Rethink Happiness - Beatitude 6

Well, I'm excited to bring the next message in our series on eight secrets of a happy life rethink happiness. The eight Beatitudes of Jesus. And if you've been with this, you know, that Jesus had a lot to say about how to how to be happy, people everywhere want to be happy. Jesus shows us how that's what we're looking at over these few weeks together. If you missed any of the messages, you can go to the website. You can go to the app to catch the podcast and catch up. I really encouraged to do it. There's nothing more important than the Beatitudes, really. It's a quintessential teachings of Jesus. If you were to come up to Jesus, say, hey, what's the most important teaching ever? Have you take us to The Sermon on the Mount and he would take us to the first part of The Sermon on the Mount the Beatitudes. So you get this right? You know what? It's like to be members of the kingdom of heaven. So we're taking a look at that. Each week. I have asked you to kind of fill in the sentence happiness is... I didn't want to talk to you kind of the opposite. Happy. Sometimes. We can Define What happiness is but you find me. What it is it about a week ago or so? And Grandson Rowan. Mr. Rowan is up there in the balcony, Jairo. You just see a buddy 2 and 1/2 years old in big church. We went out on a walk with Rex the great, the two and a half year old golden retriever, and we were having a ball until Rick started. Digging in the ground and up, come the bees. How many know what I'm talking about? Bees are everywhere. These are everywhere growing his laps to me. So I'm in the middle of the bees. Fortunately, grandma sisa and Rowan were behind us a bit. But all of a sudden there's a bees up. Rex's knows there's bees all over Rex. I yank him out of there. We get away. I'm knocking. Bees off, I can I'm getting stung. He kind of put a damper on the walk,, You know what I'm talking about. And so we went our way back home and I checked the mailbox and there was a letter to me from the Neptune Society wondering if I wanted to get cremated. I want to call him and say I just got stung by a bee. I don't want to be cremated. Well, anyway, happiness is not being stung by a bee or being cremated while you're alive. All right, but what is happiness is here again. Recently, the happiest kids in the world. Do you know where they're from? Number five, America number for Germany was born. Number 3, Brazil number to Spain and number one, drum roll, please, Mexico, Mexico. That's what the statistics showed. Very interesting to see that and the most important source of a kid's happiness. The report says, and this makes sense close family and friends. Then that makes sense. Interesting, interesting. I like this Chinese proverb that says, if you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want a penis for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year and her to Fortune, if you want happiness, for a lifetime help, somebody else. And went on to say that if you want to be truly happy, you need to spend at least two hours every week serving other people a hundred hours every year. I think that's the bare bare minimum. Jesus said true, happiness is an internal Joy anchored in an eternal God and he gives us eight Beatitudes 8 secrets to a happy life. He says, accurately assess yourself. Realize that you just believe, God blessed are the poor in spirit and make your mistakes. Blessed are those, who mourn? Because we understand the devastation of sin. Respect others. Blessed are the meek, their humble and kind towards others, do the right thing. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? Those are the people who are always seeking to make right decision, right? Choices. Number 544, give freely blessed. Are the merciful blessed are those? Or merciful to others? Freely forgiving. And then number 6. Today question your own motives blessed are the pure in heart question. Your own motives the things we do, why do we say the things we say? Blessed are the pure in heart blessed are those who have an uncontaminated? I'm compromised and undivided heart in their very core. They are authentic. And pure before God.

