(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Alright, the title of this message this morning is laugh it up laugh it up. Something happened to me earlier throughout this week I was out at work I work for a moving company right while I was out at work I was attempting to give the gospel to a co-worker of mine I've heard it said once before that you know the workplace is not necessarily the right place to be giving the gospel and that's true because when you're at work you're on your bosses dime you're out there to help him make money you're in your bosses in business to make money and when you're at work you should be there for your boss doing whatever you can to help them out but the job that I do specifically you know I also do a lot of service I drive around and I you know bring people furniture and I move from place to place so when it comes to co-workers I was told a long time ago when you're in the truck by yourself with the co-worker it's appropriate to give the gospel and I did I attempted to you guys know since I've been here since I've been at work I've given the gospel to a handful of my co-workers some of which get saved and some of which don't this one co-worker in particular right I was giving him the gospel well giving him the gospel this this I'm gonna call him a kid even though he's actually older than me I think he's like 32 or 34 he doesn't act like his age obviously and he is a very immature guy and I'm going through the plan of salvation but I'm giving it to him in tidbits not normally like how we would at the door because obviously that's the best way to present the gospel is going through the simple you know way of salvation you know the Bible way to heaven but in this scenario I kinda had to like jump around and explain some certain things and this guy is wanting to be a DJ like that's like his thing he wants to be a professional musician DJ and like going around and doing parties for people and stuff like that so as I'm going through the plan of salvation right I noticed that before this a lot of the co-workers and me and others you know it's okay to have a good time to go around and laugh and be silly and have jokes and you know just kind of have make light of things but when it comes to work it's called work it's not called play right it's a place of business it's a place that we're to go to to take serious especially has we believe that the Bible clearly teaches has sold providers of our houses as men and to take our work very serious and when I'm on the clock and I hear the young guys chatting around and being goofy and silly I think I need to leave through example a way and showing them how to be serious how to know when to be silly and goofy and fun and know when to be serious and stern and be important so they everyone knows this guy's that silly goofy easygoing joke full guy right and you know that guy that just is always about having fun it's always a joke and life is nothing serious I mean we all know the famous quote from the Batman scene of the Joker right he looks at Batman he says why so serious right and that's the character the Joker which is a clown which is a which is someone that doesn't he's an evil person but nevertheless right as I'm attempting to give him the gospel all of a sudden he is critically listening he's critically listening and he and he wants to know what the Bible has to say and what I'm trying to show him and I go through the whole plan of salvation and what's funny was at the very end when he never called upon the name of the Lord he had a lot of hang-ups he had a lot of you know arguments and you know as the Bible clearly teaches an heretic after the first and second admonition reject right and move on and you know I'm giving him time and chance and chance and when at when the end came he just he didn't believe it and I was like okay well at least I sowed a seed or I may have watered a plant or I did something to give you the truth and in the process of this at the very end he looks over at me and he goes now I'm depressed now I'm really upset I didn't want to hear this this is the last thing I wanted to hear I didn't want to know the truth of heaven hell God judgment and these things so when I read when I looked over at him I realized as the Bible clearly teaches right remember the bulletin that I showed you guys earlier look down at it your bulletin and Isaiah 22 verse 13 it says in the latter half let us eat drink for tomorrow we shall die see the world does not want to know about the things of God they don't want to know there's a future judgment coming they just want to eat drink they want to be married they want to have fun now they want their best life now they want to have fun now and you know what they're gonna laugh it up laugh it up because here's the thing at the end of the day we're all gonna die and death is inevitable some people don't think so some people don't think they're ever gonna die but the Bible says it's appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment it is inevitable that you will die and you will meet your maker the question is are you a sheep or are you a goat and if you're a sheep and you're a child of God you're in God's blessing you're saved you're sealed into the day of redemption you will see the Lord Jesus Christ and brothers and sisters who have also believed but if you're a goat and you have not believed there is an eternal judgment for you there is an eternal pit of hell and it's waiting for the unsaved and the Bible makes very clear that if you do not put your faith in Christ you will end up in this place it says for instance in Revelation chapter 21 verse 8 but the fearful and the unbelieving and the abominable the whoremonger the sorcerer and murderers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth