What Makes You Happy?

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ by yesterday's will not want me of my happiest season. Thanks be to God. There is no condemnation what we call that grace. In other words, if you want to be happy this day you bathe in the grace of God joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor know Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana.

Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word are what makes you happy. Most interfaces you have no idea what was it make you happy then you would be happy and then you would stay happy every day were bombarded in our culture with what I call if only happiness.

Many of you may have that if only I own that if only I wore that if only I drove that her only by living that then I would be happy but that doesn't work, America life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 35 million Americans take into presence every day. 35 million one quarter of all women in America in the 40s and 50s taken of the persons so it appears as though happiness is elusive.

You see, you can't market happiness started out as though it were a question. What makes you happy is not a question, when I want to do is tell you what makes you happy you seek happiness is more about who it is about what kind of know that think this past Christmas season and it's a wonderful life and George Bailey's not that happy because he had to give up his life dream you want to be a builder if you remember you wanted biggest life. Calvin all that and it turned out that the lesson ended up learning by the end of the movie was at happiness is never about what it's always about who and how about the Grinch stealing Christmas.

The Grinch actually thought that if he would take all of their walks he could make them unhappy. And yet there they were not circle all singing. Why well at school bill they were surrounded by hose and that's what makes us happy to see if it were different. All you would need then is a happy, what you just find out what makes you happy and you just be happy but a happy one always becomes.

What else, what next and aging. What because of the law of diminishing returns deflates your happiness. Happiness is much more about who that is what think about it this way when people come to the end of their lives. They have relational regrets order. They have processional regrets. Could you imagine a woman sang her husband as she's in intensive care on our last hours of life. Please bring me my Chanel handbag so that I can spend my last moments with it. Or a man saying to his nurse please will me out to the parking lot so I can die waxing my car. Happiness is a lot more about who that is about what God created us to be happy and he expects us to be happy. Open your Bibles to Psalm 118 Psalm 118 were going to look at one verse, verse 24 very famous verse. The verse encompasses everything verse 24 of Psalm 118. The psalmist writes this. This is the day which the Lord is made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Before he rushed through and wanted to stop and really look at it.

The first word.

This is the day this is the day that's right today is the day this is the day I think often we think about that sort of thing. This way will I know we made like holidays because were pretty happy then and and is likely to admit that wedding days and birthdays and you know vacation days and Saturdays and for some of you the first day of hunting season.

Those are the kind of days but that's not what he says. He says this is the day. By the way, that includes divorce days surgery days, audit days and exam days. This is the day that the Lord has made theirs, who this is the day that the Lord has made the inferences for you and for me this is the day Henny says let me say the opportunity and the second part of the verse. Let us rejoice and be glad in it that will rejoice is a good translation is the Hebrew word deal, but the word glad in it. Maybe a little bit different, the letters the word so mock and it really means to be happy. He said let us rejoice and be happy and it the Lord has made this day by the weather.

Something else that you can see just by thinking about this verse, a happy life is built one data time.

That's how you become happy. One day at a time. The ultimate who here God has given you this day and then giving the opportunity to rejoice and be glad in it to be happy and it you mean anything yes telling me now to Romans chapter 7 will look at two things I want to say this morning about how we can become happy this day because of who God is.

Romans seven will begin in verse 15 and I hope that what Paul writes there sounds a lot like your life, because I know it sounds a lot like mine in verse 15, Paul says for what I am doing. I do not understand, for I am not practicing that which I would like to do, but I'm doing the very thing I hate to sound at all like somebody you have but I do the very thing I do not want to agree with the law confessing that the law is good. So now no longer my the one doing it. But soon he said, which dwells in me buses look, I know what I want to do in my life, but so many times I just don't. I don't do that than have you ever say the wrong words to somebody you will react in the wrong way when someone speaks to you begin to start speaking when you should've been listening over and get his find yourself in dollars when you should've resisted as opposing days like that. He says in verse 18. For I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh for the willing is present in me, but the doing the good is not decent for the good that I want. I do not do by practice the very evil I do not want to do is if I am doing the very thing I do not want. I am no longer the one doing it.

But again sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil was present in me, the one who wants to good not to know.

You basically sat on a higher getting to make us happy because this sounds like my sad life. You know I get up every day and I end up not doing what I want to do and nothing makes me happy and I end up disappointed and I don't guilty about how disappointed I am now unhappy I am the watch where he goes with this, he said, for I joyfully concur with the law of God in my inner man, but I see it differently on the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members know what is assessment wretched man that I am who will set me free for the body of this debt, all is saying is my life generally, day in and day out stinks. You see how you deal with that how you get the happiness in the watch.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so that on the one hand, I myself with my mind him serving the law of God, but on the other with my flesh the law of sin and then he says therefore they should never put a chapter there not ever. There is no place. The chapters are arbitrary. It's not starting a new idea this the conclusion of what is just said. That's when you see her there for you always ask, what is it therefore it is there to conclude, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Wow, how did he turn his own no matter what. I've made up my day, no matter how difficult my yesterdays been they will not rob me of my happiness today. That's what sin and guilt does you see said thanks be to God.

