M H2H: Better than Happy

Intro

name and would you rather

we are going to attempt to talk about some deeper stuff so I need your help

the world and the opposition to God in it is trying to influence you every second of every day

it becomes easier for that to happen every day that technology advances

I don’t hate technology and it can do good, but it has also become a detriment in a lot of ways

the world wants to influence you into thinking you need to achieve its ideal

there is a “legitimate” occupation now that is called being an influencer

I sink a lot of time into youtube- I’ve done a lot of research to try to optimally build muscle

its extremely difficult to find the truth in the midst of all the marketing lies that are really just the truth twisted slightly

this is what the world tries to do with Christianity as well

the opposition tries to sell you “happiness” and “success” when in reality, those are not the things that will truly give you a fulfilling life

Sermon on the Mount

how do the first four of those sound in comparison to that ideal that we have been talking about so far?

what does it mean when Jesus says that blessed are the people like this?

to be full of joy in these circumstances

does that sound normal today?

the truth is that wasn’t normal back then either, even for the people who were supposed to be the ones closest to God

Jesus will spend most of his time teaching people combating the religious practices that had become common in his time

that’s a kind of funny turn of the application

being poor and mourning and meek and hungry are the way that Jesus describes as being filled with joy

going through all of the things listed in those last few verses, that is where Jesus says we will truly be fulfilled

not in doing whatever might make us happy for the moment

why do you think that is?

Paul and Contentment

Paul explains it well in his letter to the church in Philippi

Paul is writing this letter knowing that he is nearing the end as he sits in a Roman prison

what all has Paul gone through to get to that point?

despite all of that, what is the attitude of his writing?

4:13 is not about being able to win the underdog basketball game or manifesting superpowers all of a sudden

its about the idea we’ve been building to this whole time

Paul has learned to be content, to be able to rejoice always despite all the horrible situations he finds himself in

all of that because he knows he is doing all of those things for the sake of real life and hope and salvation, giving people the real joy of knowing their savior and encouraging others to keep the faith to the end

you won’t find that kind of fulfillment anywhere else because nothing we can make or do by ourselves can come close to eternal life and hope and joy

Application

the difference between what the world offers and what God offers is its lasting effect

the “happy” and “good” or anything else one might find in a hashtag are things that are here today and gone tomorrow

the life that Jesus presents here as blessed is blessed forever

if you want to really be content, this is what it looks like, because all of these are seeking after the immortal, not the mortal

God’s blessing is not temporary its far different from the world’s ideal

seek a different ideal life than everyone else. strive for goals that are eternal, even if doing so might make you stand out