So, let me read you the paragraph that was life-altering. He doesnt. All his books. Who do they love? Alcorn has written numerous articles for magazines such as Discipleship Journal, Moody, Leadership, New Man, and The Christian Reader. Why did you? And I say, Cant help myself. God threatens terrible things for the sinner who refuses to joyfully embrace the Son, because such resistance devalues the satisfying nature of God's supreme spiritual beauty. But if I am always grieving and always unhappy, if that is the normal state of my life over the long haul, then something is wrong. One Life: Enjoy It | Desiring God Those are commands. The Pursuit of Joy (Part 1) | BiblicalTrainingTM God's Terrible Things - Bible Hub This is a prayer God is always eager to answer. He sold everything. It is looking at God, the fountain of all-satisfying, living water, and saying No thank you, and turning to the television, sex, parties, booze, money, prestige, a house in the suburbs, a vacation, a new computer program, and saying Yes! Thats insane! You know why: because when Im satisfied in her, I make much of her. I am well aware that after reading such strong language some people will feel guilty. So you ring the doorbell, and she opens the door, and I say, Happy anniversary, Nol. She says, Oh, Johnny, theyre beautiful. I believe in the self-denial that the rich young ruler couldnt understand but that Jesus taught in that moment: Go sell everything youve got young man and come follow me, and youll have treasure in heaven (Mark 10:21). The most passionate heart in all the universe for God is Gods heart. It is true, it is true. And hundreds of you, perhaps, have heard my favorite story on this. Its teaching that he who would hate his life in this world, will keep it for eternal life (John 12:25). So just how serious does God take His commands for us to rejoice in Him? Scripturedoesntcommand us to rejoice in: Were to rejoicein the midst of these things, but of course they wont be thesourceof our gladness. By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the . Why did you? And I say, Its my duty.. He threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. 2. It sounds to me like youre maneuvering and manipulating biblical language just to make yourself central. That would be the most devastating criticism of all, wouldnt it? Doesnt this just put me and not God at the center of things? Some of you could very well die this year. This passage prompted British clergyman Jeremy Taylor (16131667) to write the striking words I used above: God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. [1]Read this passage, and youll see that Taylors statement is true. Theres a square table, and my eyes fell on a little, blue paperback by C.S. This is partly due to my personality type and emotional makeup (and perhaps genetics), while some is triggered by my long-term physical illness (insulin-dependent diabetes), and some is the result of adverse circumstances. (Deuteronomy 28:47). No one in Scripture spoke of hell more than Jesus did. Be encouraged, because everything God commands us to do He empowers to do, and He does it not only for His glory but for our good. The Treasure, King Jesus is welcomed. Therefore, he is to put it bluntly stuck with being magnificent and glorious and all-sufficient and self-sufficient, without any need of you whatsoever. All you ever think about is yourself. But the day is coming when there will no longer be any curse (Revelation 22:3, HCSB). Die, and have me.. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Were on a mission to change that. There were some very difficult days for her. You bless. This passage prompted British clergyman Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) to write the striking words I used above: "God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy." [1] Read this passage . And it causes all heaven to be appalled, according to Jeremiah 2:12. How to Trust God, Even in Difficult Times | Cru Now what is false and what is true in the analogy of servanthood? God wouldnt commandallHis children to rejoice in Him always if only the naturally gleeful could obey. If you undertake to serve him then you cross his purpose! So just how serious does God take His commands for us to rejoice in Him? Then he says that faith believes two things: God is there, and he satisfies. He really wants me to experience gladness in Him, instead of consenting to perpetual unhappiness. But if I am always grieving and always unhappy, if that is the normal state of my life over the long haul, then something is wrong. That was yesterday's message. Hes not telling people, Be an ultimate loser of your life. Johnny, Theyre beautiful! I am on a campaign this morning against the Stoics and Immanuel Kant, the philosopher of the Enlightenment who said that to the degree that you seek your benefit in any moral act, you diminish its virtue. In you, O LORD, I take refuge (verse 