The Heritage of the Lord

We're going to look here this morning for a few minutes as we begin looking into God's word

! Because when a parent makes a commitment to raise their children in the Lord, they make that

! They make that commitment because they see the value in children.

You know, one of the things today that as you look at society, you'll find that the value of children is degrading.

And I'll make my point here in just a moment on that because as I see here, it's not that the child itself is not,

but the idea of children is going away within society. And you see this trend.

Birth rates have dropped dramatically in the last 20 years. Dramatically here in America, in Europe,

you know, there's only a few places around the world where the birth rate has stayed up.

And we find here, as it's continued to drop, matter of fact, last year, they tell us that the many states

within the United States had more deaths than births. The current average in a family today is 1.6.

Now, how you get 0.6 of a child, I don't know yet, but the average is 1.6.

You know, even to maintain a society takes a 2.1.

Just to break over and to break even in society and to have stability in that.

And studies have shown that the view and the priority of children directly impacts the fertility rates in a society.

You know, now I want you to understand, it's not that everyone sees children as negative or unwanted,

but they find it has to do with the priority.

You know, the change has not been in the value of children, it's in the priority of children.

And the preeminence of children.

You know, God's first command to Adam and Eve was to go and to be fruitful and to multiply.

And we see that throughout the scripture.

It's a God desires for us to have children.

But oftentimes, we view children in our culture in a way that is secondary instead of primary.

And we're going to see a little bit of that here today, what God has to say about that.

Because really, the question is, you say, what's that priority?

Well, the question is, do you see your children as a blessing or a burden?

You know, we have a society today that oftentimes they address children as a burden.

They think of them as nothing as an expense or an inconvenience.

Even though they might value children, they put a secondary position upon children as a burden instead of a blessing.

A child, when we have that, you say, preacher, what's the big deal about that?

You know, the way you enter into something, the way you think about something impacts what you do with it.

It impacts the priority of it.

It impacts how we process what we do.

And we see this, that we find that there's more of an emphasis is placed upon some things.

In the current society, you'll find that more emphasis is placed upon work and personal priorities.

The more that happens in society, they've done studies here in the last 10 years, the higher the priority is of work and personal priorities.

What's in it for me?

How do I enjoy myself?

How do I have self-fulfillment?

You know, how do I have experiences?

The higher rate that is, is a priority within society, the lower the birth rate drops.

The two run in contrast one to another.

And we see this, it's interesting, even people who don't hold to a godly worldview, they have a new word they've coined.

And it's called workism, where work has become a priority over everything else.

Now, most of you might be familiar with a magazine out there or a newspaper, whatever you want to call it.

It's called The Atlantic.

Not exactly what you call a conservative viewpoint, you might say.

But they had an interesting thing in an article in The Atlantic.

They call workism this, a kind of religion promising identity, transcendence, and community.

Think about that.

Even somebody who doesn't believe, and most of them would actually try to call themselves atheists or agnostics,

recognize that what they're becoming is they're worshiping something.

They're putting something on the forefront in their life.

And we see this, it's where life choices are centered around career.

Desiring to have a purpose outside oneself through accomplishment and connection through their work.

But you know, I want you to understand and to think, what does the Bible say about the focus in our priority?

Because we understand where the world desires.

But this morning, you know, as parents dedicate their children, I want you to understand the importance of it

is the priority that's being placed in the way that we ought to think about our children

and their value and their purpose in our lives.

So if you found Psalm 127 this morning, let's stand together and read the Word of God here,

these five verses here today.

Because think about, as we read through this, in verse 1, it says,

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain, which build it.

Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh, but in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrow.

For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

And as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, and they shall not be ashamed,

but they shall speak with the enemies in the gates.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Fathers, we come before you this morning.

Lord, we thank you for your Word.

Lord, we're thankful for the importance that you place upon each individual, Lord,

and even for your instruction.

And Lord, I pray just have your hand upon each heart, each life here today, Lord,

that we might take time to evaluate, Lord, where are we using to build our priorities,

especially when it comes towards family, and what people desire,

and what we are seeking in our life, what needs to be as the forefront of those things.

And Lord, we pray just have your hand upon each one today.

