¡§Walking back to happiness¡¨ WBC 18/5/03am 1 Cor 9:24-27
Baptism of Lou Beamish, Walk Wessex present
(after ¡§remember your chains¡¨)
Classified AD From ¡§The Hayward¡¨, Calif. Review:
"Found, false teeth, in parking lot at Daily Review. Please come in and smile at the switchboard operator, and she will return them to you."
Topic chose, really, because of Walk Wessex.
I want to share with you, this morning, the
secret of happiness
Seek
We have SO much¡K but people have never said they¡¦re so unhappy!
- more luxuries, food, holidays, wealth
And there¡¦s SO much on offer that we are told can make us happy as well
- the perfect holiday, with a smiling sun tanned family
- the fragrance that is going to make us irresistible, and instantly give us the perfect sex life
- the ¡¥Yes¡¦ to the new car loan. It CAN be ours- and so can happiness
So- why does this happiness evade us?
Because ¡¥happiness and fulfilment¡¦ can¡¦t be found by seeking.
- they are like- sleep that evades you the more you want it
o the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
- these promises are good at getting your money, but not GIVING you what you really seek
And we are not designed that way. We are not designed to find happiness in all we WANT. We¡¦ve been designed in a higher way, with a higher purpose in mind.
What you find is- it¡¦s those who don¡¦t seek happiness who get it!
- "Without exception, I have found that every person who was sincerely happy, radiantly alive, was living for a purpose or a cause beyond himself." Abraham Maslow
Illustr: I¡¦m reading a book at the moment about a man called ¡¥brother Yu¡¦ (actually his name is Yu ******, but I can¡¦t pronounce it).
- Remarkable book! Imprisoned, tortured, beaten, legs broken
- Yet indefatigable! Is found singing hymns! Others join in!
o It¡¦s like HE is chained
- but he ISN¡¦T! He¡¦s chained, but he¡¦s free!
Heard of Richard Wurmbrand?
- Pastor in Romania before chalcheque ousted
- Imprisoned for many year
- ¡§imprisoned & often tortured for his faith ¡§Alone in my cell, cold, hungry and in rags, I danced for joy every night... sometimes I was so filled with joy that I felt I would burst if I did not give it expression¡¨
What is with these people?
- lunatics?
They are not seeking happiness.
- They are seeking something¡K someone greater than themselves. Something¡K someone they were designed for
- so, though outwardly, they have nothing to be happy about
- inside they have real happiness
- their chains have fallen off
- and they are forever grateful that it has happened
- (us. Have we forgotten what it was like?)
You see- Jesus said
- it is only in giving that you get
- if you seek just to save your life, you¡¦ll lose it
- seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and being right with Him, and everything else will be added to you as well
This is topsy-turvy to ALL the world tells us
- but it¡¦s the way of finding TRUE happiness
Jesus said
- I have come that you may have life, in all it¡¦s fullness
- If the SON sets you free¡K then you will be really free
- You must DIE to self and LIVE for me
o Illustr: what Lou is doing, here
What have you got to show for your life? Is there REAL joy? Purpose?
- friend- is this true of you? Christian, is this true of you????
Maybe you¡¦ve been living for¡Kseeking the wrong thing?
- CHRISTIANS can do that! Have Jesus as a friend, saviour¡K but not be serious about living for Him as Lord
o Wonder why there¡¦s no ¡¥joy¡¦
- Only half alive, as haven¡¦t died fully
- That great saint and missionary pioneer, Hudson Taylor said, "The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will." Half-hearted obedience satisfies neither us, nor God.
So- Seek¡K but seek God, Jesus¡¦ reign. Not happiness
The next secret of happiness is
Run
In 1968 Tanzania selected John Stephen Akhwari to represent it in the Mexico City Olympics. During the marathon, he stumbled & fell seriously damaging his knee. By 7pm an Ethiopian runner had won the race, and all others had finished. Only a few thousand spectators were left in the stadium when a police siren caught their attention. Limping through the gate came # 36: Akhwari, leg wrapped in a bloody bandage. The remaining crowd cheered. Later a reporter asked him: ’why did you continue the race after you were so badly injured?’ he replied ’my country did not send me 7ooo miles to begin a race; they sent me to finish the race
Walking back to happiness?
- well- there¡¦s NO going back. MUST go forward
- and it¡¦s not described as a walk
o it¡¦s a RACE
o you must run
In this passage- there¡¦s no sense of happiness being found in wanting to WALK the marathon ¡¥
- that¡¦s FAR too casual!
o Casual attitude gets casual blessing!
(it¡¦s true that in practice there are times when we walk. Is 40- but in attitude- we should be runners, flyers, eagles- not hippos)
And we¡¦re to be serious about it
- Train. Learn more. Build strength, faith, endurance
- run to win! (lots of winners)
o all who finish the race are winners
Walking back to happiness?
- no. Running for Jesus! For the prize. Pushing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING aside that might get in the way.
- And THEN happiness and fulfilment comes
o As that¡¦s what we were designed for
And here¡¦s the other thing. Christianity is not a spot, town, county even
- Ie something static
- it¡¦s a RACE. Journey.
- And so many are unfulfilled because they never left their birthplace¡K or the baptistry
This is not a PLACE, here, this morning
- this is part of Lou¡¦s JOURNEY. Path. Walk. Race. It¡¦s part of MOVING on¡K running on
- she¡¦ll look back on it as a milestone.
Friends- can you say you¡¦ve moved on? Are there milestones you can look back on- or are you still worshipping ¡¥round them?
- get in the race
- don¡¦t walk. Run!
Throw
And for the secret of happiness this passage, and Hebrews 12, tells us to
- throw aside¡K cast off ANYTHING that stops us
o Paul wasn¡¦t into ¡¥monkish masochism/flogging¡¦
„X Criticised it in Colossians
o But says he tells his body to ¡¥get in line¡¦ so he may run the race! (9:27)
HEB 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God¡K. Says the author of the book of Hebrews
What is hindering you? What has stopped you
- becoming a follower of Jesus
- fulfilling your full potential as a Christian?
- Moving on with God
- Finding the secret of happiness?....
= Probably those things you are seeking for happiness are the things that are stopping you
- it¡¦s time to leave them, now. Throw them off
- the answer¡K the satisfaction¡K is found in seeking Jesus alone
Here¡K. In the water¡K behind her¡K Lou leaves behind
- all the sin that entangles
- the hindrances
- the old self.
And you can, too!
- it¡¦s a matter of actually believing that what God says is true
o you CAN leave it behind and move on
„X it¡¦s a choice
„X it¡¦s a STEP of faith
„X it¡¦s a step of obedience¡K.
And it¡¦s true for you if you are just wanting to start this journey, race
- throw it off. Get rid of the thing that is number one and put Jesus there
o let Him throw off all ¡V your guilt/dirt/rubbish
o that holds you back
o tell Him you¡¦re sorry!
- run the race.
o Turn around from your WALK and RUN God¡¦s way
o Start the Christian journey. The ¡¥starting gate¡¦ is:
o a watery one!
o A birthing pool
„X This doesn¡¦t save you but is the sign of starting¡K seriousness
o Learn more. Go on Alpha. Seek to run filled with God¡¦s power (the power of the HS), not just your own excitement, power.
- Seek Jesus. Believe in Him. Put your trust in Him. Seek to please Him. Seek first His kingdom
Watchman Nee said this: ¡§ I have never met a soul who has set out to satisfy the Lord and has not been satisfied himself. --
- Walking back to happiness? No-
o Seeking Jesus (not happiness)
o Running the race¡K not walking
o Throwing off whatever gets in the way
that¡¦s the secret of happiness
