Being Happy as a Christian

Introduction

Common greeting today is just simply to say, How are you? Sometimes delivered with more or less sincerity. You ever asked that question and they really told you? Well, since you didn’t ask, I’m doing good. I’m happy this morning. I have a lot about which to be happy. I’m happy for my health. Happy for my family. Happy for the opportunity that you afforded me last week to go to Missouri and preach in a gospel meeting and the good efforts that we had there. Happy for a safe flight home. I’m happy to be home. And I want you to know with all sincerity in our heart, we’re happy to call this home.

And I’m happy that you’re here today to worship God. Now it’s your turn.

I mean, are you really happy? Are you not happy just because things seem to be going good right now? But can you say that you really have a sense of abiding joy in your heart? That you’re truly happy despite whatever life circumstances might be. There’s a different challenge. What if everything in this life is going wrong? Can you still say that you’re happy? This morning I’d like to talk to you about that subject. The subject of happiness. You might be surprised, maybe not, to realize how much the New Testament, how much the entire Bible says on the subject of happiness. Whether it’s the word blessed or blessed or joy, rejoice, or happy. I agree with all people, Epictasus, who was a slave in Nero’s Rome, who said that if a man is unhappy, let him remember that his unhappiness is his own fault.

For God made man to be happy. And Christians have more reasons than anyone else, in fact, have the only real reasons to be happy. And so if you’re a Christian this morning, I want you to realize that you should be happy. And so, number one, be happy.

So be happy. The second piece of advice is if you’re happy, inform your face. Let people know that you’re happy. Let the world know that you have this sense of joy and peace, not because things are going right, but because I’m a child of God. Let’s talk about happiness this morning. I divided this lesson up into two halves, the negative and the positive. And so let’s get the negative out of the way. It’s a sermon on happiness, after all, and so let’s get it out of the way. And let’s talk about some false reasons for happiness. These are ways in which the world are pursuing happiness and may find some temporary joy in it, but ultimately realize that this is not the true abiding joy that they’re searching for and that God has promised.

1. False Reasons: Possessions

What are some false reasons that Satan in the world would have us to believe that we can be happy? Well, high on that list would have to be this one, wouldn’t it? Possessions. If I just had enough money, or maybe we could translate that, if I just had enough stuff, I would be happy. Is that not the mantra of the world? A whole industry, the advertising industry, has been built upon that concept. If you just have enough stuff, or maybe the right stuff, if you’ll brush your teeth with our toothpaste, wear our clothes, wash those clothes in our detergent, then you can be happy. All those people on those commercials doing it are happy. And that buys into this concept of the worldly concept that it’s stuff that will make me happy.

Do you have your Bibles? Go in the Old Testament with me to the book of Ecclesiastes. Someone tried that experience. Tried the experiment of making themselves happy. I’m going to Ecclesiastes chapter 2. And if anybody could have accomplished joy and happiness through the accumulation of wealth and possessions, Solomon could have done it. Look what he says in Ecclesiastes chapter 2. Begin with me in verse 10. Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verse 10 says, Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my reward on all my labor. What does Solomon say? Solomon says, if I wanted it, I got it. If anyone could show us through experimentation, that whether or not possessions are going to make you happy.

Solomon said, I had it all.

A fraction of those things. But I thought, if I could just have those things. Solomon said, I got everything in the Sears Wish book. Whatever I wanted, I got. But how did this experiment turn out? Look and stay with me. Ecclesiastes 2, now verse 11. He says, Whatever my eyes desired, I did not hold back from them. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor which I had toiled, and indeed all was vanity. And a grasping for the wind. There was no prophet under the sun. We to a lesser degree have experienced that, haven’t we? We got that new thing that we needed, that we just had to have. And it satisfied us until some new thing came along.

And then we had to have it, and we got it, and we realized that wasn’t the end all be all.

Possessions didn’t really make us happy.

