Psalm 126:5-6 THE PASSION AND THE PROMISE
Intro: Ill. The Context of this Psalm. A farmer may weep due to the
drudgery of his labor, but after the ground has been tilled, the seed planted
and the harvested brought in, the same farmer returns from the same field
rejoicing in the fruit he has received. If I may remind you this evening, Jesus
declared this world to be a field, John 4:35. He also indicated that we, His
people, are the farmers who are to plant, tend and reap the harvest here.
God's call to you and me is that we be active in spreading His message to
a world that is perishing. You and I are to be witnesses and soul winners in
this present day!
Now, if we were to be really honest with ourselves, we would have to
admit that our witness is often lacking in some of its necessary elements.
Well, that is what these verses are all about. In this passage, the Lord
addresses some of the things we lack and offers His promise to those who
will go forth in His Name, spreading His Gospel His way.
Let's take a few minutes this evening to look together at the Passion
and the Promise. As we do, let the Lord speak to your heart and allow Him
to help you in this very vital area of Christian service. The sad fact is, we
just aren't seeing as many people saved as we should be. God can change
that and He will, through us, if we will get where He can and where we will.
I. THERE IS A PURPOSE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE
(The purpose is this: God expects His people to be actively engaged in the
activity of sharing His Gospel with a lost world.)
A. It Is Personal - Notice the word "he". There is no indication to whom
he is speaking, but the inference is to every individual. Where did we
ever get the idea that witnessing is the job of the Pastor, the
evangelist and the missionary? The Bible seems to indicate that the
Gospel is to be spread by every individual who has been saved - Acts
1:8; Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15. The task is just too great for the load
to fall upon the shoulders of a few. The burden must be borne by
everyone! It is a function that every child of God can perform!
B. It Is Present Tense - Note, "goeth forth." The verb tense points to a
continual ministry of bearing the precious seed of the Lord's Gospel
to a perishing world. The has never been a moment, and there never
will be a moment, when the message of the Gospel is not needed in
the world. The whole idea is that we are to be making disciples "as
we go!"
(Ill. Your testimony is not something that you turn on and off like a
light switch. We are to wear our identity as Christians clearly and
consistently as we go through life in a lost world!. The mandate is to
be "on mission" at all times! I am not speaking of just simple lifestyle
evangelism. We should live it, but there must also be those frequent
times when we tell is as well!)
C. It Is Precious - The message we have been given to carry to the
world is a precious message! The tools which we have been given
with which to minister are also very precious indeed.
1. The Gospel - 1 Cor. 15:3-4 - This is a story like none other! That
God loves man and died to save him, then arose from the dead to
offer justification and eternal life to all who will simply place their
faith in this One who died and rose again! It is precious because
it will work for anyone who receives it. It is a universal message!
2. The Word Of God - Rom. 10:17; Psa. 19:7 - The Word of God is
precious because it tells mankind about the Gospel and about the
God who designed the perfect plan of salvation.
3. The Holy Spirit - John 16:13; Mark 13:11 - The Spirit of God is
precious because He goes with us to witness. He guides us in our
witness. He gives us the words to speak as we witness and He
gouges the heart of the lost person we are witnessing to. He is a
faithful companion and He is the One Who will get the job done
through us!
4. Your Own Testimony - 1 Pet. 3:15; Matt. 5:16 - There are all
kinds of elaborate methods for sharing the Gospel. You can learn
the Roman Road, the Four Spiritual Laws, you can study
Evangelism Explosion. All of these are good and they are helpful,
but the best witnessing tool you possess is to tell someone what
Jesus has done in your life. Sharing your personal salvation
experience is the best weapon for witnessing that you have in your
arsenal. Do not be afraid to tell others what God has done for you!
I. A Purpose To Acknowledge
II. A PASSION TO ADOPT
(Ill. This passage uses two words that carry the idea of passion. Those
words are, "tears" and "weepeth". These words speak of toil, pain and of
passion. They tell of a burden for a job that must be done. Just as the
farmer gives his attention to the field, and as he gives labor to the planting,
cultivation and harvesting of the crop, Christians need the same passion
toward a world that is perishing without God. We need a burden for the
souls of men!)
A. The Reasons We Need A Passion For Souls
1. Our Examples - We have been given many examples of men with
a burden for the lost. Their burden serves as a lesson to our lives.