You might stir our thinking, Lord, but also our hearts.

And Lord, also where we stand before you.

Lord, I pray just work in a mighty way as we walk through this passage here this morning, Lord,

and we just give you all the praise and glory in Jesus' name.

Amen.

You may be seated.

You know, this psalm is a psalm focused on the house, on the home.

When it talks about a house, it's not talking about the structure or the building.

It's talking here in reference to a household.

It's talking about that family group that is there, because unless the Lord build the house,

they labor in vain that build it.

You know, when you read through the first part of this passage,

you can see that you can exert a lot of energy and resources trying to build life.

You know, think about the dynamics that it speaks about here in this.

It says, you know, it is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,

to eat the bread of sorrow so that giveth his beloved sleep.

I mean, you can put a lot of effort into the things of this life,

to try to build things that people see.

You know, you can drive around.

It's amazing.

And I never realized this for a while, but when I was younger,

when we lived in Southern California, it was interesting,

because we lived in some very affluent areas you go through.

And I had a friend who actually was selling insurance.

He says, you'd be amazed how many people have a fancy house,

a fancy car, and he says, in an empty home.

And I'm not talking just empty of family.

I'm talking empty of furniture.

Empty of, I mean, basically, they had the bare necessities within a home,

just because they were taking and looking at what everybody else saw.

They wanted to keep up perception.

They were laboring two jobs and putting in all sorts of efforts,

staying up late, getting up early,

trying to do all these things to maintain a perception.

You know what?

That has infiltrated our society today.

Unbelievers and sadly, believers alike,

that they put their priorities on all the things,

the externals that people see.

Now, I want you to understand, notice what it says here.

It says, except the Lord build the house,

they labor in vain that build it.

You know, you can do all those things.

You can try to deal with everything.

You can accomplish all that culture elevates

as the goals and direction of life

and be missing what God tells you that you ought to be looking for

and that you ought to be paying attention to.

You know, when we understand,

notice what it tells us here in verse 3.

It says,

Lo, children are what?

A heritage of the Lord,

and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

His reward.

You know, when you are blessed with children,

they are a heritage.

That means it's something that's to be passed down,

something that is lasting.

God entrusts the parents' children.

It's a heritage.

It's something that you've been entrusted with

and have a responsibility to.

As parents, we need to realize

that we're supposed to be nurturing

and guiding our children

in the truth of the things of God.

But you know, today, like I asked earlier,

do you think to your children as a blessing or a burden?

Do you see them as a reward or a burden?

Do you see them the way God sees them

and the way God has given?

Do you see them as something

that you're building a heritage

and a blessing from God?

Your children, I want you to understand,

God tells us our children are a heritage.

Something that is important, has value,

needs to be invested in,

something that we need to hold on to

because the counter-narrative in society

promotes a narrative that children are a burden

that must be managed or controlled,

placed in a timeline of arriving or achieving.

Now, I want you, I'm going to explain that a little bit

because what you see in society today,

people look at marriage and children

as I work towards those things to accomplish.

They look at it as a pinnacle or a capstone of my life,

how I've arranged everything.

They look at marriage and children and family as a capstone.

Well, when I get all this, now I can have this.

That's counter to what God says

because God doesn't say having a family

is the capstone of life.

Having a family is the cornerstone of life.

It's the foundation and it's a starting point

as people build lives together.

You know, we have a society that wants to put marriage secondary

as, well, I'll delay it for all these things

because I want this first.

And then when I'm stable and everything's good

and everything's going good,

then I'll get married.

They look at it as a capstone instead of a cornerstone.

Of life.

God tells us that it ought to be a cornerstone of life

and how that outlook towards children

drives this narrative.

You know, it's easy to view the responsibility of a child

as overwhelming instead of a heritage from the Lord,

a heritage that should be cherished and directed.

You know, go over to 1 Samuel this morning,

1 Samuel chapter 1,

1 Samuel 1 · chapter mention

and you find here a lady, a mom, a wife.

And when you read through,

you understand that Hannah here

couldn't have children for a long time

and she'd been praying to God

for God to give her a child.

And notice here in verse 27, it says this.