the fire on brimstone which is the second death and we preach that time and time again and you know and I know that when we go out preaching the gospel haven't you had it to where you're attempting to show someone God's glorious gospel the message of hope the message of salvation and the lost and as you're explaining it they laugh at you they laugh they mock at it they think it's a joke they think it's a game and you know what I just tell him I just think to myself father forgive them they know not what they do but nevertheless laugh it up because at the end of the day is it me you're trying to make fun of and they are they're trying to associate us with the plan of salvation because we should we are ambassadors right in Christ's stead and we need to know that when the unsaved are laughing at you they're not laughing at you they're laughing at God because we are representatives of God on earth now like I mentioned before our bulletin right I don't know if you've noticed by now but we have a verse and a picture that's associated to the sermon now look down at the picture if you would on the bulletin this is a very iconic image it is an image that is actually found in ancient Greece and I'm gonna read for you what the Wikipedia says the origins of this image is it's the laugh now cry later image it's two masks one smiling and being silly and giddy and the other one is crying and weeping and it says in Wikipedia the image of two masks one frowning and one smiling are symbols of the performing arts and the last or in the past this symbol was often used on maps to indicate a theater this symbol originated in Greece so back in ancient Grecian Empire when you wanted to know where the theater was or the place of entertainment and fun they associated this image to where the theater was where the performing arts would be where the puppet show would be where the place of entertainment would be so obviously this image I believe is a very accurate representation of what the world is going to experience they will laugh now laugh it up but if you don't take serious God heaven hell the Bible and things like that you will cry later and not only will you cry you will weep you'll be gnashing your teeth you'll be in anguish and torment forever and that word doesn't sink into a lot of people's mind for ever never and everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels and I want us to understand the severity of what is going on around us but not to be discouraged when you're laughed at when you're made fun of look they made fun of the prophets they made fun of the disciples they made fun of Jesus Christ himself but who's gonna be laughing at the end look down if you would at Proverbs chapter 1 look at verse 26 what does it say I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation in your desk your destruction cometh has a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you you know one day the Lord and it's true the Bible makes very clear the Lord is not willing that any would perish but that all would come to repentance nevertheless there comes a time when God says I will love them no more and this is a problem in the state of Christianity today they don't think God is serious they think God is only love all love and not judgmental and not some man of wrath God is vengeful he is jealous he is all loving and he's all these attributes and some so this gets me into my first point my first point is this the world just wants to be amused all the time and look I tend to fall guilty of this sometimes I want to have a good time in my life I remember when I first married my wife something I explained to her is that in my life I want to go around having as much fun as I possibly can and that's not necessarily a bad thing but you got to remember that at the end of the day life is more than just fun that's the icing on the cake it's the cherry on top it's the nice parts of life but the Bible teaches us in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 right there's a time to laugh and there's a time to mourn there's a time to dance and I don't know the other part to that one but there's a time in a season for everything and it is appropriate to sometimes not have fun not to be amused not to be having our fancies tickled so to say because life is more than that now the unsaved they don't understand this the unsaved are going around in in their life trying at all points to have a good time they're trying to suppress the facts that they're miserable and depressed and you know if you don't have the Lord Jesus Christ let me tell you this you're miserable you may be putting a front out to everyone that you're not miserable but at the end of the day who are you trying to convince me because you didn't convince me the Bible told me that without Christ they're all destitute they're all everything's vain it doesn't matter and the unsaved are trying to fill the hole in their heart that Jesus is supposed to fill with something else fill in the blank here's something that a lot of people like to try to fill it with entertainment television I went on to remember brother Raymond he was here just recently during the second year anniversary when I was at faithful word Baptist Church brother Raymond was at the preaching class and he preached the subject one time on television consumption and I went and found the facts the stats of where he got some of his facts and he said something to me that really rang loud in my ear that the amount of television consumption that the world consumes in is mind-boggling did you know according to the AC Nielsen Co which I don't know what organization that is but according to this organization the average American watches more than four hours of television each day there's 