Why do we manipulate lie falsify? The facts exaggerate the truth? Try to impress others? What is the motivation behind that kind of thing? We need to hold ourselves accountable. The point is we need to push our own motives. So other people don't have to, we need to examine ourselves. We need to evaluate our self. We need to call a foul on our selves. We need to call ourselves out. When we're out of line. We need to do that to herself. We don't need to expect other people. Do we need to spend time before God? And with God and say, God search my heart and show me where I'm offline off track and derailed. Practical questions to ask yourself. Would I do what I'm doing? If others could see, are there, secret hidden sins that you don't want anybody to know about or contrary to that? Would I do what I'm doing? If no one would ever see, am I giving and serving? So other people see me in a plaid me and I get lots of your no pants on the back. What's my motivation? Do I live to honor? God? No, man, am I out to serve myself or others in God? Is my greatest passion be faithful to the Lord or not? Why do I do the things that I do? What does it mean to be pure in heart? Well, in Bible language in this is important. The center of the human spirit is the heart from the heart, Springs emotions, thoughts motivations, courage, and action. It starts right here. What you say comes from your heart, what you do comes from out of your heart. We know a lot about other people and their heart by what they say, what they don't say, what they do, what they don't do cetera. Like the Bible says, above all guard, your heart. It's so important because it's the Wellspring of life. In Jesus said what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. All these evils come from inside a man and he lists a bunch of of sins. The Greek word for pure is the word catharsis and it was used in Old and New Testament times in Jesus day for the cleaning of clothing for the, you know, separating the corn from the husk of pure of the purification of milk the process. And you know, those days and unmixed metal, pure metal. Was what that Greek word men, how it was used in that particular day and age? And Jesus uses that when he says blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are those who are uncontaminated uncompromised unmixed? Jesus says, you need to get to the heart of the matter which is the matter of your heart. You need to regularly, examine your heart, check your own motives. Don't expect others, do it. You do it for yourself. Check your heart condition. What are the expectations that God has for us? Well, in Matthew Chapter 5 48, it says be perfect. Therefore as your father in Heaven is perfect, not being perfect, is impossible. And being pure is a natural. So, where do we go with this? Well, the Bible teaches about purity and sanctification over and over, and over again. And it basically says that we are positioned to offer or positionally Sanctified. Holy in Jesus Christ. So, when you accept Jesus as Lord, and Savior, God looks at you, and he doesn't see you and your sent me and my sins. But he sees the blood of Jesus that has been applied or life because we accepted him as our Lord and savior. We are positionally pure and price. How many can say, a big amen to that. We are pure in Christ, but the Bible also teaches that were to work out our salvation with fear and trembling where to grow when it becomes increasingly more strength. If I were to progress in our Purity and that's the work of the Holy Spirit at work. In our lives and one day that Purity will be perfected will be in heaven. That we will be glorified, will be with the Lord forever and ever and ever. How many are looking forward to get into heaven? When I was being stung by bees. I wanted to be in heaven, right there. There are no bumblebees in heaven. How do you know that? Well, I don't, I just don't just don't think they're going to be there. Listen to some of these verses. Who may Ascend the hill of the Lord who may stand in his holy place, he who has Clean Hands and a pure heart. God wants us to be pure of heart. Psalm 51:6, surely you, desire truth in the inner parts, your inner core, your spiritual center, your heart. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight. Now, that's a great prayer for us to pray everyday. Lord. May you be pleased with what's going on in my heart. So far, too, few people asked those questions. God, help me get a clear read on what's going on in my heart. We're so enamored with the external. God, judges the heart. Blessed are the pure in heart. Let me see if I can illustrate this.

I think of the tale of three kings in the Old Testament. You think of Saul David and Solomon. The first three kings. I mean, these were two Jewish people. These were the rock stars of that of that day. I'm this was the Michael Jordan and LeBron James and the Kevin Durant. I mean these that they knew these three the kings of the United Kingdom, you know, Judah, Israel were together under saw under David under Solomon, but you know what? These three guys started strong But then, they faded wrong. Why? Because they did not examine their heart. Her was unchecked. Contaminated and mingled and in pure.

