THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS – 1
People from every walk of life are always searching for happiness in life. They thought that happiness can only be found on wealth, power and fame only to find that they are wrong in the end
Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent because, he said, ?"There are no more world to conquer.
A man went to a psychiatrist, He said, “Doctor, I am lonely and miserable. Can you help me? The Doctor suggested that he go to a circus and see a famous clown. The patient said, “I am that clown”.
Happiness is not a goal. It is a by-product of a life well lived – Eleanor Roosevelt
On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reveals the secret to happiness. This is the sermon which is known to us today as the BEATITUDES.
In Latin Vulgate each of the blessings in that sermon begins with the word beati, which translates to "happiness" or "blessedness. Later, the sermon was called the Beatitudes
When JESUS, the author of our life told us What will make us happy – He gave us the Sermon on Be-atitudes. Or better to say, He teach us how to live so that we become happy in life
Matthew 5:3-10
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed – in Strong Greek and Hebrew Dictionary:?Makarious (mak-ar’-ee-os)
1. Fortunate
2. Supremely blest
3. well off
4. happy
Who are the people that can find THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS according to JESUS
1. the poor in spirit,
2. those who mourn
3. the meek
4. those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
5. the merciful
6. the pure in heart
7. the peacemakers
8. those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake
DISCOVERING THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS (the summary)
You can be happy when you find these 8 treasures of happiness from the word of God.
I – WEALTH IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY
3 “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
II – COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF SADNESS
4 Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!
III - INHERITANCE IN MEEKNESS
5 Happy are those who are humble;
they will receive what God has promised!
IV – SATISFACTION IN DOING GOD’S WILL
6 Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;
God will satisfy them fully!
V - FAVOR BY BEING MERCIFUL
7 Happy are those who are merciful to others;
God will be merciful to them!
VI - PRIVILEGE IN THE BROKENESS OF HEART
8 Happy are the pure in heart;
they will see God!
VII – HONOR IN PROMOTING PEACE TO ALL
9 Happy are those who work for peace;
God will call them his children!
VIII -DIVINE APPROVAL BY ENDURING PEOPLE’S REJECTION
10 Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
On these 8 parts series, we are going to discuss the Secret No. 1
THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS NO.1 I – WEALTH IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY
Matthew 5:3 GW
3 “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
Walt Disney believed his famous California theme park was “the happiest place on earth. For sure, Disney is a place for blessed, blissful and wealthy people. But is it the happiest place on earth?
The Global Happiness Council (GHC) in its World Happiness Report 2017 listed Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland as the four top happiest country in the world respectively. US is not included in the top 10 happiest people in the world.
While GHC use the accepted scientific methods in determining the happiest place in the world, Jesus in his famous Sermon on the Mount declare a seemingly different view in the discovering happiness. In mentioning the first secret to happiness he said;
Matthew 5:3 GW
3 “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
How in the world that a spiritual poverty can be the first secret to happiness?
Researchers point to their overall economic health. The countries that scored the highest on the happiness scale also have some of the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. The way people balance work and life and low unemployment were also major contributors to one’s happiness.
Honestly, there were no poor countries listed among the world’s happiest places. Are you surprised? And given the cost of a Disney vacation, not many poor families can afford it. So if Disney is “the happiest place on earth for the wealthy” it’s not for the poor. How then could Jesus say “happy are the poor,”??
Well, Jesus is neither impractical nor psychologically out of balance. He taught that the “poor in spirit” are blessed, not the poorly educated, or the poor in health, or even the poor in wealth. He taught his disciples that spiritual poverty is required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
you cannot merit God’s favor by selling your possessions and living in abject poverty any more than you can use your wealth to purchase your way into heaven. So, what exactly does Jesus mean when he says “blessed are the poor in spirit?”
