Sermon Central
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How To Be Deliriously Happy Series
Contributed by Jerry Owen on Mar 30, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: Every person in the world is looking for something or someone to make them happy. But, happiness most often eludes people. Jesus teaches us how to be blessed by God and find true happiness in His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
HOW TO BE DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY
All of the world seeks to be happy and fulfilled in life. Truth is most people never really find what they are looking for.
* In 1965, The Rolling Stones went from being just another band to one of the greatest bands of all times with the release of the song
“ I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”- I try and I try and I try and I try, but I can’t get no satisfaction. It was about trying to find happiness thru money, power, possessions, relationships, etc. The song expressed what most people feel- “no matter how much of any of these things you have/experience it is never enough-you always yearn for more.”
** The song echoes the life experience of Solomon in Ecclesiastes. He talked about all of the possessions and experiences life has to offer and he came to the conclusion that “Everything is vain” pointless/empty.
Here, though, Jesus gives us a recipe for finding joy and happiness in life. He gives us the ways to be “blessed”- deliriously happy.
Mt 5:1-2 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
Jesus was teaching to His disciples. These blessings Jesus is teaching about are only for the children of God. They can’t be fulfilled in unbelievers. Jesus talks about the attitudes we must have in order to find this blessedness.
Be-attitudes- it is not about what you do, but what you are. If you merely try to do these things you won’t get there.
*Our dog Scooter loves to dance on his hind legs, but he can dance on his hind legs only for so long before going back to standing on 4 legs.
* When it comes to doing these things that Jesus is talking about, anyone can “do these things” for a while, but you will arrive at the place of delirious happiness when you ARE these things.
A. BLESSED IN FINDING GOD
Here Jesus gives 3 important factors in the salvation process but also how to remain happy as a believer. It involves emptying self of “self”.
1. HUMILITY
Mt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Poor in spirit”- recognizing your spiritual poverty apart from God. To realize you are lost and spiritually destitute. This is the first step to God, realizing that you are lost and in desperate need to be saved.
** The reward is the Kingdom of Heaven.
** God also promises earthly blessings for humbling ourselves.
Lk 14:11 “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
2. REPENTANCE.
Mt 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Spiritual poverty leads to mourning.
When you see yourself for what you really are, it breaks your heart and you desire to be made clean.
Mourning is part of repentance. Mourning helps us to change!
Mourning means we are processing things, we are learning a lesson. Mourning means there is hope for better decisions next time and a better future. If we don’t mourn over our sins, we will continue to live in them. We will never be comforted. So yes, blessed are those that mourn, for THEY will be comforted.
3. MEEKNESS.
Mt 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness- “gentleness”. It does not mean weakness.
It is used to describe “gentleness under control.” Picture a strong wild stallion. It is powerful and wild. It is not useful. The cowboy catches it and breaks it over time. The horse is still just as powerful, but has yielded itself and is under the control of its new master.
** When a person is saved, they have also yielded to the control of a new master. His name is Jesus. A person that is wild and reckless and not submitted to Jesus Christ has never been born again. When a person is saved, Jesus is his new Lord.
** The reward for meekness is that God will make sure you get your portion that He has for you. You don’t have to fight for it, He gives it freely.
B. BLESSED IN EXPERIENCING GOD
The believer is blessed as he draws near to God and becomes more like His Savior Jesus Christ. God’s goal is to transform us into His image.
1. RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Mt 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Righteousness involves
(1) Right standing with God. Obtained because Jesus transfers His goodness to us.
(2) Living your life in such a way that no one can bring a charge of fault against you. You seek to help and bless others and not to misuse or hurt another.
