"How To Be Happy!"
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This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Spiritual Fruit and Fleshly Works
Spiritual Fruit and Fleshly Works
16 I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are revealed, which are these: adultery, sexual immorality, impurity, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, rage, selfishness, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I previously warned you, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law. 24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.I. Introduction.
If Happiness could be distilled, and somehow bottled.
I promise you, I gaurantee you: One ounce of happiness would be far more costly than an ounce of Gold!
People spend vast sums to secure houses and lands, their own personal island, megayachts that sit idle but for a few weeks a year.
Vast fortunes in cryptocurrency!
Stuff and more stuff that does very little for the inner man.
But how many would give it all away for the peace in this room right now?
There is such sadness in our world.
Much pain, and little peace.
A patient complaining of melancholy spoke to his doctor and therapist, who consulted together at length.
Finally they approached him with this advice:
“There’s nothing physically wrong with you: What you really need is some amusement! A good laugh will be far better for you than any perscription!”
“Tell you what, there’s a famous comedian in town this week. He’s really good! Now tickets are sold out, but I’m gonna pull some strings and get you in.”
“No thanks said the patient, I am the comedian.”
Folks, people are not happy.
This emotional pain, this spiritual pain of unhappiness, loneliness and discouragement is the default setting of all humanity ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
I mentioned Marilyn Monroe the other day.
The very personification of beauty, happiness, and glamour according to the world.
Always the winning smile.
You know, I feel so sorry for her. I really do.
It seems as though nobody was ever interested in the real, actual person that she was.
What were her most creative thoughts?
What was the thing most noble thing that she ever did? The world doesn’t know, and the world doesn’t seem to care.
The world chewed her up and moved on.
Did you know that wasn’t even her real name? Or at least is wasn’t her birth name.
Home life was not good.
Her Mother and two grandparents were eventually committed to mental institutions.
Married to a neighbor at 16, she was working in a munitions plant when she caught the eye of a photographer.
Then after the initial fame and the failed marriages, the last movie she worked on, fired her for extended absences.
“You’re fired! Get it together will ya?”
And while the world says one thing, this sad person, this eternal soul, made in the image of God, more valuable than all the money in all the world, is desperately lonely, lost, confused and wounded in spirit.
Hollywood doesn’t sell a person as they are. Notice how they create a narrative and that’s what they sell? Plastic, smoke, mirrors.
But beneath all of that God loves the person! The eternal soul of man!
Not for anything they can offer! But simply because each of us, no matter our faults, is a child of God.
Did you know that a certain evangelist visited Marilyn after she presented a show.
You’d all know his name if I said it.
He said that the Lord had sent him to her to give her the gospel.
After hearing what he said, she responded, “I don’t need your Jesus.”
A week later, they found her dead in her apartment.
She was 36 years old.
Such Sadness this world, such Despair.
Back when High-rise buildings had windows you could open, one captain of industry flung himself from his Grand Manhattan office, falling to the street below.
The note he’d left on his desk read: “I am wealthy by the millions, but I am desperately poor in spirit.”
And so they are… Poor in Spirit.
But thank you Jesus, we know the cure!!!
I hope I’m preaching to an Apostolic church today!
Cause you have the answer!
You know His name!
We know how to help the hurting!
We’ve got solid answers for Sonoma county today!
And here it is:
If you really want to be happy, you need the Holy Spirit!
You don’t need to waste your body and your money and your youth on coping mechanisms!
Folks will tell you it’s a sickness, that the destructive behaviors are illnesses.
And what that does is make it so that the individual is not accountable for their actions.
I don’t buy it folks!
Why don’t we just call a spade a spade?
Right is right and wrong is wrong and sin is sin!
But where there is sin, Much more did Grace abound!
He can wash that sin away!!!!
Repent! Come clean already, to the God who forgives
Baptism in Jesus Name is what this world needs!
You don’t need to try and manage a sin problem, Let Jesus fix it!
Those things that pollute the souls of mankind, Jesus can wash all that out and set you free!
Sonoma County:
You don’t need to self-medicate!
You don’t need that bottle!
You do not need another empty, shallow relationship, with another selfish, hurting person who can’t help you!
Stop wasting your years!
What you need, is true joy!
You need a little peace in your home!
That self loathing that robs you of contentment, trade it for confidence toward God!
A life not yet committed to Christ is a hard life to live!
It’s like an engine that is hot! there is friction!
This cannot go on for long until something blows!
