THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPINESS
The Source of True Happiness
Psalm 146:5
Introduction:
What was the most frequently given answer in the video, “What are you looking for?”
Happiness!
People desire to be happy. The pursuit of happiness has become our chief aim in life. It’s our purpose.
We could debate whether or not that is in fact the highest calling of mankind, but for the sake of our purposes today, let’s say that it is. I desire to be happy and happiness is worth pursuing.
Here’s the problem…
Happiness seems to be a fleeting thing. One moment I have it, the next moment something or someone has robbed me of my happiness.
Happiness Stoppers:
o Relational Turmoil
o My job
o God
o Lacking Necessities (mate, $, house, etc.)
o Poor Health
All these things or people block us from achieving our ultimate goal – being happy. So we search, looking for that thing or the person that will finally make us happy. We try to achieve the place in our life where nothing can cause us to be unhappy. We use phrase like, “If only I had…then I’d be happy.” Or “If only I didn’t have…then I’d be happy.” After looking high and low, far and wide, we resign ourselves to the fact we are destine to a life of misery. We think happiness is not attainable in this life.
I’m here to tell you that is not true. It is possible to be happy in this life. The problem isn’t that the goal is unattainable; it is we are seeking it from the wrong source. We are searching in the wrong places.
While relationships, careers, material possessions & good health can provide moments or happiness, none is the source of true happiness. True happiness is found from only one source – the Lord our God.
Psalm 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”
If we have the Lord God as our help and as our hope then we can be happy during this lifetime. Our search for happiness, which has taken us from place to place and from person to person, can end with a relationship with Jesus Christ – the source of true happiness.
Let’s look at a story this morning we can undoubtedly relate to. It’s about a woman who is on a search for happiness – scripture calls her the Queen of Sheba. For our purposes this morning the Queen is going to represent us as we search for happiness and Solomon is going to represent Jesus Christ.
She is on a Search for Happiness
She has everything. Historically she was most likely the ruler of present day Ethiopia or Yemen. Ethiopian tradition gives her the name, Makeda, which means “not this way” – which I think is ironic because it’s apparent from the Bible that she’s on a search. She undoubtedly has everything life can offer – she comes with a caravan of servants and gifts for Solomon.
I Kings 10:2 “And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones:”
In fact, she brings 4.5 tons of gold and presents it as a gift to Solomon. She has it all but I don’t think she’s happy. She is looking for something more.
I Kings 10:1 tells us that she had, “…heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,…”
She’s like us – we search for happiness. We’ve tried it all and yet happiness still evades us. We’ve heard about this man named Jesus that has all the answers and yet, like Sheba, we are skeptical.
She is skeptical
I Kings 10:6-7 “…I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words,…”
She doesn’t believe everything she’s heard. Come on, no one can be that great. She’s like me – I’m from Missouri, the Show-Me State. Prove it!
I Kings 10:1 says, “…she came to prove him with hard questions.” She had some tough questions she wanted answered. If you are here this morning and you are searching for happiness and you’ve heard about this guy named Jesus, you undoubtedly come with many hard questions. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the one who does. The tough questions of life cannot be answered through earthly means – we can conjecture and put forth hypothesis, but at the end of the day we are left with conjecture and hypothesis. Jesus has the answers.
All your questions may not be answered right away but don’t let that stop you from beginning your relationship with Him. I don’t understand everything about electricity, but I certainly don’t sit around in the dark until I do. Give him a chance I promise you’ll discover what the Queen did…
The King / Kingdom exceeded her expectations
Solomon answers all her questions. I Kings 10:3 “And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.”
In fact, what she had heard about the king and his kingdom wasn’t half as good as what she experienced.
I Kings 10:6-7 “And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.”
Not only was she impressed with the king, but with his people. I Kings 10:8 “Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.”
Finds a house filled with happy people. Whatever good things you’ve heard about Jesus – you haven’t heard half the story. He is in the exceeding of expectation business. You are in a house filled with happy people.
I stand before you this morning – happy! Not because of what I have or don’t have; but simply because the Lord is my God.
She Finds What She’s Looking For
After resisting, proving, and questioning she finally gives in – the passage says, “there was no more spirit in her.”
She was done fighting it. She gives all that she has to the king – gold, spices, precious stones, musical instruments, trees. In turn, the king, “…gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.” (I Kings 10:13)
Jesus doesn’t need our material possessions, but he does desire our life. I pray this morning that you would stop resisting, proving and questioning and finally surrender to Him. Give your life to Him.
In turn He’ll give to you…
o Eternal life
o Eternal rewards
o The desire of your heart – happiness.
Psalm 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”
Ephesians 2:12 says that without Christ we have no hope – I pray this morning you’ll make him your hope.
Challenge:
I want to give you an opportunity to say yes to God.
To end your search for happiness.
Eternal life, eternal reward, happiness are one word away – “yes”.
God has made the offer. He says you can have eternal life if you believe in my son Jesus Christ and trust Him alone as your Savior.
Will you accept that offer?
