Wellspring of Joy Part 2
The Pursuit of Happiness (from the July 15, 2013 Time Magazine)
The Pursuit of Happiness: Why Americans are wired to be happy, and what that’s doing to us.
“Our happiness… (is) an almost adolescent restlessness, an itch to do the Next Big Thing.”
“It’s not as if we don’t have the financial means to keep ourselves stimulated.” We spend:
• $118 billion on travel abroad in 2012
• close to $25 billion per year to attend sporting events
• nearly $11 billion on movie tickets
• an annual $140 billion on recreational equipment and $200 billion on electronics:
HOWEVER: “The gap between our optimistic expectations and the reality that a significant portion of the population is, of late, cranky and dissatisfied may be what has spawned the vast happiness industry. We tap that industry in a lot of ways, with:
• Pills (25% of women & 5% of men say they are taking antidepressants)
• Food (48% of women and 44% of men eat to improve their mood)
• Self-improvement products and services (books and motivational speakers)
One of the most interesting stats from the Time Magazine article:
• Nearly half of regular worshippers say they’re very happy, compared with 26% of those who seldom or never attend religious services. (Christians are happier!)
QUOTE: (John Piper, Desiring God).
“The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful… the deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God.”
v.9 That Your LOVE May Abound
Often interchange word happy with love
I Love my car
I Love my phone
I Love ice-cream
Can you think of any greater joy?
- "ABOUND" (flourish, overflow)
- A flood of love
-1 Co 13:2 .... If I have not love I am Nothing
Approve - v.10
Philippians 1:10 (AV)
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
-To test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals
- To recognize as genuine after examination
- 1 John 4:1 (AV)
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 (The Living Bible)
1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around,
To See If It Is So
Psalm 34:8 (AV)
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 37:3–5 (AV)
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Increase Your Joy
- Foundation of Joy - Love
- I like (Love) what is happening to me
- Continuing, Ongoing
1. Participants of Grace - v7
- Paul ached for them to know the ingredients of joy.
- Sin robs us of our potential for joy
- Remedy - “Defense and
confirmation of the gospel”
- Knowing
- Receiving
- Experiencing God’s Grace
2. Know You Are Loved - v8
- If the bottom line for joy is experiencing love
- What can be better then to know that you are loved
- "Bowels" - Today we would say " I love you with all of my heart"
- Paul in constant communion with his Lord
- Christ gave his love away for us!
- And your heart can know the Love of God through Christ!
3. Reinforce Your Joy - 9-11
- Re-bar in cement
- Additive to your gas - better mileage
- Chains to your tires - get traction
- Supplies that were needed have arrived
NOTE: - the word “that”
(A) Grow In Love v.9
- Abound - overflow
- Flood of love
- Ex. 5000 feed - 12 baskets
- Never be content with your love level
-First with one another
- Plus with Christ
- Knowledge -Fullness comes from the Word
- Judgment = understanding
- Fall in love, be in love, stay in love
(B) Choose the Best v.10a
- Approve - test
- Know the genuine
If you wish to find out if a piece of jewelry is made of gold, touch it with a glass stopper which has been wetted with nitric acid. If it is pure gold it will remain untouched and unchanged; if not, the solution will become blue from the formation of nitrate of copper. (False "gold" always contains copper.)
- Easy to flop back and watch TV
- Easy Sleep in on Sunday
- Easy to give excuses
- Either scripture is a lie or I have fools gold in my attitude and life for what is true joy
- Nitrate Acid test for us - Are my choices and decisions lining up with scripture?
(C) Devoted to Christ v.10b
- Sincere - Purely devoted
- One of mans fear is being lost
- Nothing worse to be lost in fog on a dark night and have no idea where you are
- Absolutely no joy here
- this Gk word is linked to - “judge”
- Without offence - don’t stumble or cause to stumble
- Stay here and you will have joy
(D) Do What Is Right v. 11
- Nothing more robs us of our joy then being guilty and trying to hid our guilt
- Forgiveness, cleansing
- Only comes by Christ
On March 23, 1743,
“The Messiah” was first performed in London,
-The king was present in the great audience. It is reported that all were so deeply moved by the “Hallelujah Chorus” that with the impressive words,
- “For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,”
- The whole audience, including the king sprang to its feet, and remained standing through the entire chorus.
- From that time to this it has always been the custom to stand during the chorus whenever it is performed.
- With spontaneous joy the soul stands to salute Him who “cometh in the name of the Lord.”
- He is “King of kings, and Lord of lords” and to Him we pledge allegiance.