2. If the Circumstances of Life Would Just Align

It’s not money and it’s not things. But if just the stuff of life would turn out better, the circumstances, if the circumstances of life would just align and everything was perfect or as near perfect as they could get, then I would be happy or at least happier. If the boss would get off my back at work, if my husband would finally take out the trash when it’s trash night as it has been for the last 30 something years. If my wife would leave me alone, if the kids would behave, if their teeth would somehow magically straighten on their own, then I could be happy. But until then, I’m going to ride the roller coaster of the circumstances of life. Jesus taught us a principle in Luke chapter 6 and in verse 25 about the volatility of life.

Luke chapter 6 and verse 25. Jesus said, Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Circumstances change, do they not? And trying to build a happiness on the circumstances, the things of life, oh, you’ll find happiness. But then you’ll find sorrow. And the next day you’ll be happy, and the next day you’ll be sad. That’s not the joy that Christ promises us. And so there’s got to be more.

3. Pleasure Equals Happiness

Jesus said to the contrary, blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Jesus taught us in that Beatitude, in that principle, blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Our Lord taught us that we need to accept painful reality and view it as a spiritual opportunity. Life is going to be full of misery and suffering. But we can still be happy. Well, certainly Satan would have us to believe this next lie that is that pleasure equals happiness. This is not about the accumulation of stuff and of wealth. This is about just the accumulation of the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh. If I can just give in to every animal lust that I might have.

And we understand the deception of that form of happiness. Is there happiness to be found in that? Sure. Because understand this, if sin wasn’t fun, so many people wouldn’t be doing it. But the Hebrew writer would have us to know the lesson of Moses that those are simply the passing pleasures of sin that may be here for a moment, but then they’re quickly gone. And if we’re all honest, completely honest with ourselves, at one time or another in our lives, we’ve tried every one of these. And we found a little bit of happiness. But it didn’t last. Well, we’ve got the negative out of the way. Let’s talk about some good things. Some true reasons that a child of God and only a child of God can have in being happy.

4. Temporal Reasons: Godly Associations

And I want you to recognize if you’re a Christian this morning, you have every ingredient in the recipe of happiness. I’ve divided this next section rather arbitrarily into two sections again, what I’ve called temporal reasons. That is reasons that we have right now to be happy. And then we’ll lastly look at some eternal reasons that we have as a child of God to be happy. First of all, there’s the godly associations. I talked about that this morning. How happy I am to be here. To be with you. The psalmist said in Psalm 133 and in verse 1. Psalm 133 and verse 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

Because of my brethren. And the wonderful associations and the help that they can offer me. I’ll tell you, that’s invaluable. Give you an illustration of this several years ago, Dedr and I were living in South Alabama, the little town of Brundage. It was a Sunday afternoon, and we did what you’re supposed to do on a Sunday afternoon. We were taking a nap. I had my recliner in third gear. The phone rang. And again, if you’re younger than me, you may not understand this. The phone rang, and one of us had to get up to go answer it. I cracked an eye open and looked at Deedra, and she wasn’t moving. And so I got up, went to the kitchen and answered the phone, and it was a familiar voice.

And I said, Well, Rhonda, good to hear you. And before long I realized something was wrong. Her voice was cracking. She was crying. And she said, Ken, I was driving through and I had a bad wreck. I’m at the police station in Troy. Will you come get me? See, Rhonda lived in Athens in North Alabama and she was driving home from Florida. And had a bad car wreck, totaled a car. Hundreds of miles from home. But she knew this that she had a brother and sister in Christ that she could call.

5. Help Getting Along in This Present World

And that makes me happy. It makes me a little bit sad for those that don’t experience that. But it makes me happy that I have that. Another thing that God gives me in this life is, He gives me help and getting along in this present world. You know, the instructions that God gives us is not to hold us back and to burden us. They’re for our good always. God has told me how to be a husband and a father and a son. He’s told me how to be a citizen in a government, a good government or a bad government. He’s told me how to be both an employer and employee. He’s told me how to deal with people I love and with people that hate me.