You know what you think of these three and I was thinking about it, as I was reading through a book that I want to recommend to you. It's entitled, the drama of scripture finding our place in Biblical history, by Bartholomew and goheen. It's a great introduction if you're kind of new to the Bible, but it's also a great review for those of us who have studied it most of our life from Genesis to Revelation had a, finding our way in the biblical narrative and remember stopping at the part about Saul and David and saw him. And it just kind of thinking about that a little bit and it came to my mind again here this week. So I was praying this message that they started so strong, but then they faded so wrong. I mean, Saul. Start a strong Samuel. The righteous judging Prophet anointed Saul, as king peached. All these darkies handsome is an imposing figure. Incredible leader. He was devoted to his duties build, a great Army, your bank, which the Enemies United, the people of Israel. But he faded wrong. He disobeyed, God, he declined into madness and defeat and he eventually committed suicide. He was destroyed by his own jealousy.

His heart was in check, if he came and content became contaminated and compromised about David, David started, strong a Shepherd from Bethlehem. Tribe of Judah. I mean, just all the right stuff. He rises from the ranks to kill Goliath man with a huge story king of Judah and then unites Israel as well, writer of many of the bull of Psalms shows, incredible kindness, and compassion story after Story during his life, but he's faded wrong. He deliberately committed adultery and murder. That resulted in Bloodshed Civil War and deep, personal pain, and loss you started strong. Did wrong. His heart was unchecked mixed contaminated in pure Solomon started strong. He secures the throne over his brothers receives unparalleled wisdom, wealth, and power from God bills. The first temple. He's the last king of the United of the unit 5 Israel, at the height of Israel's power Solomon is in charge. He spoke many Proverbs Road ecclesiastic Song of Solomon. Just amazing. But oh, how he faded wrong. He falls into apostasy married for him, women and worship foreign Gods, 700 wives, and 300 concubines 1,000 in total. In the end, the wise team turned out, not to be wise, but to be foolish. Started strong. But he stated wrong, because he was unchecked. Any felon to compromise? You see a divided heart a deceptive heart a duplicitous heart produces mixed motives conflicted allegiances and compromise priorities me say that again a divided heart a deceptive heart but duplicitous heart produces mixed motives conflicting allegiances compromised priorities. Where do I get that? Saul David and Solomon. They started so strong.

But they faded. So so wrong for you when your heart is pure, when your life is unmixed and your dedication uncompromised. So ask yourself today, what drives me, who drives me? What's the most important passion? My life? What makes me tick? What's going on in the very core of who I am. If Jesus were to look inside of me when you see a pure heart. We're compromised hard. A mixed heart. The one thing we need to say about David, as he rebounded saw and saw him and didn't. But David rebounded. At the end, is we read about in Psalms, 51. He repented, he turned back to God and I think it's good for us just to take a moment. You may be kind of in that situation. You say not kind of walked away from God. Or I've kind of had a lot of compromising my life. You can rebound, you can return. And I also think it's a powerful thing for all of us. Just a review on a regular basis. Look at a few of these principles from, from Psalm 51 to rebound and also how to pursue a pure heart. Repent, and request, God's mercy. What did David David say? Have mercy on me? Oh God, according unfailing. Love. He commits adultery with Bathsheba and then, and then he essentially murders, her husband. I mean, how low can you go? But to his credit he says God he throws himself at the feet of God's. On the mercy of God says, please have mercy on me. The humility of that is so powerful acknowledge the destruction of Disobedience. So many people like to whitewash sin and Disobedience, not David, he says wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. David confessed his sin against God. Ultimately, our sins are against God for I know my transgressions against you and you only have I sinned. From God's desire for faithfulness. God desire. David be faithful. He desires you and I be faithful. You desire faithfulness, even in the womb seek forgiveness and restoration, cleanse me with hyssop David prayed and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow. I love the clarity of this next one. Pray for a pure heart. Create in me a pure heart. Oh God. When's the last time you prayed that prayer? Seriously, when is the last time you prayed that prayer? God, made my inner core be set apart for you may the thoughts, I think. And the actions I take come from a heart that is centered Deep In Christ.

One more be honest with yourself, and God. Or do not cast your presence me from your presence to take your Holy Spirit from me. And he goes on to talk about being restored.

