Evening Service for 8/24/2003
Introduction:
I set beside a tiny crib and watched a baby die, and the parents slowly turned to me and said, “Preacher, tell us why?” And I walked away from the nursery where still born babies lie, and a mother stretches out her empty arms and says, “Preacher, oh preacher, tell me why?” I saw a young girl’s burning tears and heard her lonely cry, as she held an unused wedding gown and said, “Preacher, oh preacher, tell me why?” I heard the cancer patient say, “Tis gain for me to die.” Then I looked at her husband crying and whispered to myself, “I wonder why?” I’ve seen a father take his life and the widow stands near by, and the little children say, “Mom, we’ll ask the preacher and he’ll tell us why?” I’ve seen a mother stand beside a little grave and cry, and though she never let me know I knew she wondered why. I’ve heard an orphan family faintly say as they gazed up in the sky, “Though mom and dad have gone away, I think the preacher will tell us why?” So I tip-toed to my Father’s throne, so timid and so shy, to say, “Dear God, some of your own, their wanting to know why?” Then I heard him say so tenderly, “Their eyes I will gladly dry, but they must look through faith today, tomorrow, tomorrow they will know why. If now they find the reasons why their hopes have gone awry, in heaven they’ll miss the joy of hearing me tell them why.” And so I find it pleases him, whenever I can testify, I’ll trust my God to do my best and wait and then he’ll tell me why.
WBTU:
Blessed are those who mourn
Thesis: Blessed are those who mourn over troubling situations, over their sins, and over the sins of others.
For instances:
1. Troubling situations
A. 2 Cor 1:3-5
B. Psalm 40:1-3- Reminds me of this morning’s Scripture.
1. Jesus has suffered the most for us.
2. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. I don’t know how unbeliever do it. May we be good witness to them in our suffering.
C. Isaiah 35:9-10.
1. To think of heaven brings joy to our hearts
2. It may be bad here, but it makes heaven so much sweeter.
D. Luke 6:21- Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
E. (Rev 21:4 NIV) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
2. Our Sins
A. Psalm 32
1. I know my sin but I will not surrender to Jesus Christ.
2. Make them miserable until they come to you.
3. Woes of the wicked.
B. Psalm 51:1-17
1. Think of what David did.
2. My sin is always before me.
3. Let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
4. Create in me a pure heart
5. Restore to me the joy of my salvation
6. Broken and contrite heart- not proud or arrogant.
7. Those who try to justify themselves.
C. Luke 7:36 to end of chapter
D. Randy Harris said that when he went for 40 days on a spiritual retreat that the one thing that he took away was his overwhelming sense of his own sins.
E. Mourn the loss of their innocence, their righteousness, their self-respect. We should weep in repentance over our sins.
F. Those who mourn over their own sinfulness will be comforted by the only comfort which can relieve our distress, the forgiveness of God.
3. The sins of others
A. Psalm 126:5-6
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, sing part of song. Before we can bring in the sheaves we must:
A. Go forth
1) This is our great commission
2) We need to put the “go” back in the gospel!
3) No sheaves will be brought in if we don’t go out!
B. Weep
1) Weep over the erring one (Rescue the perishing)
2) Jesus did- Jesus wept over the sins of others, over their bitter consequences in judgment and death, and over Jerusalem which would not receive him. Jesus was a Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53). Why? Because he took our sins upon himself, because He totally identified with us in our sorrows, and because today His loving heart still longs so ceaselessly for the lost of earth.
3) Paul did- (Acts 20:31 NIV) So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
4) John Knox constantly carried the burden for his land. Night after night he prayed on the wooden floor of his hideout refuge from Queen Mary. When his wife pleaded with him to get some sleep, he answered, “How can I sleep when my land is not saved?” Payne reports that often Knox would pray all night in agonizing tones, “Lord, give me Scotland or I die!” God shook Scotland; God gave him Scotland.
5) In April 19, 1742, David Brainerd, missionary to American Indians, wrote in his diary: “I set apart this day for fasting and prayer to prepare me for the ministry. In the forenoon, I felt a power of intercession for immortal souls. In the afternoon, God enabled me so to agonize in prayer that I was quite wet with sweat, though in the shade and the cool wind. My soul was drawn out very much for the world: I gasped for multitudes of souls. I think I had more enlargement for sinners than for the children of God, though I felt as if I could spend my life in cries for both.”
6) John Hyde was called the Apostle of Intercession of India. He often cried out, “Father, give me these souls or I die!” He alternated in agony of intercession and joyous praise, receiving tremendous answers to prayer and by the end of his missionary service was averaging more than four souls a day, largely won through prayer.
7) It was said of Hugh Price Hughes, “That morning Hughes looked like a broken man, his eyes were wet with tears- broken, and he was but fifty years old! ‘Are you ill, sir?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he answered, and then continued, ‘Walters, we have had three Sunday nights at St. James Hall without conversions and I can’t stand it. It’s breaking my heart.”
8) They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
C. Bear precious seed (Vs. 6)
1) The seed is the Word of God. Jesus Luke 8.
2) Make it part of your life.
3) When you go and before you sow, make sure you have the right seed!
D. Sow (Vs. 5)
1) It is not enough to carry seed around with us. We must sow the seed everywhere.
2) A seed of corn can produce a cob with 812 grains but if those grains are not replanted then 659,344 more grains of corn will not be realized.
B. If these four things are done then we will:
1. Come again with rejoicing. To see a person saved.
2. Bring in the sheaves.
Conclusion:
A. Summary.
B. Prayer.
