Steak and chips, strawberries and cream, Batman and Superman.
! Some things in life just belong together.
! Growing up, I remember my granddad laughing aloud, watching Laurel and Hardy. Do you remember them?
! If you're too young, then your homework is to YouTube them later. Comedy gold.
The hapless pair were always getting into trouble, but it was impossible to imagine one without the other.
Psalm 126 is different. It's full of things we don't normally see together. Unlikely duos.
In this song, there is laughter and longing, triumph and tears, praise and pain.
Such apparent contradictions are normal for believers. When the Apostle Paul summed up his ministry,
he said he was sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. And that is the tone of this psalm.
It's a song that introduces us to the tensions of the Christian life.
It's a song for when life is good, and a song for when life is bad.
It's a song we could sing in the major and the minor key at exactly the same time.
Just picture the 6'6", 18 stone rugby player belting out the national anthem on his debut,
bursting with pride, with tears streaming down his face.
That is what this psalm feels like.
Your Bible might highlight that it's one of the psalms of ascent.
And that makes it one of a special collection,
which was sung by the Israelites as they travelled to Jerusalem.
They made the journey several times a year.
And like many families, they had songs for the road.
Like many of us who have CDs that skip because they've been played so often,
God's people were no different.
Psalms 120 to 134 were always on repeat for the Israelites.
They never stopped singing this album of 15 songs.
It reminded them that they were pilgrims on their way to glory.
And the lyrics have been popular ever since.
One writer calls them an old dog-eared songbook that Christians keep rediscovering.
Psalm 126 is a song from that book.
You may have been a believer for decades.
You may have just got going on the Christian way.
You may be examining it from a distance.
But whoever you are, this is a song for you.
Notice, first of all, in verses 1 to 3,
the rescue Christians celebrate.
The rescue Christians celebrate.
The psalm begins with joyful praise.
The writer looks back to a time when God's people experienced his rescue
in a dramatic, powerful, wonderful way.
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
It was an experience that almost seemed too good to be true.
They could hardly believe it.
God's rescue made them feel like they were walking on air.
It left them in a kind of trance-like state.
Life was like a dream.
It's not 100% clear what event the psalmist was referring to.
It may have been the exodus.
It may have been the return from exile.
It may have been another dramatic victory.
And in one sense, it doesn't really matter.
Whatever it was, it had had a dramatic effect on God's people.
Just look at the way it impacted their emotions.
This great big rescue resulted in laughter and singing and joy.
There was celebration.
Their chains fell off.
Their hearts were free.
They had lived with huge burdens on their backs.
But now those burdens had been lifted.
They felt 10 feet tall.
They were so happy that they thought their hearts would explode.
One of the things I've loved about being at IPC is saying a creed together each week.
I've got a really good friend who used to go to a church that said the Apostles' Creed at each service.
And my friend said there was one line in the creed that used to make his heart skip a beat.
He said there was one line in the creed that used to make his heart skip a beat.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins.
He told me that when he said that every single week with brothers and sisters, it made him want to punch the air.
It reminded him that God was gracious.
That however much he'd slipped or stumbled over the past seven days, his guilt had been atoned for.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus had died for him.
And it filled him with joy.
God's people often feel like that.
They know what it's like to feel huge relief at his rescue.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.
That is why they sing.
God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, says Paul.
And brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves.
In whom we have redemption.
The forgiveness of sins.
So many of the stories that we love have echoes of this great redemption.
Think of Jean Valjean in Les Mis.
Or Andy the Frame in the Shawshank Redemption.
The reason we love those films is because rescue like that is good and true and beautiful.
To see somebody experience deliverance is one of the most wonderful things in the world.
When miners escape.
When hostages are freed.
When children are pulled from the rubble.
When you see that.
When you experience that.
You want to share it with others.
You tweet.
You text.
You talk about it.
And it's the same with this psalm.
The restoration.
The rescue.
Of God's people was not.
Some kind of private event.
No.
It was a public rescue.
Do you see that in verse 2?
Then they said among the nations.
The Lord has done great things for them.
People were looking on.
The Lord has done great things for them.
The Lord has done great things for us.
We are glad.
See it wasn't enough.
For Israel to experience this rescue on their own.
It had a Christmas feel.
Good news.
Of great joy for all people.
See tonight.
Christians.
We are people who celebrate.
What God has done.
Christians are not afraid of emotion.
Sometimes we think the Christian life is just about thinking.
But feelings matter too.
God wants to win the hearts and minds of his people.
Now this is not to say that we all need to become extroverts.
Or South Americans.
Carlos and Clara here.
I don't know if I see them.
But stuffy.
Buttoned up religion.
Is a million miles away.
From the Christianity of the New Testament.
The journalist.
H.L. Mencken.
Once said.
There was.
A kind of.
Super.
Uber.
Religious person.
Whose greatest.
I love this.
Whose greatest.
Most haunting fear.
Was that someone.
Somewhere was enjoying themselves.
It can never be so with us.
We have.
A father.
Who sprints.
After prodigals.
A father.
Who kills.
The fattened calf.
Puts a ring on her finger.
A cloak.
Around her neck.
And says.
