Is Jesus the Answer? Gospel Meeting
🔹Is Jesus the answer for my doubts?
🔹Is Jesus the answer for my anxiety and fear?
March 20th is the International Day of Happiness. Many of you may not have known that. Some of you might be wondering why we need an International Day of Happiness. I don’t know, other than to recognize that happiness is a major pursuit of mankind in philosophy and Western religion.
What is Happiness?
Happiness is defined in terms of living a good life or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. Philosophers in days gone by would say that happiness is the only thing man seeks for itself. When we seek riches, we do so because of what they can offer us by means of purchasing things. We seek emotional contentment, not merely in what we gain, but in what others will gain by being around us. Our families serve a purpose, but happiness, according to philosophers, is something we seek in and of itself. If you seek a good life, a flourishing life, then I offer to you that happiness is something you seek.
3 Types of Happiness in Our Society
Casual Happiness
This morning, let’s consider that there are multiple ways happiness is used in our vernacular. We can use it in a casual sense: “I’m happy for my daughter’s upcoming marriage. I’m happy for my first automobile, or I’m happy about my job promotion. I’m happy about being able to retire very soon.”
Circumstantial Happiness
We also use it in a circumstantial sense. Individuals assume that happiness can only come when circumstances are lined up to promote it. Therefore, we encourage people to find happiness within their circumstances. If you’re single, worldly knowledge says find a spouse. Don’t leave here saying, “The preacher said I can’t be happy in singleness.” That’s not what I’m saying. That’s the world’s philosophy: fix your circumstance. If you’re single, find a spouse; if unhappily married, divorce and find someone else. If you have no children, adopt or have children. If poor, seek greater wealth. If rich, seek a meaning of life outside of stuff.
Happiness Beyond Circumstances: The Prodigal Son
When we look at Scripture, we see that ours is not the only culture that has viewed happiness from a circumstantial perspective. Remember Luke chapter 15, the prodigal son? He was an individual who came from financial means. His father had servants, they had a farm, and he had an inheritance. Some of you understand what an inheritance means—land or financial means waiting for you. In Luke chapter 15, that individual knew there was an inheritance and demanded it from his father. I’ve often wondered, what was he seeking that he didn’t already have? Was he seeking love? It appears he had it. Was he seeking wealth? It appears he had it. The point of the parable is not to tell us what he was seeking, only what he found: happiness is not always wrapped up in circumstances.
Happiness in a Converse Sense
We also use happiness in what I would call a converse manner, meaning it doesn’t always make sense. Consider a father who has to discipline his son. He’s about to whoop him—not count to three or give a timeout, but whoop him. Then he says, “This is going to hurt me more than you.”
Growing up, you probably thought, “That doesn’t make sense. How is this going to hurt you more? I know what I’m about to feel, and I know I won’t be able to sit down for a while.”
Now that I’m a father, I understand it more. The pain my father felt was a sense of, “I love you so much, and yet due to my actions, it’s causing you discomfort, but I need you to flee from the action that caused the discomfort in the first place.” It’s converse; it doesn’t make sense.
The Beatitudes: A Converse View of Happiness
- Matthew 5:1-12
In Scripture, some things don’t make sense.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” — Matthew 5:3-11
The word “blessed,” while not exactly translated as “happy,” comes from a similar Greek word meaning you are supposed to find some sense of joy, peace, or assurance in it. How can you find that when you’re being persecuted? Jesus taught messages that were converse in nature. “The first shall be last.” That doesn’t make sense to a kid trying to earn a college scholarship or become valedictorian. These principles don’t permeate every aspect of society, but they reflect deeper teachings of Scripture that bring us to a better understanding of what God means.
Happiness as a Centering Concept
Happiness can also be used in a centering concept: you lose your life to save it (Mark chapter 8), or “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew chapter 6, verse 33). That’s what I want us to focus on this morning.
I’m not focusing on the casual or circumstantial concepts because those change. I don’t know if you’re happy about your daughter’s upcoming marriage. My daughter’s not married, and I still believe nobody deserves her, so I don’t understand how you can be happy about that. A casual use can change: I’m happy about my new automobile until it turns out to be a lemon, and then I’m no longer happy with it.
Circumstantial happiness changes too: I’m happy today because I ate turkey and dressing for lunch, but if I overeat and get a stomach ache this evening, I’m not happy anymore. Circumstance and casual happiness are continually changing.
Converse happiness is difficult to swallow, but today I want us to think about a centering of our life that isn’t meant to change.
Centering Our Life on Foundational Happiness
The idea in Mark chapter 8, where I lose my life now to gain life in eternity, is not a come-and-go concept. It’s a consistent life endeavor. It’s where I build my house on that principle. The same applies to Matthew chapter 6, verse 33: “Seek first the kingdom of God.” That’s not a come-and-go thing; it’s a way of life.
When you and I understand that happiness can be a way of life, we’ll start to understand what true happiness really is. It doesn’t make sense if you define it in worldly terms, but if you’re brave enough to ask, “Is it possible I’ve been looking for happiness in the wrong places?” and seek the real answer, you might find the answer that brings true happiness.
The Danger of Rooting Happiness in People or Things
People will disappoint you. Jobs will get rid of you. They love you as long as you’re making them money, but stop making money and see what happens. Some people only want to be in your life for what you offer them, and when you cease to offer that, they’re gone. If you’re tying your happiness to people, things, or your career, you’re tying yourself to the wrong thing. The only one who will be consistent in your life, if you remain consistent in your covenant with Him, is Jesus Christ.
1) Jesus is the Bridge to Happiness
Let’s turn to Philippians chapter 2. This morning, we’ll cover two points, and then the lesson is yours.
First, Jesus is the answer for the happiness in your life and mine because He is the only bridge that can connect you to the One who will ultimately settle your soul, where you will find happiness—God the Father. In Philippians chapter 2, we see a motif described, a teaching that permeates the passage, saturating it like a cloud. The motif throughout Philippians, as explained in chapter 2, is “others above self.”
- Philippians 2:5-8
He doesn’t say “work for your salvation,” but “work out your salvation.” The Scriptures do not teach that you work for salvation. However, they teach that in your obedience, surrender, and submission—just as Jesus submitted to the Father—you submit to the Father. Just as Jesus emptied Himself, you empty yourself. In all of that, there’s a concept tied directly to salvation and the work God will accomplish in your life.
Lessons from Romans: Obedience of Faith
I recently returned from Oklahoma, a 10-day stint before picking up my family to come here. There’s an event called the Excel Stillmore Bible Workshop, and I encourage you to check it out. Excel TV is another resource.
We studied Romans chapters 1 through 8. The book of Romans is often considered complicated, but I believe it’s plain, thought-provoking, and always reveals something new. Romans has bookends in chapter 1, verse 5, and chapter 16, verse 26, that highlight what Paul wanted the church at Rome to know.
In a book that teaches that Gentiles and Jews are without excuse, that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that Abraham was not counted as righteous because of circumcision, Paul says in chapter 5, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
In chapter 6, he asks, “Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” He goes on to discuss the essential nature of baptism to enter this grace. Until you’re in grace, you do not have a relationship with God, but you only enter that grace by being justified through the blood of Jesus Christ.
“Through whom we have received grace and apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith.” — Romans 1:5
“But now is manifested, by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to the obedience of faith.” — Romans 16:26
Why is this significant? Because Jesus is the only bridge God has provided for you to find your way home to Him, but it’s only through your obedience to the gospel that you can walk across that bridge.
Emptying Yourself for True Happiness
The example in Philippians chapter 2 is Jesus and how He responded with “others above self.” He calls the church at Philippi to respond the same way, but to do so, you must empty yourself of you.
True happiness will only be found when you empty yourself of you. Until you empty yourself of you, you will always lack happiness in your marriage, contentment in your job, or the ability to say, “I am becoming more and more like Jesus.”
2) Jesus is the Anchor
True happiness is only found when we understand a deeper concept than what circumstances offer us: Jesus is an anchor that doesn’t change depending on circumstances. Just as an ocean can become stormy and a boat on the water can rock and sway, causing people on board to get nervous, if the boat is anchored, the waves and storms don’t stop, but there’s confidence that the boat is held fast.
In your life, happiness can be found in the midst of storms, but only when your anchor holds fast. If your happiness is rooted in people, they cannot hold fast. When you say, “You make me so happy,” what you’re really saying is, “I don’t have power over my emotions. You have all the power.” You chose to be happy.
What happens when circumstances change? Consider a young couple dating—they’re sappy, almost sickening. I don’t mind sappy; I watch Hallmark shows when my wife turns them on, sometimes even when my sons do, though they wouldn’t want me to say that. Young couples act this way because they haven’t lived much life together. What concerns me is when you talk to them about things that irritate them about each other, especially in pre-marriage counseling, and they gloss over it.
If you ask, “Is there anything she does that irritates you?” he’ll say no if she’s there. If you ask her, she’ll say no. But we’re imperfect people. If we need God’s grace, don’t we need grace from others? Five or ten years into a marriage, what used to be cute—his dad jokes, his cool shirts—is no longer funny. Marriages face strain because what was once glossed over is no longer ignored. When you root your happiness in Jesus, not people, you find a consistency in life you cannot find anywhere else.
Paul’s Example: Rooted in Christ Amid Trials
- Philippians 1:2-11
In Philippians, Paul’s circumstances are dire. In chapter 1, verses 7, 13, 14, and 17, he’s in prison. In verse 17, some preachers are trying to cause him harm while he’s down, slandering his name and message for selfish ambition. Yet Paul’s attitude is, “As long as Jesus’s name is preached, I’m okay.”
His perspective is captured in verse 21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me. I do not know which to choose, but I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”
In chapter 2, he points to Jesus’s “others above self.” In chapter 1, he says, “I’d be okay dying—it’s a benefit for me—but if I live, it’s a benefit for you.” He calls the church at Philippi to practice “others above self.” You cannot find happiness that allows for this if it’s casual or circumstantial, or if it’s rooted in yourself.
Paul’s Rejection of Fleshly Confidence
In Philippians 3:2–11, Paul says, “If anyone can put confidence in the flesh, I far more.” But in verses 8–11, he explains why he counts those things as loss: “I want to know Jesus.” He says, “That I may gain Christ, that I may know Him, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
He presses on to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of him. His happiness is not rooted in his circumstances (he’s imprisoned), in what others say about him (they’re slandering him), or in his flesh (his heritage or reputation). None of that will bring him where he wants to be: centered on Jesus Christ.
Jesus as the Only Bridge and Anchor to Happiness
If this was good enough for Paul, isn’t it good enough for you? If you’re trying to find happiness in people, careers, or short-term things, it’s like a child happy today because they got the best present at their birthday party. Is there anything wrong with casual or circumstantial joy? No. Let the child celebrate, and dad, when someone gives you a necktie at Christmas, say thank you and celebrate. But will that bring lasting joy? No. That present will end up in a closet, under the bed, or broken. Then the child needs something else to fill the void.
Jesus is the only bridge that connects you to the One who can provide ultimate happiness, and Jesus is the only anchor where you can remain happy through life’s storms.
If you’re not rooted in Jesus, why not? If you’ve never obeyed the gospel, today is the day to confess Jesus as Lord, repent of your sins, and be baptized for the remission of sins. You want happiness, peace, and hope, and unless you find that in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will always come up short.
If you’ve obeyed the gospel but have rooted your happiness in places other than Jesus, that needs to change.
We invite you to contact us so that we can help you to root your happiness in the foundation of Jesus the Son of God.