But Jesus is that smooth oil that fills all the empty spaces!
His grace removes the friction!
His Mercy takes out the heat!
His counsel tightens up the loose movement and gets the timing right!
True Happiness can only be found in Jesus!
And then there are other things that you can do to be happy! Did you know?
Here’s a good one:
Here’s a good one:
“Watch your mouth.”
1 Pet 3:10
Did your mama ever tell you that?
Mine sure did!
And usually right after she backhanded me in mouth!
And you know what? I’m grateful!
Watch your mouth!
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
“Guile” Know what that means?
It means subtlity, A lure, a snare, deceit.
There is much guile spoken in our day.
But for us, it should not be so!
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
The Bible has a lot to say about “Talebearing.”
We’d call it gossip.
And it’s just as corrosive to humanity today as it was back then!
Now maybe you know something about some situation, and maybe you’re burning to talk about it with someone.
But that don’t make it right!
You could be starting a fire!
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
It’s not a fault to be wise as a serpent. It’s when your as harmless as a serpent, that we get into trouble...
I know it can be hard to watch your mouth.
But if you want to love life...
If you want to see good days, then all you have to do is: “Watch your mouth!”
Watch it! Refrain your tongue from evil.
Put a guard before your mouth.
We know something around here:
We know that the initial sign of the Holy Ghost baptism, is that Jesus moves upon you to speak in another language.
But you know, there are times when the Holy Ghost will move on you to hold your tongue, to be quiet! And folks, He’s got that right!
We gave it to him!
A great way of bringing happiness into your life, is simply to sit down and consecrate your speech to Jesus once more.
Watch your mouth!
Okay! You wanna be happy? Stop drinking.
Okay! You wanna be happy? Stop drinking.
Now, I know there are churches that don’t have a problem with it.
Look around some places and you see church folk drinking too!
Sometimes it’s made to look a little nicer, and people use this phrase: “Social drinking.”
Well, it is what it is folks:
Anything that altars you state of mind and your sound judgement, is not the ticket!
And if you’ll read the Holy book, you’ll see that God does not condone it!
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:
And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
1 Corinthians 6:10 (KJV 1900)
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Listen, plain good sense tells you that!
I know, people say that Alchohol has it’s uses.
Alchohol is a product of amazing versatility the say!
It will remove stains from designer clothes.
But guess what?
It will also remove the clothes off your back.
It can remove cars from the driveway, furniture from the home, rugs from the floor, food from the table, lining from the stomach, vision from the eyes, and judgement from the mind!
Alchohol can remove good reputations, good jobs, good friends and happiness from children’s hearts!
It can remove sanity, freedom, spouses, relationships, and man’s ability to adjust and live with his fellow man!
It can remove even life itself.
As a remover of things, alchohol has no equal!
Proverbs 21:17 (KJV 1900)
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:
He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
Folks, you are royalty! You are a special people!
Don’t act like the world!
You have a higher standard than that!
Proverbs 31:4 (KJV 1900)
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
Nor for princes strong drink:
Ok, think about this for a second:
How many tragic stories do you know that involve a bar? A tavern, a pub?
How many people do you know that were sent to prison for years and years?
Years of missed birthdays?
Years of missed anniversaries?
Years of wasted earning potential!
And all because of one bad moment in a bar...
A Bar to heaven, a door to hell
Whoever named it, named it well;
A Bar to manliness and wealth
A door to want and broken health;
A Bar to honor, pride and fame
A door to grief and sin and shame;
A Bar to hope, a bar to prayer
A door to darkness and despair;
A Bar to honored useful life
A door to brawling, senseless strife;
A Bar to all that’s true and brave
A door to every drunkard’s grave;
A Bar to joys that home imparts
A door to tears and aching hearts;
A Bar to heaven, a door to hell
Whoever named it, named it well!
Jesus has so much more for you than that!!!!
When Jesus takes something from you, it’s only so that He can give you something better!
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
If you want to be happy, learn to have an attitude of grattitude!
If you want to be happy, learn to have an attitude of grattitude!
Be grateful!
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;
For his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV 1900)
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Ever been done wrong?
Someboedy lied and cheated and messed you up?
Allow the grace of God to help you transpose!
I will bless the Lord at all times:
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
When you are blue, just start thanking Jesus for the specfic things that He has done!
I promise, you are gonna feel better!
(Give illustration of lady at the altar, “”I’m done with God.”
The best attitude is an attitude of Gratitude!
