Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs 14. Proverbs 14. You know, when you're going through
a book, you take the verses as they come. This is the way that the Spirit
of God wrote it. And that gives us great comfort
in knowing we look in God's Word according to God's way. But every
time we look into the Lord's Word, we're looking for Christ. If we see not Him and no scriptures,
if we're looking through the The Proverbs, I look at the top
of my Bible, it says moral virtues and their contrary vices. That's
what it says just by the page. I mean, it's just on and on and
on. Well, if this is just moral virtues,
if this is just trying to get people to straighten up and fly
right, turn over a new leaf, we missed it. If we don't see
Christ, if we don't see the gospel of God's grace in Christ, then
we've not seen the scripture right. And I pray that today
the Lord bless this. I pray, I believe, I believe
that the Lord has given me some light on these scriptures. And
I pray that the Lord bless it, the salvation and comfort of
His people. Proverbs 14, I want to look at
two verses, 13 and 14. Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. At the
end of that mirth is heaviness. The backslider in heart shall
be filled with his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied
from himself. I've entitled this message, Satisfying
Joy. Satisfying Joy. Now, when we think of laughter, Scripture says, even in laughter,
when we think of laughter, then naturally our minds are drawn
to that which is pleasant, that which is happy, that which is
comforting. And for a believer concerning
his eternal state, that is so. Listen to this. Psalm 126, 1-3,
when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, when He called
His people out of spiritual darkness, we were like them that dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue was
singing. Then said they among the heathen," that is, among
the Gentiles. Aren't you glad that God calls Jews and Gentiles? That's what we are. We're Gentiles.
Then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things
for them. The Lord hath done great things
for us, whereof we are glad. At the time of our spiritual
release from captivity, all that set forth our knowledge and understanding
of our victory in Christ. That Almighty God would show
mercy, would show grace and show compassion Oh, how often I think
to myself, Lord, thank you. Thank you for your longsuffering.
Thank you that you don't look upon me for satisfaction. Thank
you. Lord, thank you for releasing
me from the bondage of my old sinful self. When the Lord turned,
then were our mouths turned. We were filled with laughter,
and our tongue was singing, and we rejoiced in the Lord. And
we mean it! We mean it! God's people are
happy. They rejoice. They are thankful
for that which Almighty God. Our hearts are turned from ignorance
while in captivity to sin and death. And we praise Him and
bless Him who is altogether worthy. Thankful that we know that He
is keeping us. But this scripture sets forth
something that is absolutely so. Now we know that. Even verse
13 in laughter. Even in the rejoicing of a believer's
heart. And we do rejoice. I think of
these people on TV. I turn there and I know I probably
should keep flipping, but I just can't stand it. You know, I've
got to stop and just look. I just want to see how ridiculous
this gets. You know, Glenda would get on
to me. She said, why do you watch that? She said, it just makes
you mad. I said, I know it. But I still want to watch it.
And I do. I get upset. Then I realize how
silly I am. I think, but for the grace of
God, I'd do the same thing. But it's always health and wealth
and prosperity and singing and shouting. Always, I mean, just, how are
you doing? Great, brother! Amen, hallelujah,
brother! You that know Him, is that how
you feel all the time? Now you think about it. Even in laughter,
and God's people do rejoice. We are rejoicing. We are thankful. I thank God through Christ Jesus
that God would show mercy to anybody, especially somebody
like me. But even in laughter, the heart
of a believer, is sorrowful. Even in the true rejoicing of
a believer's heart, his heart is sorrowful. Why? Because he sees, number
one, what he is inside. He knows that there is still
an old nature of sin that is there. I know that there's a body of
death. I know that there's two natures. There's two people. There's two people in a believer. There's an old nature they were
born with, and there's a new nature that God put in them at
conversion. And they don't see eye to eye.
They're contrary one to the other. They're always fighting, and
they're just striving against the other. I mentioned praying. I do want to pray, Chuck. I do.
I want to. I want to seek the Lord. I want
to ask. I want to be honorable. I do. The things that I would, though,
I find not. Carl is an old man in me. My
old man argues with me. He just strives against me. What
are you doing? Don't you want to think about
this? What about that stuff that happened yesterday? Now what
are you going to do this afternoon? And all of a sudden I'm realizing,
even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. Sorrowful for what
I see inside, but sorrowful for what I see outside too. I've
got people, people in my family, my friends, my neighbors that
don't know God. And even in my laughter, Even
in my rejoicing, the Scripture says, because I'm in this world. And it's a struggle. It's a struggle being in this
world. For a believer, they know this is the worst that it's going
to be. They realize, for a believer, That's just the means by which
Almighty God is going to just usher us right into His presence.
Death, where's your sting? O grave, where's your victory?
Not for a believer. They rejoice. They rejoice in
Christ Jesus. But even in their laughter, even
in their rejoicing, they're sorrowful. They struggle. I guarantee you,
you find me a believer, and I'll find you somebody that just struggles
all day long, all the time. Oh, you may not see it. You may
not pick up on it. But I tell you what, if they
get honest with you, they'll tell you that's just exactly
the way it is. They do. Man, I've seen times I've come
here to the church and stay all day long and just go home so
convicted. I'm thinking, why did I do that? Man, I should
have been doing this. It's sorrowful. Listen to Ecclesiastes 7, 2-4. It's better to go to the house
of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. It's better
to go to a funeral than to go to a wedding. For that is the end of all men.
