To Be: Mournful Series

To Be Mourning.

Illust: I helped him cry.

Some commentators deny that this mourning is for sin (e.g., Bonnard). Others (e.g., Schweizer) understand it to be mourning for any kind of misery. The reality is subtler. The godly remnant of Jesus' day weeps because of the humiliation of Israel, but they understand that it comes from personal and corporate sins. The psalmist testified, "Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed" (Ps 119:136; cf. Ezek 9:4). When Jesus preached, "The kingdom of heaven is near," he, like John the Baptist before him, expected not jubilation but contrite tears. It is not enough to acknowledge personal spiritual bankruptcy (v. 3) with a cold heart. Weeping for sins can be deeply poignant (Ezra 10:6; Ps 51:4; Dan 9:19-20) and can cover a global as well as personal view of sin and our participation in it. Paul understands these matters well (cf. Rom 7:24; 1Cor 5:2; 2Cor 12:21; Philippians 3:18). The Messiah comes to bestow "the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Isa 61:3). But these blessings, already realized partially but fully only at the consummation (Rev 7:17), depend on a Messiah who comes to save his people from their sins (1:21; cf. also 11:28-30). Those who claim to experience all its joys without tears mistake the nature of the kingdom. In Charles Wesley's words:

He speaks, and listening to his voice

New life the dead receive,

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,

The humble poor believe.

1. What do we mourn?

a. Loss of loved ones

b. Loss of Pet

c. Loss of income

d. Loss of friend for reasons other than death

e. Our team lost

f. Loss of health

g. Loss of reputation

h. Loss of Prestige

These have earthly significance. The person you used to touch is no longer near. The place you used to go no longer exists. Many of us experienced this type of loss on September 11th. For those of us who have ever been to the World Trade Center, there is a sense of loss. The loss of possessions during a natural disaster would also fall into this category.

The second type of loss that we deal with is emotional loss. A loss of happiness, security, completeness and a sense of fulfillment. Physical loss and emotional loss often types walk hand in hand, because our emotional stability is intertwined with physical things.

These things sometimes can be replaced, we get over it, or we just move on. However the Lord says

"Comfort, comfort my people" (Isa 40:1) is God's response. These first two beatitudes deliberately allude to the messianic blessing of Isaiah 61:1-3

ISA 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Jesus Mourned: He mourned the loss of a friend Lazarus, he was moved by the tears and mourning of the sisters.

But Jesus also mourned something else: MT 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

Are we a fan?

Do we mourn a spiritual loss?

Are we as close to God as we were when we were first saved?

Have we become more of a fan than a follower?

We were not called to be fans, we were called to be FOLLOWERS

We can be comforted, we can be fulfilled in our mourning over spiritual matters.

The chart I handed out is just a beginning, a launching pad if you will to help us grow deeper in our relationship with God.

A start to a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Help to move from Fan to Follower.

Come be comforted, it is not all lost, He has sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to help us be more Like HIM.