Nov. 2004 A Publication of the Valley Church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ (928) 539-7089 Vol. 10 Issue 10
Coming To Worship ~ A Spectator Sport!
Question: How did the apostle Peter begin his
sermon as recorded on Pentecost?
Answer: “But Peter, standing up with the
eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye
that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: [15]
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of
the day” (Acts 2:14-15).
Peter began his sermon by telling some of his
audience that their supposition was wrong! Why do so many seem to think that something
funny has to be said at the beginning of a sermon? Why is there such a
dependence today upon cute stories to make everyone feel good?
Unlike the apostles (cf. I Cor. 2:4) many
today think they must implement social, recreational, settings full of fun and
laughter for worship. Religious counterfeits have seduced people into accepting
the social as the spiritual and worship, when it is not (cf. I Cor. 11:17,
20-22, 33-34). I have read recent newspaper articles where allowing church
members to sip coffee and eat pastries, or watch a video, is thought to be a
cool, hip, way to worship. Such things are spiritually hollow!
Because laughter is one of the easiest responses to induce it is often
used for deception. Consider the following:
1. Laughter often replaces and impairs the
reception of necessary instruction and rebukes from the Word! (cf. Rom. 10:17;
2 Tim. 4:1-5).
2.
It keeps one’s emotions foremost rather than reason; laughter often
shuts out thoughts of fearing God, eternity, human frailty, either reward or
punishment following one’s death. Thus is replaces edification that comes by
use of the scriptures (cf. I Cor. 14:26).
3. In such a setting the fool, whose mind is
elsewhere, is made to feel right at home! (cf. Eccl. 7:3, 4).
4.
The sinner is made to feel good when they should feel bad (cf. James
4:9).
5. Laughter also deceives those who
use it as a tool. They judge how well they are doing based upon the audience’s
response. The laughter causes the preacher’s mind to tell him, “I’m doing a
great job here in this sermon.” That kind of thinking is self- serving and it
is carnality! Sadly, though, without the use of laughter one is often said to
be “caustic, too negative, etc.”
6.
Such as the above, not being spiritually minded, do not even realize
that laughter will bring them no rest from having to deal with the foolish!
(cf. Prov. 29:9).
There Is Nothing Wrong With Judging Laughter!
Brethren, the church Christ built simply does
not fit the religious world’s use of laughter. By “fit” I mean we do not fit in
with their view of and use of laughter. Consider the following judgmental
verses:
A. Proverbs 14:13
states:
“Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful;
and the end of that mirth is heaviness.”
1. I notice this comes just after the
foregoing warning in Prov. 14:12. As one put it, “In other words the preceding
is illustrated by the disappointments of a wicked or untimely joy.” Proverbs
14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof
are the ways of death.”
2. Also, it comes just before the
backslider in
heart who will
have the fill of his own ways
(Prov. 14:14).
3. Moreover, that is followed by the naïve
who
believes
anything! (Prov. 14:15). The sinner today accepts that he has the right to make
himself so merry with “religious” persons and things, but what will he do in
the end when it is too late?
B. In Luke 6:25
Jesus says, “Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that
laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”
1. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is recorded
as reversing the beatitudes and pronouncing woes (cf. Lk. 6:24-26).
2. So called “worship” today is full
of a hollow laughter that mocks at sin’s penalty and jests at worship that is
in spirit and truth! (cf. John 4:24).
Such are dull and foolish to those who are of a sound mind spiritually.
C. Solomon said,
“I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?” (Eccl. 2:2).
1. The word “mad”
- Strong’s Help halal, Hebrew 1984, Strong’s - haw-lal'; a primitive
root; to be clear (origin of sound, but usually of color); to shine;
hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be
(clamorously) foolish; to rave; causative to celebrate;
also to stultify.
2. By their
reckless laughter many prove that they are not of a sound mind spiritually (cf.
I Pet. 5:8).
D. Ecclesiastes
chapter 7 deals with laughter.
1. Eccles.
7:3 “Sorrow is better than laughter: for
by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”
a. Laughter often shuts out serious thoughts of
thoughts of God and eternity, heaven and hell!
b. The sight of
the dead in the house of mourning causes the living to think of their own death
(cf. Heb. 9:27).
2. Eccl. 7:4 “The
heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the
house of mirth.”
a. John Gill
explains this in saying that the wise man’s heart and mind is always employed
on the timely subjects of “the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death,
a future judgment, and a world to come; which shows him to be a wise man, and
concerned for the best things, even for his eternal happiness in another state…
b. “...but the
heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” On this point Gill states that the
fool desires to be there oftener than he is, and when he cannot; which shows
the folly of his mind, what a vain taste he has, and how thoughtless he is of a
future state, and of his eternal welfare.
c. Laughter
provided in worship makes the fool feel right at home!
3. Eccles.
7:5-6 “It is better to hear the rebuke
of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. [6] For as the crackling
of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.”
a. The fool is
always looking for what pleases the flesh. His choice goes against the well
being of his soul!
b. The wise
accept the rebuke that is good for the soul.
c. True
Christians think this way:
“Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a
kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not
break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities” (Psalm
141:5).
4. Eccles. 7:6
“For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool:
this also is vanity.”
a. Like tumble
weeds that go up in an instant, this laughter is empty being spiritually
hollow.
5. Eccles. 10:19
“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all
things.”
a. This certainly
tells us where laughter belongs (cf. Eccl. 3:4).
6. Proverbs 29:9 “If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether
he rage or laugh, there is no rest.”
a. Laughter only prolongs one having to deal
with the foolish!
Conclusion: When a preacher,
teacher, elder or any other Christian thinks they can use laughter to replace
needed instruction, rebuke, and edification from the Word they are deceived
indeed! Dear Christian, laughter will bring you no rest from having to deal
with the foolish!