What are the motivations that drive you? I put together a few questions just to get us to think about this just a little bit more. What is the under line reason for my actions? Now, this is helpful when you get more specific and you think it's specific actions, but we are quite have time for that. Right? What is the underlying reason all of a person's ways seem pure to them, motives are waived by the Lord. If you go to the app, if you go to the website, you'll see the sermon notes. All these questions are on there. Why? Because I hope some of you will will take them in and it'll put them on, you know, your wall or put them on your phone or look at them often. And when you have time filter your life, through every single one of these questions. You see that's the strength of this. It's not just here in a brief 30-minute sermon, then leaving for getting everything that was said. But pondering evaluating reflecting doing some internal work. I want to get things straight and right in here. I know you value of pure heart and I want to make sure there's no guile or just seat inside of me. Am I fooling myself about my motives over this verse Jeremiah 17:9, the heart is deceitful above all things, and Beyond cure who can understand it. Can we even trust our heart? I mean left to her own devices. We're going to lean for the carnal. The sinful, the negative? The critical. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to pull us to the pure, The Godly, the positive. The loving.

What does God the ultimate discerner of thoughts. And intents of the heart, seeing me what God looks at my heart. As I mentioned, just a moment ago. What does he see for? The word of God is living and active sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing into the division of Soul, and Spirit joints, and Marrow Discerning the thoughts and intentions our hearts. We cannot fool God. We can pull everybody else and we can even fool ourselves. But God Is Never full. When is the last time we played Lord? What's going on inside of me? Where am I off track? Where do I go to get my heart right in my mind, right. And my spirit, right?

That is so important for me and US1 Port for you. Are my motivations negative or positive Godly run Godly. 1st Corinthians 13, talks about love. And if we're loving God and loving other people, then we're we're in the positive Camp. If if it if we're not then then we're not and kind of along the same lines. Are any of my motivations originating from my sinful flesh. Those who are in the realm of the flesh? Cannot please God, Romans 8 8.

Free clear. Do I treasure with God? Treasures and do I value what God values? Where your treasure is? That's where your heart is, where your heart is. That's where your treasure is. That's my true motivation. What do I treasure? What do I value? Our my motives selfish and ruining my prayers. Listen to this verse when you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. What are my inner motivations? Am I guarding my heart against wrong motivations and Ambitions back to the verse? I alluded to earlier, above all guard, your heart for everything, flows from it. So what are we talkin about? We're talking about wanting to live our lives as an open book before God and say, God Purge out of me. Anything that is ungodly and spiritual anything. That's leading a me. And moving me in the wrong direction. Take it out, root it out, eliminated from my life. I have no time or interest in that. I want to live my life, to honor you in my relationships, in my actions and my thought life in my fantasy life in my preparation for the future in my activities up, today. I want to honor you completely. If that's you say a big, amen to that. We want to honor you but it starts with the heart. I need to get to the heart of things.

I want to close the message, they giving you five things to think about. How do I question my own motives? I need to filter my my life through these five things often. What does the Holy Spirit say? What does love require? What's the scripture command? What does prayer inspire? What does regular reflection and evaluation review? These five questions will serve you. Well, when you go through the deep fog, and the Deep jungles of life and you are trying to figure out. The next step forward. What does the Holy Spirit say? Galatians 5:16 through 25 and says walk in the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. But the splash is contrary to the spirit Falls, basically saying you need to live. In step with the spirit who wants to leave you in the goodness and righteousness. Good thoughts. A pure heart. Because if you want to gratify, the flesh is going to give you a name, Pure Heart. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience. And let's make this kind of self-control since we live by the spirit. Paul says, let us keep in step with the spirit. What does the Holy Spirit say, about my thought life? What is the holy spirit? Say about my heart. As I go to prayer, the spirit of Jesus Christ, the spirit of the Risen King. Is it work in our life and we'll make clear to us if we been asked? What does love require? Going to says, in 1st, John 4:8, whoever does not love. God, does not, whoever does not love. Does not know God, because God is what God is love. So one of the questions we need to ask in every circumstances. What does love require of me? In a day and age of mudslinging and hatred and contempt.