24 hours in the day 16 hours of which are awake and four hours of those is spent just on television on the average American I wasn't able to find the stats of the rest of the planet I looked through some different sources nothing was very dogmatic they just kind of generalize and they put averages which doesn't make sense unfortunately because you can't you can't find out world consumption because of averages because this place may consume more than this place so they're just taking both numbers and saying well an average the planet as a whole but nevertheless Americans consume four hours of television every day do you know what that adds up to in a week in one week 28 hours of television is consumed 28 solid hours there's seven days in a week more than one complete day it's just television 24 hours in the day right so 24 and four extra hours as a whole or what Americans are consuming in their TV consumption and look the TV has nothing to offer you it has nothing that is beneficial for you I mean I do from time to time watch me a documentary I do from time to time watch me something educational I even watch something that is entertaining there I said it but nevertheless four hours four hours is a long time that you could fill with so much other important things if you read your Bible four hours a day for a year you'd read the Bible in a hole like four times so what's more important to the person in this world but Kim Kardashian is doing or what the Lord Jesus Christ has to offer us and look what does that add up to in a year in a 12-month year four hours a day 28 hours a week adds up to two months of the year of complete television consumption for crying out loud could you imagine a guy sitting down for two solid months not sleeping just watching a screen you want to talk about programming you want to talk about twisting how you think stick someone in front of a screen for two months of the year they will be programmed period no matter what I'm not above this and neither should any of us we need to realize the importance the severity of our time we only have so much time on this earth right and we need to find ourselves utilizing our time in the best way possible I'm not saying don't have fun I'm saying the fun should not be the priority it should not be the majority it should not be most often is fun now if you take this to considerate this is just television I'm not good I'm gonna get into other things but I don't have a lot of stats on these other things because I don't have enough time to prep this all in my sermon but what else are other things that people use to fill their time with for fun drugs alcohol which falls into drugs in my opinion partying which I want time out of conversation what define party what does this mean to party you know because it's funny if you think about it right I remember when I was young and stupid I party what does this mean right well you're dancing well why do you just call it dancing well you're drinking why don't you just call it drinking well I'm talking to friends why don't you just call it volleying with friends see there's a difference but you they just put it under a generic term of party why cuz it sounds fun it sounds exciting it sounds like something you desire and want let's party well what are we gonna do we're gonna dance why don't you say we're gonna go dance oh we're gonna go you know talk story with friends why don't you just say we're gonna go talk story with friends they want to use this term on a very specific reason we're gonna party because it appeals to a younger demographic and I couldn't like I said find statistics and stats on how many people participate in drugs for entertaining reasons because you know and I know that I would venture to guess 75 to to even 80% of people are probably consuming and using drugs for entertainment and what good it's not helping your physical health it's not helping your mental health you're just doing it because they are trying to either suppress something numb something or they're trying to have fun and look kids listen up the Bible says that there are people who enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that things that are sinful are not pleasurable but they are pleasurable for a season which means a small moment in time but you got to realize that your parents of the Bible are teaching you things that will give you fun for your whole life the whole spectrum of your life you can have a lot of fun in a short period of time or you can have a little bit of fun throughout your whole life I mean there's nothing wrong with having a good wholesome moral game night with your family friends and brothers and sisters and talking about wholesome things and having a singing to the Lord these are great thing I have fun when I sing I don't know about you guys but I do I have fun when I'm talking doctrine with brothers and sisters in Christ I have fun when I'm playing a generic board game with someone but I don't need to go out and get inebriated to have fun and that's what I'm trying to get at they don't understand that they don't even know how to have normal clean natural fun but turn if you would to Proverbs chapter 23 a lot of what we're gonna be in is in the book of Proverbs and I forgot to quote it but a moment ago it talked about the simple one right people who are out trying to have fun or constantly just simple tins and there's nothing wrong with being simple but staying in your simplicity is a problem the Bible says we need to get wisdom we need to educate ourselves we need to press towards the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus we want to go into perfection we want to educate ourselves that's a good thing let me tell you this sometimes educating yourself is not fun I'll admit that