It says,

You know, I want you to understand what she did.

She directed her child back to God,

the one that's given her this child.

You know, children are a heritage of the Lord.

The fruit of the womb is his reward.

You know, when was the last time

you looked at your children as a reward?

As a blessing.

Because oftentimes today the society is,

is yeah, we're going to do all this

and we're going to invest in them,

but it's more of a burden mentality

than a blessing mentality.

When she dedicated Samuel to the Lord,

thankful for the gift that God had given her,

her perspective was not one of burden,

but a blessing,

a reward that God had given.

You know, your perspective will determine

the importance and the priority of children.

You know, this morning,

I want you to stop and consider in your life,

how do you see children?

Are they a burden or a blessing?

The world tells you they're a burden.

God says they're a blessing.

They're a blessing from God.

It's something we need to have that right perspective.

While the children are being a,

bring a great responsibility

as we are to nurture and to guide them

in the things of the Lord.

Now I want you to understand,

it doesn't mean it's going to be easy

because children come with needs.

They come with things that need to take place

because notice here,

children require nurture and guidance.

You know, God instructs us

that we have to bring them up

in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

That tells you there's going to be

some effort involved

because you're developing

the very blessing God's given to you

because God gives us these.

Now notice what it tells us here.

Look at verse four back in our text.

He talks about children this way.

He says this,

as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man,

so are children of the youth.

Arrows, like arrows in your hand.

Now I want you to understand,

how is the referring here is important

because today I think we have,

sometimes we get,

the way our culture operates,

we kind of get a wrong perception.

Because today if somebody wanted arrows,

they'd walk down here to shields,

they'd go in and they'd just pick one off the shelf

and then they'd pick the tip that they want

and they'd preassemble everything.

You know, everything's kind of put together

and it's very quick and easy

to go down and buy the bow and pull it.

What it's talking about here is somebody

who took the effort to create

and to guide and to mold the arrow,

to direct the fletching,

that's the feathers that go on the arrow

to help it spin and to maintain trajectory.

You have the tip, the arrowhead.

All three of those components had to be developed,

they had to be formed,

and they had to have care to do it

for them to operate correctly.

For an arrow to fly straight,

all three of those things have to be in balance

and in proper order for it to happen.

It didn't happen by accident.

You know, you remember as a little kid,

have you ever tried to make your own bow and arrow

as a little kid?

You know, I remember trying to go out

and get a stick and a string

and then you get this wiggly crooked little stick

you picked up on the ground

and you pull it back.

So you walk over there and you pull it up,

you pull it back again,

or it goes flying off someplace

or pokes your sibling in the eye,

you know, or all sorts of adventures that happen.

But you know what?

It was kind of haphazard

and wasn't very effective.

What I want you to see this morning

when it talks about arrows in your hand,

it's something your children need to be developed

and formed and directed

because they become effective

as you send them out from your home.

Just as a warrior takes that arrow

that he took time to develop.

Now here a while back,

I watched some weird things sometimes,

but I watched them make arrowheads

out of stone

and just kind of watching the guy

teach how to do that

and how much time it takes

in the study

as they look at the rock

and they figure out,

okay, this is the stress fracture.

I got to strike it right there

to form what I want

and when they get done,

it's like,

how in the world

did you beat that out of that?

But it's like a great little shape

that they've perfectly formed

and corrected

and it's balanced

and it's formed

and ready to go.

It didn't happen by accident.

It happened because

they were intentional.

They had a purpose in mind

that was guiding them

in development of it.

As a parent,

we ought to have a purpose in mind.

What are we developing our children?

to be

because we understand

that care is required

to have an arrow

that flies straight

toward the target.

It requires intention to detail.

It requires careful shaping

and preparation,

direction

to fulfill its purpose.

Just in your life,

as a parent,

I want you to understand

your children,

that blessing that God's given to you

is in raw form

and God instructs you

to form it

and to prepare it

and to be able

to send it forth

that it might fulfill

what God's purpose

was for them.

To prepare

and equip them

to do that.

An arrowhead

is carefully groomed

to be effective

and carefully remove

everything that's not required

to the point

that it'll strike

the target effectively.

