Temple Baptist Church - 3-23-2022
James 5:13
Introduction:
A. Last week, I preached on "Is Any Among You Afflicted?" Affliction is different from sickness as it hardship that comes through living for Christ. In the First Mention, Israel was "afflicted" by Pharoah and Egypt. Satan and the world. In the Last Mention, we find that Satan is the culprit.
B. Next week, I will more than likely preach on "Is Any Sick Among You?"
C. Located between the two, affliction and sickness, the Holy Spirit put the word "merry." Someone once said, "You are going into trouble, you are in trouble, or you are coming out of it. If you are happy and content today, then this message is for you. If you are in trouble today, you will come out eventually and become merry.
D. I believe that our verse is set up this way because we tend to worry about the bad times before they come at the expense of the good times that we now have.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
E. The Bible has much to say about merriment. It is a good thing! It is a condition to be enjoyed; it a condition to be thankful for. Someone said, "Worrying today is like paying interest on a loan that you may never have to take out." Worry never fixed anything but it stress remains the biggest cause of death!
1. A Merry Heart Maketh A Cheerful Countenance – Proverbs 15:13 - Most people today look like a mule that has been eating saw briers! Every where you go, you see sad faces, hear cursing and complaining! Smiles are contagious!
2. A Merry Heart Maketh A Continual Feast – Proverbs 15:15 - Enjoyment of life! We are so blessed and yet people are still not satisfied and live lives of quiet desperation!
3. A Merry Heart Doeth Good Like A Medicine – Proverbs 17:12 - A smiling face or “drieth the bone!”
F. Another reason for this sermon is that people can be merry and fail to give praise and thanks to God for it. Many enjoy a wonderful meal but never bow their heads and give thanks to God for it. It is natural to seek God in affliction and sickness while forgetting God in the good times.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.
Psalms 95:1-3 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. (2) Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. (3) For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psalms 100:4-5 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
1. If you are merry, if you are happy, if things are going great for you, YOU NEED TO REJOICE!
First Mention - Exodus 18:8-9 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. (9) And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. (What a day this was after 430 years in Egypt)
Last Mention - Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (What a day that will be when we are married to our Groom)
Psalms 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
"Alway" is singular for a reason. "Lo, I am with you alway" is also singular. Always covers an expanse of time such as a lifetime. Alway takes on the meaning of "in every instance of life." Good times and bad times. When times are good, Rejoice! Do not take them for granted.
2. If you are merry, be thankful. Unthankful is to be Unthinkful which is to be Ungrateful. This may seem too be redundant, but it is not. You do not have to look far to find someone who is having it worse than you are! We are so prone to take things for granted. To treat the good times of life as something that we deserve and, therefore, just enjoy them.
Let me give you a good example of what I am saying. So many times, we go to a find restaurant and eat a great meal. As we look around, we see a few stop and take the time to give thanks to God for the meal. Most think that an excellent meal is something deserved.
Be thankful for the good times. Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. (10) Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. (12:1) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
If we are to rejoice "alway," then how much more should we rejoice when things are good!
3. If you are merry, be worshipful. If times are good, it is the Lord who allowed it. Psalm: to play or to sing forth praises; to make music; to worship; to celebrate!
1 Chronicles 16:7-10 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. (8) Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. (9) Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. (10) Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
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