How To Really Be Happy - Part 1

Christian ever existed. Moreover, through disease more integration will well and Roy's the spirit within any generation in history. So while Moore was happy to point Jeremiah suggests that we look for happiness in the wrong place is what Jesus said about finding true happiness is today's visit really friends, this is kind of a wrap up message for the Sunnis on the Beatitudes from after five and I want you to listen carefully because we bring some of this really into sharp focus. As we emissaries together right now we need to turn our attention away from the Gospel of John and back to Matthew chapter 5 and today were going to talk about how to really be why was presented by member name of Donald McClellan. The book is called trivializing God in the book he points out two very important revolutions that have taken place in an amazing way to most of our lives.

The first is one associated with Sigmund Freud's Guinness points out that there are more than 500 brand-name therapies now that compete for millions of clients in an expanding market of mixed Freud franchises and independent outlets that hold more than dollars a year from the population in America today it is more hazardous to believe that you are not sick to believe that you are the couch, has become as American as the baseball diamond in the golden arches.

Psychology is no longer the province of some arcane theorizing by European intellectuals or a luxury available to just those who have enough money for professional consolation for their troubled egos. We all know were either in recovery or were in denial and fearing the latter is as much as our grandparents. Hell, were rehabilitating our psyches with the intensity of Olympic milers on the last lap were getting in touch with abused inner children who have caused depressions and anxieties and compulsions, not to mention neuroses and psychoses in were joining support groups that take us through 12 steps and role-playing and primal screams toward positive self-esteem.

In order to maximize our human potential.

While sounds like were in trouble like things we been trying to do to get happy aren't working because word going back in droves to try to get fixed and this is not a diatribe against psychology and psychiatrist because I have a lot of friends who were involved in these ministries and are helping many folks through their counseling, especially those who use the Bible but the issue many women is that there are 80 million Americans seeking help from therapists and estimated 10 million who will do so next year.

In 1968 in the United States. There were 12,000 clinical psychologists. Today there are 40,000 there was a time someone said when we were afraid of being caught in front of our pastor doing something sinful.

Now were afraid of being immature in front of our therapist. ABC ran a one-hour special on happiness called the mystery of happiness. It was presided over by John Stossel and the subtitle was the mystery of happiness who has it and how to get it.

Among many other things I discussed in that one hour special. They went to those who would normally expect to be happy and interviewed. For instance, they interviewed lottery winners. People who had one millions of dollars. They interviewed a young lady who won $26 million in the lottery and ask her. Are you happy, and her response was, not really. She won 26 million bucks in the lottery and it didn't do for her what she thought it might. Then they went to Europe and they interviewed those who had achieved royalty people who were in great positions of prominence and I can't remember exactly who the kings were but they were some prominent people all dressed out in the royal garb and they asked him are you happy and they basically their answer was not really. They showed a picture of the Dallas Cowboys winning Super Bowl and they showed a picture of their All-Star quarterback and behind him there was an article that was talking about having one the Super Bowl. And here is the quarterbacks byline is this all there is just amazed. This was a secular program. This was in a program that was put together by Christian people are people have any ax to grind it were to say how you be happy and then they went through all the stuff they put sensors on people's heads. They found out happiness reside somewhere up in here and so that they would put me sensors upon their head try to figure out what happens. The nature happiness thing off, appear you know they did some experiments with little babies you know the mobiles that you put up over the crib while they found out that if you don't watch this if you put too little. These I think were dice hanging down over the baby to play with.

It will be all right.

But if you put 10 people be ecstatic if you take the aide away and leave only to he goes ballistic finish of the baby having a royal just lost a things that he used to have. I mean, I was just amazed at this, they spent thousands of dollars to find out that the world is know how to make people happy and then you come along as a preacher and you say okay folks are going to read Matthew chapter 5.

This is Jesus on happiness and we read it nearby, looks at you with a blank stare like and what effect Philip Yancey when he was preaching on the Beatitudes had been invited to the White House during the time he was studying the Beatitudes because it was right after the Persian Gulf War and Bill Clinton was really worried because the evangelical population wasn't so good and he wasn't very popular with the evangelicals and invited 12 evangelical leaders to the White House to find out how he could increase his effectiveness among evangelicals.

Philip Yancey was thinking about the Beatitudes and the thought came to him. I wonder what Jesus would say if he got to go to the White House that I wonder how the Beatitudes would play in today's world. So he came up with this little speech that he thought he might give to Mr. Clinton goes like this, Mr. Pres., first I want to advise you to stop worrying so much about the economy and jobs are lower gross national product is usually good for the country.

Don't you understand that the poor are the fortunate ones.

The more poor we have in the US, the more blessed we are. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And don't devote so much time to healthcare.