learning another language at strengthening your math you know doing your history your science it's not always the funnest thing but the end thereof you'll realize that it's better off for you you're actually gonna have more fun in life you have more knowledge but the simple person is out in their life not trying to further their education sharpen their mind they just want to stay simple and enjoy shallow things things that are not really deep things that are just I mean similar to that of children children are easily amused and that's fine it's nothing wrong if kids laugh at a simple joke but elder people people who are in their 20 30 40s laughing at something that's not even funny and you know and I know one of the most irritating ridiculous things to hear is a bunch of drunk people bantering and sounding like a bunch of idiots laughing at nonsensical stuff look it's ridiculous they're they're so out of their mind they look and sound like children in ways but look down at your Bible if you would at Proverbs chapter 23 verse 29 what does the Bible tell us about people who are using drugs to find entertainment Proverbs chapter 23 verse 29 it reads who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions all three of those don't sound good right whoa sorrow contention who hath babbling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes they that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek mix wine look not thou upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his color in the cup when it moveth itself aright at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder so I'm gonna pause there really quickly on verse 32 at the last it biteth as a serpent and stingeth as an adder so remember like I said earlier kids there is a pleasure of sin for a season and like I said I would be doing you guys an injustice if I wouldn't warn you of the the wiles of sin they look appealing they in ways probably are very appealing but they at the last will sting like a serpent and bite like an adder meaning that the end of that you have wounds you have woes you'll have sorrows you'll have redness of eyes you have wounds without cause so is it all worth it in the end no it's not worth it I have a saying in my house and it's choose your suffering you either suffer a lot for a short period of time or you suffer a little throughout the long period of your life and let me tell you this if you choose your suffering in life you're gonna find yourself having a better life in the hole because you can either get it all at once or you distribute it on your own self-discipline throughout your life meaning that when your friends try to make fun of you for not going out and hanging out and partying with them and they laugh at you look I know it hurts I know peer pressure exists I know it's not fun to be laughed at by your friends but look what's the title of this message laugh it up take it to the bank you don't even realize that at the end of that road is mirth heaviness wickedness destruction remember the story of the prodigal son right he wanted to go out in his life and enjoy it all now take it all in party and what happened to him he destroyed his life now praise the Lord the prodigal son got it right and came back and was willing to understand the errors of his ways because he had a good father that raised him in a good godly home and he realized what was bestowed upon him from a young age but not a lot of the world is like this do you think that people are hearing messages like this constantly not at all you know this I know this they are wanting to surround themselves with people that will tell them what they want to hear not what they need to hear what they want to hear the Bible says in the end times they will heat to themselves teachers having itching ears meaning they're gonna find people that tell them what they want to hear but nevertheless what does the Bible say preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine meaning that we first reprove someone we then rebuke them but the end is to exhort them to lift them up but nevertheless let's keep going the end of that road of drunkenness drug abuse and all these things that the world has the offer is woes it goes on to read in verse 33 behind I shall behold strange women and thine heart shall utter perverse things yea thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or as he that lieth upon the top of a mass they have stricken me shalt thou say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again for crying out loud you and I know about people who have drug addiction people who are addicted to this lifestyle who desire this lifestyle who want this lifestyle and I wish more than ever some of my loved ones I could grab shake it out of them because the Bible makes very clear reprove enters more into a wise man than a stripe on a hundred stripes on a fool's back if I could beat someone a hundred times on their back and at the end of that they get it then I would do it whoa why would you want to beat someone because I want what's best for them I want them to realize that if they continue on this road it's going to destroy them who are you to judge how do you know these things the Word of God has told us that the end of these things it bite us as a as a adder and sting it like a serpent so you can either believe it or not nevertheless laugh it up and remember that co-worker I mentioned in the beginning right who was telling me he was depressed but what do you think he did the second he stepped out of the truck he went and laughed up another joke and made fun and was just constantly enjoying the rest of his day what does it say in this verse in verse 35 they have stricken me shalt thou say and when and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again for crying out loud as a dog return it to his vomit so is people who are willing to go back to their folly okay David we get it the world out there is laughing up a storm they're making fun of the things of God they're not taking these things serious well why would they do this they want to be amused all the time they consume television they're into drugs but here's the thing the world back to this television consumption what is the world teaching people the world is teaching people that you do not ever want to have a negative feeling you do not ever want to be depressed you do not ever want to hate something be negative be upset or any of that anything that is bad negative anger hate is equals bad period that's what the world is pushing the world wants people to think that if you are sorrowful there's something wrong with you why are you sorrowful well for crying out loud there have been people who have lost loved ones and they get in the business world time of mourning right which is natural that's appropriate that is good if you lost a loved one a brother a sister a wife a husband a mom a dad a grandma grandma you lost someone that is near and dear to you and that makes you sad you're not crazy that is okay but the world looks at you and say what's wrong with you why are you sad you shouldn't be here's some antidepressant you should not be depressed about this why are you depressed because I lost a loved one and even for the Christian who truly understands that their loved one is saved and on their way to heaven we don't need to mourn as the heathen do nevertheless we mourn morning is okay there's a time to eat and a time to laugh and in our lives Jesus Christ was known as a man of much sorrow Jesus Christ went around his life doing good preaching the gospel preaching the truth healing people doing all these things but if you can associate a term to Jesus you know what it was sorrow in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us he who knew no sin he became sin for us that we may be known as the righteousness of God in him he was tempted to know points like as we are yet without sin if anyone in this world had any reason to not be punished or not take on the struggles that we deserve it's Jesus Christ nevertheless he did that because he loves us and we need to look at that as an example and realize that our Lord who we serve was known as a man of much sorrows so I'm not saying go around as a sad sap and just be sad all the time indeed be depressed but it's okay from time to time to look at your nation look at your island look at your family and the degeneracy of man and be sad about it what was Jeremiah known as he was known as a weeping prophet he wrote the book of Lamentations which is another word of saying crying he was sorrowful he looked at Judah and was sad he didn't want to see his people destroyed but he knew God was just and he knew that God was gonna do what he said he would do and he came to the people of Judah and the rest of the world and said repent get right with God he does not want to destroy you but he will and it's not gonna be fun it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God so if in your life you find yourself having sorrow empathy anger hatred these things take it to the bank as long as what you're negative towards is righteous and godly then you're on the right track the Bible says be angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath that means there's a time where you are to be angry like when the pedophile gets away with what he's done like when the murderer gets away with what he's done like when our nation goes and wages war with foreign invaders that we have nothing to do with like when the people around us in our nation are just folding and folding and not coming to God it's okay to be sad I know I find myself sad for let alone the people here in Hawaii but for my personal loved ones for my brothers and sisters in Christ look I have struggles you have struggles we all have struggles the Bible says the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much if you guys need prayer and I want prayer I'm gonna come to you for when I have problems but don't let people tell you that if you're sad angry or upset that that equals bad how dare you who do you think you're out what's wrong with you here's a pill this will make it all go away here's some drugs so make it all go away here's the screen watch this this will make you feel good you need to feel good laugh it up because tomorrow you will die you know what so look down at your Bible if you would turn to 2nd Kings and while you turn for there I'm gonna read from you from this article from the pharmaceutical journal more than 20 million let that word let that number sink down into your heads and hearts more than 20 million antidepressants were prescribed between October and December of 2020 a 6% increase compared to the same three months in 2019 according to statistics reported by the NHS Business Service Authority and they give this long acronym NHS BSA overall the statistics show that 23% more patients received an antidepressant item and the third quarter of 2020 and through 21 compared to the same quarter in 2015 through 2016 so let me let that sink down into your 23% 6% increase 20 million more dosage of antidepressant to people because why look last year sucked in every sense of the imagination everyone is in hardship everyone's going through problems David you just said it's okay to be sad yeah but I'm not telling you to go to a drug to satiate that to numb that to make you feel better go to God why were people not begging the churches for help why were people not coming and asking for the service of God why were not people on all fours prostrated on the ground begging