Sighing and Crying

Brethren, over the course of the last month, we've all been saddened and we've been horrified, frankly, to turn on the news, to witness what it is that's taking place in the nation of Ukraine. It's an assault that's been unfolding before our very eyes. We've watched the unprovoked war that's been labeled a war, as they forced upon the nation by Vladimir Putin and his Russian forces, unprovoked and unwarranted.

And yet, you have people in harm's way, people who truly are suffering a great, great trauma. In an aggressive military move, the likes which have not been seen since the end of the Second World War, Putin has invaded the borders of a sovereign nation with seemingly little regard for the opinion of the international community, nor the consequence upon the civilians who are in harm's way. Mass casualties are, in effect, as you turn on the news and you witness what is taking place, mass casualties among the civilian sector of the population in the Ukraine.

Russian news agencies have been showing the propaganda, and I highlight that propaganda, of the cheering Ukrainians greeting them in the streets with flowers and open arms, grateful for the liberation that the Russian soldiers have brought to their doorstep. As the military passes out food aid to the people, that's what's being run on Russian state television. You may have seen the stories that pretty much independent media has shut down in Russia for fear of reprisal, of running anything that's contrary to the state narrative.

However, the international reporters on the ground reveal a very different reality to the rest of the world. You know, coupled with modern communications and the ability to get the story out, it's pretty incredible, really, to turn on the news and literally see the bombs as they explode and see the devastation that they cause. And we will watch it up close and personal from our own living rooms. Apartment stores, grocery stores, the buildings, apartment buildings that people live in, schools, maternity hospitals. Those haven't been off of the list of targets.

In fact, they have been ground zero for much of the destruction. Again, schools and churches and open-air markets, which have been places the community gathers, they do their business. It's where you're going to find the women and the children are not, again, out of range for what it is that would be targeted. And in fact, it seems intentionally targeted. There have been numerous stories of families which have been killed fleeing the war-torn area. You pack the children in the car, you're trying to get them out of harm's way. You're heading for the pole and border, and your car is shot up or blown up along the way.

We've seen those stories. On Wednesday, the military forces of Russia opened fire on a group of hungry civilians wedding in a bread line for food. Many Ukrainians, as well, are slowly being starved because there's a chokehold now as these cities have been surrounded. The Russian forces, frankly, have been stopped by a lot of resistance from the people on the ground. Putin's offensive and his drive into the nation wasn't successful in the way that he hoped and thought it would be.

But their strategy now seems to be, let's just kind of surround these cities and indiscriminately bomb anything we can reach, put a chokehold on them, and starve, even if possible, the population, starve them into submission. So now it's getting difficult, and it's getting drastic, trying to get aid into a number of these places. The southern city of Maripul was struck by a Russian airstrike, and it ripped apart a theater.

You probably saw that on the news. And they had laid out on the front and the back lawn, basically written in Russian, these big signs that say, Children. You know, children here, and the airstrike came and dropped a bomb on that nonetheless, and there were many casualties. We've seen images of women and children hunkered in bomb shelters and subway tunnels for safety. Images of families separated at the border as husbands say goodbye to their wives and their children, and as young men say goodbye to their mothers and their sisters, because the men must stay and fight, and defend their homes and fight for the survival of Ukraine.

We've seen many other mothers and daughters also who have not left, and they themselves have taken up arms. They're standing by their families, and they're there as well, seeking to defend their homes, and all that stands to be lost, including their own lives. To date, over three million refugees have fled Ukraine. It's the fastest exodus in modern times. Ukrainian officials say that thousands have been killed. It's hard to get really a fixed number on that.

Russia, again, their propaganda is that this is a military offensive, and very few civilians have been killed. But when you look at the footage and where it is that's being bombed, by and large, many of these are not military installations.

President Zelensky has pleaded almost daily for the international community to help, and repelling the Russian forces. President Zelensky is a face that is well known now in the international community. And it's interesting, you have Putin, who's using one of his excuses, was, we're going in there to drive Nazism out of Ukraine, and yet their democratically elected president is a Jew.

