A Home Worth Coming Home Too

Psalms 127:1-5 1 A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalms 128:1-6 1 A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

i. A Home that is Building. (Psalm 127:1 “Except the Lord build the house…”)

a. The Lord constructs the home.

i. G. Campbell Morgan – “No house-building is successful which leaves God out of account. How have we seen men build only houses, with care and at great cost, only to see them crumble to pieces because God was forgotten!”

ii. “A Latin motto says, Nisi Dominus Frusta. It comes from the first words of this psalm and means ‘Without the Lord, Frustration.’

iii. How many how found that to be true?

b. The Lord keeps the home. (v. 1 – “…except the Lord keep the city…”)

i. We are to be alert! But all the alertness in the world can’t take the place of God!

ii. It is vanity to rely on the strength of man.

c. The Lord cultivates the home. (v. 2 “It is vain for you to rise up early, sit up late…”)

i. Maclaren, “long hours do not mean prosperous work, all is vain without God’s blessing.”

d. The Lord calms the home. (v. 2 “…he giveth his beloved sleep.”)

i. There is peace in a home the Lord has constructed.

ii. We are not to cease our labors. But we must realize that for our labor to count for eternity God must be the Contractorand main Constructor!

ii. A Home that is Blessed. (Psalm 127:3-5 “…children are an heritage of the Lord…”)

a. Children are a blessing!

i. They are work.

ii. They cause worry.

iii. They are WORTH IT ALL!

b. A Home that is blessed is, Fruitful. (v.3 “…the fruit of the womb is his reward.”)

i. He that gave you, your children, will feed them!

1. “Whenever God sends mouths, He sends meat.”

2. “He gives children, not as a penalty nor as a burden, but as a favor.” Spurgeon

3. “I remember a great man coming into my house, at Waltham, and seeing all my children standing in the order of their age and stature, said, ‘These are they that make rich men poor.’ But he straight received this answer, ‘Nay, my lord, these are they that make a poor man rich; for there is not one of these whom we would part with for all your wealth.’”

c. A Home that is blessed is, Focused. (v. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man…)

i. They must be carefully shaped and formed.

ii. They must be guided with skill and strength.

iii. They must be given care or they will not fly straight.

iv. They must be aimed and given direction; they will not find direction on their own!

v. They are, in some respects, only launched once.

vi. They are an extension of the warrior’s strength and accomplishment.

vii. They have potential for much good or evil.

d. A Home that is blessed is, Faithful. v. 5 “they shall not be ashamed, they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

i. They won’t be ashamed of what you’ve taught them!

ii. They will be the same at home, at church and in the market place.

iii. They will be in places of prominence and have influence.

iii. A Home that is Biblical. (128:1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. That walketh in his ways.)

a. We’ve learned what we have learned about family by:

i. Experience - What we grew up with. (Our own family)

ii. Acquaintance - Our friends. “Divorce happens in threes.” Friendship

iii. Entertainment - Media.

iv. A Home that is Busy. (128:2 For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands…)

a. Men we must rest! But you’re the one that is called to teach your children how to labor.

i. Busy working. (Martha)

ii. Busy Worshipping. (Mary)

b. My father destroyed his body working at a job he could not stand to provide for us. And then took us to church and worshipped!

i. We’ve somehow bought this lie, that a father can be a good provider, or a spiritual man, but not both.

ii. Some seasons of life it is a struggle, but I’m here to tell you, you can be what God has called you to be!

v. A Home that is Bordered. Everyone in their place. (128:2b-6)

a. “The Miracle of Mutual Submission.” Gerald Hood

b. The Husband. (v. 2b “…happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee…”)

i. He worships the Lord. (v. 1 “feareth the Lord.”)

ii. He walks in his ways. (v. 1)

iii. He works and provides for his family. (v. 2)

1. Our job is not over when we get home.

2. No we cannot do what our wife does. But we can serve our wife.

a. Set your heart to serve your wife!

c. The Wife. (v. 3 “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house…”)

i. Vines – Cling. Clinging not only to the house, but to her husband.

1. This does not mean a wife cannot work outside of the home.

2. An honest reading of Proverbs 31 handles that. But her heart should be first towards her home and her family. The Bible teaches that!

3. Prov. 7:11 She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

a. That is talking about a harlot.

4. Titus 2:3-5 3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

a. Verse 4? “To love their husbands, to love their children…”

b. Don’t let the borders be broken down! Don’t let things get out of order.

i. Do not choose your children over your husband! They may not say anything about it, but you can be sure, they notice it.

ii. Vines - Climb.

1. Husbands when you are what you should be…Your wife will get better and better!

2. We should want our spouses to get better, because we are on the same team!

iii. Vines – Cluster. (Groups of grapes).

1. She will produce others that will be the same way.

2. She will multiply herself.

d. The Children. (v. 3 “thy children like olive plants around thy table.”)

i. “…like olive plants….”

ii. Olive plants grew in rocky soil. Took 15 years to mature.

1. Had to be nurtured. Used for medicine, massaging, cooking…

iii. WE must provide a nurturing environment for our children to be productive!

c. Once matured, they would produce for 40 years afterwards.

2. “Thy table.”

A. No one should be raising/have more influence on your kids than you!