You know,

Isaiah 38 verse 19

Isaiah 38:19

tells us this,

the father to the children

shall make known

thy truth.

You know,

how do we straight

and prepare our children?

Teach them the truth

of God's word.

To teach them

what God has said.

Teach them

what God expects.

You know,

one of the problems

I find today

is people treat

what God says.

Well,

that's a good option.

Let me try another one.

The reality is

God says,

hey,

this is the guidebook.

These are the parameters.

This is what you're desiring.

This is what,

this is what you're looking at

in the instructions.

This is what you're aiming for.

This is what you ought to desire.

Now,

I want you to understand

not every child

is going to be the same

but everyone ought to understand

the same truth.

The reality of who God is,

you know,

Ephesians 6 verse 4

Ephesians 6:4

says this,

but bring them up

in the nurture

and admonition

of the Lord.

To bring them up

is an active thing.

It's not a one-time event.

You know,

when you're investing

in your children,

it changes

over the course of time.

You know,

the requirements

of bringing up children

to become adults

because

that's another one.

Nobody ought to have

a desire to raise children.

I think today

we have a problem

because we have a bunch

of people who raise children.

Our goal is not

to raise children.

Your goal is to raise adults.

That's the objective.

That child

will only be

a child

for a short period.

You spend most

of your life

as an adult.

You spend most

of your life

doing

out on your own

away from your parents,

at least hopefully.

You know,

the rise of people

living at 40 plus

in the parents' basement

is increasing.

You see all sorts

of societal shifts

that you have people

that are raising children

that are apathetic

to life.

That's just it.

They've raised children

and not adults.

God wants us

to grow up

to put away

childish things,

to do the things

that God would have,

to do those things

that we ought to

and to understand

how to run

our own household

to do those things.

Just as God

spoke about Abraham

in Genesis 18

in verse 19,

he says this,

for I know him.

He's talking about Abraham

that he will command

his children

and his household

after him.

You know,

I want you to understand

it takes some responsibility

to say this is the direction

my house is going to go.

Think about Joshua's statement.

As for me and my house,

we will what?

Serve the Lord.

You know what?

He looked at everybody else

and said what direction

are you going?

Who are you serving?

Are you going to serve

culture and society

and self?

Are you going to serve

the Lord?

It's a decision

that has to be made

and we've been talking

about family.

The decision is made

with the dad.

I want you to understand

as a father,

as a husband,

God lays additional

responsibilities

for your household

upon you.

You're going to stand

before God

and give account

for your household.

what you did

and what you didn't do.

Now I want you to understand

there's no perfect parent.

I don't think there's

going to be a single dad

that stands before God

and says God looks at him

and you did.

There's going to be

some struggles.

But your main movement

and direction ought to be

I want to be focused

towards God.

Because the great thing is

God forgives,

God overcomes

even our inabilities

and even our errors

in trying to bring up

our children.

You know,

sometimes it amazes me

my children are in spite of

not because of.

And we ought to be thankful

that God can overcome

those things.

But notice here

in Genesis 18

it says,

And they shall keep

the way of the Lord

to do justice

and judgment

that the Lord

may bring upon Abraham

that which he has spoken

of him.

You know,

when we understand

that children

are not just a gift

but arrows to shape

and arrows to send out,

the prevailing thought

today is different.

You know,

they look at children

as a burden

but also they look

at children,

well,

they'll figure it out

on their own.

You know,

it's really appalling

the attitude today

that parents say,

well,

I don't want to push

something on my children

of what to believe.

When you say that,

you're deceiving yourself.

Because somebody

is instructing

and teaching your children.

They're getting instruction

and inputs from someplace.

The question is,

as a parent,

are you going to control

what those inputs are?

Are you going to direct

what those inputs are?

Or are you going to let

somebody else do it?

If you're going to raise

your children

in the nurture

and admonition of the Lord,

you have to be proactive,

not reactive.

I've talked to many parents,

well,

I don't want to push

my religion on my kids.

You know,

what I'm telling you is

that they're getting

a religion from someplace.

Because everybody

worships something.

I want you to understand

they're going to worship

and prioritize something.

It's your job.