“How to be happy?”
Do you really want to know how to be happy?
Learn to Forgive!
Learn to Forgive!
Hear me today:
There are people in mental care facilities, mental institutions who are completely unable to function in society, for no other reason than unforgiveness!
Some of those people are there, because the were never able to give or recieve forgiveness!
And so their emotional man shrivels, their spiritual man shrinks and rots for the want of forgiveness.
It’s a hard thing to speak of, because I know in any room this size, there will be people here that have been wronged far more than I ever have.
But the principle remains: “70 times 70.”
Forgiveness is God’s way!
It’s one mechanism God has created to keep you from loosing your mind!
Brothers and sister, “The wrath of man, worketh not the righteousness of God.”
I’d not let anyone here touch a caustic acid that would boil your skin off!
Not if I could help it!
I’d not let anyone here pick up a serpent that might kill you with one bite!
Everyone in the room, would give warning!
That’s all I’m doing today, when I tell you that unforgiveness protects a root of bitterness.
And bitterness is an acid that will eat it’s own container.
When you hear the word “Forgiveness,” I want you to hear “Freedom.”
The equation is this: Forgiveness= Fredom!
Freedom all around!
When you forgive, you are freeing God to hand the situation.
And he always handles things best!
After Napolean defeated the Russians at the battle of Borodino, losses on both sides were heavy.
As he walked the battlefield the following day, his staff counting the dead, Napolean heard a moan of pain from a fallen soldier and ordered a stretcher.
One of his aides pointed out that the fallen man was a Russian.
But Napolean retorted “After a victory, there are no enemies, only men.”
Brothers and sisters, at the end of the day, we are all men and women.
Just think for a moment, about that person who is hardest for you to forgive:
If you saw them fall over in the street from a heart attack, wouldn’t you run to them and offer aid and help?
Sure you would! You’d call the ambulance and do everthing possible to help him or her!
So just do that now!
Why wait for a tragedy?
Forgive now, you’ll be glad you did!
Wanna be happy? Learn to forgive!
Want to be happy! Be generous!
Want to be happy! Be generous!
“It is more blessed to give than receive!”
Be willing to give of yourself!
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord;
And that which he hath given will he pay him again.
If you want to be happy, stay busy! Get a job! Get the right job!
If you want to be happy, stay busy! Get a job! Get the right job!
Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
Consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer,
And gathereth her food in the harvest.
Paul said: “If any work not, neither should they eat!”
Don’t be lazy!
Get up and get busy!
I am convinced, if an alien race ever came across our satellite transmissions of daytime TV, they’d keep on trucking! “NO intelligent life here!”
Turn off the mindless informercials and irresponsible people screaming at each other while the show host grins with delight and dollar signs in their eyes!
That stuff is empty calories! It is rediculous and emberassing!
And the talking head shows aren’t much better!
Oh they’re smarter sure, but how is what they do any different than Ancient Rome?
The gladiators used to kill each other for the lust of the crowd!
The sand of the Coliseum was soaked in blood!
Are we so different? I think not.
We still kill and assasinate each other.
Only now it’s with words.
How about turning the thing off and getting some work done?
You’ll feel better and take pride in your accomplishments!
And who couldn’t use a little more money?
win win.
Get off the couch and go get a job!
And when the time does come to relax, you’ll enjoy that couch a hundred times more! I promise!
Wanna Be happy? Do what God has told you to do!
Wanna Be happy? Do what God has told you to do!
Sometimes folks get frustrated and unhappy.
“I’m just waiting for a word from God, I hear them say.”
And then I ask them: What was the last thing God told you to do? Are you doing it?
Becasue if you’re not, why would he tell you to do anything else?
Saints of God, you’ll be happy, if you’ll do what God told you to do!!!
He has designed is individually!
He knows how to fulfill your deepest longing!
Do what God has told you to do!
Is he calling you to greater consecration?
Is he challenging you to give up some attitude or behavior?
Jsut do it!!!!
Don’t ever tell God no!
Jesus knows what’s best for you!!!!!!
Trust Him!
Learn the lesson, overcome and move to the next level!
Wanna Be happy? Remain Accountable to you Pastor.
Wanna Be happy? Remain Accountable to you Pastor.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
If you want power with God and with man, make sure that you are accountable!
It’s the only way!
Nobody outgrows the need for a pastor!
I have a pastor!
I cannot truly trust anyone that does not!