You see, Mr. Pres., those who mourn are blessed to, for they shall be comforted.

I know you've heard from the religious right about the increasing secularization of our country will prayers no longer allowed in schools and protesters against abortion are subject to arrest relaxer government oppression gives Christians an opportunity to be persecuted and therefore blessed.

Thank you for the expanded opportunities and he said no I don't think that'll play not in today's world because you know the DC versus two different worlds here. There's the world over here that we live in the world here that Jesus talks about and he says to us. You won't find what you're looking for here if you want to devote your life to go for it, but you won't find it, let me tell you that you will find it in the principles that I want to share with you and then he said to me tell you how to be happy truly are amazing and they're totally in opposition to what the world says happy are the humble, blessed are the poor in spirit.

What is the world say be humble you want to be self assertive. You want to make sure everybody knows how good you are you not tell your own story. If it's going to be. It's up to me, says the world.

Jesus comes along and uses no humble have the kingdom of heaven.

The Lord resists the proud, he exalts the humble. He will draw near to those who have the spirit not of poor mouthing themselves for the recognition that they are not completely apart from God.

Happy are the humble basis. Happy are the hurting, that is almost an absurd statement. How can you be happy when you're hurting you know what the world says the world says avoid pain at all costs.

Whatever you have to do to get rid of it to cover it up to mask it to make it go away. Don't talk about death.

Don't talk about sickness.

Never use the C word because that's pain and you want to stay away from pain in the Lord Jesus comes Linux is no limit some of the most profound things that you will ever experience you will experience in pain.

Some of the greatest truths you will ever learn. You will learn in suffering some of the most joyous moments you will have when everything on the outside is dictating anguish in your life. Blessed are those who hurt, for they shall be comforted.

And then Jesus said if you want to be happy. Be happy when you're humble, be happy when you're hurting, but he adds this one happy are the hardest and that's really what that means for the word meek is power under control in the world says you want anything that you want to have it all you want to let it all out. If you got power use it if you've got money. Use it for whatever you can get from it. Take every resource you have the limit read all the self-help books, and that's what they'll tell you Jesus said no, no real happiness is when you have power and it's controlled by the spirit of God.

When you understand that in order to demonstrate that you have power, you have to use it at every moment becomes right against the world's philosophy with this formula for blessedness. You know the drive for success in our world today. Men and women is so relentless. Some of you are trapped in the treadmill of self-destruction. You run faster and faster to try to get what you don't have, and there's always a little voice inside of you saying I got a run faster still.

It's not easy trying to live the American dream.

Somebody said it's tough to climb the ladder of success if you try to keep your nose to the grind stone your shoulder to the wheel your eye on the ball in your ear to the ground. I mean that's really pretty.

That's contortion Dan Whitefield. Some of you may remember, wrote a novel called going all the way published back in 1970.

It was on the Newsweek bestseller list back into sold 800,000 copies in paperback and then Whitefield was interviewed after he had published this book and somebody ask him how he felt about the success he achieved because this is what it always dream and here is a direct quote.

Here's what he said the dream of a lifetime had been realized and I was delighted. I was also nervous and anxious.

I learned what people have testified since the beginning of time, but that no one really believes until he has the experience that success and achievement, and rewards are all fine, but they do not transform you they do not bring about a state of built-in contentment or inner peace or security, much less salvation. The novel was not the answer to all of life's problems as I thought it would be.

So I went out and had another drink." Was he saying this is what I wanted. I gave everything I had to it without abatement and I got it and I had to say with Troy is that all there is sandal Jesus said happy are the hungry know what the world says the words you want to not be hungry.

You want to be satisfied. You want to have anything lacking in your life, that's a sign of not being successful.

So get everything you can gorge yourself with it. And Jesus comes along and in the spiritual realm.

He says there is a kind of joy that comes from the inner desire to grow into the nature of godliness, through Jesus Christ. Happy are the hungry the world says that happiness is being served by others. Jesus is Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Happy are the helpers, Jesus himself came into the world and he said I did not come into this world to be served but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many. You can market now men and women.

The people who really understand happiness, especially those who walk with Christ have learned that happiness is not in being served. Happiness is in serving others. The triangle of the world says that when you get to the top of the triangle everybody underneath the serving you and Jesus comes along and he says let me turn that triangle upside down.

