The Happy Radiant Christian Psalm 32: — Welcome Detweiler

Since you brought your Bible along, doesn't it seem appropriate that we should use it sometime during this service? And that's why I invite you to turn to Psalm 32, not 23. Just switch the numbers a bit, then you'll remember it.

Psalm 32 and the Blessedness of Forgiveness

Chapter 32 of the psalm, also a very familiar portion of God's word. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer, Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not did.

I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, Selah. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found. Surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my hiding place. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance, Selah. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.

Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bitten bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart. And God will bless to us the reading of this wonderful portion of his word. The Book of the Psalms is the largest book in your Bible, 150 chapters, and the opening word of that big book is blessed.

And tonight we also read the word blessed. There are a number of chapters that begin with this word. Chapter 41, chapter 119, that longest chapter, 128, and 144. If I were to ask you in your conversation today, or it may have been in your gossiping, did you use the word blessed?

No, it's a religious word, isn't it? We only use it in the chapel. It's a word that we don't ordinarily use. And if I ask someone, do we have a word that is the equivalent of it? They will tell me that the word happy is probably just as well, so that we could read it.

Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and so on. This may be the reason that there are ambitious men who want a new translation every few months, and say because the old English words are no longer used, and therefore not understood.

However, as long as we have some translation for it, that will be all right. I have heard sermons, and the preacher told me that the word happy is not a good word because happiness depends upon happenings.

It should be something else, like joy. Well, if you'd prefer joy, but just for the sake of not having a misunderstanding, I'm going to stick with the word happy tonight. It's rather delightful to meet people who are happy, don't you think so?

And contrarywise, doesn't it make you feel bad when you meet people who are never happy, don't seem to be happy? Where did all this unhappiness begin? Well, of course, our Bible will answer that question because it appears that on the first two chapters of your Bible, there is happiness.

The Entrance of Sorrow Through Human Sin

In fact, twice in those days of reconstruction, God looks upon what he has created and says it's very good, and then he changes it when man is created, and he says everything is very good. It reminds me of a cabinetmaker who finishes a desk something like this, and after he's finished, he puts his hands on his hips, and he looks it over, and he says, sorry to tell you, but I like it myself.

It makes him happy, and it seems that God, after he saw his creation, was very happy. But it didn't last very long because in that third chapter, you will read a word that you didn't find in the first two chapters.

In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. Thy sorrow shall be greatly multiplied. In sorrow shalt thou eat of the fruit of the ground, he said to Adam. Sorrow came into the world. My memory wasn't very good when I arrived on this scene, but they tell me that I was a normal boy, and the first thing I did that you could hear was I squealed.

Babies come into the world evidently unhappy, and mothers will tell me that the child reaches almost four or five years of age before. You can mark down 24 hours that the child didn't cry, and if you were to ask the child, couldn't you somehow break the monotony and have at least one day, and the child would say, the reason I can't do that is because I am an unfortunate child.

If I could have come into this world without parents, I believe I would have been happy. Everything, all that's wrong is parents, and some will later say, my parents were so old when I got them, you couldn't teach them anything.

If I could have my way, I wouldn't need to cry. But somebody started saying, no, no, no, no, no, and who can be happy in a world like that? But happiness is tremendous, is it not? And I don't know if you noticed, the first hymn we sang tonight was, I am so glad, and the second chorus that we sang started out, I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.

You think Mr. Woodhouse and I got together and I said, now let's not have any jarring notes tonight, let's harmonize. I didn't tell him what I was going to preach on, but I believe the Lord wants me to get a message across to you with this in mind, that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you ought to be happy, inside and outside, you ought to show it.

Biblical Categories of Humanity

In our Bible, we have the human family divided into segments. In the Old Testament, it's very easy to see that there is that nation of Israel and the Gentile nations. When you come to the New Testament, that wall of partition is broken down, and you no longer are supposed to recognize you are Gentile, and I'm glad that you've got the ministry of the Word, and you even had a Jewish preacher from North Carolina here just a few weeks ago, which proves that you believe the middle wall of partition is broken down.

But then you will find in the New Testament that God divides the human family into two distinct categories, those that are saved and those that are lost, those that are on the broad road, those that are on the narrow road, those who have built their house upon the rock, those who have built their house upon the sand, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins, and you have many, many contrasts, two classes of people God sees in the world.

The last verse of John 3, He that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the sun shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. But then God doesn't always stick to the number two, because in the epistle to the Corinthians, we have three classes of people in the world.