So try to explain that one in reality. It just simply isn't the fact. Zelensky is viewed very much as a wartime hero by the international community. He's the president who won't back down. Right? He's the president who's taken a stand, who's literally willing to take up arms and fight and defend the people that he has sworn to protect, defend the nation that he has sworn to protect. A very young democracy.

This used to be part of the Soviet Union, but there are young democracies seeking to stand on their own. And their president is not running. He's not hiding. In fact, he's been out in the open and accessible to those that would need to see him and be encouraged by him. So it's pretty incredible to watch. And if you're like me, all of this has been very sobering to witness.

And frankly, it oftentimes will bring tears to my eyes. Turn on the news and to see the images, to see the innocent parties and what it is that is taking place right there in the streets, in the homes, in the playgrounds, and in the churches as the assault continues. The other morning on the news, they showed a video that went viral of this young girl named Amelia. You may have seen it. She was down in a bomb shelter with her parents, or at least her mom. And it was a crowded bomb shelter there. And she began to sing one of the tunes from her favorite Disney song, Frozen. And somebody posted it online and it's gone viral. And she's this beautiful young girl, 6-7 years old, blonde hair, this crystal voice. This is a beautiful voice and she's singing in the Ukrainian tongue and she's singing from her favorite fairy tale as, frankly, they're living through hell. And it's sobering. And for me, it was just showing the innocence that is being lost and ripped away, and that is under assault. So again, this is devastating. And for me, it brings tears in my eyes when I consider the youth, when you see families separated, when you see the casualties, and you consider the devastation that's taking place. But of course, it's not all one-sided, and we don't want to forget that. There is Russian suffering that is going on during this time as well, because frankly, to live under the boot of an authoritative tyrant, as he's been called in recent times, is a dangerous place to be. Those that would stand up in opposition to what Vladimir Putin is doing are not met with consideration. To live under that, people are trying to get out of Russia, and it's not a safe place if you oppose. And even if you're part of the military and you decide, this isn't the just war and I'm not going to fight, well, you just try and walk away and see what will happen to your parents or your spouse or your children.

So again, whenever you're under an authoritative dictatorship, a type of rulership such as this—maybe dictatorship's not the right word, but the rulership in this way and you have the boot on your neck—there's going to be suffering directly among the people. Don't imagine that the sanctions that the world has placed on Russia is really going to diminish Vladimir Putin's personal lifestyle. It won't.

But those who will suffer will be the people on the street and the common man day to day. And it's the reality of the world we live in, and the reality of war. So as I mentioned, all of this chokes me up pretty often, just as the COVID-19 pandemic choked me up pretty often, honestly, to see some of the images that came out in the world and the death that took place. And frankly, to understand the challenges that so many people went through. The last few years have taught us anything.

It's that the world as we know it can change very rapidly. And we as God's people are not completely immune to what it is that would go on around us. You know, we consider the virus—we were not completely immune when he got sick. Even some in our assembly died. And it touched us as the people of God. And even though we're not living over in a war-torn area, we can watch it from the piece of our living room in a blessed nation.

You know, we do feel some of the fallout, some of the effect. I would say it's mild here compared to what it is so many other places. But go to the grocery store, see what's going on with the supply chain, see what the cost is when you fill your car up at the pump. There is impact that rolls out from this. And we are the Church of God, but we're living in this world, and there is impact that we will feel as well as the time goes on. God's Word shows us that the sins and the sorrows of this world will continue to increase.

They're going to become more frequent, and frankly, they're going to become more intense as time goes on, all the way up to the end of the age. And many of us will likely see many of the end-time prophecies that we read about in the Bible fulfilled before our very eyes. I suspect many of us will live through to see that day and age, and we'll see it up close and personal because we'll be able to turn on the television or look at our media and see these things.

Again, as we can see them today, literally in the streets as the bombs drop and these circumstances unfold. So it will be frequent. It will be intense. Many of us will see it. It's not my purpose in the sermon today to depress us, okay? And I appreciated the sermonette.

