What's up, y'all? Good to see you this morning.
Oh, man. So, yeah, it is what it is.
This is very hard. So my name is Carlos.
I've been a pastor here for five years, five years.
Well, a year and a half before that and then back.
Yeah. So we, me and my family, we
moved to Des Moines 04 months before we planted this church to
be a part of the core team. And so we've been here for a
long time. And and so, yeah, this is my
last Sunday here and I have, I have a story for that.
Come to the party, I'll tell you.
But also I, I, I really do believe I have a word from the
Lord specifically for, for us that, that I've just asked God
to like, basically give me, give me like one last, what would you
tell these people? And so I think it's fitting that
today's the Sunday with all the kids in here because that
sermon, this sermon involves kids.
So we're going to be in Psalm 127.
So if you have a Bible, go ahead and open that up.
We're going to be there. We're going to be there.
But like I said, we're moving, we're moving down to Florida,
the Sunshine State. And I've been I've been thinking
a lot about Florida and, and my family.
And it reminded as as I've been thinking about that, it reminded
me of one of my favorite pictures of my family that I
have. It's a picture of my great
grandmother back in the rural Florida around 1920 something 19
early the early 1900s is black and white.
And it's just every time I look at that photo, I asked the
question, man, like what was life like back then?
You know, just a few decades from slavery and entrenched in
like Jim Crow, the Jim Crow era. What was it like to not just
live back then, but follow Jesus in that time period.
So let's ponder that a little bit, right this around this
time, families would have who would have been bound by change.
They were now, for the first time, free to build something on
their own, with little money and less land.
They gathered scrapped wood and made bricks out of mud and dug
with their bare hands. They built their homes with
sweat, but also with prayer. But here's what moves me the
most about this. Many of them, with the need to
build their lives in front of them, stopped on Sunday mornings
to worship Jesus, right. They lit lamps, they gathered
with others, they shared meals, they sat under God's preaching,
and they lifted songs to God. They didn't just work, but they
also worshipped. Why?
This is a good question I believe.
Why is because they believe that the homes they were building
were not just theirs alone. They believed that God was
building with them. They were poor, but they weren't
abandoned. They were tired, but they
weren't alone. They were free and now God was
their provider. And this isn't just for these
followers of God. If you look within the the
biblical narrative you will see the Bible is littered with
examples of people in real need to build houses and to seek
protection and to then to provide provision for
themselves. Yet they have an awareness and
the wisdom to work with God from a place of rest in God.
Now this confronts me and maybe this confronts you too.
As I have thought about what I wanted my last sermon to be and
what I felt like God wanted me to leave you all with, it was
this. This is the summary of my
sermon. My prayer is that frontier would
be known as a joyful people who work with God from a place of
rest in God, trusting that our good God will supply all your
needs. And this is what Psalm 127 is
all about. And this message should be
relevant because there is a lot of work to be done here.
Hospitality team, you got to meet people and walk with them.
Cleaning team, there's floors to be cleaned and dust to be
cleaned and the offices that we used to keep a mess.
I'm sorry about that. Thank you for cleaning those for
us. Pastoral team, the gospel needs
to be proclaimed. Souls need to be shepherded.
There's a lot to build. There's so much that needs to be
watched. There's provision that needs to
be gathered. And so it's natural that you
would be tempted to rise early, stay up late, worry, watch,
grind, or tell yourselves, or should I say convince yourselves
that this is all for the right reasons, right?
This is for family. This is for legacy.
We're doing this for Kingdom. But this song confronts me and
it should confront you because we have fallen for the lie I
believe that permeates our culture that and that I think
it's leaked into the church that says that I am enough.
We are enough for me. For us.
We have believed a lie that celebrates hustling and
overextending ourselves to get things done that where that we
have believe the lie that burnout is a badge of honor.
But I believe beneath all of that effort and all of that
vigor and all of that grind, what's really driving us is
fear. And so I can confidently say
this because this is my struggle.
I have been a pastor at this church for almost 10 years, and
this has permeated my life at times.
And as I leave, I want to preach against this so that you guys
can be labeled as a joyful people who work with God from a
place of rest in God, trusting that our good God, he will
supply all of your needs. And we're going to unpack Psalm
127. But as I read, I want you to
notice that within this Psalm there is a living, breathing
example of God's provision to you.
