THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 3-31-19
LESSON TITLE: "TEARS AND THEIR POWER"
WELCOME
TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.
HERE WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN ON ANOTHER FINE LORD'S DAY! WE ARE SO GLAD YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BE WITH US TODAY, AS WE COMMIT THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR. HAVING THE PRIVILEGE TO STUDY GOD'S WORD AND TO SING PRAISES TO HIS NAME IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD BE VERY THANKFUL FOR. MAY EACH OF US TODAY DO OUR PART IN THIS COLLECTIVE OFFERING TO GOD. NOW, LET'S APPROACH HIS SUPREME THRONE IN PRAYER!
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND ALL THE THINGS OF LIFE, THE MANY BLESSINGS FOR WE KNOW ALL PHYSICAL THINGS AND ALL SPIRITUAL THINGS FATHER COME FROM YOU. AND HELP US THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY TO BE LIGHTS IN THIS WORLD THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW YOU THROUGH US AND THAT THROUGH OUR FAITH THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND THE STRENGTH AND ENCOURAGEMENT THEY NEED TO DESIRE TO KNOW AND FOLLOW AND OBEY YOUR WILL AS WELL. AND AS RECIPIENTS OF YOUR WONDROUS BLESSINGS IN THIS LIFE AND YOUR WONDROUS REWARDS AND PROMISES AND THE LIFE TO COME. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS AND THE GREAT SACRIFICE HE MADE WHICH GIVES US OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS TO YOUR GRACE, YOUR LOVE, AND YOUR MERCY, SO THAT IN THE END WE WILL FOUND TO BE JUSTIFIED AS WE SHOW OUR FAITH BUT YET FATHER AS YOU EXTEND YOUR GRACE. THESE THINGS WE PRAY IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
ISN'T IT HARD TRYING TO BE JUST LIKE CHRIST? ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THAT CHRIST WAS PURE, RIGHTEOUS AND PERFECT IN EVERYTHING. ON TOP OF THAT JESUS WAS THE SON OF GOD, AND FURTHERMORE, GOD IN THE FLESH HIMSELF. WE CERTAINLY HAVE A GREAT AND LOVING GOD TO DEPEND ON. THIS MORNING, WE WANT TO SING A SONG THAT REMINDS US THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. WON'T YOU DO YOUR PART IN SONG TO GOD, AS WE TOGETHER SING, "I KNOW THE LORD WILL FIND A WAY!"
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
ONE OF THE GREATEST LESSONS THAT JESUS EVER TAUGHT WAS IN RELATIONSHIP TO "TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK," WHEN SOMEONE HAS DONE US WRONG. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SAME BIBLE ALSO SAYS THAT WE ARE TO "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT." NOW WHICH IS IT, LET PEOPLE DO THINGS AGAINST US AND STILL ACT RIGHT, OR MUST WE FIGHT WHEN THE SITUATION CALLS FOR IT? WELL, THE ANSWER IS, BOTH! AT FIRST YOU MIGHT SAY BUT THIS IS A CONTRADICTION, BUT I WOULD SAY, HARDLY. NO DOUBT, WE ARE TO ALWAYS ACT LIKE CHRIST AND TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, JUST AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, AS FOUND IN MATTHEW 5:29. IN VERSE 45, JESUS TELLS US "WHY," WHEN HE SAID, " THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN;" YOU SEE WE MUST DO WHAT CHRIST DID AND FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE.
NOW, IN RELATIONSHIP TO "FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT," WE ALSO SEE THAT THIS IS A GODLY PRINCIPLE. IN FACT, IN FIRST TIMOTHY 6:12, THE INSPIRED PAUL SAID, "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE, TO WHICH YOU WERE ALSO CALLED AND HAVE CONFESSED THE GOOD CONFESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF MANY WITNESSES." SO WHAT IS THIS "FIGHTING" THAT PAUL AND OTHER AUTHORS IN THE BIBLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT? OUR ANSWER IS FOUND IN EPHESIANS 6:10-12, WHERE WE READ, "FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." THIS FIGHT, BATTLE OR WARFARE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS A SPIRITUAL ONE! OUR GOAL AS CHRISTIANS IS TO STAND UP AND TO FIGHT IN THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE FOR JESUS CHRIST. WHY? SO THAT WE CAN WIN OTHERS OVER THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR WARFARE!
