7/6/08: 8 = Pentecost

7/6/08:=20 8 Pentecost

St=20 Stephen=92s San=20 Jose, The Rev Ken Wratten

Sermon=20 Series on Happiness; Week Three =96 When Happiness = Happens

Review:=20 We have been looking at Matthew 5 for information on what brings us = lasting=20 happiness. Realize your need for God; face your failures and sins = honestly; be=20 humble in your relationships (by submitting to control of them to God). = Last=20 week; crave having God in your life; learn to share mercy; be authentic = in=20 relationships; and be a person who makes peace.

These = are not=20 the places people usually go to find happiness. Our human nature fools = us into=20 looking for it where instead we get a positive kick to our ego; but as = soon as=20 it comes, it goes. If happiness happens then, it is a fleeting = experience. We=20 say =91Happy Birthday=92, and look for happiness in the ultimate = Birthday gift; or=20 we say =91Happy New Year=92, and expect everything good, and nothing bad = to visit us=20 for the next year. We look for happiness in our looks, weight, income, = health,=20 recognition at work, making friends with popular people, and on and on. = These=20 are all =91goals=92 external to our spiritual, eternal nature. We are = made up of=20 MORE than these things. They don=92t define us. We cannot let them = define us. So=20 Jesus is teaching his followers when LASTING happiness happens. This is = not just=20 a momentary high he is teasing them with, but he is guiding them on the=20 qualities they should live their life by - so they can have lasting,=20 transcending, from the inside out happiness, regardless of what is = happening on=20 the outside of life.

Matt=20 5:10; when = persecuted because of righteousness. Happy are those who are persecuted = for=20 doing the right thing. Maybe you have lost a promotion at work because = your=20 management thinks your faith will limit what you are willing to do for = the good=20 of the company; or a relationship you cared about has broken up because = that=20 person doesn=92t share or honor your values or morals. =

Jesus = is saying=20 there is a way for us to experience an inner peace and inner joy that = can=20 co-exist with these tough circumstances. We can have peace and happiness = by=20 being aware of the bigger picture.

To = experience=20 this happiness, here are two important things to = watch;

1. = Avoid = comparisons with other people. iPhone, new computer, new car, bigger = house, more=20 toys. If you always compare, you will always be frustrated, and unhappy. = Have = you noticed that whatever you think about in your life is what you see? = Have you=20 experienced this? Some of you have been thinking about an iPhone. What = do you=20 start seeing everywhere you go? iPhones, right? You start thinking about = a new=20 Honda Hybrid; what do you see everywhere you go? You see nothing but = Honda=20 Hybrids at every turn. You start thinking about something you start = seeing it.=20 When you are in the midst of trouble in your life and all you think = about is=20 trouble then all you see is trouble.

2. = Stop = the=20 identity theft. I=20 think a lot of us have an identity crisis. You may know your name. You = may know=20 your social security number. You may know your address but do you really = know=20 who you are. If someone came up to me and said, =93Ken, who are you?=94 = I could say=20 a lot of things about my education, or job experiences, or hobbies. But=20 ultimately those =91things=92 do not define me. If I attach my identity = to any of=20 those things, I can be in big trouble if my education doesn=92t equip me = for a=20 change in the job market; or if I get tired of the hobbies I already = have. Who I=20 am, the Bible says, is a child of God. =20 You and I are called by God to follow him and go after him = faithfully.=20 And that means that who I am is defined by my state of being, more than = it is=20 defined by what courses I have taken, or jobs I=92ve had, or hobbies = I=92ve learned.=20 We need to be sure of our own identity.

Matt=20 5:11; when = insulted,=20 persecuted because of Jesus

In=20 other words, Jesus is saying that if you are his follower you can expect = to take=20 some heat in life for your faith. Persecution=20 happens at lots of different levels. In the Sudan, we are=20 helping families who have been driven from their homes, whose parents, = brothers=20 and sisters have been killed or made slaves, because they follow Jesus = Christ.=20 Maybe you have been made fun of for spending Sunday morning in church; = or you=20 are excluded from activities with your friends because they think you = act=20 superior to them.

When = you place your identity in God and remember whose you are and who you = are then,=20 even when all these things are happening to you in your life, you can = focus on=20 God and his love for you and remind yourself that you are a follower of = Jesus=20 Christ.

2=20 Timothy 3:12 =93Everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus = will=20 suffer persecution.=94 = The question=20 is, how what will we do with it when it happens to us?

Matt = 5:12;=20 rejoice in all=20 this =96 be glad.

The=20 space between what happens to us and how we chose to respond is one of = the most=20 important areas in our lives. We can let ourselves be victims, or we can = choose=20 to live differently. There is a saying; =91pain is inevitable, but = misery is=20 optional=92. How we deal with life will determine whether we are = miserable or not.=20 Jesus said to learn in the midst of those difficulties =96 to rejoice. = When you=20 rejoice, you start seeing the good things rather than the bad stuff of = life.=20

Matt = 5:12b, a great reward awaits you in heaven.

Heaven=20 isn't just this nice trite little place where you float around in a robe = and=20 halo.

It's = this place of the presence of God: here and now, as well as when we=20 die.

Look = at the verse from 2 Cor 4 on your outline: Paul says this about = troubles: =93For=20 our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory = that far=20 outweighs them all.=94 Heaven; living in God=92s presence, is that = eternal=20 glory.

It=20 reminds us that no matter where we are today, and not matter what we are = going=20 through, what we are struggling with, we can be rely on the promise of = Heaven.=20 You can face your problems, but at the same time look beyond those = problems=20 toward Heaven and hang on to the promise of living in God=92s=20 presence.

Whatever=20 circumstances are pressing in on your life, I encourage you to stop = comparing=20 yourself to other people and remember whose - and who you are. Remember = your=20 identity, one loved by God, a child of God. Hang on to that no matter = what=20 anybody else says and no matter what anybody else does. Hang on to = heaven and=20 learn to rejoice in the midst of trouble. We have the promise that joy = will=20 begin to well up within us from the inside out. It's a joy that goes = beyond our=20 circumstances. It's anchored in God and his love for us.=20

As=20 Paul teaches in the last Scripture verse on the outline; we can feel = this=20 happiness within us, when we =91fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on = what is=20 unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.=20

May=20 God bless you with a perspective on your life that brings you solid = happiness.=20 Amen.