The Happy Life of Jesus
Sermon Notes
Introduction:
Today we’re continuing our teaching series called The Story, where we’re going through the biblical narrative from the very beginning in Genesis 1 to the last amen in Revelation 22, and today we’re studying the happy life of Jesus...We’re studying the happy life of Jesus, and what it takes for us to be happy like Jesus...Happiness is something that everybody wants in life. I mean nobody wakes up saying “I want to be unhappy, I want to be miserable today. I want today to be a day full of unhappy misery.” Nobody wakes up in the morning wanting that, instead we want our days to be filled with happiness and joy. But how can we be happy? How can you and I be happy in life?...Some think happiness comes from people, from finding your soulmate, getting married, having kids...Some think happiness comes from products, from purchasing things like a new car, new clothes, new trinkets and gadgets...Some think happiness comes from personal achievements, making it far in sports, graduating with certain degrees, being successful in business.
Now all these things can certainly bring us happiness in the moment, but that happiness isn’t stable, it doesn’t last. Your marriage and family eventually has issues, your new products eventually become dated, your personal achievements eventually are forgotten or lose value. So if none of these things can give us a happy life, then what can? How can you and I have a happy life like Jesus?...Today Jesus will teach us what it takes to have a happy life, and so let’s turn to Matthew ch 5 and check it out. If you’re new to your bible, just open your bible to the middle and keep turning right until you find Matthew. We’ll be in Matthew 5:1-12. Title of today’s message is The Happy Life of Jesus, and here’s the big idea. Happiness is found in the stability of Christ, not the instability of life...Happiness is found in the stability of Christ, not the instability of life...
Context:
Here’s your context. At the end of Matthew 4 there’s a little thesis statement about what’s being recorded in ch’s 5-9. It says in Matthew 4:23, “Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” So the thesis for ch’s 5-9 is about a historical record of the teaching, preaching, healing ministry of Jesus. It’s a record of Jesus teaching and preaching about the good news of the kingdom of God, but it’s also about Jesus healing as a demonstration of that good news. The chapter we’re about to study is a part of his teaching and preaching ministry. It’s where he talks about happiness, in his Sermon on the Mount. Let’s check it out.
The Word:
Matthew 5:1-12 states, “When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.” Jesus isn’t going up the mountain to avoid the crowd, he’s going up the mountain so they could hear his voice project when he preaches. So Jesus is speaking to both the crowds and his disciples. The crowds were people curious enough to listen to him speak, but weren’t committed followers yet. The disciples were people who listened to him speak, but were already committed followers. Now just like there were crowds and disciples listening to his Sermon on The Mount back then, there are crowds and disciples listening to his Sermon on the Mount here today. But which one are you?...Are you a part of the uncommitted crowd, or a committed disciple?...Are you a fan of Jesus, or a follower of Jesus?...We want City Awakening to be a place that reaches both like Jesus is doing. We want to be a place that turns fans into followers, and followers into stronger disciples. We want to be a place for both skeptics and believers to seek truth and find joy in community, and we believe that truth and joy is found in Jesus. We want to invite both our skeptic and believer friends, knowing Jesus has something to say to both. John Piper states, “We believe the Spirit-anointed, authoritative preaching of God’s word, has a peculiar power to awaken unbelievers to the truth and beauty of Christ, even when it’s addressed primarily to disciples. So I urge you invite anyone and everyone, because it’s the things the Lord has to say to us, that can awaken the desire in others to come to Christ.” Jesus spoke to skeptics and believers back then, and he still speaks to skeptics and believers today.
Vs. 2, “Jesus began to teach them, saying: 3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit...’” In the original Greek the word blessed can also be translated as happy. Jesus uses it 9 times in vs 3-11, and each time he’s teaching us something about happiness. He actually teaches 8 things about happiness, and these 8 things will challenge our understanding of happiness. If Jesus really is the greatest moral teacher in history like many skeptics claim, if Jesus really is God incarnate like many believers claim, then we should expect his view of happiness to challenge our view of happiness. So let’s see what these 8 things entail, let’s see how Jesus views happiness.
Again vs. 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” This is the 1st thing Jesus teaches us about happiness, it’s to be poor in spirit...He’s saying if you want to be happy, you need to be poor in spirit, which immediately goes against our view of happiness. I mean our view of happiness isn’t about being poor in spirit, it’s about being rich in ourselves. Just think about how me-centered we’ve become as a culture in the last decade. This past week I learned there’s over 1 million selfies posted in our country per day, and many of those selfies are filtered or taken at specific angles to hide our side that’s poor in spirit...This is true even when it comes to the stories we share on our feeds. We post vacation photos with everybody smiling, but the real story is dad flipped out in the car from the kids fighting, and mom is stressed ready for a White Claw because it took 15 minutes to take 1 photo of everybody smiling...#HappyFamily #SoBlessed...We try to hide that we’re poor in spirit, and put up a front like we’re rich in spirit.
