Happiness

INTRODUCTION

This week, we will begin our third series in Core 52.

This series is entitled Singing the Sacred:

In the center of the Bible is the Book of Songs.

They cover various styles, moods, moments, and even instruments because they are the soundtrack of our spiritual lives.

Embedded in these songs are some of the most profound truths AND some of the highest promises pointing to Jesus.

Imagine writing a song 3,000 years ago, which is still being sung today.

The Psalms are poems meant to be sung in praise to God.

At least 73 of them were written by King David, and he likely penned several more.

They stretch back more than 3,500 years to the earliest Psalm, Psalm 90 written by Moses.

From there, they cover a thousand years of Israel's history, all the way to Ezra in the 5th Century BC.

A good portion of the Psalms were likely collected and compiled by King David when he organized 4,000 Levites as singers and musicians to lead Israel in worship.

The final compilation was likely done in the days following Ezra after the people had returned from Exile.

They were gathered into five separate books, each with their own theme and focus.

The Psalms were sung when the original temple was built.

They were sung when the Jews returned from Exile, and a new temple was built.

The Psalms were sung every day in the temple of Jesus' day.

These are the songs that Jesus sang.

With the birth of Christianity and the rise of the church, the Psalms continued to be an essential part of worship.

We begin this series by dealing with a subject that many Christians, including me, misunderstand!

Today, we will be in Psalm 1:1-3 dealing with the subject of happiness.

People have heard that God does not care about your happiness but your holiness.

This statement would be 100% accurate IF happiness and holiness were mutually exclusive; however, they are not.

Since they are not, how do we deal with happiness and holiness?

In other words, how can we experience happiness without sacrificing holiness?

We have made many bad decisions in life in the pursuit of happiness.

We have made many bad decisions based on our emotions, seeking what we think will make us happy.

Many times, what we think will make us happy is a momentary pleasure.

We know God cares about our happiness because many passages deal with our happiness.

The Bible hasn't been particularly timid on the topic: "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

"Rejoice in the Lord" (Philippians 3:1).

"Rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

"We consider those blessed [happy] who remained steadfast" (James 5:11).

Mark Moore points out another reason we know God cares about our happiness: science!

When God constructed your brain, he lubricated the synapses with three specific happiness chemicals.

They're" the happy juices of your brain.

Oxytocin is the chemical that gives a sense of comfort.

It's released through a handshake or a hug.

Oxytocin creates a sense of safety and trust.

Dopamine is the chemical of adventure.

It's released when your mind is buzzing with activity and creative energy.

You get a dopamine drip when you invent a new product, write a song, solve a problem, or learn something new.

It drives productivity, travel, and adventure.

Serotonin is the chemical of respect.

It's released when someone asks your opinion, treats you with respect, or applauds your performance.

Moore, Mark E.. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 61). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

God gives us these chemicals in spurts, not 100% of the time.

These chemicals are addictive, and God wants us to form good habits that will cause us to get shots of these chemicals from our brains.

Good habits will cause these happy chemicals in your brain to activate.

Let's begin our examination of happiness in Psalm 1:1.

Psalm 1:1 (NET 2nd ed.)

1 How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers.

SERMON

I. Happiness is built on uplifting relationships.

Verse one begins with the word BLESSED, which is actually plural in Hebrew. Thus, the word does not simply refer to a single blessing but rather blessings in many areas of life.

The word is characterized by happiness and being highly favored.

The word refers to being happy.

Our relationships account for the bulk of our happiness.

When we build Godly relationships, our happiness increases.

When you are with someone with a biblically based value system, your happiness increases because you know you can trust them.

Our relationships can cause our brains to release oxytocin; friends and family are the best sources of oxytocin.

Psalm one tells us that one is blessed when avoiding certain people.

WHEN YOU DIG INTO VERSE ONE, WHAT YOU SEE IS A PROGRESSION.

THE PROGRESSION IS FOLLOW, STAND, SIT.

We are told we are blessed when we do not follow the advice of the wicked.

WHEN YOU SEEK WHERE TO PLACE THE INVESTMENT OF YOUR LIFE, WHO DO YOU GO TO?

IF YOU WANT TO SEE BLESSINGS FROM GOD, YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHO YOU WILL FOLLOW.

THE RIGHTEOUS PERSON DOES NOT SEEK THE ADVICE OF THE WICKED.

WHO ARE WICKED PEOPLE?

THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT A PERSON WHO DOES NOT WALK WITH GOD IS WICKED.

This is one of the reasons we are not to be yoked together with non-believers in marriage or other partnerships.

2 Corinthians 6:14–15 (NET 2nd ed.)

14 Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?

Furthermore 1 Corinthians 1:18 reminds us:

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NET 2nd ed.)

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

If you seek the counsel of those who do not believe, they will think your value system is foolish.

Then verse one says not to stand in the pathway of sinners.

So we go from following (or some versions are translated WALK) to standing in the pathway with sinners.

When you stand with someone, it denotes a deeper level of commitment.

