The Secret of Success

Tonight as already has been mentioned we’re continuing our evening series in Psalms. We’ve arrived at Psalm 127. And it would be really good if you could have it open in front of you.

In 1949, when Mao established the People’s Republic, the church in China had already survived more than 7 decades of persecution. But greater testing was to follow. Soon all foreign missionaries were made to leave, many pastors were sent to labour camps. All churches were closed. And for more than 3 decades, the church in China disappeared into deep darkness.

Overseas, most observers agreed with the words of one American professor who in 1973 wrote, “the evangelicals’ few Chinese converts have been swallowed up by history leaving scarcely a visible trace”. But that was a wrong assessment. The church was actually flourishing. Today, it is estimated that there are more than 100 million Christians in China. What brought success to the church there? How did it survive?

The answer is - because of God. Success in everything God’s people do, their very survival is because of God’s mighty hand, His steady hand. And that’s what this Psalm is all about.

Now before we look at Psalm 127, let’s just remind ourselves quickly of what we’ve been learning about reading the Psalms, over the past few weeks. The Psalms were written by different believers hundred of years before Jesus. And God saw through it that in the Psalms, we have exactly the reactions that God wants believers to make, Godly reactions arising from faith in Him. And God made sure that they were collected in this book for every future generation of believers. So when we’re reading a Psalm, we should think about the circumstances that it arose from and then think what the similar circumstances are for us today.

At the top of the Psalm there, you’ll see that it reads “A song of ascents. Of Solomon.” That means it was probably written by Solomon, who was a king of Israel. Israel was the most privileged of nations at this time. And that was because God had chosen to reveal Himself to the whole world through them as He prepared the way to send His Son, Jesus.

Everything about the life of Israel, the nation, was meant to witness to God. In their obedience to Him came great blessings, in their disobedience, those blessings were removed. That’s where we are in the bible’s plot line, if you like.

And the kingdom of Israel did flourish under Solomon. The city of Jerusalem established itself as one of the great capitals of the region. Solomon was responsible for building the temple where the Israelites went to worship God. And ‘a song of ascents’ probably means that this Psalm was sung, as believers ascended, made their way, to the temple for different festivals.

So within this context, we read in verses 1and 2:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves.”

In other words, for all that the Israelites had achieved as a nation, they must acknowledge that without God, his people can’t succeed. Without God, his people can’t succeed.

And, as we continue to read in verse 3:

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

For all that the Israelites hoped to achieve in the future, they must acknowledge that without God, his people won’t survive. Without God, his people won’t survive.

Now the circumstances then and now are different. Since the life, and death, and the resurrection of Jesus, God’s people are no longer represented by a nation, but by the church. And by the church, we mean the worldwide body of believers in the Lord Jesus. But the principles of this Psalm for the church remain. Without God, his people can’t succeed. For all our planning
and contending and resourcing, unless God brings success, it would be useless. And without God, his people can’t survive. For unless God raises another generation of believers who will contend for the gospel, the church will disappear.

So let’s take a look at this Psalm under those two headings.


Firstly, WITHOUT GOD, HIS PEOPLE WON’T SUCEED

And the Psalm points to that by saying firstly in verse 1, if God doesn’t prosper us, our plans will fail. If God doesn’t prosper us, our plans will fail. Look at verse 1.

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.

The Israelites who first sung this song, are recalling the town planning and building that took place in their nation. Some people think that the house there refers to the temple that Solomon constructed and was rebuilt after the exile. Others say that it stands for the individual homes of the Israelites. We can’t be sure. Either way, the point remains. The Israelites worked to build a nation, which testified to God. But they recognised that if God had not prospered their efforts, they wouldn’t have succeeded. They could have built and planned and prepared as much as they liked. If God hadn’t prospered it, they wouldn’t have succeeded. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.”

Of course since Jesus, God’s people are no longer distinguished by the buildings they put up. We’re working along with believers all over the world to build God’s kingdom by spreading the good news about Jesus. That’s what we labour and strive towards. But the principle of this verse has not changed. If God does not prosper our efforts, we will experience no success.

That’s why the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:5

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

God made it grow. So here comes another term in mums and toddlers, or music group, or CYFA, or all the other areas of ministry here at JPC. We envision and plan and purpose, serving together in many different ways to follow the Lord Jesus. But as we work and work hard, hurrying around, filling the diary, dashing to the home group leaders’ meeting tomorrow, let this be in our hearts, on our breath, and governing our prayers. Unless the Lord builds the house, unless He prospers us, its builders labour in vain. If God doesn’t prosper us, our plans will fail.

And as we labour together as God’s people, let’s also remember that if God doesn’t protect us, our enemies will prevail. Look at the second half of verse 1.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Here the Israelites are recalling the protection policies that they had for their nation. Each city would appoint watchmen who would work in shifts, so that the people were continually under guard. And that’s because Israel had enemies. So when the Israelites came back from exile, for example, and they began to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, they experienced opposition.

