1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,840 I wanna start with a single word this morning 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,840 that will probably create some interesting thoughts 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:07,680 in your mind. 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:08,620 The word is control. 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:11,520 Control. 6 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,720 We all like to think that we are mostly in control 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,260 of our lives until we realize that we're not. 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,900 Maybe you've had an experience like this. 9 00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:26,000 You look at your calendar and it says, 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,500 well, I have an appointment tomorrow at 8 a.m. 11 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:32,600 So you do the math in your head, you plan ahead. 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,800 You think, okay, well, I know where I'm going. 13 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,140 It takes 20 minutes to get there. 14 00:00:37,140 --> 00:00:40,780 So I know I'll leave it like 7.35, 15 00:00:40,780 --> 00:00:42,540 give myself just a little bit of margin. 16 00:00:42,540 --> 00:00:45,180 And you think I've done this a million times before. 17 00:00:45,180 --> 00:00:46,780 It's always worked out just fine. 18 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:49,280 So you don't even really give it a second thought. 19 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,560 You just plan and you go. 20 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,960 But then things get in the way of your plan. 21 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,900 And people make choices that throw you off. 22 00:00:58,900 --> 00:01:00,660 Stuff happens, as they say. 23 00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:04,360 Traffic is heavier than it should be. 24 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,800 Somebody had the audacity to let their car stall 25 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,200 in the fast lane on the path to your appointment. 26 00:01:13,740 --> 00:01:15,620 Hard to believe, right? 27 00:01:15,620 --> 00:01:18,520 And then you're like, I didn't check my traffic app 28 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:23,520 before I left because I've done this a million times. 29 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,160 You know, what's there to worry about? 30 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:26,100 What could go wrong? 31 00:01:26,100 --> 00:01:28,660 Well, it turns out everything could go wrong. 32 00:01:28,660 --> 00:01:29,900 Now the freeway isn't moving. 33 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:31,540 People are honking their horns. 34 00:01:31,540 --> 00:01:35,300 Some hooligan is now passing you on the shoulder, 35 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:39,820 breaking the law and somehow beckoning you to follow suit. 36 00:01:41,340 --> 00:01:44,720 And after great frustration and wild swings of emotion, 37 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,280 you finally make it to your appointment. 38 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:47,820 You're 15 minutes late. 39 00:01:48,820 --> 00:01:50,820 And of course, your friend is not there. 40 00:01:50,820 --> 00:01:52,820 And so you double check your calendar 41 00:01:52,820 --> 00:01:54,820 and you look everywhere. 42 00:01:54,820 --> 00:01:56,100 And you're like, what's happening? 43 00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:58,640 And then you look at your notifications 44 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,940 and the text came in 10 minutes ago, 45 00:02:00,940 --> 00:02:02,900 and it's your friend and they've canceled on you 46 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:04,600 at the very last minute. 47 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:08,640 Again, frustration and wild swings of emotion 48 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:10,440 ensue and overwhelm you. 49 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,140 You've now realized that you've wasted your time, 50 00:02:13,140 --> 00:02:16,580 your energies, and it turns out all of that venting 51 00:02:16,580 --> 00:02:19,960 and all of that stress was completely in vain. 52 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:21,460 Completely unnecessary. 53 00:02:21,460 --> 00:02:22,360 Here's the point. 54 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:25,320 It's really easy for us to come to believe 55 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:26,820 that we are in control. 56 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,260 That we're in control of all the outcomes 57 00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:30,300 of our daily lives. 58 00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:31,760 And then even in bigger things, 59 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,340 in things like the building of our homes and work 60 00:02:34,340 --> 00:02:35,640 and the raising of children, 61 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:39,780 that we can begin to think that if we just strive hard enough, 62 00:02:39,780 --> 00:02:43,040 if we just plan precisely enough, 63 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,040 that we can control those outcomes too. 64 00:02:46,540 --> 00:02:49,120 And we seem capable of believing that we can do that. 65 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:50,620 We seem capable of believing this, 66 00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:52,880 even though we're Christians and we love God's word, 67 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,660 and we know that the word says otherwise. 68 00:02:55,660 --> 00:02:56,660 We know it, right? 69 00:02:56,660 --> 00:03:00,320 James, for example, tells us, James chapter four, 70 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,140 come now, you who say, today or tomorrow, 71 00:03:04,140 --> 00:03:06,640 we will travel to such and such a city 72 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,440 and spend a year there and do business and make a profit. 73 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,400 And then listen to the rebuke. 74 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,880 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. 75 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,320 What your life will be. 76 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,860 For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while 77 00:03:20,860 --> 00:03:22,420 and then vanishes. 78 00:03:22,420 --> 00:03:24,760 Instead, you should say, if the Lord wills, 79 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,060 we will live and do this or that. 80 00:03:28,060 --> 00:03:31,460 I once read somebody say that we can go to sleep at night 81 00:03:31,460 --> 00:03:34,000 as professing Christians and wake up in the morning 82 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,700 as functional atheists. 83 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,280 Going about our day thinking that 84 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:40,740 we've got everything figured out 85 00:03:40,740 --> 00:03:42,280 and we've got it all planned out 86 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:45,420 and that we are the masters of our outcomes. 87 00:03:45,420 --> 00:03:47,980 And so we wake up and even though we're not atheists, 88 00:03:47,980 --> 00:03:50,780 we function that way and if we're not careful 89 00:03:50,780 --> 00:03:51,980 to think about it. 90 00:03:51,980 --> 00:03:53,760 We do all of it without remembering 91 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,160 who's really in control. 92 00:03:56,020 --> 00:03:57,300 So that's our theme for this morning. 93 00:03:57,300 --> 00:04:00,100 Let's grab our Bibles, let's go to Psalm 127. 94 00:04:04,540 --> 00:04:07,700 Psalm 127, we have finished our four plus weeks 95 00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:10,100 in Psalm 119 and guess what? 96 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:11,940 We're now heading into the final stretch 97 00:04:11,940 --> 00:04:13,740 of our sermon series in the Psalms. 98 00:04:13,740 --> 00:04:15,380 Can you believe we've been at it for a while? 99 00:04:15,380 --> 00:04:17,940 We've been at it for 14 months now. 100 00:04:19,280 --> 00:04:20,920 Right now the plan, Lord willing, 101 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,180 is to cover seven more Psalms after today 102 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:27,320 and to wrap up the series before we get to Reformation Sunday 103 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,500 and the holiday season that will soon be upon us. 104 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:32,800 Happens fast, doesn't it? 105 00:04:34,100 --> 00:04:37,300 But today we're in 127 and this is one of a set 106 00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:41,800 of 15 of Psalms that are called the Songs of Ascent. 107 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,740 It runs from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134 108 00:04:44,740 --> 00:04:46,980 and the reason why they're called Songs of Ascent 109 00:04:46,980 --> 00:04:49,840 is because at some point in Jewish history, 110 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:52,820 these 15 Psalms were compiled together 111 00:04:52,820 --> 00:04:56,420 and used by the worshipers who were traveling 112 00:04:56,420 --> 00:05:00,360 to Jerusalem for the three great pilgrimage festivals 113 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:01,460 of the Jewish calendar. 114 00:05:01,460 --> 00:05:02,500 What are they? 115 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:06,500 They're Passover, Shavuot, also known as Pentecost 116 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,260 or the Feast of Weeks, and Sukkot, right? 117 00:05:09,260 --> 00:05:11,540 Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles 118 00:05:11,540 --> 00:05:13,440 or the Feast of Booths. 119 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,800 Travelers would recite and sing these songs 120 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,640 as they traveled to Jerusalem every year, 121 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:19,840 three times a year. 122 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,040 Now why are they called Songs of Ascent? 123 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:23,820 Because as many of you know, 124 00:05:23,820 --> 00:05:25,180 some of you who have been to Jerusalem, 125 00:05:25,180 --> 00:05:27,520 you know that it's located up on a hill. 126 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,120 So as you're traveling to Jerusalem, 127 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,760 you're always ascending, you're always going up. 128 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,760 And so the picture is quite beautiful 129 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,120 that ancient Jews were able to enjoy 130 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,900 this blessed experience of not just being in Jerusalem 131 00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:42,540 for the festival, but the anticipation of it, 132 00:05:42,540 --> 00:05:44,840 of walking up to the city of God 133 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:47,900 and knowing what lie ahead of them in the temple courts 134 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:49,900 to be able to worship and sacrifice 135 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:53,280 and to recite and sing these beautiful Psalms as they went. 136 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:55,420 So let's read the entire Psalm. 