FURTHER ON IN THE SAME TEXT PAUL GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT THE ITEMS WHICH WE NEED IN THIS FIGHT. HE TALKS OF "GIRDING OUR WAIST WITH THE TRUTH," "THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS," PUTTING ON OUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST," "TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH," THE HELMET OF SALVATION," "AND FINALLY, OUR SWORD, THE WORD OF GOD. YOU SEE, ALL OF THESE WEAPONS AGAIN REMIND US THAT THIS BATTLE IS NOT A PHYSICAL ONE, BUT ONE SPIRITUAL IN NATURE. SO LET'S ALL PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD, AND WAGE THIS SPIRITUAL WARFARE, FOR THE SAKES OF THOSE WHO NEED TO OBEY THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
TODAY, WE WILL BEGIN A NEW SERIES ENTITLED, "MINDFUL OF YOUR TEARS." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC THIS MORNING IS, "TEARS AND THEIR POWER." AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, I WILL RETURN WITH THIS DISCUSSION FROM GOD'S WORD. NOW, WON'T YOU JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THIS GLORIOUS LORD'S DAY, AS WE SING TOGETHER, "I'LL LIVE FOR HIM."
LESSON
RAY SULLINS
WE'RE SO GLAD YOU HAVE CONTINUED WITH US NOW TODAY AS WE GO TO GOD'S WORD AND STRIVE TO STUDY ANOTHER SERIES FROM THE WORD OF GOD THAT MIGHT CHALLENGE US TO BE BETTER PEOPLE IN HIS KINGDOM AND BETTER WORKERS IN HIS SERVICE. IN FACT, TODAY WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN OUR NEW SERIES BY LOOKING IN SECOND TIMOTHY AND CHAPTER ONE, OBVIOUSLY A BOOK THAT PAUL WROTE TO AN EVANGELIST, THE YOUNGER EVANGELIST, WHO AT TIMES HE ACTUALLY CALLS HIS CHILD IN THE FAITH A YOUNG MAN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER, CHAPTER ONE TELLS US, WHO ARE BOTH FAITHFUL TO GOD AND WHO ACTUALLY TEACH HIM THE WORD OF GOD. IN FACT, IN THE BOOK OF TIMOTHY WE LEARNED THAT HE WAS TRAINED FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE BY HIS MOTHER AND HIS GRANDMOTHER IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES THAT HELPED HIM TO BECOME WISE. AND THEN EVIDENTLY IT WAS PAUL WHO HAD KIND OF BROUGHT HIM THAT FINAL MILE OF THE WAY AND EVENTUALLY TOOK HIM UNDER HIS WING AND TRAINED HIM AND THEN WAS USING HIM IN THE SERVICE OF GOD THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT AREAS AS WELL AS MISSION WORKS AND EVEN IN CHURCHES THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT REGIONS. BUT WITHIN THAT CONCEPT IF YOU LOOK WITH ME THERE IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER ONE VERSE THREE BEGINNING HE SPEAKS OF HIS THANKFULNESS FOR TIMOTHY AND THE FACT THAT HE IS CONTINUALLY PRAYING FOR HIM. AND THE BIBLE SAYS, "I THANK GOD, WHOM I SERVE WITH A PURE CONSCIENCE, AS MY FOREFATHERS DID, AS WITHOUT CEASING I REMEMBER YOU IN MY PRAYERS NIGHT AND DAY, GREATLY DESIRING TO SEE YOU, BEING MINDFUL OF YOUR TEARS, THAT I MIGHT BE FILLED WITH JOY, WHEN I CALLED