God can restore true joy in our lives, a joy that transcends circumstances and is found only through Him. The psalm expresses joy over what God has done in restoring His people from captivity, using imagery of laughter, singing, and harvest after sowing in tears. True joy is recognizable to others and gives us hope, being rooted in gratitude for God's past work in our lives and trust in His future promises.

Transcript

Well, another good morning to you. If you have your Bible with you, would you open it up, please, and turn to Psalm 126. 126 Psalm, and if you'll take the time and make the effort to turn to that Psalm, that will provide the outline for our lesson this morning. Psalm 126, beginning in verse 1.

The author of the, the two best selling books of the 21st century was a surprise success, to say the least. She grew up in a very poor fo home neither of her parents went to college, and they discouraged her from her life as an author because they said it wouldn't pay the mortgage and it wouldn't pay the bills.

And for a large chunk of her life, they were exactly right. She was unlucky in work. She was unlucky in love. She lived for many years with government assistance as a single mother and overcame a dozen rejections from publishers to become, almost overnight, one of the most successful and widely read authors, really, in the history of the world.

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has been quoted as saying, I never in my wildest dreams expected this popularity. Well, how could she, right? Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine that she would have the kind of success that she has. May I ask you this morning, I know it's kind of a personal question, but may I ask, what are the wildest dreams for your life?

In your wildest dreams, what could you imagine about your life and what your life is? And how you feel and what you do, what is it that you can dream about for your life? Can you imagine, in your wildest dreams, a life that is filled with joy? In your wildest dreams, can you imagine a life of joy and peace and happiness?

I look around our world today, and it makes me sad for lots of reasons. Makes me mad for some other reasons, but It makes me sad because I see so many people who are so far from joy. I see so many people who it seems as though they've, they've given up on any hope of joy, any hope of, of happiness and fulfillment and contentment and peace in their life.

And what makes me most sad about that is I have those things. And I believe that, that I could, if they would let me, I could show them the past, have those things as well. That a life of joy is possible. If only we'll come to the one who can direct us to have it. Our congregational focus for this year applies to this idea.

We were like those who dreamed, Psalm 126 says, when the Lord restored the fullness of Zion. The psalmist says, When the Lord restored the fullness of Zion, we couldn't believe it. It was beyond our wildest dreams. In the New King James, it puts it this way, When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.

And the difference in translation between the English Standard Version that I quoted from, Restore the fortunes of Israel, and this idea of returning from captivity, It's because there's a Hebrew word in there that's only found one time in the entire Old Testament. But, but the idea, the concept is the same.

Whether it's the specific instance of God bringing them back from captivity, or just in general that God restores the fortunes of Zion. What these people are saying is we couldn't even have dreamed that God could do this. That God could really do this in our lives. And maybe the captivity is the best example of that.

I mean, there were some people who walked from Jerusalem with a hook in their mouth into a foreign land where they were enslaved. Could they, in their wildest dreams, imagine that someday they and their children and grandchildren would return to the land? And that God would restore not just the place, but the people and the temple.

This idea of being like those who dream, this idea of the possibility of joy provided by God, applies to this idea of our year of ascent. Just to catch everybody up as we think about these things, we have these psalms of ascent, that they sang as they were going up to the temple. And it begins by introducing this concept, that we are sojourners, That we are people who are here temporarily, that we are, in some ways, like the captives, that this world is not our home.

And that reality might make us think that, well, joy would be pretty tough in that sort of environment. But we find refuge in the Lord, that the Lord is the one who can provide these things for us. And so we enter the city and house of the Lord with gladness in our worship to Him. even as we have done this morning.

And so for this quarter, as we begin a new quarter here in April, we're going to be looking at Psalms 126 through 128 and the refuge of God's direction while in the world. We have a relationship with him. Now he directs us. And specifically this morning, I want us to examine Psalm 126, how, how we express joy to God for restoring us from the world's captivity.

That all of us have found ourselves in this position where we need our fortunes restored, where we are captives, and the Lord is the one who has to restore us. And so I want us to focus this month, as we'll be preaching on tonight, I say we, as I'll be preaching on this morning and tonight, and this idea of the joy that is found for one who is a Christian.

