Mourning Souls

Pastor Mike continued his sermon series “Winning” with “Part 2: Mourning Souls”. So that we may be doers of the Word and not hearers only let’s review the key points of that message.

To mourn is to feel grief or sorrow in your heart. 

The desire to see people saved comes out of our hearts.

We can develop a hard heart and become insensitive to things that really matter. Our hearts get cold and calloused as people die and go to hell. 

We should pray for protection and righteousness to fill the candidates for our country’s highest office. We need to be people who cry out to God on behalf of our leaders. 

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

Out of the abundance of our heart, the mouth speaks.

“Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”

Jeremiah 17:5-10 NKJV

When you trust in God, He provides, He makes a way, He fights for us.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27 NKJV

He gives us His Spirit and a new heart that isn’t hardened. We can now love our enemies, we can forgive people and even forget what they have done to us. 

God chooses to forget our trespasses against him and not hold them against us any longer. We can’t love like God does unless He gives us His Spirit and a new heart.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

Our new heart allows us to love and be patient and kind to people, no matter what is done to us. 

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

I John 3:14-15 NKJV

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

John 13:34-35 NKJV

“Love God and love people”

The Old Testament showed us the law and that we could never live up to it. The New Testament is about our need for a Savior and that Jesus is our Savior.

One of the enemies greatest weapons is being self absorbed. We don’t notice others as we focus on ourselves. 

Another of the enemies weapons is to doubt that we can do anything about the suffering we see in the world. 

We need to step out in faith and love people in both word and deed. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

Matthew 5:3-4 NKJV

Instead of mourning and feeling the grief that other people are feeling, we are indifferent and just ignore their hurt.

It should break our heart when people reject God. 

God wants us to pray for laborers to be sent into His harvest.

He wants people who will cry out for the broken, the lost, the hurting. Cry out to God on behalf of the people!

“Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.”

Psalms 126:5-6 NKJV

The harvest comes when we pray, labor, and cry out to God. He responds when we cry out to Him!

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,”

Psalms 30:11 NKJV