After I concluded last week’s message, it was my prayerful desire that God would make it a blessing for everyone who heard it preached or might read it later. I also hoped I was successful in convincing folks that we don’t have to wait until we die and go to heaven before we can be truly happy, but that regardless of our often very sorrowful circumstances Christians can be the happiest people on the face of the earth. Lord willing, this morning I’m going to offer additional biblical evidence attesting to this truth. In fact, I’m going to go so far as to suggest that, with the exception of certain instances such as experiencing intense physical and/or emotioinal pain, unhappy Christians ought to be ashamed of themselves.

You folks know I never minimize or make light of the often very painful burdens you have and/or continue to endure. I take you and each of them very seriously and do my utmost to get rid of them or help you carry the load. I’m also sure you remember how in numerous previous messages I have reminded you of how in spite of the awful persecution the first Christians endured, and regardless of their sorrow, they were always rejoicing. The same has been true throughout the history of Christ’s Church. In order to give you an idea of just how horrendous their divinely ordained suffering was, allow me to share the following which was written by an unknown author in the old classic historical novel entitled; “The Martyr of the Catacombs.”

“It was a great festival day in Rome. From all quarters vast numbers of people came pouring forth to one common destination. Over the Capitoline Hill, through the Forum, past the Temple of Peace and the Arch of Titus and the imperial palace; they went till they reached the Coliseum, where they entered its hundred doors  and disappeared within. There a wonderful scene presented itself. Below, the vast arena spread out, surrounded by the countless rows of seats which rose to the top of the outer wall, over a hundred feet. The whole extent was covered with human beings of every class and every age. So vast an assemblage gathered in such a way, presenting to view long lines of stern faces, ascending far on high in successive rows, formed a spectacle which has never elsewhere been equaled, and which was calculated beyond all others to awe the soul of the beholder. More than one hundred thousand people were gathered here, animated by one common feeling, and incited by one single passion. It was the thirst for blood which drew them hither, and nowhere can we find a sadder commentary on the boasted civilization of ancient Rome that this her own greatest spectacle.”

“Here we have warriors who had fought in foreign wars and were familiar with deeds of valor, yet they felt no indignation at the scenes of cowardly oppression displayed before them; nobles of ancient families were here, but they could find in these brutal shows no stain upon their country’s honor. Philosophers, poets, priests, rulers the highest as well as the lowest in the land, crowded these seats; but the applauding shout of the patrician was as loud and as eager as that of the plebian. What hope was there for Rome when the hearts of her people were, universally given up to cruelty and brutal oppression?”

“Under a raised seat in a conspicuous part of the amphitheater was the Emperor Decius, near whom the chief people among the Romans were gathered. Among these were a group of officers belonging to the Pretorian Guards, who criticized the different points in the scene before them with the air of connoisseurs. Their loud laughter, their gayety, and their splendid attire made them the object of much attention from their neighbors.” This highly informative excellent little book later gave an account of the time when “… a large number of men were led into the arena. These were still armed with the short sword. In a moment they had begun the attack. It was not a conflict between two sides, but a general fight, in which every man attacked his neighbor.”

“Such scenes were the most bloody and therefore the most exciting. A conflict of this kind would always destroy the greatest number in the shortest time. The arena presented a scene of dire confusion. Five hundred men in the prime of life and strength all struggled confusedly together. Sometimes they would all be interlocked in one dense mass; at other times they would violently separate into widely scattered individuals, with a heap of dead upon the scene of the combat. But these would assail one another again with undiminished fury; separate combats would spring up all around, the victors in these would take part in others, until at last the survivors had once more congregated in one struggling crowd. At length their struggles became weaker. Out of five hundred [only] but one hundred remained, and these were weary and wounded.”

“Suddenly a signal was given, and two men leaped into the arena and rushed from opposite sides upon this crowd.” “…they fell upon the exhausted wretches before them, who had neither the spirit to combine nor the strength to resist. It became a butchery.” The book explained that whenever Christian prisoners were brought in the men would fight any number of the wild beasts but never another man such as when and old man said: “Romans! I am a Christian. My God died for me, and I gladly lay down my life for Him.” A loud outburst of yells and execrations from the fierce mob drowned his voice. Before it was over three panthers came bounding toward him. He folded his arms and looking up to heaven, his lips moved in murmuring prayers. The savage beasts fell upon him as he stood, and in a few moments he was torn to pieces. Other wild animals were now let in. They bounded around the enclosure; they leaped against the barrier, and in their rage assailed one another. It was a hideous scene.”

“In the midst of this [another] helpless band of [Christian] prisoners were rudely thrust. They were chiefly young girls, who were thus sacrificed to the bloodthirsty passion of the savage Roman mob. The sight would have moved to pity any heart in which all soft feelings had not been blighted. But pity had no place in Rome. Cowering and fearful, the poor young maidens showed the weakness of human nature when just confronted with death in so terrible a form, but after a few moments faith resumed its power, and raised them above all fear. As the beasts became aware of the presence of their prey and began to draw near, these young maidens joined hands, and raising their eyes to heaven, sang out a solemn chant which rose clear and wondrously upward to heaven:

“Unto Him that loved us

To Him that washed us from our sins

In His own blood;

To Him that made us kings and priests,

To God and the Father;

To Him be glory and dominion

Forever and ever.