But Jesus is saying you’ll never be happy like that. You’ll never be happy acting like you have it all together, when deep down inside you don’t, deep down inside you’re poor in spirit. He’s saying happiness begins with admitting you need to rely on God in all things, especially for salvation and happiness. Happiness is less about your situation, and more about your reliance on the Lord regardless of your situation. The more you rely on the Lord’s ability to transcend your situation, the happier your life will be. You’ll be able to sleep well at night knowing the Lord’s still in control, even when your life is spiraling out of control. Are you broken in spirit, poor in spirit today?...Are you tired of trying to save your busted up soul, tired of trying to control your life and the outcome of your life?...Jesus says a happy heart starts with a reliant heart. A happy heart starts with a reliant heart on the Lord, for salvation and everyday life.
Again vs. 3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” There’s the 2nd thing Jesus teaches us about happiness. It’s blessed are those who mourn, happy are those who mourn. Mourning is what happens when your spirit is broken, when you finally realize you’re poor in spirit. We mourn because we live in a world that’s suffering from sin. We suffer from our sins and other people’s sins. Sin hurts us, it hurts our relationship with God, it hurts our relationship with others. Jesus is saying a person who mourns over sin and turns to the Lord is happier, because the Lord will give them comfort, forgiveness, restoration from sin. But we also mourn because of death, because we long for eternity in heaven where there will be no more sin and death. I’ve been a pastor for over 18 yrs. I’ve done the funeral of a baby, the funeral of a 16 yr old girl who died from Amoeba... I’ve done the funeral of friends, family members, church members...I’ve done numerous funerals over the years...It’s always the people who cry out to the Lord when mourning, that find comfort and healing the fastest. They still have moments where a memory causes them to miss and mourn again, but those moments are filled with comfort when they turn to the Lord for comfort again.
I know somebody who’s mourning right now that’s turning to the bottle instead of turning to the Lord, and their life’s becoming more isolated, dark, and miserable. It’s because death is a period for the non-Christian, but it’s a comma for the Christian...Death is a period for the non-Christian, but it's a comma for the Christian...The Christian life doesn’t end with a period, with sin, death, or mourning. It continues with eternal life through faith in Jesus, where we’ll experience no more sin, death, or mourning. It continues with the Lord providing eternal comfort and happiness, for those who mourn and turn to him. Heaven is a river of joy that comes through a valve of tears, but Jesus will eventually turn off that valve of tears, for those who mourn and turn to him. Are you mourning?...Are you mourning over your sin or somebody else’s sin?...Are you mourning over the sting of death and losing somebody you love?...Jesus says if you mourn and turn to him, he’ll start to bring comfort and happiness back into your life again.
Again vs 4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.” This is the 3rd thing Jesus teaches about happiness, and it’s blessed are the humble, happy are the humble. Life is so much happier when you’re humble instead of proud. When you’re proud you always feel like you have something to prove. You have to prove you’re right when you’re arguing with your family, never admitting you’re wrong. You have to prove you’re better when it’s game night, never able to celebrate when somebody else wins instead of you. I personally hate losing, but my wife is more humble. She has an easier time celebrating 2nd place. In our family if our kids start playing tag I have to tag them back, but my wife doesn’t feel the need to tag them back. She’s like “Game over! You win!” There isn’t anything wrong with being competitive, it’s being prideful that’s the problem. Jesus challenged the religious leaders more than anybody, because they were self-righteous and prideful. Jesus says a happier life is a humble life. There’s so much happiness in life when you can let go of the pride and pressures that come with trying to prove yourself to others. Are you prideful?...Are you feeling like you have to prove something to yourself, to others, to God?...Jesus says you’ll live a much happier life, if you humble yourself and turn to him.
Vs. 6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This 4th one is about hungering and thirsting for fellowship with the Lord. In Ecclesiastes 3 King Solomon says the Lord put eternity in the hearts of humanity, meaning inside everyone’s heart there’s a hunger for happiness and joy that nothing in this world can ever satisfy. Like I said earlier we try filling that hunger with all different kinds of things such as people, products, personal achievements, and the list goes on. But none of it ever lasts, it never satisfies for long, because none of its meant to fill the hunger in our hearts only God was meant to fill. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is, that I was made for another world.” We were made to have fellowship with the Lord, to have satisfaction in our relationship with the Lord. I’m a much more patient, loving, happier person on the days I spend time with the Lord, compared to the days I don’t. I’m a much more patient, loving, happier person on the days I spend time reading my bible and praying to the Lord, compared to the days I don’t. This is something that can bring happiness into your life fairly quickly, if you make time for it. Are you spending time in fellowship with the Lord?...Are you reading your bible and praying?...What things, habits, meetings do you need to change that are suppressing your ability and hunger to spend time with the Lord?...Jesus says you’ll have a much happier daily life, if you spend time with him and let his Word lead your daily life.