You have the natural man, the spiritual man, and the carnal man, and because you are allowed to have three, tonight, just to be different, I would like to divide the human family into four categories.

The Fleeting Happiness of the Unsaved

And I mention the first one, unsaved, happy people. Is that possible? Well, my Bible will tell me that it is possible. Happy, good, lucky people who seem to be on top of everything, everything is wonderful, they're just absolutely happy.

And to prove that, from Hebrews chapter 11, you have something mentioned about Moses, and it says he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. There are pleasures in sin, and every one of us who has the Adamic nature know that that is absolutely true.

So, a certain segment of the human family that's walking upon the face of the earth today is saying, eat, drink, and be merry, because we're not going to live forever, there's not much of a future ahead, let's have a great time.

And apparently, they are sleeping well at night, and they're having a great time. We must admit that in this category, there are a number of people. But as Christians, we have an obligation, a responsibility to these carefree people.

And we must sound a warning note, we must tell them that there is something ahead that will mean you will not always be happy. In fact, you will be extremely sad in days to come. And we will have to say the old prophet in the Old Testament, that farmer who was converted, Amos, gave that call in his generation.

And he said, prepare to meet thy God. The prophet Isaiah said to King Hezekiah, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. In other portions, because there is wrath, beware. And we need to tell that carefree person with whom we come in contact that the pleasures of sin are, after all, and we mustn't forget that part of the verse in Hebrews 11, the pleasures of sin for a season.

Oh, if they would only last. But they don't. The pleasures of sin are of a very, very short duration. In the 15th chapter of Luke's Gospel, you have a parable of the lost son, the lost coin, and the lost sheep.

It may be that that was actually an event that took place, especially in regards to the prodigal son. And regarding that man, after he had that which was his portion, he went out and spent it in riotous living.

Did you ever raise the question, how long did it take him to get broke when he got to that place where he had nothing? When he was ready to go down to that pig farmer and say, I need a job, how long did it take him?

Do you think it took him a year to get rid of it? Usually, that kind of person gets rid of his money. He's very liberal, and it may have been a very, very short time from the time that he stepped out of his father's house and he got down there to his employment with a pig farmer.

The pleasures of sin are for a very short duration. But I remind you again, we have a responsibility to awaken those who are presuming that life is just a bed of roses. The preacher of the gospel is supposed to comfort the afflicted, and he's also to afflict the comforted.

You know what that means? The person who settles down the spirit of God and the word of God awakens those that are careless and indifferent. And in case there's someone in this meeting tonight and you do class yourself as a happy go lucky person, I look on the bright side of everything.

I am an optimist of the highest order. When all the rest of the people seem to get down, I'm on top. I don't think you can stay there unless you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. And I warn you, and in this area I can be a biblical prophet.

It's for a very short duration. You will soon get into my second category of people that are on the face of the earth, and they are the unhappy, unsaved people. And what a large category of people these are.

The Hidden Misery of the Unhappy Unsaved

People who are miserable. Now, perhaps they don't carry a sign and say, or a little button, I am a miserable person. Many people do not. They may even say, have a smile or have a good day. But the person who still is in his sins is not a happy person.

Not within, and he may be without. That is, he will put on a show and pretend that he's happy. I had this brought to my attention some years ago when I received a telephone call from a lady who said, I have some problems, and my neighbor said that maybe you would come and help me with some of my problems.

I went to the house and she said, my husband and I are not religious people. Our time is spent in parties over the weekend. Saturday night and all day Sunday is the big part of the week, and we go from one party to the other, and our whole life is made up of the party.

And I have acquired a reputation of being the bell of the party. That means I am the happiest person of the whole gang. Once someone congratulated me on that, I had something to live up to. And when I go to that party, I really put on the charm.

I am really happy. This is tremendous. And every now and then they come, I wish I could be half as happy as you are. And she said, this has got to stop, because I am convinced that I am the most miserable person in that whole gang.

But I have to protect my reputation, and I put on the charm. I am considering committing suicide. I don't know how to do it without hurting some people, but I can't go any longer. I have been making believe.

I am so miserable and trying to cover it up. When I heard that story, I said, you know, that was an honest woman. There are thousands more just like her, men and women, who are covering up, pretending that life is wonderful, that they're really enjoying it.

If you could read the heart and the conscience, and they were honest, they would say, there is absolutely nothing to live for. King Solomon, his record tells us that he tried a number of things. He tried luxury.

