Transformed // Week 1

The Lord Building MVC
Psalm 127:1-2 Ephesians 4:15-16 January 26, 2020
I. Introduction:
A. The passage that we are going to look at today may have had a big impact on your
life as you come to MVC and my hope is it will have even a greater impact on our
lives, and even the lives of those outside these walls whom we encounter all week
long.
1. As turn to Psalm 127 let me try to explain why I said that.
2. Close to 15 years ago, three of us were moved by this passage and the reality
of spiritual warfare that we needed to pray not just for ourselves but also for
MVC.
a) So for years, every Monday morning for one hour we met in the last row
right about where the sound booth is to pray for this church and you the
people of MVC.
b) Since then the location has been moved and two more people normally
join us but that one hour of prayer for MVC and its people has continued
weekly.
3. The truth of this passage drives the reason why about five years ago another
prayer meeting was started on Thursday morning where three of us meet for
one hour every week
4. The truth of this passage is one of the reason we started about nine months
ago to meet corporately every Wednesday morning at 6am for an hour of
prayer.
B. I think you get the point – when the reality of the truth of this passage sinks into
our hearts; prayer is one of the first responses that naturally flows out of our
hearts!
1. This passage, along with many others, teaches us that we must depend upon
the Lord as we do our work to see the kind of growth and success that matters
to God and lasts into eternity.
2. One of the greatest expressions of dependence is prayer, when I admit to God
my desperate need for Him to be involved in what I am doing. If He does not
show up and do something then all my efforts will be in vain regarding
eternity
• Now in Psalm 127 we are only going to be dealing with the first 2 verses
II. Psalm 127:1-2
A. The psalm deals with how God’s blessing sustains both our life at home and in
our society. It’s not a matter of man’s wisdom, hard work or practices and
policies that bring success but rather God’s blessing, God’s working upon, with
and through man’s working.
1. Actually, the passage says it even stronger as it talks about the vanity of man
to do their work apart from God’s blessing and His working with them!
2. Watch for this as I read v1-2
a) Read it in the NLT
B. It’s straightforward – God’s blessing, God’s grace and God causing his face to
shine upon what you are doing is essential for the success of it.
1. Just a side note – when I use the word success I am aware there are three
ways to apply this word:
a) The worlds definition of success – which is totally shaped apart from
God’s wisdom but solely upon man’s wisdom within their particular
culture
b) The church world’s definition of success – which often mixes the
world’s wisdom and God’s wisdom, is measured mostly by external and
visible metrics.
c) God’s definition of success is found in His Word. Actually according to
1 Corinthians 2 God’s wisdom is considered foolish by the sophisticated
of this world, but many of God metrics for success are measured by
internal and invisible things that last forever!
C. It starts in v1 with the building of a house and the guarding of a city and states the
vanity of it unless the Lord is involved in it. You can have 100 guards out
protecting a city but without God’s protection going along with it, the city will be
broken into.
D. In v2 he talks about the uselessness of working endless hours and burning the
candle at both ends because God’s blessing is the ultimate determination of
success. He gives it not only when you’re working but also even when you are
sleeping.
E. It is important to note that this Psalm is not promoting passivity on the part of
man and only dependence and prayer on his part. I believe it is teaching due
diligence on man’s part along with deep dependence upon God’s involvement and
blessing upon what you are doing!
1. In the passage we see
a) V1a – man is laboring to build the house but he also needs God’s
blessing
b) V1b – there are guards who are watching the city – it is just that their
work will be useless unless God grants the protection.
(1) So God’s working and blessing does not come apart from man but
often through man’s work and effort
c) V2 is warning us against thinking everything depends upon us so we had
better work our butts off if we are going to succeed.
(1) actually god does not only work in and through our works but even
when we are not working, when we are resting and sleeping God is
still working on our behalf.
2. So the way I seek to live my life in everything, both personally and ministry
wise, is with a heart of due diligence and deep dependence
a) Due diligence means to take reasonable and responsible steps to be
faithful in something.
b) This drives me to put my hands to the work, constantly seeking to excel
still the more at what I do while praying fervently and persistently that
God’s blessing would be on, in and through what I do, doing things that
only God can do!
F. We see this same truth regarding the growth of the church in Ephesians 4:15-16.
1. The passage, in context, talks about the way that God has structured His
church to bring about growth. Things primarily measured by internal,
invisible and eternal things.
2. He wraps up this section speaking about the due diligence and deep
dependence that is necessary for the church to grow with the kind of growth
that comes from God
3. As I read, I want you to note the dependence that we are called upon to have
in Jesus, the head of the church, since He is the source of the kind of growth
that comes from God. At the same time it talks about the importance of each
individual part of the body (that is the believer), functioning to their full
capacity in light of the way God designed them to work.
a) In other words, we will see due diligence and deep dependence coming
together in the context of church growth.
b) Read Ephesians 4:15-16
c) to become all the church God wants MVC to be it requires you
(1) functioning to the fullest measure using your spiritual gift to
impact others inside and outside this church
(2) It also requires your prayers
d) According to this verse if not every believer here is serving to the full
extent God has called and gifted them to serve and is not praying for
MVC and its people and ministries, then MVC will not grow to the place
where God wants us to be both quantitatively and quality wise!
• So all of this brings us back to where I started – these truths make us realize the
importance of prayer in our lives and church
III. Application
A. As we move forward from our 75th anniversary seeking to be a church that is
blessed by God so we can be a blessing to others; we need to pray if we want that
to be a reality at MVC and not just an inspirational message for a 75th
anniversary.
B. Two ways we can do that as a church.
1. Wednesday 6am – a group of us meet every week because of these truths
seeking God’s blessing upon this church and this people as we go about what
God has called us to do. We do not want to see our works in vain and we
would love to see the number of people who join us increase so our impact
through prayer can increase
2. 75 …
C. Close in prayer for God’s blessings, for God’s glory upon the work and people of
MVC. Yes, that He would bless us, not just when we are doing the work we
should be doing, but even while we are resting and sleeping!