How can I have a happy life?

So if you have a Bible, perhaps you could turn with me to Matthew chapter 5. It's on page 968 if you're using a church Bible.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

! We're beginning a study as a church on this sermon, the most famous sermon ever delivered by Jesus called the Sermon on the Mount.

We're looking at how he introduces the sermon in this section often known as the Beatitudes.

And we're asking ourselves the question, how can I have a happy life?

Blaise Pascal, the famous thinker, once said, all men seek happiness. That is without exception.

We're all looking for happiness. What does it mean?

The U.S. Declaration of Independence speaks about that right that people have to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Happiness. An American president, Ben Franklin, said, yes, we have the right to the pursuit, but each of us has to catch happiness ourselves.

So what is it that we're chasing when we think about happiness?

If I was to ask the room, in the same way as I was to ask the children, we'd probably get a lot of different answers.

What is happiness?

For some of us, perhaps, it's about the connections that we have.

I skimmed through, every year there's a thing called the World Happiness Report.

And this year, it was very much focusing on the ideas of caring and sharing.

And happiness consists in the social connections that we have.

Deep relationships.

Perhaps that's where we look for happiness.

But that's not the only answer, is it?

Because for some people, happiness lies in consuming.

Now, whether that's ice cream, whether that's a barbecue in the meadows, consumption is something we often think about as giving us happiness.

Joy is a marketing tool.

93% of people, when asked, were on a quest for more joy.

And so there's a whole load of advertising campaigns that became famous, especially in the early 2000s.

People seeking, here's the way.

If you're looking for more joy, what you need is to buy my product, to eat my foods.

Maybe for us, though, happiness is connected to the cash in our pocket.

The council did some statistics in this neighborhood, so the south side Newington neighborhood.

And 17% of people who were polled said that money is the best measure of a person's success and happiness.

So if you believe that, then that's obviously the thing that you're going to look to catch.

We all seek happiness, and God has made us that way.

But the really important question becomes, well, what is that happiness?

What is ultimate happiness?

What is that thing that I'm going to give my life to?

Or maybe to put it another way, who defines happiness for me?

Is it myself, or do I listen to someone else?

And that takes us to this sermon, the most famous sermon ever preached,

the most famous document on ethics and morality, I think, that the world has.

And it begins with the question, what is the blessed life?

What is the happy life according to God?

And Jesus' answer is really striking.

So one thing that you maybe noticed is that for Jesus, this life of blessing or happiness,

it's about character.

Jesus talks about our heart, a way of life that's changed,

because we've found salvation, because we've found Jesus.

But happiness is also connected to the idea of covenant.

This whole idea of blessing is the blessing of a life

where you know you're in a right relationship with God.

You know that there is forgiveness and He is your Father.

Jesus says that's what the happy life looks like.

And so we find in verses 1 and 2,

Jesus going up on a mountainside and sitting down to teach.

Just like in the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus,

you find Moses going up on a mountain to receive and then to give God's law.

Here is Jesus up on a mountain delivering God's word about God's kingdom.

Here is what it looks like to live under the rule of Jesus as God's king.

And so for the next few months,

we're going to think about this sermon,

runs from chapters 5 to 7 of Matthew's gospel.

It's going to teach us.

So whether we're a follower of Jesus,

or whether we're curious about Christianity,

it's going to teach us,

what is it like to be a follower of Jesus?

How is the kingdom of God a different way of life?

I imagine at different points this sermon,

even if we're familiar with it,

the words of Jesus are going to shock us.

Because it's very much a counter-cultural message.

Jesus presents here, for example,

a vision of happiness that's very different

from expectations,

very different to what most people are looking for today.

And I hope as well that this sermon,

the Sermon on the Mount will inspire us.

Because it shows us,

the words of Jesus show us that the transforming power of God

can absolutely change us,

change our way of life,

even change our idea of what is true happiness.

So this morning for a few minutes,

we're going to take the happiness question to Jesus,

and we're going to listen to his answer.

And we're going to do that thinking about three simple words, okay?

We're going to think about grace,

and then we're going to think about God,

and then we're going to think about glory.

So if you remember those words,

you'll hopefully remember where we're going.