I want you to know that God sees and knows the church's tendency
toward anxious toil and me centered work.
And because he is a good and gracious God, he gives us little
visible, noisy reminders that preach to our hearts the good
news that God is a good God who gives things to his children
even while they rest. So see if you can pick up this,
these little reminders while we stand for the reading of God's
Word. Let's stand if you're able.
And we're going to be in Psalm 127, the whole chapter.
I'm reading from the CSB version, but there are ESB
Bibles in the pews if you don't have them.
It's very similar. This is the word of the Lord, a
song of a sense of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds a house,
it's laborers labor over it in vain.
Everybody say vain. Unless the Lord watches over a
city, the watchman stay alert in in you get up early and stay up
late, working hard to have enough food.
Yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves first.
Three sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, Offspring a
reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
Are the sons born in one's youth happy?
Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
They will never be put to shame when they speak with their
enemies at the city gate. Heavenly Father, I kneel before
you and I asked Lord that you would do what only you can do,
which is make your word come alive.
I pray that you would do what only you can do Lord, which is
convict hearts and courage spur on.
Come alongside those who need it Lord.
So just use me Lord, I am a tool in your hands.
Swing freely Lord with me this morning.
I pray all that Jesus name, Amen.
You can be seated. Pastor Eugene Peterson, who's
one of my spiritual heroes, has a book called A Long Obedience
in the same direction. When he's looking at all of the
psalms of ascent and he's summarizing them chapter by
chapter. He says this about our Psalm.
He says this. It'll be on the screen.
The greatest work project of the ancient world is a story of
disaster. The unexcelled organization and
enormous energy that we're concentrating and building the
Tower of Babel resulted in such a shattered community and
garbled communication that civilization is still trying to
recover. Listen to this guy's effort.
Effort, even if the effort is religious.
Perhaps, perhaps, especially when the effort is religious,
does not justify anything when we open up the pages of our
Bibles and turn to Psalm 127. Solomon, the writer of this
Psalm, calls the labor and work and watchfulness done apart from
God. What it is.
He says that it is anxious toil. So how do we identify what this
anxious toil may be in our own lives?
Well, you can identify this if you've ever thought this while
working. Man, if I don't do it, it won't
get done. If I don't protect, it is going
to fall apart. If I don't provide, no one else
will. If I don't put in over X amount
of hours, it won't get accomplished.
And working from this place, watching from this place,
building from this place is summed up to be vain and
Solomon's wisdom. He repeats that three times
within the the five verses of this chapter.
That's more times than there is verses.
The problem isn't our work, right?
We just did a whole sermon series on how work is good and
godly and there was work before the fall.
So I'm not re preaching that message.
You go on our own online and you can look that up.
The issue is with the type of work, with this type of work is
that when we anxiously toil, we work as though we were orphans
and not beloved children in whom God is pleased to provide for,
as if God is distant or disinterested or unwilling to
give us what we need. Solomon, who also happens to be
the widest, wisest builder in in Israel's history, tells us this
true work. He elusive.
This true work flows from rest. First one says unless God builds
bills, our building is in vain. Unless God watches, our watching
is in vain. Anxious toil is work that flows
from keeping us and our efforts at the center of our work.
Solomon says me center at work is vain.
Here's the thing about crazy. Here's the here's the crazy
thing about building from a place of anxious toil also is
that when you're, when you're building from this place, you,
you actually, you often times tear down the very thing that
you're trying to build. I've experienced this as a
business owner. I've built a business and it's
grown and I've been like, Oh my gosh, there's so much work to
do. I got to do this, I got to do
that, I got to do that. And by holding on anxiously to
everything, trying to do it all, I actually like end up tearing
it all down in the process when I should I actually just be hand
to get off raise coming alongside my my my employees to
help them do the work. I believe that it all depends on
me. But the same thing can be said
for watching from a place of anxiety too.
And watching and seeking to protect you inadvertently miss
the things that you actually need to be paying attention to.
Unfortunately, I've also fallen victim to this as well.