God did more than they could imagine, and God is able to fulfill our dreams of joy In ways and two degrees that we cannot imagine as well. Do you believe that? I pray that you do. But even if you don't, will you listen carefully this morning as we consider these things from the Word of God? This idea of joy, I like the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

When we think about joy, what are we talking about? It is not just feeling happy. It is not, quote, mere gaiety that knows no sorrow, but is the result of the triumph of faith over adverse and trying circumstances, which, instead of hindering, actually enhance it. This kind of joy and peace with such depth and meaning so as not to be affected by outward circumstances, good or bad.

In other words, a joy that can't be taken away from us just because our circumstances change. That is what I want us to think about this morning. And that is what God can direct us into. He can direct us into this true joy that is found in Him. And a good place to begin in examining that is this psalm, Psalm 126.

So, will you read it with me please, and then we'll go back and make some application. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Then our mouth was filled with laughter. And our tongue was singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

The Lord has done great things for us. And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord. Maybe your translation says, Restore our fortunes, O Lord. Going back to what he said in verse 1. And the streams in the south, or the streams in the Negev, that is that desert portion of Judah, down in the very south.

Restore the streams in the south. Verse 5, Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. There are a number of concepts that I want us to think about and examine as we look at that psalm this morning.

Let's think about true joy and what true joy looks like. May I suggest, first of all, that true joy is only found in the working of God. We see that concept over and over in this psalm. Verse 1, verse 2, verse 3, verse 4, When the Lord brought us back. Verse 2, the Lord has done great things. Verse 3, the Lord has done great things.

Verse 4, bring back our captivity, O Lord. The psalmist was looking for this joy that was like a dream. And he understood that the only place that could be found was with God. Joy and peace come from God. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22. In fact, the first three are love, then joy, and peace.

This is the fruit that is produced when we are spiritual, when we come to God. And when we have His Spirit, these two concepts are found together over and over and over in Scripture, that we have joy and peace as Christians that is unknown by those in the world. Marking your spot there in Psalm 126, will you turn to Philippians chapter 4?

This is a good place, I believe, to illustrate this. This idea that is found so many places in our New Testament. Jesus talked about it, John talked about it, Paul talked about it, and others. The joy and rejoicing that is found only in Christ. But I want you to begin reading with me in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 4.

Rejoice in the Lord. Always, again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God and the peace of God. Which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

So, our hearts and minds are guarded by this peace that passes understanding, that is physical understanding. The physical understanding of peace and joy is what? Good things happen to you and you feel good. Bad things happen to you and you feel bad. But what Jesus offers is something much deeper than that.

Verse 8, Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure. Whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there's anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

So what Paul calls us to do is to imitate him. He's saying, I have this peace, I have this joy, I want you to do the same things and have the same relationship with God so that you can have it too. And he explains it in this way, verse 10. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now, at last, your care for me has flourished again.

Though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need. I'm grateful you sent some money to me to help me while I'm under house arrest, while I'm a prisoner awaiting my trial. But I want you to know, as grateful as I am for those things, Paul says, I want you to know, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. How? How did he learn that? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens.

Paul says it's, it's, it's only through God, only through Christ, that I have learned this kind of joy and peace and contentment. Notice how often Paul refers to God and the Lord and Christ in these verses. He knew where peace and hope and contentment and joy come from. It is the peace of God coming from the God of peace that allows us to rejoice as Paul describes in this chapter.

It is peace that comes from God, that originates with Him, that can only be found in Him. This joy and peace is a product of our faith and is based on our hope in Christ. Turn to Romans chapter 15 if you would. We have to get this concept, if any of the things that we're going to talk about in the rest of this lesson are going to make any impact, make any dent at all.

That true joy is only found in the working of God in our lives. In Romans chapter 15. I'll get there. Romans chapter 15 and verse 13.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Well, that's a lot of hope and joy and peace and hope. Why can we have joy and peace? Because the Holy Spirit and His power delivered and confirmed to us this direction, this message of joy and peace that we believe in.

And we were sealed by the Holy Spirit as Christians when we believed that message and obeyed it by faith. And now we have hope because of that message. We look beyond the circumstances of life, good or bad, because we see something greater and something better. Rejoice, fellow sojourner. We are on our way out of captivity to sin on this earth and to our home in heaven eternally.

True joy is only found in the working of God. Now, I want you to mark your spot there in Romans 15. We'll come right back. But the second thing I want us to see is In Psalm 126, is that true joy should be expressed. Notice what he says verse 2, verse 3, verse 5, verse 6. He expresses this joy that he has, and there's a, there's a progression to it.

We express to others what the Lord has done for us before. Notice verses 1 and 2. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue was singing. Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them.