In the book of Nehemiah 4:16 we read,

“From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half held spears, shields, bows and armour. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand, and held a weapon in the other.”

And when the walls were completed, Nehemiah summed up their success by saying,

“So the walls were completed. When all our enemies heard about this, and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies lost their self-confidence, because they realised that this work had been done with the help of God.”

God had protected them. Their enemies had failed.

Now, as believers living today, we don’t have to protect ourselves as a geographical nation. All over the world followers of Jesus live as members of God’s kingdom. But that doesn’t mean we don’t come under attack, and that we’re not without enemies. For some of our brothers and sisters, their physical protection often is threatened. For example, in the heart of London’s financial district, surrounded by the soaring towers of the city, stands in St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, a building where Christians meet. These believers have survived the bombs of a world war, the bombs of the Irish Republican army, the bulldozers of progress - all of which could have ended their witness in that place to the Lord Jesus. How have they managed it? God has protected them. God has watched over them.

“For unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

And individually we can often come under attack as God’s people. Sometimes it can arise from outside the church. Some of us can be placed under enormous pressures, say at work, with even our jobs put in the balance. At school, we can find ourselves cold-shouldered by friends. And it is also possible to experience attack from inside the church. So here at Jesmond, we have often come under attack from other members of the Church of England in our stand for the truth. False teachings can arise, which aim to lead people astray. But we must remember that as we endeavour to stand firm, to watch and stand firm, if God doesn’t protect us, our enemies will prevail, we haven’t got a hope. It is God who prospers us, it is God who protects us.

And the Psalm continues: if God doesn’t provide for us, our resources will fail. Look at verse 2.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves.”

In the agrarian culture of the Israelites their survival hinged on their sowing and reaping a harvest. If they didn’t grow food to eat, they would die. So there was a fair amount of pressure to put food on the table, if you like. But here they are reminding themselves not to feel so overwhelmed that they should lose sleep about it, because rest comes to those who know God will provide for them: “… toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves”. If God doesn’t provide, toiling for food all night and day is pointless.

George Muller understood this well. Living in Bristol in the 19th century, he realised the need to care for the countless homeless children. And he put that before his church that he was a minister of, and they agreed that that was needed. In one year the first orphanage went up and many soon followed. So great was the work, that the pressure on funds was enormous. At times, they were out of funds completely. On one famous occasion, help came one morning, while they were at the breakfast table. With no food or money and a hall full of kids, Muller said grace. “Dear Father, we thank You for what You would provide for us to eat.” As he finished that prayer, a local baker knocked on their door with the gift of fresh bread, followed by the milkman whose cart had just broken down, and who wished to get rid of all his milk. God will provide.

Sadly, because of the vastness of God’s provision, we can forget how dependent on God we really are. We must remember that all the resources needed for our churches, needed for this church here in Jesmond, such as the buildings, people’s abilities, the money that is given, come from God. In a few months’ time, the power point presentations will shoot up onto the screen at the giving review. And that will dominate our thinking. We will see again all that takes place and all that we hoped to achieve in the future. And then it is easy to start feeling the pressure a bit. Will our resources be enough? Will we manage? But remember, God grants sleep to those He loves. If God doesn’t provide for us, all our resources will fail.

Hanging up in the old clergy vestry is a photograph of the inside of Jesmond Parish Church. I loved looking at it. It was taken in 1912. Not much is changed actually as you look down the church. And of course, it’s just a picture of a rain shelter, that’s all. But it has been the place where some of God’s people here in Newcastle have met together and faithfully witnessed to the Lord Jesus. And if God hadn’t prospered them, their plans would have failed. If God hadn’t protected them, their enemies would have prevailed. If God hadn’t provided for them, their resources would have failed. And that’s because without God, his people can’t succeed.

As we were reminded earlier, it’s easy at times, when we meet like this in large numbers and with great blessings from God surrounding us, to feel slightly comfortable, perhaps to feel slightly proud, of all that we have. As we remembered earlier, that is a gross sin, because all that we have comes from God, all that we are is because of God. Without God, his people won’t succeed. In that we must praise Him. In that we must trust in Him. In that we must rest in Him.


Secondly, WITHOUT GOD, HIS PEOPLE CAN’T SURVIVE

Now the Psalm goes on to talk about the future of God’s people by acknowledging that the next generation are a gift from God. Look at verse 3.

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.”

In that reading from Deuteronomy earlier, we saw God promising the Israelites blessings in response to their obedience. One of those blessings was that “the fruit of your womb would be blessed”. Remember that this blessing marked the Israelites as a nation. So the increase of their nation testified to the goodness of God.

