Sermon for 7/4/2004
If Things Are So Good, Why Do I Feel So Bad?
The Joy of the Lord
Introduction:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
Thomas Jefferson wrote it and in August 1776 the delegates signed it. It was given to King George III and thus began the Revolutionary War and eventually the birth of our nation.
WBTU:
A. This Sunday we celebrate our nation.
B. We are the most blessed nation in the world. (From If Things are so Good, Why Do I Feel So Bad? By George Barna. Published in 1994.)
1. 2/3rd of all Americans own their homes. These are not just any homes; these are, on average, the largest homes in the world.
2. A college education is now a routine part of growing up for most Americans.
3. We have the highest household income levels in the world.
4. We have the lowest unemployment level in the world.
5. Years ago, the elderly were often living in poverty; currently, only 10% of them live below the poverty line. In fact, people in their sixties and beyond control a higher share of the nation’s wealth than younger adults.
6. Our democratic system of government has become the envy and the model for countries around the world.
7. There are about 300,000 places of worship, where anyone can freely worship God.
8. The entertainment and leisure industries are flourishing. Luxury automobiles, movie theaters, home theaters, music, sports, amusement parks, vacations.
9. The computer has made people’s lives more efficient and convenient. The amount of information available and the speed at which it is transmitted has exploded.
10. Medical and health care advances are allowing people to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
C. Great, things are great. We are the most blessed and happy people on the globe. Happy? Are we happy? Just take a look around and we don’t see a lot of happy people.
D. For decades we prayed that God would grant us our fondest desires. Unfortunately, as C.S. Lewis warned, He did.
E. Unfortunately, Yes! Deuteronomy 8:7-14, 17-19.
1. Look at our attitudes. We are a very skeptical and suspicious people. We no longer trust other human beings- often because we know that they probably maintain the same self-absorbed values and goals as we do. Ex: More lawyers than any other nation in the world.
2. Look at our relationships: We are desperately lonely. WE cover up that despair by keeping busy. Our personal relationships are more superficial than ever. Marriage and families dissolve, friendships dissolve, work teams are restructured. WE are emotionally hollow because of all of the breakups.
3. Look at our character: We are impatient people. Road rage. Go into the grocery store or Wal-Mart. We are a nation of ill tempered tyrants. We want it all, and we want it now. We want our desires satisfied immediately at any cost.
4. Look at our health: Overweight, no exercise, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse.
5. Look at our level of compassion: While it appears that racial issues on average have gotten better, the compassion that generations have for each other has reached an all time low. Children place their parents in institutional care; elders are more and more deciding to leave their estates to charities instead of to their ungrateful, arrogant children. The heart of the family is mortally wounded.
6. Look at our wisdom: We have a lot of knowledge but little wisdom. Although we have machines to grind out reams of information, we have so little discipline to make that knowledge apply to our own lives.
7. Look at our spirituality: We appear to know less and less about what we believe and why we believe it. We have forfeited our faith to the gods of achievement and comfort. We as a nation have no awe of God or intention of respecting His rules. We have replaced the presence of God with well-intentioned but superficial religious activity. We have swapped God for the Big I.
F. Andresh Czonka, an immigrant from Hungary now a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Illinois: Americans are afraid. I see the fear in their eyes; I hear it in their voices. They lock their doors. They lie to protect themselves. I feel so bad for the country. But I feel so bad for the individual people; they seem to hurt so much, to be so alone. My country had problems. But we had an inner strength that is missing here. We had a different group of things we wanted to achieve, different things that we considered important and valuable. I wish this for Americans, to have the inner strength that God can give. When I came to this country, I was excited to be an American and to be with Americans. I looked at your country and felt it was the best in the world. And since my childhood I have believed that your country was blessed because of your faith in God and you’re chasing for the right things in life. But now I think differently. Americans don’t have much real faith in God. This surprised me. I thought when the tough times come; Americans make it okay by praying to God and being connected with Him. But this is not the case. Not many people pray. People here think they can do it by themselves. This saddens me, because I am a man of faith. I know I cannot do it except by the grace and power of God.
G. Happiness is gone. The happiness is gone from the nation, the happiness is gone from the church, the happiness is gone from the family, and the happiness is gone for each individual. Know why? Because we are trying to do it by ourselves.
H. We need the grace and power of God. The happiness, the joy left when we pushed God out.
I. Let’s make this more personal this morning. Are you happy? Are you joyful? Do I know God’s joy in a personal way, or am I in a constant state of stress, anxiety, business, frustration, and uncertainty?
Thesis: This morning I am going to ask 5 questions about your happiness, your joy.