1). Therefore, this text is not teaching ultimate self-denial. And it is serious because, as Jeremy Taylor said, "God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy." The heroes of this book are Jesus Christ, who "endured the cross for the joy that . In your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. Dont pity yourself when your head gets chopped off for me (see Mark 10:1731). Faith means coming to God, confident that he is and that he will be for you the reward youve been longing for all your life. WHAT IS HAPPINESS? | FaithWriters What is the good service? I have to have this field because of that treasure in it, which would satisfy my soul. This is like the Kingdom. Thats not going to honor this unbeliever as a creature that God is after with his blood. Its a commandment! Who do they delight in? Weve got to find a way to serve in a way that is in the strength that God supplies. All your dreams here gone. Arent you desperate? I picked it up. It doesnt sound like service in your way of talking about Christianity, Piper. If you get this then you got it, and I can go back to Minneapolis and praise God. Growing in Grace And the implication of that, if its true, is that you should get up in the morning and, like George Mller said before he went out and did anything, I must have my heart happy in God or I will be of no use to anybody. Faith is not something else than what Im talking about. Deny yourself brackish water to have wine. And my glory I will not give to another " ( Isaiah 48:9-11 ). Now, if your normal temperament lands you on a happiness scale of 2-3 out of 10, maybe the work of Gods Spirit wont take you to a 10 but to a 6-7. So coming to eat and believing are parallel. 10:8). Deny yourself sand to stand on a rock. PDF Tested by Fire.00-End - John Piper www.epm.org/blogwww.facebook.com/randyalcornwww.twitter.com/randyalcornRead more: www.epm.org/about/staff-board/randy-alcorn/, [ivory-search id="86" title="Default Search Form"]. My praise is continually of you (verse 6). Faith is being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus. I believe in self-denial. We are commanded to feel hope: Hope in God (Psalm 42:5). Living your life at the front end with a treasure in stuff. Living Life in the Name of Jesus (Colossians Sermon 15 of 21) Why dont you go change clothes? Anytime we cross Acts 17:25 God is not served by humans hands [as though he were a receiver,] as though he needed anything we blaspheme. Thats what you do. Work it out for yourself. Verse Concepts. Lewis is telling me to want to be happier, not less happy. But even at low tide, its still there, poised to move in again. In light of such passages, I believe that a Christ-followers resignation to unhappiness is unbelief and disobedience. You worship God. That was a whole new diagnosis to me. Devotional excerpted from PDF IV Strategies (written) - Bear Creek Church You had to divest yourself of that, get rid of it, in order to worship as you ought or be virtuous and care about people. There is no such thing conceivable thats fuller than full. So Piper, you are heretical in calling us to pursue the satisfaction of our souls as a life-vocation. But a holiday at the sea? A change happens, eyes are opened, joy is awakened. And he wouldnt do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Got some life on life. Thats what Philippians 1:1921 is saying. No difference at all, just like the world, but they signed the card. Its not silly, this quest, this pursuit of your maximum happiness in this life and forever. Then little by little the objections refine the vision. Die to the world. To be a joy-less Christian is to be less than a Christian. You can only do it by miracle. If you believe, Thou shalt not commit adultery is something you should obey, then you should also obey, Delight yourself in the Lord., Or Psalm 32:11: Be glad in the Lord and rejoice O righteous ones and shout for joy all you upright in heart or Psalm 100, Serve the Lord with gladness. Thats a commandment: Serve the Lord with gladness! To the degree that you are indifferent to whether you serve the Lord with gladness or not, you are indifferent to God. You may not copy him in this. It was calling me to a quest to maximize and grow this thing, so that you will not be satisfied with inferior pleasures. Now, how does that argument work? Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, Be glad in the Lord always! Suppose on December 21st that I came home with 28 long-stem red roses behind my back and rang the doorbell. 