So we're thinking first about grace.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

Jesus begins,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I wonder,

there's a picture up there of what's known as recycled art.

And I wonder if you've ever seen

either these small micro-enterprise projects

in Africa or in Asia,

where crafts people are able to turn

old rubbish,

recycled plastics and cans,

into a piece of art that they can then sell.

With the eye and the skill of a craftsman,

as something broken and worthless,

can become something beautiful.

And Jesus begins his reflections on the happy life here.

A happy life discovers the power of God's grace

to bring beauty from brokenness.

The brokenness of verse 3,

blessed are the poor in spirit.

Those who are broken and know that they've come to an end of themselves

and have learned to totally depend on God.

That that idea that we have the ability

and we have the answers by ourselves,

that's been broken in their life.

Verse 4,

blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are those who feel a sense of brokenness

over the sin in our life

and the suffering and the sorrow that it brings.

Verse 5,

blessed are the meek.

Pride has been broken.

Self-reliance is gone,

replaced by humility.

Being willing to be small before God.

But do you notice how in Jesus' hands,

by God's grace,

brokenness can be turned into something beautiful.

What's the beauty that God's grace brings?

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The follower of Jesus enjoys life in the kingdom of God,

life with God now,

with the promise of that for eternity.

Blessed are those who mourn.

Here's the beauty.

For they will be comforted.

The beautiful truth of knowing we are forgiven and reconciled to God.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

There's this beautiful message of being remade

in the image of the Lord Jesus,

so that one day,

we will rule in a world made new with Him.

See how this is a very different message of happiness compared to the world.

Our society might say something like,

blessed are the rich and powerful,

because everything they could ever want.

Blessed are the comfortable and the entertained,

because pleasure is right there at their fingertips.

Or blessed are the ones who are true to themselves

and make themselves number one,

because nothing and no one holds them back.

So often our ideas about happiness,

if they're not shaped by the Bible,

will be about now,

rather than be about the future.

Our ideas of happiness will tend to be centered on the self.

It's the idea of big me.

And we miss the wonder of a big God.

So to believe what Jesus teaches,

that this is the way to the happy life,

is an uphill battle.

And it's a daily uphill battle.

And to live this way,

we need God's grace.

In all of the Beatitudes,

Jesus is painting a portrait.

Here is a life,

here is a character of a person

who has been saved

by God's free kindness to us

in the Lord Jesus.

Here is the picture of a life

of someone who's been changed

and they're enjoying life with Jesus.

And maybe even as we were reading

this description,

we were thinking,

well, that seems impossible.

My life seems so far away from that.

All I see,

all I sense is

my own brokenness.

Or perhaps we look around

and we struggle to believe

that God could change anyone else

because all we see is there

brokenness.

And what we need to see

and what Jesus gives us a vision of

is the God of grace

who is the master craftsman,

who is able

and who is working his people

into the image of Jesus,

who is transforming hearts

and he is working this process

that will be complete

in the kingdom of heaven.

And Jesus says to us,

the happy life

is a life of depending

on God.

It's a life of repenting

of sin.

It's a life of humbling

ourselves before God.

And he promises this brings

future blessings

into our present.

That we can live knowing

we're in the family of God.

We can live free of guilt

with the comfort of forgiveness.

And we can live with security

because of a promised inheritance.

And all because of God's grace.

Not because of something

we've done to earn it

or deserve it.

I think Jesus wonderfully

pictures this for us

in maybe the most famous story

he told.

The story of the prodigal son.

And that story of the son

who rebelled against his father

wanted nothing to do

with his father.

Said,

Father I can't wait

till you're dead.

Give me my share of the money.

And he went off

and he wasted his money.

And eventually

he hit rock bottom.

He got to that point

where he was poor in spirit.

Where he did mourn

over his sin.

And he came to his senses.

I'm going to go home.

And I'm going to confess.

And as he went home

what did he find?

He found a father

offering a joyful welcome.

He found that he was

restored to the family.

That riches and honour

became his.

That he found literally

his famine

turned to a feast.

And all because

of God's grace.

Ray Ortlund is a Bible teacher

from the States

and he's got a book.

A new book called

Good News at Rock Bottom.

It doesn't sound like good news

does it?