I thought at least we have an upbeat message for the day. It's not my desire to depress us, but maybe just give us a little bit of a reality check and also to remind us that hard times are coming because of the sins of mankind. And frankly, because of the world that we live in, a world that has turned its back on God. In fact, difficult times are here. As we see them play out in the world around us, I would just say today, it's okay to sigh and cry over what it is that we see unfolding.

It's okay. It's okay to sigh and cry. In fact, brethren, we need to do that. The title of today's message is sighing and crying. And it's something that we should do, and it's something that should come naturally to the people of God to look around, to see the consequence of sin in our age, and to sigh and cry, and to cry out to God. It should be a part of our mindset. Centuries ago, God inspired the prophet Ezekiel to write about this exact response, sighing and crying.

It was a response to the abominations that were taking place among God's chosen people. It was a vision that God gave to Ezekiel, and in that he sees God's judgment upon Jerusalem for abominations, such as idolatry, such as son worship, such as turning their back on God and His commandments. Ezekiel also sees the right response that God is looking for from His chosen people. So let's take a look at that in Ezekiel chapter 9. Ezekiel chapter 9, this is the context we could wrap it in of God's judgment. Okay, God's judgment. And again, this is a vision that Ezekiel is recording. Ezekiel chapter 9 and verse 1 says, And then again he called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, Let those who have charge over the city draw near, with a deadly weapon in his hand.

And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle axe in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a rider's encore at his side. They went in and they stood beside the bronze altar. So these men appear to be possibly angelic beings, and God is bringing in to carry out His judgment now upon what is labeled as Jerusalem.

Verse 3 says, Now the glory of God of Israel had gone up from the carob, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. The imagery is that God's presence is withdrawing because now judgment is coming.

As you would read on in the book, indeed, it's His presence that withdraws and then goes out completely.

Middle of verse 3, He says to the others, He said in my hearing, Go after Him through the city and kill. Do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women, but do not come near anyone in whom is the mark. And He says, And begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were there before the temple.

So those who were spared in this vision were those who saw the abominations taking place around them and were grieved by them. In fact, the concept, the term here of being grieved, describes not just a exaltation of disappointment, it's an utter groaning of spirit, a deep grieving and a feeling of anguish over what is taking place, because you see the sin, you see the consequence of it, and you're cut to the heart.

Those are the ones who received the mark of God upon their forehand.

It's important to note here that ancient Jerusalem was already demolished at the time of this vision. Israel was already scattered into captivity quite a long time before this, and yet if you read Ezekiel, the chapter up to this point, Jerusalem actually stands as a representation in these visions of Israel and Judah.

It's actually pointing to end-time prophecy, by and large, a fulfillment of God's judgment upon the end-time nations, the Israelite-descended nations of Israel and Judah.

As in the Bible, so many prophecies are dual, so no doubt it had a factor to play on Judah and Ezekiel's day. But the warning is for us all, and the warning is for modern-day Israel today as well, of those who would sigh and cry over the abominations of the world.

I want to quote for you from the United Church of God Bible commentary on this chapter.

It says, This says, Dropping down, it says, So the point here, brethren, is that those who separate themselves from the ways of the world and seek to live lives pleasing to God, those are the people who will be sighing and crying over the abominations that they see, over the effect and the fallout of those things. You know, sometimes they may seem very one-sided to us. You have the aggressor and you have the victim. And in many cases, that is the case. But again, remember, this is the world that we live in, a world in the entirety that has turned its back on God. And as we see the consequence, we see the result, it should grieve us as the people of God. We should be crying over the human suffering that is the consequence of these abominations. So again, those are the people who will receive God's special mark of protection, according to the vision of Ezekiel, because they're living in a manner different than the world around them.

The groanings of their heart motivate them to live in a way different for themselves. Again, as you see the way of society, and you see the truth of God, and you see the conflict between the two, those who, in Ezekiel's vision, received the mark, cried out against those things, and they lived their life differently. And they lived their life, again, according to the calling of God.