Vs. 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This 5th one is about extending mercy to others like Jesus extended mercy to us. It’s hypocritical to say we want Jesus to give us mercy when we sin, but we don’t give mercy to others when they sin. It’s also a path that leads to unhappiness, because when you don’t give mercy to others your heart becomes filled with anger, bitterness, unhappiness. Their sin against you still has a negative grip on your life, even if they’ve been out of your life. The only way to loosen that grip is to forgive them, it’s to have mercy on them, even though they don’t deserve it. Don’t be their doormat and let them keep walking over you, but don’t let their sin keep controlling you either. Do you need to show mercy to someone?...Do you need to loosen the grip their sin has on you, so it doesn’t fill your heart with anger, bitterness, unhappiness?...Jesus says the merciful life, is a happier life.
Vs. 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” This 6th one is about the importance of purity, which can only come through faith in Jesus. It isn’t that Christians are perfectly pure, it’s that we have a perfectly pure Savior who promises to make us pure. Jesus not only died for our sinful impurities, he’s also transforming us into greater purity. He’s growing us in holiness now, and he’ll perfect us in purity later in eternity. If Jesus didn’t do this we’d never see Godlike the text says. Our sin is like a dirty windshield that prevents us from being able to see God clearly. It prevents us from being able to hear God’s voice clearly. We can’t see his will and direction for our lives, unless Jesus cleanses our hearts. Our sinful impurity prevents us from seeing and standing in the purity of God’s presence. Do you have sinful impurity?...Do you have something you need to repent for?...Do you want to see God in eternity?...Jesus says you’ll see and enjoy a happy life with God, if you repent and turn to him for the purification of your heart.
Vs. 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” This 7th one is about how being a peacemaker will lead to a much happier life. It starts with having peace with God like we said before, and it continues with having peace with others. I’ve never had a counseling session where I’ve had to break up two people who are peacemakers. “I want to make peace!” No I want to make peace! “Okay just break it up you peacemakers!” But I’ve had plenty of counseling sessions with those who aren’t peacemakers. It’s because the peaceful life is a much happier life that helps to diffuse conflicts, instead of ignite conflicts.
Vs. 10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” This 8th and last one is about being persecuted, it’s about suffering for righteous causes. When we suffer for a righteous cause, for a righteous purpose, our suffering is much more bearable. Moses, Joseph, Esther, Mary, Martin Luther, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of course Jesus. They all suffered for righteous causes. But it’s much more unbearable to suffer without a righteous cause, to suffer without any purpose as to why you’re suffering. Jesus says the happier life is a life where our suffering has a righteous cause, it has a righteous purpose. It’s where we say “Life is hard, but I’m going to trust the Lord wants to use my suffering for a righteous cause. I’m going to trust the Lord wants to use my suffering either for the purpose of growing me, or the purpose of helping others in the future...It’s hard, but I can still be happy knowing my suffering isn’t pointless...It’s hard, but I can still be happy knowing my suffering is going to serve a greater purpose.”
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is that happiness is found in the stability of Christ, not the instability of life...Happiness is found in the stability of Christ, not the instability of life...A guy once said to C.S. Lewis, “I don’t like the Sermon on the Mount.” Lewis replied, “Of course you don’t! Nobody likes the sledgehammer that destroys their house.” His point is the Sermon on the Mount challenges our secular view of happiness, because most of us think happiness is based on situations. “If I only had this happen in my life, then I’d finally be happy in life.” In fact our English word for happiness comes from the word happening, meaning you’ll only be happy when what you want happens. If it doesn’t happen, then you won’t be happy. But according to Jesus you’ll never be happy if your happiness is based on situations, because your situations are constantly changing. So if you want to have a happy life, you need to root your happiness in something more stable and secure than your situations. You need to root your happiness in the stability and security of Jesus. Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy life, he promises us a blessed and happy life...Blessed and happy are those who are poor in spirit, and rely on him.
Communion
Communion is a reminder for us to reset our hearts on Jesus, and the many blessings we have because of Jesus. It’s a reminder that we were poor in spirit, we were spiritually bankrupt, but Jesus died on the cross so we could be forgiven of our sins and enjoy an eternally happy life with him...If you don’t believe he died for your sins, if you aren’t a follower of Jesus, then please refrain from taking communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on the message, and consider telling Jesus you want to rely on him for your salvation and happiness today...Let’s start passing the elements at this time, and as they’re being passed let’s take a few minutes to prep our hearts, and for those at home to prep their tables. Take a few minutes to pray asking Jesus to forgive you for trying to find happiness in other things instead of him. Then thank him for dying for your sins, and ask him to fill your heart with his happiness again.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, gave thanks for it, and said “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Let’s eat, drink, and worship Jesus for the blessed and happy life he’s given us.