A couple months ago at the call, one of my best friend, he's the
best man in my wedding. And I was just meditating on
Psalm 127 like I always do. And I was just like, man, bro,
like your mom passed away like right when I moved to Iowa and I
was not there for you. I was caught up in me trying to
do ministry, me trying to prove myself and I just missed it.
And, and, and he was very gracious with me, like the good
friend he is. And he was like, man, you were
busy. And but the truth of what it was
is I was anxiously trying to build a new life and prove
myself in the work. And he was a victim of my
anxious toil. I missed him.
Does that make sense? Ultimately?
Anxious toil takes our eyes off of God and puts them on
ourselves or our circumstances. And that's because anxious toil
tells a lie that if we don't have enough, that we don't have
enough and the resources are limited.
But in the Kingdom of God, we know that's not true, right?
And as we look back at our text, that's what Solomon tells us,
doesn't he? He wants to remind the people
where their provision really comes from.
He says in vain, you get up early and stay up late working
hard to have enough food. Yes, he gives sleep to the one
he loves. Now, if you got a Bible, if
you're old school like me, you got a Bible, you got a pen.
I would circle that, circle that verse.
If you have a highlight or a pen, if you're on the phone,
just go ahead and click that on the Bible app and highlight it.
Solomon says that our anxious work amounts to nothing.
He says that our labor produces no real fruit.
Your work, you're waking up early, you're burning the
midnight oil. It is all in vain, he says.
It is useless, ineffective, futile, hopeless.
Why? Why it is hopeless.
It is useless. It is in vain because God is a
God who gives rest to his beloved.
Now, who is God's beloved? It's you, It's me, it's us.
It's the community of God. It's God's chosen people.
It's the remnant of God snatched from the world and brought into
fellowship and relationship with himself.
In fact, that phrase he gives sleep to the one he loves can
literally be translated like this.
This is so good. Lord have mercy.
He gives such things to his loved ones while they sleep.
Solomon is literally saying don't wake up early and go to
bed late, believing that your efforts you're building, you're
watching, you're working, We'll provide for you the security,
the safety and fulfillment that you need.
No, it is God who does that and he does it in the way he does
it. He does it while you are
sleeping. In fact, if you look at the
biblical narrative, the from from Genesis to Revelation, you
will see that this is how God relates to all His blessings
within the Bible. And I only have three from
Genesis. So this is your homework.
Go and mark the way that God blesses His people.
He does it. He gives them blessings while
they are at rest. Let me give you 3 examples.
In the garden God does what to Adam after Adam names all the
animals and and Adam says man I need a help or suitable for me.
I don't need a giraffe. I need like a like me but a
different. You know I thought it was funny.
What does the guy do? He puts them to sleep.
He puts Adam to sleep, and when Adam wakes up, the dude starts
freestyling. He's like, hey, yo, this is bone
of my bone and flesh. He starts singing.
In Genesis 15, Abraham is put into a deep sleep and it is in
this sleep that God establishes his covenant with him.
In Genesis 28, Jacob falls asleep and while he is asleep he
has his vision of this ladder that's going to connect heaven
and earth. Who actually is Jesus gets a
vision of Jesus and this is the point.
God provides blessing for His people apart from their efforts.
And Solomon is reminding us that God is the one who opens up His
hand and gives us what we need. And he does this while we are
asleep. And if we look back at our text,
your boy is struggling today. Excuse me?
If we look back at our text, it's almost as if Solomon knows.
It's almost as if Solomon knows that like this community is
like, bro, this is too good to be true.
Like while I'm asleep. And so Solomon, he shifts, look
back at our text, easy to shift. He points them to a living,
breathing example of God's provision, which are children.
Why this shift? Well, let me let me
contextualize this this this Psalm and I think it'll help us
make sense. Psalm 127 is 1 of 15 psalms that
the Jewish people. It's one of 15 psalms called the
Psalms of ascent, like Ascending, that the Jewish
people would sing and rehearse at 3, three times a year as they
journeyed up towards Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the highest point
in Palestine. And so they are literally
ascending to the city of God and they are singing these songs
together. They're singing these songs
together. They did this for the Festival
of Tabernacles, the the Passover, and they did this also
for Pentecost. So Jews from all over the
dysphoria would journey toward the city of God, reading and
singing these psalms, including Psalm 127.
