David Parker, the Executive Pastor of Downtown Cornerstone Church, walks us through Psalm 127 and how the sovereign hand of the Lord is involved in all of our endeavors; affecting the way we think about our labors, our sleep, our families, and ultimately the Gospel.
- Sovereignty of God in all our endeavors (Psalm 127:1)
- Unless the Lord is at work in all of our endeavors, it’s ultimately in vain (worthless).
- We don’t measure success by material blessing, but by dependence on the Lord; what matters is whether our lives were lived with eternity in mind.
- Anxious toil of prideful work (Psalm 127:2a)
- Anxious toil is a prideful way of working that ignores God’s sovereignty and seeks self-provision and self-protection apart from the grace of God.
- Instead of accepting our limitations in the hard seasons, we fight harder against them, often at the expense of our health, relationships, church, and family.
- Gift of rest (Psalm 127:2b)
- First antidote to our anxious toiling is a reminder that we are loved.
- One of the most tangible ways he loves us and we experience His grace everyday is through and by the gift of sleep.
- The act of us going to bed to get the sleep we need is a tangible declaration that our trust is in the Lord.
- Familial blessing (Psalm 127:3-5a)
- Children are a gift, an inheritance, a blessing directly from the Lord.
- Your family and how you raise your family preaches.
- God uses the faithful instruction, teaching, parenting, correction, and discipline of imperfect parents as the fertile ground in which our children grow up and experience the grace and love of God.
- God’s grace in all of our lives (Psalm 127:5b)
- It is His grace, not our efforts, that establishes our families and watches over our lives.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
- Mark 8:36
- Proverbs 9:10
- Deuteronomy 8:18
- 1 Samuel 2:7
- Exodus 35:30-32
- Proverbs 6:6-11
- Matthew 6:25
- Genesis 1:28
- Proverbs 22:6
- Ephesians 2:8-10
- Matthew 11:28-30
- Romans 10:11
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- Does your planning or building first start with asking for His direction? Or do you often ask Him to bless your plans?
- How’s your prayer life when it comes to building and keeping? Do you find yourself often submitting yourself and your plans before the Lord, asking for His wisdom and grace before making plans and decisions?
- Think about all the limitations God has given us as human beings. Why did God make us with limits? Why can’t we do everything, be everywhere, be in control?
- How are your sleeping habits? What is the amount of sleep or lack of sleep you’re getting reveal about what you believe about God?
- How can I use the season of life I’m in now for the glory of God?
- How should I view my children and my parenting in light of God’s Kingdom?
- Ask yourself, is the Lord really building my house?
ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION:
- How might your work and life change if you truly believe that Christ is actively involved in your everyday life?
- How might the center and axis of your life change if you believe that God wants to use your work and your parenting, all of life, to build His kingdom and not yours?
- How would your boldness and evangelism change if you remember that it’s not all up to you?
- How would your sleep and the amount of sleep you’re getting be affected if you knew that despite your effort, God loves you and is sovereignly involved in your everyday life, providing for and protecting you?
- Parents, how might your view of children, the way you parent, the time you’re giving them at home, change if you really believe that children aren’t an inconvenience to your life but a blessing and an inheritance to be stewarded from the Lord?