For instances:
1. Do I know the joy of salvation?
A. Every one has fallen short of the glory of God. No one is good, no not one.
B. Our sin is a problem because God is a righteous, holy God. He demands payment for sins committed against Him. The payment for sin is death. The wages of sin is death.
C. We are lost, headed for hell and punishment. This is not the end of the story.
D. God has placed a rescue plan in effect so that we can be rescued from the punishment we deserve.
E. God sent His Son to live a perfect life here on earth and then to take our place by bearing on His shoulders the punishment for our sins.
F. (1 Cor 15:3 NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,(1 Cor 15:4 NIV) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
G. Because Jesus died for our sins, He offers to us a wonderful alternative to eternal punishment. It is called eternal life.
H. Romans 6:23.
I. Being saved is a gift received by faith. Plan of salvation.
J. When we receive the gift of eternal life, we also receive the gift of joy that comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven and that we are headed for Heaven.
K. (1 Pet 1:8 NIV) Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,(1 Pet 1:9 NIV) for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
L. Being saved produces an inexpressible and glorious joy.
M. How high is my joy level because I am saved?
N. Do I spend joyful times because of Jesus during the week?
O. Are the times of worship here on Sunday morning times of inexpressible and glorious joy?
P. If we do not have times of inexpressible and glorious joy, we need to ask ourselves:
1. Am I saved?
2. Am I doing something to hinder my joy?
2. Do I know the joy of the Savior?
A. (John 15:11 NIV) I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
B. My joy may be in you. Jesus Christ is God. God is full of joy.
C. God’s permanent joy can be in us. Christ wants our joy to be full.
D. Human love is preserved by human contact. The more we are in intimate, frequent fellowship with the one we love, the stronger and more permanent the bond is between two people. When we are often with the one we love, our joy in that relationship increases and become full.
E. (John 15:4 NIV) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
(John 15:5 NIV) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
F. Spend time with Jesus in His Word and prayer. Share our lives with Him.
3. Do I know the joy of submission?
A. Submission? What is that?
B. We have noticed that nobody is happy when someone is stubborn? A child is stubborn and no one is happy. Our mate is stubborn and no one is happy. Our boss is stubborn and no one is happy.
C. When we are stubborn, God is not pleased with our actions and will not fill us with joy. We are unhappy because we lack God’s joy when we are stubborn.
D. Stubborn in two ways:
1. Will not obey His rules. He is our heavenly Father.
2. Bitter and upset when things don’t go our way.
E. (Heb 12:9 NIV) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
F. Father knows best. It will give us rest and relief if we submit to the Father’s will for us.
G. (Heb 5:7 NIV) During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.(Heb 5:8 NIV) Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
4. Do I know the joy of sharing?
A. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
B. Paul was looking forward to the day that he would stand before His Lord in judgment. He realized that those to whom He ministered, who had been saved or grown under his ministry would be His reward.
C. What a joy it will be to be in Heaven with those who were reached with the Gospel through our efforts. What a joy it will be to be in Heaven with those who grew in Christ because of our efforts.
D. What are we doing to reach others? What are we doing to share our lives with the gospel for others?
E. That’s not my style. What is your style?
F. In its January 25, l988 issue, TIME provided an insight on selfishness and sharing. Speaking about the introduction of the videocassette recorder, the article said, "The Company had made a crucial mistake. While at first Sony kept its Beta technology mostly to itself, JVC, the Japanese inventor of the VHS (format), shared its secret with a raft of other firms. As a result, the market was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the VHS machines being produced." This drastically undercut Sony’s market share. The first year, Sony lost 40 percent of the market, and by 1987 it controlled only 10 percent. So now Sony has jumped on the VHS bandwagon. While it still continues to make Beta-format VCRs, Sony’s switch to VHS, according to TIME, will likely send Beta machines to "the consumer-electronics graveyard." Even in a cut-throat business, sharing has its rewards.
G. Sharing does have its rewards. (2 Cor 9:6 NIV) Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.(2 Cor 9:7 NIV) Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
H. God has done so much for us. We should want to share what He’s given us joyfully with others.
5. Do I know the joy of God’s strength?
A. Nehemiah 8:10- for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
B. People who love what they do put their whole heart into it. People who don’t love what they do, don’t put their whole heart into it.
C. If we are doing things we love, even when the times get tough, we fall back on the joy of doing what we love to do.
D. I am a man who knows the joy of the Lord’s strength. I am doing what I love.
E. The Lord has something for you to do. Even when times get tough and we have no strength, the Lord’s strength will get us through.
Conclusion:
A. Brings us back to the original quote: I know I cannot do it except by the grace and power of God.
B. If we bring God back, the joy will come back. Happy Days will be here again.
