The Joy Of Mourning

There are growing number of businesses to utilize graphology as a test for the prospective employees. Graphology is a study of handwriting and the reason the handwriting is started by employers for the purpose of character analysis.

Experts in this field claim that based on certain hand writing distinctives they can draw certain conclusions regarding one's personality. I am told that the style of handwriting for each of us is different and that the style of handwriting can determine by those folks whether we are outgoing introvert to what our personality is like just simply by seeing the handwriting. Well, I don't understand it but that I take the word for and I'm not here to argue for or against what this has brought to me very close home is biblical truth and the biblical truth is this second grade history to the apostle Paul tells us that the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ on a written epistle and that written epistle is known and read by everyone how other people reading you how the people are reading me will live in a culture that is becoming less and less concerned with character at a time when the Lord Jesus Christ in his manifesto gives us these clear distinctives about the Christian character and some announcements of what are the indications that our culture has shifted from biblical norms to hedonistic lifestyle was not very hard to perceive it is not very hard to discern it. You can see it in the way that we have become more driven by feelings, then by faith in the way that our culture seemed to be propelled by emotions alone and emotions are good.

There's nothing wrong with them, but emotions seem to have taken over and endurance has taken a backseat to it as the outside world focuses more on pathos. The Christian character stands on principles as Hollywood motivates by ecstasy.

The Christian character stands for conviction and commitment. No wonder in today's world we view happiness as a subjective state. Instead of being an objective judgment and that is why so many Christians in the churches today have a very hard time comprehending the Masters manifesto for when Jesus said happy are you, he never meant the feeling of happiness that is passing that can go up and down depending on the circumstances and events with Jesus really meant to imagine him saying, Blessed are you who mourn happy are you who mourn, first of all, until you he does not mean mourning over the loss of loved ones does not mean morning over financial losses does not mean morning over loss of self-respect, Jesus meant none of in the last message we saw that the first stage of spiritual blessing. The first stage of developing Christian character is by acknowledging and declaring publicly that we have nothing of ourselves that we have no spiritual power of our own.

We saw that to be poor in spirit is to declare spiritual bankruptcy that the be poor in spirit is to empty ourselves of ourselves in order to be filled of the spirit of God to be poor in spirit is to come to the realization that I have nothing to offer nothing to plead nothing with which I could buy favor of heaven, to be poor in spirit is to declare with the hymn writer, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling naked I come to the foot rest, helpless look to the full grace I through fountain fly wash my Savior or I will die. That is what it means to be poor in spirit to such people. So Jesus belongs the kingdom of heaven today as we come to this second stage of blessing. Turn with me if you haven't already.

Matthew chapter 5 verse four where Jesus said blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Morning has different forms as I'm going to see in a minute but morning and any of its forms are familiar there say to all of us and I'm sure some of you have identified at some point in your life with the psalmist in Psalm 55 when he said all that I had wings of a dove that I would fly away and be at rest that I would flee far away that I would hasten to my place of shelter from the tempest in the store. I'm sure some of us, if not all of us have felt this way at some point it in reality for most people.

Comfort is a very elusive thing, though some think that their comfort is an appeal. Something that the comfort is in drug. Some think the comfort is in a bottle. Something that the comfort is a denial of reality that some who think that comfort isn't traveling far and wide for some who think that comfort is an excessive work. There will find it in none of these places because those will truly be comforted are those who know how to mourn and as we saw in the last message in this Masters manifesto. I explained to you that it is a paradox and this paradox could not be even clearer anywhere in those beatitudes than the second one here is so clear it hits you in the face. What will be more self-contradictory than happy are the unhappy. That's really what is is what he say happy. The unhappy what can be more self-contradictory then said are happy as we say the way to happiness is sadness. The road to joy and rejoicing is through moaning. Now I'm sure when Mr. average of Ms. average here. This'll read this in the Scripture.

They say that's absurd. You know what I agree with given the world point of view. I agree it is absurd because the world tells us that to be happy is to avoid pain to be happy is to avoid disappointments to be happy is to avoid frustrations to be happy is to avoid hardships to be happy is to avoid sorrow and grief and mourning the world is now singing. If I can only do it my way. I'll be happy.

