1. "Happy as a Clam" -- Meaning: Very happy and content
Why would clams be happy? It has been suggested that open clams give the appearance of smiling. The derivation is more likely to come from the fuller version of the phrase, now rarely heard - 'as happy as a clam at high water'. Hide tide is when clams are free from the attentions of predators; surely the happiest of times in the bivalve mollusk world. The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century.
2. Happiness is a big deal to us -- Especially as Americans -- Our Declaration of Independence states that we are endowed by our Creator with the rights of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness (Property)
a. Sometimes we can get off track with our pursuit of happiness and create idols and addictions
b. Comparisons and Conclusions
For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:3
"Paparazzi" comes from "Paparazzo," a news photographer character in the 1960 film, La Dolce Vita. Thanks to the ever-present paparazzi today, the whole world is treated to the luxuries and lifestyles of contemporary celebrities. The world sees their clothes, their cars, their cash, and their careers as the badges of success and happiness.
There were no paparazzi in the Old Testament period, but the lifestyles of the wealthy and famous were still well-known. And the psalmist Asaph admitted to struggling with envy (Psalm 73). The wealthy wicked (as he saw them) seemed to ignore God and be no worse off for it. They had everything they wanted and more than they needed. On the contrary, Asaph declared his own attempts to live a life of purity and devotion to be vanity: "Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain" (verse 13). But one day, while worshiping God, he had an epiphany: The wicked were on slippery ground while God held tightly to his hand.
Do you ever envy those who seem to have it all without giving a single thought toward God? Meditate on Asaph's confessions and conclusions as you renew your faith in God.
The humble Christian is far happier in a cottage than the wicked in a palace. A. W. Pink
3. The real way of happiness is different than what we think -- It is observing God's direction
a. Often the opposite of our impulse
b. Beatitudes in Matthew 5
c. Additional Beatitudes of Revelation to explore, giving us happiness now and forever
4. Revelation 1.1-8
5. Two Perceptions of Happiness in Reading and Heeding What God Reveals
I. The Unveiling of the Person of Jesus -- Was-Is-Is to Come
Pablo Picasso. Picasso was the Spanish cubist artist who sketched, sculpted, and painted his way into prominence in the early twentieth century. On the rare occasion, he painted live portraits. One such instance was his painting of Gertrude Stein, one of America's foremost authors of a bygone era. During the winter of 1905-1906, Gertrude Stein sat for the exceptional portrait to be painted by the master. Ninety times she sat before the canvas. Ninety times, Picasso grew frustrated. Finally, in frustration Picasso said, "I can't see you any longer when I look at you." So he packed up his brushes, paints, and canvasses and returned home to Spain. There, he would continue working on the portrait of Gertrude Stein. By spring, it was largely finished. In the fall, the painting was unveiled. Onlookers were surprised. Gertrude Stein was a young woman when the master painted her. Yet, the face staring from the canvas was that of a wizened woman wearing a thoughtful, earnest face. Eventually a lone voice courageously remarked to Picasso that
Gertrude didn't look like her portrait. Picasso replied simply, "She will one day." Indeed, as time passed Gertrude became the image of Picasso's portrait. Any artist can paint what is. Good artists can paint what once was. But, only masters can paint what shall be. Jesus gives us picture of who he will be.
A. This is the Focus of Revelation (v,1 -- first 5 words)
1. The focus is not on US; John; the Beast or its Mark; the Anti-Christ; etc.
2. The Focus is Jesus and His Actions
3. Our Reason for Happiness is in Him
Picture a train station. There's a Station Master. He has a schedule. He knows when every train will come and go. He has his charts and schedules. He has them memorized...he knows every detail of how that station is supposed to operate.
Also in the station is a young lady. She doesn't know the schedule of every train. What she does know is that her fiancé', whom she is deeply in love with is, on one of those trains that is due...ANYTIME! She can hardly wait. Her heart beats wildly with anticipation. Don't study the bible like the train master, just to get the facts. Your true love is arriving at any minute!
