Sermon Tone Analysis

Beatitudes

Happy in the One

Intro: There are a lot of articles, books, and websites written to give advice on how to become happier.

One article, ends with the advice “You can be happier.

It's just a matter of building the right ‘happiness skills.’"

The University of Pennsylvania has an entire college program built around happiness and positive psychology.

Much of the advice given is meant to help transform your present life into something better.

A Christmas Carol, with ebendzer Scrooge and The Grinch who stole Christmas, both move the main character from living a life they think makes them happy, to realizing they are not happy and then there is a transformation and a realization of what will actually make them happy.

Charles Dickens was a Christian and for his main character in A Christmas Carol, what changes Ebenezer Scrooge, is the actual redemption and forgiveness he goes through and receives a new life after three days.

He changes his life from what he thinks to what God thinks.

And while there is not a necessarily direct correlation between A Christmas Carol and the Beatitudes, these concepts or character traits are what a Christian can strive to be.

So what does God tell us about how his children can act?

Read Verses

Main Point Jesus gives instructions to achieve True Happiness

I. Happiness Now

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

And you might be wondering why Have I inserted the words happiness when the translations is blessed.

This word used originally has the definition of Blessed, fortunate or happy.

This is different from the blessing ou pray over a meal, but this has those three definition of we are fortunate, we can be happy knowing that we have been blessed by God and that we will continue to be blessed or happy when we keep these characteristics in the forefront of our mind.

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones who was an actual medical doctor before becoming a pastor at the Westminster Chapel in London states that the Beatitudes are in a spiritual logical sequence that must take place in a

The first one is being poor in spirit.

Loud jones says that being poor in spirit is really an emptying of yourself, while all of the other characteristics are a fullness.

Before we can be filled blessed with the filing of God the Holy Spirit, we must empty ourselves, or perhaps more accurately in many cases in our lives, be emptied out by God in order to be ready to accept Him.

This is not meaning that poor people are more blessed than rich people because if you have been poor, or know poor people that would most likely tell you that that is not a time to be happy.

Poor people may have less distance to travel to the bottom in order to be emptied, but the lack of money does not equal more faith.

Application point: Being poor in spirit also allows you to live the other characteristics in order to know that you are blessed.

When you are emptied, it is easy to be humble, merciful, peacemakers because what you have on the inside, what you are filled up with should be coming out, or overflowing to the outside.

Ebenezer Scrooge, we see that he has to be emptied from all of his curmudgeonly behavior.

He is full of himself and everything he does is to make himself rich, which makes everyone else poor.

He gives out as much coal to minimally heat his office, which makes it miserable for his employee Bob Krachett to work properly.

Scrooge is not poor in spirit.

He had a very high view of himself to the point that he did not care about anyone else.

Others despised him because he was so miserly and he did not need anyone.he

was in fact, lonely.

Much of the happiness literature is geared toward.

You doing it yourself.You making yourself happy.

That is why you find those books in them self help section of the library or bookstore.

The world tells us we can have happiness now if we just rely on ourselves and do what makes us happy.

Follow your heart in order to be happy, the world says.

But God Says Follow me.

Paul explains to the Philippians church in chapter two of that letter, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

We can be happy on this earth by emptiness yourself and allowing God’s prescience in your life to pour out.

But this is not just for now, but, it has long term implications for the future.

II.

Happiness Later

Our lives on earth are not easy.

We suffer, we experience loss.

There are times when we feel like things have been taken and we are left with nothing.

That doing the right thing gets you nothing and nice guys finish last.

When we show mercy, sometimes we do not get shown mercy.

But Jesus says when you act this way,

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

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

In Romans, chapter 8 starting in verse 18 Paul explains to the church For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

24 For in this hope we were saved.

Now hope that is seen is not hope.

For who hopes for what he sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

In A Christmas Carol Scrooge wants to keep everything now.

The only, his resources, his Time.

He doesn’t even let Cratchett go early on Christmas Eve.

He expects the contractual agreement of a week’s work for a week’s pay.

He shows no mercy and so he receives none from the people he interacts with.

When he is asked for money “At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge,” said the gentleman, taking up a pen, “it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time.

Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir.” “Are there no prisons?”

asked Scrooge.

“Plenty of prisons,” said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

“And the Union workhouses?” demanded Scrooge.

“Are they still in operation?”

“They are.

Still,” returned the gentleman, “I wish I could say they were not.”

“The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?” said Scrooge.

“Both very busy, sir.” “Oh!

I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course,” said Scrooge.

“I’m very glad to hear it.”

“Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude,” returned the gentleman, “a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth.

We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.

What shall I put you down for?” “Nothing!”

Scrooge replied.

“You wish to be anonymous?”

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge.

Scroogewantstogkeep hi money and does not care about the future.

He only cares about his present.

The apostles are Sad at the crucifixion of Jesus because they think their best hope of the messiah has now come and gone.

They don’t know what to do and they retire to the Upper room.

Business as usual.

Jesus gave them hints that there was more to his mission.