137 00:05:55,420 --> 00:05:57,540 It's not long, just five verses. 138 00:05:57,540 --> 00:06:00,080 And it's titled, and this is built into the manuscripts, 139 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,360 A Song of Ascent of who? 140 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:04,460 Of Solomon. 141 00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:06,920 Oh boy, important to note the author. 142 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,100 We'll come back to him later. 143 00:06:09,100 --> 00:06:12,400 Verse one, unless the Lord builds the house, 144 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,160 labor and vain who build it. 145 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:16,860 Unless the Lord guards the city, 146 00:06:16,860 --> 00:06:20,440 the watchman keeps awake in vain. 147 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,880 It is vain for you to rise up early, 148 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:27,080 to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors, 149 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,720 for he gives to his beloved even in his sleep. 150 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,580 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. 151 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:36,260 The fruit of the womb is a reward, 152 00:06:36,260 --> 00:06:38,080 like arrows in the hand of a warrior, 153 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,900 so are the children of one's youth. 154 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:43,620 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them, 155 00:06:43,620 --> 00:06:45,460 they will not be ashamed when they speak 156 00:06:45,460 --> 00:06:47,400 with their enemies in the gate. 157 00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:50,600 So this is very clearly a wisdom Psalm, 158 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,600 and in my opinion, one of the most practical 159 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,800 of the entire collection of Psalms. 160 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:56,080 As you see in the text here, 161 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,740 it deals with several very important areas of our lives 162 00:06:59,740 --> 00:07:03,240 that interestingly often compete for our attention. 163 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,120 Number one, the home. 164 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,180 Number two, security. 165 00:07:07,180 --> 00:07:09,260 Number three, work. 166 00:07:09,260 --> 00:07:11,160 And number four, the raising of our kids. 167 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,720 And overall, what Psalm 127 does 168 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,860 is it speaks to our lack of control 169 00:07:15,860 --> 00:07:18,800 in all of those areas and more. 170 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,060 And it speaks of God's sovereign control 171 00:07:21,060 --> 00:07:25,340 over every aspect of our human effort. 172 00:07:25,340 --> 00:07:27,400 So let's start by looking at the first two examples 173 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:28,640 that Solomon brings to us. 174 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,080 Look at verse one, and right out of the gate, 175 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,820 we see two conditional clauses. 176 00:07:33,820 --> 00:07:37,880 Twice you see the psalmist using the word unless, 177 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:39,780 and then at the end using the word vanity. 178 00:07:39,780 --> 00:07:41,220 And the message is obvious, 179 00:07:41,220 --> 00:07:44,020 unless there is one key thing in place, 180 00:07:44,020 --> 00:07:46,320 any effort that we put out, 181 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,560 anything we do to strive here on the earth 182 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,260 is ultimately, without this one key thing, 183 00:07:51,260 --> 00:07:53,760 is ultimately not gonna be fruitful or lasting. 184 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,240 And so it seems to me that this has got to be 185 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:58,440 one of the most important things 186 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,680 for any human being to grasp, right? 187 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,300 Because we're all searching for meaning in things, right? 188 00:08:03,300 --> 00:08:05,980 It's been hardwired into us by our creator. 189 00:08:05,980 --> 00:08:08,780 We want to know that we're living for more 190 00:08:08,780 --> 00:08:10,540 than just the next moment, 191 00:08:10,540 --> 00:08:11,720 that there's a greater purpose 192 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,080 and a greater goal to our lives. 193 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:15,720 So we've got to know what this one thing is. 194 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,660 So let's pay attention as we look again at verse one. 195 00:08:18,660 --> 00:08:22,300 Unless the Lord builds the house, 196 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:25,060 the builders labor in vain. 197 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,140 And unless the Lord guards the city, 198 00:08:29,140 --> 00:08:33,000 those who watch over it stay awake in vain. 199 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,480 So what's the one key thing? 200 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:36,700 Unless what? 201 00:08:36,700 --> 00:08:39,640 Unless the Lord is the one doing the work. 202 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,320 Unless the Lord is the one working through his servants, 203 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:44,980 it's all vanity. 204 00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:49,660 And apart from our trusting in him and depending on him 205 00:08:49,660 --> 00:08:53,160 and depending on the outcomes that he alone ordains, 206 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,300 all of our work is in vain. 207 00:08:56,300 --> 00:08:58,660 Now, I don't think there's anybody here who would say, 208 00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:00,260 I really hope that all the effort 209 00:09:00,260 --> 00:09:02,860 I'm putting out of my life is in vain. 210 00:09:02,860 --> 00:09:04,200 So we need to get this right, right? 211 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:05,600 Now it's important to understand, 212 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,680 there is a slight distinction 213 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:09,380 between what Adam has been teaching 214 00:09:09,380 --> 00:09:11,440 in our series in Ecclesiastes 215 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:12,980 and what Solomon is saying here 216 00:09:12,980 --> 00:09:15,740 when he uses that word in vain. 217 00:09:15,740 --> 00:09:16,920 In Ecclesiastes, right? 218 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,180 We've heard this in all of Adam's sermons, 219 00:09:19,180 --> 00:09:21,360 this idea of the vanity of life, 220 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,120 all of our labors under the sun. 221 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,360 And in that book, 222 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,420 Solomon uses a particular Hebrew word, havel. 223 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:29,700 And as Adam has been showing us, 224 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:33,400 that word havel refers to a breath or a vapor. 225 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,700 I love the way he's put it, soap bubbles. 226 00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:39,400 All of life is like soap bubbles. 227 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:40,600 You blow them out and they go up 228 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:42,280 and before you can grab them, they're what? 229 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:43,880 They're gone. 230 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:44,980 That's what he's talking about. 231 00:09:44,980 --> 00:09:46,580 But here in Psalm 127, 232 00:09:46,580 --> 00:09:49,040 Solomon uses a different Hebrew word. 233 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:50,280 He uses shav. 234 00:09:51,220 --> 00:09:56,220 And that word carries the idea of emptiness. 235 00:09:56,220 --> 00:09:57,860 It carries the idea of nothingness. 236 00:09:57,860 --> 00:09:59,420 It implies what you might call 237 00:09:59,420 --> 00:10:04,160 a longer term sense of futility to all of our effort. 238 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,100 So it means that you can throw yourself 239 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:08,500 into a long series of tasks in life. 240 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:10,400 And in the end, wake up one morning 241 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:11,440 and look in the mirror and say, 242 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,040 what was the point of all that? 243 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:16,280 Imagine living that type of a life 244 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,840 where you just, you strive and you work and you labor. 245 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,080 And one morning you wake up and you look in the mirror 246 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:22,640 and you go, what have I been doing? 247 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,320 What is the point of all of it? 248 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,320 At the end of the day, my striving has been fruitless. 249 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:30,860 Ultimately it's been meaningless 250 00:10:30,860 --> 00:10:33,160 because it lacks eternal value. 251 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,820 So in his great wisdom, Solomon is saying to you and I, 252 00:10:36,820 --> 00:10:38,860 anything that we set out to do, 253 00:10:38,860 --> 00:10:41,840 building a house or guarding a city, for example, 254 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,680 it is worthless unless it is the Lord 255 00:10:45,680 --> 00:10:48,180 who is doing the work through us. 256 00:10:48,180 --> 00:10:49,740 And when he's doing the work, 257 00:10:49,740 --> 00:10:51,920 then everything has great meaning 258 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,320 and everything has transformational power 259 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:59,320 and everything we do has eternal value to it. 260 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:00,520 Now you might ask, 261 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:01,760 what's the big deal about building a house? 262 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,360 That seems pretty mundane, pretty basic, 263 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,120 but let's flush this out just a little bit 264 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,200 because I think this is actually very timely 265 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:09,320 for the day that we live in. 266 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:10,800 First of all, let's acknowledge 267 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,200 that God does not make a distinction 268 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,540 between secular things and sacred things. 