SERMON TITLE: For Life
TEXT: Psalm 127:1-5 (ESV)
SPEAKER: Josh Hanson
DATE: 1/17/21
You can find the sermon notes here.
As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And the one thing I always want you to know — no matter if you’re worshipping with us in person or joining us online — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
One of our newer rhythms — here at Gateway — is that about every other year, we begin the new year with a series that focuses on who God is and implications for what this means in different areas of life. And as we begin 2021, we’re returning to some familiar topics that God’s Word speaks to as we remind ourselves that God is for justice. That he’s for life. And he’s for the family. But as we saw — when we began this series — God is first and foremost for himself. So the foundation for this series is the biblical truth that God is for God. And we — his people — are to be first and foremost for God too.
And — as we’ve already seen in this series — the God of the Bible is a God of justice and — just as his people are to be loving — because our God is love — and just as we’re to be gracious and patient and kind — because our God is gracious and patient and kind — we’re also to be people who are for justice because our God is a just God — he is for justice.
So with all this in mind, let’s turn to our passage for today — and see an aspect of justice which is rooted in our God being for life. And we’ll see how we — God’s people — in being for him — are to be for life as well.
If you have your Bible please turn with me to Psalm 127. We’ll be looking at the entire psalm — which is a whopping five verses.
And while you’re finding Psalm 127, I want to speak to two different groups at the front of this sermon. As I just mentioned, we’re going to see that God is for life today. And because God is for life, his people are to be for life as well. And as we talk about being for life — part of this sermon is going to focus on children. And I know that this will be a potentially heart wrenching topic that I hope to handle sensitively for you. But why is there the potential for this to be heart wrenching? Two reasons.
First, we have women among us who long to be a mother. And for those of you who are married — I don’t want to neglect your husband’s longing to be a father either — but we have women among us who have a longing to be a mother and find themselves without children. Some have experienced miscarriage after miscarriage and the heartbreak that comes with it. Others have experienced failed adoptions. Some feel stuck as they want children, but want marriage first. Many feel the sorrow of waiting. So know that as we talk about the blessing of children today — I know that you’re listening. I’m aware of your pain. And my hope is not to add to your pain, but that you would find us to be a church that loves you well.
The other group I want to be sensitive towards are the women who’ve had an abortion. And to the men — who part of their story — is having persuaded a woman to get an abortion. At the time, you saw it as a convenient decision. Or maybe your parents forced you to have it done. Maybe you’re still convincing yourself that it was the right decision — I know that there’s no one size fits all to the people who are listening to me right now. But know — that as we talk about children being a blessing — know that I’m aware that you’re listening. I know that abortion is something that’s infiltrated our midst — bringing with it the pain and sorrow and regret that comes with it. And my hope is not to pour on you guilt or shame, but to give you — and all of us — hope today.
So with that in mind, here are the words found in Psalm 127. Beginning in verse 1.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:1-5 ESV)
So we’re seeing that God is for life — that he is pro-life. And — that term — pro-life has pretty much been limited to a justice issue in politics — though the word typically used is anti-abortion. But I prefer the term pro-life as the prefix “pro” indicates something we’re for instead of being known primarily for something we’re against. But — even for the Christian — being pro-life can have a hyperfocused definition that refers only to the topic of abortion. Yet the biblical idea — of being pro-life — though it includes being for life in the womb — biblically speaking being pro-life is much more robust. To be pro-life — in the way that God is for life — means to be for life both in the womb and outside the womb — as it’s been said “from womb to tomb.” And our psalm — I hope — will expand for all of us what it means to be for life.
So let’s begin by seeing how God — being for life — how he wants us to view our work. Something you may not think of — when you think of being for life — is the view we’re to have of our work. Let’s begin in verse 1.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:1-2 ESV)
So what does our work have to do with life? Well — the connection I want us to see — is how there’s a labor of work — promoted in our culture — that’s nothing more than toiling in vain. And this view of work contributes to the anxiety that so many experience in our country. And this laboring in vain is actually an enemy of life. So — for us to be for life — we must recognize what it means to work in vain and what it means to view work through the lens of being pro-life.
Our psalm highlights two ways we might find ourselves laboring in vain. The first way to labor in vain — a way to make your work an enemy of life — is to work without the help of God. Twice we see the words “unless the Lord” in our verses. And this repeated phrase reveals to us a theological truth — the doctrine known as the providence of God. What is God’s providence? God’s providence is his working out all things for his glory and the good of his people. And we must never assume that what we’re trying to do is what God wills to be done. Thus — as our psalmist tells us — we may build a house — but if God isn’t building it — we work in vain. We may set up guards and security systems and so on — but if God isn’t guarding the city — no security we put in place will protect us.
