Is It Holy to Enjoy The Festivals of Man?

Is It Holy to Enjoy The Festivals of Man?       Kelly Durant.  5-7-18

Luke 7:33-35 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

2. I recall when I was a child, being raised in the church, that there were always adult characters that were always somber and serious, and it seems that for them to worship God they had to put on that stiff face of ‘see me here suffering’ for Christ. The subliminal doctrinal communication of many churches for the longest time is church is not a place for pleasure and enjoyment, the church is a holy place and you are here for your catharsis, for your purging and painful redemption that must be repeated weekly. So we thought this was being holy?

As a child it is scary to think that religion is some type of bitter medicine that if you don’t take it you are going to get sick and die and go to hell! If there are any children listening to me now, listen to this, when you are a bit older you must go back and re-read all of God’s word to understand many things you missed as a kid getting the kids version of the gospel! God is love and he wants us happy!

The truth of the Word is powerful and only later in life, as a teenager, or as a past 21 year old adult do you get a full understanding and eye opening after you decide to obey it and live it.  God’s Word does transform you but that is after you get a touch from the Holy Spirit by seeking Him with all your heart, mind, and soul. It begins when you decide to love God! He loved your first, you know, and the closer you are to Him the more you will experience what holiness is.

3. Where did this concept of having to be sad, somber, and lifeless originate in order to please the Holy God? It began with the dawn of the pagan religions! With the sons of Cain who rejected worshiping God as their loving creator and they formed false gods, animalistic and cruel oppressive gods to be worshipped. Ever since the redemption of Jesus on the cross the Gnostics, the hypocrites, the immature, the Satanic followers and the ‘spiritually lazy ignorant folks’ have been perverting the gospel to be a bitter pill so undesirable that no one dare try it. Forget those fridge faces! Pray and discern, not everyone in the Christian church is a true believer and follower of Jesus who said we would be happy if we knew what He taught. John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Most people think that others will believe what they tell them about their selves; they may be miserable but they lie and say they are happy. Words are only a part of who you are; people are discerning all about you by the looks on your face be they happy or sad, by the attitudes you express in conversations, and by the feelings they get when they hear your tone when you speak about God and others. Do people feel you love God and others? What do you make people feel anyway, happiness, indifference, or sadness? Do they see you as holy? In church in particular, when you are supposed to be happy and praising God, are you by your somberness figuratively throwing water on the fire of those who are shining for Jesus? Pray for God’s holy fire to purge you so the final result is all the dross burnt away and only happiness and joy in the Lord remain! Holiness is happiness.

Churches, or Corps as we call them, are our safe spaces where we can meet and pray and communicate with God. They are places of fellowship where we learn the Word of God, and they serve to have a place to unite us, make us feel love, the love of God and the love of each other. So these holy and sacred places are supposed to have the function of filling you up with love, and if not then they are not serving their holy reason to exist! If church becomes a ritual, a pain, a bitter pill, then that would be the fault of the theology, pastors, or the people in the congregation for allowing in that unloving and the unholy attitude. But the mission is not just behind these 4 walls! It is out where the people are!

4. One of my favorite phrases from the Holy Scriptures is the “Joy of the Lord is your strength”. It is from Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” There was going to be a festival, a holy day, and God was commanding the people to enjoy it! And to share it with all!

The Hebrews have several “holy” days a year, and they serve different purposes, some to remember their pain and years of slavery, while others are to be happy occasions. There is a time for everything, but in general when we meet to worship the Lord, we should be doing it with happy thankful hearts. In particular, when we do our praising with music, we all should join in and sing and be happy. If nothing makes you happy about praising God, hearing His Word, and being in fellowship with others, then you had better check your heart and ask God for a repentance and forgiveness for not desiring Him and His people. Smile and get a victory!

So if God wants the hearts of people happy, which only can happen after there has been a purging of the heart and a full acceptance of the forgiveness of Jesus, how is it so many people have a hard time with that? I think it is from guilt! Many people feel unworthy to be happy, so they take on the attitude in church that they must always be sorrowful to please God. Well, if you are doing something that makes you sorrowful, some sin you will not let go of, then let it go! Repent, and go and sin no more! Don’t be a bad testimony for Jesus by making it look like you are sad and never forgiven and week after week having to punish yourself with a long face being in church. This is totally the wrong way to practice the faith. A religion that wants to hang a ‘Damocles sword’ over your head should be considered a pagan one, a controlling one, and sadly a majority of Christian churches (along with all the false religions of the world) practice this very thing. Please, turn your eyes upon Jesus, it is Him that saves!

5. So there are the strict somber holy ones but what about the Christian who wants to have too much fun? Not here, but in other places you hear the rumors, “Did you know so and so was seen at the Club last night”. Hum, well, how did you know? We have the perception that living a holy life should be one of depravity, one where all sins are prohibited except for over eating. Again, this Is not holiness, but night clubs are a bad environment.  We must avoid activities that give the appearance of wrongdoing, or do things that would stumble someone.

