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Things Worth Crying Over Things Worth Crying Over
The shortest verse in the NT in
the English language is found in
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
This verse is often used for a
memory verse for young children however it gives us great insight of the human
side of Jesus. For us to fully understand why Jesus was weeping we need to take
a look at the context. In this chapter we learn that Lazarus had died and been
dead for 4 days and his sisters are mourning over their brother. Lets pick up
this story in,
John 11:19 And many of the Jews had joined the
women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that
Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord,
if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 "But even now I know that
whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother
will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that
he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25Jesus said to her,
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may
die, he shall live. 26 "And whoever lives and believes
in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I
believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the
world." 28 And when she had said these things,
she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher
has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to
Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the
town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the
house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went
out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep
there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was,
and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had
been here, my brother would not have died." 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping,
and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was
troubled. 34 And He said, "Where have you laid
him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how He
loved him!"
First of all these Jews were
wrong. Jesus was not weeping because he loved Lazarus after he knew that he
about to bring him back to life. Now Jesus was weeping because he saw Mary and
those around weeping. You see he had great compassion for them and the
heartache that they were going through at this time. The text says it troubled
his spirit which caused him to cry. By Jesus example we can see that it ok for
us to cry for those who are hurting and yes that includes us men. Paul says,
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and
weep with those who weep.
You know in other countries it
totally acceptable for men to cry. The United States is one the few places that
have made it wrong for men to show emotion. Our society teaches that if a man
cries that he is mamas boy or a wimp but this simple is not true. I don’t know
of anyone who would label Jesus as such yet he was man that showed his emotions
or several occasions. So, shedding a tear or two out of compassion for another
is certainly worth crying over.
Another thing that we find Jesus
crying over was
Luke 19:41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city
and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known, even
you, especially in this your day, the things that
make for your peace! But now
they are hidden from your eyes. 43 "For days will come upon you when
your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in
on every side, 44 "and level you, and your children
within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon
another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."
In the section of scripture Jesus
is referring to the destruction of
Matthew
23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often
I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing! 38 "See! Your house is left to you
desolate; 39 "for I say to you, you shall see
Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
LORD!' "
You see even though the Jews
rejected him over and over again he really wanted them to be saved and when
they refused be saved he cried over this. I am sure everyone us has been
through similar circumstances because we all have people that we love and would
love for them to be saved but no matter what we say to them we cannot seems to
convince them that they must become Christians they the way the Bible says or
they will be lost. I know that there are many parents that wish they convince
their children to accept God saving Grace and there are many children that wish
they could convince their parent to be saved as well and just as Jesus wept for
those who refused to listen to him we to should weep for those who refuse to
listen to the Word of God.
Now let’s turn our attention to
the apostle Paul. Paul had this to say about himself in
Philippians
4:11 Not that I speak in
regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
What Paul has said is very true
because he was man who had faced all kinds of hardship and when he wrote this
letter to the Philippians he was in prison. Yet, he uses the word REJOICE and
JOY around 18 times making them the key words of that epistle. Every Christian
should have this same out look on life. No matter what this life my give us we
should learn to be content and to rejoice and great joy in the Lord. Even
though Paul had learned to be content and joyful he still served God with tears
in fact Acts 20:19 says he served him with many tears.
So, let us now take a look at several things that made the apostle Paul cry.
First we need to take a look at
Acts 20 starting in verse 17 in order to get the entire context. In these
verses Paul is speaking to Ephesian Elders.