So we express this joy to others, and what the Lord has done for us. But we also express what the Lord has done for those before us, and then what the Lord has done for us as well. Verse 3, the Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. But we should also express what the Lord can do for anyone else who would come to Him.

Verses 5 and 6. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. So I can express joy knowing what God has done for others before me, what God has done for me, and joy in expressing what God can do for other people.

If And we express this joy in our worship and our praise as we've done this morning. We express our joy in our hope and expectation for the future. We express our joy in sharing what God has done for us with others and offering them that same joy. We are people filled with joy who love to worship.

People filled with joy love to proclaim Christ. And if worship is not what it used to be, and if we are not proclaiming the gospel like we used to, maybe the missing ingredient is we don't have that joy. Like we used to, I, I told you we'd turn back to Romans chapter 15. Notice. Notice the context of, of what Paul expresses to them.

In verse 13, he says, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound and hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. But, but notice what he says is just before this in verses nine and following, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. That's you and me. As it is written, For this reason I will confess to you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.

He quotes from the Old Testament. And again he says, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Laud Him, all you peoples. And again, Isaiah says, And again, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him the Gentiles shall hope.

What the Apostle Paul says is we should rejoice and express this joy because God said in times past this is what was going to happen for us, and it has. God has fulfilled that promise to us, the Gentiles. As we studied some this morning in the book of Romans. And that is seen in God's working to bring about our salvation.

All of these are quotes from the Old Testament where God was working. And my question is, do you see everything? That God has done to bring you to this point of blessing because true joy is found when we recognize God's working in the past. Isn't that what we read just a moment ago in psalm 126? They are looking back there at this idea of the captivity and they admit the lord has done great things for us And we are glad so based on what he has done I am glad now I have joy now.

So here's the concept. Gratitude of what God has done in the past leads to gladness in the present. Gratitude leads to gladness. I think about the song that we sang before. Partaking of the Lord's Supper and reminding us of what? Of what God has done, of what Christ did in sacrificing Himself for us. Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all. If I can see that, if I can see what God has done for me. and be grateful for it. Joy is the natural result of those things. That's probably why we have the example in the New Testament of partaking of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week, because we need that reminder of what God has done for us.

And we see that here in these Psalms as well. Last quarter we, we talked about this idea of, of the relationship that we have with God and what that produces in us. And two of the things that we saw there was gratitude and faith. In Psalm 124 it talks about Gratitude and that was our focus. Well, that gratitude in Psalm 124 is what leads to the joy in Psalm 126.

Go back to Psalm 124. Just read the last three verses with me. Psalm 124 and verse 6. Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

This kind of gratitude will impact our outlook on the world. And you notice how the psalm switches from the past tense to the present tense in verse 8. The Lord has done these things for us, Well, verse 8, Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. If God has done all of these things for us in the past, what does that mean about the present?

And so this kind of gratitude wards off hopelessness. Being grateful destroys entitlement. It suffocates self righteousness. Being grateful makes us more who God would have us to be. Being grateful destroys self righteousness. It's what gives us this joy and gratitude about the past leads to contentment in the present and expected hope of the future.

And if we are thankful about what God has done and we see more clearly what God is doing, we will believe the promises about what He says He will do. Now, I mentioned a moment ago, I, I like to call it the rollercoaster of ha So many people in the world. Something good happens, hey, I feel good! And something bad hap

You know what I'm noticing more and I mean, that used to be centuries, millennia, that used to be the way things worked. But you know what I'm noticing more and more in our world today? Something bad happens and people feel bad. And then something good happens and people still feel bad. Do you notice that?

I, I, I just, I just observe. And somebody has all of these blessings and all of these good things in their life and so many, so many wonderful things and yet it seems as though there is no peace and no contentment and no hope and no gratitude in any of those things. They aren't even able to be happy when they're blessed and things are going well.

Because there is no gratitude. There is no recognition of what is good and what good things have happened in their life. And as Christians, we should be able to look back and see God's working in our lives and express our thanks to Him. Now, we don't know specifically what God has done unless it's revealed, but we know God has done some things according to His promises, do we not?

And isn't that what this psalm is? The psalmist is looking back. And then, in this idea of the year of ascent, all of those people then in the centuries that followed who sang this psalm as they were going up to the temple, they are looking back just as the psalmist was looking back. And now, I'm going to run out of stage over here.