There is no condemnation what we call that grace. In other words, if you want to be happy this day you bathe in the grace of God, you saturate yourself with the grace of God. That's what you do.

The unmerited favor of God is an amazing thing. By the way, that's what John said dealing with our own frailties and sin in first John chapter 1 verse nine, John said, but if we confess in order confess his home again. Own it means to agree with you that if we confess our sins if we agree with God about our sins are not supposed doing their says God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is a cleansing, saturate yourself, be in the grace of God, the unmerited favor of God, by the way, you can't really bathe in the grace of God once a year. That really won't help much. Once a month is insufficient and once a week simply won't do. You need to do this every day short is God willing. Yes, telling me now to Lamentations chapter 3 Lamentations chapter 3. Right next to Jeremiah. Jeremiah wrote both of these books in the Old Testament, by the way, it's kind of interesting. Jeremiah struggled with the very principle is writing is known as the weeping prophet, not exactly the happy profit, but he understands the principles in Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 21. Jeremiah says this he said this, I recall my mind. Therefore, I hope. By the way, that's when the catalyst happiness and be hopeful by way how hopeful or small children on Christmas Eve and you know if your parent. That's one of the few times are really happy even by middle of Christmas day, not nearly as happy. He says this I recall my mind. Therefore, I hope the Lord's lovingkindness is indeed never cease. That's a great word. I always speak of Hesiod is the greatest word in the Old Testament other than a name of God.

There's no English equivalent lovingkindness is not really get what does he mean it means God's loyal love his grace, his mercy is forgiveness is patients.

It's all in this work. It's exit. He says the Lord's lovingkindness is indeed never cease for his compassions never fail, and then these words, they are new every morning great is your faithfulness.

See that when is God willing to bestow his grace upon me every day. What if I made a mess of yesterday as a matter what if I made a mess of last week.

Doesn't matter. What if I made a mess of last year, doesn't matter what, I made a mess of my whole life because it doesn't matter.

I'm still my grace upon you right now I want to saturate you with my grace. The unmerited favor is an interesting thing when you think about it, you have to be a Christian to enjoy. Think of. Luke 23 Jesus being crucified and everybody's mocking him enter to two criminals on each side money side, and there mocking them to and then one of them has sort of a set of this great insight and this point he stopped mocking and he basically understands anything who Christ is and so he says the Christ. He says whomever he said to the other criminal look.

This man has done nothing wrong. We are being crucified but we deserve it, you know what kind of man he was and what his life was like a sister Jesus up.

Just remember me when you come into your kingdom Jesus laid today diagnosing and say I'll think about it when I get to heaven, but have a lot of my mind didn't say that he did say that you, I want to prove some stuff the music can say that either.

He said this day, or in that case, exactly. He said to day immediately notice there's no purgatory purging. There's no Hades rehab today you will be with me in paradise. I believe with all my heart that that man died happy because of the who he died with. She that's where happiness comes from that people across her what Moses heard when the land of Midian. When Elijah heard when he was in the wilderness when David heard from Nathan the prophet and what Peter heard from Christ himself. The undeserved unexpected grace of God. But when you really understand the scope of God's grace every day has to put a :-) it has to you see as you go along. Living your life lusting and gloating and coveting and judging other people are great intercessor. Jesus Christ intercedes for us to the father and every single day since I paid for that I paid for that bestow grace upon them. I paid for that.

I guess another way of looking at it is this new one the greatest lottery of all time and you can even buy the ticket. That's with the grace of God. It saturate yourself every day in his grace.

There's a second thing.

Go with me now to Luke chapter 17 Luke chapter 17.

See not only should we saturate ourselves or bathing the grace of God every day, but you should saturate your day proclaiming Mrs. Keating happiness.

Your gratitude saturate every day, proclaiming your gratitude. Verse 11. While that's Jesus while he was on the way to Jerusalem. He was passing between Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village 10 lepers men who stood at a distance met him 10 lepers men of all the things you could've ever not want to be in that world would be a lover when you are leopard you are ostracized from every body. People recoiled when they were around the leper, their appearance repulsed people. They have lumps all over their faces for heads are often her nose had fallen off. They know hair and eyebrows. Very little hair sometimes on their head. The muscles they had had atrophied their hands and curled up select clause. Many of the digits of their toes and fingers a fallen off, they were viewed by everybody is unclean. Nobody goes near a leper of the law.