Acts 20:17 From
Here Paul is letting these men
know that he has been busy for the lord and that he has not neglected to teach
both Jew and Gentile the whole council of God and because of this he says I am
innocent of the blood of all men. But now notice what he tells them beginning
in verse
Acts 20:28 "Therefore take heed to
yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the
Paul is very concerned for the
church and he warns these elders to be on the watch out for false teachers and
false doctrine. He even tells them that even some of their own men will rise up
and begin to teach false doctrine and notice in verse 31 that Paul had warned
them day and night with tears that they should watch out for these type of
people. Paul understood that the church would be destroyed by such men and this
made Paul weep and it should make us weep as well today. There have been
numerous churches that used to be sound in Gods Word that have allowed
themselves to be invaded by wolves in sheep clothing. These wolves have been
coming from those who preach and from those who call themselves Elders. These
men should know better than to make light of Gods word but that is exactly what
they are doing. It makes me very sad to see so many churches moving away from
what the word of God tells us to do. Many churches are turning away from what
the Bible teaches on Marriage, Divorce and re-marriage. They are making up all
kinds of new rules and loop holes on how someone can become scriptural
remarried. Many of them are changing the rules when it comes to the use of the
musical instrument. Max Luccado is an excellent example of a preacher who used
to teach what the Bible taught but now because he apparently has his eyes on
numbers and fame has compromised the truth by allowing musical instruments in
service and teaching that baptism is not essential for salvation. He also no
problems with having open fellowship with differing denominations. The same
thing is true for the
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke,
exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be
turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
This is the only way that I know
how to combat false teaching is to be ready at all times to teach the truth.
Our second of example of what Paul
thought was worth weeping over comes from.
1
Corinthians 5:1 It is
actually reported that there
is sexual immorality among
you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles -- that
a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not
rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among
you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but
present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has
so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our
Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus.
We learn from these scriptures
that Paul thought is worth weeping over those who were getting involved in
sinful practices and falling away from the church. You see it a very sad thing
indeed for someone who used to be a faithful Christian has let the devil win by
allowing themselves to be entangled in sin.
Notice what Peter says about this
in,
2 Peter 2: 20 For if, after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse
for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from
the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according
to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a
sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
Christians who have allowed
themselves to return back to sin after they have tasted the freedom found in
God grace are truly worth weeping for. David said this,
Psalm
119:136 Rivers of water run
down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.
When a person goes back to sin
they are making the statement that they don’t love Christ but instead they love
the pleasure of this life more. When Paul wrote his first letter to the
Corinthians he was very forceful in his words because that church was doing
many things contrary to the word of God. But notice what Paul says about this
letter in,
2
Corinthians 2:4 For out
of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not
that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so
abundantly for you.
Paul shed many tears because he
knew that this church was not following the word of God and this caused Paul
much pain and he wanted them to know that he didn’t write the letter to make
them feel bad he wrote it with tears because he loved them and wanted them to
be in the right relationship with God. This goes hand and hand with our finally
point that Paul wept over.
Philippians
3:17 Brethren, join in following
my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you
often, and now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -- who set their
mind on earthly things.
Paul is talking about Christians
who had not only fallen away but not had become enemies of the cross. Its very
sad and worth weeping over when a once faithful Christian who stood for the
truth has not turned to teaching false doctrine. Now Paul didn’t take any
satisfaction is pointing out these peoples errors in fact as we read it caused
him to weep. As Christians we should never take satisfaction or look forward to
pointing out error in brothers or sister life. However, pointing out error is
necessary to keep the church pure and to help keep a person from falling deeper
in sin. Paul told the Romans,
Romans 16: 17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those
who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned,
and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve
our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering
speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Just as Paul wept over these
brethren who had became enemies of the cross we to should find it worth weeping
over such individuals.
I hope you have learned from this
lesson that is ok to cry especially over these examples that we looked at this morning. Anything
that dishonors God or puts Christians in danger or causes them grief are all
worth weeping over. We have also learned from Paul’s example that we should
also be people of great happiness and joy even if we are suffering persecution.
One thing that every Christian who is faithful to lord can look forward to is
found in,
Revelation
21:4-5 4 "And God will wipe away every
tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed
away." 5 Then He who sat on the throne said,
"Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for
these words are true and faithful."
What a wonderful hope we have as
faithful Christians to know that for eternity we will no longer experience
pain, death, sorry, or crying. While this great news for those who are saved.
The Bible also offer very sad news for those who are not saved.
Revelation
14:9 Then a third angel
followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and
his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 "he himself shall also drink of
the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of
His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 "And the smoke of their torment
ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the
beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
In many other places the Bible
says that these people will be going to a place where the will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth and keep mind their will be no rest from this in hell.
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