True-ish

Chris Yarber

Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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We prefer to live by the concepts or facts we wish to be true, rather than those known to be true. Let's learn to navigate the space between True and True[ish].

Notes

Transcript

Announcements

Youth tonight—single message—tru[ish]

Chili and Baking Cook-Off

Next Wednesday

Youth fundraiser—Forward Conference—$1,500

Talent Show last year—this year is baking

Youth help in 3 areas—set up, serve, count money, clean up

Can anyone meet me at the church at 5:00 PM for set up?

Who would like to help count money?

This is how the night is going to go:

People will eat and vote, talk about last years Forward Conference—show pics

Play a couple of videos about Forward Conference, tally up money (everyone), hand out awards

We as a group will set up for event, serve food, as the videos play—all of us will help with counting money

Fundraising Goal—$1,500

Night of Worship—Wed. Jan. 22

All Life groups Jan 29

Stand alone message tonight—new series when we start back Wed. Jan. 29th

Next youth event—A Few of My Favorite Things—Yarber’s—Sat. Jan. 25th—6:30 PM

Whole theme of the night is favorites—play some “favorite” games of mine

Disney +, Ice Cream, Hot Pockets—everyone bring a favorite

Stand alone message tonight—True [ish]—new series when we start ing Jan. 29th

AS LONG AS YOU’RE HAPPY

Catchy Opening

Play game—2 truths and a lie

Get in circle—everyone must say 2 true statements about their life—1 must be false

Group discusses and votes on which one is false

2 truths/lie: been outside country 11 times, broke my entire leg after getting hit by a truck, my favorite fast food is DQ

1 lie:

Introduction

Why was this game so difficult?

Some times things sound true but that does not mean it is

There is a gap between what is true and what is true [ish]

The truth is I broke my ankle—not my entire leg

If I were to make it sound as if I’ve been out of the country longer than I have been—that would be truth [ish]

Truth is black and white

True [ish] is the grey area—it sounds true but it’s really not

We say things about God that sound true but their really true [ish]

Tonight we’re going to look at one true [ish] statement

“All God wants is for you to be happy.”

“As long as it makes you happy, God is in it”

“As long as it makes you happy, you should do it”

“As long as it makes you happy, who cares what other people think”

We say, “God is good, he has great plans for you, all he wants you to be is happy”

Many would say this is true but it’s really true [ish]

Many say it’s true b/c of verses like...

says, “May all who are godly be happy...”

This verse makes the true [ish] statement sound true

“All God wants is for you to be happy” sounds right—feels right

It sounds right b/c culture is all about self

Over 100,000 things pop up on amazon if you search “happy”

100’s of songs written on happiness

Search “happy” in amazon—100,000 things will pop up

It sounds so good but is it true or true [ish]

Yes—not only thing he’s concerned with

Teaching

There is danger to thinking God is only concerned about your happiness

If all God cares about is my happiness, and I’m not, then God has failed

GOD FAILED.

This is where people begin to doubt God and who He is

I want to teach you a word you may not have heard of before

Subjectivism—the belief that I have the right to determine what is right and wrong

Last time we meet before Christmas—our subject was the nature of God

In conversation we said, “What you believe about God determines what you believe about everything.”

Subjectivism—I, the subject, have the right to determine what is right and wrong without submitting my judgment to any authority outside myself.

Many people live subjective lives—they determine for themselves what is right and wrong

Some of us may not say we are this but we live like this

We seek what makes us happy and don’t think about others

says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.”

Have you ever heard of a frog being put in water that is rising in temperature to boil?

As it gets hotter—don’t notice it till it’s too late

Literally ends in death

We get ourselves in boiling water (metaphorically)—not noticing the affects of our decisions

We make the decisions we make all because they make us happy

Concentrating on happiness alone can be dangerous

“God is a good God, He has great plans for you, and all He wants you to be is happy.”

Is this statement true based on the verse I just read?

All God wants us to be is happy—this is a true[ish] statement

Amazon happy books—over 100,000 things pop up relating to happiness

100’s of songs written on happiness

It seems right to us and it feels right

God wants us happy doesn’t He? He does, ish

There are a lot of true[ish] things we could say (concentrate on happiness today)

As long as you don’t hurt anyone

As long as you’re sincere

When the bottom line is my happiness, happiness becomes the standard by which I judge my actions

GOD FAILED.

This is where people begin to doubt God and who He is

Last time we meet before Christmas—our subject was the nature of God

In conversation we said, “What you believe about God determines what you believe about everything.”

What you believe about God may true[ish] which determines how you view other things

If my friends don’t make me happy anymore—I’ll leave them, bully them to make them as unhappy as I am

Subjectivism—I, the subject, have the right to determine what is right and wrong without submitting my judgment to any authority outside myself.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS SEEMS RIGHT

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.

If parents don’t make me happy—don’t listen, make their life difficult, cause problems

Without a belief in absolute truth, truth is defined by whatever makes me happy.

Some teenagers quite jobs, colleges, dreams—all b/c of happiness

When the bottom line is my happiness, happiness becomes the standard by which I judge my actions. If my friends don’t make me happy anymore—I’ll leave them, bully them to make them as unhappy as meIf parents don’t make you happy—you don’t listen, make their life difficult, cause problemsSome teenagers quite jobs, colleges, dreams—b/c of happiness

Whatever makes me happy must be right

Whatever makes me happy must be right.