Now as believers today, we know that God’s people are no longer distinguished as a geographical nation and the families that exist inside it. We’re working along with believers all over the world to grow God’s kingdom by spreading the good news about Jesus. So that means that the sons and daughters in God’s kingdom are the next generation of believers, the next generation of people who turn from living for themselves to trust in what Jesus has done on the cross for them and to follow Him.

And that’s what a young man called Timothy did, after the apostle Paul had told him about Jesus. And later on when Paul writes to him, he addresses Timothy as ‘my true son in the faith’. Of course all children are a gracious gift from God and a blessing to us. But offspring in God’s kingdom are the next generation of people who come to believe in the Lord Jesus. And that may well include biological children of ours. Dear God we pray that it will.

Earlier in the 17th century, Jeremiah Burrowes (that’s a great name isn’t it) and his wife went as missionaries to work amongst the Burmese people. After 7 years of faithful witness to the Lord Jesus, not one person had believed. By the time of Jeremiah Burrowes’ death, over 7000 had trusted in Jesus. He could certainly have read this verse with great thankfulness to God, a God from whom the next generation in the church comes. So in our efforts to tell others about Jesus, like our praying and preparing for events such as the House or Mix for Pathfinders, or in our preparations for the Sunday children’s work, all the uniform organizations, we must remember that this is God’s work - that all over the world the gospel is growing and bearing fruits - and to humbly plead that we will see some of that here. I wonder how often we pray, for example, collectively and individually, for the children and young people here at JPC. I wonder how often we pray for those who teach them about Jesus. How often do we pray for the families that we know here, perhaps those in our home group, or those we’ve befriended, praying that God would raise up another generation of believers. Last night, a friend of ours told us of a member of their family who had trusted in Jesus and in that our hearts rejoiced.

The next generation is a gift from God. So that the church might not only continue, but also contend for the gospel. For that is what this Psalm goes on to rejoice in - look at verse 4. The next generation will fight for God, we read,

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

The military picture painted here is hard to miss. The next generation of Israelites is described as arrows in the hands of a warrior, many sons, a full quiver, contending at the gate. The gate of the city was often the focal point of attack. It was there that if the city was overcome, it was open, it was ripe for invasion. So here the purpose of the next generation is described as contending, fighting for God’s people.

In that reading from Deuteronomy, the Israelites were promised that, if they remained obedient to God, the Lord would grant:

“that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. Then all the peoples on the earth will see that you are called by name of the Lord, and they will fear you.”

The Israelites were fighting for the purposes of God.

And while the next generation of believers will not be involved with guarding city gates, unnecessarily engaging in physical battles with our enemies, they will still be commanded to contend for the gospel, to make a stand in every area of life for Jesus. So the apostle Paul commands a group of believers in Philippians 1:27,

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel, without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

I suppose a modern day example of obedience in that command comes in the shape of a young Christian guy I know. His school teacher tried to change what he intended to say in a school assembly. With great courage, he refused. He was not deterred in telling his friends the truth about Jesus. He was not frightened by that teacher, who tried to tell him what to say. He stood against those who attacked the gospel. And teaching and encouraging the next generation to do the same is what we should be doing.

It might be contending against those who disallow school assemblies or CUs to meet. It might be through standing up to an issue amongst friends that would compromise witness. It should mean being aware of harassing and false teaching in the church and learning to stand against it. You know, I trusted in Jesus as an eleven year-old. And I wish, looking back, that when I become a Christian, believers around me had encouraged me to contend for the gospel, with my friends in lessons, in school assemblies, like that young man, rather than just getting by - people knowing that I was a Christian, but one who made no fuss.

So the next generation of believers comes from God. And the next generation of believers will fight for God. And in that we must trust. In that we must rejoice. In some areas of the world, not least this country of ours, it can be easy sometimes, to look at the situation, the diminishing size of churches, the diminishing number of believers, and to get downhearted - to think, what is God doing? But God will build His church. That is His promise. He will provide the next generation of believers. And they will contend for the gospel.

It is God who enables and who equips. So in the day that evil comes, we will stand our ground. And after we have done everything, remain standing. The church’s survival then is in the hands of God. And we do rest and should rest in that promise, the promise that Jesus makes to build this church.

What brings success to the church? How does it survive? Because of God. Success in everything God’s people do comes from God. Their very survival is because of God’s mighty hand.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, as we looked over this next action-packed term with all the different areas of the life of this church starting afresh over the next few weeks, let us remember the truth of this Psalm. Let us pray it and praise in it to God. Let us rejoice in it and remind it to one another, as we work together for the Lord Jesus. Let us beware of being so independent in the times when we meet together, in the times when we talk together, of being so independent that we forget God and how reliant on Him we are. Let us pray.

Gracious Father from whom the success of all that we do comes, from whom our very continuing here at Jesmond is a gift, grant, we pray, that our dependence might always be on You, our hearts ever-trusting, our voices ever-acknowledging and praising the glories of Your name. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.