God tells you

to instruct them

in the things of God.

It's a proactive dynamic

is to say,

I want them to know this.

It's my job

to make sure they know this.

But in culture today,

oftentimes parents negate

that to other people.

Now,

I'm putting it to you this way,

very simply,

that as a parent,

you need to be actively engaged

in what your children

are learning.

You need to be actively engaged

in what your children

are learning.

What that looks like

may be different

from each parent

because of different dynamics

in life and situations.

But whether you have

your kids in public school

or you homeschool them

or you put them

to a private school,

as a parent,

you ought to be actively involved

in what are they being taught.

I want you to understand

the importance

of what we're talking about

because it's your job,

your responsibility,

responsibility

because if you don't

influence and educate

and grab the opportunity

to shape them

in their thinking

and perspective,

somebody else will.

Because ultimately,

it boils down to this.

You're either going to be

forming them

in a godly direction

in thinking

or somebody else

is going to be forming them

in an ungodly

thinking and perspective.

Today,

many people think,

well,

I'm in the middle.

It's like there is no middle.

There's either righteousness

or unrighteousness.

There's either godliness

or ungodliness.

There's not an in-between.

Think about that child's an arrow.

You know,

I've yet to see anybody

that shoots archery

that says,

well,

the target's down there

and I got the arrow

so let's just close my eyes

and spin around a few times

and let the arrow go

and see if it hits the target.

What's their odds

of hitting the target

if they do that?

Pretty much zero.

But many times today,

parents instead of taking

the responsibility

to form and to aim

their children in a direction,

they're instead spinning around

and hoping they get sent out

and they hit something.

God says they ought not to be

a believer.

A believer ought to take responsibility

for their household.

Think about,

turn to 1 Chronicles chapter 28.

1 Chronicles 28 · chapter mention

1 Chronicles 28 and verse 20.

Here's David speaking to Solomon.

This is David,

you might say,

sending out his son

to fulfill

what God has for him to do.

Look at David's statement.

And David said to Solomon,

his son,

be strong and of good courage

and do it.

Fear not,

nor be dismayed,

for the Lord thy God,

even my God,

will be with thee.

He will not fail thee,

nor forsake thee,

until thou hast finished

all the work

for the service

of the house of the Lord.

Now the context here,

David could not build

the Lord's house

and God allowed him

to assemble everything

and he promised him

that Solomon,

his son,

would build it.

In other words,

David's saying,

hey Solomon,

I've given you

everything you need

to complete

what God has for you to do.

That ought to be our goal

as parents

because you cannot control

everything your kids do

but you ought to be able

to say I did my best

to equip them

and give them everything

they could

to make sure

they can accomplish

what God has for them.

Because I'm most going to tell you

that your children

are going to make choices.

Some choices you're going to like,

some choices you're not going to like.

But when you pray for them

and you've put the right things

as they're growing up,

you know what?

Those are things

that God can use

in their life

to help convict

and convince

and direct

and to guide.

Because I don't think

one of us can say

that they made their parents

perfectly happy

in every decision

that they made.

You know,

parents have a vision

of where their kids

are going to go

or what they're going to do

and these things

but you know,

sometimes God

has other plans

or kids make plans

of their own.

But we need to understand

parents,

we ought to be shaping

and guiding our children

in godly ways,

preparing the arrow,

giving them

and trimming through

and preparing

everything that's needed

for them to be able

to fly

and to hit the target

that God has for them.

But I want you to understand

I can see everybody

and that sounds like

work, preacher.

Yeah, it is.

But there's not

an installed work.

There's a lot

of fulfillment

in family.

While children

require investment,

they also are a source

of joy and blessing.

Look at the

verse 5 there.

Happy is the man

that hath his quiver

full of them.

They shall not be ashamed

but they shall speak

with the enemy

in the gate.

You know,

the tone here

in verse 5

is one of joy,

of fulfillment

that echoes

through a family

just as grandparents

are happy to see

this generation

follow the Lord.

These little ones

will be instructed

and guided

by the word of God.

You know,

what a joy it is.

You know,

it's exciting

to see another generation.

That ought to be our goal

is that our kids

grow up to serve the Lord.

