Where Are You Seeking Happiness?

Are most people you know happy?

Are you?

Would you call yourself a happy person right now?

Let's think about it for a minute.

What makes people happy?

What makes you happy?

Having plenty of money?

Having a lot of free time?

Children who obey the first time every time with a good attitude.

Parents who are not so doggone strict and nag you all the time.

How about a spouse who makes you the center of his or her world?

Now these are all what makes us happy.

Not many people happy are we?

But the common thought in such responses is that that kind of happiness is dependent on our circumstances.

Now it's true.

What's going on around about us, it does contribute to our just happy moods or not.

But we've got to all guard against finding our happiness or tying our happiness to pleasant circumstances.

No one's life is always pleasant, is it?

Our circumstances are in a constant state of change.

Sometimes everything's going our way or at least most things.

But sometimes it seems that nothing goes the way we want it to.

If that's the case, we're going to be emotional roller coasters.

Well, I want us to look this morning at a passage of Scripture.

It's Psalm 1 on the screen.

I want you to go ahead and turn there.

There's a way that we can experience a deeper level of happiness

happiness than what we normally think of when we use the word.

That doesn't have anything to do with our circumstances.

It's described in Psalm 1 and it begins with the word blessed.

And this word blessed is sometimes translated, especially in paraphrases, with the word happy.

Now the word we're going to look at, we're going to read the psalm in just a moment.

But the word here in verse 1 is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word that is found in Matthew 5

that describes what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

He described certain character qualities of His people.

And He talked about them in terms of blessed are the, and a lot of you in here, you're very familiar.

I'm going to give you three examples that might make us scratch our head.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.

That doesn't sound like a kind of circumstance.

None of those, poor in spirit, mourning, being persecuted for any reason, even right reasons.

That doesn't sound like the kind of circumstance that would make anyone happy, does it?

Well, that's a clue that the word blessed is not talking about a happy feeling.

That word blessed really means to be fulfilled.

To be satisfied.

To be content.

It refers to an inner joy and satisfaction that is found in a right relationship with God.

And it is experienced as we live our lives in a way that pleases God.

So as we talk about happiness, we're not talking about, you know, just good feelings.

We're talking about something on the insides.

A real joy.

A real sense of contentment.

We're talking about something that God gives us through our relationship with Him.

Knowing that He is God.

He's in control.

He's working in our lives.

And if we're His children, no matter what, we can count on Him.

Psalm 1 describes two contrasting ways to pursue this kind of happiness.

Let's read the Psalm.

Psalm 1, beginning with verse 1.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord.

And on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season.

And its leaf does not wither.

And all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment.

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

If you want to experience deep down, satisfying joy.

That is not dependent on how somebody's treating you.

Not dependent on how your job's going.

Not depending on your physical health.

We need to heed the warning of the psalmist.

Number one, you won't find true happiness by associating with ungodly people.

And I want to add to this in terms of application.

You won't find true happiness by living under ungodly influences.

Now, as we go through this, we're talking about ungodly people.

But I want you to think, the application, this is broader.

We need to be careful of who we are allowing to influence us.

Not just face to face.

But the things that we read.

We need to be careful about the people we are allowing to influence us.

By the things we watch, we view.

By whatever we take in through our senses.

Whatever form of media it may be.

We are constantly being influenced by people.

And what people are doing.

So as we go through this, don't just limit your thinking to the influence of a particular ungodly person.

Because you really may be in your family, in your job.

You may be surrounded by some pretty good people.

But if you live in this world, unless you're just in a cave somewhere,

you're bombarded by all kinds of ungodly influencers and influences.

So keep that in mind as we go through this.

The psalmist begins with a warning about what will happen

if we allow ungodly influence to just permeate our lives.

First, verse 1.

You will be led on a downward path away from God by associating with ungodly people.

Look at it.

The downward path begins when we walk in the counsel of the wicked or ungodly, some translations will say.

The actual verse says,

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.

Now, in this context, you look at, we're talking about the wicked.

Then we're going to look at the word sinners.

Then we're going to look at the word scoffers.

He's talking about a downward spiral here.

So this first person or type of ungodly influence is referring to people who do not take God seriously.

We're not talking about here someone who is just maybe overtly evil.

We're talking about somebody who has just basically a secular worldview.

Their view of life just has no place for God.

They may not be openly opposed to God.

May never say anything negative about God or the Bible or Christians.

They just ignore Him.

Now, who are some of the people that you admire and want to be like?

You may know them.

They may be in your family.

Maybe somebody a little bit older than you in school.

