March 16, 2016

The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb! 5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy! 6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:3-6

The Psalmist is proclaiming joy – he is happy because of the things the Lord has done, and the things the Lord will do in the future. This is true faith – trusting that the Lord will do great things.

The future will not always look bright to us. There are many reasons that we can fear life, and have doubts. We see the church in a state of decline, and our society becoming more secular and less religious. We fear that we worship in futility, not in the futility of the promises of G-d, but in the futility of fulfilling the great commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19 –to make disciples of all nations. And so we worry about how we are going to reach people in the community with our message of Christ, that brings us joy. Sometimes we think we are called to go out and drag people in to hear the Gospel of Jesus. What we need to remember is our very life is a living Gospel of Christ – that when we live into the joy of Christ, we stand out. When G-d has filled us with joy and we show our happiness, everyone around us notices. So when people ask us what is up, we don’t need a sermon to explain — just a simple word of explanation to those around us about the greatness and glory of G-d, and how G-d is working in our life.

If G-d is doing great things in your life, then live in a manner that people notice.

Pastor Dave