If God is only concerned with your happiness—anything that doesn’t make you happy must be bad

Since God wants me happy, anything that doesn’t make me happy must be bad.

Any kind of discomfort, delay, risk, suffering, inconveniences—can’t be God’s will

Any kind of discomfort, delay, risk, suffering, inconveniences, and obstacles can’t be God’s will

Without knowing it, I begin stop chasing God and chase money, comfort, things

I want to make a counter cultural statement—goes against the norm

God doesn’t want you happy if it means...

1) You do something wrong or unwise

Counter cultural statement—GOD DOESN’T WANT YOU HAPPY under these three different categories:

says, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do...”

1) WHEN IT CAUSES YOU TO DO SOMETHING WRONG OR UNWISE.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do…

God is more concerned about our holiness than our happiness

God is more concerned about our holiness than our happiness—why?

God desires to protect you even if that means sacrificing happiness

Same way parents say “no” to certain things and as kids we don’t understand

Same way parents say no to things and as kids we don’t understand

Although I believed that was right, it would be fun—it would not be the best choice

For example—brother swining me around room

1. Add illustration (ring around the rosy with brother in living room)

2. I believe God delights when we enjoy things inside His will

Parents told us not to—got stitches

3. God knows what is best for us

In the same way God knows what is best for us—it takes trust

4. He knows when something is going to hurt us

He knows what will hurt us in the future even if it makes us happy now

God doesn’t want you happy if it means...

Since I’m not happy, I’m allowed to do something that otherwise would be wrong.

2) What makes you happy is only based on things in this world

2) He doesn’t want you happy WHEN IT IS ONLY BASED ON THINGS IN THIS WORLD.

I’m going to show you a formula—no one says this—they live it

1. Actions communicate we believe this formula—no one says this—but this is how we live

Better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + the right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness.

Even though we have chased these things for years—we still are not happy

Reason why:

says, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”

Since leading this group—I’ve been asked, “What happens when we die.”

For those who choose God—we live w/ Him—we don’t really die

This world—it changes—it doesn’t stay the same

One time one of you asked me—what happens when we die—for those who choose God—we live with him—this world eventually goes away

Anyone like seafood? What about imitation seafood?

One time my dad went to the grocery store—found crab meat dip

One time my dad went to the grocery store—found crab meat dip—brought it home—tasted nasty

Brought it home—tasted nasty

Fine print—made of “imitation crab meat”

Does anyone know what that actually is?

No and I don’t recommend it

I have no idea and I don’t want to

It’s an imitation—not the real thing—happiness found in worldly stuff (drugs, partying, sex, etc.) are cheap imitations for the real thing

It’s an imitation—not the real thing

Happiness found in this world are cheap imitations for real happiness

From experience—only when I’m truly following God am I happy

From experience—God is the only one who doesn’t let me down

Doesn’t lie; give up; make excuses

Only in Him do we find true and lasting happiness

Life is not perfect—it can still get messy and difficult

At least I know I’m holding on to the realist thing there is

God doesn’t want you happy if it means...

3) He can bless you

God doesn’t want to just make you happy—he wants to bless you

3) God doesn’t just want you to be happy, GOD WANTS YOU BLESSED.

What language was the NT written in?

blessed: makarios (mak-ar'-ee-os); song that goes with it; supremely blessed, more than happy

Blessed = makarios (mak-ar'-ee-os); supremely blessed, more than happy

Happiness is based on happenings; happenings are not always good.

Happiness is based on happenings; happenings are not always good

Blessing are based more than happening

Blessings are based more than happening

There was a man at church—Tommy—every time I asked, how you doing? Response: blessed

There was a man at church—Tommy—every time I asked, how you doing?

Response: blessed

His life was terrible—wife died young—never got married—went to church, home

His life was terrible—wife died young—never got married—went to church/home

Tommy understood—no matter how bad life got—God was still there

says, “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.”

We can loose everything—still have God—be blessed

Conclusion

Max Lucado (author) has illustration I want to end with:

He asked this question: would a fish on the beach be happy?

He asked this question—would a fish on the beach be happy? No—fish would be gasping for air, flapping around Imagine we gave him $$$--would he be happy?Gave him a vacation—happy? Gave him a Corona and a fishplay magazine—happy? No—why?

No—fish would be gasping for air, flapping around

Imagine we gave him $$$—would he be happy?

Gave him a vacation—gave him a Corona and a fishplay magazine

No—why?

The fish was not made for the beach

Why is it you are not happy in whatever you purse? You were not made for this world

Why is it that humans never seem to be happy?

We were not made for this world

You were not made to live here forever, and you will not—we have to lower our expectations of this earth

You were not made to live here forever, and you won’t

We have to lower our expectations of this earth

No new car, phone, place to live, parents, friends, job—not going to satisfy

Because we are not made for here and if you believe that you are believing a true [ish] statement

When we believe we are made for here—believing a true [ish] statement

And you are missing the opportunity to place your hope in the one who can make you more than happy

You want happiness?

Get closer to God—read—talk to him—start small

My hope is that you will hold onto God’s promises—you will learn about him—take time to get to know him

As you get closer to him—you will be blessed—more than happy

Talk to him—read about him—you don’t have to know everything—start small