And this shows us that there’s a way in which we can work that’s actually anti-life — doing our work — whatever it is — without the help of God. But here’s some amazing news. We’ve been given an invitation to work with God — we’ve been invited to do our work in a way that’s for life. We’ll talk about this pro-life view of work in a moment.
The second way to labor in vain — to make your work an enemy of life — is to not receive the rest that God offers his people. This is the “rising up early and going to bed late...all because of our anxious toil — ignoring the rest that God offers to us” part of the psalm in verse two. And though written thousands of years ago, I can’t think of a more relevant description of work for us in our culture.
In his article, Workism is Making Americans Miserable (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/religion-workism-making-americans-miserable/583441/), Derek Thompson writes, “The decline of traditional faith in America has coincided with an explosion of new atheisms. Some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship their children. But everybody worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants. What is workism? It is the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work.”
So the religion of workism is why so many of us can’t separate our work — what we do — from our identity — who we are. The religion of workism is where work has moved beyond a means to economic gain and has become the reason for existence and purpose. As the writer describes it, “Work is the centerpiece of one’s identity.” Obviously, this view of work is an enemy of the gospel — in fact — this religion of workism is an injustice God’s people must work towards bringing an end to. Why? Because work — as a source of identity or purpose — is a life built on shifting sand. It’s why retirement is so hard for many in our country as they no longer have work as their identity. It’s why taking a vacation from work — is so elusive in our country — because you can’t take a vacation from your identity. But the Christian faith teaches that the only solid foundation for a person’s identity and purpose to be built on is Christ. Thus the religion of workism is an enemy of the gospel.
Later the author concludes with these words: “On a deeper level, Americans have forgotten an old-fashioned goal of working: It’s about buying free time. The vast majority of workers are happier when they spend more hours with family, friends, and partners...work is not life’s product, but its currency. What we choose to buy with it is the ultimate project of living.”
Do you hear what he’s saying? He’s saying something biblical — though I have no idea if the author is a Christian or not. Our work should move us towards living — it shouldn’t eliminate the things life is about — family, friends, our relationship with God and so on. Work is to be a means by which we live — that’s a pro-life view of work. So an injustice — we find in our culture — an injustice we may be contributing to that’s anti-life — is working and working and working tirelessly — at the cost of actually living life.
How is your work keeping you from living? How has your work forced itself into the center of your life — maybe even pushing Christ out of the center? If you’re not a Christian, how has your work pushed your family and friends and the important things of life — to the periphery?
Now — hear me — I’m not promoting laziness. The Bible has much to say about the value of working hard, but it says more about our identity being rooted in Christ — and in his love and work on the cross for us — than it does about the value of hard work. And the Bible definitely doesn’t promote us finding our identity and purpose in our work. So we must be careful to not allow our culture’s view of work to cause us to be against the things that God has said life is to be about. We must be pro-life in our view of work.
Businessinsider.com’s post 11 American Work Habits Other Countries Avoid at All Costs (https://www.businessinsider.com/unhealthy-american-work-habits-2017-11) illustrates the “anxious toiling” that’s part of the air we breathe in our American “religion of workism” context. What are some work habits of ours that other countries avoid at all cost? And — as I share these — please don’t think that I’ve got this all figured out. These are struggles for me as much as for the next American. But what are some of our work habits that people in other countries avoid?
Now — when I think of Jesus and his view of life — including work — the first thing that comes to mind is that he gave up his life for us so that we would find life — the abundant life. He didn’t give up his life so that we’d shift from being slaves to sin to being slaves of work. Work has its place in life, but it isn’t ultimate. It isn’t meant to be the source of our identity or purpose. And — to be for life — to be people who are pro-life — means that we — the people of God — put work in its proper place — and that isn’t in the center of our lives. It also means that — if you’re an employer — you don’t treat your employees as if work should be the center of their life. Expect 100% of their effort while at work, but give them the opportunity to live. One of the best things you can do — if you’re in a position of authority in your workplace — is to model what it means to view work through a pro-life filter. Show them that family dinners matter. That making it to your child’s school event matters. That being with the people of God on the weekend to worship the One who is the center of your life — matters. The way in which we work is an opportunity for us to show our culture what it means to be for life.
Now the second thing we see in our psalm is that God — in being for life — is for children. So our psalm takes a pretty drastic turn here — from building a house and guarding a city — to children. But all of this is connected to being for life. Let’s begin in verse 3.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5 ESV)
Here we see that children are a heritage — that means an inheritance or a gift — from the Lord. And this is a radically different view than our culture’s thoughts on children. Our culture teaches us that children aren’t blessings — in fact — our culture tells us that children can be massive and unneeded burdens. Thus we’re told that it’s up to us to choose if we want to have children — both before and after a pregnancy has occurred.
Now — and this will be a bit of a shock to your system if you’re a parent or if you want to have kids someday — but according to our US government — the average child will cost his or her parents $233,610 from birth through the age of 17. (https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/01/13/cost-raising-child#:~:text=Middle%2Dincome%2C%20married%2Dcouple,cost%20of%20a%20college%20education.) So that doesn’t include the cost of college! So — kids — you should turn to your parents right now and say thank you — I don’t know — around 233,000 times. Second thought — just tell them thank you once right now — and knock out the other 200,000 thank yous on the ride home. Parents you’re welcome — and I say that both sincerely and sarcastically at the same time — everyone’s gonna have fun on their way home today.
But beyond the financial cost — if we’re honest as parents — there are times when children feel more like a burden than a blessing. We don’t call it the terrible twos for no reason. And parenting teenagers — well — that not only makes the terrible twos seem like the terrific twos — but it will stretch the patience and add gray hairs to the kindest of souls — can I get an Amen?
But none of this should make us believe that children are not a blessing. In fact, some of the greatest blessings in life come at a great personal cost — even financial cost.
But we’re reminded here — in our psalm — of the Christian truth that children are a gift from the Lord — there’s the providence of God again — and this means that children must be viewed and understood fundamentally as blessings. As it’s been said, “A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” (Carl Sandburg) So we find ourselves with an opportunity before us — the people of God. We have the opportunity to allow God’s view — instead of our culture’s view — shape our view of children.
As someone — whose love for children is well-known said — I’m talking about Mr. Rogers — he said, “Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.” There are many honors people can say about us, but Mr. Rogers calling you a hero has got to be near the top of your list. And us being heroes begins with us having God’s view of children — that they are a blessing.
But — again — this conflicts with our culture’s view of children. And though this can be illustrated in numerous ways, there’s a recent illustration that I think makes this evident.
In 2019 (https://apnews.com/article/ec121b3d9db53764f0468c012b6813c2) and 2020 (https://www.rollcall.com/2020/02/25/senate-rejects-born-alive-bill-and-ban-on-abortion-after-20-weeks/), our US Senate failed to pass a resolution (https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/130) on banning infanticide. The resolution focused on protecting the lives of children born alive after an attempted abortion. One senator said, “I want to ask each and every one of my colleagues whether or not we’re okay with infanticide. It is to blunt for many people in this body, but frankly, that is what we’re talking about here today...Are we a country that protects babies that are alive, born outside the womb after having survived a botched abortion?” (R. Albert Mohler Jr., The Gathering Storm, 41. Quoting senator Ben Sasse.) And you may be thinking — like me — “How can we not be a country that protects babies who are born alive — botched abortion or not?”
First — something unsurprising — about the resolution. All Republican senators voted in favor of it. But here’s what may surprise you — so did three Democrat senators. Yet the bill failed to pass — with many who voted against the bill claiming that it was unnecessary because we’re obviously a country that’s against infanticide. To which I wonder, “Aren’t we also obviously against the murder of other age groups? Then why do we have laws for those situations if things are so obvious?”
The same day, another bill was also rejected by the Senate — a bill banning abortion on or about 20 weeks gestation with some exceptions. However — this time — two Republicans voted against this bill — banning abortions at 20 weeks — while two Democrats supported the bill. Why am I bringing this up? Because we have a culture of death permeating in our country. And this culture of death seems to have consumed one party and is showing signs of infecting the other party.
But — if we return to Jesus — one thing he made clear while here on earth is that he is for children. Mark records a moment in Christ’s life when people were bringing children to Jesus. And his disciples — you know — guys like Peter and James and John — they rebuked the crowd for bothering Jesus. And do you know what Jesus did? Well, he got angry with his disciples! And then he said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” (Mark 10:14b-16 NLT)
Another “time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:1b-6 NLT)
Jesus rebuked his disciples — not the children — he blessed the children when they came to him. Jesus said that to welcome little children is to welcome him. And to cause a child to spiritually stumble — well — it’d be better for you to drown in the sea than to cause a child to stumble. And this strong language shows us that Jesus is for children.
Now there are many ways we can show that we’re for children — that we’re pro-life. For example, as families, being pro-life means that we make the spiritual formation of our children a priority in the home. But think of how we’ve allowed the priorities of culture to push the spiritual formation of our children to the periphery or — in many cases — completely out of the picture — even for Christian families? This is not what it means to be pro-life.