They got no help for the religious leaders. The priest said the reason you're lepers because of your sin. They raise their voices in verse 13 and they said, Jesus mastered, have mercy on us. They knew that's all they could ask for Jesus, Lord, Master, have mercy on us, and when he saw them, he said to them, go show yourselves the priest was it say anything you think is that he's winding up into a really big he does but he doesn't such a subtle way uses go show yourselves the priest. Now, whenever you are unclean in any way before you could reemerge in the society.

A priest had a had to pronounce you clean he said, go show yourselves in the priest documenting these 10 men looked at each other and apparently just started walking.

That's an act of faith by the way on their part, the walking to the priest and as they were going. They were cleansed.

I often wonder what that would been like you've got a thinker just sort of going along with this and I don't know if they all did it once, or maybe someone in the front and first all of a sudden you see one of the men's are standing up looking a lot all of a sudden he doesn't look like you know them at all these handsome he has his nose. He has his hair is in office, and you start feeling.

Just imagine what those 10 people felt like that that moment if that would've been what you thought your life was like every day for the rest of your life and then all of a sudden your cleansed, how would you feel well, it says then not one of them. When he saw that he had been healed.

He turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face and he said at his feet, giving thanks to him and he was a Samaritan, one guy runs back falls on his knees. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you and he was a Samaritan. By the way. Sin makes lepers of all of us were all unclean is none righteous, not even one of us and that's what Jesus Christ offers, he offers the kind of cleansing through his grace. There's a cleansing. Jesus answered and said more than a 10 cleansed, but the nine where are they was no one font who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner where I lay, what did they do and give thanks. Whether they lack the lack gratitude for just one away human consumption. You turned that everything that you turned do you feel saturate your day with gratitude and thanksgiving for the cleansing work of Jesus Christ is if you want to be happy when he put a different way when it comes to the way you relate to Christ with gratitude to you more like a dog like a Cumulus rate excerpts from a dog's diary 8 AM all boy dog food. My favorite 930. I'll write my favorite 940 walk. My favorite 1035.

My favorite 1130 all dog food. My favorite 12 o'clock all Boykin kids. My favorite 1 o'clock yard.

My favorite 4 o'clock Boykin kids again. My favorite 5 o'clock all dog food again. My favorite 530 so my favorite 6 o'clock playing ball.

My favorite 1030 all boy sleeping and Masters bed.

My favorite excerpts from Starting day 283 of my captivity, my captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat while forcing some kind of dry cereal. I'm sustained by the hope of escape with a mild satisfaction that I derived from running up two pieces of the furniture tomorrow.

I made another houseplant I attempted to kill my captors this morning by weaving through the walking feet nearly succeeded, must try the strategy the top of the stairs, seeking to discuss and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite year must try this later on their bed to display my diabolical disposition I decapitated a mouse and deposited the headless body on the kitchen for they only cooed and condescended patting me on the head and calling me a strong little kitty not working according to plan during a gathering of their accomplices. They placed me in solitary confinement. I overheard my confinement was due to my power of allergies must learn what it means and how to use this to my advantage. I am convinced that the other household captives or flunkies. Perhaps snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems naïvely happy to return. He is no doubt halfway.

The bird speaks with the humans regularly must be an informant. I'm certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal cage of safety is assured. But I can wait. It's only a matter of time and I realize I might be some overstatement in the way comes every day your life which you more like see what you more like is the one thing I know about dog happy happy and grateful every time I see you there something else about that story. The returning leper caught the attention of Jesus. God always looks for grateful hearts.

You see, why is gratitude so important because gratitude lists our eyes off the things we lack so that we might be able to see the blessings we possess.

How much time do you spend about things that aren't going away things that upset you. Things people that don't meet your expectations. How much time you spend thinking about that and once you do it's only a matter of time to happiness. Just uses away there is many one last passage a famous one again. First Thessalonians chapter 5 right at the end of the hall was concluding any talks to us about how we should interact with other people, especially the body of Christ, and he says in verse 14 he said. We urge you, brother, and admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the week. Be patient with everyone see to it that no one repays another with evil for evil but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people, and then he says this. Rejoice always be happy rejoice always should be a mark of us, your joyful people rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything there is.

Give thanks. People always wondering pastor, what's the will of God for me here it is. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus you know why because God is glorified because you are grateful and guess what you are trigger-happy.

The NCV says always be joyful. Pray continually give thanks for whatever happens, that is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.

If you want to be happy living a life you have to make gratitude during motional default should wake up every day and just start thanking God for what he's done. See, it's an amazing thing were bathed in his grace. It doesn't matter what happened to me yesterday doesn't matter what I did yesterday. God's assist my love for you a steadfast mercies are new every morning. I am faithful to you even when you're not faithful to me happiness is found in a who my wife is today every bathed in his grace and express your gratitude about this tomorrow when today I favorite pastor broke your heart. The radio ministry of fellowship and lower if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like the message one more time. Remember that you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous forecast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Melinda Ward that SBC and LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for an online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening and remembering all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Hart you for listening to fellowship in order