Teaching Text

Psalm 126

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with them.

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Jon Tyson (AM) and Pastor Sam Gibson (PM) brought a report from a recent trip to the Hebrides in Scotland and an impartation from Psalm 126, calling the Church to restored hope for God’s restoration to come not only on a personal level but also communally and nationally. They both emphasized the deeply rooted, biblical importance of longing and praying for renewal, and invited us into a new season of hope. 

Psalm 126 is one of the Songs of Ascent, the songs the Israelites would pray as they ascended into Jerusalem for annual festivals to remind them of their collective stories. In this passage, they recount and exalt God’s faithfulness to restore them after the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and carried them into exile. They cried out to God for restoration, trusting that the loss and horror they experienced would not be the end of their story. Through God's power, their despair was transformed into joy as He turned their weeping into laughter and fulfilled His promises to them. 

In the same way, we are invited to cry out to God to see the beauty of restoration individually, communally, and nationally. The Hebrides Revival contained widespread repentance, prayer, and a deep sense of God’s presence across an entire region. We believe revival won’t just be good church services, or extended meetings, but a zone over New York of the manifest presence of God and the accelerated work of the Holy Spirit. The psalmist promises that those who sow in tears will reap with joy. In line with this promise, we must break off the spiritual numbness that comes from being consumed with the busyness of life. When we are able to experience both the joy and grief of this life, we can shift from apathy and tolerating pain to interceding for the Spirit of God to move in our hearts, in our church, and in our world.

We are actually experiencing the beginnings of renewal in the Western Church as we are seeing more spiritual openness in this generation than we have seen in decades, and even in our city people have been coming to faith in Jesus after radical encounters with Him. In our church, we are seeking for God to come first and foremost because we love Him and want Him near, and we are witnessing Him begin to respond to this cry. We are entering a season of hope where God can and will restore nations, communities, and individual dreams for the future.This week, we invite you to join us in praying for God to come and dwell in our city and for His name to be made known here in our time.

This week, we took a break from our Acts Sermon Series, where we would have covered the story of Stephen in Acts 6 + 7. We encourage you to listen to a teaching Pastor Jon gave earlier this year about the Radical Minimum Standard of Discipleship to learn more about Stephen and his story.