But Jesus says happy all the unhappy happy are the said but even Jesus goes a little further with this absurdity in Luke chapter 6 and verse 25.

This should work to you who laugh now for you will mourn and weep.

In John chapter 16 verse 21 Jesus said to his disciples of look you will reap a new mourn. While the world rejoices and I must admit to you as I read this and got over it again and again and I I understand the art of leadership and I understand all that I read from every direction about leadership is it what kind of a leader is this what kind of a staff motivational seminar is this distilling them happy all the unhappy. What kind of an incentive package is offering his followers not much. But before you answer those questions. I want to tell you that there are three types of morning in the Scripture that is a morning that emanates out of self-pity that is morning that emanates out of doctoring of God's word. There is morning that emanates out of unfulfilled lasts, like that of Amnon, the son of David, there is morning that emanates out of the destroyed ambitions and destroyed dream within the Bible tells us that a second type of morning this type of morning is legitimate. This type of morning is proper and it is right. This type of morning is God's gift to us to help us cope with life's difficulties and with life. Disappointments.

This type of sorrow is like a safety valve that let out the air that poisoned air of pain and grief. This type of sorrow.

This type of morning is like the bomb that is placed on the wound. This type of morning is God's provision for us to receive healing and to receive solos and other Arabs have several interesting sayings, but one of the sayings I have is too much sunshine makes Asahara. They know that the experience that too much sunshine will make Asahara and I want to tell you that the trouble-free life is a shallow life. I probably hear some of you saying man I like to live in the shallow end for just a little lot does give me that for a while. Give me a break. I understand. I want to tell you something that really has touched my heart several years ago and I have never forgotten this. There was a man who wrote some of the most beautiful music in the history of Christendom. In my judgment, yet he lived the life of sorrow life of morning and that never stopped him from writing music magnificent music beautiful music.

By the age of 10. Both parents died. He was raised by an older brother who raised him begrudgingly, who resented the fact is, got another mouth to feed. As an adult. His life was marked by sorrow and mourning his first wife died after they've been married for 13 years out of 20 children from two marriages 10 died in infancy.

One died in his 20s, and one was mentally retarded that you would say this is enough for two lifetimes, but that's not it.

That's not all.

He eventually went blind and then he was paralyzed by a stroke and yet he continued to write music great music wonderful music.

Music of profound praise, thunderous Thanksgiving and overfilled a duration of God.

Who was this, who lived such a life of morning and sorrow is no other than Johan Sebastian Bach, a devout Lutheran. Perhaps the world's greatest composer of church music of his day, listen to me please. Even in the deepest depths of despair.

God's blessings are there.

Timothy was prone to discouragement and despondency which led Paul to tell him in second Timothy 140 sit Timothy.

I always remember you tear the apostle Paul himself mourned in acts 20 when he was parting from the Ephesians elbow to warn them about what is going to happen to the Jeremiah chapter 9 and verse one you find them there in anguish over Israel's sin. So much so that he could say all that my head was a spring of water and that my eyes were fountain of tears that I met we day on nine over my people within the Bible gives us 1/3 type of morning and it is this type of morning with Jesus uses here refers to in this passage of Matthew 54 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This type of morning is a godly morning, this type of sorrow is godly sorrow. This type of morning is the only sorrow listen to me please. This is the only type of sorrow that will help you spiritually grow and mature. You to the full stature of Christ in the first beatitude, Jesus said the entrance into the kingdom of heaven interested in the kingdom of God begins by being poor in spirit.

Poverty in spirit is going to lead you into morning over sin. Those who are poor in spirit will become those who will mourn.

It was this type of morning that the Bible said Peter mourned after he denied his friend Jesus is Lord. The Bible said he wept bitterly. The Greek word here that Jesus translated from the Aramaic into Greek, is a word then Seo which means our heartfelt grief is not just an emotional thing has nothing to do with emotions. It is a deep inner feeling of anguish. It is used in Genesis 37 and 34 when Jacob's boys came and lied to him and told him that Joseph was devoured by a wild animal that is the feeling he was feeling. It is used in Mark 16 verse 10, when the disciples mourned before they knew that Jesus was raised from the dead. It was used in the book of Revelation chapter 18 verses 11 and 15 where there it says that one day before the return of Christ. The whole world economy is going to be dependent on each other and then one day the whole world economy is going to collapse in the business people.