They were used to prepare their hearts for entering into the
city that house the presence of God.
And when you think about this song being read and sung in the
context of community, then it makes sense why Solomon would
use members of the community to remind the people that God
provides for them apart from their efforts.
In fact, the psalms of a sin can be seen actually as an allegory
of what it means to journey with God as we walk toward our
heavenly home. And the lesson that this song
wants to get into your hearts and into your bones is that
children within the community of God are reminders of God's
provision apart from your efforts.
In fact, children are the reminder that God provides for
us out of our joy and while we are enjoying his good gifts.
And Solomon goes on the show how God's provision of children
shows us how He meets every need that we anxiously toil for.
Solomon shows us how children help us.
Recenter, Recenter excuse me, Our building and our watching
and our work on God. Psalm 27.
Psalm 127 says that when we see children in our midst on the way
to the city of God, we are reminded of three things in
particular. We're reminded of God's legacy
given to us, God's protection given to us, and God's provision
given to us. So let's break this down real
quick. OK, three points.
Children. Point number one.
Children show us we have a legacy.
Where anxious toil seeks to build something that will last
apart from God, children are the reminder that God has freely
given us an inheritance that will outlast us even when we're
gone. First three says that children
are a heritage inheritance. You should say. 2 weeks ago I
was had a meeting with my business mentor and I was just
telling him like about my business and like how I was just
like, I want to build this business because like I don't
have an inheritance and like this is the thing that's going
to like help extend my legacy when I'm gone.
And then I had to roll up until Psalm 127 and be confronted with
the fact that bro, first of all, you don't know what you're
talking about. Second of all, God is giving you
a legacy that is beautifully and fearfully and wonderfully made
in Zion, Ezra and Elam. The only thing and and think
about this, the only thing that I contributed to that was my
enjoyment. That's the only thing that I
contributed. Eugene Amen.
Relax, we got kids in here. Eugene Peterson says this.
What do you what do you do to get sons and daughters?
Very little. The entire miracle of
procreation and reproduction requires our participation.
But listen, but hardly in the form that what of what we would
call our work. We did not make these marvelous
creatures that walk and talk and grow among us.
We did what we participated in an act of love that was provided
for us in the structure of God's creation.
Bars, huh? Please stop it.
But remember guys, remember, remember, before we go too far
ahead of ourselves. This is this Psalm is written in
the context of community. So not only are my kids
MyHeritage, but all these kids. This is our inheritance.
I mean, look around. God is freely given a signpost
that scream that God is going to build something that will
outlast us. Our work will not be in vain.
And to those in here who struggle with infertility, God
is giving you a community of children that you can look to
and stay hopeful if and when God decides to provide that for you
as well. This is a community.
This is God has given us these children to help encourage us as
we journey toward our our heavenly home.
But we must go on point number two.
Children show us that we have protection.
Our text says that although children are that that through
children, excuse me, we are provided with protection.
Verse 4 like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born
of 1's youth Happy, everybody say happy.
Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
Now this is set to directly, excuse me, speak to the watchman
who are looking to protect the city anxiously apart from God.
Solomon says, bro, God is giving you freely giving you sons
that'll shoot your enemies in the face.
You have a bunch of face shooters in in your community
that needs to be a T-shirt. But seriously, as a community,
these children are the arrows that you that you get to launch
into the world. These children, they will grow
up and after being discipled by you and raised up by you and
influenced by you, they will have the capacity to be used by
God to keep you safe from the evil. 1 These young boys, they
will grow up and they will become qualified men to lead and
shepherd your hearts. These young girls, they will
become women who can lead you to pursue justice and mercy into
the city. These children are the arrows in
your hands to help you watch and fight against the Kingdom of
darkness. And guess what?
It's God who has provided these for you, not your efforts.
God has given these to you. And if God can effortlessly
provide you with the protection that you need like this, then
you can rest assured that He will provide for you in the
future, whatever may come. Children show that we have
protection and point #3 And lastly, children show us that we
have provision. You guys with me, rock with me,
OK? Children will be the legacy of
Frontier Church and children Kids you will be the ones that
God uses to protect the church, but you are also something else.
