In his book, Dangers, Toils & Snares, John Ortberg talks about the days when he took his children to “the shrine of the Golden Arches”, where they always lusted for the meal that comes with a cheap little prize. In a moment of marketing genius, McDonalds executives christened it the “Happy Meal”, convincing children everywhere that they’re not just getting fries, McNuggets and a cheap little toy; they’re getting happiness!
The problem with the Happy Meal is that the happy wears off, and they need a new fix. No child discovers lasting happiness in getting one. You never hear any kid say, “Remember that Happy Meal? What great joy I found there!”
Happy Meals bring happiness only to McDonalds. You ever wonder why Ronald McDonald wears that grin? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that's why.
Ortberg says, “When you get older, you don't get any smarter; your happy meals just get more expensive.” (John Ortberg, Dangers, Toils & Snares: Resisting the Hidden Temptations of Ministry, Multnomah, 1994, pp.99-100; www.PreachingToday.com)
How right he is. There are a lot of adults still looking for happiness in bigger and more expensive “toys”, but they never find lasting happiness.
So the question I want to explore this morning is: How can we find true and lasting happiness? How can we find that place of real joy? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah 8, where we discover how God’s people in Nehemiah’s day found real joy.
Nehemiah 8:1-2 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. (ESV)
That’s the Jewish New Year! The trumpets blow, everybody takes a day off, and they gather to celebrate the goodness of the Lord. Only this time, Ezra is reading the Bible out loud to everyone.
Nehemiah 8:3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. (ESV)
They paid attention to what was being read.
Nehemiah 8:4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. (ESV)
That’s six on his right side and seven on his left.
Nehemiah 8:5-6 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (ESV)
Bible scholars estimate that there were 30,000 to 50,000 people there that day. Can you imagine that – a stadium full of people, praising God together, shouting “Amen!”, and then bowing low with their faces to the ground.
Nehemiah 8:7-8 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. (ESV)
As Ezra reads the Bible, several men spread out among the people to translate it and explain it so everyone could understand it. Most of the people had grown up in Babylon where they had lost the language of their ancestors. They’re back in Jerusalem, but they all spoke Aramaic, the language of the Babylonians. As a result, they couldn’t understand the language in which the Bible was originally written – the Hebrew language. So Ezra’s men had to translate it and explain it to them as it was being read.
They did this from sun-up till the middle of the afternoon (vs.3). It was a long day, but as a result the people understood the Bible. They grasped its meaning since it was clearly put in a language they could understand, and that’s what you and I must do if we want to find true and lasing happiness. If you want to find that place of real joy, then get to…
KNOW GOD’S WORD.
Understand the Bible. Comprehend it. In other words, let it touch your mind.
The Goldfinch is a sprawling 880-page novel written by Donna Tart. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 2014 and became a bestseller both in America and in Great Britain. However, according to research from Kobo, a major British eBook seller, most of people who bought the book never finished it. Since its release in 2013, only 44 percent of the readers who downloaded The Goldfinch actually finished it. (Alison Flood, “EBooks Can Tell Which Novels You Didn't Finish,” The Guardian, 12-10-14; www.PreachingToday.com)
And that’s the way it is with a lot of best-sellers, including the Bible – the #1 bestseller of all time! People may buy and/or download the book, but they never get around to reading it all.
What a tragedy, especially when it comes to the Bible, because those people never experience its life-transforming message. They never experience the joy of its words, which can absolutely make a profound difference in the way they live their lives.
In the 1940’s, the great classic composer, Igor Stravinsky, wrote his Ebony Concerto for the Woody Herman Band, one of the best jazz bands ever! However, during rehearsals, Stravinsky had a lot of trouble communicating with the band. Woody Herman, the band leader was frustrated, so he called in his long-time arranger, Neal Hefti.
Hefti turned to Stravinski and said, “Maestro, tell me exactly what you want and I’ll try to get it across to the boys.”
Stravinski replied, “I want a sudden sforzanda followed by a subito decrescendo.”
“Gotcha,” said Hefti. Then he turned to the band and said, “Bend it, boys! Bend it!” (Bible Illustrator)
Hefti took the technical language of the classical musician and translated it into a language the jazz musicians could understand. When he did, they were able to make beautiful music together.
That’s the way it works with the Bible. When we understand it, There is music in our hearts! There is real joy that comes when we grasp its glorious, life-changing message.
The Bible has been a part of every revival since recorded history. First, God’s people pray. Then the Bible is preached in such a way that people get it! As a result, lives are changed and whole communities are transformed.