But the good news

when we find ourselves

at rock bottom

he says

is that Jesus

meets us there.

When our life

gets hard

and discouraging

when we find ourselves

with that sense

of our own poverty

and mourning

Jesus meets us there

to show us grace.

one of our mission partners

working in Columbia

is Manuel

many of us

know him well

and I was speaking

with him this week

and he was speaking

about the joy

that he has

in his everyday ministry

of seeing

the beauty

of what happens

when God's truth

breaks in

to a person's life

where instead of despair

now there's hope.

where instead of being

just wrecked

by guilt

now there's an understanding

of the gospel

of forgiveness.

He talked about

the joy

of being a spectator

of God's powerful

transforming work.

Our God

is a God

of grace

who can bring

beauty

where there was

brokenness.

I wonder today

have we found

are we living

in

this happiness

because we know

this God.

So that's grace.

That's our first word.

The second word

very basic

is the word

God.

Verse 6

here's another one

of our Beatitudes.

Blessed are those

who hunger

and thirst

for righteousness

for they will

be filled.

I met a friend

last week

who I hadn't seen

for many years.

He's French

and we were chatting

about life

and how things were

and we concluded

after a while

by observing

that happiness

is a cup

of French coffee

and a nice

warm croissant

to start the day.

It's happiness

isn't it?

Even talking

about it

served to

increase appetite

and can't wait

for the next trip

because that means

the next taste.

Right at the center

of the Beatitudes

Jesus connects

these ideas

of happiness

and hunger.

And what he says

to us here

is that a happy

life has discovered

a new appetite

for God.

That his worship

his ways

his will

that's the appetite

that we want

to be filled.

Bruce Springsteen

is a great singer

songwriter

and a great psychologist.

He said

everybody

has a hungry heart.

And that's a really

good point.

I think that's

a biblical point.

We are all

looking for

something

to satisfy us.

And sometimes

we have those

great moments

of joy

when we find

ourselves saying

this is it

this is the thing.

This is what

I was made for.

This is the person

who makes me

feel happy.

It can come

in lots of different ways.

It might be a role

or a responsibility

that we have

in our workplace.

It might be

a subject

that we come

to study

and we get

really into it.

It might be

a new friendship

or a relationship.

It might be

the place

that we live

the home

that we make.

If you've ever

had that experience

again

it's because

this is

how we were made.

We were made

for joy.

We were made

to be worshippers.

God has made us

that we would

build our life

around

something.

And the Bible

teaches us

actually that

the one thing

to build our life

on

is God

and life

with Him.

That knowing

God

that would be

the great goal

that would lead us

to sacrifice

joyfully

to commit

wholeheartedly

the goal

that directs

our lives.

But our human

problem

is that while

we are all made

to worship

and ultimately

to worship

God

our heart

curves inward.

So instead of

worship going up

to God

so often

it comes back

into ourselves

and so we find

ourselves redirecting

our worship.

So we're still

looking for happiness

we're still looking

for an ultimate thing

but now we've taken

God out of the picture.

And so we might

find ourselves

following the message

of the ad campaigns

or the message

of culture.

You know just

you do you

or be whatever

you want

and just

you know

get as much

as you can

because that's

what life's

all about.

Those hungry

hearts of ours

they're often

too easily

satisfied.

What we fill

our lives with

is often

far more

me-centered

than it is

God-centered.

And when we've

lived that way

I expect

like me

you find

it leaves

us

with a

sense

of

emptiness.

I'm

spending

I'm

consuming

I'm

sacrificing

but it

never seems

enough

it never

feels

enough

the joy

never

seems

to last.

There is

no lasting

satisfaction

because we

were made

for more.

It's that

God-shaped

hole.

And so

Jesus has

come

to change

our appetite

and to

teach us

about the

appetite

that we

should look

to satisfy.

And again

this is not

what naturally

drives our

lives.

Happy are

those who

hunger

and thirst

for righteousness

for they will

be filled.

What does

Jesus mean?

That what we

want more

than anything

is to be

right with

God

and to

stay right

with God

day by day.

That's what

I'm hungry

for.

to

couple it

with verse

seven

blessed

to the

merciful

for they

will be

shown

mercy

by God's

grace.

