Sermon notes from Sunday 1 October 2017
Psalm 126, Matthew 13 verses 3 - 9, 18 - 23
The
book of Psalms holds a dear spot in our hearts.
It is one of those books you would read in time of difficulty, perhaps
even at night or morning. The Psalms
would be the very heart of the scriptures themselves - when you open up your
bible chances are you will open them at the Psalms. It takes that central role in the book. Many quotations in the New Testament are from
the Psalms. Jesus sought to correct the
Emmaus pilgrims who had just witnessed the crucifixion of Christ. They didn`t understand fully what was going
on. It was to the book of Psalms Jesus
turned to when he drew alongside them.
We must always be careful to treat them in their original context. The surrounding issues if you like. Psalm 126 is set on the return of the
children of Israel who were coming back to their own land. They had rebelled against God. God had to chastise and correct them. They had rejected God`s word. He took them away captive to Babylon. Their lonely situation is described in Psalm
137 "by the rivers of Babylon there we sat down, yea wept when we
remembered Zion". They didn’t realise
what they had until it was gone. Verse 2
"we hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof." There was no call for harps now, nothing to
sing about. For the backslider it is
hard. There is nothing to sing about,
they have fallen away from what they once enjoyed with God. They enjoyed fellowship with God and his
word. Now it is all gone. There was nothing now to sing about. That is how the nation of Israel were. There were those who tempted them - "how
shall we sing the Lord`s song in a strange land?" There are people who say they are backsliders,
who can sit in the public house and feel the Lord`s presence all the time, the
Lord is with them. We find in Psalm 126 they are on their way back again. Verse 1 their return "when the Lord
turned again the captivity of Zion."
Maybe the Lord has something to say to you today. Maybe we need to tell him to speak on. We would also see a reflection "we were
like them that dream." Verse 2 the
rejoicing. Verses 5 and 6 the reaction
and in verse 6 the rewarding. Verses 4
and 5 replenishing of the land. There
was a lot of work to be done. Look at
verses 5 and 6 today. Think of the
mission of our church particularly because it is the harvest season.
Psalm 126 verse 5 and 6 - the task
that is experienced. We are "they
that sow". Verse 6 "he that
goeth forth." There is a work to be
done. That is what the Psalmist was
saying here. The people have
returned. It is a great day of joy. For 70 years they had been in Babylon under
the control of the enemy. No freedom, no
liberty. Here was the day when
deliverance came. The yoke of their
oppressor was broken. They were allowed
to go back to their own land. They
couldn`t sit back and enjoy that. God
had done great things for them. They
were free to explain that and express it.
God had broken the yoke of the enemy on them. This land would not produce what they needed
without work. The work hadn`t been done
for 70 years. They were going out to do
a task, a work to be done. A seed has to
be planted. Also getting rid of the
obstacles first of all. Patience to wait
and then a harvest to be gathered in.
When God saves us he doesn`t save us to be an ornament but that we might
be a gift. A work to do. The fields are white unto harvest. Many precious souls need to hear the message
of the word of God. We are to pray for
labourers to go out. We should pray yes
but we need to listen. The Lord might
turn it around to us and say "what about you?" Nehemiah found out about the work in
Jerusalem. The people were there, the
walls were cast down. Nehemiah got down
on his knees, confessed his sin. Then he
began to pray for the work in Jerusalem.
He was happy down there, had a good job where he was, he was good
friends with the king, a comfortable position.
Prayed no doubt to the Lord "if you have anyone in your heart I
want to pray for them." Prayed in
sincerity then the Lord said "yes I have a man fit for the task, it is
you." Maybe God is pointing his
finger at you today, to go forth to do a task for him. If there is no going forth there will be no
harvest. This people knew that there was
a lot of work to bring this land to the place it should be. God would be with them. He was speaking of a man who was willing to
rise up and work, willing to say "here I am let me do a work for
you." In Antioch God had something
more specific for that church.
"Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work I would have them
to do." No doubt reaching out to
souls, reaching out and praying for one another. The Holy Spirit spread hands on them,
separating them for a work for them to do out on the mission field." Verse 4 "being sent forth" there
was a sending forth. What does it say
here - "he that goeth forth." In
Acts 17 we read of Timothy a young man saved by the grace of God under Paul`s
ministry. Well thought of by all the
brethren in that area. Paul would have
him to go forth. There was something
more God wanted of that young man. The
gospel is a seed and there needs to be plenty out doing it, by taking it out
into the highway and byways. We have a
part to play just as the sower prepared the seed for the field. Are we prepared to go forth? Romans 10 verse 14 "how then shall they call
on him in whom they have not heard."
There are those around our church who have no understanding of the
gospel of saving grace. You can be the
one to take it to them today.
The treasure that he bears. Going forth weeping and he is bearing precious
seed. Recognises the value and potential
of the seed he is carrying. He takes time
to look around, sees some of the ground is hard, the sun is beating on
him. It is the only basket of seed he
has. He wants to be careful with
it. Looks back to a time of trial and
hardness. Still bearing the precious
seed. Think of the persecution of the
early church. Paul playing havoc with
the church, trying to close every door, expel every name of Christ. The answer to that situation was of course
Stephen, only a young man in Jerusalem but he goes forth. God`s way of moving the church on. Sometimes God does that. Here we find Stephen as he went forth in Acts
8 verse 4 they "went every where preaching the word", planting some
seed as they went along. How do we see
the word of God today? Something that is
precious, more precious than gold. All
gold you have will vanish and perish away.
When I stand here in the pulpit I am not standing here to preach a
sermon but planting a seed because that is what this "living word"
means. It brings forth living seed. Never be forgotten. This man is bearing treasure. A precious seed. As it is scattered on the ground it is going
to bring forth life.
The tears that are flowing. He is weeping as he goes forth. What would be the cause of the tears? Back in his land, broken yoke of bondage, a precious place to be in now. He is challenged to do something about the face of the land. He is in tears. Perhaps the tears are as a result of the reflection of what it had been, what the enemy had robbed him off. When they had inherited - the land and it was a land flowing with milk and honey but now look at it - why - because they had rebelled against God. Deuteronomy 6 verse 11 when came into land they had "houses full of all good things which thou filledst not and wells digged which thou diggedsst not, vineyards and olive trees which thou plantest not." Deuteronomy 6 verse 12 "then beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God.” It is easy to think of what we have, taking it for granted, get to stage don`t need God any more. The Laodicean church were like that, plentiful didn`t need God at all. They had everything they could want. No money problems, good congregation. The Lord said to them "you are poor, wretched and blind all the time, I am standing at the door let me in." That is maybe what this people realised, what they had missed out on. He is being brought back to the failures of before, had allowed this to happen themselves. God had punished them for it but he had brought them back again to their land. Homes wrecked, communities pulled apart. These are the things that bring the tears as we work and witness and seek to spread the word of God.
There is the trophy here in its season. This man`s eyes are on the harvest "doubtless come again". Don`t you think what you are planting is a worthless task. It is not. You could give an invitation, say something to someone next week, might never see them again but in eternity they might stand around the throne. A word in season. The sowing yes and "doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him." No sowing there will be no harvesting.
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