Brethren, sighing and crying is a trait of the people of God in the face of abominable sin and its consequences. And even as we yearn for the kingdom of God today, we should never lose the ability to be cut to the heart, to have sympathy for our fellow man, to anguish over what we see as the consequences of, again, fellow human beings created in the image of God, who are suffering from sin, from sinful choices of some, and frankly, from living in a world that is contrary to God. And we have to remember always to have compassion towards those, our fellow men, living through the fallout of this age. And so it is appropriate to pray about the sufferings we see going on in the world to get down on your knees and to cry out to God. How long? You know, cry out for relief, cry out for intervention, and cry out just at the level of human suffering and need, praying for God to relieve those that are in despair. That is appropriate. And it is right in the eyes of God to be grieved when we see hurt, when we see trauma, and when we see wrongdoings. And frankly, it is appropriate to do what you can to help.

You know, LifeNets, Victor Kubik, has a connection, Mr. and Mrs. Kubik, with those in Ukraine, going back decades back to Chernobyl time. They've set up programs to help people from the time forward of that nuclear disaster. And so they have connections with the Sabbatarians living there, and LifeNets has been able to funnel resources from donations that have come in into the country itself. Because there's personal connections there, and they're able to help to support people who are supporting other people. Again, in the humanitarian need. And I do believe it is Biblical to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to apply assistance as we can to those who need medical attention and are frankly in a desperate human condition. That is Biblical. That is, I believe, what God would have us to do, even though we don't engage in warfare. We seek to bring some level of healing as we can, and maybe even opens a door for a message God would allow us to convey about the hope that lies ahead. But again, these things are appropriate. And when we see the traumas that come as a result of sin, it is appropriate to cry out. Psalm 119, verse 34. Psalm 119, let's make that verse 134. King David, a man after God's own heart, had a response to the sins of his day. Things that he saw taking place around him. Psalm 119, verse 134. Here David says, Verse 136 says, He says, I'm crying. And as we would say, I'm crying, buckets of tears, is what David is saying. Rivers of water running down from my eyes, because men do not keep your law. New Living Translation, that paraphrase, words it this way, it says, You can see the consequence of the world around them, and the people who rejected God. And it grieved him, and it drove him to tears, because he knew, you know what? Life could be so much better for so many people. If only they adhered to what God had established. If only they lived this way, the blessing would come. But David says, I look around, and I see the anguish. He says, I just cry out, and it cuts me to the core. Because I have a relationship with God, and I know what it could be. And I see what others endure. That was David's grief. And brethren, that needs to be our response today. As we see the sins and the abominations of the world around us, and the consequences that come from those things, we grieve, and we must grieve. And we are saddened. And we do sigh and cry, and we do cry out to God, and we yearn for a time when all of this will be set straight, when righteousness will be the standard for all of mankind.

Right? That's what we go to portray at the Feast of Tabernacles, when the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. There's not a dry place in this world that doesn't know God, that doesn't know His standard for life, and the blessing that comes from living that. But this is not that time. And unfortunately, brethren, it will get worse before it gets better. Jesus Christ warned that the Second Coming of Himself to this world to set things straight, at that day and age that we would look around and see the world much like the time of Noah. So let's be reminded of Noah for a moment, of the age he lived in. Genesis 6, because I think it gives us our bearings as we consider our world today.

Again, Jesus warned that the time preceding His Second Coming would be marked by similarities such as this time. Genesis 6 and verse 10 says, And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and the earth was also corrupt before God. It was corrupt. Is our day-to-day corrupt? Would we describe that as the society we live in and even the choices of this nation?

