I THINK MYSELF HAPPY
Acts 26:2
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A lady from the big city of Philadelphia came to Texas. She wanted to go on a horseback ride in the Guadalupe Mountains. She said to the cowboy guide, "Can you get me a nice gentle pony?"
2. "Shore," said the cowboy. "What kind of a saddle do you want, English or Western?" "What's the difference?" asked the lady. "The western saddle has a horn on it," said the cowboy.
3. She looked disgusted. "If the traffic’s so thick here in these mountains that I need a horn on my saddle, I don't believe I want to ride!"
B. TEXT
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: 2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews” Acts 26:1-2.
C. A SHOCKING ADMISSION TO AGRIPPA
1. Paul said the marvelous words (in the KJV) in Acts 26:1-2, “I think myself happy…”
2. Now I realize this was just his introduction for his speech before Agrippa, yet these words capture a great truth, and his perspective on life.
3. This is a remarkable perspective since Paul had lately been imprisoned for two years and was walking around in chains, like a criminal, though he had done nothing wrong.
4. This was the same Paul who’d been scourged 5X by the Jews, 3X beaten with rods, once stoned, 3X shipwrecked. These don’t include the hate, threats, and riots he often experienced, or the beatings he received from the Roman Government, such as the severe beating he and Silas got at Philippi (Acts 16).
5. Despite the horrible treatment and betrayals Paul experienced, he could still say, “I think myself happy!”
I. WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
A. WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
1. Have you ever heard the singing Bass, “Don't worry, Be happy.” Everybody thinks that's good advice. That's terrible advice. Friend, you're not going to be happy all of the time.
2. Happiness depends upon what happens. That’s why we call it “happiness,” because it depends on what “happens.” 3. If your day is good, you're happy. If your day is bad, you're unhappy. But if you put your trust in happiness, then you're going to be a victim of circumstances, because they will change.
4. But you see, God never changes. The Bible doesn't tell us to rejoice in circumstances. The Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord.”
5. It’s not the things of this world that make you happy. The man who makes his first million isn’t happy with it for long. Some people crave power, others pleasure.
B. SOLOMON’S DISCOVERY
1. If anyone should have been happy, it was Solomon. Eccles. 1:1-2 “All is Vanity” – “disappointing, misery, vexing.
2. WHAT DIDN’T WORK?
a. Wisdom and knowledge didn’t make him happy (1:17).
b. Wine didn’t make him happy (2:3)
c. Business successes didn’t (2:4-)
d. Wealth didn’t make him happy (2:7). He had more gold than we can imagine.
e. Relationships. “Whatever my eyes desired” (2:10). But he ended up saying, “I hate life!” (7:17).
3. Then look at Paul who lost all, was treated terribly, yet he had satisfaction and joy so that even Agrippa said, “Almost you persuade me to become a Christian.”
C. ILLUS.: A PLACE WITH NO TROUBLES.
1. Norman Vincent Peale once had a meeting in New York with a very successful business man.
2. The man told Peale about his troubles at work, then about his troubles in his home life, then about his troubles in his societal life. He concluded, “I’d give $1,000 to you if you’d take me somewhere where people have no troubles!”
3. Peale flagged down a taxi, gave the cabbie the address, and said, “Ok, I’m going to take you someplace where the people there have no troubles!” The man was intrigued.
4. They arrived at a cemetery. Peale said, “The only people in this fallen world who don’t have troubles, are in the cemeteries! Is that where you want to be?”
5. The man said, “No.” Peale continued, “Then thank God you’re alive and accept your troubles as part of life! God will give you the strength to rise above your troubles, if you depend on Him!”
II. MASTERING OUR THOUGHTS
A. IT’S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE
1. Americans are the most privileged and prosperous people who have ever lived on the face of the earth, and yet many Americans are not happy.
2. Chuck Colson reported that:
a. Life expectancy has nearly doubled.
b. The average per-capita income has doubled since 1960.
c. Price of food and many durable goods keeps falling.
d. Our standard of living has risen to levels our great-grandparents couldn’t have imagined.
3. During the same period, the percentage of Americans and Europeans who suffer bouts of depression have climbed to 25 percent.
4. Like the oft used adage, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet!” We need to be thankful for all the things we DO have!
