Happiness: Where to Find It - I

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Pursuing pleasure will never bring versatile said the best cure for hedonism is to practice today on Pastor Greg Laurie explained why the pursuit of pleasure is unfulfilling.

Happiness never comes first. The only place to find real, lasting copy this is in a relationship.

The people that know God is in your front door and say I'm going to go find your car. Happiness is a destination in your GPS. No wonder so many people have a hard time finding today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie points out, happiness is a byproduct after today will see how happiness could be lesser to the byproduct of a genuine relationship with God series called base.

Have you ever met someone who said I really told want to be happy you know happiness. Maybe good for some people but it's not really good for me know. You won't find many people like most people, deep down inside want to be copy my goodness it's even in our Declaration of Independence that we want to be happy in the United States of America and to the point. Even those who say they don't want to be happy but rather they want to be unhappy by this certain happiness in the run happiness.

A case in point of never seen a Woody Allen movie is sort of like celebrating misery and making it funny to well because deep down inside, we all want to be happy. It's been said, quote there are two things that are true of every person we all want to be happy were all going to die. By the way, you may be surprised to know that God wired you.

That way, and this goes back for centuries.

Augustine in A.D. 397, said quote everyone, whatever his condition desires to be happy." Nearly 13 centuries later French philosopher and mathematician blaze press call Road all men seek happiness.

This is without exception. I read in the newspaper a while back, the lead singer of one of the most well-known rock bands in the world and he was quoted to say this US me if I'm happy.

Listen, I bought myself a Rolls-Royce, a part of the biggest brand in the world and I'm about to move into a luxurious mansion in my happy with that. No, I'm not. I want more. See some things never really change. So is happiness a lost cause. Marilyn Manson said, quote anyone who thinks or copy should really go see a doctor because there's no reason to be happy." Milton Berle, the comedian said, quote a man doesn't know what true happiness is until he gets married, then it's too late, so only I would quote Marilyn Manson and Milton Berle in the same sermon right okay but I'm just trying to show you the spectrum of opinions on the topic, George Burns, another comedian from years gone by said happiness.

It's having a large, loving, caring, close knit family in another city. Okay, so there was always a punchline with those guys listen despite what all these people tell us according to the Bible, you can be happy. According to the Bible, you should be happy and you just need to look for in the right place and the problem is far too many people look in the wrong place and then they conclude that they don't find it there. That happiness cannot be found. Before I tell you what happiness is and where to find it, let me tell you where you will not find happiness.

Number one being beautiful or handsome will not bring personal happiness. Let me say that again being beautiful or handsome will not bring you personal happiness. I know this from experience that was in the Joe that kinda hurt a little bit.

Honestly, I mean to be laughed at in the face no I meant as a joke, you know, because I think people think you know if I was as beautiful as the girls I see in the magazines on the surprise as handsome as the movie stars, etc. I'd be happy and back. 94% of girls age 18 and under which they were more beautiful. Did you cripple how many of you girls which were more beautiful. Just be truthful you wish you were more beautiful, rigid, so Emmett said that how many of you think you're already beautiful razor hip hop. I don't disagree them just interested but most people always will say well you know I'm okay, but will look at her, riper look at him 85% of women over 40 say they're not as attractive as the average woman and that's why last year, Americans spent $11.4 billion on cosmetic surgeon fees and that was Newport Beach alone, so I would look like the model in the magazine.

Newsflash the model doesn't even look like the model in the magazine.

Haven't you ever heard of Photoshop little airbrushing the 2014 annual Academy of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery survey blame the rise of the sulfate. They said were taking so many photos of our self more than ever before.

We use Photoshop Instagram folders and other enhancements to look our best and they say, plastic surgery is the next logical step.

You're always going to find someone more beautiful than you beauty and handsomeness. Physical attractiveness will not make you happy.

Number two. Personal possessions will not bring personal happiness they can improve your life make a lot more comfortable but they will not bring the real happiness you're searching for. There was an article in Time magazine that have the title of the real truth about money and it said quote clinical depression is treated 10 times as common today than two generations ago. Money jingles in our wallets and purses as never before. But we are no happier for it. In fact, for many more money leads to more depression maybe that's why proverb 2720 says Hell and destruction are never full and so is the heart of man, never satisfied having relationships will not make you happy. No, look your wired for relationship your wired to have someone that you will love and and Mary one day.

That's not a bad thing. But if you say marriage is going to make you happy you're going to be in for a big shot. Maybe even before the honeymoon is over and you know because were asking a person to do something a person simply cannot do when we, as a person can meet all the needs of another person because people let us down. Parents let down children children letdown parents, husbands, letdown wives, wives, letdown husbands Always looked on their owners. Dogs do better number for pursuing pleasure will never bring personal happy pursuing pleasure. I didn't say you can have happiness and pleasure.