Let's have a party.
Christians.
Are joyful.
Attractive people.
They love.
To remember.
God's rescue.
They know.
From personal experience.
That Jesus.
Their savior.
Has been.
Very.
Kind.
To them.
They have a kind of.
I can hardly believe.
I'm a Christian.
Attitude.
They're stunned.
That Jesus.
Would love them.
And give himself.
In their place.
And can it be.
That I should gain.
An interest.
In the savior's blood.
Died he for me.
Who caused his pain.
For me.
Who him to death pursued.
Amazing love.
How can it be.
That thou my God.
Should die for me.
See.
It's so easy.
To forget.
So easy.
To become.
Negative.
So easy.
To become cynical.
Just slowly.
Over time.
What has happened.
To all your joy.
Paul asked.
The religious Galatians.
So easy.
To lose.
Maybe tonight.
You're someone.
Who's.
Just got used.
To disappointment.
Who's been let down.
So many times.
That you think.
Somehow.
Life with God.
Is going to turn out.
The same.
Maybe you've been beaten up.
By painful circumstances.
Is your heart shrinking.
Have you forgotten.
That the Bible ends.
With the ultimate.
Happily ever after.
A day of such glory.
And wonder.
That it will be almost impossible.
To take in.
To sin.
Christians are people with more reason to laugh and sing
than anyone else in the world
they glory in God's rescue
they love him for his cross
joy is the serious business of heaven
said Lewis
joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian
said Chesterton
joy in God
joy in his goodness
and faithfulness
and love
the rescue Christians celebrate
secondly the renewal
Christians crave
the renewal
Christians crave
verses 4 to 6
as I was preparing this sermon
there was one phrase from Abraham Lincoln's
Gettysburg address
that I couldn't get out of my head
can you tell I'm training as a history teacher
what a geek
address is one of the most revered speeches of all time
America which had been conceived in liberty
was engaged in a great civil war
the nation was in danger of the nation
and Lincoln said that what was needed was a new birth of freedom
the psalmist knew that feeling
look at his cry in verse 4
restore our fortunes
oh lord
one translation puts it like this
and now God do it again
bring rain
to our drought stricken lives
see the psalmist
see the psalmist knew
what it was like
to long
for God's renewal
even after he had experienced
God's rescue
he was a real believer
he had so much
to give thanks for
but there was still
this tension in his life
and he prays
he asks God
to restore
the fortunes
of his people
isn't it just so true
to life
so true
to real Christian experience
great moments
of deliverance
are so often followed
by times of
great difficulty
even after God has
taken us out of the pit
and put a new song
in our mouth
well there can still be
problems to face
as we move forward
even when my sins
have been forgiven
and my citizenship
is in heaven
life can still be hard
this was true
after the return
from exile
God's people
came back to the land
but the book of Haggai
if you read it
it makes it clear
that there was still
real apathy
and indifference
amongst the Israelites
for a considerable
amount of time
life with God
well it seemed
extremely low key
and every new
Christian
experiences this
after the honeymoon
period
they quickly discover
that their new
relationship with Jesus
doesn't keep them
from the troubles
of living
in a broken world
they haven't been
teleported
to the new creation
they still live with
the fallout
from the fall
there can be much
that makes them feel
very weak
and tearful
and fearful
life can feel
more like a desert
than a garden
they start to long
for renewal
in their life
and in the life
of God's people
this longing
for renewal
is one of the
hallmarks
of genuine faith
one of the signs
that we are converted
is that we start
to care
about the fortunes
of Zion
in bible language
Zion is
simply shorthand
for the people
of God
and after we trust
in Jesus
the state
of his church
it starts
to become
important to us
we find ourselves
praying about things
we would never
have prayed about
before
we don't just
want restoration
for ourselves
no we long
for the restoration
of God's people
the psalmist
gives us
two pictures
to show us
what this
restoration
this renewal
looks like
streams in a desert
and sheaves
at a harvest
streams in a desert
and sheaves
at a harvest
the commentators
point out
that one of these
things is quick
but the other
is slow
the Negev
which is mentioned
in verse 4
was a huge
desert
with ditches
cut into the
ground
for most of the
year the soil
was baked
by the sun
but a sudden
rain
could make it
teem with life
almost overnight
and sometimes
God works
like that
his renewal
comes suddenly
in a way that
kind of takes
our breath away
think of
some of the
great revivals
in church history
or maybe
seasons of growth
in your own
Christian life
maybe a camp
or a move
or a new
beginning
that just
opens you up
to God
in a fresh
way
God
often
works
like that
but it's
not
the only
way
is it
do you see
the second
illustration
the psalmist
says
that renewal
also comes
like a
harvest
what is
rule
101
with the
harvest
it takes
time
psalmist
says