4) I will hope (doggedly) and not give in to despair, even in the nursing home, and even if I outlive all my friends. I had to go back to my Bible. My passion, hes saying, is that Christ be magnified, made to look great in my life. I knew that was what the universe was about. Privacy Policy. We might ask ourselves in Heaven, if we are called upon to evaluate our lives here, Given Christs finished work on my behalf, with the indwelling Son and Holy Spirit, why didnt I experience more of this happiness in God before I died? We arent worried, as God has faithfully provided for our ministry for 33 years. My wife is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in her. "For you, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth, upon you I have leaned from my birth" (verse 5). Lewis liked to quote Jeremy Taylor, a 17th-century Anglican divine, on this deepest of Christian paradoxes: "God threatens terrible things," declared Taylor, "if we will not be happy." To be happy is not to wear a blinding smile, to be materially gratified, to be assured that everything will turn out well. In 1968 I started seeing some of these things with the help of Dan Fuller, C.S. And so I ring the doorbell, and she opens the door, and with a puzzled look on her face, she says, Johnny, whyd you ring the doorbell? I say, Happy anniversary, Nol. She says, Oh, Johnny, theyre beautiful. Rejoicing always in the Lord seems unrealistic at times. What is Jesuss logic in those verses? We are far too easily pleased. Desiring God, Revised Edition: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist I was very scared. I was standing there. 3) I will speak to God more and more (not less and less) of all his greatness until there is no room in my mouth for murmuring. In light of such passages, I believe that a Christ-followers resignation to unhappiness is unbelief and disobedience. Our God of happiness has made the way for us to come before Him freely and draw deeply from His mercy, grace, and help at any and all times, including when were feeling drained of joy. I used to think that God called me to glorify God. Real, Terrible, Punitive I do believe hell is real and that God sends people there. So you dont have to be the happiest person at the party to still enjoy God and find greater happiness in Him than youve ever known. Verse 35 gives the argument for why you should deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Jesus. (Philippians 1:2021). I was very confused. * Randy has taught on the part-time faculties of Western Seminary and Multnomah University, both in Portland, Oregon. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent (verse 9). Why did you lay down your life for me? you better not say, It was my duty to come, because Im a Christian. You better say, Where else would I want to go? Were on a mission to change that. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge (verse 15). Sometimes sorrow and joy do battle; sometimes they coexist, but when our hearts and minds are on Christ, joy is never far away: You changed my sorrow into dancing. It elevates man, the virtuous one who does his duty without any view to God to satisfy his soul. Therein lies our desperate condition that we heard about last night. Do you understand? Your mind spins with how to make the shrewd investment, how to find the best deal, how to invest where its low so that itll go high, and youre consumed with how to benefit from money, because money is your source. That is not my or Gods or the Bibles assessment of your problem. But we must remember that this rejoicing is centered not in a passing circumstance but in a constant realityChrist. Why? Im going to begin with it. Were talking commandments. Somehow I missed that text. But with God, he says, all things are possible.. Gods not a trough waiting for the bucket of your service. How does God feel when you do that? This passage prompted British clergyman Jeremy Taylor (16131667) to write the striking words I used above: God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. [1]Read this passage, and youll see that Taylors statement is true. It cant really be a command. Wrong! The permanence of the Holy Spirits indwelling in our lives allows us to continually access a supernatural happiness even now. Jeremy Taylor Quotes, Page 4 God is with us, never abandons us, and will deliver us soon, whether by death or by His return. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to thee (verse 23). Im not going to put obedience and the pursuit of happiness in alternative categories. . the fountain of living waters, Therefore, if Gods exalting himself to the degree that we can see him for who he is satisfies our souls, then God is the one being in all the universe for whom self-exaltation is the highest virtue and the essence of love. Paul said, His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy (Colossians 1:11, CEV). Lucy is outward-turning and other-regarding from the start. The story is that Im going to come home to my wife on the evening of our anniversary, and I have this evening all set up. Be an ultimate loser of joy in God. Hes not saying that. 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. Everything Im telling you that youre commanded to do right now, you cannot do in this moment, by willpower or decision or commitment. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, God finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. If we refuse to serve the Creator and Redeemer of our souls in happiness, we will surely end up serving the enemy of our souls in unhappiness. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. But he cannot feel gratitude for those socks by willpower. God magnifies God. Its so sad. For my people have committed two great evils. (Philippians 4:4, CEB), Delight yourselves in God, yes, find your joy in him at all times. Were told to rejoice in the Lord. Tomorrow I will argue that the way not to waste your life is love, and Im going to argue that love is the capstone of the experience of joy in God that spills over onto others and meets their needs. I believe in denying myself everything that would stand in the way of me being satisfied fully in God, and thats how I understand what the Bible means by self-denial. And it is serious because, as Jeremy Taylor said, 'God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy.'" "A farmer plows his field, sows the seed, and fertilizes and cultivatesall the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. God is after you, and nothing need stand in your way because he sent his Son into the world to shed his blood so that your guilt could be removed, your righteousness could be provided, your condemnation could be borne and taken away, and you hear him saying, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). Yes! (Matthew 13:44). Here are seven practical ways to trust God in your everyday life: 1. Ive experiencedseasons of depression, both before and since coming to faith in Christ. God commands you to be happy. In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Copernican revolutions are in the offing, and thats just the way you start changing. And the change between those two ways of viewing life and the world came between the ages of 22 and 25, the years 1968 and 1971 in Pasadena, California. Now, if your normal temperament lands you on a happiness scale of 2-3 out of 10, maybe the work of Gods Spirit wont take you to a 10 but to a 6-7. The Word of God Commands Us to Pursue Our Joy Yuck! Lewis called The Weight of Glory. Heres the text: Jeremiah 2:1213: Be appalled O heavens, be shocked. Id be married in December of 1968. Are People in Heaven Aware of Events on Earth? Why did you?, Nothing makes me happier than to buy you roses. 17:13). 5) I will find people to tell about Gods wonderful acts of salvation, and never run out, because they are innumerable. Rejoicing in Christ is superior to all other delights, but its not always separate from them. The nature of faith. Now, this is perhaps the most counterintuitive of all. My delight is in God being the center of the universe, forever, and drawing me up into his fellowship, to see him, know him, enjoy him, treasure him, be satisfied in him, for all the days of eternity. He told you, you must serve the Lord with gladness. Does John Piper Hate Fun? | Desiring God And thus, at last, we learn that all the ends of God, in us and with us, have relation to our final coronation in the palace of His love. Again I say, be glad! Introduction to Christian Hedonism Introduction to Christian hedonism. I had never heard anybody say that, or if they had, I just wasnt listening. "Trust Me or I Will Hurt You" - Desiring God As Jeremy Taylor wrote, "God threatens terrible things, if we will not be happy!" Unfortunately, most non-Christians (and too many Christians) hear just the first half of that quote, "God threatens terrible things." Christian hedonism is not a delight but a burden if we don't know the character of God. Ponder it. So lets rewind the tape and ring the doorbell and get it right this time. God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. Be utterly desolate, says the Lord. To whom else could I turn? Does the Bible really teach that you should pursue your joy with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. What evidence is given, what Scripture is quoted, to support this allegation? Consider this statement: God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. Ill bet that got your attention. Am I sinning if Im not happy as a Christian? In answering this question, Im assuming two things of readers: The question is Am I sinning if Im not happyin Christ? We need to understand that God doesnt simply suggest that we find joy in Him; Hecommandsit: Does God mean it when He says always? He threatens terrible things if we will not be happy. In other words, you had to somehow divest yourself of what felt like an indomitable desire for happiness. Rejoicing always in the Lord seems unrealistic at times. Thats the problem with the world? Weve seen our teenage kids through some incredibly difficult teenage years. Some will say, Okay, Im already unhappy, so now youre trying to make me feel guilty for being unhappy? That is not my goal. Am I Sinning If I'm Not Happy as a Christian? | Randy Alcorn - Patheos And what did he tell me to do? My goal is to believe Scripture when it says that God who truly loves you, and Jesus who gave His life for you, has vested interests in you being happy in Him. And no one spoke of it in more terrible terms. PDF Tested by Fire.00-End I said I would begin and end with the argument that if you pursue your fullest pleasure in God, you glorify God. Were commanded to feel gratitude. I dont believe that Im elevating affections and feelings and emotions higher than the Bible does. Scripture, or the Bible, is God's Word. But we must remember that this rejoicing is centered not in a passing circumstance but in a constant realityChrist. I believe in this word about Jesus from Jesus Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who found a treasure hidden in a field and, in his joy, he went and sold everything he had to buy that field. You call that self-denial? God is the one and only absolutely unique being in all the universe for whom self-exaltation is the essence and the foundation of love. Its that you settle for mud pies in the slums because you cant imagine what is meant by a holiday at the sea. Your problem is not that you want to be happy. I wanted to research that a little bit, so I found a reference on Piper's site to a verse that Taylor was referring: Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity Deuteronomy 28:47 (NIV) The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. I read the book. In fact, why dont you go change clothes, because Ive arranged for a babysitter and well go do something special tonight, because there is nothing I would rather do tonight than spend the evening with you.. Gods severe mercy in bringing adversity when we dont serve Him with joyfulness and gladness of heart may turn us to God, where well find in Him the only heartfelt and lasting happiness available to us. Didnt Jesus say in Mark 8:34, Whoever would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross. The cross is a place where you die, a place of execution. 117 Quotes About Happiness | ChristianQuotes.info So Ive been married 43 years now as of ten days ago, and I cant hold 43 roses in my hand anymore. Ephesians 6:10-20; God is glorified in the strength to stand firm. Now today, if what I have said so far is true, if it is biblical, then there is a stunning implication for your life. You are my souls desire!. What about us? Happiness, as the four Pevensie children learn, lies in surrendering oneself to the good and thus to Aslan. *In recent years, however, he has found it necessary to reduce the number of speaking engagements he can accept in order to devote more time to writing, which is his primary calling. Thats counterintuitive, but let me read you a text: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Shes not honored by that answer. Im not always happy, any more than Im always holy. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. Ponder it. So objection number two fell. Since writing my book Happiness, one of the questions Ive been asked is, Am I sinning if Im not happy as a Christian? In answering this question, Im assuming two things of readers: The question is Am I sinning if Im not happy in Christ? We need to understand that God doesnt simply suggest that we find joy in Him; He commands it: Does God mean it when He says always? The First Three Lines: A Contest | Tim Challies There is none besides God. "For the sake of my name I delay my wrath, and for my praise I restrain it for you in order not to cut you off. Listen to this word from Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. So Ive said to people all over the country and around the world, if you can come up to me and show me where I can find joy fuller than full, longer than forever, then I will cease to be a Christian instantly and go with you there. Can Heaven Be Heaven If We Are Aware of Events on Earth? Its not clever. Ill just treat it very briefly because we could spend the whole half hour on Philippians 1, but I want you to see this because this is really crucial. I will deny myself forever any pleasures from God. And so many of you are there with your face in the sand, unable to imagine what a holiday at the sea called God is like. We are just glad to have you here! And then you say, Say thank you to your grandmother. And then the kid says, Thank you for the socks. Thats not what the Bible is talking about. Its full of gold and silver and jewels, and according to the law of the day, if you own that field and you found it, youd have it Its yours. The call to love people teaches us to pursue joy. Deny yourself tin to have gold. My wife Nanci was diagnosed with colon cancer early last year, and went through several months of treatment and painful side effects. God cannot be improved as a source of joy. We are commanded to feel fear: Fear him who can cast both soul and body into hell (Luke 12:5).

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