Tears Shed On The Way Back Home
Psalm 6:1-10
Big Jim Hammil of the Kingsmen Quartet used to do a recitation that told the story of an evangelist was making his way home on a train. He sat down beside a young man, and after a while he noticed tears in his eyes. The minister asked if there was anything he could do to help him. The young man said "Preacher, two years ago I got so mean at home that my mom and dad couldn't do anything with me. But one day I even went so far as to strike my father with my fist. He told me then, 'Son, I hate to do it. It's going to break your momma's heart. But we want you to just get away from here--just leave this house.'" The young man had wandered the country for some time and 3 weeks earlier he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He wrote a letter to his parents and told them he would be coming through on that old train. He wasn't sure that he would be welcomed home, so he told his parents to hang a little white rag on top of the apple tree in their yard as a signal that he was forgiven. If there was no rag in the tree he would remain on the train. As they approached his home the young man asked the preacher to look and see if there was a white rag in that old apple tree. The preacher looked and said, "Son, you can relax. That apple tree is in full bloom! I never saw so many white rags tied on anything in all of my life. And that's not all. Out under the apple tree I see that grey haired old Mom and Dad standing out there waving a big white bed sheet saying 'Come home son. Welcome home. We love you."
I am here to tell you that our heavenly Father is just like that man's parents. No matter how far we have gone or how long we have been away... if we will humbly ask His forgiveness He will welcome each us back home.
The Christian life is a life of abundant joy in Christ. Paul said that we are to "rejoice in the Lord always". Though the Christian life is a life of joy... it is also a life of tears. Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) said "there is a time to weep". There is a time for tears, and studies show that tears are beneficial.
Tears are beneficial concerning our emotional well being. Tears are your body’s release valve for stress, sadness, grief, anxiety, and frustration. Medical studies also show that: Tears are beneficial concerning our physical well being. Tears protect our eyes, they supply lubrication, remove irritants, reduce stress hormones, and they contain antibodies that fight pathogenic microbes.It is also clear through the scriptures that Tears are beneficial concerning our spiritual well being. We shed tears of joy when we are in a right relationship with the Father. We shed tears as a result of a burden for lost people. We shed tears when we reach a place of brokenness and seek to return to the Father.
In days gone by people would soak the altar with their tears. But these days the altars are dry!
There are 52 weeks in a year and in a given year I will officiate 20 to 30 funerals. I visit people on their death beds. I minister to their families as they take their last breath. I stand beside the casket as the family passes by for the last time. I see the tears... I hear the cries... I witness the broken hearts. As a result I have almost become numb concerning death (almost!) It is rare that I cry anymore. I have laid members of my own family to rest (as well as members of our church family) and I wanted to cry... but the tears just wouldn't come. This numbness is not something I am proud of but it comes with the job I guess.
There is a similar problem that is plaguing the lives of many of our brethren. They have become numb to sin. Their hearts have grown cold and indifferent and as a result they ignore the things of God. When you look at many of the brethren, it becomes apparent that:
A. SOME HAVE BECOME NUMB TO THE CALL OF GOD -- You may not be involved in blatant transgressions but you are sinning nonetheless. God has called you to serve Him in some capacity. There is a job He would have you do in this church. There may be some task that God has called you to accomplish. But you refuse... you ignore His call on your life. If this describes you, you are living on dangerous ground. ----- We also see that:
B. SOME HAVE BECOME NUMB TO THE COMMANDS OF GOD -- Most of the people under the sound of my voice don't need me to tell you what you should do and what you should not do.......You already know! You know that you should not have any idols in your life. You know that you should not take the Lord's name in vain. You know that you should not commit adultery or murder. You know that you should not lie, cheat, steal or covet. You know that you should honor your Father and Mother. You know that you are to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. You know that you should not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. You know that you should not gamble. You know that you should not live together outside of marriage. You know that you should not partake in illegal drugs or be addicted to alcohol. You know that you should love God with all you heart, soul, mind and strength. You know that you should love your neighbor as yourself. The problem is not that you don't know these things... the problem is that you have reached a point where YOU JUST DON'T CARE!