You are the church's provision. Verse 5 says this they you will
never be put to shame adults with their enemies at the city's
gate. Now, what Solomon is alluding to
here is the fact that parents, that sons were used to
legitimize parents while they were on trial, right?
And and those trials that happened at the city's gates, a
place that was considered the most vulnerable place in the
city. It was the entrance to the city.
And the more sons or kids that you had to more legitimize that
you were. So let me say this again, this
trial where these sons were happening, where it happened at
the most vulnerable place in the city.
And so this speaks directly to the to the rising early and
going to bed late to have enough food, which Solomon mentioned in
verse 2. Hunger does what it puts you in
a vulnerable state. In fact, when you're hungry, you
really can't I excuse me, let me speak for myself because I'm of
y'all are probably stronger than me.
When I'm hungry, I can't think about nothing else, nothing
else. And God through the wisdom of
Solomon reminds this community through the number numerous
amount of kids in the community that it is God who provides your
provision for you in the most vulnerable circumstances.
Not you, not your efforts, not your giftings.
It is God who provides and frontier.
This is a very important point for you because you are in a
vulnerable state. I'm gonna call a spade a spade.
You are in it. We are in a vulnerable spot.
Budgets need to get balanced right.
My position needs to get filled. Systems need to be further
established as we move from church plant to establish
church. We are in a very vulnerable spot
and the enemy stands at the gate waiting to devour.
But what the chatter in this room reminds me, and what it
should remind you, is that God will provide for you in your
moment of vulnerability. He will provide for you in your
moment of vulnerability. He will put the shame, the
schemes of the enemy. These little ones remind me that
that though that vulnerability is real, there is an army rising
up. There was an army rising up.
God will provide for you and your moment of vulnerability,
and it is your responsibility to work with God and to not
anxiously try to provide for yourself.
Now, I've said a lot. How do I know all of this is
true? I know Solomon says this to this
community way back when, but how can, how can we be assured that
this is that this is going to be true for you guys?
Yes, children were a legacy. They were a source of
protection, they provided provision.
But how can we be sure of this today?
Well, let me tell you, Frontier, I can be sure of this.
I can be certain of this because this is your reality right now.
This is your reality right now. Just like the Jewish people who
are on a journey, you 2 are on a journey.
We all walk through the desert Rd.
Of life in search of a city where God can be found.
A place that promises life. A place that promises security.
A place that promises fulfillment and purpose.
A place that promises that what we build it will last.
Yet if you are like me, we often times find ourselves coming up
short. And so we attempt to build our
own lives apart from God. But it never lasts.
And we try to stay alert and watchful, but there's just way
too much to to look for. And we we grind early and burn
the midnight oil, hoping to satisfy the hunger and thirst of
our souls. Trying any and everything to
simply feel some relief. Yet like the prophet Jeremiah
says in Jeremiah 2, we have dug our own cisterns, broken
cisterns that cannot hold water. We are we are trying to dig our
own source to draw water, but our cups have holes in them.
And this is what the Bible calls sin.
It's our propensity to grab at life and do it on our own.
But the Bible says that this is the life at all.
This is death. In fact, Genesis 3 says that we
were dead because we lack the power, or I would say the
ability or the the the willingness to find life at the
source. We went for it ourselves.
And while this is your reality or excuse me, was your reality.
What's also our reality is the beautiful good news of the
gospel that comes to you while you were sleep in your sin.
The apostle Paul says this in in Ephesians 2.
He says, but God, who was rich in mercy because of his great
love for you made you alive in Christ, even though you were
what dead in your trespasses and sin.
You have been saved by grace, meaning that the riches of God
came flooding to you while you were asleep in your sin.
Or as the psalmist says this morning, he gives what we need
even while we sleep. And what did he give us Himself?
God gave us his Son, His Son. The beauty of Psalm 127 is the
reality that God gives us his very beloved while we were
asleep, so that all those who place their faith in Jesus
become the beloved of God. This is the good news of the
gospel. Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus is the reward of God. Jesus is the richest of God.
And that reward and those riches are freely given to you while
you were asleep, while you while you could do nothing.