269 00:11:14,540 --> 00:11:16,200 All of life matters to him, 270 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,940 including very mundane, very ordinary things, 271 00:11:18,940 --> 00:11:21,380 because God is interested in our hearts, 272 00:11:21,380 --> 00:11:24,240 in the condition of our hearts as we go through our days. 273 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,080 So God is interested in all things. 274 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:27,820 Paul says this in Colossians 3, 275 00:11:27,820 --> 00:11:32,160 whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. 276 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,580 So God's interested in all of it. 277 00:11:33,580 --> 00:11:35,120 That's the first thing. 278 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,520 Second, this is a timely issue because building a house 279 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,060 or just owning a house is something that is on the mind 280 00:11:42,060 --> 00:11:44,040 of most young families. 281 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,500 And it's on the minds and hearts 282 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:47,640 of many of our O'Kill couples. 283 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,600 And I know you wanna afford a house in Southern California. 284 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:53,440 I get it. 285 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:54,280 I get it. 286 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,980 It's hard to build a house. 287 00:11:55,980 --> 00:11:57,820 It won't make you feel good. 288 00:11:57,820 --> 00:11:58,640 I get it. 289 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,320 It's hard. 290 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,080 But prices are so inflated right now 291 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,280 that it feels like an unreachable goal. 292 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:06,660 And what does that lead to in our lives? 293 00:12:06,660 --> 00:12:08,460 Frustration. 294 00:12:08,460 --> 00:12:10,060 And perhaps as you're sitting here this morning, 295 00:12:10,060 --> 00:12:13,500 you've been dealing with feelings of discontentment 296 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:16,500 because you're having to live in a place that you don't love, 297 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:17,960 or you're having to live in an apartment 298 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,040 that isn't as big as you wish 299 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,400 because it really doesn't fit all of the needs 300 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,080 and perhaps it's becoming a consuming issue in your heart. 301 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,080 And if it is, that's a very serious concern 302 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,540 that deserves your attention and your prayer 303 00:12:30,540 --> 00:12:31,980 and maybe biblical counseling. 304 00:12:32,980 --> 00:12:35,020 For others here this morning, you do own a home 305 00:12:35,020 --> 00:12:37,080 and you spend an enormous amount of time 306 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,120 and effort and money striving to make it 307 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:42,800 as nice as you possibly can, but even then, 308 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,360 there's a sense of dissatisfaction. 309 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,000 Well, my home isn't this or that. 310 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,660 My home isn't as large as I want 311 00:12:47,660 --> 00:12:50,060 or it's not furnished as well as I'd like. 312 00:12:50,060 --> 00:12:52,500 It certainly doesn't look like this person's home 313 00:12:52,500 --> 00:12:53,640 or that person's home. 314 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,400 Or when you step back and you look at what you've built 315 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,940 over the years and you realize this isn't the godly home 316 00:12:59,940 --> 00:13:04,720 that it should be, that it's missing peace and joy 317 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:06,020 in spiritual life. 318 00:13:07,180 --> 00:13:11,960 And so building a home actually has a lot of application 319 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,620 for us because it speaks to our hearts. 320 00:13:13,620 --> 00:13:15,420 And here's the thing, a home is intended 321 00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:17,620 to be a very important place. 322 00:13:17,620 --> 00:13:19,020 And it doesn't matter if it's large 323 00:13:19,020 --> 00:13:22,360 or if it's small, if it's a house or an apartment, 324 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,060 if it's beautifully furnished or it's very, very sparse. 325 00:13:25,060 --> 00:13:27,100 Home is important. 326 00:13:27,100 --> 00:13:29,840 Home is a place where we gather as a family. 327 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,900 Home is a place where we pray together 328 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:33,540 and we sing together. 329 00:13:33,540 --> 00:13:36,740 It's a place where we play and where we rest. 330 00:13:36,740 --> 00:13:39,320 Home is a place where we welcome others 331 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:44,320 into our lives and hospitality towards the body of Christ. 332 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,480 But the key to that kind of a home, 333 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,620 that godly home is right there in verse one, 334 00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:52,300 unless the Lord is at the center of your house 335 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:56,760 or your apartment, unless He is the very heartbeat 336 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,140 of your home, then all of your frustration 337 00:13:59,140 --> 00:14:02,140 and all of your striving is nothing but vanity. 338 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,300 If we build a home with wrong heart motives 339 00:14:06,300 --> 00:14:08,600 or we rely on our own wisdom as we build 340 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,840 and we don't give God the glory and the thanks 341 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,580 that He deserves, then what we produce at the end 342 00:14:13,580 --> 00:14:17,620 is just a monument to futility. 343 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:19,520 So why do you labor to build a home? 344 00:14:20,620 --> 00:14:22,260 It's a question to ask yourself. 345 00:14:22,260 --> 00:14:23,660 Why do you labor to build a home? 346 00:14:23,660 --> 00:14:25,660 Again, it doesn't matter if it's a one bedroom apartment 347 00:14:25,660 --> 00:14:27,900 or a five bedroom house, why do you do it? 348 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:29,100 What motivates you? 349 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:33,300 Are you building a home for status? 350 00:14:33,300 --> 00:14:36,500 Are you building as a way to feed the idols of your heart? 351 00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:39,740 Are you building for the sake of appearances 352 00:14:39,740 --> 00:14:41,440 so that others see what you have? 353 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:43,040 There are all kinds of reasons out there, 354 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,780 but if they're working counter to biblical principles, 355 00:14:45,780 --> 00:14:47,080 then it's all vanity. 356 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,520 For example, if you're building occupies your mind 357 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:52,720 and your time and your resources to the point 358 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,360 that you exclude other more important priorities. 359 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,360 Your hyper focus on it is actually getting in the way 360 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,560 of other things that are more important. 361 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,240 If you're building tears at the fabric of your family 362 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,400 because you're obsessed with it rather than building 363 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,340 your family up, then you're building 364 00:15:11,340 --> 00:15:12,840 for the sake of the Lord. 365 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,980 If you're building prevents you from bringing an offering 366 00:15:14,980 --> 00:15:16,940 to the Lord or keeps you from worship, 367 00:15:16,940 --> 00:15:19,240 keeps you from fellowship or it prevents you 368 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,720 from being able to care for other people in need. 369 00:15:23,220 --> 00:15:25,360 Here's the temptation, without even realizing it, 370 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,960 we can find ourselves diverting our energies 371 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,720 and rather than building the kingdom of God, 372 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,920 we find ourselves building our own little kingdoms, 373 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,200 trading what is eternal for what is temporal. 374 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,400 Essentially Solomon is relaying to us the same principle 375 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,040 in Matthew chapter six. 376 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,980 Do not lay up for yourselves treasure upon earth 377 00:15:45,940 --> 00:15:48,340 where moth and rust destroy 378 00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:49,780 and where thieves break in and steal, 379 00:15:49,780 --> 00:15:52,480 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. 380 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,140 And then there's this amazing final summary phrase 381 00:15:55,140 --> 00:15:58,920 for where your treasure is there your heart will be also. 382 00:16:00,180 --> 00:16:02,220 So unless the Lord is at the center of your heart 383 00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:04,960 and at the center of your home and working through you 384 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,700 as you trust in him for the outcome, 385 00:16:07,700 --> 00:16:11,200 then it's all in vain, make sense? 386 00:16:12,500 --> 00:16:14,840 Now the same principle applies to guarding a city 387 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:16,600 and I know this is kind of a strange example 388 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,100 because none of us, I don't think any of us here 389 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:21,740 really maybe one, I know one gentleman here 390 00:16:21,740 --> 00:16:24,980 who guards a city, but most of us don't do that. 391 00:16:24,980 --> 00:16:27,820 But safety and security have always been a high priority 392 00:16:27,820 --> 00:16:31,020 for human beings, safety and security. 393 00:16:31,020 --> 00:16:33,620 In the ancient world being attacked by a foreign enemy 394 00:16:33,620 --> 00:16:35,680 was a constant worry. 395 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,260 And so ancient cities had to have big walls, 396 00:16:38,260 --> 00:16:41,000 big strong walls or else they stood absolutely 397 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,900 no chance of surviving. 