- This leads us to the sad fact that:
C. SOME HAVE BECOME NUMB TO THE CONVICTION OF GOD -- When the Holy Spirit convicts you of these things you refuse to turn form them. Your heart has become so hard that you ignore God's call for you to repent. As a result you go further into sin and your heart gets harder and harder.
If you don't believe that I have just given an accurate description of the church today, chances are you don't come around very often. Unfortunately these things are true and the only answer is for God's people to reach a place of brokenness and contrition. Simply put, it is time for some tears in the church!
- I would like to look at this penitent Psalm from King David and preach on the thought "Tears Shed On The Way Back Home".
As we join David in this Psalm we find a man who is on his way back to a right relationship with his Heavenly Father. At the beginning of this Psalm he has taken some steps in the right direction, but he is not there yet. But in the latter verses there is a major transition, and by the end David is in a good place. I hope that this portion of scripture will give you hope that you can return home today.But I must warn you, if you seek to return... there will be some tears along the way. Verse one shows us that there will be:
I. TEARS OF SORROW - v1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Sorrow is a feeling of deep distress. If you will remember in Psalm 51, David requested that the Lord "restore the joy of his salvation". At this point in his life, David was in great distress. He was facing the chastening hand of his Heavenly Father. He knew that he deserved to be rebuked and chastened. He is not asking God to cease the discipline, he is requesting that the Lord not rebuke him in anger. I am sure that he was constantly reminded of how he had sinned against his God.
The Lord will confront our sin just as He confronted the sin in David's life. Through His Holy Spirit He will reveal our disobedience and because of His love for us He will chastise those who belong to Him. - Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
When chastisement comes there will be tears of sorrow. When you come to the realization that you have walked away from the God that loves you so much ...there should be tears of sorrow. When you consider all that He has done for you ...there should be tears of sorrow. When you think that He gave His Son to rescue you from your sins and you have rebelled against Him ...there should be tears of sorrow. When you think that He has provided you with eternal life and you have squandered so much time ...there should be tears of sorrow. When you realize that God's loves you enough to discipline you when you are wrong... there should be tears of sorrow! When you realize that you have broken your Heavenly Father's heart... this should break your heart and produce tears of sorrow!
When God confronted David's sin, David cried replied to God by saying "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight (Psalms 51:4)
Will you come to that realization today? Will you admit that you have sinned against your Heavenly Father? Will you come to a place where you are ready to return home? Do you desire to return to the Father's house....if you do there will be tears of sorrow!
There Will Be Tears Of Sorrow Shed On The Way Back Home. And David's story also shows us that there will be:
II. TEARS OF ANGUISH v2-7
Anguish is defined as "severe mental or physical pain or suffering". This Psalm, perhaps more than any other illustrates a man who was in the midst of great suffering. Listen again to his cry: v2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed..............v3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? ................v6 I am weary with my groaning...................v7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old
David suffered in 3 different ways. He suffered Physically, emotionally and spiritually. He was physically weak, his bones were hurting and his vision was blurred because of his crying. He was worn out emotionally because of his crying, and spiritually his soul was hurting and he asked God how long until he would be restored.
God has a way of getting our attention. When the Heavenly Father's disciplines His children it can be painful.
Sin has a disastrous effect in our lives:
a) SIN AFFECTS US EMOTIONALLY - The most miserable person on earth is not the lost man. It is the individual who has experienced the joy of God and then turned form Him. I know that there are some backslidden people in this church. I don't know this because I have witnessed your sin. I know this because it is evident by your lack of joy!
Tragedy can come and the Christian can still have joy. A loved one can die and the Christian can still have joy. A Christian can lose their job, the bank can foreclose on the house and the finance company can repossess the car and they can still have joy. But let that Christian walk away from God and the joy goes missing. They become bitter malcontents who find fault and complain about everything in the church. They are suffering emotionally because their relationship with God is broken.
- It is also true that:
b) SIN AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY - Paul stated in that there were physical consequences for sin. This is illustrated in those that partook of the Lord's supper unworthily. - 1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
When sin comes, joy and peace is replaced with worry and fear. Worry and fear take a serious toll on our health. I have no doubt that there are some of our brethren who are suffering as a direct result of sin in their lives.