It says, The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt, and all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. And we know the story. Noah was a preacher of righteousness in his age. The ark wasn't built in the darkness of one night. People could see what was going on, and he cried out on behalf of the truth of God. And no one listened. The corruption continued. The violence increased, and it did so until the day then they were shut into the boat. Just a few souls that were saved through that, because of righteous obedience of Noah. But again, this is likened to the time of the end, similar to the return of Jesus Christ. The world you and I live in today, brethren, is also a world that has corrupted itself in matters of morality, as well as decency to one another. And part of that breaks out in what we see as human against human conflict. The assault we're witnessing upon Ukraine confirms the fact that our world is increasingly filled with violence, just as the day of Noah. And again, the Bible prophecy shows that this will increase, not decrease, as the time of the end comes. And unless God were to intervene, all mankind would destroy themselves by their own hand. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, they will be shortened. And that's God's promise. And that's His blessing to His people and to the world. So as we witness these horrific and challenging times, brethren, it's only natural that we would be grieved over the plight of our fellow man. When we see the images on television of heartbreak, of tears, of injury, it's devastating. It's devastating to me. Okay, Garlow knows, the older I get, the more I cry. And I don't know what that is. But I find myself breaking into tears and getting choked up pretty often when I see just images of a small child wandering across the border by himself in tears. Where's his parents? And you see a mother kissing their son as he's now going off to war. Is she going to see him again? We don't know. And I think maybe when you have a family, you can sort of relate. That could be my child. And I think it's something that should cause us to sigh and cry. And even though we know what will take place, we shouldn't be detached or so dispassionate to be like, well, this is just what the world has coming to them. The truth of the reality is this is what the world has coming as a result of sin. Much of what we see and the trauma we see, sin is somewhere at the basis of these things. But apart from the grace of God, there go I. And God in His mercy has called us, but He has a plan for the whole world. And all these people we see are created in His image. And so it should impact us. And we should have compassion that goes out from our heart to those who are affected.

In fact, the Bible shows that sensitivity to the suffering of others is an important Christian trait. It is something we must all embrace, frankly. Romans 12 and verse 15. See the words of the Apostle Paul.

Romans 12 and verse 15. Just one verse, but to the point.

Romans 12 and verse 15. Paul says, Rejoice with those who rejoice. And that's easy, isn't it? It's great to laugh and make merry when there's a party going on, but he also says, Weep with those who weep. Weep with those who weep. And that's not describing a dispassionate view at all. It's an emotional investment when we look around and we see the plight of our fellow man, both in the church and outside the church.

We see the consequences of this world's ways. Colossians 3 verse 12 tells us to put on tender mercies. There's tenderness. There's compassion. And I would say that oftentimes, as well, would include the shedding of tears over what we see taking place. Ultimately, all human beings are made in the image of God for a very specific and a divine purpose. It should grieve us all to see the senseless loss of human life because of sin. You know, God sent his son. So why all this waste?

Well, we know God is calling all men to salvation, but not all at this time. And there's an order in which God is doing these things. But these are our brothers and sisters, our fellow man, who one day will be, I would say, under our direction in assistance in the kingdom of God. And we will hopefully bring them along to success, but it's sometimes hard to see the consequences along the way. We should sigh and cry. Just as Ezekiel saw in the vision, those who God saw in the midst of his land and his nation of Israel and their response to the abominations and the outcomes of those things.

Tragedies like this war should intensify our focus on the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the kingdom of God. You know, it should narrow our vision and it should narrow our prayers. Thy kingdom come. And we yearn for that. We cry out for that. When we see the devastation in the world, we want it to end. And we want to see the solution. It should also fill us with the sense of urgency to put our own life in order and to examine ourselves and to see ourselves for who we truly are.

And to sigh and cry over our own sins. Again, to realize that apart from God, we're no different. And realize, you know, our sins did cause the death of somebody, his only begotten son. And realize that we even struggle today with the sin that so easily ensnares us. Seeing point blank in our face the consequence of sin should motivate us to look at our lives and seek the root that sin out of us as well. Because, brethren, you and I don't want to miss out.

You know, do you want to do something about the conflict we see in the world? I know I do. And I look and I yearn and I think, you know, if I could fix this, I would fix this. No one can fix it. The system is broken except Jesus Christ. He will come. His Father will send him and he will fix what needs fixing. If you want to fix it, brethren, make sure you're there. Make sure you're part of the solution. Do what you need to do today to be a part of the family of God to reign alongside Jesus Christ and to bring the help that the world truly needs because that is only the only real solution which will come.

And you and I don't want to miss out. For us, sighing and crying can also be described as godly sorrow and it must lead to our own repentance. Don't just say, sinners over there. The point is, oh yeah, a sinner right here. And that godly sorrow should lead to our own repentance.

Notice 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 10. 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 10. Paul says, Where godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, leading to life, leading to being saved. And he says, not to be regretted. But the sorrow of the world produces death. The sorrow of the world is like, oh, I'm sorry I got caught speeding, that the guy had his radar gun out and he pulled me over and he gave me a ticket.

I'm really sorry, but as soon as I'm out of range, it's peddled to the metal again. No real change. That's the sorrow of the world. That's what leads to death, Paul says. But the sorrow, the godly sorrow leading to repentance that is not to be regretted, that leads to life. Because it's a change of character. It's recognition of who we are in comparison to Jesus Christ and whom we must be like. And again, that repentance should drive us to our knees and produce a true change of character.

And it leads to life pointing to the kingdom of God. Verse 11, Paul says, For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner. What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication. He says, in all these things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Whatever it was that the Corinthian church was struggling against and had to repent for, they repented wholeheartedly. And Paul says, you've been cleared in this matter.

And it is a godly sorrow leading unto life. And it's something that needs to be true in our life today because it brings about true change leading to life.

Question for us, brethren, could Ezekiel's vision be describing now a people that would be sealed at the end of the age?

Could Ezekiel's vision of those receiving a mark on their forehead, those who sigh and cry, could that be a vision pointing to people that would be sealed by God at the end of the age? Well, it seems again that it could apply, at least in part, to our day today. What it is that God will do prior to the return of Jesus Christ. In fact, the Bible shows clearly that there will be a group of people who receive a mark of protection by God in the time yet to come. They will be preserved from the judgment that comes upon the rest of the world. Ezekiel's vision had application for his day, but it has application for the day yet to come as well. Let's notice a few passages on this point. Revelation 7, verse 2.

Revelation 7, verse 2, again, Could those sighing and crying at the end of the age, who have cleansed themselves and who yearn for God, receive the mark being described in Ezekiel? Revelation 7, verse 2, Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their forehead. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel, were sealed.

Revelation 9, verse 1.

Revelation 9, verse 1, Then the fifth angel sounded, again, When does the fifth angel sound? Day of the Lord, time of God's judgment upon the earth? The fifth angel sounded, and I saw the star falling from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth, and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And they were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but notice only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. Again, interesting to look and to consider the mark of protection upon a people during the time of what God allow as his judgment upon the earth.

Revelation 14, verse 1. Revelation 14, verse 1. Then I looked, and behold a lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder, and I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. And they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. They are the ones who kept themselves pure. These are the ones who followed the lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first-roots to God and to the lamb.

I thought my intent to try to explain all these scriptures here in their fullness today, brethren, except to say that there are those who will be sealed and protected from the judgment of God and the wrath that will come upon this earth at the end of the age, just as a group was sealed and protected in Ezekiel's vision. And the question for us might be, well, what about me personally?

What about you personally? Will you receive a mark from God of protection on your forehead? And is it even a literal mark? You know, the head represents the mind where God's Spirit dwells. God knows those who are His, those who are truly led by His Spirit. But ultimately, only God knows the answer to who will receive that protection. But we do have our part to play. You know, we can't just wander through life aimlessly, hoping all will work out okay for us. In the end, we do have our part to play. We must be right with God. We must be living according to His word, and we must be among those people who sigh and cry over the abominations around us. We must sigh and cry so much that our garments are made white as a response, that we put sin out of our life as a response, that we overcome the things that so easily ensnare us. We must sigh and cry to the point that we come out of the ways of this world in response, when we see what is happening around us. And why wouldn't we? When we see the consequence of the ways of man, and that's what we see when we look around, that's what we've been living through the last two years, the consequence of the ways of man, when we truly see the hurt and the agony that that way causes, why wouldn't we seek to be purified in the ways of God? Why wouldn't we? Indeed, that must be our response. We do sigh and cry, and we do weep with those who weep, and we mourn with those who mourn. We cry out to God over the abominations that we see taking place in our nation, and indeed the world. Those who have turned their back on God, we yearn to see the true and lasting change that will come, the desire to see it be embraced by all and the peace, the prosperity and the joy that will come, as the whole world is under the leadership of Jesus Christ and living according to the truth of God. The Bible reveals that the very same passion that we must have, Jesus Christ had. So we're not alone in this. You know, if you think you are grieved by seeing the condition of the world and it causes you to sigh and cry, you are not alone in this. Our elder brother sighed and cried over the conditions that he saw around him as well.

Notice Matthew 23, verse 37.

Matthew 23, verse 37.

You can almost feel the emotion in the words from Jesus Christ. Matthew 23, verse 37, he says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! It's like he's crying out with his very being, with the emotion inside because you see he was God with God. He's seen their history going back to the beginning. He's known their rejection from the beginning. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who were sent to her, says, How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

I just wanted to kind of put my arms around you and bring you to me in this very intimate and compassionate way and is like you weren't even willing. You weren't willing to receive what would be offered. You can hear the passion in his lament over the condition of the people of God, or at least the people who considered themselves the people of God. And yet they walked in very much a contrary way.

The book of Luke records that just before he was crucified, Jesus looked down on the city of Jerusalem with understanding. He knew what was going to happen to his own life. He also knew that in the not-too-distant future, the Roman armies would invade and completely devastate the city. And as a result, he was moved to tears. As he looked down on that city, he knew what would take place, and he knew what they were rejecting as they rejected him, the Messiah.

Luke 19, verse 41.

Luke 19, verse 41. Jesus' emotions were powerfully impacted as well.

Luke 19, verse 41. It says, Now as he drew near, he saw the city, and he wept over it.

And he looked at it, he saw it, he considered, and he was moved to tears. It says, he wept over it, 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. It's like he's saying, you know, the way of peace they do not know. Ultimately, the peace would have come through accepting the Messiah, but the way of peace they did not know, they rejected it, and it drove him to tears. And we could say the same thing about the world today, the way of peace they do not know.

Christ says it's hidden from your eyes. Verse 43, For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, close you in on every side. They will level you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave you in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation. Jesus was grieved at the stubbornness of the people, his own people, the consequences of their life, and the fact that they rejected him as the Messiah, as the one that God had sent, as the way, the truth, and the life. And ultimately, they killed the very Messiah that they said they were waiting for, that they were watching for. He was in their midst, and they didn't know the time of their visitation. And it grieved Jesus tremendously to look and to consider and to understand consequences were coming. The Romans would invade, and just a short few decades later, this prophecy was fulfilled in a very devastating way upon the people of Jerusalem.

Brethren, God's Word shows us the way of this world brings sorrow and misery, but in contrast to that, the plan of salvation that God has established will one day bring peace. It will turn tears to joy. It will turn mourning into rejoicing. And that's what we observe. That's what we celebrate as we come together and we rehearse the plan of salvation to the keeping of God's holy days, the day where tears, where suffering and sorrow will be replaced with joy. And that's something we can take confidence in, even in times of challenge. Luke 6, verse 21.

Luke 6, verse 21. Let's see the result of what will be one day for all of mankind. Hopefully it's so in our life today. Luke 6, verse 21 says, Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. And Jesus Christ's tears will be turned to laughter.

Okay? And we understand this is primarily speaking in a spiritual sense, but it has physical connotations as well. And Jesus Christ, all tears will be turned to laughter. All morning will be comforted. And it's a promise. It's something we look forward to and we yearn for. And it's something that has been prophesied as the purpose that the Father anointed Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Isaiah, chapter 61, verse 1. Jesus Christ was ordained to turn tears to laughter. And morning to rejoice. Sing Isaiah, chapter 61, verse 1. Prophecy regarding him. It says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Jesus got up in the synagogue and he read this in his ministry and he closed a scroll right there and he sat down. And that's what he's fulfilled in his first coming, yet that's not the end of the story. It goes on with what he will fulfill in his second coming. In the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. The work of Jesus Christ is a work of healing and restoration. It's a work of bringing an end to all human suffering and bringing the solution that the world so desperately needs. And guess what? We are called to help.

We're called to be part of the solution. If we'll be there, if we'll sigh and cry even over our own sins and make the necessary adjustments, we can be a part of the solution.

The people of God who sigh and cry today do so for a reason, and it is appropriate. But that reason is only temporary, and there's coming a time when God will take all mourning again and turn it to joy, because you see the cause of this pain, and the cause of the tears will soon be gone.

Revelation 21 and verse 4.

Revelation chapter 21 and verse 4, the cause of all this pain, brethren, one day will cease forever.

Revelation chapter 21 and verse 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. They're gone. It was only temporary. It was for a moment. And it was dramatic while it was there. But what God will bring through Jesus Christ is the solution. And we're looking at a promised future when Jesus Christ will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, and God Himself will dwell with men. And the solution will be real.

And you and I will play a part as well.

It will be a time when mankind has learned the lessons God wants them to learn, a time when their sin has been overcome, and the instigator of sin has been overcome. The one who prods the world onto sin is removed. It will be a time when sighing and crying will be nothing more than a distant memory, because the causes of those things no longer exist. And we yearn for that.

Brother, no more death is not a false doctrine. It is the truth of the Word of God. And it gives us confidence in the day and age in which we live. And we yearn for the fulfillment of these things. If you want to make a difference, you be there. And you be a part of the solution.

We're called to cry out.

It's a little different part of a type of a crying, but you know what? It is related as well. We sigh and cry, but we also cry out. What do we cry out? We cry out the good news of the kingdom of God, that there is a solution, that the ways of man are only temporary, and God will restore what He intended from the beginning.

And that is the hope, indeed, to all of mankind.

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. And everyone will make their choice. But it's not that they'll be left without a choice. God will open the door and the option.

Brethren, God hates the sins and the abominations that are leading to the destruction of our world, and as a result, He wants His people to be among those who are found sighing and crying over these things.

As we see the pain and suffering that sin causes, we're going to be emotionally affected by it.

That's normal. That's natural. It's natural as, frankly, fellow human beings. It ought to be natural as people with God's Spirit. Again, as we see the suffering of those created in God's image, for His eternal purpose. We see the consequences of sins. These emotions should motivate us, and they should motivate us to do something positive in our own lives.

Tragedies like this war should intensify our focus on the return of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the kingdom of God. They should motivate us to pray even more fervently, Thy kingdom come. Such tragedies around us should fill us with a sense of urgency. An urgency in our own lives, to put our own life in order, and to thoroughly examine ourselves, especially now, and especially as the Passover is coming. Examine yourself, not against the world, not against your neighbor, against the stature, and the fullness of Jesus Christ. And wherever we fall short, it's safe to say we all do, let's get to work. This should be our urgency, and we sigh and cry over the sins which so easily ensnare even us.

Brethren, there's coming a day when all of this sorrow we see happening around us will end.

Let's take comfort in that. Let us take confidence in those things, and the knowledge that God sees all, He knows all, that He is all-powerful, God will intervene, and He has a master plan to set all things in order, and to take all wrongs.

And make right of a situation that has become desperately, desperately undermined in the hands of man. God's wonderful master plan will work out all things for the good in the end. And as King David wrote in Psalm 30, verse 5, very beautiful words, David says, weeping may endure for a night.

We're entering in the darkness of night, brethren, in this world. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

When the sun rises and the day dawns, the weeping ceases, and joy comes in the morning. May God speed the dawning of that day.