TO REMEMBRANCE THE GENUINE FAITH THAT IS IN YOU, WHICH DWELLT FIRST IN YOUR GRANDMOTHER LOIS AND YOUR MOTHER EUNICE, AND I AM PERSUADED IS ALSO IN YOU." PAUL HERE TALKS ABOUT THE FACT OF THE GREAT FAITH OF TIMOTHY AND HOW THAT HE IS ENCOURAGED WHEN HE THINKS ABOUT TIMOTHY WHEN HE PRAYS FOR TIMOTHY AND THE GOOD WORK THAT HE IS DOING. AND IN FACT HE SAYS HE REMEMBERS HIM DAY AND NIGHT. PERSONALLY I CAN TELL YOU FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW CLOSE MAYBE AS A TEACHER TO A STUDENT AND WE HAVE PREACHER TRAINING SCHOOLS AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY HERE IN SPRINGFIELD, BUT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA. AND WHEN WE TRAINED THOSE STUDENTS SOMETIMES WE BECOME VERY CLOSE AND OFTEN WE DO WAKE UP WITH CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON OUR MIND OR CERTAIN MEN ON OUR MIND, AND WE GO TO BED AT NIGHT THINKING ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING OR WONDERING HOW THEY ARE FARING OR HOW THE WORK IS GOING WITH THEM OR HOW THEY ARE ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK OF GOD NOW HAVING BEEN TRAINED OR STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF BEING TRAINED. I CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT PAUL'S INTEREST WOULD BE HERE IN THE BELOVED TIMOTHY WHO HE NOT ONLY BROUGHT TO GOD IN THE FAITH BUT ALSO IS TRAINED TO DO THE WORK OF THE LORD. AND THEREFORE, HOW EXCITING IT IS WHEN HE SAYS HERE THAT HE DESIRES TO SEE TIMOTHY AGAIN. HE'S LONGING TO SEE HIM, TO KNOW THAT HE IS WELL, TO SEE WHAT HIS OWN EYES BECAUSE NO DOUBT IN THE FACT THAT PAUL WAS NEVER MARRIED PERHAPS TIMOTHY WAS LIKE A SON TO HIM. THE SON HE HAD NEVER HAD. SO HE LONGED TO SEE HIM. HE WAS EXCITED TO SEE HIM. BUT IT ALSO SAYS IN THE SAME TEXT, BEING MINDFUL OF YOUR TEARS. AND BOY THERE'S NOT A ONE OF US WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL LEFT LOVED ONES. WE PERHAPS LEFT THE GRANDPARENTS HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS OR MAYBE WE LEFT MOM AND DAD'S HOME FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OR TO GO TO COLLEGE OR MAYBE AFTER YOU WERE MARRIED AND YOU REMEMBER THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU LEAVE WITH WHAT? WITH TEARS. THERE'S TEARS IN THE EYES OF SOMETIMES THE CHILDREN AND THE PARENTS. THERE ARE TEARS IN THE EYES OF EVERYONE BECAUSE YOU'RE LONGING TO SEE THEM AND YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THEM. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE WOULD DO MISSION WORK AND BE GONE SOMETIMES FOR THE PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AT A TIME. WHEN WE WOULD BE GONE AND LEAVING, PEOPLE WOULD SHED TEARS AS WELL AS US BECAUSE WE WOULD KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE A YEAR OR MORE BEFORE WE WOULD SEE ANY OF THEM. AND THEN WHEN WE WOULD ARRIVE PEOPLE ARE SHEDDING TEARS. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE EXCITEMENT AND THE WONDER OF AGAIN BEING FACE-TO-FACE AND SHOWING THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE ONE FOR ANOTHER.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN A SERIES THAT THE BIBLE ACTUALLY DEALS QUITE A BIT WITH IN RELATIONSHIP TO TEARS. AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ENTITLE THE SERIES IS THE IDEA MINDFUL OF YOUR TEARS. BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT TEARS CAN TEACH US. IN FACT, I THINK YOU'LL BE BE QUITE SURPRISED OF THE MANY THINGS THAT TEARS CAN TEACH YOU IN THE BIBLE, AND WHAT THEY CAN MEAN TO YOU AND CHALLENGE YOU WITH AS THOSE WHO EITHER KNOW GOD OR THOSE WHO NEED TO KNOW GOD. THE FIRST THING I THEN WOULD LIKE US TO THINK ABOUT IS THE POWER OF TEARS. THAT IS THE LESSON FOR TODAY AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT POWER THAT COMES WITH TEARS BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT THAT THEY HAVE ON OTHERS AND THE EFFECT THAT THEY HAVE ON US. I GO BACK TO THE MIND OF DAVID AND DAVID OFTEN TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF CRYING BEFORE THE LORD OR EVEN THE IDEA OF TEARS BEFORE THE LORD. AND ONE SUCH VERSE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO START WITH ME THERE IN THE TEXT, THE OLD TESTAMENT, IS IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT PSALM SIX AND SPECIFICALLY WE WANT TO LOOK IN VERSE SIX OF PSALMS SIX. HERE DAVID MAKES THIS STATEMENT. HE SAYS, "I AM WEARY WITH MY GROANINGS; ALL NIGHT I MAKE MY BED SWIM; I DRENCH MY COUCH WITH MY TEARS. MY EYES WASTE AWAY BECAUSE OF GRIEF; IT GROWS OLD BECAUSE OF ALL MY ENEMIES." DAVID HERE IS TALKING ABOUT TEARS AND NOTICE THE TYPES OF TEARS. TEARS TO THE POINT THAT HIS BED AND HIS COUCH ARE DRENCHED. MAYBE WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT IN LIFE. MAYBE WE ALL HAVE BEEN TO THE POINT OF PERHAPS LOSING A LOVED ONE OR LEARNING SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUR HEALTH OR THE HEALTH OF A DEAR ONE THAT BRINGS US NOT ONLY TO TEARS BUT WE ALMOST FALL INTO A DEPRESSION AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY CRYING AND IN TEARS OR IN SORROW EVEN TO THE POINT THAT WE OFTEN NEED HELP FROM OTHERS OR MEDICAL HELP TO OVERCOME SUCH THINGS. DAVID HERE SPEAKS OF THE TEARS AND THE GREAT DIFFICULTY OF HIS TEARS AND HOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE EXPRESSION OF WHAT HE MAKES MENTION OF HERE, HIS ENEMIES, WHICH AS YOU WILL REMEMBER NOT ONLY INCLUDED AT TIMES HIS FRIENDS BUT ALSO HIS LOVED ONES AND HIS OWN SON OR CHILDREN. O, CERTAINLY THAT WOULD MOVE ONE TO TEARS. IT WOULD CAUSE A DEEP DEPRESSION AND DIFFICULTY IN ONE'S LIFE. AND SO WE SEE THE POWER OF TEARS AS THEY REALLY REVEAL TO US THE STATE THAT SOMEONE IS IN WHEN THEY ARE IN TRUE DISTRESS AND DEPRESSION AND WHEN THEY NEED SOME SORT OF HELP. AND CERTAINLY THEY CAN FIND THAT HELP AS WE WELL KNOW FROM GOD.
BUT WHAT ABOUT TEARS OF JOY? JUST TO AGAIN LOOK AT SOME OF THE GENERAL IDEAS ABOUT TEARS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO ALL THESE THINGS MORE SPECIFICALLY LATER. BUT THE MORE GENERAL CONCEPT OF TEARS WE CAN TURN OVER TO THE BOOK OF PSALM, TO PSALM 126. AND HERE IN THE 126TH PSALM NOTICE WITH ME IN VERSE FIVE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT TEARS. HE SAYS, "HE WHO CONTINUALLY GOES FORTH WEEPING, BEARING SEED AND SOWING SHALL, DOUBTLESSL COME AGAIN WITH REJOICING, BRINGING HIS SHEAVES WITH HIM." WHAT ARE THESE THE TEARS OF? THESE ARE THE TEARS, AS VERSE FIVE SAYS, THE TEARS OF JOY. HE SAYS THOSE WHO SORROW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY. WHAT? BECAUSE OF THE BLESSINGS OF GOD. BECAUSE OF THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD. BECAUSE OF THE HELP OF GOD. BECAUSE GOD PROSPERS THE FAITHFUL. SO ON ONE HAND WE SEE THE TEARS THAT SOAK THE BED OR THE COUCH AND ON THE OTHER HAND WE SEE THE TEARS OF JOY BECAUSE OF THE DELIVERANCE AND THE HELP AND THE CARE OF GOD. O, THE POWER OF TEARS TO AGAIN HELP US TO SEE HOW THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS ARE AFFECTED BY THE WORLD AND BY GOD AND BY ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE KNOW.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND THEN WE THINK ABOUT THE GREAT EFFECT THAT TEARS HAVE ON US. NO DOUBT ALL OF US HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE AS WE HAVE MADE MENTION MAYBE GOING TO A FUNERAL OR PERHAPS WE'VE ARRIVED AT HOME AND WE WILL SEE OUR WIFE IN TEARS OR ONE OF OUR CHILDREN IN TEARS MAYBE BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT WORK OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT SCHOOL AND WHAT IS OUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE? THAT WE WANT TO GO TO THEM, WE WANT TO EMBRACE THEM, WE WANT TO ASK THEM WHAT'S WRONG? HOW CAN WE HELP THEM? YOU SEE THE POWER OF TEARS TO REVEAL TO US THE NEEDS THAT SOME HAVE SO THAT WE MIGHT GO TO THEM AND THAT WE MIGHT HELP THEM. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND WE CAN SEE HOW THAT PLAYS BOTH WAYS. AND SO AT TIMES WHEN WE HAVE BEEN IN TEARS OR WE'VE BEEN DISTRAUGHT AND THEN MAYBE A FRIEND OF OURS AT SCHOOL OR MAYBE A FRIEND OF OURS FROM WORK OR MAYBE A FRIEND OF OURS OR A LOVED ONE AT HOME SEES US IN THOSE TEARS AND THEY IMMEDIATELY SAY, WHY ARE YOU CRYING AND WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT'S WRONG? HOW CAN I HELP? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW WONDERFUL YOU ARE? AND THAT WE LOVE YOU AND THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE OKAY! YOU SEE THE POWER OF TEARS, NOT ONLY OUR TEARS ON OTHERS BUT THE TEARS OF OTHERS ON US AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO US AND HOW IT AFFECTS US AS THOSE WHO LOVE GOD.