What are we doing? We are looking back at those people who sang that song looking back at what? At what God had done in times past. And why are all of these things preserved for us? For lots of reasons, but one of them is so that we can look back and see what God has done here, and here, and here, and here to bring me to this place.

This place of salvation. And God is always fulfilling those promises. We are abundantly blessed. I mean, look around. We're blessed. But know this. Having the fruit of joy and peace in our lives is not merely a matter of how blessed we are or even seeing how blessed we are. That's a big part of it, but that's not all.

It is something that must be outside of what's happening to us, good or bad. And so I encourage you to recognize God's working in the past. To see His blessings and count those blessings. That's helpful. But joy and peace in Christ allows us to rejoice despite what's happening. Or even sometimes because of adverse circumstances.

In trials, in pain, in persecution, in testing, this is the consistent message of the New Testament. That we trust God to work through these things a greater weight of glory. And I say that because, yes, most of us in here, we could just make a list, laundry list of our blessings. Hundreds or thousands of things that God has done for us and how we are abundantly blessed.

But I know that there are some in here that it is not a season that feels like much blessing.

That there are trials and heartaches and difficulties, and we don't complain about those things because we know how God has blessed us in the past, certainly.

But we also trust God to work beyond the physical blessings that we have. Because we are especially blessed spiritually, and that's what we're promised, isn't it? God gives us so much more beyond that, but what we're promised are those spiritual blessings. Do you remember when you became a Christian?

Maybe not everybody in here is a Christian, but if you are, do you remember?

Here's my very simple question. Did you have joy in that moment? I remember it. I remember the burden lifted,

and all of those worries and concerns over my sin were gone.

And whatever adverse circumstances were coming up in the days ahead, those didn't matter. Not really, because I knew I was right with God. As

Christians, what we must do is recapture that reality every day of our life. That whatever else is happening I know that I am right with God. Has God blessed you spiritually since then, with His promises and with His purposes? I live a life of purpose. I know what my life is about. I know where I'm going.

I know what I'm supposed to be doing. All of that is found whether good things are happening to me or bad things are. And in that I can find joy. Because I have the assurance, and I trust that God is working in the future just as He has in the past. Notice again verses four through six. Bring back our captivity, O Lord.

And the streams in the south. Again, the desert region with these streams. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing. Doubtless! It's gonna happen! bringing his sheaves with him. And I think what the psalmist does here is he, he admits these ideas that sometimes there is, there is tears, there is weeping.

There are these things that are burdensome on us. Ken Kidner says in his commentary, the psalm speaking first in its own times, speak still miracles of the past. It bids us treat as measures of the future, dry places as potential rivers, hard toil. and good seek hard toil seek as the certain prelude to the harvest.

So true joy is found when we trust God's working in the future. And there are those two images, God working in a moment and God working through us over time. The first image is that idea of the streams in the south. The streams in the desert. Have you ever walked in a dry river bed, a dry stream bed? I saw an interesting video of somebody out in the desert and it dried up so fast he could pick up the sand.

You know, that's how dry it was. It wasn't quite that dry where I grew up, but sometimes it was, it was pretty dry. And I remember we had these breaks down at my grandparents place where I could walk through these canyons and stuff. And, and it's such a vivid memory walking through the dusty bottom of that.

With each step, dust comes up. But then looking up 10 or 12 feet above me, I was a kid, so maybe it was 8 feet, I don't know. But looking up well above my head and seeing where the water had come through multiple times. And that's the image, this idea of a fast flash flood. That that's how quickly that God can restore.

That that's how quickly God can bless. Just like these dry riverbeds. How quickly and powerfully God can restore His people from sin and judgment. And, and isn't that a blessing? The Lord has done great things for us, even in our sin and shame, as 5 says. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ.

I asked you to think a moment ago about your conversion when you became a Christian. Have you thought about how quickly God restored you in that moment? How in an instant you were brought back to Him from captivity to sin. Down into the water, up out of the water. I was a sinner and now I'm saved. How quickly that can happen.

And your whole life has changed. You now have the capacity for joy. That's the first image, that God can do it just like that. But the second image is more an example of day to day life. What is required of us then? Well, it is to sow. It is to go forth with seed for sowing, with precious seed. And it might be in tears.

It might be in weeping. But if we're willing to do those things, then God can make it where we reap in joy, where doubtless we will come again with rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us. What is required of us is to do our work and to trust in God's working, that God can work quickly, but also what is required of us is the sowing, reaping, and harvest, the slow process of godliness, one with sorrow, anxiety, and tears, even.