God for forgiveness begging God for mercy because they're not understanding the truth how about the Bible has taught us look laugh it up it's gonna happen soon to a theater near you but it goes on to say but the a NHS BSA report on the statistics noted that across 2020 as a whole the rate of increase antidepressants prescribing slowed in fewer items prescribed than would have been expected based on 2019 treads so basically they're saying there was a time before 2020 where it was slowing down now notice they didn't say it dipped they're saying it plateaued so there's an increase of antidepressants 2019 plateaus 2020 wing rockets up and then it goes on to read antidepressants have been steadily increasing in usage since 2015 so from 2015 to modern day there's been a steady increase of people consuming antidepressants the report says with two twenty point five million antidepressant drug item prescribed between October and December 2020 compared with 19 million nineteen point three million items during the same three months in the previous year all of the drug groups observed a large increase in monthly prescribing on average five percent points percentage points between these areas so basically they're just saying that there's been a slow increase but specifically in those three months it was drastic it went it dramatically raised up and they try to associate wall because of lockdowns because of this and because of that and arguably so yeah it probably was because of lockdowns in these things but like I said nevertheless did they come crying to God did they do what the people of Nineveh did in in sackcloth and ashes begged the Lord for forgiveness no they didn't and if they did what did God say the Bible says if my people called by my name should turn from their wicked ways humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways then I'll hear from heaven I'll heal their land did you know that pestilence and famine and disease is a judgment of God in ways some people don't get that they think it's a man-made thing and it's man operated and maybe it is but I believe that the God I serve is the creator of the universe and can put on a people a plague the botch of Egypt or fill in the blank and like I said we don't need to in our lives go around pretending like all is well and dandy when it's not look things are bad out there and I know I've said it from time to time I know every other Sunday I get here and I'm like look outside look outside but seriously stop every now and again while you're at the store while you're shopping while you're on your way to work and look around like truly look at people they're not happy they're pretending to be happy they're putting on a facade as if they're good and they're inebriated they're intoxicated they're numbing themselves and they'll laugh and joke and be giddy and be silly but in their hearts they are hurting and we need to ask the church the institution of God to mankind show people the light the message of hope to salvation that if they would just simply believe on Christ and follow him then they'll live a decent life they'll actually be happy for crying out loud the Bible says the way of transgressors is hard Jesus says my yoke is easy so Jesus has a burden it's a yoke a yoke is a instrument that you put on an animal to help plow fields but he has a yoke you have to be willing to deny yourself pick up your cross and follow him you have to be willing to love your neighbor as yourself which means not being selfish and and and see what you can do for someone else I'm hungry I'm hurt and I've allowed a loaf of bread I'm gonna cut this in half and give it to someone else David you could use that you worked for it yeah but you know what this bread is gonna perish and be gone I have the bread of life the words of God the things that will help people on a spiritual matter it's not this physical food that matters not the physical house the AC the car these things don't bring you sadists satisfaction I am missing the term you're not gonna be satisfied thank you satisfaction no it's not gonna bring you satisfaction these things the sports the music everything that this world has the offer outside of the things of God what did Solomon say in the book of Ecclesiastes vanity of vanity all is vanity not some is vanity all is vanity if it doesn't bring you closer to God it's vain period where you are in 2nd Kings this is an example of people trying to make fun of the man of God this is Eli sha the protege of Eli jha Eli jha and Eli sha represent John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ Eli sha was mocked and made fun of and look what it says in 2nd Kings chapter 2 verse 23 and he went up from thence unto Bethel and as he was going up by the way there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him go up thou bald head go up thou bald head and he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two she bears out of the wood and tear forty and two children of them and he went from thence to Mount Carmel and from thence returned to Samaria for crying out loud how many times have you gone out so winning and people are laughing at you and mocking you and like ah look how stupid you are look at you wasting your time and all this stuff how remember in the New Testament right when John I think it was James with the Lord Jesus Christ and they go to this one city and they reject them the Bible says you know if this city won't hear you shake up the dust off your feet and move on right John and James which mind you John is the beloved disciple he's the one that leaned on Jesus's breasts at the stop Last Supper he's the one that said gee would you that we pray to God that fire come down and rain on these people like you lie she did Elijah did Jesus says you