He tried liquor. He tried all of the things that the world has to offer, hoping that he could find it. Eventually, he had to reach that point when he could say, the whole thing is vanity and vexation of spirit.

These unsafe people around us, who apparently, from the outside, appear to be happy, are probably miserable people. And again, we have a responsibility to these people. If we can just get close enough to say to them, wouldn't you like to be honest about it?

You're not quite as happy as you pretend, and some of them would probably say, how did you know it? How did you know it? Because I was there myself. Because I tried to be happy without knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

What's wrong with these people? Why aren't they happy? There are a number of problems that may be confronting them, which cause the problem. But how could a person be happy when he is convicted or conscious that he's a sinner, and God conscious as well?

Even the infidel is a bluffer. He believes there's a God, and that's why sometimes the infidel tries to bluff people and claim that he doesn't believe in God, but he does. We were walking on the streets of Cairo a few years ago, and one thing I noticed.

I didn't see one person on the street that was happy. They don't smile. They don't know how to smile. I come from North Carolina, and when I first moved there from Pennsylvania, I found out that we have another race in our city, about one-third of the people, and if I ever got to the place where I felt that things were getting dull, I drove my car down the colored section of the city, and you don't have to go one block before you'll see three or four fellows in the corner.

What are they laughing about? I don't know, but they are happy all the way from their feet on up. They are really happy. I don't know whether it's real or whether it isn't, but it's nice to be in the atmosphere of people that are really happy.

Some of them perhaps knew the Lord, and maybe some of them didn't, but it's delightful to be in the presence of people who are happy. I think perhaps our approach to people who are pretending to be happy is the gospel message, because those people are unhappy and are remaining unhappy, and if you ask them, are you making any progress in finding a greater degree of happiness than you had last year, most of them will have to admit, if anything, I am more miserable because the body is breaking down, and I'm getting closer to that time when I will have to leave this scene.

I have nothing to cling to. How could a person be happy? How could he sleep well with the possibility of passing into judgment at any moment? But I want to come to the third class. I don't think this is the largest class.

The Past, Present, and Future Joy of the Saved

The largest class is probably that second class. This is a lovely class, though. Saved happy people. I'm thankful that there are many upon the face of the earth, the most delightful audience, a company of believers in Jesus Christ, and they have cause for happiness.

They can look into the past and say, you don't know what I have done. No one knows except God and myself. God promised not to tattle, and I'm not going to tattle, so you'll never find out the record of my sins.

They are cast behind his back. They are buried in the depths of the sea. Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. That's a wonderful thing. The past blotted out, and you shall never have to face it again.

That's enough to make anyone happy. But the believer's happiness is beyond that, and that is happiness for our daily living, delivered from the fraudulence of sin and the penalty of sin. I know a man in Durham who said, if somebody could prove to me there's no hell, I would still want to be saved, because I lived an awful, horrible life before I was saved, and now I am able to live a happy life.

And people who knew him said, on a Saturday night, if you saw him walking down the street, it would be a profitable thing for you to cross over to the other street and not meet him, because if he was drunk, he'd beat you up, and he never came home without a bloody shirt.

That's the kind of life he lived, and after he got saved, he said, if someone could prove there is no hell, I would still want to be saved, just to be delivered from that ugly, sinful life of mine. But there's another cause for Christians to be happy, and that is the future which stretches before us.

That's still the best ahead, is it not? And each one of us who read the newspaper daily and see the dark clouds hovering, we can say, whatever will happen to this poor world, there's one thing settled, I'm on the way to heaven, and no one can keep me out of it.

My future, my destiny is absolutely settled. Now, a person that has the past taken care of, the present taken care of, and the future taken care of, has plenty of cause for thanksgiving. And, of course, I suppose the greatest joy of all is that day when you come to know him as Lord and Savior.

In Luke chapter 19, you have the story of Jesus meeting that little man, Zacchaeus. And after he came down, what do you read about him? He received him joyfully. How otherwise could he receive him except joyfully?

In the eighth chapter of Acts, you have Philip talking to a man who is now on his way home to Ethiopia. And it says he went on his way rejoicing. Of course he would. Any person who comes to know the Savior.

In that same eighth chapter of Acts, you have the city of Samaria having a citywide campaign, Philip the Evangelist. And you read, there was joy in that city, an entire city rejoicing. And, by the way, that's the only way a city can rejoice.

I heard a few years ago of the city of Pittsburgh. There's no one here from Pittsburgh, so I can tell this story. The World Series was won by their ball game. And that was a happy city. Or was it? You asked the street cleaners.

You asked the policemen. After the news came out, our team won. That was a miserable city. Drunks all over the place. No, it's impossible to have a happy city unless the gospel comes in, as it did in the city of Samaria.

And the whole city is happy because of the gospel. I've given you three classes of people. The happy unsaved, the unhappy unsaved, the happy saved. And I wish I could stop there. But I can't. There's another category that I have to touch on, and that is the unhappy saved people.

The Loss of Joy Among Saved People

Is that possible? Yes, it is. Some years ago, a lady heard about a Bible conference. And this was a summer conference, and she said, I think I would like to go. But it's too far. I'll have to cross five or six states to get there.

It's a long distance, and I don't think I could afford it. But she had the nerve to go down to the bus station to find out. And she was surprised that the bus fare was reasonable. And after looking at it, she said, I'm going to go.

I can afford it. I'm going to go. And she told her unsaved sister about the conference. And because she was so thrilled about it and talked about it most of the time, the unsaved girl said, well, the way you're talking about it, I think I would like to go.

But they wouldn't allow me to go, would they? Oh, yes, they would. You can go along. I think I will. She talked her into it. And those two ladies decided to go to the conference. Did you ever travel 700 or 800 miles on a bus?

I don't mean these buses. That was probably 30 years ago, on a hot summer day or days. And when they got towards their destination, the unsaved girl said, now, this has got to be good or else. I'm the biggest fool that ever lived on the face of the earth.

Tired, weary of a long journey. And was talked into or talked herself into going to a Bible conference. But after she was there a few days and this saved girl was, of course, praying, this might be the means of reaching her.

And about the third day, she said to her sister, you know, I've seen something that I've never seen before. What is it? These people are happy before breakfast. Now, it wasn't Park of the Palms, but it was something similar to Park of the Palms.

That unsaved girl noticed something from that company of Christians. These people are happy before breakfast, which means you're not supposed to be. At least, unsaved people are not supposed to be. You start the day out entirely different.

The first thing you do is argue with the alarm clock. And then grouchy all the way through until the afternoon. You warm up just a little bit. Christians, I want to encourage you. There's an unsaved world around us who are watching us.

And perhaps we are very careful before we got into the public to see that our face is clean and our clothes are decent, at least. But I wonder if we've ever checked our faces before we go out. How do we look?

Christians are supposed to look happy, but maybe they don't all the time. I remember hearing of a man who said, we are not getting very many people into our Sunday night gospel service, but there are people walking up and down the pavement.

And maybe I should go out there and have a few tracts in my hands and give them a personal invitation to come in. And he did. And he seemed to enjoy it. But one day, one evening, a drunk came along and he gave the drunk a tract.

And the drunk looked at it. And then he looked at the man who gave it to him. And the man said, won't you come in to hear the gospel in the chapel? He looked at his long face and he said, no, thank you.

I've got enough problems of my own. Now, that Christian forgot to change his face when he gave out a tract. And do you think that maybe some of us, day by day, mixing with people, forget that we should radiate the love of Christ when we are working with people?

One lady asked her neighbor, do you get up grouchy in the morning? No, I don't. I let him sleep as long as he wants to. Now, let's come back to that fourth class that I told you I wish I wouldn't have to mention.

Is it possible that there are Christians who are no longer happy, were happy the day they were saved, but they lost it? That wouldn't be unusual, would it? Because there's a devil that is working at that end.

Israel's Lost Song and the Restoration of Joy

And when I think of that nation of Israel who were very happy when they crossed the Red Sea and you hear them singing, and then you turn later in your Bible and discover that there comes a time when they are no longer happy.

Isn't that strange? And this is what they say, by the rivers of Babylon. There we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof, for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required of us a mirth in saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? Who are these people? The same people, or the same company of people, that were singing when they crossed over the Red Sea. Could they ever get to a place where they would murmur?

Could they ever lose that joy of being delivered? They did. To watch converts is interesting, but also sad. You will find some who, from the day of conversion, are happy and going on strong for the Lord, and they never change.

Only one thing wrong, the numbers are few. Others have a slow start and just gradually get into the involvement of living the Christian life and make some progress, but there are an awful lot who, somewhere down the line, lose their song and are no longer happy.

And I suppose that many of them will have to pray the prayer that David prayed, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. We become very orthodox. I know what I believe. I know what is right, what is biblical, what isn't biblical, and so on.