Here's

the appetite

I want

to pursue

to do

God's

will

and to

do

God's

work.

To

pursue

life

with God

living

God's

way

and to

show

mercy

to

others.

Jesus

is saying

there is

a happiness

to be

found

when we

come to

an end

of ourselves

and when

our hearts

are turned

up

and out

when we

look outside

ourselves

to Jesus

Christ.

When that

happens we

find that

he does

meet our

needs.

We are

satisfied.

We are

filled

with

God's

glory.

We see

the glory

of God

and he

has shown

us mercy

so he

helps us

to show

mercy

to others.

So Jesus

here in the

Beatitudes

he's giving

us this

glorious

picture

of a

heart

and a

life

restored

to God's

original

creation

design.

And you

know if

God worked

this in

us

and if

God by

his spirit

worked the

truth of

his word

into our

hearts we

would be a

transformed

people.

We would

be a

community

known for

our joy

in Jesus

because he

would be

who we'd

be hungry

for.

We would

want more

of God's

word.

Your coming

to worship

would be a

great joy

as well as

being a

duty.

We would

be eager

to spend

time with

God in

prayer.

We would

love to

gather

together

with God's

people to

worship.

We would

be so

excited about

the joy

of sharing

fellowship and

getting to

serve alongside

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

Do we

believe that

God can

change our

hearts that

way to

make us

that

community?

Again,

maybe we

see naturally

this is an

uphill battle

because our

hearts are so

easily satisfied

and you

think about the

time that we

live in.

We live in

what's known as

the age of

distraction.

Maybe

especially for

those who

are younger.

Modern

technology can

keep us

constantly

busy,

always

connected,

always

entertained,

always

distracted.

How often do

we find

ourselves with

that sense of

regret?

man,

I've just

spent ages

settling for

the equivalent

of junk

food when

Jesus invites

us to come

to the

feast.

We need

to pray that

we would want

to give time

and attention

to Scripture

and to our

Savior instead

of to endless

scrolling.

That just as

cultivating a

healthy diet

physically is a

battle for so

many of us,

spiritually we

need to

understand we

are in a

battle for

our hearts.

That we

would taste

and see

that God

is good.

Jesus'

words challenge

us.

If we're

Christians,

is this my

appetite?

Think about

how we've

spent our

time in

this past

week.

Does it

reflect a

hunger and

thirst for

righteousness?

To what

extent am I

letting Jesus'

words shape

how I

parent or

my approach

to work

or to

study?

Am I

committing to

a church

community that

will help

me to grow

this healthy

appetite?

Even ask

the question,

where do

these eight

character traits

fit in my

list of

priorities?

Do I want

to look like

this by God's

grace?

God's

Maybe one

way this

word will

hit us is

that we'll

ask God

today,

give me a

new appetite

for you and

for your

word,

that we

wouldn't be

satisfied with

less than a

joyful life

in Jesus.

Okay, so we

thought about

grace, and

we thought

about God.

The one

last word

that we're

going to

think about

is the

word glory.

glory.

And that

takes us to

verse 8,

and this

beatitude,

blessed are

the pure in

heart, for

they will see

God.

Just to

return to the

idea of the

moment of

finding the

one, the

one person

or the one

thing, that

thing that

makes me

happy, when

we make

that discovery,

what happens

in our

lives?

We understand

that we

find the

one,

it changes

us.

We will

then find

ourselves

sacrificing

for the

sake of

that person,

and we

will do

it gladly.

We will

spend our

energies and

our resources

for that

job that

we love.

We'll

sacrifice

easily.

We will

commit our

lives to

that person

or that

thing, and

the people

around us

know it.

our

identity

becomes

shaped

by the

one.

Now, why

does that

happen?

Because it

does happen,

doesn't it?

Well, it's

all to do

with this

idea of

glory.

The biblical

word glory

is the idea

of something

having weight,

weightiness in

our lives.

That

boyfriend or

that girlfriend,

that sport or

that hobby,

that job,

it comes to

have weight

in our

life.

And when

Jesus says,

blessed to the

pure in

heart, for

they will

see God,

he's saying,

a happy

life has

discovered

ultimate

glory in

Jesus and

his gospel.

Jesus has

ultimate

weight.