There are many fine pleasures in life that are good. You know a nice meal the beautiful sunset time with people you love. Those are good pleasures. But then there are perverse pleasures of pleasures that are sinful in the Bible even says there can be a little fun in the pleasure for a time but then comes the repercussions of its and you know you think will abide just, you know, try this drug, or if I drink a little bit more, or I had this experience know none of those things in and of himself will make you happy because after the Russian excitement where all the deadness kicks in at some of the Bible says in first Timothy 56 she that lives for pleasure is dead while she's living you want to be a real zombie not like you see on TV but a walking dead person be a person that lives for pleasure and will never make you happy affect living for pleasure is one of the most un-pleasurable things you can do. It's been said, the best cure for hedonism is an attempt to practice it so all right. Happiness doesn't come from those things that were doesn't come from, where do you find personal happy simple answer.

The only place to find real, lasting happiness is in a relationship with God.

How many passages in the Bible have to do happiness, gladness, joy and laughter. Care to hazard a guess Pastor Greg will have the answer just a moment. It's a privilege to bring the studies from pastor Greg your way and were encouraged to hear when they've helped people dear Greg, thank you for your daily devotions in my email. They help me as I deal with chronic pain every day. And also share them with several people close to me are going to cancer.

It helps them to open your email every morning first thing and it encourages me to get to the day is like opening a present.

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Pastor Greg is helping us find where real happiness comes from, as he launches a study in the book of Philippians ever a copy of this message go to harvest.org. The people that know God are the happiest people. One of the world's foremost experts on the topic of happiness made this statement I don't have a religious or spiritual bone in my body yet.

I have to admit that the studies show that people with faith in God are happier. Why is that when you have faith you have hope because you know life is not just this ban on this earth.

You know there's an afterlife, and if you put your faith in Christ you have the hope of heaven. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ. You will by nature be a forgiving person using it's been said, the first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest the first to forget is the happiest." And that's true when you forgive, and you forget that will bring you happiness all because we have hope because we forgive because we have faith. It gives us a happier state. And here's something that might surprise you.

God wants you to be happy.

Remember when the Angels announce the birth of Jesus. They said we bring you news of great joy, but it can be translated good news of great happiness and also we read in Luke 1020 Jesus said be happy that your names are written in heaven. So he is telling us to be a happy person. Now that doesn't mean if you're a Christian, you want upset and said this is not always a bad thing. You know, sadness has its place, especially when you're morning someone you love that maybe is gone or or something else. It's okay.

It's a process that we have what we we cry out to God and deal with these things, but even in the midst of sorrow, even in the midst of morning you can still have this deep seated happiness it doesn't come from what you have or don't have it come from who you know. By the way, there are 2700 passages in the Bible containing words like joy, happiness, pleasure, laughter, gladness, feasting in celebration when you say that again wrap your mind around this. There are 2700 passages in the Bible containing words such as joy, happiness, pleasure, laughter, gladness, feasting in celebration. So when you see someone that you know they never smile and and they're never happy as a menu need to read your Bible more does God want you to be a happy person and know this. Even God himself is happy if you ever thought about that you know when you look at the false gods of this world are never happy, ever look at the Tiki gods in Hawaii, you know people like to collect them. The actual gods and always mad. They have a big frown on their face. Usually their tongue is sticking out Buddha. He's not really happy.

He looks the most part to be asleep. I've seen a couple with a slight little smile on his face, but the you know the these other gods are not happy, but we serve the happy God. John 15 Jesus said I told you this to make you completely happy as I am Jesus was having a great way he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, that's true. The Bible says that but he said I want you to be happy like I copy you think Jesus always went around crying and with a frown on his face. I think when up versus telling us he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. It's describing the time when he was carrying the cross to Calvary and bearing the sins of the world but I think Jesus was a happy Savior, a smiling Savior.

Do you think children would've wanted to be around Jesus if he wasn't approachable.

I think it was that warmth that he had that true demand.

So we serve. I happy God and he wants us to be happy as well. In fact, Paul writes the glorious news entrusted to me by the blessed God or a better translation would be the good news from the happy God. I like that don't you. The happy God is one of the main themes running through the book of Philippians.

Yet the fact the matter is circumstantially the apostle Paul, the author of this book had not been to be happy about. He had nothing outwardly to rejoice about. He didn't like this from some ivory tower he was writing this from a prison cell in Rome and you know what Paul knew a lot about personal hardship and discomfort.

He suffered more than most people ever will. In second Corinthians 1124. Here's what he says I've worked harder. I've been put in jail more often. I've been with times without number five face death again and again five different times and Jews gave me 39 lashes three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned and left for dead, I might add three times I was shipwrecked once they spent a whole night and day adrift at sea. I traveled many weary miles. I faced danger from flooded rivers and waters I faced danger for my own people, the Jews, as well as the Gentiles.

I faced danger in the cities in the desert and on the stormy seas.

I faced danger from those who claim to be Christians but are not. I've lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I've been hungry and thirsty and I've gone without food. Often I've shivered with gold without enough clothing to keep me warm. Beside all of this I have the daily burden of all the churches are getting along well. So you think you are problems. I was talking about a cold.

It seems pretty silly compared to what the apostle Paul went through. He wrote this book from room know we think of Rome today. You know, we think of the city of ruins. Amazing pizza and pasta scooters everywhere.