Halleluiah! Amen!”

“One by one the voices were hushed in blood, and agony, and death; one by one the shrikes of anguish were mingled with shouts of praise; and these fair young spirits, so heroic under suffering and faithful unto death, had carried their song to join it with the psalm of the redeemed on high.” [a]

That account ought to give us an idea of just some of the horrors persecuted Christians have been subjected to in the history of Christ’s Church on earth, and not only those who were murdered for their refusal to renounce their faith in Jesus. Can you imagine how you might feel if some of those martyred believers were your own children or grandchildren, mother or father, wife or husband, brother or sister or your grandparents? How joyful do you think you would apt to be in the midst of being so sorrowful? Now lets consider the following words the Holy Spirit inspired the great Apostle Paul to pen:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (ESV)

“but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶ by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷ by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸ through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (ESV) “…In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 2 Corinthians 7:4 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit also inspired Paul to remind them and us through them to continually rejoice in the Lord regardless of such sorrowful circumstances.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV)

Instead of becoming overly anxious and committing the sin of worry by not trusting our Creator we should make the time to think about and really meditate upon things such as:

^“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, ⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Psalms 8:3-4 (ESV)

“you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. ²⁶ They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, ²⁷ but you are the same, and your years have no end. ²⁸ The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you,” Psalms 102:25-28 (ESV)

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalms 19:1 (ESV)

“You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. Psalms 40:5 (ESV)

“…you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. ¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalms 139:13-18 (ESV)

We all know some folks living amongst us who dismiss these eternal truths. Consider some of what the Holy Spirit inspired these very wise men to record, and what He has to say about atheists.

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalms 53:1 (ESV)

“…For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 (ESV)

Regardless of how brilliant some atheists may be, our Creator says they are all fools. But most human beings do believe in the existence of God, but they don’t know Him nor do they honestly want to. It’s sad to say but all too many Christians acknowledge the existence of the One true God as He has revealed Himself to them through the Sacred Scriptures but they don’t really know Him either. They may know about Him but they don’t really know Him! And if the truth were known, they aren’t all that interested in really knowing Him either. For example, they spend much more of their time trying to find out everything they can about the lifestyles and exploits of the rich and/or famous. Much more of their time is devoted to the pursuit of worldly pleasures and treasures such as sports, attending concerts, playing video games, watching debates, hobbies, accumulating wealth and possessions or power and the like. You name it; the bulk of their time is devoted to everything and everyone besides God.

These Christians have stunted their spiritual growth. They are behaving much like unwise fools! They are robbing themselves of an awful lot of the happiness their Creator has made available to them in this world. They lack wisdom! How much thought do you think these foolish believers actually spend meditating of eternal truths concerning it.”

²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, ²⁸ when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, ²⁹ when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, ³⁰ then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, ³¹ rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. ³² And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. ³³ Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. ³⁴ Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. ³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, ³⁶ but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” Proverbs 8:27-36 (ESV)

I hope I haven’t given anyone the impression that unhappy Christians don’t love Jesus because they certainly do. They are quick to acknowledge their love and appreciation for all that He has done and continues to do for them. They are sincerely grateful. However, they are not wise because that’s as far as they are willing to go in their relationship with Jesus. They aren’t interested in going to the source of wisdom.

“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. Job 12:13 (ESV)

“Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. ²¹ He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; ²² he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. Daniel 2:20-22 (ESV)

God wants us to maintain a relationship with the only source of wisdom. But first let’s consider what the Lord’s brother had to say about phony wisdom.

“This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:15-17 (ESV)

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, ¹⁴ for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:13-15 (ESV)

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, ² making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; ³ yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV)

You and I must remember that there is only one source of wisdom and He wants us to go to Him and ask Him for it.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; Proverbs 2:6 (ESV)

Do you have an accurate idea what true wisdom actually is?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ ” Job 28:28 (ESV)

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. Psalms 86:11 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Psalms 111:10 (ESV)

Our Creator wants His human creatures to have a close relationship with Him and He has made it possible through everything which the source of wisdom accomplished on His cross. He wants His human creatures to enjoy the happiness of being in fellowship with Jesus and to consider Him their best friend. He wants them to maintain a sincere and not a superficial relationship with Him. He wants them to know and love Jesus. He wants them to be madly in love with Him! Being in love with Him is to want to please Him. To honestly want to please Jesus we have to first devote a lot of time in His Word in an attempt to discover exactly what pleases and displeases Him. To want to please Jesus is to struggle with all our might to become like Him, to delight ourselves in Him, to struggle to emulate Him in all our thoughts, words and deeds, and to love, honor, and trust Him with all of our mind, and heart and soul and strength. Being in love with Jesus is to want to become like Him and to honestly desire whatever He wants in all areas of our life and world. He wants us to be in love with Him as He is with each of us, and just as those spiritual forefathers of ours I spoke about earlier were as they went to their own individual cross. There is no other way to obtain true happiness apart from Jesus being number one in all areas of our life!

As we leave this worship service and go our separate ways, you and I ought to ask ourselves this question: “How close do I come to measuring up to fitting THE PROFILE OF A HAPPY PERSON? And then make a sincere vow to do something about it, and plead with Him to help us to keep it!

Lord willing, soon…