398 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:45,960 And still even with really good defensive fortifications, 399 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:47,600 if you lived in the ancient world, 400 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,480 the population that you lived in was constantly nervous 401 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,840 because at any time a foreign invader could come your way. 402 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,840 And this is why watchmen were necessary. 403 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,740 They were the guards, the sentries that were posted 404 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:03,680 in watch towers along the walls to keep eyes out for threats. 405 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,360 And that meant staying awake, especially late into the night 406 00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:09,480 because most armies attack in the evening, right? 407 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:10,660 In the dark. 408 00:17:10,660 --> 00:17:12,320 So you had to stay awake. 409 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:14,460 And if you fell asleep at the wrong time, 410 00:17:14,460 --> 00:17:15,900 disaster for everyone. 411 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,800 But still there's an element to this for us today. 412 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,460 Now, first of all, we should be really grateful 413 00:17:21,460 --> 00:17:23,040 that we live in a really big country 414 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:24,940 with a powerful military. 415 00:17:24,940 --> 00:17:26,700 We don't have the worries of the ancient world. 416 00:17:26,700 --> 00:17:30,600 We have two giant oceans on either side of our country, 417 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:31,840 right? 418 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,780 We're not far from being attacked by foreign enemies, 419 00:17:34,780 --> 00:17:37,520 but then shrink it down to a micro level. 420 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,620 We live in a world where at times 421 00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:41,280 random violence can happen. 422 00:17:42,380 --> 00:17:44,080 And for some of us, the fear of crime, 423 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,200 the fear of a break-in is a serious worry, 424 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:48,800 maybe even sinfully so. 425 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,600 And if that's true, that too requires your attention 426 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,940 and prayer because we can't be carried along 427 00:17:55,940 --> 00:17:57,140 by fear all the time. 428 00:17:58,140 --> 00:18:00,200 So how do we strive for safety and security? 429 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,940 Well, we choose our neighborhoods carefully, right? 430 00:18:02,940 --> 00:18:04,080 And then guess what? 431 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,140 We put our own watchman on the walls. 432 00:18:07,140 --> 00:18:10,040 We get a ring camera, right? 433 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,080 We install a security system 434 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,520 or we put security lights outside and so on. 435 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,820 But the reality is even in our planning, 436 00:18:18,820 --> 00:18:22,400 our watchman cannot possibly keep all harm 437 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,060 from coming at us in the fallen world that we live in. 438 00:18:25,060 --> 00:18:26,560 Bad things can happen. 439 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,460 So where do we place our trust? 440 00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:32,640 That really is what Solomon, Solomon is digging at this. 441 00:18:33,540 --> 00:18:35,240 You trust in the watchman? 442 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:37,680 When you lay your head on the pillow, 443 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:39,880 is that what you're trusting in? 444 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:41,340 Obviously not, right? 445 00:18:41,340 --> 00:18:43,280 Because it's God's sovereign hand of protection 446 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,020 and blessing that are the decisive factor 447 00:18:46,020 --> 00:18:48,380 in our security and our safety. 448 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:51,280 And when we lay our heads down on the pillow at night, 449 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,600 we trust that God cares for us, 450 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,160 that he cares for our families and that he is good. 451 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:01,160 That's what gives us the peace for restful sleep. 452 00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:03,500 Doesn't mean we shouldn't post watchman on the walls, 453 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:05,140 by the way, that is not Solomon's, 454 00:19:05,140 --> 00:19:07,800 he's not saying pull those guys down. 455 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,680 There is a practical thing here. 456 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,580 It just means that ultimately we don't trust 457 00:19:11,580 --> 00:19:12,880 in those guys on the wall. 458 00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:17,180 Unless the Lord watches over our cities and our homes, 459 00:19:17,180 --> 00:19:19,620 all of our striving, all of our planning, 460 00:19:19,620 --> 00:19:21,460 all of our watching is in vain. 461 00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:23,520 So do you trust him? 462 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,560 Do you trust him with your safety 463 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:26,760 and with your security? 464 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,160 Now in verse two, Solomon then expands on this same lesson, 465 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,440 same thing, trust. 466 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,600 Now he's gonna point to our attitude about work. 467 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,580 And this is one of the things that can really hurt. 468 00:19:38,580 --> 00:19:40,580 This was like in my face all week 469 00:19:40,580 --> 00:19:42,540 as I was prepping for this message. 470 00:19:42,540 --> 00:19:45,020 Because my fellow elders know about how I feel about work. 471 00:19:45,020 --> 00:19:47,880 I like to work, but I have to be careful. 472 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:50,480 Work is one of the ways that we can strive 473 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:52,880 to control the world around us. 474 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,060 And it can be very subtle and very deceptive 475 00:19:55,060 --> 00:19:56,080 if we're not careful. 476 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:57,320 Look at verse two. 477 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,820 It's vain, Solomon writes, for you to rise up early, 478 00:20:00,820 --> 00:20:03,660 to retire or to stay up late, 479 00:20:03,660 --> 00:20:06,960 to eat the bread of painful labors, 480 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,840 or to eat the bread of anxious toil. 481 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:11,900 Now step back for a second. 482 00:20:11,900 --> 00:20:14,280 Solomon is clearly not anti-work. 483 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:16,780 He's not. 484 00:20:16,780 --> 00:20:19,140 Because I think a dozen times in Proverbs, 485 00:20:19,140 --> 00:20:21,940 he speaks about the sluggard, right? 486 00:20:21,940 --> 00:20:23,180 That's not a word we use often, 487 00:20:23,180 --> 00:20:25,160 but it's really descriptive, the sluggard. 488 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,720 He scolds people who are lazy, 489 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,020 people who avoid work, 490 00:20:29,020 --> 00:20:31,860 people who make excuses for not working hard. 491 00:20:31,860 --> 00:20:33,600 So he's not anti-work. 492 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:34,900 And like the previous examples, 493 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:36,200 what Solomon is not saying, 494 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,160 he's not saying don't build a home. 495 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,300 He's not saying don't put watchmen on the walls. 496 00:20:40,300 --> 00:20:43,140 And he's not saying don't work hard. 497 00:20:43,140 --> 00:20:47,540 The issue is, who are you trusting in as you build? 498 00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:49,740 Who are you trusting in for your protection? 499 00:20:49,740 --> 00:20:54,220 And who are you trusting in as you make work choices? 500 00:20:55,420 --> 00:20:57,320 This is super practical. 501 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,520 Is the Lord at the center of your work? 502 00:21:01,020 --> 00:21:03,800 Even the most, you're like, ah, my job, eh. 503 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,360 No, no, it matters to God. 504 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:08,960 Like I said, he's involved in all of those mundane, 505 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,600 ordinary things, your heart condition. 506 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,140 He wants to know. 507 00:21:13,140 --> 00:21:15,300 He wants to be there with you. 508 00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:18,300 So is the Lord the heartbeat of your work? 509 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:20,640 Now God's Word doesn't lay out specific rules 510 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:22,440 for how early we should get up for work 511 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,640 or how late we should stop working. 512 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:26,680 We do have freedom in such things, 513 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,960 but he does give us this principle. 514 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:33,220 Don't go beyond reasonable boundaries for the wrong reasons. 515 00:21:33,220 --> 00:21:34,660 Let me say it again. 516 00:21:34,660 --> 00:21:38,660 Don't go beyond reasonable boundaries for the wrong reasons. 517 00:21:38,660 --> 00:21:41,660 Now we all know also that there are occasions in life 518 00:21:41,660 --> 00:21:44,060 where you have to burn the midnight oil, right? 519 00:21:44,060 --> 00:21:46,140 Students, do you ever cram for an exam? 520 00:21:46,140 --> 00:21:48,700 Do you ever stay up all night finishing a paper? 521 00:21:49,740 --> 00:21:50,700 Don't lie to me. 522 00:21:52,140 --> 00:21:54,940 I mean, for me, you guys know, every Saturday night, 523 00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:57,180 I'm up really late working on my sermon. 524 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,660 So there are times when you have to do that. 525 00:22:01,660 --> 00:22:03,960 And by the way, there's a biblical precedence for this. 526 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:05,320 I'm gonna shock you here. 527 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,200 The Proverbs 31 woman. 528 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,200 Do you know what Solomon says there 529 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,700 about this virtuous woman? 530 00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:15,400 It says this, she rises while it's still not morning. 531 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,140 While it's still night, meaning really early in the morning, 532 00:22:19,140 --> 00:22:20,680 and gives food to her household, 533 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:22,840 and her lamp does not go out at night. 534 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:25,140 She is commended for her hard work. 535 00:22:25,140 --> 00:22:26,920 At times, she stays up late. 536 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,080 And then she rises early to manage her household well. 537 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:32,380 Well done, right? 538 00:22:32,380 --> 00:22:37,360 Again, listen, hard work for good things. 539 00:22:38,660 --> 00:22:41,660 Hard work for godly things, for the sake of God's kingdom, 540 00:22:41,660 --> 00:22:44,160 for fulfilling your God ordained role. 541 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:45,600 These things are commendable. 542 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,000 But having said that, 543 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,240 let's be careful that we don't deceive ourselves. 544 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,000 Because again, this can be very subtle. 545 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,240 The motivations of our heart 546 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,280 are sometimes hidden from ourselves 547 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,440 because they're hidden deep within the heart 548 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,320 and they're not easily recognized. 549 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,280 So do you work long hours for the wrong reasons? 550 00:23:03,580 --> 00:23:06,880 Out of anxiety, out of fear. 551 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,220 How am I gonna pull my next paycheck? 552 00:23:11,220 --> 00:23:13,320 You know, do I have enough? 553 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,160 If I just work harder, I can make more. 554 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,000 Is the fear and anxiety motivating you? 555 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,860 Do you work long hours out of selfish ambition? 556 00:23:22,260 --> 00:23:24,600 Do you work long hours out of a compulsive need 557 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,400 to appear successful to your peers? 558 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,940 Do your work choices cause you to not have enough time 559 00:23:30,940 --> 00:23:34,420 for other important responsibilities? 560 00:23:34,420 --> 00:23:37,180 Do they negatively affect your spouse or your children? 561 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,760 Do your work hours prevent you from engaging in body life? 562 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,360 Do they prevent you from being a good friend? 563 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:46,420 Prevent you from being a good church member? 564 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,300 Do you get angry or resentful 565 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,300 when other demands are placed on you 566 00:23:51,300 --> 00:23:54,060 because they get in the way of what you truly love, 567 00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:55,900 which is work, 568 00:23:57,740 --> 00:23:59,400 and you take it out on other people? 569 00:24:00,700 --> 00:24:03,880 Because in reality, that's the idol of your heart. 570 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:05,180 There's a lot here, right? 571 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:07,640 And listen, let me state the odd of you. 572 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,580 If we're not careful, work can become a slave master. 573 00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:12,220 It can become an idol. 574 00:24:12,220 --> 00:24:14,460 We can end up bowing down as Christians, 575 00:24:14,460 --> 00:24:16,220 functional atheists, right? 576 00:24:16,220 --> 00:24:19,620 We're bowing before this idol every single day 577 00:24:19,620 --> 00:24:20,820 when we go off to work. 578 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:23,300 And then there's all kinds of bad outcomes 579 00:24:23,300 --> 00:24:25,020 that go with that kind of idolatry. 580 00:24:25,020 --> 00:24:26,700 Spiritual deficiencies. 581 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:28,740 If you are worshiping work, 582 00:24:28,740 --> 00:24:30,900 if you are burning the candle at both ends 583 00:24:30,900 --> 00:24:32,640 as a pattern of your life 584 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,200 because you've got this wrong motivation, guess what? 585 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,980 There's gonna be a lack of prayer in your life. 586 00:24:37,980 --> 00:24:40,920 There's gonna be a lack of time in the Word in your life. 587 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:42,280 There's gonna be times when you're choosing 588 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:43,580 not to be in worship, 589 00:24:43,580 --> 00:24:45,980 when you're choosing not to serve others in the body. 590 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:48,280 Those things are gonna go together. 591 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,660 And then there's the physical and emotional consequences. 592 00:24:50,660 --> 00:24:52,720 You're gonna find yourself worrying. 593 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,460 You're gonna find yourself anxious and despair. 594 00:24:55,460 --> 00:24:57,200 You're gonna have trouble sleeping. 595 00:24:58,300 --> 00:24:59,860 It's gonna lead to high blood pressure 596 00:24:59,860 --> 00:25:01,060 and a weakened immune system. 597 00:25:01,060 --> 00:25:03,600 There's all kinds of things that God warns us about 598 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:05,880 to say don't do this. 599 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:07,980 It's not healthy for you or your family. 600 00:25:07,980 --> 00:25:09,820 These things come about when we choose 601 00:25:09,820 --> 00:25:11,720 to trust in our own efforts. 602 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,160 When we say this, and my wife can tell you 603 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:15,860 that there were years early in our marriage 604 00:25:15,860 --> 00:25:17,760 when I was guilty of this, I would say, 605 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,400 but you don't understand, I've gotta make this happen. 606 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:23,760 Anybody else? 607 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,440 I've gotta make this happen. 608 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,240 And we take that control. 609 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,940 And we trust in our own selves and our own resources. 610 00:25:34,580 --> 00:25:35,640 Where does it end? 611 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:36,900 Where does it end? 612 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,480 Solomon says, eating the bread of painful labors 613 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,520 and anxious toil. 614 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,080 Nobody wants that, right? 615 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:49,660 Nobody wants to do that, but we can find ourselves 616 00:25:49,660 --> 00:25:52,160 in that place if we're not careful. 617 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,820 Remember, toiling in our work was part of the curse 618 00:25:54,820 --> 00:25:56,800 pronounced upon Adam, but from the very beginning, 619 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,160 God also gave us a principle of rest. 620 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,840 And rest is given to us for a number of good reasons. 621 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,400 It's a part of God's grace built into this system, 622 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:07,700 into this world. 623 00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:10,040 Number one, for our physical and emotional recovery, 624 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,000 we need that. 625 00:26:12,340 --> 00:26:15,320 Number two, for the purpose of spiritual reflection 626 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:16,480 and time to worship. 627 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,080 This is why we set aside Sunday as a day of worship, 628 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:20,380 a day of rest, right? 629 00:26:20,380 --> 00:26:23,160 Not in a sabbatarian way, but just recognizing 630 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,320 that God has said, take this time off 631 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:26,560 so that you can worship. 632 00:26:27,700 --> 00:26:30,960 And then third, it's an opportunity for us to learn 633 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,860 to trust God all the more. 634 00:26:33,860 --> 00:26:35,440 We say, I'm gonna cease from my labors 635 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,700 and trust that God's gonna provide. 636 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:39,800 So he gave us rest for all of these reasons. 637 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,500 And so take it from me, and I am somebody 638 00:26:42,500 --> 00:26:44,240 who is prone to overwork. 639 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:49,240 Seek that balance between your job and your family life. 640 00:26:50,140 --> 00:26:51,720 Seek that balance. 641 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,680 Ask a trusted friend for accountability if you need to. 642 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,280 Trust the Lord to provide. 643 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,800 Depend on him, not your own striving, 644 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,560 and release that outcome to the one 645 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,660 who is much more powerful than you 646 00:27:03,660 --> 00:27:05,360 and much more sovereign than you. 647 00:27:06,860 --> 00:27:09,960 Right, that's just logical, that just makes sense. 648 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:11,840 But then look at the beautiful truth that Solomon adds 649 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,140 at the end of verse two. 650 00:27:13,140 --> 00:27:16,080 I love this, for he gives to his beloved 651 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,240 even in his sleep. 652 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,180 Have you ever wondered why we have to sleep? 653 00:27:23,580 --> 00:27:25,380 It's an interesting, think about that. 654 00:27:25,380 --> 00:27:28,420 Why would God design us to have to sleep 655 00:27:28,420 --> 00:27:30,060 about a third of our life away? 656 00:27:31,860 --> 00:27:33,460 You probably never thought about it before. 657 00:27:33,460 --> 00:27:34,860 He could have done otherwise, 658 00:27:34,860 --> 00:27:37,260 so why did he build sleep into our lives? 659 00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:38,700 Now I can't prove this from scripture, 660 00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:42,140 but it seems to me, he's giving us just another reason, 661 00:27:42,140 --> 00:27:44,500 another reminder that we have to trust in him. 662 00:27:44,500 --> 00:27:48,040 We have to depend on his sovereign rule. 663 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,980 Because sleep is a humbling experience. 664 00:27:50,980 --> 00:27:54,280 You are never weaker than when you're sleeping. 