The Trevi fountain yield things like that. Maybe a romantic spot weld the room of Paul's day was a much different place. It was effectively the capital of the world the Roman empire had bludgeoned the planet into submission and I living in Rome at this time was a very dangerous thing because Caesar Nero was empower. He was probably the worst of the Caesars. He instituted daily contest in the arena between the gladiators there in the great Coliseum. A good part of which is still standing in Rome today and that he became progressively more bloodthirsty and decadent contemporary Imperial Roman philosopher known as Seneca Road with dismay, saying, I felt as if I was living in a sewer." Nero is believed to be the one who set Rome on fire and then he blamed it on the Christian we know historically that Caesar Nero took a perverse pleasure in torturing and murdering followers of Jesus Christ. Stories are told of how he would cover them in animal skins and let them be attacked by dogs he would crucify them he would even cover Christians in pitch and set them aflame to light his garden as you would write around in his chariot. His mother was murdered by him.

He murdered his mother after his rise to power and her last words tell something of how wicked Nero had become as the Emperor, she said to the executioner.

The good thing about my death is the wound up born Nero is now dead. While this is one bad dude and she was empower and this is where Paul was and yet he's brimming with joy and he's talking about happiness is chained to a Roman guard did not. This case was coming up shortly, but Paul didn't know how would turn out. You might be acquitted. He might be beheaded. He originally wanted to preach in Rome and he ends up here as a prisoner. If this isn't bad enough, many of the believers were against him. They were spreading lies about the great apostle so he was under the most miserable circumstances imaginable.

And yet here he is, rejoice to Greg Laurie pointing out how encouraging it is that Paul found joy in the midst of unimaginable hardship and there's more to come from this message here on a new beginning. A study called happiness where to find it, but you can get a permanent copy of the study and your resource library mentioned that title when you call 1-800-821-3300 will be glad to pass along all the details again dial 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and again the title happiness where to find it and then have you requested your copy of Jeremy Camp's book, I still believe Jeremy of course is such a popular singer-songwriter he's been pastor Greg's music guest at the harvest Crusade's many many times. But you know his story. He grew up in a family challenged by alcoholism with little money but lots of stress.

Years later, Jeremy found the Lord and he found the girl he wanted to marry.

And he loved her deeply. But Melissa was diagnosed with cancer right before they were married and just weeks after their wedding, Melissa went home to Jesus. Jeremy tells the heart rending story in the book. I still believe and explain part of the story to pastor Greg Anna Sarah member was on the ground. She died in a position in regard to stigma, hardness, and she just died in a sustainable worship me. Remember I didn't feel I get course, there's like three times or her state of motion miss our member I finally was set up and no string, my dad lifted my arm up and help me up in our member I center short of worshiping and I felt the presence of God so strong in her room.

You just send them here.

I'm with you, and if I would've been obedient to take that step that I wouldn't experience that sorts of people alive. You know it.

Sometimes just taken a stab you know even if you don't feel like you know in even questioning in a sense that the why & why God said Herbert think about Christ and the cross and you know he did say my God, my God, why did for say that's right. I think he will get his afraid to say God, why is they don't want to be shut down and not because God understands, he knows your pain as you heard this as we, the high priest that can empathize with your weaknesses. You know so when he thought no one understands. She knows that innermost parts you informed you before you're in your mother's womb.

He knew you knows everything about you. He knows as hoarseness pains, and I think sometimes it we don't know what to do and we select them to even take you know it became to step aside guessing you don't have to. I got human carries you to trust me enough on my arms and trust me helpful words from Jeremy And by the way we want to offer the book that Jeremy himself is written called. I still believe there going to detail and tell you all that he went through with his wife Melissa, their beautiful love story the very difficult times they went through together in the hope that he is found, despite what could seem like hopeless circumstances. And as you know of films coming up very soon. Just days away called, I still believe a major film in theaters nationwide. Eventually it will be worldwide. But before you see the movie you want to read this book and I'll send this book to you for your gift of any size. And I mean literally. Your gift of any size you said just a little while Russia copy to you, but others can send a little more. And the reason we offer these resources is so you will help to support our ministry so we can continue to do what we do each and every day which is teach the word of God and proclaim the gospel and invite people to believe in Jesus Christ. So listen get your copyright now of Jeremy Camp's book, I still believe here's David to tell you more yet it's our way of saying thank you to those who partner with us to help keep these daily studies coming your way and to say thank you for your investment and evangelism effect a special word of thanks to our harvest partners and all those who invest regularly.

If you'd like to become a harvest partner and make an investment each month in whatever amount the Lord leads and enables first of all would be so grateful and would like to show our gratitude with a copy of Jeremy's book, I still believe so. We hope you get in touch today by calling 1-800-821-3300. We can help you with all the harvest partner details when you dial 1-800-821-3300 or write us with your first gift at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online and look for the work harvest partner and harvest.org more insight from the kickoff message and pastor Greg's series in Philippians call happiness.

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