I – IT IS AN AWARENESS OF OUR SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY AND REALIZATION THAT WE NEED A REDEEMER
FIRST CASE STUDY –
LUKE 18:9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Get the picture? Two guys show up to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee and the other is a crooked tax collector. One is a religious professional and the other is a professional rip-off artist. One boasts of his religious accomplishments and the other willingly admits he is a sinner. One leaves the temple condemned by God and the other leaves justified. One is proud in spirit while the other is poor in spirit. Do you identify more with the Pharisee or the tax collector?
The proud Pharisee was infected with the same disease found in the Church of Laodicea, which is one of seven churches to which Jesus wrote a letter in Revelation 2-3.
Jesus spoke harshly to the people of this church, calling them neither cold nor hot but lukewarm. Because of their tepid spirituality, Jesus said he was going to spit them out of his mouth. He was disgusted with them. Here’s why,
“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke! To a people whose wealth had blinded them into believing things were just fine between them and God, Jesus says they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
William Barclay paraphrases this first beatitude in a beautiful way by saying, “Blessed are the men who realize they are utterly helpless, and who put their whole trust in God.”
The wealthy do not feel as though they are “utterly helpless.” On the contrary, they feel as though they “do not need a thing,” including God. Perhaps that is why God expresses such strong affections in his word for the poor and the poor in spirit.
Jesus stood in the temple and quoted from Isaiah to inaugurate his ministry saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). Why the poor? Because the poor know they are in desperate circumstances. They are utterly dependent on others to provide for them. They are needy. When the absolute poor hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it really does sound like good news. To them everything in life is a gift from the gracious hand of God.
In his book The Jesus I Never Knew, author Phillip Yancey says his former pastor Bill Leslie used to observe, “As churches grow wealthier and more successful, their preference in hymns changes from ‘This world is not my home, I’m just passin’ through’ to ‘This is my Father’s world.’” Yancey goes on to say, “In the United States, at least, Christians have grown so comfortable that we no longer identify with the humble conditions Jesus addressed in the Beatitudes – which may explain why they sound so strange to our ears.”
The first step, therefore, on the highway to happiness is an attitude that recognizes one’s spiritual bankruptcy before God. Like the old hymn writer posed, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.”
II – IT IS HUMBLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT WE CANNOT PAY OUR OWN DEBT UNLESS GOD FORGIVE US IN HIS MERCY.
SECOND CASE STUDY – Matthew 18:23-27 NIV
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But in a sudden turn of event the forgiven servant finds his co-servant who is also indebted to him.
Matthew 18:28-30 NIV
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
The reason behind his attitude:
A person who does not understand God’s forgiveness shall not be able to forgive others. Poor servant, he doesn’t saw forgiveness. He thought he is just given the time to pay…
III – IT IS TO FREE OUR HEART FROM THE BONDAGE OF LOVING WORLDLY WEALTH IN EXCHANGE OF OUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN
THIRD CASE STUDY
Mark 10:17-22
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
God does not intend to see his people in poverty. But in the case of this young rich man, he loves his wealth more than he love God. His love for material wealth is the hindrance for him in discovering his spiritual wealth in God.
This life is only a test for us. This is not our ultimate destination. We should not love the blessing more that we love the source of blessing.
SAVING BY LOOSING
M't:16:24: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
M't:16:25: For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
M't:16:26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
GAINING BY GIVING
Lu:12:32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Lu:12:33: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
LETTING GOD AND LETTING GO
Heb 10:34 For you both sympathized with my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Because they found this kind of Happiness;
1. Paul can sing in prison while the prison Guard is worrying.
2. Stephen can face death with peace without anger or bitterness for his aggressor
3. Daniel can sleep in the lion’s Den while the king cannot sleep in his palace though lying in his soft luxurious bed
4. The early church’s martyrs can sing hallelujah while they were burned alive by the Romans.
The true Christians should have all the reasons to be happy
1. We are once convicted sinners who received the divine clemency
2. We are once bankrupt servant who received the full forgiveness of our debt
3. We discover the greatest treasure more than the wealth of this world
4. We are the poor who was suddenly adopted to the family of God.
5. By accepting Jesus, we became beneficiary of the most wealthy King