665 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,520 You're never more childlike than when you're sleeping. 666 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,920 You're not even conscious of what's going on around you. 667 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:03,520 There's no striving you can do while you're sleeping. 668 00:28:04,460 --> 00:28:07,100 So as we sleep, God is more sovereign over our lives 669 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:09,020 than ever before. 670 00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:13,540 And in those hours, Solomon tells us he's providing for us. 671 00:28:13,540 --> 00:28:16,440 And he's caring for us, because we're his beloved, 672 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,600 his children, until we wake to new mercies the next morning. 673 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:21,600 Isn't that beautiful? 674 00:28:22,980 --> 00:28:25,580 Okay, what's the last thing then he addresses? 675 00:28:25,580 --> 00:28:27,440 Ooh, this is the big one, the raising of children 676 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:28,280 in verse three. 677 00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:30,520 Are we ready for this? 678 00:28:33,020 --> 00:28:35,420 It's as if Solomon now gets to this verse, 679 00:28:35,420 --> 00:28:36,720 and I know some people look at it and go, 680 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,620 this seems like a strange break. 681 00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:40,400 It's as if he gets to this verse and he says, 682 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,700 look, if you're unconvinced thus far 683 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:45,200 that you need to stop trusting in yourself 684 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,260 and start trusting in God, try this one on for size. 685 00:28:48,260 --> 00:28:49,840 Try raising kids. 686 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,780 And every parent said, amen. 687 00:28:52,780 --> 00:28:54,440 And those of you who don't have kids yet, 688 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,240 ooh, your day's coming. 689 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:57,980 Lord willing, your day is coming. 690 00:28:57,980 --> 00:29:00,820 Verse three, behold, children are a gift to the Lord. 691 00:29:00,820 --> 00:29:03,580 The fruit of the womb is a reward. 692 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:09,420 So if it's a vain thing to build a house without God, 693 00:29:09,420 --> 00:29:11,700 and if it's a vain thing to watch over a city 694 00:29:11,700 --> 00:29:13,560 without God's protection, 695 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,300 then it's the absolute height of foolishness 696 00:29:17,300 --> 00:29:20,560 to try to raise a child without God at the center of it. 697 00:29:21,660 --> 00:29:23,700 The height of foolishness. 698 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:25,200 By the way, Hebrew scholars will tell you 699 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,780 that this verse is something of a callback to verse one 700 00:29:27,780 --> 00:29:30,580 because that word house in verse one 701 00:29:30,580 --> 00:29:31,880 really has a double meaning. 702 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,320 It can refer to the physical structure, 703 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,720 but it can also refer to the family within the house. 704 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,660 Right, and the Hebrew language lends itself to that. 705 00:29:39,660 --> 00:29:41,660 Remember, we talk about the house of David. 706 00:29:41,660 --> 00:29:43,960 We're not talking about a physical structure. 707 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,120 We're talking about a dynasty. 708 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,060 We're talking about descendants of David. 709 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,100 Now, one of the many tragic things 710 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:52,000 that's happening right now in the Western world, 711 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,040 and there are many, 712 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,440 there's a significant change 713 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,040 in the perspective of having children. 714 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:57,940 It's happening right now. 715 00:29:57,940 --> 00:29:59,980 Maybe you're aware of this, maybe not, 716 00:29:59,980 --> 00:30:01,680 but sadly, many are coming to a place 717 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,860 where they view children as a curse, not as a blessing. 718 00:30:07,220 --> 00:30:10,020 Birth rates are in a death spiral right now 719 00:30:10,020 --> 00:30:12,400 in many Western nations. 720 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:17,400 Many Western folks today view children as an inconvenience, 721 00:30:18,460 --> 00:30:20,540 as an obstacle to their fulfillment 722 00:30:20,540 --> 00:30:23,140 and their self-gratification. 723 00:30:23,140 --> 00:30:24,400 And so demographers have looked at this. 724 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,380 They've looked at some countries and say 725 00:30:26,380 --> 00:30:29,240 they're having every year in population. 726 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:30,620 It's a death spiral. 727 00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:32,340 We're not producing enough children 728 00:30:32,340 --> 00:30:34,680 to really sustain many of these countries 729 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,080 for very much longer. 730 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,120 I saw a Pew study this from February this year, 731 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:39,960 and it shocked me. 732 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:44,560 It said, get this, only 51% of adults in America 733 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,100 between the ages of 18 and 35 734 00:30:47,100 --> 00:30:48,660 are sure they're gonna have kids. 735 00:30:48,660 --> 00:30:51,660 51%. 736 00:30:51,660 --> 00:30:53,200 Now, some of them are still unsure, 737 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,400 but there was a solid 20% that said, absolutely not. 738 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,980 51%, and then this really shocked me. 739 00:30:59,980 --> 00:31:03,140 More men wanted kids than women. 740 00:31:04,180 --> 00:31:08,680 57% of men said they want kids, 43% of women. 741 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:14,460 And this is what happens when secularism grabs hold 742 00:31:14,460 --> 00:31:18,220 of a culture and a society for multiple generations. 743 00:31:18,220 --> 00:31:19,420 And this is where we are. 744 00:31:19,420 --> 00:31:20,600 But scripture says otherwise, 745 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,360 according to the wisdom given to Solomon, 746 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:25,840 by God himself, children are what? 747 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:30,100 A gift and a reward and a blessing. 748 00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:32,340 And really the best translation of the Hebrew word, 749 00:31:32,340 --> 00:31:34,880 nahala, is more than just a gift. 750 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,440 It carries the idea of children being a heritage, 751 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:38,480 an inheritance. 752 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,980 So the picture is placing these kids 753 00:31:40,980 --> 00:31:42,980 in a continuous line of blessing 754 00:31:42,980 --> 00:31:45,120 that comes out of a godly home. 755 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:46,520 It's a beautiful picture. 756 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:47,720 And I can tell you this, 757 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:49,700 anybody who's a parent here this morning 758 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:51,160 knows that this is true. 759 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,940 When you witness the birth of your child, 760 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:57,600 you recognize it for what it is. 761 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,300 You're like, that is an absolute miracle of God. 762 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:06,220 No sane person looks at their child right after it's born 763 00:32:06,220 --> 00:32:08,480 and steps back and goes, look what I've done. 764 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,180 You cannot be sane and do that. 765 00:32:12,180 --> 00:32:14,480 You're like, that is a miracle, that is a gift. 766 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:15,660 That is a gift. 767 00:32:16,660 --> 00:32:17,860 That is a gift. 768 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,020 And then when they hand that child to you 769 00:32:21,020 --> 00:32:23,140 all wrapped up in that swaddling blanket, 770 00:32:24,100 --> 00:32:24,960 you know it's true. 771 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:26,860 This is a gift from the Lord. 772 00:32:26,860 --> 00:32:30,300 That this life came from a good God. 773 00:32:31,580 --> 00:32:34,040 And then secondly, you realize you're gonna have to depend 774 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:37,040 on that good God to sustain the life of that child 775 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:38,580 and to provide for that child, 776 00:32:38,580 --> 00:32:40,620 sometimes for the next 25 years. 777 00:32:40,620 --> 00:32:43,620 Or more. 778 00:32:43,620 --> 00:32:45,200 And then you realize number three, 779 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:48,140 that you have an enormous stewardship responsibility 780 00:32:48,140 --> 00:32:50,340 and you cannot possibly do it on your own. 781 00:32:51,540 --> 00:32:54,040 This is, I believe, one of the great purposes. 782 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,840 You know, why did God give mankind 783 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,680 the privilege of multiplying? 784 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,380 It's so that we can understand more. 785 00:33:02,380 --> 00:33:04,480 First of all, what God goes through with his children, 786 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,320 with us, even the frustration and the joy, right? 787 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:14,320 But also to recognize I need help. 788 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,660 I can't do this on my own. 789 00:33:16,660 --> 00:33:20,960 We're reminded daily by our kids how finite we are. 790 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,800 How weak we are, how needy we are. 791 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,300 And how we've got to lean into greater dependency 792 00:33:26,300 --> 00:33:27,700 on God and on his grace. 793 00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:30,500 And it causes us to have to pray. 794 00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:33,440 To pray for strength and resolve and faithfulness. 795 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:35,940 And if you don't do that, 796 00:33:36,940 --> 00:33:39,180 if you don't find yourself putting God in your hands 797 00:33:39,180 --> 00:33:41,920 and putting God at the center of that and asking for help, 798 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:45,560 the temptation is there that you're gonna grow frustrated 799 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,320 in your parenting. 