Cry Out Loud

INTRODUCTION

A popular female song goes like this, “Don’t cry out loud!” I don’t personally know the whole song but it is seemingly trying to suppress us from letting others know that we are in trouble and asking somebody else’s help. It is different from what God in His word is saying to us. He wants us to cry out loud in any kind of trouble we are in. When do we know we are in trouble? And when we need to cry out?

You are in trouble…

I. WHEN YOU ARE WANDERING, 4-9

“Wanderer”-people who have no permanent place of their own, no permanent source of living. But trying to search for a home to be their own. In this case, the Israelites are trying to get back home from captivity in Babylon.

A. No place to stay

B. No food to eat

We may not wander like the Israelites wandered in the desert. But sometimes we wander away from God, from His will and from His ways. We live in such a way that we have no God, as if we have no relationship with Yahweh. We do things our ways. As if we don’t have a place to go home (Psalm 84). As if we don’t eat/hear his words.

“The Prodigal Son Story” is the perfect illustration of a wandering person.

II. WHEN YOU ARE IN DARKNESS, 10-16

“In Darkness” –people who are outside the will of God. They are people that don’t fellowship with God (1 John 1:3-6). People who refuse to live in the Light.

A. Rebelled against the words of God

B. Reject the counsel of the Most High

· This kind of people can no longer sense what is right and what is wrong.

· Callous hearted already (Hindi na nakararamdam ng kasalanan/sabi pa nga natin ay “wala ng kunsiensya”)

· No more guilt feeling

· How they arrived in this level? They don’t deal their previous sins. No one corrected them or they did not allow themselves to be corrected.

III. WHEN YOU ARE UNDER JUDGMENT, 17-22

“Under Judgment”-people who is already condemned because of what they did.

A. Suffering for their sins

B. Spiritually dying, cf. Romans 6:23 (Separation from God)

· People under this category are those being mentioned in Romans 1:24, 28 & 32

· Lawmakers who passed bill against sexual discrimination are also liable to God (and those in other counties who allowed same sex marriage)—they permit homosexuality

IV. WHEN YOU ARE UNDER THE STORMS OF LIFE, 23-32

“Storms of Life”-crisis in life, difficulties in living and struggles for survival

There are 2 groups of people under this category. One, are those in a Job-type of storms in life (Satan’s sparked testing because of his righteousness). The other one are those simply forgetful of God. Ginigising lang!

The FORGETFUL OF GOD:

At first, when they sail they said, “Wow! God is awesome. He is marvelous! He is wonderful! He is great! This is it! This is his will! But when they’re doing their business and doing fine they forgot about Him. See people in Haggai’s time also (Haggai 1:15).

Some of us are like that. This job/business is God’s gift to me. But later we will forget about Him. And will never even give thanks o Him.

A. Encountering economic crisis

B. Experiencing hopeless situation

In Haggai’s time (Haggai 1:15)

· The text proves that it is God who blesses and takes away blessings not us.

· This also tells us that God’s blessing of our businesses, job and careers is connected in the way we look after the welfare of His temple, His workers and His missions through the church.

(Examples: Colgate—90% Tithes; Kraft—God is the owner & Welch—support missionaries/mission organization)

CONCLUSION

What to do when you are in trouble?

“Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distress.” (6, 13, 19 & 28)

CRYING OUT LOUD TO GOD is our crucial response to our troubles. Have we cried-out already as one body in our attempts to get out of these troubles (financial slides, character and moral decay, and lost of Christian discipline.

What God will do when you cry out to Him?

Psalm 107:33-43

Where are you in these categories? Whatever your category is, the truth of the matter is, it is now affecting your life and our church. CRY OUT TO GOD!

How do we cry out? What do crying out means?

A. Job 30:20, “I cry out to you, O God…”

v. 25, “Have I not wept for those trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?”

31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes…”

v. 4ff, “…see my ways…”

B. Ezra’s time:

Ezra 9:3-5, “I tore my tunic…”

Ezra 10:1ff, “…praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd…wept bitterly. We have been unfaithful… Now let us make a covenant…”