Your submission is the key to your authority!
This principle remains whereever you live and wherever you go!
And you are the one who decides, not me!
Plenty of people go to churches as spectators.
Don’t answer to nobody! And they miss out on so much!
I can be the guy that preaches at the church you go to,
Or I can be your pastor.
Up to you!
No, I’m not on a power trip! But I sure do want you to be happy!
And if you want to be happy, you need to be accountable.
If you want to be happy, learn to build strong relationships .
If you want to be happy, learn to build strong relationships .
How many strong, robust relationships do you have?
If each represented a dollar? How wealthy, how poor would you be?
The greatest wealth is not money folks! Not numbers in an account!
True wealth is people.
It’s life shared together,
It is vulnerability,
It is trust,
Wanna be happy?
Build your relationships on foundations of trust and honesty. These will stand the test of time!
You don’t have to be alone! If you build strong friends now, one day you will cherish those friendships more than you think right now.
Do you really want to be happy? Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb!
Do you really want to be happy? Overcome by the Blood of the Lamb!
Lay aside the sin that so easily besets!
The One thing thou lackes, the one thing that makes all the difference?
Ask Jesus to help you get that one thing right!
Overcome not by your strenght or character! None of us are good enough!
Overcome by the Blood of The Lamb!
Hey! Jesus said that we would recieve power after that the HG has come upon us!
You have all the power you need to overcome!
Say no to the temptation that has messed you up so many times before!
Gain your happiness once more!
All you need is the Holy Spirit Baptism and you can get that today!
Let the people of God be happy!
Let the people of God be happy!
Do you want to be happy? Learn to pray!
Do you want to be happy? Learn to pray!
I didn’t say learn how to pray, I said learn to pray.
How to pray is easy, you just talk to God as though he was sitting right here.
Share you life with Jesus in real time! Talk to Him!
We need to learn to pray!
I know when I’m not praying enough! I get emotional and I get blue!
Overburdened, short and impatient!
Why? Becasue when you don’t pray, you don’t lay your burdens at his feet!
And folks, none of us are big enough to carry the burdens of life! The struggles, the disappointments, these are far to heavy for your frame!
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Drop the thee’s and thou’s!
Square up with Jesus and just talk!
If you’ll just be honest with God and talk to him, you can accompish with God in 10 minutes what ten years of therapy is unable to do!
We spend so much trying to be happy!
Toys to take to the lake, toys you have to finance, store, wash and insure!
They can be fun, but they bring their burdens too.
The problem is that folks are chasing the wrong thing!
Happiness they say, is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it will elude you.
But if you turn you attention to other things,
it comes and soflty sits on your shoulder.
If you would stop chasing happiness, and start chasing holiness, I promise that things will happen naturally in your life, simply as an overflow or your relationship with Jesus Christ!
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek Ye first the Kingdom, and be happy!
Can you imagine doing outreach this Month, with a big frown on your face?
If I asked you to do that you would say no!
“How can I invite someone to church with a frown on my face?”
“It makes no sense to tell others how to be happy when I am sad.”
You are absolutely right!
That’s why pastors teach on how to be happy once in a while!
Get the Joy of the Holy Ghost in your life!
Get a smile in your spirit and on your face!
We’ll never reach anybody if we can’t get it together!
The religion that makes a man look sick, cannot cure the world!
I like to see smiles!
Big, Holy Ghost, I have been forgiven smiles!
Because the flag flown from the castle of the heart, shows that the King is in residence!
II. Conclusion
II. Conclusion
Pastor, you say: “You’ve missed like twenty other things that will make you happy!”
Yes! More than that!!!!
Way more!
Read this book, and you will find hundreds more methods and ways to find joy!
But I’ve got a secret:
The secret was our text:
All these things can be summarized by walking in the Spirit!
If you walk after the flesh, all the carnal, default settings, you will never be happy!
But if you follow after God, if you walk after the Spirit, you will be happy!
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law. 24 Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Folks, gas is expensive!
When your tank gets low, it costs an arm and a leg to fill up!
But to fill up your spiritual tank costs nothing!
In fact, if you want a fill up today, why don’t we turn this church into an altar?
Open up the closets of your heart!
Get all the cobwebs out!
Open your spirit to God so that He can refresh you!
Reach out to God this morning!
Don’t miss what He has for you!
Anything can happen!
Anything can happen here today!!!!!!!!!!
If you’ll let King Jesus, He will give you joy!
He will help you!
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.