And the living, spiritually alive, will lay it to heart. It's better
to go to a funeral and say, you know what? This is what it's
coming to right here. We're all going to find ourselves
right there. It's better to go to the house
of mourning than the house of feasting. Sorrow is better than
laughter, for by the sadness of the countenance, the heart's
made better. How's that, Lord? Judgment's coming. As I've said before, just a few
more rising suns. That's it. That's it. The heart
of the wise is in the house of the morning. We're always there. That's the way it is. God's people,
they say, well, good night, Marvin. Are you saying you're never happy?
I find the only happiness that I can find any gladness in, is
considering that Almighty God would have mercy on me. I'm going
to show you that in a minute. I'm working up to this. We've
got two verses to deal with. This is just the first part of
the first one. God's people are always right
there. Always struggling. Always needy. Always striving within themselves. But the heart of fools The Scripture
says it's in the house of mirth, silliness, frivolity. The heart of fools is always
looking for something. Oh, this will make me happy.
Boy, I'll be glad when I retire. Glenn, since you retired, how
easy has it gotten? Any easier? Boy, I tell you what,
if I get past this work, It's all smooth sailing from there.
Are we going to travel? It's just going to be apple pie
and you that have retired. Is it
so with you? Spiritual light that causes us
to rejoice in our Savior also causes us to see this world not
our home. This is not it. We grieve because
of the presence of sin and the obvious rebellion we see not
only in ourselves, but in others. We're just in a veil of tears. We're just struggling, afflicted,
afflicted because of those that have no concern for their eternal
soul. Oh, bless the Lord. The Scripture
sets forth Matthew 5, for blessed are they that mourn, for they
shall be comforted. You that mourn over the presence
of sin. You that grieve, grieve, just
grieve. You wake up grieving. You go
through the earth a day, your day grieving. You go to bed grieving. You think, Marvin, that sounds
pretty morbid. I'll tell you one thing. That's just the life
of a believer. They rejoice in Christ Jesus
in the laughter and the happiness and the praise of Almighty God,
but even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. Blessed, the Scripture
says, are those that sorrow because of that sin and of their own
shortcomings. You know what it does. That right
there, that grieving, it causes you to continually cast yourself
upon the mercy of God. Lord, help me. Help me. Lord, help me. Lord, teach me. Lord, I want to learn. I want to be taught. Let me tell
you something. Let me tell you the greatest
comfort that you'll ever find. Let me tell you a secret. Here's the secret. This is a
secret thing revealed. Lord, I want to know You. I want
to walk. I want to hear. I want to learn
faith to believe God. Faith cometh by hearing. Make
much of hearing the Word of God. You want comfort to think about
going through this day? Comfort in a time of dying? What
about when I come time to die? Let me tell you the only comfort
I'm going to have is what God has to say. I'll never leave
you. I'll never forsake you. If you
want to know how to feel just so far removed, don't make much
of hearing the gospel. Hear what God has to say. Hear
what the Lord has to say. The sacrifices, Psalm 51, 17,
of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart.
Oh God, Thou wilt not despise. I know this, one day, God's people
are not going to weep anymore. There are not going to be any
more tears. No more sorrow. But right now, right now, we're
walking through the valley of the shadow of death. This is
just the way it is. This is just how it is. This
is how it is. Psalm 30, verse 5, Weeping may
endure for a night. That's where we are. We're just
in the night of this life. But joy cometh in the morning. There's going to be a time, Fred,
when we'll wake up in glory. No more. No more hurt. No more
problems. No more tears. No more disrespect
of God. No more dishonoring God. No more. But right now, even
in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. Yes, the believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ, he's hurting. And joy does fill his heart.
The joy of the Lord. And in that joy, He is content.
He does rejoice. I'm telling you, joy, the joy
of the Lord, is that settled satisfaction. Almighty God has
shown mercy to me. I'm not talking about just running
around and acting silly. I'm talking about a heart that's
settled. And the end of that mirth The
end of that that men seek after is heaviness. What does he mean? Solomon, I think, turn to Ecclesiastes. Let's do it in the next book.
Ecclesiastes 2, verse 1 and 2. Now here was the wisest of men. Wise man. Wise man. He was going to find
out. God had allowed him. It's his
wisdom. He was going to do some things
to find out just how much fulfillment is there in this. Well, it wasn't
fulfillment in wisdom. He knew that. Knowledge. Now look at this. Ecclesiastes
2, 1 and 2. I thought this was amazing. Solomon
said, I said in mine heart, He's talking to himself. Go to now. I will prove thee with mirth.
Fulfillment, happiness, joy. I will prove thee with mirth. Therefore, enjoy pleasure. And
behold, this also is vanity. And I said of laughter, it's
mad. And of mirth, what doeth it? That's what I was talking about
a while ago. You know, we only go around once.