It’s the only way to find true and lasting joy: Start by getting to know this Book, the Bible. First of all, READ IT!! And read it in a language you understand. Try one of the newer translations if you’re having trouble with the translation you’re using right now. Then ask the Author of the Bible, God Himself, to help you understand what you read. He’s glad to help if you just ask.
I also suggest that you join a Bible Study if you’re not already a part of one. We have a women’s group that meets on Monday night and a men’s group that meets on Saturday morning. Or you can join us for Sunday School on Sunday mornings or our Bible Class on Sunday nights. You don’t have to go to all of them. Just pick one that best meets your needs, and experience the joy of gaining new insights as you share with one another the things you are learning in God’s Word.
If you want true and lasting happiness, Start by getting to know God’s Word – let it touch your mind. Then second, if you want to find the place of real joy…
CELEBRATE GOD’S WORD.
Don’t let it just touch your mind; let it touch you heart, as well. Let the Bible move you to the very depths of your being. That’s what happened to the people in Nehemiah’s day.
Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. (ESV)
They wept, because they realized they had broken God’s Law, which could only mean that they were under condemnation. They had missed the part about God’s grace and forgiveness for condemned sinners. Their return from Babylon and the restoration of Jerusalem was evidence of that grace. So this was not a time to weep; this was a time to rejoice!
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (ESV)
The joy of the Lord is your protection. The joy of the Lord is your place of refuge. The joy of the Lord is your security.
Nehemiah 8:11-12 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. (ESV)
They had understood what God declared to Isaiah about their time nearly 300 years previously: “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned” (Isaiah 40:2). They knew that despite their sin, God had forgiven them and restored them to their land. They finally understood the Good News of God’s Word, and that Word gripped their hearts, so they threw a party and began to celebrate!
Now, that’s exactly what we need to do if we want to find a true and lasting joy. Let the truth of God’s Word grip your heart and celebrate. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine like it says in verse 10. In other words, throw a party, because if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, you too have been forgiven. Romans 8:1 is clear! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Don’t suffer under the guilt and shame of your sin any longer. Put your trust in Christ, who died for your sins and rose again, and rejoice in His forgiveness. Don’t grieve. Celebrate what God has done as revealed in His Word.
Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision, reflected on his visit to a church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, nearly a year after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. The church's building consisted of a tent made from white tarps and duct tape, pitched in the midst of a sprawling camp for thousands of people still homeless from the earthquake. This is how he describes the church and the lesson he learned in Haiti:
“In the front row sat six amputees ranging in age from 6 to 60. They were clapping and smiling as they sang song after song and lifted their prayers to God. The worship was full of hope … [and] with thanksgiving to the Lord.
“No one was singing louder or praying more fervently than Demosi Louphine, a 32-year-old unemployed single mother of two. During the earthquake, a collapsed building crushed her right arm and left leg. After four days both limbs had to be amputated.
“She was leading the choir, leading prayers, standing on her prosthesis and lifting her one hand high in praise to God… Following the service (Stearns says), I met Demosi's two daughters, ages eight and ten. The three of them now live in a tent five feet tall and perhaps eight feet wide. Despite losing her job, her home, and two limbs, she is deeply grateful because God spared her life… ‘He brought me back like Lazarus, giving me the gift of life,’ says Demosi… [who] believes she survived the devastating quake for two reasons: to raise her girls and to serve her Lord for a few more years.
Richard Stearns says, “It makes no sense to me as an ‘entitled American’ who grouses at the smallest inconveniences – a clogged drain or a slow Wi-Fi connection in my home. Yet here in this place, many people who had lost everything… expressed nothing but praise. (Richard Stearns, “Suffering and Rejoicing in a Haitian Tent Camp,” Christianitytoday.com, 1-12-11; www.PreachingToday.com)
They found the secret of real joy in the face of devastating loss. They chose to celebrate instead of complain and discovered that indeed “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.
The joy of the Lord protects you from despair. The joy of the Lord shields you from the enemy, who wants you to believe that God is not good. The joy of the Lord provides that place of security and peace even in the midst of pain and loss.
So what are you going to do today? Complain about your situation? Or celebrate the goodness of your Lord, who took away your sin when you put your trust in His Son? Oh please, let the truth of God’s Word grip your heart today and choose to celebrate. It’s the only way to find true and lasting happiness.
My dear friends, if you want to find that place of real joy, then 1st of all, understand God’s Word – let it touch your mind; 2nd, celebrate God’s Word – let it touch your heart; and 3rd…
DO GOD’S WORD.
Let it touch your mind, heart AND will. Decide now, with God’s help, to put it into practice in your own life. That’s what the people in Nehemiah’s day did.