800 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,720 And the temptation is then to define your children wrongly 801 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:51,900 as a burden and not as a blessing. 802 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,340 So we need to lean into God's power and sovereignty. 803 00:33:57,340 --> 00:33:59,340 The foundational principle here is the same 804 00:33:59,340 --> 00:34:01,840 in each one of these four examples. 805 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,600 The decisive factor in building a godly home 806 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,180 and raising godly children 807 00:34:06,180 --> 00:34:09,240 is God's sovereign rule over it all. 808 00:34:09,240 --> 00:34:10,080 Amen. 809 00:34:11,380 --> 00:34:16,380 Now you can and you should work hard at building a home. 810 00:34:17,460 --> 00:34:20,560 You can and you should be diligent to guard your kids 811 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:22,360 from harm and from wicked influence. 812 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,160 You can and you should make sacrifices at work 813 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:26,660 to provide for what they need. 814 00:34:26,660 --> 00:34:28,000 All of that is true, 815 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,560 but if God is not at the center of your parenting, 816 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,840 Solomon says it's all vanity. 817 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,880 Putting God at the center of your, 818 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,520 not all the books that are being written on how to do it, 819 00:34:38,720 --> 00:34:41,560 not all of the opinions that are out there, 820 00:34:42,860 --> 00:34:44,920 but putting God at the center of your parenting. 821 00:34:46,720 --> 00:34:48,620 And then look at the final two verses of our Psalm. 822 00:34:48,620 --> 00:34:51,160 Verse four, like arrows in the hand of a warrior, 823 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:53,560 so are the children of one's youth. 824 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,140 Now I've always been fascinated. 825 00:34:55,140 --> 00:34:57,100 As soon as I knew I was gonna be a dad, 826 00:34:57,100 --> 00:34:58,340 I started studying this 827 00:34:58,340 --> 00:34:59,940 because I was fascinated by this analogy. 828 00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:01,380 What is Solomon saying? 829 00:35:01,380 --> 00:35:03,680 Again, he's communicating to us 830 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,940 the enormous responsibility that we have as parents 831 00:35:08,220 --> 00:35:12,180 because arrows have to be handled carefully 832 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,280 and with skill. 833 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,560 Did you know arrows that are shot without aim, 834 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,120 they're shot randomly, are very, very dangerous? 835 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:22,220 They hurt people. 836 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,660 And so they have to be shaped 837 00:35:25,660 --> 00:35:29,040 and they have to be sharpened for the right reasons. 838 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,800 And that requires diligence on the part of parents. 839 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,180 It requires close attention to detail. 840 00:35:34,180 --> 00:35:35,240 Here's what we know. 841 00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:39,080 Children don't become well-formed arrows by accident. 842 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:41,080 It's intentional work. 843 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:44,480 But most of all, the archer has to know what the target is. 844 00:35:46,060 --> 00:35:48,060 The archer has to know what the target is. 845 00:35:48,060 --> 00:35:51,720 Where exactly, if I pull this arrow out of my quiver, 846 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:53,020 where am I aiming? 847 00:35:54,300 --> 00:35:55,360 What's the target? 848 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:58,840 And again, the answer comes from the archer. 849 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:00,840 The answer comes from the one who is at the center 850 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:02,540 and the heart of your parenting. 851 00:36:02,540 --> 00:36:07,500 Listen, if you're aiming at your desires as a parent, 852 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:08,880 you're gonna be all off. 853 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,140 It's gonna go awry and your parenting will be in vain. 854 00:36:13,140 --> 00:36:14,780 But if you're depending on the Lord 855 00:36:14,780 --> 00:36:16,380 and that's where you're aiming, 856 00:36:16,380 --> 00:36:18,580 then you'll be blessed like the man 857 00:36:18,580 --> 00:36:20,580 that Solomon talks about in verse five. 858 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,160 The aim is everything, parents. 859 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:26,660 The aim is everything. 860 00:36:26,660 --> 00:36:30,500 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of these arrows? 861 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:32,940 They will not be ashamed when they speak 862 00:36:32,940 --> 00:36:34,200 with their enemies in the gate. 863 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:35,600 What's being described here? 864 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,580 Well, this is interesting to me. 865 00:36:38,580 --> 00:36:40,280 Solomon gets all the way to the end of life. 866 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:45,280 This is God's plan for caring for parents as they age. 867 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,580 You might even say that this is God's original 868 00:36:47,580 --> 00:36:49,160 universal healthcare plan. 869 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,060 Later in life, Solomon says, 870 00:36:52,060 --> 00:36:55,020 if you have a quiver full of godly children 871 00:36:55,020 --> 00:36:58,600 who've been raised in a godly and faithful home, 872 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,800 they're gonna turn around and provide for you 873 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:02,400 when your time of need arrives. 874 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,040 And some of us in this auditorium this morning 875 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:06,300 are dealing with this right now, 876 00:37:06,300 --> 00:37:07,900 dealing with aging parents. 877 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:10,480 They were once strong for us 878 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,540 and now we have to be strong for them. 879 00:37:13,620 --> 00:37:15,340 So the city gate in the ancient world 880 00:37:15,340 --> 00:37:16,520 was where business took place. 881 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:18,420 That's where cases were judged 882 00:37:18,420 --> 00:37:20,380 in the picture that Solomon's drawing is 883 00:37:20,380 --> 00:37:24,420 when a man's enemies came to him with a dispute, 884 00:37:24,420 --> 00:37:27,820 how blessed is a man if he's got a quiver full 885 00:37:27,820 --> 00:37:31,200 of grown sons who step up behind their dad 886 00:37:32,060 --> 00:37:35,940 and testify to his integrity in the midst of that dispute. 887 00:37:35,940 --> 00:37:38,900 Being strong and well established themselves, 888 00:37:38,900 --> 00:37:40,640 this man's children would see to it 889 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,680 that their father was treated with respect and with justice. 890 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:46,040 That's what Solomon's talking about here. 891 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,180 So there's security in raising a godly family, 892 00:37:49,180 --> 00:37:51,720 a mother and a father who sharpen their arrows, 893 00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:54,680 aim properly and let those arrows go. 894 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:57,360 Flying toward the right goal. 895 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:00,600 And that man and that woman are blessed 896 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:01,960 all the way to the grave 897 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,700 where they get their reward from Jesus. 898 00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:07,660 So it's a beautiful picture from beginning to end 899 00:38:07,660 --> 00:38:09,060 here in Psalm 127. 900 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:11,340 Amen. 901 00:38:11,340 --> 00:38:13,280 Let me wrap up with a few last thoughts. 902 00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:16,500 Let's come back to where we started, control. 903 00:38:18,940 --> 00:38:20,740 Who's really in control? 904 00:38:20,740 --> 00:38:21,940 How are you gonna face your day? 905 00:38:21,940 --> 00:38:25,420 Are you gonna face your day tomorrow slightly differently? 906 00:38:25,420 --> 00:38:27,520 Who's really in control? 907 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:31,920 When are we gonna fully submit our plans to God 908 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,300 and acknowledge his rule in our lives? 909 00:38:35,500 --> 00:38:38,460 When are we gonna functionally agree with the apostle Paul? 910 00:38:38,460 --> 00:38:42,360 Paul gave us the key to being content 911 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,440 and trusting in God's rule in Philippians four. 912 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:45,800 We know this verse. 913 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,880 Paul says, I've learned. 914 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,040 And just that blows my mind. 915 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:52,580 Paul has learned this. 916 00:38:52,580 --> 00:38:54,340 Oh, good job, Paul. 917 00:38:54,340 --> 00:38:55,880 It means he didn't always understand it, 918 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:57,520 but now he's learned this. 919 00:38:57,520 --> 00:38:59,180 This is what we need to do, right? 920 00:38:59,180 --> 00:39:01,460 We're growing, we're being sanctified. 921 00:39:01,460 --> 00:39:05,560 Learn this, to be content in whatever circumstances 922 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,160 I find myself in. 923 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:08,860 I know how to make do with little 924 00:39:08,860 --> 00:39:10,400 and I know how to make do with a lot. 925 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:14,100 Whatever outcome God ordains, I'm good. 926 00:39:15,100 --> 00:39:16,840 I'm content. 927 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:18,200 In any and all circumstances, 928 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,240 I've learned the secret of being content, 929 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:21,500 whether well-fed or hungry, 930 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:24,820 whether in abundance or in need, in any outcome. 931 00:39:24,820 --> 00:39:26,180 He says, I'm able to do all things 932 00:39:26,180 --> 00:39:27,920 through Christ who strengthens me. 933 00:39:29,220 --> 00:39:32,580 When are we gonna begin to functionally agree with Jesus 934 00:39:32,580 --> 00:39:34,060 when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane 935 00:39:34,060 --> 00:39:36,560 under great pressure and he said to his father, 936 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,900 not my will, but your will be done? 937 00:39:42,220 --> 00:39:45,700 Psalm 127 is a great reminder of those two principles. 