There used to be a beer commercial on TV. Go for all the gusto you
can. You want to go around this thing
one time, go for it. Solomon said, I talk to myself. I thought, I'll just go for pleasure. Surely something's going to make
me happy. I remember as a kid when I found out we was going
to be going on vacation. Man, I was so excited. I thought, this is going to be
the greatest. This is going to be fantastic. Man, we're going
to Grandma's house. Man, I tell you what, it's just
great because she's got a pond and they've got cows and we're
going to just do this and we're going to do that. And then after
it was all over, I thought, It wasn't as great as I thought
it was. It was over so fast. The only difference is as we
get older, the toys just get more expensive. I know this is going to make
me happy. I know this will do it. I know this is what's going
to make me happy. If I get into this, If I try
this, and that didn't work, but I've always wanted to do this,
so I'm going to do this." At the expense of hearing the gospel, the Scripture says forth, the
end of that mirth is heaviness. It's just not there. It's just
not there. Nothing is going to satisfy In
this life, save Christ. And he's going to have to give
a heart for that. Nothing's going to settle me. Man by nature is
looking for happiness now. But it's not there. It's just
vain and vexation of spirit. That's what's wisest of all men. Verse 14, the backslider in heart
shall be filled with his own ways. and a good man shall be
satisfied from himself." The backslider in heart. The man
that has stepped back away from God. Now this is what Adam did.
The backslider in heart, I'm just going to tell you right
now, it's just a man that was an unbeliever. Just an unbeliever. Backslider in heart. All men
are like that. That's how all of us are born.
From an evil heart of unbelief, man thinks that he has not only
the ability to satisfy himself now, but satisfy himself hereafter. The backslider in heart, he shall
be filled with his own ways, but they don't endure. He's an
unbeliever. He's looking for something that
does not satisfy. Now, I realize this. The Scripture says forth about
the parable of the sower that went to sow. It may appear that
for a while, some do have an interest and a heart in the gospel,
but the thing is, we're going through Hebrews on Wednesday.
It's talking about the forsaking of the assembling of ourselves
together. The gospel. To go back into anything
else. Where are you going to go? That's
what the Lord asked the disciples. And those that wouldn't stay
anymore. John 6, they left. They wouldn't
follow Him anymore. The Lord asked His disciples.
He said, are you going to go too? And Peter said, Lord, where
are we going to go? You have the words of eternal
life. And we're sure that You're the Christ. Lord, there's no
other place to go. But You. We must stay. There is a way. That's what we
looked at last week. Verse 12, there's a way that
seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death. The backslider in heart shall
be filled with his own ways for a while. For a while. We've got so many Scriptures
we could look at, and I won't for the sake of time. But you
know what's going to happen on the day of judgment. Many will
say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in Your name,
we cast out devils in Your name, we've done many wonderful works
in Your name. And He said, I will say unto
them, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you. The backslider in heart shall
be filled with his own ways. Oh, but here's some good news.
Last part. And a good man. Not one good
in himself, because there's none good. I know that. But one made
to be so. Made to be holy. Perfect in Christ. Now that is
an amazing statement. But it's so. I know this when
Almighty God puts a new man, puts a new nature, creates in
regeneration, when He puts that new man inside his people. And that's what happens. I will
give you a new heart, a new spirit. That's Ezekiel 36. When he puts
a new man there, that new man is created in righteousness.
And 1 John says, it doesn't sin. Now here's the nature of a believer. There's a new man inside, an
old man, that does not sin. that does not sin. If I didn't
have God's Word on that, I couldn't say that. I wouldn't say it.
That which is born of God sinneth not. That's a good man. There's a good man. I know he's
struggling with his old man. I think I've touched on that
enough. But a good man, a good man shall
be satisfied From himself, that means outside of. Outside of. Himself. A good man, that one
made good in Christ. Not in himself. Made so by the
grace of God. Made so by the will and the power
of Almighty God. 1 Corinthians 4, 7. Who maketh thee to differ from
another? Yourself? Did you make yourself
different? Who maketh thee to differ from
another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Who made
you to differ? I'll tell you who it is. Almighty
God. A good man, he shall be satisfied,
settled, thankful even in his struggle. While he's struggling
with that old man in that happiness and joy, he's still sorrowful,
grieving because of the presence of sin. And he knows that there's
no happiness in anything, the end of any kind of mirth, happiness,
joy. In this world, happiness. But that man made to be settled
in Christ. Made so by the grace of God.
He knows this. Almighty God has made me so.
And I don't have anything to glory in save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. He knows this. He knows that
the Lord has given him a new heart. I know that He has given
me ears to hear and eyes to see. and a mouth to speak of his honor
and his glory. And he loves it. He loves it.
He loves that it is so. Psalm 115 says this, not unto
us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be glory, for thy
mercy and for thy truth's sake. We rejoice in Christ Jesus. And
you're going to go the rest of your life in heaviness and sorrow,
grieving. And the older you get, and the
more that the Lord teaches us and we grow in grace and the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you're going to
get heavier. Heavier. You know what He's doing? He's preparing you. He's preparing
you. He's weaning your heart away
from this world. This world's not our home. This
world's not our home. Lord, come quickly, for Christ's
sake. Amen.