Or they may be someone you just read about or watch on TV or in movies.

The people that you admire and they are influencing you.

You want to be like them.

What are they teaching you about God, about a relationship with Him?

What are they teaching you by the way they live about living a Christian life?

Think about it for just a moment.

What would following their example, what would it be if you allowed them to influence you?

Would they help you draw closer to the Lord?

Would they really help you to develop Christian character?

Would they help you to be a true person of integrity?

You say what you mean, they mean what you say.

People who do not take God seriously.

They don't have to be just terribly evil people.

They will have an influence on us.

They will gradually influence us.

And if they don't take God seriously, we will take God less seriously.

Even though we're in church here this morning.

If you walk with the wicked, as they're described here, long enough, it will lead to a more serious problem.

He describes it as we'll stand in the way of sinners.

This refers to getting involved with people who are truly rebels against God.

We're talking about people who are, they don't agree with what the Bible teaches.

About how we should live morally and ethically.

The idea here is becoming friends with people who openly disobey God.

The idea here is running with people in a circle, in a group.

With people who, they knowingly, willingly live a life contrary to what you know.

And what you've been taught.

The Bible says a Christian ought to live.

Now, I want to pause here.

This does not mean we should not develop relationships with people who are not Christians.

We as Christians are called to live in this world and be a part of the world but not be like it.

We're supposed to be salt.

We're supposed to flavor society.

We're supposed to be a preservative.

We're supposed to be light as Christians in this world, in this, what the Bible talks about, a dark world.

So we need to be in the world.

We need to be influencing people.

But here's the caution.

The idea is for us to be around people and influence them.

But not be around people if they're going to have the wrong kind of influence on us.

I have heard young people say before, especially a girl with a guy.

A girl who's a Christian.

A professing Christian at least.

Christian parents.

And she wants to date a guy who is not a Christian.

Doesn't go to church.

Obvious not a good choice.

I have heard this.

The excuse to the parents is, well, I can be a good witness to him.

You're not going to be a good witness, most likely, getting involved in a dating relationship.

It usually doesn't work that way.

And there's people in your life, if you talk to them about it, they can give you example after example of how that did not work.

And did not end well.

This is a warning about allowing yourself to be influenced with people.

You may not even know them, but what they teach, what they're doing, their example, their model.

They're going to influence you in such a way as to corrupt your mind.

They're going to turn you away from God and the kind of life that pleases God.

The way that God clearly tells us we ought to live as Christians in this world.

It's a warning.

But that's not where he stops.

People who walk in the counsel of the wicked and then stand in the way of sinners.

If you just continue that way, in time, you'll sit in the seat of scoffers or mockers.

We're talking about people here who, they're not just against God.

They ridicule.

They curse.

They show contempt for anything about God.

The Bible.

Christian truth.

These are the kind of people you need to avoid.

This is the kind of influence you need to avoid at all costs because it will corrupt us quickly.

Now, I want you to think with me.

This should make sense that we distance ourselves from such people that we don't associate with them because they're hostile toward God.

Do you or would you associate with someone who spoke disrespectfully about your spouse?

Would you associate yourself with people who all they did was put down your children?

No.

I mean, there's something terribly wrong with you if you would allow someone to just show great contempt and disrespect to or about your spouse or your children.

We don't do those kind of things.

It's common sense.

We're offended.

You don't offend those who are closest to me.

Well, if we are close to God, why do we associate with people who speak and act in a way that disparages God?

That dishonors Him, His name, His word, His will.

Why would you want to be around such people?

If, if Jesus is real to you and you love Him, you want to defend His name, His character, just like you would a family member.

If you want to live a family member.

If you want to live a family member.

If you really want to live a life of happiness in terms of joy, contentment, don't allow ungodly people to influence you directly or indirectly.

They'll lead you down a path that will take you further and further away from God and the kind of life that you really want to live if you're a Christian.

The kind of life that God says we ought to live if we're His people.

But also notice in verse 4, you'll find nothing of lasting value from the life of ungodly people.

The psalmist describes such people as chaff.

Chaff is the outer skin of wheat.

It's the dry little shells that blow away in the wind or are collected and burned.

Think about it this way.

Ungodly people and their way of life is like the shells of a sunflower seed.

A lot of people love to eat sunflower seeds.

Some people, I haven't got the knack for sticking a wad in my mouth and being able to get the seed out and spit out the hole.

But you know what I'm talking about, you spit out the hole.

They're like, ungodly people are like the wrappers of a candy bar.

You throw it away.

Now, we all know ungodly people who've experienced great success in this world.