And that

gives us

joy when we

discover it.

love.

The idea

of blessed

to the

pure in

heart, that's

a theme

from Psalm

24.

In Psalm

24, we

have this

idea of

the person

who is

pure in

heart, and

that heart

is not

undecided on

the worship

question.

The happy

heart knows

God is

Lord, he

deserves

worship, I'm

not going to

settle for a

God substitute,

I'm not

going to

settle for

anything

less.

So the

happy heart

is not

undecided, and

the happy

heart is

undivided.

To be

pure in

heart, it

is to be

undivided.

God and

his glory,

that's the

target I'm

going to

aim for with

laser-like

precision.

That's the

goal I'm

going to

follow and

to sacrifice

for.

And by

God's

grace, he

works in

our hearts,

so we

come to

see Jesus

is a

glorious

saviour.

The good

news that

sinful people

like us can

have peace

with God

through what

Jesus did

on the

cross, that's

glorious.

That God

would show

us mercy,

though we

don't deserve

it, that's

wonderful and

glorious.

It's the best

message, it's

the happiest

news we'll

ever hear.

So much

so, verse

10 to

12, not

even

persecution

will be

enough to

steal that

joy away or

make us

give up

Jesus.

The pure

heart wills

one thing,

nothing will

get in the

way of

Jesus.

You'll think

about maybe

if you go

to the

theatre, you

go to watch

a sporting

event and

you end up

sitting behind

the person

with the,

he's really

tall, or you

sit behind a

pillar, you

know the

frustration of

having an

obstructed

view.

The Christian

won't tolerate

an obstructed

view of

Jesus.

We want to

see his

glory.

Think about

Zacchaeus.

Wonderful story

of Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus was a

very small man

and a very

hated man.

He knew

Jesus was

coming through

his time, he

wanted to see

Jesus.

The crowd

wouldn't let

him get

through, so

what he did,

what no man

of his age and

status would

do, he

climbed a

tree.

He faced

the hatred

of the

crowd because

he wanted

to see

Jesus.

He wanted

an unobstructed

view of

Jesus, the

King of

glory, and

when he

saw it, he

discovered

Jesus, invite

him, show

him hospitality,

and show him

saving grace.

He was

changed because

he had that

desire in his

heart to see

the glory of

Jesus.

This is the

ultimate reward.

verse 8,

blessed to

the pure in

heart for

they will

see God.

How do we

see God?

We see God

in Jesus.

Jesus makes

the glory of

God visible.

And what we

need is for

God by his

grace to open

our eyes to

the glory and

the beauty of

Jesus so we

would live for

him with real

happiness.

happiness.

See, at the

end of the

day, these

beatitudes, as

much as God

is working in

our character to

make us more

and more like

this, they're

also at the

same time a

perfect portrait

of the perfect

character of

Jesus.

The Sermon on

the Mount

begins with

Jesus climbing

a hill.

The story of

Jesus will

climax with

Jesus going up

another hill,

the hill of

Calvary, the

place of the

cross.

And as we

look to that

hill, there we

see Jesus, the

one who was

persecuted for

righteousness

sake.

We see Jesus

humble himself

to pursue the

Father's will,

willingly making

himself nothing

to go on

God's rescue

mission.

for sinners.

We see the

pure heart of

Jesus, determined

to carry out

that plan to

clean our

sin-stained

heart.

We see Jesus

mourning over

sin as he

prepared to go

up that hill,

but we know

that as he dies

and rises.

He can give us

the joy of

forgiveness as

he bore the

penalty for

sin on our

behalf.

Jesus came as

the ultimate

peacemaker,

making peace by

his blood shed

on the cross.

Jesus is the

ultimate one who

shows us

mercy.

He meets our

deepest need in

his life and

death and

resurrection.

resurrection.

Jesus is the

one who takes

God's curse so

that you and I

can live this

blessed life in

him and with

God.

Jesus suffered

and died so

that you and I

could live a

truly happy life

today and for

all eternity

because we know

him as Savior and

God as our

Father.

Father.

And as we let

the glory of

Jesus capture

our hearts,

that's when he

transforms our

lives, making

something beautiful

out of something

broken, causing

us to long for

and to live for

the glory of

God.

Amen.