B. Jesus Has Been Veiled
1. In prophecy -- Isaiah 53; Acts 8
2. In His Earthly Flesh with glimpses of his glory at the Mount of Transfiguration
3. In the tomb
4. In the minds of people
2 Corinthians 4.3-6
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
C. No More -- He Has Been Revealed/Unveiled!
1. This is the means to save men -- not marketing schemes -- 2 Corinthians 2.17
17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2. We see Jesus for WHO he is -- King of Kings; Lord of Lords [Wizard of Oz
3. It is a Good News -- Bad News scenario
4. Regardless of what is coming, we know WHO is coming; we Just don't know When
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
II. The Unveiling of the Purpose of Jesus
Eternity in Sydney
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia a surprising word was unveiled on a sign hung from the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the opening ceremonies. The word was "Eternity." For the Australians this was more than an athletic motivator. It was rooted in their history.
In 1932 down-on-his-luck WWI veteran, Arthur Stace was homeless and hopelessly addicted to alcohol. As his life worsened, he entered a suicidal depression. He had attempted everything he could think of to cure the empty aching in his soul but to no avail. One Sunday evening he stumbled into a church service.
That evening, by God's providence, the preacher, John Ridley, spoke on the subject of eternity. He said, "You're on your way somewhere, brother! And God made you to long for the place you are headed for." Ridley repeated the word, "eternity" throughout the sermon and captured the mind of Arthur Stace. He came to understand that we are all marching toward eternity and only the gospel can prepare us for the inevitability of that place.
Stace was converted that night. He dedicated the rest of his life to doing what he could to help people find the God who had found him. Every day for more than 35 years, Stace rose early in the morning, and after a cup of tea and a few minutes in bible reading, he would go into the streets of Sydney with a piece of chalk and write the word, "eternity," over and over in beautiful script. As the town awoke, people would see the word everywhere: on the sidewalk outside a coffee shop, on the back of a street sign, on the cornerstone base of a building, everywhere!
Oddly, instead of feeling insulted by the overtly spiritual message, people reported feeling encouraged. Sydney residents were stumbling upon "Eternity" scrawled in the most surprising places.
No one knew who was doing the writing until 1956. They discovered that it was Arthur Stace. No one demanded that he stop his daily ritual. Instead, they celebrated, even supported his graffiti of the life to come. In fact, if you go to Sydney today and go into a particular government building's bell tower, you can find the word written by Stace more than a half century ago, still legible -- "Eternity."
Thirty years after his death, Australia chose that word to express the longings of the world at the first Olympics of a new millennium. The word, Eternity, penetrates deeply into our souls. We are reminded of Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes 3.11, "11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."
A. His Love for Us -- 1.5
Richard Armstrong, in Make Your Life Worthwhile, reports the story of a man in Wales who sought to win the affection of a lady for forty-two years. At age 74 the two became "Mr. and Mrs."
The persistent but shy man slipped a weekly love letter under his neighbor's door. She had refused to speak and mend the spat that had separated them several years before.
After writing 2,184 love letters without getting a spoken or written response, the single-hearted old man eventually summoned up the courage to knock on the door and ask the lady for her hand. To his delight and surprise, she accepted.
Imagine God's dilemma with us. Time after time he tried to get his message of love to us with little response. Finally, with no other way, he wrapped up his message in the person of his son.
B. His Loyalty to God (for us) as His Witness -- 1.5
1. The image of God -- John 14.9 Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
2. Loyal to do his will -- "If there is any other way . . ."
C. His Lifting of Us -- 1.6
1. To be his Kingdom
2. To be His Priests
D. His Liberating Us -- 1.7
1. We Know He is Coming for Us -- John 14.1-3
2. We Know He Has Made Us Worthy
[Talmud: When Messiah comes, if the people are worthy he will come in the clouds (as in Daniel); if they are unworthy, he will come on a donkey (as in Zechariah).
1. A Comparison
Gospels Revelation
Crucifixion Coronation
Comes for the Tree Came for the Throne
Judged by People Judge of People
Suffered Shame Shows Splendor
Came to Redeem Comes to Reign
Lamb Lion
2. Delayed Gratification
Years ago, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted an experiment on a group of four-year olds. Each child was offered a marshmallow, and was told that they could have it now, or if they could wait several minutes, they could have two. Some children grabbed the marshmallow on the spot but many of them were able to hold off. The interesting part of the study was that Mischel followed up on the children as adults and he discovered that those who didn't eat their marshmallows that day were generally more self-motivated, successful in school and considered emotionally intelligent. On the other hand those who simply couldn't wait generally had low self-esteem and had suffered in school, branded by both their teachers and parents as being stubborn, envious and easily frustrated.
a. We get a little now
b. We Got a LOT later
3. What makes us happy now and forever is Reading and Heeding the words of Jesus