Psalm 127 is simply a shadow of the gospel that you live into
today. Jesus is the Son of God and the
arrow of God sent down from heaven to shoot the enemy of God
in the face, so that all who would give up their anxious toil
and their anxious striving should experience in a real way
the protection of God in Christ. Satan has been defeated.
Amen. OK, I was like, that's good news
y'all. Your sin has been obliterated
and you now have free access to run to the throne of God to have
your soul satisfied because the thing that kept you from God has
been removed. Your sin, which is the main
stumbling block toward your relationship with God, has been
destroyed because the Son of God took on sin on Himself.
Your tips at trying to provide for yourself?
They can cease because the Son of God has completed the work
for you. And so now you can build with
Him the things that can never be destroyed.
And now you can watch within the city that will never get
invaded. And now you can live this life.
Oh my gosh, you can live this life in rest knowing that
although life will bring moments of vulnerability, you will
always have what you need. And the very cherry on top of
all of this, the very cherry on top of all of this, is that we,
the promise of the city that we're we're going toward will be
ours. Death is no more.
And what was and what was once the end of our story is now a
comma that the holy of the holy city that we're journeying
toward our whole life. So this is so good.
I just want to stay at her all day in Christ.
When you stand at the gate of that city, vulnerable, exposed,
the enemy accusing you of what you did, what you didn't do, the
sin you committed, the pride in your heart, the lack of love you
displayed to your neighbor, the anger that just won't go away.
When you stand in that gate and you feel shame and guilt, when
you stand at the threshold of God, totally vulnerable, the God
who gives us his Son will plead your case and say not guilty.
That's what Psalm 127 is saying when it says that they will
never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the
city gate. You would never be put to shame.
And when your sin tells you that you can't enter the city of God
because of all the wrong you did, the Son of God will look
you in the eyes and say, bro, you can enter because I am the
gate. I am actually the doorway to
enter into the city. Your ticket has been purchased
by the precious blood of Christ. So as I close, how can I be
confident that God will build His church?
How can I be confident that God is going to continue the good
work of fighting for joy that that He has done here?
I can be confident because the gospel is true.
The gospel is true. It has redeemed and saved me.
It is saved two of the three of my kids.
I can be confident in that. And if at any time as you guys
are building in the future and looking to, to watch and provide
and you find yourself an anxious toil, this is my one
application. If you do any of those things I
want, I want you to step back every 5th Sunday, every July,
maybe once or twice a month in roots and look at all the kids
in here and be reminded that God provides for you while you
sleep. And if you keep that in the
front front forefront of your work in your ministry here, if
you actually build your grandchildren's church, Frontier
will be a joyful presence that will have longevity in the city.
God has already done the work and he just says simply, he
invites you to join him. That's all he wants.
The work is accomplished. Now as I close, if you guys feel
comfortable, you're going to get a little weird up in here.
I want all the kids to come up to the altar if if your family
feels comfortable and I just want to pray a blessing over the
kids before I leave. Parents, adults, if as I as I do
this, just have your hearts be reminded and encouraged of God's
provision for you. So I'm going to do that.
Joseph, you want to play a little, do it a little bit.
I just want to pray over the kids and then I'm going to get
out your way. Can you guys stand up here?
He's standing around here. Right here.
Hey, can you say nothing?
OK, You say that's fine. Is that cool?
OK. All right.
Let me pray for you, kiddos. Y'all look good.
Look at y'all. Y'all look good.
It's quiet. May the Lord bless you and
protect you. May the Lord make his face shine
on you and and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.
For my young ladies, I pray that God would make you shine like
the beautiful treasure that you are.
May He give you courage like Esther, steadfastness like Ruth,
and faith like Mary, and conform you into the image of Jesus.
For my young dudes in here, I pray that God would make you men
who have hard hands and soft hearts.
May God give you faith like Abraham, courage like Joshua,
and steadfastness like Joseph, and conform you into the image
of Jesus. Amen.
God can be seated. I love you guys.
Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, I thank you for
this church. I thank you for the way in which
you have built me, that you have watched over me, and you have
provided for me through the hands of these people.
I pray, Lord make a ruckus when they, when
the kids make a ruckus to remind us who have quote UN quote
become too mature or too grown up, that the way to enter the
Kingdom Lord is to be like a child, make a child like Lord
Jesus. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen,