The Pursuit of Happiness

Welcome

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Series Setup

I am soooo happy. What does it mean to be happy? Bobby McFarren says...”got no place to lay my head, they came and took your bed. Don’t worry, be happy”. It’s a bop but it seems to fall short of telling what it means to be happy. Pharrell had a smash hit, Happy that every time I hear it, I smile. It releases endorphins in my brain and I somehow feel like everything is going to be ok. Is that what it means to be happy?

Can it truly be achieved? What does the world say about it? More importantly, what does God say about it? Over the next couple of weeks, we will be discussing the topic of Happiness.

Scripture

Matthew 5:1–12 The Message

1 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down 2 and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: 3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. 4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. 5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. 6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. 7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. 8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. 9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. 10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. 11 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. 12 You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Prayer

Today I want to establish some definition around happiness and discuss what the Bible has to say about it.

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for moments like this when we get to gather in your name; we know you are with us. We ask that you speak to us, challenge us, encourage us. We submit our plans to you. Give us open eyes, open ears, open hearts. In the name of Jesus, amen!

Illustration

I have a question for us. One for us to ponder over the next few weeks. Write it down, process through it. Are you ready? Here it is? What makes you happy? Give it a second, think on it, write it down. I have a few things that stand out to me. Going on vacation, makes me happy. Spending time with my family makes me happy. Upgrading a new gadget or getting some new shoes…makes me happy. The Eagles winning the Super Bowl…makes me happy. Moved me to tears!!!

We all have things that make us happy. Vacations. New homes. New cars. New job. Marriage. Kids.

Transition

However, what do you do when the newness wears off? When you get back from the vacation? When the things that make you happy come with complications that give birth to worry?

Recents surveys reveal…this is the most unhappy people in our country have been in 50 years. Currently only 14% of American’s would say they are happy. Why? Jobs, economy, politics, racial tension, family dynamics. All of these things contribute to our collective unhappiness.

While I understand the challenges that all of these things present, I am of the mindset that there has to be more to happiness than the occasional moments when everything is good. There has to be more to being happy than the chemical release in my brain that signals pleasure.

Let’s look further...

What is happiness?

Oxford dictionary defines happy as a feeling or state of contentment. There is a great deal of history in understanding this elusive topic.

It is a common desire of every human being to search for happiness, even when most people cannot even define it. There are many concepts and ideas that try to bring to a more tangible level what this word means.

The first person to broach the subject was Thales of Miletus 700 B.C. According to him happy is the person who has a healthy and strong body, good fortune and a well-formed soul.

Socrates brought a new direction to the understanding of the idea of happiness, postulating that it was not only related to the satisfaction of the body's desires and needs, because, for him, man was not only the body, but mainly the soul. Happiness is having a good soul that could only be attained through virtuous and righteous conduct.

Plato took this concept even further. He believed that just as the function of the eye is to see and the ear to hear, the function of the soul is to be virtuous and just, so that by exercising virtue and justice it obtains happiness.

With the end of the Hellenistic world and the advent of the Middle Ages, happiness disappeared from the horizon of philosophy. Being related to man's life in this world, it did not interest Christian philosophers like Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury or Thomas Aquinas. For Christian philosophy, more than happiness, what counts is the salvation of the soul.

If we step outside the realm of philosophy and ask the contemporary generation what it means to be happy, many answers will be related to having lots of money and possessions, followers on social media, and enjoying the passing pleasures of life.

I want you to grab something, an abundance of accumulation is often compensation for the lack of a more meaningful substance. Jacob accumulated stuff, but still wasn’t happy. Lacked peace. He was still empty.

Vacations end

New clothes get worn out

It can be expensive to try to buy lasting happiness with temporary means.

Let’s get a Biblical perspective on this.

Context/Background

What does the Bible say about happiness? The Greek word used in the Bible is Makarios, which means: blessed, happy, prosperous, fortunate. One could say they are all connected. To be blessed is to be fortunate and when we are fortunate, we are happy. I recently started juicing and what I love is how these different ingredient blend together to be one!

Notice, it is not about stuff, it’s about substance.

Here are some verses in the Bible that show us what happiness means.

Psalm 1:1–3 CSB

1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Proverbs 16:20 CSB

20 The one who understands a matter finds success, and the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.

Psalm 32:1–2 CSB

1 How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!

Psalm 33:12 CSB

12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord— the people he has chosen to be his own possession!

Psalm 34:8 CSB

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

Observations/Points

Happiness isn’t achieved in WHAT we have, it is founded in WHO we have. We often think happiness, being blessed is a destination, it’s not. Happiness can be achieved in every season when you recognize that God is with you.

Let’s look at the Abraham, was he blessed before he had his son? I would say the favor, blessing was with him from the beginning. Let’s look at the children of Israel. God came and got them, lead them through the wilderness, go them to the promised land…when were they blessed.

You are not blessed when you get there, you are blessed now. Because you are blessed, you can be content, you can be happy.

Paul explains...

Philippians 4:11–13 CSB

11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

Paul wrote these words from a prison cell. He had a different perspective though. He understood circumstances can change as quick as a global pandemic turning our world upside down, BUT he fully embraced that having God meant having everything he needed. Our input determines our outlook.

What if we are so busy pursuing happiness from outside sources and circumstances that are inconsistent and not sustainable, that we completely miss that your blessing has been pursuing you. What if the lost sheep in Luke 15 went off looking for happiness, but happiness was right there the whole time? Happiness pursues us.

Psalm 23:6 NLT

6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

What if the way to be happy isn’t in our movement, it is in our ability to stand still and see that He is God?!?

Observations from the Sermon

We are not unique in our desire to change our situation for the good. The people that Jesus was speaking to had it bad. They wanted, needed a complete change of circumstances. In their minds, the messiah was going to come and fix EVERYTHING. Jesus specifically uses present and future tense to let them know, what you’re looking for, you’re looking at.

Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What you are looking for, you’re looking at…if you keep your eyes on Jesus.

Matthew 6:10 CSB

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

That means, if it exists in heaven, we can experience it on earth. Happiness isn’t found in what you have, it’s in who you have. You have Jesus, you are blessed, fortunate, happy!

Matthew 5:3–6 CSB

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

You are blessed! You are fortunate! When you see that, you understand that you can be happy where you are because God is with you.

Being happy isn’t about what you have, it’s founded in who you have.

Closing

When I think over my life there have been moments. We are the embodiment of “started from the bottom now we here”. Kids young, but we were happy. Got into a car accident and had to stop working, but we were happy. We moved away from family, but we were happy. We have been through so much. It has been filled with highs and lows, no season was consistent, but our happiness was.

We learned that happiness isn’t determined by what we have, what season we are in, it is founded in who we have. It is possible to be happy even when it’s not good.

Altar

Let me pray for you.