don't know what you're asking I've come not you know for the right I've come not for the righteous but sinners to repentance I've came to seek and to save that which is lost so obviously when we're out at the door and people are mocking and making fun of us I don't think you should go out of your way to pray that God sends she bears or fire from heaven to destroy them father if it give them they don't know what they're doing but be willing to be mocked and ridiculed for the Lord Jesus Christ be willing to accept someone laughing at you for crying out loud if you can if you can't learn to laugh at yourself there's a problem look I just it's to me it's a pet peeve because like you know I don't know you go out and like some people just wear their feelings on their sleeves and like how dare you laugh at me who do you think you are and they try to defend themselves all the time it's like look get over yourself bro like it's okay they're not they're making fun of you because of the Lord Jesus Christ and and mind you I will be defensive towards the Lord Jesus Christ but at the same time I don't need to defend him he's gonna defend himself like I said it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God I don't truly want someone who makes fun of me to go to hell now a child of the devil who's willing to fight against the Lord yes I do want that person to burn and go to hell but nevertheless the average Joe out there is not a child of the of the devil he's just a guy who's who's confused who's programmed who has no idea and I hope that in his life he learns to be softened to the message of salvation so he can get saved because what if that happens let's say you go to a door guy makes fun of you three years later you see that same guy in your church saved puts their faith in Christ you need to open him with welcome arms and say hey praise the Lord you figured out salvation it made fun of me in the process I can handle it like I said we need to be tougher than that I mean like I said another message for another time but turn if you would to Ephesians chapter 2 and this is the last place I'm gonna have you look Ephesians chapter 2 the reason why I say this is because I was deceived you were deceived we all at one point in our life we're not saved we didn't understand the gospel we didn't know the things of God we didn't know what we know today because no one showed us no one taught us we didn't care so we need to understand that though the world's laughing at these things though the world doesn't care about these things though the world is numbing themselves though they're making fun of us in the process we can be above reproach we can be a light under the Gentiles we can be the salt under the earth you know the Bible says in Matthew chapter 5 you know blessed are you and men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which are before you if you're not willing to live godly in Christ Jesus if you're not willing to get out and go preach the gospel the lost you're not going to be persecuted and if you don't want that life then that's between you and God but I want to in my life go to the grave saying I've done everything I could for the Lord Jesus Christ I want him to look at me and say well done now good and faithful servant so if you live godly in Christ Jesus you shall be persecuted period it's what the Bible promises but look down if you would at Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 what does it say and you have he quickened the word quicken it doesn't mean fast it means brought to life and you have the quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins were in time past he walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quicken us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and hath raised us up to gather or together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works the city man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we what should walk in them title of this message this morning is laugh it up laugh it up people and you Christians same thing if you're not choosing to deny yourself and go serve the Lord Jesus Christ and are filling yourself with entertainment and fun and amusement laugh it up because you're gonna lose rewards in heaven you're gonna lose people save that you could have got saved you will get to heaven you're saved by grace as it said clearly but when you get there the Bible says he that goeth forth and what weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him like I said choose your suffering weep now laugh later the world says laugh now and they will weep later let us follow emulate the Lord Jesus Christ be people of sorrow but be as Paul says content in all things whatsoever state we are in I've learned how to a base and I've learned how to abound in all things I've learned to be content beaten in prison made fun of mocked ridiculed all of it is worth it at the end when the Jesus looks down and says well done now good and faithful servant title of this message this morning is laugh it up our heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father thank you so much for your word thank you so much for salvation please help those who are confused and blinded by the prince of the power of the air to have softer hearts and lead us to those who want to hear the message of salvation help us to gain thick skin to be willing to be mocked and ridiculed for you and to be willing to choose our sufferings and to understand that life is more than just about fun but it's about working for you and pleasing you help us to guide us to those who want to hear the message of salvation help us sow seed on good ground so that they can be saved and learn to serve you for the rest of their lives and in Jesus Christ's name we pray amen