BUT THEN I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE POWER OF OUR TEARS IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD HIMSELF. THINKING ABOUT THE GREAT PSALMIST THERE IN PSALM 39. I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME WHAT DAVID NOW SAYS IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND THE REQUEST THAT HE MAKES OF GOD IN VERSE 12 OF PSALM 39. THAT VERSE SAYS, "HEAR MY PRAYER, O LORD, AND GIVE EAR TO MY CRY; DO NOT BE SILENT AT MY TEARS; FOR I AM A STRANGER WITH YOU, A SOJOURNER, AS ALL MY FATHERS WERE." WHAT IS THE REQUEST? WHAT IS THE PLEA? WHAT IS THE DESIRE OF DAVID? THAT GOD HEARS HIS WHAT? HEAR HIS CRY. AND THAT GOD AS IT SAYS HERE WOULD NOT BE SILENT TO HIS TEARS BUT THAT HE WOULD HEAR HIS TEARS. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR? NOT ONLY THAT BUT OUR LOVED ONES AND OUR FRIENDS AND OTHERS WILL SEE OUR TEARS AND HELP US OUT. BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT WE ARE HOPING FOR? THAT THE GOD WHO MADE US, THE GOD THAT HAS ALL POWER, THE GOD THAT IS ABLE TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IN THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME THAT HE SEES OUR TEARS AND THAT HE BE MOVED WITH COMPASSION. WE KNOW THAT GOD IS MOVED WITH COMPASSION AND BY THE TEARS OF OTHERS. JESUS WAS IN JOHN 11 AND IN VERSE 35 AND WE WILL ACTUALLY LOOK AT THAT LATER IN OUR SERIES BUT HE WAS MOVED WITH THAT TYPE OF COMPASSION. SEEING THE TEARS OF OTHERS, ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT FROM GOD KNOWING THAT GOD IS ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS AND KNOWING THAT GOD IS ABLE TO HELP. THEN I FINALLY THINK ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL IDEA ABOUT HOW THAT THERE IS THE ABILITY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR TEARS ARE ALMOST COLLECTED BY GOD. THE PSALMIST DAVID AGAIN THERE IN PSALM 56 AND VERSE EIGHT SPEAKS ABOUT GOD PUTTING HIS TEARS IN A BOTTLE OR HIS TEARS BEING COLLECTED BY ONE IN THE BOTTLE, AND IT'S ALMOST THAT IDEA TO ME THAT GOD REMEMBERS ALL. GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS AND HE REMEMBERS ALL THINGS. HE HAS COLLECTED THOSE TEARS AND HE KNOWS ALL OF MY HARDSHIPS AND ALL OF MY TRIALS AND ALL OF MY PROBLEMS. HE KNOWS EACH AND EVERY WORK AND THAT'S WHY WHEN WE LOOK TO GOD AND WE LOOK AT THE REWARD OF GOD WE SEE CLEARLY THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROMISED THAT GOD KNOWS OUR WORKS.
IS THAT NOT HOW WE STARTED OUT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION? GOD KNOWS OUR WORKS AS HE SPOKE TO THE CHURCHES. IS THAT WHAT HE SPEAKS OF THERE IN REVELATION 20 AND VERSE 12 WHEN HE SPEAKS ABOUT GOD OPENING THE BOOKS THAT HE MIGHT KNOW THE WORKS OF MAN? AND THEN HE OPENED THE BOOK OF LIFE WHERE THE NAME WAS WRITTEN BASED ON WHAT WAS IN WHAT? THE BOOKS. YOU SEE, OUR GOD IS A GOD WHO KNOWS US. WHO KNOWS US SO WELL THAT HE KNOWS THE NUMBER OF HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD. SO LET ME SUGGEST THAT HE ALSO KNOWS THAT THE GOD WHO LOVES US KNOWS EVERY TEAR THAT HAS FALLEN FROM OUR EYES, THAT HAS DROPPED TO THE GROUND, THAT HAS DISAPPEARED ON THE FLOOR. IN GOD'S MIND THEY DON'T DISAPPEAR, IN GOD'S MIND, AS THAT BOTTLE THEY ARE COLLECTED THEY ARE REMEMBERED, THEY ARE A BLESSING TO US BECAUSE THEY SHOW TO GOD OFTEN OUR LOVE AND OUR COMPASSION AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO DO HIS WILL. AND SO LET ME ASK YOU TODAY, ARE YOU ONE WHO USES YOUR TEARS? WHO KNOWS THEIR TEARS AND WHO COMMITS THEIR TEARS TO GOD SO THEY MIGHT BE FOUND FAITHFUL TODAY AND FOREVER.
CLOSING COMMENTS
LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD'S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.
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MAY WE BE MOVED WITH THE LOVE AND COMPASSION OF GOD TO BE ALL WE NEED TO BE IN HIS SERVICE! KNOWING THAT THOSE WHO DO SUCH WILL RECEIVE GREAT REWARD WHEN OUR LORD COMES AGAIN.