- Sin affects us emotionally, physically and obviously:
c) SIN AFFECTS US SPIRITUALLY - The backslidden child of God does not pray like they should, study like they should, serve like they should and they cannot worship like they should. Sin has created a barrier between them and God. And when God chastises them for their sin...THERE WILL BE TEARS OF ANGUISH! Listen to the anguish that David experienced - v6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. 7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
There is no doubt that David wept because of the physical and emotional pain brought on by his sin. But his anguish was deeper than that. David was devastated because of what he had done to his Father!
Dr. Alan Carr shares that there is a difference between a slave and a son. A slave fears the master's whip. A son fears the Father's displeasure. Those who only fear the punishment of sin are most likely not saved. Those who are genuinely saved do not weep because of the consequences of their actions...they weep because they have transgressed the will of their Heavenly Father.
After a long period of rebellion and sin in his life, David returned to his Heavenly Father. When he did He cried to the Lord and said " The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and contrite heart, O God". (Psalm 51:17)
The English word "contrite" comes from the Latin "contritus" meaning "crushed by a sense of sin." Brokenness and contrition are actions that have become a rarity in our day. It is time some of you recognize your sinful condition! Once that sin is realized you must reach a place where you are not sorry that you got caught, rather you must become crushed by the fact that you have sinned against your Heavenly Father.
The arrogance of people in the church today is unbelievable. Many will boldly proclaim to be born again yet they live like the world. They reject what is Holy, they ignore the commands in the Word of God and they refuse to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They have every appearance of being lost and in many cases they are.
Let's take a quick test. According to the Bible there is clear evidence in the lives of those who are saved. Galatians 5:22 The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
These fruits should be evident in each and every child of God. But there is another list in Galatians 5, it contains the lust of the flesh - Galatians 5:19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Which list best describes you? You see, some of the people who think they are backslidden are simply lost. And there are dangerous consequences for those who do not know Jesus. - Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, the sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
In either case, if you are sinning against the Heavenly Father who has loved you so much and made a way of escape from eternal damnation... if there is sin in your life you must come to a place where you shed tears of anguish and when you do, the next step is for you to shed:
III. TEARS OF REPENTANCE v2-4
- v2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me;
- v3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
- v4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
The King reached a place of repentance, he was sorry for his sin and he longed for his relationship with the Father to be restored to what it once was. God's chastisement had it's desired affect. God wanted David to return and he did. That is exactly what He wants from you today!
I get no joy from disciplining my children. I inflict just enough pain to get them to stop doing what they have done wrong and my intention is that they will never do it again. God does not delight in chastisement. But He loves us enough to correct us when we sin. He desires that we turn from that sin and never do it again. That is what repentance is...turning from our sin!
Will you do that today? Will you shed those tears of repentance? Will you take the proper steps to return to the Father today? If you will, there is another type of tear that will be shed on the way back home. Notice that there will be:
IV. TEARS OF JOY - v8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. 10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.
There is a major transition that takes place between verses 7 and 8. God gave David assurance that He had heard his prayer. David was confident that the Lord had "heard the voice of his weeping" and that "he had heard his prayer". You can have that same confidence today. When you know that the Lord has forgiven your backsliding then you can shed tears of joy!
Luke 15 tells us that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents". - You can bring joy to the Heavenly Father today and you can experience joy as well!
How long will you rebel against God? How long will you suffer the consequences of your sin? How long will you forfeit the joy of your salvation? How long will you endure the physical, emotional and spiritual anguish of your backslidden condition? How long until you reach a place of brokenness. How long until you are "crushed" by the sin that is in your life? How long until you repent?
- We often sing a song that says:
"I’ve wandered far away from God"
"Now I’m coming home"
"The paths of sin too long I’ve trod"
"Lord, I’m coming home"
"Coming home, coming home"
"Nevermore to roam"
"Open wide Thine arms of love"
"Lord, I’m coming home"
I can assure you, His arms of love are open wide... come home today? Shed those tears of sorrow, anguish and repentance and you can leave here shedding tears of joy!
Maybe you have never surrendered to Jesus... you have the opportunity to experience joy unspeakable and full of glory! All you have to do is trust Christ and your Savior and surrender your life to Him. I beg you, come to Jesus and be saved today!