938 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:48,840 We build, we protect, we work, and we parent, 939 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,000 but we do those things knowing that it's God 940 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:52,540 who is at work in us. 941 00:39:53,580 --> 00:39:57,040 And working all things together towards those outcomes 942 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:58,720 for his glory and for our good. 943 00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:01,040 We need to rest in that, you guys. 944 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:02,840 We need to rest in that. 945 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:04,080 He brings about every outcome 946 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:06,620 according to his sovereign degree. 947 00:40:06,620 --> 00:40:09,720 So what if you're not really in control of your day tomorrow? 948 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:11,720 Are you okay with that? 949 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:14,960 What if that's the best news you could possibly hear? 950 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,440 That God's actually in control of your day tomorrow. 951 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,040 Would that change the way you walk into it? 952 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,900 Would that change the way you wake up 953 00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:27,140 and stare at your calendar and walk into your day? 954 00:40:28,740 --> 00:40:31,240 Now as I close, I wanna come back to this one last thing. 955 00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:33,320 Remind me again who wrote this Psalm? 956 00:40:34,820 --> 00:40:35,660 Huh. 957 00:40:36,860 --> 00:40:39,460 This is a great warning that comes out of Solomon's life 958 00:40:39,460 --> 00:40:41,960 because all of this wonderful practical wisdom 959 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:43,660 was completely lost on him. 960 00:40:46,100 --> 00:40:48,460 He was a ruler who knew how to build, 961 00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:52,200 and he knew all about watching over his city 962 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,300 and over his kingdom, and he understood what God 963 00:40:54,300 --> 00:40:55,700 had written about marriage and family, 964 00:40:55,700 --> 00:40:59,480 yet he failed miserably in each one of those areas. 965 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,080 This incredibly wise man made a wreck of his life. 966 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:05,380 He failed to listen to his own counsel. 967 00:41:05,380 --> 00:41:07,880 By the way, it dawned on me as I was writing last night, 968 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,280 how uncomfortable are you in getting parenting tips 969 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:11,120 from this guy? 970 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,100 But it goes to show you, depending on the Lord is not easy. 971 00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:21,560 Trusting in the Lord is not an easy thing. 972 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:25,100 It's easy to talk about, and it flows, as Christians, 973 00:41:25,100 --> 00:41:27,200 it flows from our lips very simply. 974 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:28,800 Oh, I'm trusting the Lord, 975 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:30,740 but it's a much harder thing to do it. 976 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:34,280 Here's the thing though about Solomon's words in this Psalm. 977 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,220 In spite of his personal failures, 978 00:41:36,220 --> 00:41:38,440 we know that he wrote every single word 979 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:40,340 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 980 00:41:40,340 --> 00:41:42,180 So every word is true. 981 00:41:42,180 --> 00:41:44,060 In spite of his life, it's true. 982 00:41:44,980 --> 00:41:46,380 And the irony and the beauty of it 983 00:41:46,380 --> 00:41:49,700 from a sovereignty perspective is that Solomon's wrecked life 984 00:41:49,700 --> 00:41:53,220 ended up validating everything that he wrote in this. 985 00:41:53,220 --> 00:41:55,660 Think about this, the house that Solomon built for the Lord, 986 00:41:55,660 --> 00:41:58,660 it didn't last, but the Lord built a house through him 987 00:41:58,660 --> 00:42:01,140 that did last, the house of David. 988 00:42:01,140 --> 00:42:03,340 And he graciously included Solomon, 989 00:42:03,340 --> 00:42:06,400 knucklehead that he was. 990 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:10,840 And though he made a mess of his family from his kingdom, 991 00:42:12,140 --> 00:42:13,980 his kingdom was divided in two, 992 00:42:13,980 --> 00:42:16,380 but from his lineage came the Messiah. 993 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:19,920 The King, the one who was over the household of God 994 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:21,420 came from Solomon. 995 00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:24,720 So that's how gracious and how faithful God is. 996 00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:28,160 Even when we stumble, he is at work in us and through us. 997 00:42:29,420 --> 00:42:30,960 So how do we trust the Lord? 998 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,860 How do you do this tomorrow? 999 00:42:32,860 --> 00:42:35,740 In your building, in your protecting, 1000 00:42:35,740 --> 00:42:38,200 in your work, in your parenting. 1001 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:39,800 There's really only one way, you guys. 1002 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,300 And I wish I had like a magic formula for you, 1003 00:42:44,300 --> 00:42:46,480 like here's the step-by-step process, 1004 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:48,480 but there's really no shortcut to it. 1005 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:52,680 We abide with Christ daily, moment by moment. 1006 00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:55,320 This is how you learn to be content. 1007 00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:57,480 This is how you grow in your trust. 1008 00:42:57,480 --> 00:42:59,160 It's abiding with Christ. 1009 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,600 We are a people born again by the Spirit and united to him. 1010 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,560 So we look to him in every day, in every moment, 1011 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:10,840 and we ask him, Lord, I need to receive from you strength 1012 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,340 and ability to depend on you alone, 1013 00:43:13,340 --> 00:43:16,100 because I am weak and I am prone to wander. 1014 00:43:17,140 --> 00:43:18,340 That is a great prayer. 1015 00:43:18,340 --> 00:43:20,940 Everyone, I am weak, I am prone to wander. 1016 00:43:20,940 --> 00:43:24,480 I need you to help me depend on you. 1017 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:28,360 And then you live that out. 1018 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,120 And then when you're in fellowship with Christ 1019 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:32,800 and in communion with Christ, in prayer with Christ, 1020 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:35,860 in spiritual conversation all day long with Christ, 1021 00:43:35,860 --> 00:43:37,200 when you're focused on Christ, 1022 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:39,400 when your eyes are fixed on Christ, 1023 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:41,040 then out of the fullness of Christ, 1024 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:44,140 he is going to respond and he is gonna give you 1025 00:43:44,140 --> 00:43:47,700 that ability and that skill to trust in him more. 1026 00:43:49,940 --> 00:43:51,540 But you've got to abide with him. 1027 00:43:52,580 --> 00:43:54,580 Trust in the Lord with all of your heart 1028 00:43:56,340 --> 00:43:58,280 and lean not on your own understanding 1029 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,880 and all your ways acknowledge him. 1030 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,860 And he will, this is the promise, 1031 00:44:02,860 --> 00:44:05,920 he will make your ways straight. 1032 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,060 That's a great promise. 1033 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:10,200 But only when we walk out of here this morning 1034 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:13,960 and we walk into our day tomorrow with a different mindset 1035 00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:15,840 to abide with our Savior. 1036 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:19,700 Father, this morning we confess to you 1037 00:44:19,700 --> 00:44:22,700 that every one of us, me included, 1038 00:44:22,700 --> 00:44:26,240 really struggle with trust. 1039 00:44:26,240 --> 00:44:29,160 We really like control. 1040 00:44:31,140 --> 00:44:36,140 And so Lord, I pray that by studying this Psalm this morning 1041 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:37,980 and by working our way through it, 1042 00:44:37,980 --> 00:44:42,180 I pray that we will all begin to release that control 1043 00:44:43,180 --> 00:44:44,880 and release the outcomes to you 1044 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,860 and trust that you are good and that you care for us. 1045 00:44:50,220 --> 00:44:53,900 God, help us not to build in vain. 1046 00:44:53,900 --> 00:44:56,960 Anything in our lives, trusting in ourselves, 1047 00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:58,760 trusting in our own resources, 1048 00:45:00,540 --> 00:45:03,000 ignoring what you've told us in your word, 1049 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,880 not abiding with you, not even tapping into the power 1050 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:09,640 that you've given us by your spirit, 1051 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,320 but thinking that we have it all figured out 1052 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,720 and that we can do it by ourselves. 1053 00:45:14,720 --> 00:45:16,980 Help us not to be those types of builders. 1054 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:19,680 Help us not to be those types of workers, 1055 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:21,660 those types of parents, 1056 00:45:21,660 --> 00:45:24,820 who go on autopilot thinking we've got everything planned out 1057 00:45:24,820 --> 00:45:26,220 so it'll be fine. 1058 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:28,800 And God, if we do that, will you correct us? 1059 00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:33,040 Will you show us the vanity of that type of thinking? 1060 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:36,540 I thank you for this morning, Lord, 1061 00:45:36,540 --> 00:45:38,780 and I know that you are at work in our hearts. 1062 00:45:38,780 --> 00:45:40,780 You will challenge us where we need to be challenged. 1063 00:45:40,780 --> 00:45:43,340 You will encourage us where we need to be encouraged. 1064 00:45:43,340 --> 00:45:45,320 And so we praise your great name this morning 1065 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:48,980 and we thank you for your love and your grace in our lives. 1066 00:45:48,980 --> 00:45:52,480 Let us now sing well to you for you are worthy of our praise. 1067 00:45:52,480 --> 00:46:19,480 In Jesus' name, amen.