Live Free with Josh Howerton - Don’t Wait for Happiness | Ep. 139 | Thursday, August 17, 2023

Episode Date: August 17, 2023

What if happiness isn't about what's happening around us, but rather what's happening in us? Pastor Mike dives into Jesus' sermon on the Mount and what it truly means to be happy according to His perspective. So, are you ready to redefine joy and find your way to true fulfillment? Let's do this together. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive podcast. I'm Mike Bro, and so honored to hang with you for a few minutes each weekday. Thanks for carving out time to do this. I pray for you every day. I pray for you to be encouraged, inspired, comforted, a challenge, I pray for God to speak into your life and reveal how much he loves you and how much he wants to do life with you every day.

And like many of you, I'm always looking to add some wisdom to my life. And the other day, I came upon a list of wise saying such as Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just leave me alone. Another one, I'd never test the depth of water with both feet. That's wise. Someone said the secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

Another wise saying, behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes, right? And the last one, if at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. Some wise say, now Jesus said a lot of things that were actually very wise, if not very radical. He said things like you've heard it said, an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth. But I tell you, if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. He said things like, don't break a promise, don't swear about anything to make yourself sound more believable. Just simply let your yes be yes and your no be no. He said things like, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

He asked the question, who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his or her life? And he said things like, you're the light of the world, let your light so shine that people may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. Now, Jesus said all these things and a lot more in what is the greatest sermon ever preached. It's commonly referred to as the sermon on the Mount is found in the New Testament of the Bible in Matthew, Chapter 5, 6, and 7. you really ought to read the entire thing. And he begins that amazing message by talking about finding real happiness. You know a lot of people are out there just chasing happy, right?

In fact, the quest for happiness was even built into America's Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and... That's right, the pursuit of happiness.

That's saying that happiness isn't a privilege, it's a right. So if happiness is a right, why aren't more people happy? Why aren't there more smiling faces at your workplace? Why does so many men and women feel so unfulfilled? Why does so many families today seem so unhappy? I mean, there's no shortage of advice on how to be happy, literally. Thousands of books, blog posts, podcast on The Art of Happiness, 101 ways to happiness, 12 simple secrets of happiness,

30 days to happiness. There's never been more advice on how to be happy, and yet so many dissatisfied people. I want to suggest that maybe the reason is that we're reading the wrong book and searching for happiness in too many dead-end streets.

You know, most people think that happiness is found through the right external circumstances. It's kind of a when this, fill in the blank happens, then I'll be happy. When I get out of school, then I'll be happy. when I get out of school, then I'll be happy when I get that job, then I'll be happy when I make more money, then I'll be happy when I get married, then I'll be happy when I get married, then I'll be happy when I get that house, then I'll be happy when the kids leave home, then I'll be happy when the kids come back,

then I'll be happy. Most people think that happiness is going to be a result of the right external circumstances. In the Old Testament, King Solomon bought into that big time. He went on this extravagant, all out, outside in, when and then kind of search for happiness. You can read all about it in his journal called Ecclesiastes. And his conclusion, he said, is like chasing the wind. It's meaningless. His conclusion is real and lasting happiness is not determined by what's happening around you, but rather what's happening in you. So, gathered on the hillside with the shores of the Sea of Galilee are a bunch of people who are chasing happy. I think of their blankets, picnic baskets, their

jetty coolers, and they're waiting to hear what this guy, Jesus, that they've heard so much about, has to say. And Jesus knowing what the human soul is really after, because he made the human soul, he starts with this, anybody looking for happiness, anybody want to experience

deep fulfillment, anybody want to have a blessed life? Well, let's talk about that for a few minutes. And he launches into one of the most countercultural upside-down, inside-out approaches to happiness that the people on that hillside, and the people of this world have ever heard. It's commonly known as the beatitudes, and it's found in Matthew chapter 5. Now, I may be wrong in the way I read this, and when I get to heaven,

Jesus may say to me, a nice try, bro, but that wasn't exactly the way I planted. But this sure does make sense to me, and the people in the recovery world saw it in the same way, and they've used it as a foundation for working steps to freedom. Now, I do know this, that Jesus was always prepared, that he didn't just wing it. So I believe he lays all this out in a progressive manner with each one of these beatitudes building upon the one in front of it, kind of like rungs on a ladder. So that's the way we're going to approach this.

But let me just read the entire section today and then pray that God will really speak to us through all of this. This is Matthew 5. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and they began to teach them. He said, blessed or happy, fortunate, and fulfilled. were approved by God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the

prophets who are before you you see happiness is not found and what's going on around us it's found by what's going on in us. Jesus, thank you for your words, and I pray that we'll be able to allow you to stamp them on our heart as a pathway to reel and lasting happiness. Thank you for everybody who listens to this, and we just ask you to speak to the depths of our soul in the next few days. It's in your name, I pray. Amen.

Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our Church Online Live Weekend Services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.compt.com.com. Church slash daily drive.