You and me, as followers of Jesus Christ must be different.

Love must compel me. To speak different on social media. Speak different to people. God has not called me to conquer other people. He's called me in the Great Commission to build Bridges and reach other people.

So, how you going to do that?

A lot of people today, don't ask this question. What is love? Require not even kind of not even close to being on their radar.

It's I like what I think. I don't like what you think. Therefore. You're my enemy and I'm out to destroy you. Anyway, I can. Maybe that's where you are today. And if that is where you are, be honest with yourself. Be honest with yourself and just ask the Lord if that's where he wants you to be. It's not where he wants me to be.

So I need to figure out what is love require and it's not always super, super simple. But it's a very important question to ask what the scripture command. One of my favorite scripture submit yourself to God, resist the devil come near to God. Wash your hands purify your hearts grieve morning. Well, change your laughter to morning and your joy. The Gloom humble yourself. Don't be narcissistic humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. What does prayer inspire? Oh, this is a prayer. We need to pray every single day. Search me, o God and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me and cleanse me from every sin and set me free search. Me God, take the spotlight. Of heaven and shine it on my heart and show me the aisle to see manipulation hatred, anger, or bitterness Unforgiven got show. What's going on in this heart of mine and cleanse me from every sin, every sin. Every sin. Set Me Free blessed are the pure in heart. What does regular reflection reveal? Lamentations 3:40. Let us examine our ways and let us test them. Let us examine our ways. I've said this many times before, and some of you made me, remember, I think the most under emphasized spiritual discipline, the one that nobody talks about and it may be one of the most important is a spiritual discipline of self-evaluation. Question your motives often. So others don't have to question them before. God say Lord, see if there be any wicked way in me, cleanse me. From a recent God. I want to have a pure heart. I want to be right and righteous before I want to honor you. But I thank you for our church family. Thank you for those listening online and thank you for those in Traditions. And other venues God. I just pray. That where you'll help us all come to grips with what it means to have a pure heart. Lord, I believe that most everybody within the sound of my voice wants to have a pure heart, is from there that the Wellspring of life is so short for Austin, how we think and speak can relate and behave, and try to reach a world that desperately needs to know Jesus. The Lord I pray that you help us get to the heart of the matter, which is the matter of our own heart that will take time to do, a heart exam with the help of the holy spirit in the presence of the Lord. Be very truthful and honest with ourselves.

About those things that are in there that need to be repaired spiritually. Repaired.

If you're here today, and you've not committed your life to Christ me. I encourage you to do that today. Just simply pray. Lord, come into my life or give me license. I want to follow you.

He'll come into your life. He'll give you a pure heart and give you the wherewithal to. Kind of stuff that out day-by-day. If you pray to commit your life to Jesus, please tell me about it fill up that connection card. If you're here in the service, or you can do it online. I want to be praying for you here this week. We want to send you some helpful information.

For most of us who've already committed ourselves to Christ. This particular beatitude is a tremendous. Wake up call just to remind us that we need to live circumstance back before the Lord. We need to live open before the Lord. We need to have a humility of heart before the Lord and say, Lord. We know there's some things inside us that need. To be adjusted forgiving overcame, so that we can be more like Jesus.

Lord. We commit Our Lives to you. I know I speak on behalf of so many of my friends here today. We commit and recommit our lives. You. There's nothing we want more in this life than to honor Jesus Christ. Glorify Jesus Christ in people. Pure hearts.

The Lord. I pray that you help us. In that way. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I want to bite you to stand with me or proteins going to come forward. We would love to pray with you. If you pray to commit your life to Jesus today, would you come and tell somebody about it? Rihanna sing a closing song? And then we'll be the Smiths. Maybe have a special need a physical need of financial need. We love to pray with you about that, too. God bless you. Let's sing together.