But always with the assurance of a harvest, reaping what we have sown with joy. Any farmers in here? Oh yeah, I got a couple hands and then a sword of hands. Any gardeners in here? Well, gardening and farming is different in this way. One is your livelihood, and I come from a long line of dry land cotton farmers.

We, we switched to cattle, my family did. I'm saying we a lot about things that I'm not really doing, I guess, but my family switched to cattle in the 90s, but before that it was dry land cotton farming. Do you think, what did he say? Do you think there was sowing in tears? Do you think there was going forth with weeping, bearing that seed for sowing?

Do you think there was any anxiety in going out and sowing that dry land and now you're totally reliant on what? Rain. Rain. What do you think could relieve that sorrow and worry and anxiety?

If someone could actually, genuinely promise, if you sow, the harvest will come in.

Well, what does God do for us? We can have joy because all of the anxiety about what's going to happen and all of those things, all of those things that don't have eternal significance can fade away because God has promised, if you sow, the harvest will come in. And that is not a physical promise of wealth and riches and all those sorts of things, but it is a spiritual promise of a life of contentment now and a life with God eternally.

True joy is found when we trust God's working in the future. That God restored you from captivity in a moment and He promises to save you eternally when your work is done. All that is true of our joy, but there's one more thing from this psalm that I want to point out to us. And it, and it comes back there from verse 2, the second half of verse 2.

Our mouth is filled with laughter and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, based on What has happened to us and our reaction to it, the Lord has done great things for them. The final thing I want us to see this morning is that true joy is recognizable, even by those who do not have it.

If you think about 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15 on Wednesday night, we're gonna study this in the high school class, so high school kids listen up. 1 Peter 3 and verse 15 says, But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy. Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

Yet do it with gentleness and respect. Be ready to give a defense. We focus on that. But why? Well, when someone asks a reason for the hope that is in us. If, if we have joy, joy that the world does not have, that, that makes an impression on people. And so, does the world see hope in me? Does the world see my joy?

Do you see joy in me? And if the world sees our joy as a reflection of what God has done for us, they're going to want to know more about that. And I think it is fair to say in our culture that joy and peace are missing in the lives of more and more people at earlier and earlier stages. Did you know that virtually every year the mean onset of the age of depression sinks lower and lower?

Fifty years ago, the mean onset age of depression was twenty nine and a half years old. You could make it to thirty. before those sorts of things started to creep in. Today, it is almost exactly half that. The mean Age of depression is 14 and a half years old. I mean, wrap your head around that. Mean is just a fancy statistical way of saying average.

The average age when people express, experience depression for the first time in America today is 14 and a half years old. More than half of people in America who suffer depression will do so before they are old enough to get a learner's driving permit. Not only that, the depression rates in America are ten times higher today than they were in 1960.

Despite all of our advances, despite all of our advantages, despite our blessings and ease, more and more people are battling depression and anxiety and similar issues. We have it better than ever, perhaps. And yet, not only are we less happy than earlier times, We have higher depression rates than most third world and developing countries.

In our country, where we are blessed so much, people are more blessed and less happy in America than they've been since they started measuring these things. Now please don't misunderstand me. Even Christians can struggle with depression and anxiety. And many Christians have. And yet even those struggles cannot and will not rob a Christian of their joy.

Because we have the ability to look beyond what is happening around us. That's a lot of darkness. Sermon on Joy and a Sermon on Depression broke out. But that darkness allows us to shine our light, to show people that joy is possible, that God offers it if we follow His direction. If we work in His vineyard, if we sow His seed.

And I think that this last point, that it's recognizable even by those who do not have it, hints at the reality that joy begins between me and God and this right relationship I have with Him. But it doesn't end there. It isn't just between me and God. This joy is supposed to permeate. And in some ways it comes from having a right attitude toward other people.

So what is the role of other people in this joy? Where do they fit in? And what is required of me in regard to my attitude toward them? Well, you have to come back at 5 o'clock, because that's our lesson this afternoon. But it starts with God, who directs us down this path of joy. I believe that true joy is only found in the working of God, when we are willing to submit ourselves to Him.

Do you believe that to be true? If you don't, we'd love to study with God's Word from you about it. If you do, and you know you're not right with God, and you know that there's something that you must do, won't you let us help you with that even this morning? God can restore in a moment the joy and gladness that comes from being brought out of captivity and into salvation.

And if we can help you, won't you come while together we stand and while we sing?