Nehemiah 8:13 On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. (ESV)
On the first day, they heard the words of the Law. Now, on the second day, they study it.
Nehemiah 8:14-15 And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths (or temporary shelters) during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”
In Leviticus 23, God had commanded the Jews to live in temporary shelters for seven days during the seventh month starting on the 15th day of the month. It was a way of celebrating God’s care for them in the wilderness after He delivered them from Egypt. Well, this was only the second day of the month, so they had plenty of time to prepare, and that’s exactly what they did!
Nehemiah 8:16-17 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. (ESV)
There is joy in obedience, “very great” joy!
Nehemiah 8:18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. (ESV)
They did what God had told them to do, and it brought them great joy!
Can you imagine what Israel’s enemies, Sanballat and Tobiah, thought as they watched all this going on? Here, the people of Israel had just built a mighty wall around their city. Now, they’re building shacks made out of sticks! “Those crazy Jews: what are they doing?”
They’re obeying God’s Word, and they hadn’t had that much fun since they marched around the walls of Jericho in Joshua’s day. They found joy in obedience, and that’s where we find it too! If you want to find true and lasting happiness, put God’s Word into practice in your own life.
On June 6, 1981 (the same day Sandy and I were married), Doug Whitt and his bride, Sylvia, also got married, but they didn’t have as good a time as we did. Their wedding reception lasted late into the night, after which they were escorted to their hotel's fancy bridal suite. In the suite they saw a sofa, chairs, and table, but where was the bed? Then they discovered the sofa was a hide-a-bed, with a lumpy mattress and sagging springs. They spent a fitful night and woke up in the morning with sore backs.
The new husband went to the hotel desk and gave the clerk a tongue-lashing. “Did you open the door in the room?” asked the clerk. Doug went back to the room. He opened the door they had thought was a closet. There, complete with fruit baskets and chocolates, was a beautiful bedroom!
Opening all the doors in a honeymoon suite is like obeying all the words of Jesus. Discipleship is the door to happiness. (Cynthia Thomas, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Leadership, Vol. 15, no.1; www.PreachingToday.com)
You see, Jesus came that we might “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Well, that life is found in following Jesus. 1st of all, put your trust in Christ. Then, in dependence upon Him, go where He wants you to go; and do what He tells you to do. Jesus doesn’t want to ruin your fun. On the contrary, He wants to make your life full!
That’s what Elizabeth Elliot discovered when God called her to go back to Ecuador to reach the very people that slaughtered her husband years before when she was just a young mother. It was a place of great loss and pain, but listen to what she wrote about going back to that place in her book, The Strange Ashes. She said…
“Obedience to God was the reason for this journey. It was a good thing for me to remind myself of the reason; because, on top of everything, it was really great fun. It was an adventure and held the thrill of an adventure, and if I put my mind on the things set before rather than on the things that were behind, I had no sense whatever of gritting my teeth and doing the thing I disliked. It was the thing I was made for and I was full of gladness.” (Elizabeth Elliot, The Strange Ashes, 1975).
That’s amazing! She was full of gladness! Some people would have been full of bitterness. Others would have wallowed in self-pity for years. Not Elizabeth Elliot – she found joy in obedience to God. “It was great fun”, she said. “It held the thrill of an adventure!”
Obedience to God brings joy, even when it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense to forgive your enemy, does it? It doesn’t make sense to pray for his salvation and to work to bring Christ to him so he can be saved. I’m sure the world looks at us Christians sometimes and thinks, “Those crazy Christians! What are they doing?” Obeying God doesn’t always make sense, but it does bring great joy!
C. L. James tells the story of a big dog that saw a little dog chasing its tail. He asked the little dog, “Why are you chasing your tail like that?”
The little dog responded, “I have mastered philosophy. I have solved the problems of the universe which no dog before me has rightly solved. I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness, and that happiness is my tail. Therefore, I am chasing it; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness.”
The big dog, who was also older and wiser said, “My son, I have paid attention to the problems of the universe in my weak way, and I have formed some opinions. Like you, I have judged that happiness is a fine thing for a dog, and that happiness is my tail. However, I have noticed that when I chase after it, it keeps running away from me. On the other hand, when I go about my master’s business, it comes after me”. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, p.283)
Do you want to find true and lasting happiness? Do you want to find real joy? Then stop chasing after it. Instead, chase after God’s will as it’s described in this Book, the Bible.
First, seek to understand God’s Word – let it touch your mind. Then celebrate God’s Word – let it touch your heart. But most importantly, DO God’s Word – let it touch your will. Then, and only then, will you find real happiness. Then, and only then, will you find real joy.