If you want to be great. You gotta be the least among everyone and it's not how many people are serving you. How many people you are serving pastors and churches must understand that we are here to serve the people through the study and teaching of the Word of God. We are not here for the people to serve us and the greater joy of life comes in understanding this truth. Happy are the helpers happy are the merciful, for they shall be administered to you want to be ministered to minister to others because it will always come back to you in the world says that happiness and joy is an unrestrained freedom of the sexual revolution. All of these things that we have now in our culture in the name of freedom. We don't want to violate the right of free speech and so we allow any kind of sordid thing in the world to be portrayed in our culture, and you've heard and read all of the illustrations that are so current and that's all supposed to bring us the sense that we are in control of our destiny. We are free. Happy are the free, says the world. Jesus comes long as happy are the holy Blessed are the pure in heart. Let me tell you something I know for a fact as a pastor for over 30 years. There are no happy adulterers, there are no happy fornicators there any people happy like that you don't get happiness through unrestrained passion. Happiness comes to holiness as Jesus, I'm telling you, these are strange words in the world in which we live. They run directly counter to everything you see and hear and feel in the culture where we reside happy are the holy then Jesus said happy happy are the healers the world says if you're in the structure of your culture, especially in the realm of the secular world. If you want to get to the top.

Don't be concerned if your peers are antagonistic to each other. In fact, it might be in your best interest even to foster that contention. Bullet competition between the two people here competing with let them knock each other out. Then you climb up on the carnage of their situation and go on to the top is with the world. So that's a plus for you guys work in the secular world you notice so much of that going on the political maneuvering and all of the stuff that happens, and it's not just out of the world. Sometimes it happens in the church to Jesus comes along and he says no.

Blessed are the peacemakers find people that are separated and healed them. Don't foster the continued contention.

You gotta promise somebody mended.

That's God's way.

Happy are the harassed coming you know I'm harassed.

I'm supposed to be happy. Jesus said blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake and for my sake because it's a compliment.

You belong to me.

It's a credential you're a Christian it's a catalyst. It will help you grow. It's a condition to your future glory in the kingdom. Go back over those and just think about it for a moment, would you write a formula like that if somebody ask you how to be happy. Happy are the humble, happy are the hurting, happy are the hardest. Happy are the hungry, happy are the holy happy are they helpers happy are the healers and happy are the harassed Jesus said say will pastor I still don't get it. I don't see how you can be happy with all those things Jesus said, you know the word for blessed in the book of Matthew is the word mewling the in the Greek language and doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the word Bewley is the word from which we get the word eulogy when do we give a eulogy when it's all over.

When the guy can't talk back right when he said everything is going to say and done everything he's going to do, then we eulogizing Jesus said there's a way you can have eulogy all through your life you can have the Blessing and benediction of God from the very beginning. If you follow these principles. These are the principles for joy and happiness in the Christian experience but as we close this series, and as we think back over what we've learned.

I want to tell you something. This is not a walk in the park.

What I'm talking about. Again this back to these two worlds.

Here is this world over here and here is the world which the Lord Jesus is talking, but we are in this world but we are not to be of this world God has put us here.

We can get out of the world we have to die to get out of the world. That's not the issue. The issue is that while were living in this culture, we have to learn how to live God's way in God's way isn't the world's way and there is a credible tension between these two worlds. I want to give you a passage of Scripture that I think will help you begin at least to understand how these things can be true in your life and how they can be true in my life. Turn with me to the first Psalm, I want to show you how incredibly detailed business plan that the psalmist gave us for living in this world, but living of that world and there's two points I want you to notice from someone will take us very quickly, but I hope you will never forget this because this can make a difference in your life from now on, if you will understand what I'm go to say these next few moments the Beatitudes in the sermon on the Mount Wilson card to click into your system but you have to understand these two principles. Here's the first principle I want to say in order for this to happen. You have to understand the aggressive pole of the world on your life. Now read with me the first couple of verses. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. I want you to notice three things about this one verse. First of all I want you to note the progression of the world psalmist uses three words for what goes on in the world. Here they are ungodly sinners, scornful, well that's probably not the best place for us to end our lesson but we have to do that because of the time and will bring it all back together tomorrow when we finish up this series how to be happy. According to Jesus friends were so thankful for the privilege we have, you know, during the time when everything else is being shut down peers as the word of God is being wide open of the volume on our little phone is turned way up and people are listing who never listen before one of them. Thanks for joining us tomorrow for more information on the Jeremiah series how to be happy.

According to Jesus, visit our website will be offered to freeways to help these tightening the magazine Turning Points and no devotional. Sign up today@davidjeremiah.org/radio when you do ask for your company at Bible study John divinity of Christ is not of the Jeremiah Bible study series or individual study divinity amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah study on the English standard and international versions as well as in standard or large print in the new King James, your choice of several attractive options, visit Jeremiah.org/radio from Gary. Hopefully tomorrow as we conclude how to be happy.

According to Jesus here on thinning point, taking time to listen to and from these increasingly