Psalms 127 pt I

10/10/93
Psalm #13 - Psalm 127 (was out of town last week - NANC
Conference)
saved on orange Psalms disk as "Ps13-127"

- we've been studying the book of Psalms and this morning
we're going to look at what many would consider to be one
of their favorites - Psalm 127.
- many of you know that this is a Psalm about child raising.
- in fact, if I was the one that visited you in the
hospital when one of your children was born, it's very
likely that I read this Psalm with you.
- I'd like to do something different this morning--I'd like
us to break into small groups and brainstorm these two
questions:

1) What product is a Christian parent trying to produce with
their child raising? (i.e. what characteristics would they
like to see their child developing--what's really
important to them?)

2) What product is a Non-Christian parent trying to produce
with their child raising? (i.e. what characteristics would
they like to see their child developing--what's really
important to them?)

- break into groups, and then go over ideas on the
whiteboard.

- this Psalm tells us about the vanity of worldly parenting,
and the blessings of spiritual parenting.
- read Psalm 127:1-5

- now, we don't want to spend a lot of time on this, but
we need to ask the question - "What are verses 1-2 talking
about?"
- Verses 3-5 are very clear - everyone would agree that
they are talking about childrearing.
- but there's a couple of different ways to look at
verses 1-2:

1) Talking primarily about child-rearing, but the
principles would definitely apply to construction and
watchfulness.

2) Talking primarily about construction and watchfulness,
but the principles would definately apply to child-
rearing.

- INPUT - which approach do you think is best and why?

- we're going to present this lesson from the perspective of
the first approach -- but we want you to know we wouldn't
die for it.
- ultimately, what we're going to say from the passage is
going to be the same -- we just wanted to at least mention
this so that if a special speaker comes in some time and
talks about Psalm 127:1 and applies it to a building
program, that you didn't label him a heretic!

- let's begin by talking about:

I. The Vanity Of Worldly Parenting

- clearly the theme of these two verses is vanity.
- we've said many times that it's easy to be busy, but
it's hard to be effective -- and all of us want to
avoid rearing our children in a way that the Lord
would deem as ineffective.

(develop the idea that -- all through the lesson -- we're
not talking about button pushing - children have a free
will)

A. The condition

- the Psalmist lays out a condition at the very beginning
of the Psalm that determines what kind of parenting you
and I are going to do.

- "except the Lord build the house"

- INPUT - what does it mean for "the Lord to build the
house?"

- INPUT - what would a parent who was allowing the Lord to
build the house look like?

- INPUT - where does the idea of the parent's
responsibility fit into such a phrase? (cf. Zech. 4:6)

- so we're talking about biblical parenting, spiritual
parenting, prayerful parenting, trusting parenting.

- notice what these verses say--if parenting is not done this
way--what will the result be?

B. If this condition is not met, all parenting is vain.

INPUT - what does it mean for something to be vain?
(worthless, futile, expending effort in a way that does
not contribute to or produce godliness)

- these are very sobering words.
- it's possible for a significant percentage of a
parent's work to be vain "right out of the blocks" if
it doesn't meet this condition.
- look how comprehensive these statements are:

1. all your laboring

- cf. R------- family

2. all your watching

- INPUT - how is this true? (you can be as careful as
you want to with your children, but if you have not
acknowledged God's right to sovereignty over your
children's safety, your definition of what's best for
them and God's definition may be different.
3. all your waking

- the point is -- it doesn't matter what a worldly
parent (either an unbeliever or a Christian who's
parenting in a worldly fashion) does, God has
labeled it in advance as "vain."

- now we could turn each one of these around.
- for the parent who is co-operating with the work the
Lord is trying to do in the life of each child, there
is great reward to their work.

1) their laboring

- cf. I Cor. 15:58

- if you are seeking to let the Lord build the house
(as we've already defined that concept) you can view
these verses as a promise from God.

- not saying your work will be easy
- not saying there will always be immediate results.
- but it won't be vain

- cf. some of the stupid things I've done over the
years and my mom's work with me.

2) their watching

- "worldly watching" will produce great anxiety and
concern
- but "spiritual concern" works because there's the
right balance of responsibilities
- the parents do all they can to provide for
health and safety, and then they leave what
they can't control in the hands of God.
- that process is anything but vain

- cf. Cindy Gelatt

3) all the extra effort

- the overall point is that worldly parenting is vain.
- but spiritual parenting can have a tremendous impact.

II. The Stewardship Of Spiritual Parenting

- we're a little early for stewardship month, but thats
the subject of verse 3.
- INPUT - what are:

A. The four factors of stewardship

- God owns everything, you own nothing
- God has entrusted you with everything you have
- You can either increase or diminish what God has given
- you must give an account, and it may be today

B. Meaning of "heritage"

- "something that has entrusted to you"

- this word was often used to describe the promised land
God gave to Israel.
- the promised land was an "unearned inheritance."

- that’s true of our children.

C. Implications

- what are some implications of verse 3?

D. What about those who haven't been rewarded?

- INPUT - would it be right to turn verse 3 around
and say that "a barren womb is His punishment?"

- INPUT - how could the Lord use a couple who didn't
have children in special and unusual ways?

(cf. the argument of I Cor. 7:32-33)

- INPUT - how might we be insensitive to folks in
this situation and how can we avoid it?

III. The Challenge Of Spiritual Parenting

verse 4 - as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man

- INPUT - what is David picturing here?

(an arrow must be prepared, an arrow can be directed,
an arrow can either serve very useful purposes or
very destructive ones)

- David's speaking here about the influence a godly man's
family can have.
- children who are brought up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord can make a great difference for
Christ.
- that thought comes up again in verse 5.

IV. Joy And Protection Of Spiritual Parenting

- happy is the man that has his quiver full of them.

- you probably know that this verse has been used to talk
about a "Christian minimum family size."
- let's take a minute and think that one through.

- some are saying, Christians ought to raise huge
families so we can reclaim our society for Christ.

- INPUT - what do you think about that kind of
reasoning? (it's not the church's job to reclaim
society.)

- the bottom line is - there isn't a verse (here or
otherwise) that gives a magic formula for the appropriate
family size that we can legalistically slap on everyone.

- that’s exactly what that would be -- legalism.

- having said that--we could definitely talk about sinful
habits that could be true of a family that was too large,
or a family that was too small.

- INPUT - for example - what sinful reasons might a
family have in deciding to have fewer children than
God would desire?

- INPUT - what biblical principles might a family violate
in being too large?

- the passage ends up speaking about parents and their
children speaking with the enemies at the gate.
- in other words, those young people, who have now adopted
inner convictions of their own, can now handle life
biblically.
- they're not intimidated by the enemies of God.
- there's joy and security in numbers.