Title: Unless the Lord Builds the House
Theme: To show the importance of the Lord being in and of the house.
Text: Psalms 127:1-5
Introduction
If you would turn in your Bibles to Psalms 127. We are beginning a short series on the Modern Family. Raising great family/children in a crazy world. I say that not to point toward the world. Each generation says the same thing about the world they live in. It is different than the previous, there are more challenges and it is harder to live for God. It say this because I believe the Bible speaks to some areas that never change. They are unchanging principles of the word of God.
Here we are introduced to the author of the Psalms who is King Solomon. Solomon is easily considered the richest man to have ever lived. His net worth was around 2.1 trillion dollars. https://www.practicalbusinessideas.com/king-solomon-wealth-net-worth/ . This is not hard to see with all the taxations, trades and kings/queens who would visit.
We are told it is a Psalm of Accent. This means it was more than likely sung in the ceremony of the temple, going to the temple or up to the main worship area.
So in my mind I imagined Solomon passing all the magnificent buildings he built, falls and temples and writing this psalm. No matter how much money you have or put into a place he pens these words.
Psalms 127:1-5 Unless the LORD builds the house,
You could have the most magnificent of houses but unless the Lord builds it . . .
How to allow the Lord to be the foundation of the family? Look at Colossians 3:17 - 25
Personal Example
Col 3:17-25 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Following the Family System
Colossians 3:(18) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (19) Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. (20) Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. (21) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Paul picks out what could be the hardest struggle for each family member.
Wives to submit. It is more to yield to advice and guidance (as fitting in the Lord)
Husbands to love wives, no bitterness. Bitterness comes in when there is control of a person.
Children are to walk in obedience, as pleasing the Lord. This keeps them from doing things that do no please the Lord.
Father’s are again challenged not to provoke.
“The family who prays together stays together”
Provoke
Not giving Godly instruction
Talking one way but living the other way
Not showing Godly love
(3) Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Children are a blessing from the Lord. Sometimes they seem to be hindrances, but look at the legacy God has given us to fulfill.
Proverbs 22:6 says train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
So as long as you do what you are required to do everything will be alright.
Children learn by example. Instead of you saying do as I say. You should be examples for your children, or any children to follow. Children should be and are designed to be a blessing.
(4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.
Children as arrows – we are their directors. We decide where they will go by our influence.
Always teaching
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
(5) Happy is the man who has his quiver (the place where the arrows are held) full of them;
Vain Buildings
Solomon wrote a whole book on Vanity. We call it Lamentations.
They labor in vain who build it;
Vain – fruitfulness, to no account, proud of petting things,
Strong’s Definitions
- Original: ??? ????o
- Transliteration: Shav'
- Phonetic: shawv
- Definition:
1. emptiness, vanity, falsehood
a. emptiness, nothingness, vanity
b. emptiness of speech, lying
c. worthlessness (of conduct)
“The Psalmist is saying that whatever it is you are trying to build in your life, whether it is your work, or your security, or whether you are trying to build a family, it is in vain, it is worthless unless it is built with the Lord God at the heart of the process. Your work, of whatever kind it may be, maybe so productive that it builds the equivalent of a city, but unless the Lord God is there at the heart of that process, then it has no security.”
Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
God’s vision is so much bigger and protective. We have cameras in and around our church. Yet it cannot get every crack and cranny but God can.
Building on the right foundation, Jesus story
Matthew 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
FOUR THINGS WE NEED TO REMEMBER.
1. IT TAKES LONGER THAN YOU PLANNED.
2. IT COST MORE THAN YOU FIGURED.
3. IT IS MESSIER THAN YOU ANTICIPATED.
4. IT REQUIRES GREATER DETERMINATION AND MORE PATIENTS THAN YOU EXPECTED.
(2) It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late,
It is a waste of time to get up real early and go to bed real late making a “provision” for the family if you are not letting God build and guard the city.
There is not enough hours in a day to protect you from the fallacies of life.
When we have faith in God it is vain for us to sit up and worry.
To eat the bread of sorrows;
This is what life is if it not built on Christ. It is full of sorrows. Sorrows to not “get ahead”, sorrows to not “have peace”, sorrows to not have “purpose”, sorrows to not know the eternity of life.
Trusting in God’s purpose and plan. Laying the right foundation. Keeps us from sorrow.
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Mat 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Matthew 11:28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Conclusion
God wants to rebuild some houses this morning. God wants to put some things back together. If you are a family here this morning and your house has been broken I want you to come together.
Maybe you are by yourself and you see the structure being broken.
You may just come.
5b They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished.
NIV
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
Prayer
Lord, help us to see trouble coming long before it gets here. And give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to dot it.
Hopefully this pandemic has shown us the difference between what is lasting and what is vanity. What is set up for eternity and what will be lost when we are gone. Hopefully it has exposed to us what we are pouring ourselves into.
It is interesting how sporting events have shut down yet we have survived. Bars have shut down yet we have survived. Theaters and entertainment areas have closed and we are ok.