something
very moving
about it
he says
the people
who reap
are the
people who
weep
verse 5
those who
sow in tears
shall reap
with shouts
of joy
he who goes
out weeping
bearing the
seed for
sowing
shall come
home with
joy
bringing his
sheaves
with him
it's a
beautiful
picture
isn't it
the psalmist
knows
that joy
and tears
go side
by side
in the
life of
faith
they're
friends
they're
twins
in the
life of
believers
the psalmist
knows
there are
plenty
reasons
in this
world
for
Christians
to cry
isn't that
right
we are
not
immune
from sorrow
we cry
when we
suffer
we cry
when we
sin
we cry
when we're
sick
Christians
cry
when relationships
break down
they cry
for loved ones
who don't
know the
Lord
they cry
when longed
for children
die
and God
knows
and sees
and understands
it all
elsewhere
in the
psalms
we're told
that he
stores
all our
tears
in a
bottle
that every
single one
of them
is precious
to him
like
perfume
that may
be all
you need
to hear
tonight
there are
so many
times when
our Christian
service feels
weak and
small
we feel
like we're
sowing
tears
sometimes
we wonder
if we've
ever achieved
anything at
all
for Jesus
do you ever
feel like
that
I think
being a
Christian in
Britain today
is to live
in a day
of small
things
and slow
progress
so think
of a
Christian
faithfully
attending
a church
meeting
after a
long
draining
day
at work
think of
a parent
pointing
their
children
to
Jesus
and
saying
a
simple
prayer
before
bedtime
think
of a
Christian
reaching
out to
a
colleague
at
work
who's
going
through
a
hard
time
the
card
sent
to
encourage
a
friend
the
arm
on
the
shoulder
the
verse
sent
by
text
hundreds
of
small
seemingly
insignificant
moments
but
all
of
them
part
of
the
sowing
that
comes
before
an
incredible
harvest
see the
imagery at
the end
is so
joyful
isn't it
it's all
here to
say
none
of your
Christian
service
is ever
in vain
none
of it
there
will be
a harvest
and
God
never
wastes
pain
each
strand
of sorrow
has a
place
within
his
tapestry
of
grace
some
of the
most
joyful
people
I know
are
people
who
have
endured
incredible
suffering
when I
read
this
psalm
I
thought
of
Naomi
and I
thought
of
Job
both
of them
experienced
God's
renewal
didn't
they
after
times
of
great
hardship
and
then I
thought
of
two
other
people
two
living
examples
of
psalm
126
one
is a
woman
from the
church
that I
grew up
in
on
the
isle
of
sky
the
phrase
a
breath
of
fresh
air
was
invented
for
her
she
was
one
of
those
people
that
you
heard
before
you
saw
and
her
English
accent
and
infectious
laugh
echoed
round
the
church
building
every
week
we
love
to go
to her
big
old
falling
down
rambling
house
for
Sunday
lunch
when I
saw her
recently
she was
exactly
the
same
hair
that
was
blonde
is
now
grey
but
she
still
has
an
incredible
smile
she
has
endured
a lot
her
husband
and
two
of
her
grown
up
children
some
of
the
healthiest
outdoor
loving
people
you
could
ever
imagine
are
now
living
with
a
debilitating
genetic
disease
their
muscles
just
wasting
away
life
is
very
hard
but
she
is
still
full
of
joy
still
encouraging
others
still
active
in her
church
still
looking
to the
future
the
other
is the
man
who
led
camps
I
attended
as
a
teenager
his
daughter
a
student
at
Aberdeen
University
went
missing
in
India
over
30
years
ago
and
she
has
never
been
found
it
is
almost
impossible
to
try
and
imagine
suffering
like
that
it
would
be
no
surprise
if
he
had
become
consumed
with
bitterness
but
he's
not
he has
eyes
that
have
shed
many
tears
but
they
still
twinkle
with
joy
as
someone
said
to me
recently
love
just
shines
out
of
him
that's
what I
want to
be like
when I
grow up
don't
you
young
people
children
let me
tell you
a secret
I've
not been
here
long
but I
know
that this
church
is full
of people
like that
people who
have kept
going as
Christians
despite
lots of
suffering
people who
have kept
following
Jesus
after big
changes
or illness
or after
someone they
love very
much
died
people like
that
people like
that are
my heroes
and I
hope they'll
be your
heroes
too
you see
they are
people who
wait
for God's
harvest
suffering
has woken
them up
to the
fact that
they are
pilgrims
it's helped
them see
what really
matters in
life
they're
people who
long for
God's
renewal
they know
that God's
great day
of future
joy will
make up
for all
the
disappointments
of this
age
and while
they wait
while they
wait
they take
great comfort
from
the fact
that
Jesus
was a
man of
sorrows
you see
the path
laid out
in Psalm
126
is a
path
that
Jesus
walked
joy
and
pain
suffering
and glory
these
are the
realities
that
Jesus
has
tasted
!
God
said
that
Jesus
the
cross
as he
went to
Calvary
as he
carried
our
sins
on his
shoulders
Jesus
knew he
was redeeming
men and
women
boys and
girls
a great
multitude
that no
one can
count
for God
the thought
of that
harvest
which you
are a part
of if you
are a
Christian
tonight
the thought
of that
harvest
filled his
heart
with joy
he plunged
right in
to a
world of
sin
and sorrow
he wept
and suffered
and bled
and died
to bring
many
sons
to glory
one day
we will
see his
scars
one day
we will
see his
face
the kindest
face
we have
ever seen
and we
will laugh
and cry
and dance
and sing
Amen