The Bible said a going to warn that's the kind of morning the Jesus is talking about is so deep and it's an inner agony as a morning that you and I must feel toward our sin and our disobedience and not taking a selfish and likely an aspiring young minister went to visit in Dundee, Scotland some time ago because it was shortly after Robert Murray McChesney died in Robert Murray McChesney died at the age of 30, but not before God used him in a mighty way to touch Scotland. Many people came to the kingdom through the ministry have very very short ministry of Robert Murray, Mike Cheney and the young man just out of seven and starting to be a minister went to the church in Dundee, Scotland, and to ask what is the secretive of the influence and the power that McChesney had no Sexton looked at him and he said come with me. He lived him to the church and first went into the rectory and showed him some of McChesney's book.

Some of those two laying at the table and he motioned to a chair that the evangelist had used in any said to the young man. He motioned to Mrs. sit down and put your elbow on the table in the visitor who said now put your head in your hands.

The young man complied said. Now, the tears flow for that's what McChesney did. The next he let him into the church and took him into the pulpit as it put your elbows on the pulpit and the visitor did said now put your face in your hands young man complied. He said now the tears flow for that's what McChesney used to do. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be truly comforted.

Jesus is not saying that happiness comes from the active morning itself. No please listen carefully, but rather that happiness comes with what God does in response.morning happiness comes with the forgiveness and the healing that results from such morning comfort can only be experienced by those who are prone to weep over there soon not gloss over it. Godly morning brings God's forgiveness which brings God's happiness in God's comfort. This is the kind of morning the Jesus speaking about.

He's not speaking about the psychological emotional experience that makes people feel better and they go out and within another few days.

They back to square one know that's not what he's talking about. The world says that when you find yourself in trouble. All you need to do is you pick your teeth a little harder you lift up your chin a little higher your plaster smile on your face and you pretended to be happy. That's not what Jesus was talking about. Jesus said that the only way to be happy. The only way that you can have genuine smile only way that you can be truly comforted is when you confess and mourn over sin, please hear me right I don't want you to misunderstand me comes from the very depths of my heart that when you have a secret sin in your life. No amount of positive thinking will help you.

No amount of possibility thinking will comfort you know amount of hard work will hide you.

No amount of self affirmation is going to heal you sin and happiness are completely, totally, absolutely, positively, not out of adjectives incompatible.

They are incompatible, they cannot coexist together until sin is forgiven and washed by the blood of the Lamb. Happiness is going to stand out in the cold in your life morning over sin brings forgiveness of sin, forgiveness of sin brings true joy and happiness and joy and happiness can only be experienced through morning know any other way.

Now the Bible recognizes legitimate sense of humor.

Please understand I'm not against set and am not preaching against that effect will not tell you what I'm talking about in terms of morning you understand.

I'm not talking of morning versus laughing. In fact, the book of Proverbs said, 17, 22, the joyful heart is good medicine but the heart that rejoices in sin. Listen carefully. The heart that rejoices in sin is not taking medicine is taking opposing tablet is a sugarcoated tablet. I don't want you to misunderstand the sticks or even me. Jesus is not talking about the morbid type of morning he is not talking about despairing type of morning is not talking about this false humility type of morning Jesus is not talking about wallowing in self-pity and morning no in fact true morning over sin does not focus on ourselves. True morning over sin does not even focus on the same true morning focuses on God who forgives us our sin.

When Paul made this famous statement in Romans chapter 7 wretched man that I am I am convinced in my heart. In the context of the passage he was morning over sin, but he does not dwell there.

He wasn't staying there he goes and in verse 25 and he says the way to victory is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul knew where to get the victory, but he also knew that the victory of yesterday will not stretch for tomorrow and the victory of tomorrow's not going to be stretch for the day after and the victory of last year's negative master for this year that the victory is a daily conquest.