Actually, if you are living a holy life, you will feel complete and so good and happy and blessed and full of the Spirit all the time that you will feel little desire to want to be entertained by the world and be around the people of the world who are obviously trying to make their selves feel good by being around others with artificial stimulations (excessive, dance and drink, etc.). These people may laugh with friends but you and I can often see in their eyes sadness, worry and confusion. But more often than not many of the local festivals, national ‘holidays’, Thanksgivings, and Spring Parades, are inspirational and we should be there in them. These are harmless compared to other things. Representing Jesus and the Salvation Army in kiosks, my wife and I have represented Jesus and TSA in several dozens of festivals, 5 de Mayo (s), International Fairs, parades, etc.  

Here is a thought, if Jesus attended parties and banquets even with publicans and sinners, why are we not celebrating with others as well?  Marriages, parties, quincianeros (15 year birthdays), new babies, all are motives to get together with others, even those who are worldly.Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. Jesus is saying, go, be friends with those of the world (of course don’t partake of sins as some of them do) and by winning them to the Lord, they may have your back one day when you need it! We cannot disqualify ourselves from being with others just because they may not be Christian, but by being with them, we have opportunity to tell them about Jesus and our faith.  KD

6. Jesus attended parties. As a matter of fact the first miracle Jesus did was turning water into wine! The people had already drank all the big cisterns of wine and Jesus is making more? Wouldn’t they get tipsy? What does that tell you? He was not against people enjoying life! And these were ordinary folks at this party, not a bunch of holy rabbis debating doctrine. Observe that Jesus attended all kinds of events and mixed with all kinds of sinners so he could share with them all about the Kingdom of God. 

Well, in the Salvation Army we can be around people of the world but we do not drink alcohol because Satan messed it up for us. With some of our brothers in our facilities getting over addictions, we just abstain to prevent any temptation. If all the people of the world drank in moderation all could be well, but because quite a few, about 1 in 10 actually, have abused alcohol and changed their DNA into dependency, we no longer drink so we are not tempting these weak ones by them knowing we get to have it and they don’t. For their sake we do without. As God’s people we are able to do things in moderation, or even give them up them, but not the people of the world who are weak without faith, they get out of control!

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. We must also recall also that Jesus even said he would not drink wine again until all was finished and then He would drink it again with us, the saints of God, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Which is after His return).

7. So, yes, we should enjoy the festivals, parades, and parties but as Christians we should use them as a means to give our testimonies and win souls to Jesus! Isn’t that what the Salvation Army has always done? Aren’t we in the Rose Bowl Parades, in the football half-times with our marching bands? Did you go to the Apple Blossom Festival? I went in uniform so the people could be reminded we are here doing God’s work. I love to be with people having fun and some of you do too, but even if you hate crowds, you should do all things to glorify God and be a witness for Jesus. We are the salt and light and we must make it shine!

Listen to this, I met a man here in Winchester told me of something he remembered as a U.S. Army soldier from the Korean war that the young Salvationist girls would give out ‘War Crys’ and tell them about Jesus in the bars! Girls, who is brave enough to go into the bars and do that?! Well, I wish we could do this again, but laws, and dangerous people make it difficult. Beautiful, right?

My wife and I have gone door-to door and to businesses hundreds of times in our lives inviting people to receive Jesus by doing the sinners prayer and inviting them to the Corps (Church).  So don’t condemn brave ones on the front lines, festivals are good excuses for us to get involved with the people, and it is your and my job to preach the gospel! By the example of Jesus we see this implies by all means possible and ways! When people celebrate something in the world, we should show up and offer them God’s love, Jesus, and our happy filled with the Holy Spirit enthusiasm, which really is worth celebrating! Set yourself on fire for God and the world will come out to watch you burn!

8. So what is the conclusion? We do all things with the intention of glorifying God! The people of the world with their guilty unrepentant hearts always want to throw stones at those (us) who stand up for Christ or just causes, so just shake it off! So whether you are sober seeking God sacrificing in the extreme, or whether you are happy serving God even going to parties, some will love you and others will hate you. Those that reject Jesus will despise you when happy and they will despise you if you are preaching at them convicting them to repent as well! But those who want Jesus will think you are just a friendly person who has happiness to share with them. 

Luke 7:33-35 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

The Salvation Army is a holiness movement and we do it Jesus way! Our history of taking marching bands and preaching to the lost ones in the East London bars proves we are not afraid to go anywhere, do anything for God and souls, and take care of those suffering. It’s because of Jesus blood and the fire of the Holy Spirit! So holiness includes a wholeness of all people included, one of not discriminating against the sinful, addictive, worldly lost sheep who may come to Jesus, that is if someone like you and me are present there to tell them.    

My friends, we are to be like Jesus! We need to be out there meeting the publicans and sinners where they are, in their activities and festivals. Jesus did not say, be like John the Baptist, make yourself suffer and eat only bugs (wild locust) and honey preaching repentance only. We are to go to the parties of our heathen sinful neighbors and be a testimony to them so that they can be happy in Jesus if they would only give Him a try. We are their opportunity to see a whole new perspective: God’s Spirit coming alive in their lives! Go for souls and go for the worst!