I mean, you may have some family members.

They're just ungodly.

They may even make fun of you being a Christian or coming to church.

And they, from all outward appearances, they're very successful.

We all know professional athletes, actors, politicians, educators, people from every walk of life.

We know people who are not Christians.

And they're more than not Christians.

They're just plain ungodly.

And they have experienced worldly success to some degree.

We're not going to deny that.

We're not going to pretend that they're not living a great life, being ungodly, because some people are, and they're content in it.

But because they have no place for God in their lives, Scripture says they're going to end up like chaff.

Like the wrapper of a candy bar.

Do you really want to envy such a person?

Do you really want to follow the example of someone, do what someone like that says?

That you know, if you truly believe in God and believe in a judgment at the end of your life,

do you want to follow someone and be influenced by someone who's going to lead you to be condemned on the day of judgment?

That's what you see next in verse 5, latter part of verse 6.

You will be condemned along with ungodly people on the day of judgment if you follow their example,

if you allow them to influence you.

This is a warning to us.

Now, the psalmist doesn't just warn us about the ungodly.

He's not just warning us about the wrong road through life.

He encourages us also about the right road.

About the right kind of influence.

So let's look at that now.

Number two, you will find true happiness only in the life God approves.

The happiness that brings lasting joy.

I'm talking about that which the circumstances can't take away from you.

Contentment.

Let me say this.

I've just seen some people in this church right now.

It makes me think about this.

I have visited members of this church and some family members over the past year, two, three.

That have had major bypass surgery.

And I have seen in them as they are in the hospital in real pain,

also having joy that they know they're in the hands of their Heavenly Father.

They're suffering physically, but emotionally and spiritually,

they are still experiencing the joy of being a child of God,

knowing there's no better place, no safer place to be than in His care.

Now, let's look back.

You will find the keys to true happiness taught in God's Word.

That's what He's talking about in verses 2 and 3.

I want you to look at the verse or the term, the law of the Lord in verse 2.

It can be translated instruction of the Lord,

as the English Standard Version footnote indicates.

John MacArthur comments on verse 2 in a helpful way.

Look at this.

Switching to a positive description,

the spiritually happy man is characterized by the consistent contemplation

and internalization of God's Word for ethical direction and obedience.

The Word of God, the Bible, can be compared to many helpful tools.

It's like a compass.

It points us in the right direction for living a faithful Christian life.

The Bible's like a compass.

It points us the way to live a life that will please God

and ultimately bring the most joy to us.

The Bible's like an owner's manual.

It provides instructions on how to live life as God designed it.

You see, God made us as we are.

He has a way that He intends for us to live outlined generally in Scripture.

And if we'll follow His way, live life according to His design,

life will work better.

And it certainly will be more pleasing if we'll just take Him seriously.

I want you to look at how the psalmist tells us to delight.

But His delight, the person who does not follow the wrong crowd,

who is not influenced the wrong way,

but His delight is in the law of the Lord.

Let me ask you this.

And you just, only you can answer this for yourself.

Do you find joy and pleasure

in knowing

and doing

what the Bible says will please God?

Do you find joy?

Do you find delight

in living a life

that pleases God?

I do not like cats.

If you do, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings

or anything like that.

I do not like them.

I'm being nice.

I normally would say I hate them,

but I'm just saying I do not like them.

I don't have one.

And I don't want one.

The only way you'll ever know

that there's a cat at my place

is if I cannot kill moles

any other way.

I've been told

that that's a surefire way

to get rid of moles

in your yards to have a cat.

And so,

if I can't control them any other way,

I may get a cat.

I won't treat him like Bernie Sanders.

I'm not going to feed him,

take care of him,

meet all of his needs

where he don't want to work.

I'm going to so work with that cat

if I ever get one

to make him hungry enough

to go out there

and find those moles

and kill them.

But I don't like them.

I would never choose

just of my own choice

to buy a picture of a cat.

But I want you to know something.

Last year,

I went to the book fair

at Pickens Elementary School

with a special little girl.

My granddaughter, Olivia,

wanted a poster

of a cat.

And you know what?

When she told me that

and she looked at me

and said,

Bop,

would you buy me that poster?

I was delighted

to buy Olivia

the poster of that cat

with the condition

that it be put up

in her house

and not mine.

Now,

I don't think

we will take delight

in the Word of God

unless we first

define delight

in the person of God.

I have no delight

in cats.

But I have great delight

or had great delight

in buying that poster

for the person

that I love dearly,

my little granddaughter.