But I wonder if we lose that enthusiasm. I heard recently of a black man who no longer attended services, and when they visited him and asked him why he didn't go, he said, I can't. He said, why can't you?

He said, when I hear the preacher tell me about the Savior's love who came down for a worthless creature like me, that he died on the cross of Calvary, he said, I just get filled up so that I have to holler.

And when I holler, the ushers come and take me out so I can't go to the service anymore. Isn't that too bad? Maybe we don't have to holler, but it would be nice if we looked like Christians all the time.

But we can't be hypocrites, can we? If it isn't here, it won't show on the face, and it shouldn't show on the face. Think of the impact that we've made on the world today if every person, every person who claims to be a Christian, would be radiating Jesus Christ all the time.

I don't think we'd need many preachers, would we? People would say, I want whatever that fellow has, whatever that lady has. I've got to have it. I'm so jealous. If it's available, tell me what it is.

I want it. That would be tremendous. Someone has said, man has one talent that separates him from animals, the art of making himself miserable. He is the only creature that invents his own troubles and makes an industry out of feeling sorry for himself.

One of the things he yearns for most is prosperity, which turns out to be the cause of his restlessness. I'm sorry you expected me to expound Psalm 32. I only got to the first word. But if I can get that first word across to you, then this is the message.

It doesn't say happy should the person be whose transgressions are forgiven. But happy is the man. And I wonder if in our own lives, we should check ourselves and say, am I a good witness for Jesus Christ just by my daily routine of living?

Do I radiate the love of Christ continually? And just in case you think that I took an awful lot of liberty just to get this out of one word, I want to read a few more verses in the Bible that are along the same line.

Biblical Calls to Rejoice

Psalm 100, verses 1 and 2. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Psalm 511. Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice.

Let them ever shout for joy. Because thou defendest them. Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Thou hast put gladness in my heart. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare thy works with rejoicing.

Rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say rejoice. Rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Rejoice and be exceeding glad. For great is your reward in heaven. Neither be you sorry.

For the joy of the Lord is your strength. There's plenty of evidence in our Bible, right from the beginning to the end, that we who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have no right to be like the sinner in our lack of showing happiness in our daily living.

It may be that the best prayer we could pray tonight before we go to sleep is, Lord, you can't restore to me your salvation. I've got it for eternity. But Lord, restore unto me the joy, the thrill of your salvation.

And may it change my whole attitude so that I shall be on top of all the circumstances and be happy in the Lord regardless of the things that happen in my life. Again I say it's delightful to meet people who are happy.

And I think we ought to have a greater number in this world who will radiate the love of Christ as we make him known to others. Now there is a possibility that there's someone here tonight and you are in that first category or in the second category, but you are still unsaved.

Salvation Through Christ, Trust, and Obedience

And I must tell you, however hard you may try, you will never be happy. You will never be satisfied until you find it in Christ. Your church won't do it. And your baptism won't do it. Your good efforts won't do it.

It'll have to be finding the deliverance from your sin by trusting Christ who loved you and died for you in Calvary's cross. That's the first step to happiness. And I guess to remain happy after we are saved, there is nothing perhaps that will bring it to our attention any better than the hymn that we sing so often, Trust and Obey.

For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Trusting is the first thing we do that brings salvation. To remain happy, we must obey. And if we obey his word, then happiness will follow.

And we will have the joy of living a happy life and radiating Christ to those who are around about us. If you are here unsaved and you want to settle this tonight, I make the same offer I made this morning.

I would love to speak to you, take the word of God, and show you how you could be saved and know it, and join that happy band who are on the way to heaven, sins forgiven, sure of it, and that for all eternity.

Prayer for Renewed Christian Joy

Let us pray. Our Father, we thank thee again for thy word and for the offer of salvation thou hast made to everyone who will trust thy Son as Lord and Savior. Thank thee for everyone in this meeting that has already trusted him.

Should there be anyone here who has not trusted him, we pray, thou wilt make them to realize the urgency of this matter. And then for us who do know the Savior, O God, forgive us if we have been acting as if our salvation wasn't real.

If that joy has left us, if we no longer radiate Christ's help us, O Lord, from this day forward to be careful how we live before those that are around us, that we may win them to Christ by our joyful attitude.

Bless every heart that is vowed before thee. We thank thee once more for the privilege of being under the sound of thy word and pray that it may be effective in all of our hearts. We commit this service to thee and thy precious word in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.