Turn with me in the scriptures to Psalm 126, where we'll be tonight. Psalm 126. Psalm 126, a song of ascents. When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with joyful singing, shouting. Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us. We are glad. Restore our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro, weeping, carrying his bag of seed shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Well, when I first moved here to Orlando, one of the questions was asked of me a lot was, where's home for you? That's what you ask a stranger. And I like to answer, maybe it's trite or whatever, I don't know. But I like to answer, the new heavens and the new earth. Because ultimately, that should be true for every Christian. None of us are permanently here. This is not our dwelling. We are seeking a better country and a better land. And this earth, as it is, is not our home. Along with the pilgrims and Thanksgiving, there's some pilgrimage in tonight's psalm, and there's lots of Thanksgiving, because this is a psalm of gladness and restoration and joy. It's a psalm of ascent where the exiled people of God are coming back into the presence of God. There's a surprise ending, as it were, a turn of phrase. An inconsolable mourning is turned into song. You know, you can ask yourself, what reason is there to meet up like this as the world is so sick and heavy with its sin? Why do we sing in the midst of such depression and difficulty and as the world feels often as it is burning? Well, this psalm, I think, rests our hearts in the truths of God and makes us long for our heavenly home, makes us, hopefully, more fit for it as we long with the psalmist. And that's really the context of the psalm, heavenly homesickness, if we can call it that, and a longing for the presence of God. In these six short verses, This is our second psalm of ascent, which the first had three verses. This is six, and it introduces a number of genres to us. It's split up first into a sort of historical narrative, if we can call it that, in verses one to three, and then a prayer in verse four, and then a sort of teaching or reflection in verse five to six. Now, some say that this song is a lament. But the emphasis really is on the dreams and joyful souths and gladness and restoration. So while it does bring us to the depths of the veil of tears, it also brings us to the mountain of God. And the message of this psalm is this. Work and pray. until he comes again. Work and pray until he comes again. And we're gonna see that in three different parts that are also those verses I mentioned. The first part is to remember his coming. The second is to pray for his coming. And lastly, to work until his coming. So remember, pray, and work. Now, I know that asking you to remember is a little bit like this most recent Thanksgiving dinner, maybe, where everyone goes around the table and says, what are you thankful for? Everyone's like, oh, we have to do this. But for those who enjoy a little bit of a walk down memory lane, you think, what happened in the last year that I am thankful to God for? And you look back into your past and you remember, yes, that happened. And it brings this joy. and a warmth to that evening. This is similar to the remembrance that we're called to do right here, to look back and discover and share in the joy of what God has already done. So we read in verse 1, when the Lord brought the captive ones of Zion back, we were like those who dream. Now, narrowly, this phrase, brought the captive ones back, is about the return from exile, likely the Babylonian exile, and they are being brought back out of the wilderness and into the place of God. But as one commentator said, whether Zion's salvation was from famine or siege, captivity or plague, it had obviously been miraculous and widely talked about. But more broadly, this is about spiritual fortune that is returned to the people of God. And so, some translations will say, restored the fortunes of Zion. This phrase, this Hebrew is used in Job 42 where it says, the Lord returned or turned the captivity of Job. Was Job in exile? Well, in a certain sense, he was in pain and cast away from the presence or the eyes of God, and he was suffering. And in that sense, he was restored. So we can think about this psalm in both contexts, I think. Because we Christians, you know, is our situation like Job's? I think that it is. Ever since the Garden of Eden when Adam sinned, they were cast out of the garden and into exile, into the wilderness, or in other words, the desert in the Bible it talks about. And we inherit that alienation from God the moment we're born into a sin-sick world. It reminds me this way of thinking about the Christian's life as looking forward to heaven and looking forward to a return from exile of the song Bound for the Promised Land. Maybe you know it. It's like, on Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye to Canaan's fair and happy land where my possessions lie. And then it's, I'm bound for the promised land. I'm bound for the promised land. Who will come and join me? I'm bound for the promised land. That's where we're headed. In this New Testament understanding says, yes, our current status in a very real sense is still in the wilderness and in exile. We are told not to harden our hearts in Hebrews like those who did that in the wilderness and were overthrown. But we also have a better promised land. If Canaan in the promised land was great, we are promised way more, not just some small piece of land in the Middle East, but we're promised that those who are blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. We're also ascend as Jesus ascended into the presence of God. I'll come back to that. But in order to restore fortune or restore the exile's home, it has to be lost. We have to see ourselves as exiles. And that's a real question for everyone here. Do I see myself as an exile? Or am I at home here? I've kind of parceled out my little place of comfort where I have friends that are like the world and interests that are like the world, and nothing about me is different from the world, and it's quite comfortable. Is that us, or are we people who are willing to really feel the weight of the exile that is upon our heads? Hebrews 11 encourages us to be those who think of ourselves as those who seek a better country and live by faith. We don't live for the things of the world, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, greed, sensuality, power, influence. We don't love the things of the world, because if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. But in exile, in the exile we live in, there is hope for restoration. And the psalmist describes the rapture of this moment like this. They say, we were like those who dream. And this dream, I don't think, is just merely the dreams we normally have at night. The same word is used for Jacob's ladder where the heavens are torn up and God comes down and there's a ladder of angels descending and ascending. Or in Joel chapter 2, your old men will have visions and your young men will dream dreams. In other words, I think that what's being said here is we were like the prophets in that we saw the actual salvation of God before us. That is so exciting. And this captures the reverie of the moment, and the psalmist continues. Now, there's a sort of laughter spoken of in the Proverbs that says that even in laughter the heart may be in pain, which is true in exile. But this is remembering when God restored their fortunes. This is the sort of laugh of the Proverbs 31 woman who laughs at the time to come because the lightness of her humor and temper can exist because the pain has been relieved, finally. And when God relieves our sorrows and our pains, people notice, the nations are said to be glad, and that is primarily done, and that's mainly, the way we should see it being done is in Jesus. God's plan was always to convert the nations from the beginning when he's, said to be fruitful and multiply, and then that Abraham's seed would, in him would all the nations be blessed. That's Jesus. And the Lord has done great things for us in Christ, and I think that that looking to him is the fulfillment, especially of this restoration, of all spiritual restoration, Which means that if Christ has affected us, we should see escape from addiction or depression. We should see restored relationships. We should see people turning from sin and idols to love the true God. And this is what the gospel is, right? Great indeed, we all confess, as the church, is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, ascended or taken up in glory. So then there's this beautiful refrain at the end that goes from the psalmist talking about the past, what the Lord has done, and then it says, we are glad. This memory, the way that we think about the past, should give us joy now. If we want joy, we remember now, which is part, this is what we do at church. We remember what God has done for us. We come here and we sing because God has accomplished our redemption. He's brought us out of exile to live with him forever. And it's true that the fullness of his saving work, though, is not fully done yet, right? He hasn't returned back to us. But as travelers and pilgrims, we enjoy each other's company on the way, and how much more when we reach the destination. So this brings us to the second point that we not only remember, but we pray. We don't only remember what God has done, but because we know what he's done, we know what he will do, what his character is like, that he is a saving God. Now, I wanted to explain a theological concept real quick called the already not yet. You guys are professionals, so you probably know it, but I'm going to go ahead and reiterate that there is a sense in which God's salvation is already here. And then there's a sense in which it's not yet here. So Jesus has made us sons and daughters to God, for example, and adopted us. We are counted as one in the family of God. But when we are openly acknowledged and acquitted on the day of judgment and he separates the sheep from the goats, that status as God's children will be more real. or I shouldn't say more real, but its realness will be shown to the world. So there's an already and not yet component to many of these things in salvation. And that's how, in some ways, we still pray, that we think. And the not yet is verse four. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, as the streams in the south. Now south here is not talking about Mississippi, right? This is a specific location, the Negev in the Middle East. And I actually went and found a video, and you should do this because it is fascinating, because these dry locations in the desert are absolutely, there's no even inkling that they will ever get rain. And I watched this video, and there was an article with it. And this is what it read. It said, Negev's river rebirth caught on film, The Times of Israel. Dramatic footage shows the Nahal Zinn roaring back to life after rainfall in the southern desert, the sound of the wind whipping across the desert, and kids shouting excitedly as soon drowned out by the rushing muddy water as it courses past the cameraman into the riverbed, dropping into a canyon for the first time in years. Within seconds, the desert's wadi transform into a coursing river, narrowly missing a dog as spectators hurry out of the water's path. I loved it because everyone was so excited. It was it was an event. Look, I think I see the water way back there. And I think we should be looking for the not yet like that. It's coming. Christ is coming. And there's a certain sense that it's already here. Christ tells us that the water he gives us will be like a spring welling up to eternal life. And so we already have the not yet now. We have it in Christ, and we will experience it more fully in the time to come. So when we tell these truths to our children and to our friends or to the nations that we proclaim it to, we are inviting them to replenishment and excitement for the joy, the restorative joy that God has. Which brings me to this final point of working. We remember and pray and work. We don't go lazy because we have the already, you know, because we have the already. While we wait for the sure promises of God, we look forward to what's not yet. But we have these promises in verse 5 and 6. Those who sow in tears will reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." Now, I wanted to talk about the tears first, because, and this dovetails quite a lot into the sermon we heard this morning. Victor Hugo, one of his favorite quotes of mine, he said, he who does not weep, does not see. Because the world is full of sources for weeping, and oftentimes we've cut ourselves off from toxic people or from difficult circumstances, and we've made our way the easiest way that we can. But we're called to only to suffer as Christ suffered, not to love unnecessary suffering. But there are sufferings that we see first within ourselves, you know, our own pride, or the way that we get let down, or the way we suffer from physical hurt or pain that we have to see out of our own sin-tainted eyes every day is painful. It is real suffering. And then there's the sufferings of others that we're aggressed upon, and there's persecution, and hatred, and discrimination, and violence, and anger, and dissension, and I could go on. But there's also the sufferings of this age of the flesh. This whole circumstance that we live in, called the age of the flesh, is full of things, sufferings that we don't understand, natural disasters. Why was this man born blind? Was it him or his parents? It was neither. But in those tears, in that suffering that we experience as Christians, we're called to sow nevertheless. We're called to work within our suffering. Christianity is a busy religion, not a tiresome, toilsome religion, but we are at work. And so we sow in tears. God desires in this sowing, what does that mean? I think it means at least good works and our whole life. So first, good works, that's what God desires from us. So we read in Galatians 6, that God isn't mocked. Whatever one sows, he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we don't give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those of the household of faith. That's our commendation. Let's also hear these words from James where he says, Be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until he receives the early and late rains. This patience is what's required of us in our working. We can't yet see the quantity of what we do though, and it's hard, because we're out there sewing, doing good works, and I don't know about you, but sometimes you do something good, and then just bad comes back to you. Like, maybe I shouldn't do that good again. And you have to really lean into the suffering that God has given you, or the cross that he has called you to bear. But just as the farmer sows the seed and can't see the crop and trusts that the earth will yield it, so you trust in God that he will indeed repay you. more than you can imagine. And I think, you know, even unbelievers do this. They trust that the earth will work, as it were, that if they put in the effort, they will yield the reward. And oftentimes they're better at working in some ways than we are, but we have all the more reason to work well because we know the one who will reward us. And we have everything in Christ. And there are some who say, well, why work if I have everything in Christ? Fold my arms? Good. Well, first of all, we're commanded to. And also, that's not the experience of the Christian. You know, Paul says that he wants to know Christ, that I might, and the power of his resurrection, that I might know his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means I might attain resurrection from the dead. That is the way of the Christian, which brings us to this second sub-point here, if you're taking notes, that it's not only good works, but it's our whole life that we sow. So here's a quote from Augustine. Where are they going? Where are they coming from? What are they sowing in tears? What is the seed? What are the sheaves? He says, going into death, coming up from death, going by being born, coming by rising again, sowing whatever is good we have done, our sheaves what we will receive at the end. And Jesus himself said, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. So he gave up his whole life. This psalm is about Christ and his resurrection, his suffering and his glory, that he experienced this lamentation, but he has more joy unspeakable than we could imagine. And it's ours in him. The sufferings of Christ, the ultimate sufferer, make our sufferings meaningful, too, because he overturns death to life, overturns suffering into joy, making our works meaningful. We remember him and we pray in his name and we trust in his spirit as he does his work within us. And we have his promise that blessed are those who weep, for they shall laugh. The cross comes before the crown. And we need to weep well while we work. The commands to mourn and weep and suffer are real for us, again, as we heard this morning. And they're promised to us, like in 2 Corinthians 1-5. Just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so even our comfort through Christ overflows. And all who desire to live a godly life in Jesus Christ will be persecuted. but just as the Spirit that lived within Christ raised Him from the dead, so also we have this life-giving promise of God in the gospel that we trust in Him and that we lament and sow in tears because we know that our death and our lamentation and the downness of our being, our humiliation, will end in exaltation at the end. So I want to close this section with a quote from Augustine. It's a little long, so bear with me, and it'll be pretty much the last thing. I sympathize with you, because the Lord our God also sympathized with us, suffered with us. You see, he revealed himself in you, and you in himself, when he said, my soul is sad to the point of death. He suffered for us, let us suffer for him. He died for us, let us die for him, in order to live forever with him. But perhaps you're hesitant to die, O mortal creature, though you are bound to die sometime or other, precisely because you're mortal. Would you like not to fear death? Die for God. But perhaps the reason you're afraid to die is that death is such a sad business. Consider the harvest. The time for sowing is cold. But if the farmer declines to be made miserable by sowing cold in the winter, he will not rejoice in the summer. Take a look at yourselves and see whether the reason you're reluctant to sow is that there is sadness and misery and cold at seed time. And look at this psalm. Let us sow our souls in this time, like corn in the winter, so that we may reap them in eternal time, like corn in summertime. That is the way of the holy martyrs, the way of the just, toiling among the earth, weeping and casting their seed. This life, after all, is full of tears, and what follows, but coming exaltation and carrying their sheaves back with them. So then, the answer to lament, and to sadness, and to exile, and to the death, and to death itself, is the same, and it's Christ. In Christ, we already have relief from our suffering, and pain, and from death. And yet, there's more to come. The river will come to our wilderness and wash away our pain. Christ will come again for us and overturn all suffering. Therefore, we can confidently work and pray until he comes again and we see the face of God. Let's pray. Our dear Lord, we thank you for this truth. We pray that this psalm would be dear to our hearts, that we would learn to love you more through it, that we would not feel that the cross you've given us to bear is a reproach to us, but that it is our glory. that we have the opportunity to sow in a time of cold so that we may reap a bountiful harvest. Help us to be faithful in this life and to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus' name, amen.