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.
“We’re going to plant a church.” Well, no not really. Psalm 127 reminds us that unless the LORD is in the building, or planting, whatever we do will be in vain. It is the LORD who will plant a church. This isn’t a reason to sit back and not do anything, but it is a recognition that the LORD must be in the planting if it is going to be something that glorifies him.
How do we depend on the LORD to plant a church? It begins in faith. In faith, St. Paul’s has been led to plant a church. In faith the congregation called me as Planting Pastor. In faith, my family moved to Fargo/Moorhead, even though there isn’t a church yet.
It continues in prayer. Prayer calls on the LORD to build his church. Prayer also reminds us that the work is dependent on him. It changes our hearts and attitudes. The good news is that we know God’s will in this. He has already taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” Our prayer is that God’s kingdom will come in the form of a new congregation.
Verse 2 is a sobering verse for me as I begin my call as a planting pastor. It is easy for me to just get busy and expect that the busyness will result in a church. But that’s wrong. The psalmist says, “In vain you rise early and go late to rest,” and that “he gives to his beloved sleep.” Certainly I need to be diligent in what God has called me to do, but ultimately I’m just a tool in his hands. And because I’m a tool, I need to be sensitive to his leading.
Another passage that reminds us that the Lord is the one who does the work is James 4:13-15. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”–yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
This passage reminds us that even our best plans are subject to the Lord’s will. If it be his will, we will plant a second AFLC church in the Fargo/Moorhead area. So my prayer is, “Oh Lord, be glorified in this work of church planting.” The good news is that everything the Lord wills will come to pass.
I’d also like to introduce my family! My wife Ashley (learning the cello), and our children Henry (great conversationalist for his age), Juniper (likes to crochet), Patrick (our hockey player this year), Genevieve (can be a tough nut to crack, but has a beautiful smile), and Myrtle (is quite a comedian for a two year old). Looking forward to getting to know all of you as well!
Pastor Brandon Marschner