That's the objective.

For them to know

who God is,

to know who Jesus is,

what Jesus did for them,

that Jesus Christ

came and died

because let me tell you,

your little one

that was born to you,

or is going to be born to you,

or is currently born to you,

is not a little angel.

They're born a little sinner.

Just like you.

The difference

is what they've done

with Christ.

As a parent,

that's our goal

and that'll bring joy.

You know,

think about what

the Apostle John

said over in 3 John.

Now,

he's speaking here

of spiritual heritage,

but in a sense,

it applies to us

as parents too

because our goal

ought to be

that spiritually

our children

are walking with God.

Notice what he tells us here

in 3 John 1, 4.

It says,

I have no greater joy

than to hear

that my children

walk in truth.

You know,

the kids that you birth

physically,

there's no greater joy

than to see them

accept Christ

as their Savior

and serve the Lord.

To be born again

into God's family.

The joy of seeing

children grow up

and to walk in truth

just as parents

that prepare

and guide their children

will see

and reap the blessing.

These blessings

are physical

as well as

spiritual.

The blessings here

as a well-equipped,

trained child

is going to grow up

to be a responsible adult

that will take

a strong stand

in life

and in faith.

The picture here

is a growing child

that stands alongside,

strengthening the family.

Notice the end

of verse 5 here.

Why are they happy?

Notice what it says.

They shall not be ashamed

but they shall speak

with the enemies

in the gate.

You know what?

They're on board.

They're part of the family.

They're there.

They're standing alongside.

They became not just

your children

but people in the battle

with you.

Looking out for one another.

That ought to be our goal.

When we understand

children are a heritage

of the Lord.

They're a reward.

You know,

this morning,

how do you see

children?

We have a culture

that tells us

children are a burden

are secondary

or there's something

that's a capstone.

You know,

when I get everything

organized

then I'll have kids.

God tells us

that's the wrong order.

He says family

needs to be

the cornerstone

of society.

A cornerstone

of our life.

That's the picture

that we see.

Are children

a burden

or a blessing?

How can you celebrate

the joy and purpose

that kids bring

to the family

even this week?

You know,

I want to encourage you

to stop and think

and consider

what kind of joy

do you find

in the reward

that God's given

to you and family?

You know,

that applies

both directions

because as a growing adult

you ought to look back

and say,

you know,

I'm thankful

for what my parents did

or what my parents gave me

and how my parents equipped me.

As a parent

you ought to look

and say,

you know,

I'm thankful

for the things

that my kids

happened to catch.

You know,

things you were hoping

you were guiding

and directing them

because you cherish

as you guide them

and send them out

as arrows

to fulfill God's plan

and God's purpose.

You know,

this morning

what a blessing

to see

these young families

dedicate their children

and commit to raise them up

in the Lord.

You know,

it's important

to pass on

to the next generation

the knowledge

of who Jesus is

and what He's done.

How to live godly,

what to do,

live by example.

You know,

2 Timothy 3.15

says this,

and that from a child

that has known

the Holy Scriptures

which are able

to make thee wise

unto salvation

through faith

which is in Christ Jesus.

Because teaching them

and raising them up

allows them to move

from just a physical family

into a spiritual family.

The family of God.

That happens at a moment

when they realize

that they're a sinner

and need a Savior

and Jesus Christ

is the one.

When they trust Him

by faith.

It happens in a moment

when you acknowledge

your sin

and call upon the one

that came and died

taking your sin

upon Himself

but He defeated sin

and death

and is now alive

at the right hand

of the Father.

What a wonderful blessing

we have

in being part

of God's family.

Today,

if you're not part

of His family,

I encourage you

to make today

the day

that you call upon Him.

because it happens

at a moment.

It happens at a point

of decision

to say,

who is the Savior

and what's He done

for me?

But as a parent

or grandparent

or hope to be parent,

I want you to understand

the attitude

we're talking about today

starts beforehand.

It starts where you are today.

How do you see,

children?

Will you honor the Lord

in bringing them up

in the nurture

and admonition of the Lord

in the spirit

and attitude

as they are a blessing

and a reward

to you

from God?

in the miracle

in miracle