How To Be Happy

Introduction:

My name is Adam, I’m the pastor here at Abide church.

I’m also a professor in here at CBC. I teach Accounting and Economics courses.

If you’re new, I want to thank you for visiting us and tell you that we’re really glad you’re here.

Baggage… I’ve got baggage… But Jesus has made his followers family and I want to invite you into this family.

Today we are starting a sermon series on “How To Be Happy.”

One of Satan’s biggest lies is that you must choose between submitting to God and happiness.

What is a beatitude?

Derived from a Latin word that means happiness or bliss.

Matthew 5:2–12 ESV

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

What does it mean to be blessed?

It means to be happy or to be fortunate. Plain and simple.

STORY ABOUT DANIEL’S ROOMMATE (Need for speed)

(I’m so happy slide)

Truly, what will ultimately provide happiness?

Earthly things cannot produce eternal happiness, and most of the time won’t provide earthly happiness...

The blessing of God can never be taken from you.

God created you; he designed you; he knows what will bring you true and lasting happiness.

Trust him.

Matthew: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Beatitudes

Blessedness is a characteristic of God, and it can be a characteristic of men only as they share in the nature of God. There is no blessedness, no perfect contentedness and joy of the sort of which Jesus speaks here, except that which comes from a personal relationship to Him, through whose “magnificent promises” we “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4).

Matthew 5:3 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Perspectives on “Poor in spirit”

The meaning

The location

The achieving

The result

The meaning of “poor in spirit”

[NO SLIDES]

Matthew: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Meaning of Poor in Spirit

Ptōchos (poor) is from a verb meaning “to shrink, cower, or cringe,” as beggars often did in that day. Classical Greek used the word to refer to a person reduced to total destitution, who crouched in a corner begging. As he held out one hand for alms he often hid his face with the other hand, because he was ashamed of being recognized. The term did not mean simply poor, but begging poor. It is used in Luke 16:20 to describe the beggar Lazarus.

There is a different word that is used for poor in the new testament....

Matthew: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Meaning of Poor in Spirit

That is the point of the first beatitude. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their total spiritual destitution and their complete dependence on God. They perceive that there are no saving resources in themselves and that they can only beg for mercy and grace. They know they have no spiritual merit, and they know they can earn no spiritual reward. Their pride is gone, their self-assurance is gone, and they stand empty-handed before God.

Isaiah 6:1–4 ESV

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Mention our liturgy...

The location of “poor in spirit”

Carly story

Matthew 18:3–4 ESV

and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

I don’t know everything.

I can’t make it on my own.

I am not a good person.

Matthew: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Why Humility Is First

Yet in the church today there is little emphasis on humility, little mention of self-emptying. We see many Christian books on how to be happy, how to be successful, how to overcome problems, and on and on. But we see very few books on how to empty ourselves, how to deny ourselves, and how to take up our crosses and follow Jesus—in the way that He tells us to follow Him.

Until a soul is humbled, until the inner person is poor in spirit, Christ can never become dear, because He is obscured by self. Until one knows how helpless, worthless, and sinful he is in himself, he can never see how mighty, worthy, and glorious Christ is in Himself. Until one sees how doomed he is, he cannot see what a Redeemer the Lord is. Until one sees his own poverty he cannot see God’s riches. Only when one admits to his own deadness can Christ give him His life. “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 16:5).

Being “poor in spirit” is the first beatitude because humility must precede everything else. You cannot receive the kingdom until you recognize you are unworthy of the kingdom.

The achieving of “poor in spirit”

In one sense you’ve already “achieved” being “poor in spirit.” At this point, it’s more about acknowledgement.

You don’t have to put yourself down, you already are down.

You don’t become humble by looking at yourself, but by looking at Jesus

Mark 2:17 ESV

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Does spiritual reality match spiritual perception?

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When you’re counting on your righteousness to be close to God, you always end up viewing others with contempt, and putting others down. And the reason is that when you count on your own righteousness to be close to God, you can never compare yourself to God’s standard. “Be holy as I am holy.” So you compare yourself to others.

The attitude is directly opposite of “poor in spirit”

Psalm 34:18 ESV

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 51:17 ESV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

How do you know when your attitude is one that is “poor in spirit?”

Because it changes everything.

The way you view yourself

The way you view others

The way you view God

And these changes in perception change your behaviors

And these changes in perception change your happiness

The result of being “poor in spirit”

Matthew 5:3 ESV

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 12:32 ESV

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Bonus content:

Some of us have been Christians for a long time...

The moment you stop believing you are “poor in spirit” is the moment you’ve taken your eyes off Jesus.

[Communion]

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.