Temple Baptist Church - 7-25-2021
Proverbs 17:22
Introduction:
A. My theme verse is Proverbs 4:23, which says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
1. I continue to emphasize that we are made in the image of God: a trichotomy, body-world conscious, soul-self-conscious, and spirit, God conscious.
2. If out of the heart (or the soul) are the “issues” of life, and the bible says that it is so, then that which proceeds from with the soul of each of us is what we allow to issue forth. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
3. If the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and it is, then the natural man is utterly depraved and nothing that proceeds from the natural can be good! “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.”
4. Therefore, I can reasonably say that we, as God’s children, have the responsibility of controlling our “issues.”
5. It all comes down to this: if you want to be sad and have a broken (downcast, disquieted, disappointed, discouraged) spirit that drieth the bones, you have that choice.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood … (And the blood comes from the marrow of the bone. Dried bones equal a lack of life giving blood.)
6. Or you can choose to put a merriment in your soul and a smile on your face.
7. Problems neither go away through tears or laughter so choose the later.
B. This morning, I want to deal with one of my favorite verses: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
1. I love this verse! I love to laugh, joke around, and have a great time. You can ask my wife, I meet no strangers. One of my sons said, “One day, Dad is going to get maced!” That may be but, in a world full of trouble and worry, laughter is essential for survival.
2. For the most part, I have found people to have a sense of humor and laughter is good for the soul. I lady in the checkout line at Wal-Mart (I was picking at her) said, “Never lose your joy. I lost mine a few months ago.” She was referring to the death of her husband but what she said stuck with me. People need to laugh.
3. Remember the words: “Smile a while and give your face a rest.” It takes a lot fewer muscles to smile than to frown and frowning will give you a headache!
C. The word “merry” is found 28x in your King James Bible. It is an outward thing whereas Joy is an inward thing. Merry can but does not necessarily mean happy which relies upon our happenings.
D. “Merry:” Cheerful in a lively sense, to cheer up; to be glad; to have joy; to brighten up. There are three verses dealing with a “merry heart” that I want to look at for a few minutes:
1. A Merry Heart Maketh A Cheerful Countenance – Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
a) Most people today look like a mule that has been eating saw briers! Everywhere you go in this world, you see sad faces, hear cursing and complaining!
Men live lives of quiet desperation!
b) People are dissatisfied and disgruntled. This should not be the lot of the child of God. We should be a satisfied, happy people. We are someone going somewhere!
2. A Merry Heart Maketh A Continual Feast – Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
a) Enjoyment of life! We are so blessed and yet people are still not satisfied and often live lives of quiet desperation! A feast is a merry event!
I am not talking about vacations; I am talking about all day and every day! The joy of the Lord is your strength!
b) I remember the old family reunions back in the 50’s and 60’s when our family would come from all over and spend the day together eating, pitching horse shoes, and just sitting around catching up on family news. It was a day looked for with great anticipation.
c) I sure miss those days. We had a ball.
3. A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like A Medicine – Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
a) A smiling face or “drieth the bones?” A choice that we make. I tell people that you can laugh about your problems, or you can cry about them. Neither will change the problems, but laughter can lessen the pain.
For to me to live is Christ! When Christ, who is your life, shall appear.
b) Laughter is a medicine with no ill side effects. Can you imagine a medicine prescribed for you with all good and no bad side effects? Today, they send you several pages of what may happen to you if you take the meds prescribed.
E. HOW TO HAVE A MERRY HEART
1. A Merry Heart Comes Through Conversion – You will never be happy until you know Christ.
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
2. A Merry Heart Comes Through Contentment – You will never be happy until you know contentment.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
3. A Merry Heart Comes Through Commitment – trusting the Lord in every part of your life. (Whatever my lot thou hast TAUGHT me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul!”)
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheles I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
4. A Merry Heart Comes Through Consecration - Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. lose life and find it – most people never find their lives because they never lose their lives! “Let me lose my life and find it, Lord, in thee!”
Conclusion: God wants you to be merry, happy, in this life even though it is full of troubles and sorrows.
You will never be happy until you are converted!
You will never be happy until you are content!
You will never be happy until you are committed!
You will never be happy until you are consecrated!
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