Have you ever asked yourself what are the marks of Christian maturity certainly does not sinlessness is not what I'm saying because if you sum up thinking I'm saying that please let me disabuse you of this is not sinlessness that's going to be in heaven. But the mark of spiritual maturity is a growing awareness of the sinfulness of sin. That's the mark of growing Christian maturity for the apostle John said if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not enough. But if we confess our sins if we mourn over our sin. If we handle sin over God is faithful and just and he will forgive us our sins and washers cleanse us from all unrighteousness will demonstrate to you what I mean by the sinfulness of sin. The Romans sometimes compelled a captured enemy soldier to be joined face-to-face with a dead body. There they remained until the horrible flow destroys the life of the living victim Virgil Reitz describes this cruel punishment in this way.

He said the living and the dead at his command were coupled face-to-face and hand-to-hand still choked with stench and lows and Bryce tied the living wretched pine away and die spiritually speaking, this what sin does, spiritually speaking. This is sin, as if in real life is translated spiritually been face-to-face with a dead body staving staving eventually it will choke you spiritually until we mourn over until we confess that we will not receive God's comfort God promise the just as morning over sin rises to heaven by return mail and receive comfort immediately.

There is no waiting top immediately as your confession rise to heaven by return mail you receive comfort. We all know the comfort of the father and the mother but I want to tell you the comfort of God is much greater.

Have you ever experienced the comforting of God as you have not tell you, sometimes in times when I least feel that I deserve it.

Not only that God comforts us here and now because some people say well that's going to be in heaven. No, sir. The tense does not indicate that he is going to comfort us here and now, but also in heaven permanently in heaven. One of the great promises in the book of Revelation is that he shall wipe away our tears. How because there no longer will be morning over sin want to tell you this number and conclude as I spend time before the Lord. Going through this in preparing this and I'll bring your word from the Lord. I began to think what are the things that stops Christians from proper morning over sin infects is a very thing that stops unbelievers from coming to the kingdom.

First of all I'm going to tell you conceit conceit conceit will always hinder you from morning when drumming by conceit conceit tells you that there is nothing in your life that you need to mourn over the problem is with the other people. The problem is not with you. The problem is with your spouse. The problem is with your children. The problem is with your parents. You know the problems with these other people in the church. The problems with these other people in your work.

You really have nothing to mourn over that will hinder you from morning and will hinder you subsequently from receiving the comfort that comes from the hand of the Lord in a callous cook will grow in any part of the skin by rubbing on adjustable that part of the skin becomes callous and we become insensitive to God's voice. Our hearts grow callous to sin. Consequently, we do nothing more I hear people when they are knee-deep in sin. They say to me this is the way everybody lives sure sin is bad, but is not as bad as some of these other people.

After all, God has forgiven me.

Please, for me right Jesus said blessed are those who mourn over this for they shall be truly comforted. The second thing that I have watched and people that will hinder them from proper morning and consequently keeping true happiness locked out of the life permanently seems at least his despair.

Despair and by despair I mean giving up on God by despair I mean putting ourselves out of God's grace, the ones who are in despair often say I am destined to sin. It is part of human nature it cannot be helped with despair does his excuses sin despair hinders God's mercy. Despair denies the fact that God is calling us even his longing for us to come in mourn over our sin, so that he can comfort us. Do you know that God really longs to comfort you today. He really does.

If there is a sermon which levels the ground for preachers and listeners alike. This oneness we all stand on equal footing, for we all have fallen short. As we come to a holy God who loves us so and longs to comfort us. Don't click despair on the one hand, or conceit, on the other hand, stop you from searching your heart and morning overseeing in order to the human experience the comfort of the Lord. Heavenly father, we thank you that we can come to you with confidence. Nothing us, but in the Lord Jesus Christ our intercession belongs to confidence longs to bless us, who longs to enrich us and we come to you morning over anything that has hindered our love for you. Anything that hindered our growth. Anything that has hindered our serving the name of the Lord Jesus I pray, cleanse us from this. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward