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Sermon
of 09-21-02
"What
is Happiness"
by Dr. D.A. Farmer, pastor
Psalm 1 helps us understand true happiness and how to achieve it.
Scripture - Psalms. 1: 1-6; "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
V:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. V:3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. V:4
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
V:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
V:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
Recently I received this letter in the mail. It is from a local car lot company here in town. Along with the letter came this envelope that has a small window in it. It says not to break the seal. You have to take it to the car lot and let them open it. Then you can claim your gift. Now the trick they want to get with is this. If you hold the envelope up to the light you can see a number. In this case a # V (5). Item V (5) on this letter says I have won $10,000.00! But when I open the letter I find that I really have the number A100. This has to match up with their number on their wall. You have to have a certain number and A100 isn't the number. I had won $5.00. Item III (3).
I wonder how many people held their envelope up to the light and just new they had won $10,000.000? They probably danced around their house when they thought they had won! But probably were not so happy when they discovered they only won $5.00. The same thing applies to everyone that tries to win the lottery. I've had many people tell me that if only God would let them win the lottery they would do such and such for him. But does money, fame, power buy or guarantee happiness?
Recently I read where a man that had won a 20 million dollar lottery was now filing bankruptcy. No, money, fame or power doesn't guarantee happiness.
I remember hearing on the radio Oct. 1, 1999, Paul Harvey giving the story of 2 boys that had a friend shoot them in the leg. Why? To find out how it feels to be shot. I wonder if they were very happy with what they found out?
Here is an old envelope I've kept for the past 3 years that said my bank was "Y2K and ok." That sure made me happy!
Our Declaration of Independence promises that every American man, woman or child "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". But, is being an American a guarantee that we'll be happy? I don't think so.
Not long ago I read that there are there are around some 8 million cats and 11 million dogs in New York City. New York City is basically nothing more than a concrete and steel city! When a pet dies in New York City you can't just bury them anywhere. Very few people have a back yard or land at all. Because there is no place to bury the dead animals, a huge health problem was developing. What were the city officials got to do? Well, they came up with an idea that for $50 they would dispose of your deceased pet for you. This worked great until one lady came up with another idea of how she could make some extra money.
She placed an ad in the newspaper that read; "When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the carcass for only $25." Sounded like a good idea wouldn't you think? Well, it would have if she had known what to do with the dead animal's body. Since she had no place to bury or depose of the animal she had to come up with another idea. So she came up with the idea to go to the local Salvation Army and buy an old suitcase for $2. She would clean it up and place pretty paper inside it. Then when someone called about his or her pet, she would go to their home and put the deceased pet in the suitcase. Then she would take a ride on the subway.
Did you know that there are many thieves that ride the subway in New York City? What she would do then was she would sit the suitcase down, turn her back and read her newspaper and act like she wasn't watching. A thief would come by and grab her suitcase and start running. She'd look up and say, "Stop! Thief!" My guess is the people who stole those suitcases really thought they had found some true happiness. But when they home the surprise was on them.
Yes, many Christians chase after happiness but never really find it. And it is because of people like that that helped me choose Psalm chapter 1 as our scripture this morning. Please turn back there with me.
Here we find the biblical formula of understanding how a person can really find and achieve true peace and happiness. At the beginning of verse 1, the psalmist says "Blessed is the man". You need to understand that there are a variety of words in the Old Testament that mean "blessed." But the Hebrew word here for "blessed" means to be "happy." (see the SDA Comm. 3, pg. 630)
When the Hebrews writers penned "happy", they meant a sense of satisfaction, joy, completion, fulfillment. So, the psalmist is saying; "Happy is the man or woman that listens not to the words of the world. But, happy is the one that obeys the Lord, the one that keeps the Law of God."
Verse 2 says happy is the one that "delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." When many think of God's law, they often think of rules and regulations. Some even think of the term "legalism." But is Gods law a bunch of do's and don'ts? I don't think so. I believe it is God's written Will! From Genesis to Revelation we find God's instructions on how we are to live and how to make the right decisions.
James 1:22-25 says; "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
V:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: V:24
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
V:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
The Bible teaches that there is no end to the "blessings" that come to those who fully commit their ways to God. Turn with me to Matt. 19:29;
"And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting
life." This "hundredfold" that Christians receive is the real joy of Christian satisfaction that comes with pleasing God multiplied by 100 times.
Paul speaks in 2 Cor. 6:10 of "having nothing, and yet possessing all things".
Psalms 1:2 also teach that the happy fulfilled man or woman, is the one who also meditates on the Lords Law.
The Hebrew here actually means "Ponders God's words by talking to himself."
The world may think you are crazy talking to yourself when reading His Words but God says He will bless you!
Rom.3.20 says; "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin." The Lord commanded Joshua in Joshua 1:8 to "Meditate therein day and night concerning the book of the law, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Joshua had just taken over as leader of the Children of Israel. He was assuming the awesome responsibility and taking full command of the some 2 and 1/2 million people. If anyone needed a formula for success it was Joshua. So God gave him the formula. He was to meditate day and night on God's Holy Law His Holy Commandments.
The Law is so important to God that it is the test we are to use to see if people are God's true followers. (see RH.1888)
Is. 8:20 says; "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
Paul adds in Romans 7:12 that "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."
Psa.119.44 - 47 pronounces; "So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. V:45 And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. V:46
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
V:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved."
The Bible teaches that the Commandments are not a yoke of bondage. They give us freedom. We have nothing to be ashamed of by obeying them. We should never feel that we are restricted because God requires us to keep His law.
Now for those that do not know where the Commandment laws are found, turn with me to Ex. 20:3-17.
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
20:6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:
20:11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's.
There they are folks. God's formula to happy living. And God says we are to "meditate over them day and night." We must delight in them digest them until they become a part of us.
I'm reminded of the story about an old preacher. He had been hurt early in life and could not walk without a limp. One day a young intern came to work and learn from this old preacher. This young intern admired the old preacher. He had no physical problems. But He had watched and admired the old preacher so much that it wasn't long until he began limping himself. The point is that if you delight in and meditate upon God's Word enough you will become the person God wants you to be.
Jesus said in Matt. 5:17-19; "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
God says we are to not only keep his laws, and but we also to "teach" others to observe them.
Listen to this that I found in Signs of the times: "By beholding we are to become changed; and as we meditate upon the perfections of the divine Model, we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity." (ST.1907)
God wants us to be happy. That is the reason He gave us this Formula to complete happiness. If you are not happy this morning examine your life and see how you measure up to keeping God's Whole Law. Let's build our lives on the counsel of God, and remember God will bless you for it.
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