, what you didn't do, the

sin you committed, the pride in your heart, the lack of love you

displayed to your neighbor, the anger that just won't go away.

When you stand in that gate and you feel shame and guilt, when

you stand at the threshold of God, totally vulnerable, the God

who gives us his Son will plead your case and say not guilty.

That's what Psalm 127 is saying when it says that they will

never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the

city gate. You would never be put to shame.

And when your sin tells you that you can't enter the city of God

because of all the wrong you did, the Son of God will look

you in the eyes and say, bro, you can enter because I am the

gate. I am actually the doorway to

enter into the city. Your ticket has been purchased

by the precious blood of Christ. So as I close, how can I be

confident that God will build His church?

How can I be confident that God is going to continue the good

work of fighting for joy that that He has done here?

I can be confident because the gospel is true.

The gospel is true. It has redeemed and saved me.

It is saved two of the three of my kids.

I can be confident in that. And if at any time as you guys

are building in the future and looking to, to watch and provide

and you find yourself an anxious toil, this is my one

application. If you do any of those things I

want, I want you to step back every 5th Sunday, every July,

maybe once or twice a month in roots and look at all the kids

in here and be reminded that God provides for you while you

sleep. And if you keep that in the

front front forefront of your work in your ministry here, if

you actually build your grandchildren's church, Frontier

will be a joyful presence that will have longevity in the city.

God has already done the work and he just says simply, he

invites you to join him. That's all he wants.

The work is accomplished. Now as I close, if you guys feel

comfortable, you're going to get a little weird up in here.

I want all the kids to come up to the altar if if your family

feels comfortable and I just want to pray a blessing over the

kids before I leave. Parents, adults, if as I as I do

this, just have your hearts be reminded and encouraged of God's

provision for you. So I'm going to do that.

Joseph, you want to play a little, do it a little bit.

I just want to pray over the kids and then I'm going to get

out your way. Can you guys stand up here?

He's standing around here. Right here.

Right here. Hey, can you say nothing?

OK, You say that's fine. Is that cool?

OK. All right.

Let me pray for you, kiddos. Y'all look good.

Look at y'all. Y'all look good.

It's quiet. May the Lord bless you and

protect you. May the Lord make his face shine

on you and and be gracious to you.

May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.

For my young ladies, I pray that God would make you shine like

the beautiful treasure that you are.

May He give you courage like Esther, steadfastness like Ruth,

and faith like Mary, and conform you into the image of Jesus.

For my young dudes in here, I pray that God would make you men

who have hard hands and soft hearts.

May God give you faith like Abraham, courage like Joshua,

and steadfastness like Joseph, and conform you into the image

of Jesus. Amen.

God can be seated. I love you guys.

Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, I thank you for

this church. I thank you for the way in which

you have built me, that you have watched over me, and you have

provided for me through the hands of these people.

I pray, Lord make a ruckus when they, when

the kids make a ruckus to remind us who have quote UN quote

become too mature or too grown up, that the way to enter the

Kingdom Lord is to be like a child, make a child like Lord

Jesus. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen,