LOVE = REACH : Day 3

I once heard my Pastor, Marcus Mecum preach a sermon about tears and I will share part of that here for this blog. . I am reminded of this sermon after serving our community today. This weekend our Nation weeps. Today our community weeps. Regardless of race, gender, beliefs, or religion we weep when we see acts of terror brought against innocent lives.

READ
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.”

Tears are an international experience – they are the same worldwide. You don’t have to speak the same language to understand pain on someone’s face when they cry.

When you weep, when you cry there is an impact behind every tear.
In 2 Samuel chapter 1, David was being chased cave to cave by Saul and his men. His name was being dragged through the mud, his life being threatened. He had every reason and opportunity to kill Saul.

However, we see in verses 5-6 where Saul falls on his sword to his death. When David received the news of Saul’s death– scripture tells us that David WEPT. It seems odd that he wept over the death of the person who was trying to kill him. However, David wept and it says that David spoke words that literally changed the course of History:

2 Samuel 1:21
“O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there!”

I am told if you go to the Holy Land to this day and look at the top of Mt. Gilboa that there is nothing but sand – nothing grows there. When you weep it is the best time to talk to the mountains in your life. Our tears have the ability to change our city, our region. Heaven listens when we are in an intense emotional state.
While tears represent intense emotion, they can pull you toward the things of God.
The lesson is when there is a great task to be completed such as seeing our city changed, our region changed, our nation changed we must talk to our tears. When your days are filled with tears – TALK TO THEM! Say I feel you tears – but I need you to know – I WONT GIVE UP! I WON’T QUIT!
There is a story I once heard about a football player named Roy Riegels.

New Years Day – 1929 – Rose Bowl : George Tech vs. Univ of California
Roy Riegels somehow got confused during the game, recovered a fumble, and returned it 65 yards in the wrong direction until he was tackled by one of his own teammates.
At half-time usually the coach had a lot to say but on this monumental day everyone was completely quiet.
• Roy sat in the corner with a towel over his head and cried like a baby.
Everyone wondered what Coach Nibs Price would do with Roy in the second half. The only thing Coach Price said was “the same team that played the first half will play the second half.”
All of the players left, but Roy – he sat there sobbing. Coach said let’s GO Roy. The same team who started the first half will start the second.
Roy looked up with strong man’s tears running down his face and said “I CAN’T DO IT!” I HAVE RUINED YOU, I’VE RUINED THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, I’VE RUINED MYSELF, I CANNOT FACE THE CROWD.”
Coach Price put his hand on His shoulder and said “The Game is only ½ over.”
It is said, that those Tech men never saw a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half. He played so hard they came back and won the game.

:: Church, Orlando, Central Florida, America… I am here to tell you It’s NOT OVER. Get up and play like you never have before! ::
God has a giant future for us! A great future beats a great past every time!
I love studying church revivals. I love listening to old revival songs, and messages recorded during revivals. There is one distinct marker of every great revival that has ever happened throughout the world and it is the sound of people crying. I have listened to recordings and read stories of revivalist and they all describe the distinct sound that precedes revival: crying and weeping. I believe that God responds to our tears by allowing His Spirit to be poured out.

God is waiting for you to talk to your tears and to give some direction to the brokenness.
Love mourns with those who mourn. Love will inspire you to heal those who are hurting and to bring hope to those who need it most. During this time of hurt and pain we the church should weep and speak to our future! We should ask God to pour out His Spirit and bring healing and peace.

ACT:
Pray (sincerely pray) during your work commute, lunch break, or quiet time for our community that God will bring healing to families and use this tragedy to turn hearts to Him.