In every way, he said, here’s what you ought to do. And it works every time I try it. And I fail every time I don’t. But you see, God has given me some instructions in how to get along in this life. And then there’s God’s help. Turn with me, if you will, back to the Psalms. Psalm 144. You know, you may call. I talked about Christian’s brothers and sisters being better than triple A, but I may call and you may not be home. Or you may have caller ID and didn’t answer when you saw it was me. Or I might call you and you say, well, I was just about to call you. I need help. But above and beyond that, we have a Father in heaven who loves us and wants to hear from us and has promised to help.

6. Eternal Reasons for Being Happy

Look what Psalm 144 and verse 15 says. Happy are the people who are in such a state. Happy are the people whose God is the Lord. And in that context, he’s not talking just about eternal life. He’s talking about the blessings in this life of having God as your God. That you can bow your head in prayer and cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you. And that makes me happy. But we’re just getting started. There are eternal reasons that I have. And you have, if you’re a child of God, for being happy. There is the escape from eternal damnation. I open my Bible and I read of passages that talk about the weeping and the gnashing of teeth of a lake that burns with fire and brimstone.

And yet I’m happy. Because I don’t have to go there. Another illustration with apologies to Sonia and any others who may be in this profession. But I hate going to the dentist. I mean, hate’s not strong enough a word. There’s just, I’d rather take me out back and beat me with a stick than to go. And you know who’s worse than the dentist? Is that little hygienist with those tools that just pick and scrape. But you know, I’m happy. Because I don’t have a dentist appointment tomorrow. In fact, it’s not even on my calendar. And that makes me happy. But there’s no comparison to that joy, to the joy of knowing that there is a place called hell. And I’m not going there. That makes me happy.

There is the comfort and peace that comes from knowing that we have salvation. Joseph Addison said there are three grand essentials to happiness. Something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. And Christianity gives us all three. Something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

To know that no matter how bad it gets here, how wicked and vile it gets, that this is not the end. As a Christian, I have the benefit of having read the last chapter in the book, and I know how it all turns out. And that makes me happy. And then lastly, there’s the eternal reward that awaits us. Jesus said in the book of Matthew, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. Great is your reward in heaven, therefore rejoice and be exceeding glad. He would say in another place in the book of Matthew, rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Think about that sweet thought for a moment. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Well, since I’ve already confessed some things, I’ll confess another.

You think I’m kidding. Another old illustration that’s lost on the young. When you got the phone book, the first thing I’d ever do when I got a new phone book is turn over to the seas and look for my name. When I get new business cards, to this day, if I get new business cards, I’ll prop one of them up on my desk and look at it for a while. Now I don’t know how literal this promise of Jesus is. But I hope that it is.

And what a blessed reunion that will be.

Oh, Brother Herman Tilly that used to lead singing where I grew up. We’ll be singing around that throne, and his foot will just be tapping along. I hope to see Cymbal Johnson, my Bible class teacher. And I’ll thank her for instilling in me a love for the Word of God. And if I know Sister Johnson, she’ll make me say my memory verses. And I want to see my grandpa.

And he’ll have both his arms. And he’ll hug me. And tell me again how proud he is. And I’ll see my mom. And my dad. And I’ll see my Lord. And that makes me happy. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus.

When we get to have what a day of rejoicing when we know we’ll sing. And shall the victory.

Conclusion

Now don’t get this next point wrong. But if you’re not a Christian, you’ve never obeyed the gospel. You don’t have these hopes we’ve been talking about. And you leave this place in that state. I hope you’re miserable. I hope you can’t rest. I hope you toss and turn tonight. You can’t sleep. Until you pick up the phone. Call me or Greg or one of the elders, one of the other good brethren here, and say, I want that. I want that joy, that peace of God that surpasses all understanding and all circumstances of life. Would you have that this morning? It only comes as being a child of God. But it can be yours today. Why not render obedience to the gospel? Maybe you’ve done that, but you’ve wandered away and you’ve lost the happiness or at least the source for that happiness.

You can have it again. You can have that salvation, that hope, that escape from eternal damnation. Can we help you this morning? Why not come as together we stand and as we sing?