THE BLESSED LIFE #1 – THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS
INTRO TO TOPIC: When was the last time you had a good laugh? Do you enjoy your life? Everyone today is on the elusive pursuit of happiness. This is why people turn to sex, drugs, alcohol – looking for the higher high, the happy, blessed life. But what is the secret of happiness? Is it being rich and famous? Or is it something more?
ILLUSTRATION:
Listen to this story, which sounds just wacky enough to be true:
In New York City, there are eight million cats and eleven million dogs. New York is basically just concrete and steel, so if you have a pet in New York and it dies, you can’t just go out in the back yard and bury it. The city said that for $50 they would dispose of your deceased pet for you.
One lady was enterprising. She thought, I can render a service to people in the city and save them money. She placed an ad in the newspaper that said, "When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the carcass for you for $25." This lady would go to the local Salvation Army and buy an old suitcase for two dollars. Then when someone would call about his or her pet, she would go to the home and put the deceased pet in the suitcase.
She would then take a ride on the subway, where there are thieves. She would set the suitcase down, and she would act like she wasn’t watching. A thief would come by and steal her suitcase. She’d look up and say, "Wait. Stop. Thief." My guess is the people who stole those suitcases got a real surprise when they got home.
Many of us are like those thieves; we grab at what we think will bring us happiness only to find that it just doesn’t quite deliver. (Scott Wenig, Preaching Today).
THE BIG IDEA:
God’s desire is that we would experience the blessed life – where we would be happy, supremely blessed; and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BLESSED? QUOTE: “I define happiness simply as fulfillment and overflow.” (Pastor Barry Buzza, The Secret of Happiness).
TEXT: “You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” (Psalm 23:5).
• His words ‘my cup’ described his life. To David, happiness was a fulfilled life, and his cup was full. When your cup is full, you are fulfilled and happy.
• This is better illustrated by a tank with an input valve and an output valve.
• When our tank is full, we feel happy.
• When it is 3/4 down, we are tired and run down
• Half full (or half empty), you are discouraged, depressed or easily offended.
• 1/4 full, you are overwhelmed, life doesn’t make sense, you don’t want to live anymore.
• The input valve that pours water into your tank flows from God, family, friends, career satisfaction, good nutrition, exercise, rest, etc.
• Outflow happens when we are stressed, sinning habitually, conflict in relationships, etc.
• Our happiness is gone when there is too much outflow, or too little input.
• “The secret to our happiness has more to do with what overflows out of our full life, than what is inside.” (Pastor Barry Buzza).
KEY TEXT: What are some of the sources of input or blessing in our life?
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matt. 7:24-27).
• Jesus talks about, “hearing these words of mine and acting on them.”
• What words? The Sermon on the Mount.
• Jesus said: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:17).
• QUOTE: “Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!”
• If you want to experience the blessed life, we must build it on Jesus’ teaching!
• Over the next couple of months, we are going to study the Sermon on the Mount.
BACKGROUND TO THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.” (Matt. 4:23-25).
• The background to the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus preaching, teaching, and healing people. Great crowds followed Him because of His goodness!
• “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:17).
• The foundation of our belief in a blessed life is confidence in the goodness of God.
• “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11).
• In other words, if earthly parents want their kids happy, doesn’t it make sense that our perfect, good, loving Heavenly Father would want His children happy, too?
• STORY: The prodigal son, or, the prodigal Father (quote & paraphrase)
THE BLESSED LIFE – THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed…” (Matt. 5:1-2).
BLESSED: Defined: happy, supremely blessed; to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation.
• This first part of the Sermon on the Mount deals with heart attitudes for happiness.
“3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Those who recognize their spiritual poverty, castg aside their pride, and receive God’s grace.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
• Mourn = mourning over sin, and receiving the comfort of knowing our sins are forgiven.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
• Meek = “gentleness of spirit; supreme self-control; submitted, like a ‘broken’ horse”
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
• One of the reasons we don’t experience the blessed life is because we are so full of worldly things that we don’t hunger and thirst after God’s kingdom.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
• We are told to forgive others as God forgave us. The principle of the Kingdom of God that says, “You will receive what you give.” If we give mercy, we’ll receive mercy. If we give forgiveness, we’ll receive forgiveness.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
• We are told to be innocent of evil. This doesn’t mean we don’t ever sin, but when we do sin, we must be quick to repent and receive God’s forgiveness.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
• We are called to pursue peace with all men.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10).
CLOSING TEXT: “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:1-3).
CHALLENGE: The secret to happiness lies in being on the road to the blessed life. What road are you on?
POEM – THE ROAD NOT TAKEN BY ROBERT FROST:
I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
