The Source Of True Happiness Series

THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPINESS

The Source of True Happiness

Psalm 146:5

Introduction:

What was the most frequently given answer in the video, “What are you looking for?”

Happiness!

People desire to be happy. The pursuit of happiness has become our chief aim in life. It’s our purpose.

We could debate whether or not that is in fact the highest calling of mankind, but for the sake of our purposes today, let’s say that it is. I desire to be happy and happiness is worth pursuing.

Here’s the problem…

Happiness seems to be a fleeting thing. One moment I have it, the next moment something or someone has robbed me of my happiness.

Happiness Stoppers:

o Relational Turmoil

o My job

o God

o Lacking Necessities (mate, $, house, etc.)

o Poor Health

All these things or people block us from achieving our ultimate goal – being happy. So we search, looking for that thing or the person that will finally make us happy. We try to achieve the place in our life where nothing can cause us to be unhappy. We use phrase like, “If only I had…then I’d be happy.” Or “If only I didn’t have…then I’d be happy.” After looking high and low, far and wide, we resign ourselves to the fact we are destine to a life of misery. We think happiness is not attainable in this life.

I’m here to tell you that is not true. It is possible to be happy in this life. The problem isn’t that the goal is unattainable; it is we are seeking it from the wrong source. We are searching in the wrong places.

While relationships, careers, material possessions & good health can provide moments or happiness, none is the source of true happiness. True happiness is found from only one source – the Lord our God.

Psalm 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”

If we have the Lord God as our help and as our hope then we can be happy during this lifetime. Our search for happiness, which has taken us from place to place and from person to person, can end with a relationship with Jesus Christ – the source of true happiness.

Let’s look at a story this morning we can undoubtedly relate to. It’s about a woman who is on a search for happiness – scripture calls her the Queen of Sheba. For our purposes this morning the Queen is going to represent us as we search for happiness and Solomon is going to represent Jesus Christ.

She is on a Search for Happiness

She has everything. Historically she was most likely the ruler of present day Ethiopia or Yemen. Ethiopian tradition gives her the name, Makeda, which means “not this way” – which I think is ironic because it’s apparent from the Bible that she’s on a search. She undoubtedly has everything life can offer – she comes with a caravan of servants and gifts for Solomon.

I Kings 10:2 “And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones:”

In fact, she brings 4.5 tons of gold and presents it as a gift to Solomon. She has it all but I don’t think she’s happy. She is looking for something more.

I Kings 10:1 tells us that she had, “…heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,…”

She’s like us – we search for happiness. We’ve tried it all and yet happiness still evades us. We’ve heard about this man named Jesus that has all the answers and yet, like Sheba, we are skeptical.

She is skeptical

I Kings 10:6-7 “…I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words,…”

She doesn’t believe everything she’s heard. Come on, no one can be that great. She’s like me – I’m from Missouri, the Show-Me State. Prove it!

I Kings 10:1 says, “…she came to prove him with hard questions.” She had some tough questions she wanted answered. If you are here this morning and you are searching for happiness and you’ve heard about this guy named Jesus, you undoubtedly come with many hard questions. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the one who does. The tough questions of life cannot be answered through earthly means – we can conjecture and put forth hypothesis, but at the end of the day we are left with conjecture and hypothesis. Jesus has the answers.

All your questions may not be answered right away but don’t let that stop you from beginning your relationship with Him. I don’t understand everything about electricity, but I certainly don’t sit around in the dark until I do. Give him a chance I promise you’ll discover what the Queen did…