5. THE SECRET? CONTENTMENT! 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” I Tim. 6:6-8.
B. PAUL HAD A CHOICE; HE CHOSE POSITIVE
Paul could have focused on the negative aspects of his life, but he didn’t. We have the same choice. We can have a negative outlook or we can have a positive outlook. Two different people can look at the same set of circumstances and see three completely different things:
1. We can interpret life’s difficulties as if Life is against us. We can assume that either God is not really good (if He is in control) or if He is good, He’s not all-powerful, because He’s not able to keep all bad events from hurting us. It’s the omnipotence versus goodness argument.
2. Or we can look at the same events and see a God who is fully in control; a God who is good, yet in His infinite wisdom He allows us to go through some difficult experiences because they will ultimately work out for our higher good. The last perspective is the right one, because it’s the perspective of God’s Word.
C. THE BATTLE IS IN THE MIND
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” Prov. 23:7.
1. The greatest battle we face is our battle of the mind. Victory or defeat take place in the mind.
2. Definition of “overcomer” – one who may even go from defeat to defeat, but who, because of their perseverance, ultimately triumphs and overcomes all their opposition.
3. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” 2 Cor. 10:4-5.
4. Paul says we have to “take captive every thought to make it obedience to Christ” 2 Cor. 10:5. This is our calling: to subdue thoughts that don’t line up with the Word of God.
5. This was what Jesus was doing during the 40 days He was in the wilderness being tested. The temptations of turning the stone into bread, of proving His deity by jumping from the roof of the Temple, or of avoiding the suffering of the cross were probably nothing more than thoughts the devil injected into His mind that He had to counter and defeat with the Word.
III. REPLACING “STINKING THINKING” WITH GOD’S THOUGHTS
A. TEXT
1. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” Phip. 4:8-9.
2. REJECT WHAT’S NOT FROM GOD
Any thoughts that are DEPRESSING, are not from God.
Any thoughts that are DISCOURAGING, are not from God.
Any thoughts that are DOUBTS, are not from God.
Any thoughts that are UNFORGIVING, are not from God.
Any thoughts that are CRITICAL OF OTHERS, are not from God.
Any thoughts that are PRIDEFUL, are not from God. Reject them.
Any thoughts that are IMPURE, GREEDY, are not from God. Reject them.
Any thoughts that are VIOLENT, are not from God. Reject them.
3. Instead, Paul tells us to focus on everything that is good, encouraging, what builds us up spiritually, what makes us more like Jesus, that gives us joy in the Spirit!
B. THINK OF HOW GOOD GOD IS!
Psalm 103:2-5, 10-13.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.”
C. POSITIVE THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION
1. Ps. 68:19, “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!”
2. Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
3. Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
4. Deut. 16:15, “For the Lord your God will bless you in…all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”
5. “The Lord's mercies….are new every morning” Lam. 3:22-23.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. A little boy was on a plane experiencing violent turbulence. It was going up and down & all over the place.
2. The lady sitting next to the little boy was terrified. She couldn’t understand how the little boy was happily playing and having fun. At last she couldn’t stand it any longer.
3. “Little boy, please stop it! Please stop having so much fun! How can you have fun when this plane is going through this?”
4. The little boy put his hand on the lady’s hand and said, “Lady, my Dad is the pilot.”
5. When your Daddy is the pilot, you can handle the turbulence, because you know He’s got it all under control! [Tony Evans] SAINTS, YOUR FATHER IS THE PILOT!
6. Regardless of your situation, your God has it all under control. You may not understand your situation or like what’s going on, but you can let God give you His peace in the midst of your storm!
7. Trust that He knows what He’s doing.
B. THE CALL
1. A Christian knows that no matter what happens, God is “working all things together for good for them that love God.” Rom. 8:29.
2. If you’re a child of God, there is no hopeless situation. God is greater! Our fabulous future is unstoppable!
4. One little lady said, “If God gives us tribulation, He expects us to “tribulate!” No – to rejoice!
5. If your house was robbed or burned up, would you still have joy? Well, if you got your joy from your house you wouldn’t. But if your joy is from God you would!
6. The Bible never says, “Rejoice in your house, car, jewelry, your looks, a person”, it says “Rejoice in the Lord.”
7. Prayer for those going through trials.
[This is a rewrite of a message by Kenneth McGee of the same title.]