A. Jesus Had A Burden - John 11:35; Luke 19:41
B. Jeremiah Had A Burden - Jer. 9:1
C. Paul Had A Burden - Acts 20:31; Rom. 10:1; Rom. 9:3
2. Our Experiences - There was a day when we were lost without
God. Just the memory of sin and a life lived apart from the Lord
ought to be enough to drive us our into the world to tell others
about a God who loves them and died to save them. (Ill. Isa. 51:1)
3. The End Of Man - The Bible seems to indicate that many, many
more will die lost than will be saved, Matt. 7:14; 22:14. (Ill.
Someone has said that only 2% of all the people who have ever
lived will be saved. What a horrible and heart wrenching statistic!)
The Bible is also clear in that there are only 2 possible destinations
for men when they leave this life. One is Heaven, for the saved,
and the other is Hell. I submit to you that if we really believed in an
eternal hell, where the condemned burn for eternity apart from the
presence of God with no hope of relief or release, then we would
be more active in spreading the news that Jesus saves sinners!
B. The Results Of Our Having A Passion For Souls - When we are
truly moved b the plight of the lost, there will be tears, burdens,
prayer and increased activity among the redeemed.
(Ill. Let's face the truth this evening. I don't want to be mean, but to
be honest often requires that we consider unpleasant things. The
truth of the matter is, we really aren't too concerned about those
around us who are dying without God. We may say we are, but until
we are moved enough to pray for them and to go to them, then we
can say anything we want, but the truth of our actions betray us.
Many are content to know that their families are saved. Folk, we need
a burden. We need God to break our hearts over the condition of the
lost. We need God to break our hearts tonight!)
(Ill. We need to cry because we do not cry! We need to be burdened
because we are not burdened! We need to be upset that we are not
upset! We need the Lord to do something in our hearts that will
cause us to be bold and unashamed of the work Christ has done in
us and can do for others!)
I. A Purpose To Acknowledge
II. A Passion To Adopt
III. A PROMISE TO ANTICIPATE
(Ill. When we go God's way with a burden for the lost, we can rest assured
that we will receive the Lord's promises to those who witness for Him. What
are the promises?)
A. The Promise Of Success - Note the word in verse 6, "doubtless."
This word implies that the one who goes forth, weeping and bearing
the precious seed will receive the harvest he anticipates. Let me
remind you that the harvest is the Lord's, Ill. Matt. 9:38. God never
promises you and me that we will be great soul winners with people
getting saved everywhere, and every time, we share the Gospel. His
promise is that when we go His way, and carry His message, then we
are successful. Success is determined by obedience to the Lord. (Ill.
1 Cor. 3:6-9) When we go and tell, we are successful!
B. The Promise Of Satisfaction - Notice the word "Rejoicing". This
word indicated a state of satisfaction. The farmer who had labored
and then reaped the harvest could look upon his labor with
satisfaction and with joy. The same is true for the Christian who
witnesses for the glory of the Lord! We have the satisfaction of
knowing that we have shared the Gospel, and obedience to the Lord
is always a cause for satisfaction. When we witness, we will hear the
"Well done!" of God's approval in the depths of our souls. If someone
gets saved through our testimony, then we have the satisfaction
knowing that there is one more soul who will not have to go to Hell.
When we see someone come to the Lord, then we know that God has
been glorified, Christ has been exalted and the devil has been
cheated. All of those are wonderful things that bring satisfaction to
the heart of the witness.
(Ill. There is also the satisfaction of knowing that we will have the
opportunity of spending eternity with those who have been redeemed
because the Lord took our testimony and used it for His glory! Oh,
what an eternity awaits those who share the Gospel with a dying world
- Dan. 12:3. Every soul we witnessed to will be another jewel we can
lay at the feet of Jesus and whereby we can honor Him.)
Conc: How many times have you shared your testimony with a lost person
since you have been saved? How many times have you had the privilege
of taking someone to the throne of grace and personally introducing them
to Jesus Christ? You may be a very vocal witness. If so, then praise the
Lord, you have caught the spirit of these verses! However, most of us could
use a deeper burden and a deeper commitment to the Great Commission.
If the Lord has been dealing with you about being a better witness and a
better partner in His Great Commission work ,then I challenge you to come
before Him this evening and allow Him to do what He needs to do in your
heart and life so you can get up and get about what you need to be doing.
Let's mind Him right now. Will you come?