And so I think

it's just,

it's this perspective.

If we truly

know God

as our Heavenly Father,

we have a relationship

with Him.

We love Him.

We have delight

in Him.

We'll have delight

in the teaching

of His Word.

And as He talks

about meditating,

we'll think deeply

about what we read

in God's Word

because we want

to understand it.

we want to make it

a part of our thinking.

We want it to guide

the way that we live.

That's what the psalmist

is telling us.

Look at one more thing

in verse 3.

You will enjoy

stability and prosperity

by living in obedience

to God's Word.

Look at it,

first part of verse 3.

This kind of person

is like a tree

planted by streams

of water

that yields its fruit

in its season

and its leaf

does not wither.

The psalmist

is describing

a man or woman

of God

as a tree

planted beside

a river

with a continuous

source of water

is what it's talking about.

It never fails

to be fruitful.

It doesn't wither.

It doesn't lose

its leaves

from a lack

of water.

If we will seek

our happiness

by living the kind

of life

that God approves,

we'll find it.

Now everything

will never go our way.

You can't have a life

that everything

goes your way.

Every circumstance

is favorable to you.

But it doesn't have to be

when we take delight

in the Lord

and His way

and will

because our delight

will be found

in Him.

and our relationship

with Him

and our love

for Him.

Note the last phrase

of the verse

of this psalm.

For the Lord

knows the way

of the righteous

or the Lord

watches over

the way

of the righteous.

That means God

is not,

that does not mean

God's standing back

and just sort of

observing our life.

It's talking about

how He is involved.

He guards us.

He guides us

according to

His purpose.

He provides

the real joy

we're talking

about this morning.

He's the one

that can give us

contentment

and satisfaction.

And God

does this

not only now

but He does it

for all eternity.

Let's wind it up.

Let's think about

what we're talking about.

If you're a normal person

you want to be happy.

Now I know

there are exceptions.

You probably know

some people.

Probably got somebody

in your family.

They can never be happy.

They like to be negative.

They like to find fault.

There are people

that way for sure.

But normal people

want to be happy.

It's really the way

God designed us.

What we need to do

is just be careful

how we define happiness

and where we look for it.

Don't look to the world

to provide this

ultimate joy.

Certainly don't look

to ungodly people

and ungodly influences.

What the psalmist

is telling us

that's a sure way

to eternal destruction.

If we want to experience

a life that is satisfying,

fulfilling,

we need to look to God.

Because it's only found

in a right relationship

with Him.

And if you're not

a Christian

I want you to understand

that what we're talking about

you're never going to find it

until you seek it

through a right relationship

with Jesus Christ.

The life we desire

will only be experienced

by living a life

according to God's design.

It's revealed in Scripture.

I want to encourage you

to make His Word

one of the objects

of your affections.

Take delight in it

because it's His Word.

make His Word,

His truth

the dominant thoughts

of your mind,

the influencing thoughts

in your mind.

But don't just leave it up

in your head.

Put it into practice

in your life.

This is the

the way

that God will enable us

to live a truly

happy as we define it here

kind of life.

And what we're talking

about here

are living this kind

of happy,

joyful,

purposeful life

we can experience

now in this world.

And as followers

of Jesus Christ

depending upon Him

we can experience

for all eternity.

Let's pray together.

Father,

we pray now

that You'll just help us

to be honest

about who or what

is influencing us

and what kind

of an effect

is it

or are they having.

Father,

I pray that You

would convict

anyone in this room

who is allowing

ungodly

influences

and influencers

in their life.

Help them to see

that they're responsible

for who they associate with,

what they read,

what they watch,

what they listen to.

Help them to think,

Father.

These most powerful

influences in their life,

are they drawing

them closer to You?

Or are they pushing

them away from You?

Lord,

help us to think

about where we find

true delight.

and among the people

and things

in this world,

help us to be honest

about where You fit.

Do we truly find

delight

in knowing You

and knowing what

pleases You

and do in life

that way?

Father,

show us

the way You want us

to respond.

If there's sin

to confess,

help us to do it.

If there's some changes

about who we are allowing

or what we're allowing

to influence us,

help us to do it,

regardless of what

anybody else does.

Show us,

Father,

give us the desire

to truly

spend time with You,

unhurried,

thoughtful,

prayerful time with You,

reading Your Word,

letting it sink in,

chewing on it,

and seeking Your help

to put it into practice.

And in an attitude

of prayer,

let's just listen

to the Lord

and obey Him

right now.

If I could help you,

pray with you,

I'd be happy to do that

here in front of the church

right now.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.