And — fathers — if I can speak to you because men — generally speaking — are the ones who struggle with work as an identity and sacrifice life on the altar of work. Fathers, the majority of the commands in Scripture — when it comes to the spiritual formation of children — are commands given to us. To be pro-life means we must not neglect our responsibility to raise up our children in the faith. Let’s not cause our children to spiritually stumble by failing to be pro-life in our homes.
If you’re not sure where to begin — when it comes to being the faith-leader in your family — two of our podcast episodes that I’d recommend you go listen to — are episodes 9 and 40. I’ve also done two video devotionals with my kids on our church Facebook page so you can see what the Hanson family does as a family. Sometimes we just need to see what someone else is doing in order to know where to begin.
Additionally, being pro-life means that we don’t hide the fact that we’re sinners from our children. We’re at our worst when we assume the role of sinless Savior for our children. Mom and dad — you’re not their Savior. Church — Gateway’s kid and youth ministries aren’t your child’s Savior either. Christ alone is the One who saves. So we must not be afraid to let our children know that our heart was once captive to sin and that Christ is the One who set us free. We must be honest with our continual struggle against sin. And we must not be afraid to tell them that they too are sinners and are in need of a Savior.
As a church — as a faith family — being pro-life means that we support parents and guardians as they raise their children in the faith. God puts families in churches so they have a support system of care. This is especially true of our single parents, foster families, and families with children who have special needs. Ways you show that we’re pro-life — as a congregation — is by volunteering in our kids and youth ministry programs — by spiritually investing in the next generation. Not viewing these ministries as babysitting, but as an opportunity for us — for you — to demonstrate that you are for children and that we’re a pro-life church.
I so appreciate those of you who serve our children and youth week in and week out. Especially to you men who serve the next generation here at Gateway. I think of some of our young men — guys like Josh Wilson and Mitchell Campbell who teach a group of our second graders together. Jordan McFarland and Chad Hermiller who volunteer with our youth ministry. I could go on and on with names — Brice Cooper, Landon Heft, Carsten Weizer — only one of these guys is in their 30s — by the way — the rest are still in their 20s or teenage years — but they’re all demonstrating what it means to be pro-life — as they serve our youth and children here at Gateway.
And — publicly — being pro-life means that — corporately and as individuals — we support organizations and ministries such as Women’s Resource Center here in Findlay and Her Choice in Bowling Green. Organizations that exist to help men and women make the choice of life for their unborn children. As I said earlier — being for life — means we’re for life in the womb. So — on your way out — be sure to grab a baby bottle and support the Women's Resource Center here in Findlay by filling it up with cash, coins, or a check with lots of zeros on it.
Being pro-life includes being for children in the womb. But as we’ve seen — biblically — there’s much more to being pro-life than just the topic of abortion. Yet there’s a storm brewing in our country — an anti-life storm. And we have an opportunity to provide hope in the midst of this culture of death we find ourselves in. We have an opportunity to show others what it means to be for life.
For our God and Savior is for life and he commands — and expects — his people to be for life as well. Why? Because we’ve been eternally changed by the One — Jesus Christ — who is the way, the truth, and the life. And he has sent us out into the world to be those who show others that our God is for life and that we are for life too. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for being for life. And for being the Giver of life to those who don’t deserve it — which is all of us. Though you created us to live — we chose death when we rebelled against you. And we’ve been choosing death ever since. Death as we choose work as our identity instead of Christ. Death as we cause our children to spiritually stumble. And — death — as we murder the unborn. And for these reasons — and so many more — we deserve eternal death.
Yet — Jesus — in your great love for us, you came to live and die for us. Experiencing the death we deserve so we might experience the life you earned for us. A way of living that is for life. A way of living that’s a response to your love for us, your kindness to us, and your promises that are still to come.
Spirit of God, we ask you to help us to be pro-life — not just in our words — not just in our giving — but help us to be pro-life in our living. Center our lives on Christ. May he be the foundation upon which our lives are built — from 9 to 5 — and all the other hours of our day. Help us to show a world — that’s caught up in a culture of death — in a culture of anti-living — help us to show them how life — the abundant life — is possible through faith in Christ alone. And we pray all of these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
May you go demonstrating that you are for life — by living. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
Women’s Resource Center
Her Choice
Gateway Podcast Episode 9
Gateway Podcast Episode 40
Facebook Devotionals: Josh and his Family Pt. 1
Facebook Devotionals: Josh and his Family Pt. 2
Volunteer in Kidway
Suicide Prevention Training
Stories, news, and resources for things happening at Gateway Church.