This part of verse one implies that one goes from walking with or following others to occasionally indulging in unhealthy activities.

It speaks of doing things in the presence of bad company that violates our standards.

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NET 2nd ed.)

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

If you have a relationship with one who leads you down the wrong path, it will hurt you in the long run and negatively impact your happiness.

The final part of the downhill slide takes place when we sit in the assembly of the scoffers.

Sitting in the seat in the assembly of the scoffers means that one now completely identifies with those on the path to ruin as well as embracing their proud, sinful behavior.

The change is so complete that we delight in sneering at God, His people, and His ways.

When we put ourselves in a position to be in relationships with those who are not good for us, our happiness will be negatively impacted.

This week is the 41st anniversary of my first date with my wife.

My relationship with her has brought me so much happiness and joy; I hope to have another 41 or more years with her.

Let's move to verse 2.

Psalm 1:2 (NET 2nd ed.)

2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.

II. Happiness is built on the pursuit of discovering God.

Dopamine is the discovery chemical.

When we discover new things, it can release that chemical into our system.

In contrast with ruining our lives with bad company, verse two tells us that we will be happy (blessed) by obeying the Lord's commands.

We will also be blessed when we pursue discovering God and getting to know Him more deeply!

In verse 2, the word the NET translates PLEASURE, can be translated DELIGHT or JOY.

Instead of standing in the way of sinners, you delight in the way of the word.

Do you want true happiness?

You need to have a love affair with God's word.

Lasting happiness doesn't come from listening to the counsel of the world.

Instead, it comes from marinating in the counsel of God.

You have a choice– you can listen to what the world says, or you can listen to what God says.

What is your final measure of truth?

If it's anything other than God's word, no matter how it makes you feel in the short term, the final destination is profound unhappiness.

Pursuing God is not about finding more things we cannot do, but rather, we learn more about who He is, and as our love for Him grows, our happiness grows.

One of the blessings of our Core 52 study is that it helps all of us get into the habit of studying, meditating, and memorizing the Word, which helps us grow closer to the God we love.

John 14:15 (NET 2nd ed.)

15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.

1 John 5:3 (NET 2nd ed.)

3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down,

When we place our focus on something, it transforms us.

When we focus on negative things, we become negative, and when we become negative, we lose our happiness.

When we meditate on God's commands rather than on the counsel of the wicked, which pursuit do you think will make our lives better and happier?

The way to happiness is to pursue the Word.

Too many of us, though, have bought into the lie that God's Word is boring.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

It's like eating nothing but junk food all the time; when you try to eat healthy, it tastes bad, even though it's what your body needs and craves.

You have desensitized your taste to what is truly good.

God's word is what your heart really needs.

God's truth is what your mind craves.

The Scriptures can satisfy the desires of your heart.

What are you seeking in life?

God's word brings a richer joy than possessions, money, and the finest delectable sweets.

God's word is anything but boring.

It is the wellspring of happiness.

Some of us wonder why we can't find happiness.

We wonder why happiness is so elusive.

I challenge you this morning to look at how much time you spend in the Word.

Verse 2 doesn't mean that you spend all day and night having devotions and memorizing the Bible.

It doesn't mean you have no other hobbies, but it does mean that you've spent enough time marinating in the Word that it simply becomes a part of who you are.

You don't just know God's word. It knows you. Changes you.

Let's finish with verse 3.

Psalm 1:3 (NET 2nd ed.)

3 He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.

III. Happiness is built on living a life that makes a difference.

Serotonin is the chemical of significance.

Being helpful and having a life that impacts others brings happiness and is the key to releasing serotonin.

When we are fruitful, we find significance in life.

Parts of Israel are like Arizona.

It is dry, and water is not plentiful.

The trees that thrive are planted by the flowing streams.

The person who lives close to God will never wilt or be dry. Instead, they will be fruitful and successful.

I have a friend I grew up with who never had a job except for a few weeks his entire adult life.

His life had no joy or happiness because he was all about himself.

We reconnected a few years ago, and I would visit him when I would go home, but he was just a bitter old man now.

He cut me off as a friend because one day, I could not take a call because I was in meetings.

He is now in a care facility, lonely and bitter; he did nothing with his life.

One of the things I love about ministry is the impact God has made in the lives of those He has brought in my path.

I love what I do, and I love helping people grow in their faith.

Is your life making a difference, or are you just running out the clock?

I think some folks get bitter when they get older because things start falling apart with us physically, and the environment around us changes.

The longer we live, the more friends and family we lose.

We get bitter because we are self-focused and not making a difference with our life.

You do not have to do spectacular things to make a difference.

You can do the simple things that can make a difference in the lives of others.

Something as simple as a smile or giving some time to others can impact others and make a difference in their life.

Fruitfulness and success in life spring forth from pursuing God and His will.

CONCLUSION

Through cultivating positive relationships, engaging in discovering God, and embracing one's significance in God's plan, you can find true happiness and fulfillment in your life, like a flourishing tree by streams of water that bears fruit and remains steadfast in all seasons.