Happiness | The Pursuit of Happiness

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

Alright.

You guys didn't know that we were going to have Pharrell as a special guest preacher in this series.

Jakari, for real, man.

I had a pair of Pharrell shoes I was going to wear today.

I was trying to make it work with the outfit, it didn't work.

But I was trying to like get all themed out for this whole happy uh series.

I was trying to really channel my inner Pharrell, but but I'm hoping that um that we can get there even without that.

Church, are you guys doing good?

It's so good to see you guys.

Come on, let's give it up to God.

And while we're doing it, let's give it up for our online audience, those who are joining us online, our podcast, even in our family lounge.

Thank you guys so, so much for joining us today.

We've had a lot of activities so far today, and I believe that we are just getting started.

If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

We're gonna get there in just a second.

But as you guys can see, we're entering into this series called Happy.

And here's the thing: I am so happy right now.

I'm so happy.

I'm so so so happy.

But but but here's the thing that I want to present to some of us really quick.

What does it really mean to be happy?

What does it mean?

We say the word, we have incredible songs about it.

Before Pharrell released his hit, you know, Prophet Bobby McFarron had a song.

I call him Prophet Bobby.

But he had a song and he entitled that bad boy, Don't Worry.

Come on, y'all with me.

Don't worry, be happy.

And here's the thing, I was like, man, like I remember like when I was small hearing that song, and I just felt good about life.

And then I began to like say, well, maybe, maybe Bobby McFerrin, maybe he found the keys of defining happiness.

And so I began to look at the lyrics.

I said, let me let me read through it.

And here's one of the lines that he spoke to us.

He said, Got no place to lay your head.

They done came and took your bed.

Don't worry, be happy.

I'm not happy about that, Bobby.

I'm not happy about that at all.

But Bobby said, Don't worry, be happy.

And then the song we just heard, Pharrell.

Clap your hands if you're in a room without a roof.

Sounds like you're homeless, but don't worry.

It's gonna be okay.

Like there's this idea of what of what happiness is.

And here's the thing I know about that song.

Even as I was about to come on stage, I just couldn't, I couldn't stand still.

I just like I just felt like I wanted to dance.

I just feel good about, I just felt good about the words, but it still didn't quite tell me exactly what does it mean to be happy.

Yeah I felt movement, I felt a release of endorphins in my mind, I felt my head nodding, I felt some movement in my body, but it really still hasn't adequately defined what does it really mean to be happy.

The question that I ask is can it truly be achieved?

What do we say about it?

What does the world say about it?

But more importantly, what does God say about this idea?

Over the next couple of weeks, that is exactly what we're going to endeavor to do is to look at what the world says and compare it to what God says for us to have a holistic understanding of what happiness is and how it truly is in our grasp.

Starting here at Matthew chapter number five, we're gonna read verses one through twelve to frame it up.

And today I'm reading from the the message translation.

I know we always put the Bible and the scriptures up on screen, but I want to encourage everyone in here.

If you don't have a Bible, let us know.

We would love to gift you with one.

You have digital Bibles, there's tons of different resources out there, but it's good to have one that you can that you can mark up, you can put notes in and kind of journey um with God through.

I found that I've been so encouraged when I look at messages and notes that I've written years ago, but they've been right there for me as God has been encouraged me in every new season.

But starting here at verse number one, it says this when Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside.

Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, they climbed with him, arriving at a quiet place, he sat down.

I I'm I'm I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to just share this observation.

It says that when Jesus saw that his ministry was growing was drawing large crowds, that he went up higher, and those who were committed went with him.

I want you to catch on to that, that when you are truly a committed follower of Christ, he's gonna call you up higher, but it's gonna require you to climb uphill.

It's gonna require you to push past your comfort, it's gonna require you to push through some things.

And the Bible says that, and he taught his climbing companions, and this is what he said you are blessed when you're at the end of your rope with less of you.

There is more of God in his rule.

You are you are blessed when you feel like you've lost what is most dear to you.

Only then can you embrace the one who is dear to you.

It says here, it says, You are blessed when you're content with just who you are, no more, no less.

That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God, for his food and drink is the best meal you'll ever eat.

You're you're blessed when you care.

At the moment of being careful, you find yourself being cared for.

Come on, that's a word right there.

Come on, I'm talking to somebody.

You're blessed when you get when you get inside your own world and your mind and your heart put right.

Then you can see God in the outside world.

You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of competing and fighting.

That's when you discover who you really are and your place in God's family.

You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.

Nobody preaches about that, but it says you're blessed when your relationship with God provokes persecution.

The persecution drives you deeper into God's kingdom.

Not only that, count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you or discredit me.

What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.

Verse number 12.

You can be glad when this happens.

Give a cheer, even, for though they don't like it, I do.

And all heaven applause and know that you are in good company.

My prophets and witnesses have always gotten the same kind of trouble.

You truly are blessed.

Today I want to establish some strong definition around this idea of what does it mean to be blessed, what does it mean to be happy, and more importantly, what does God say about the subject?

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we're so thankful for moments like this that we get a chance to gather in your name.

Because we know that you're with us.

Lord, I pray that you speak to us.

I pray that you inspire us, Lord.

I pray that you challenge us.

So over the next few moments, give us open eyes that we can see you, give us open ears that we can hear you, and give us open hearts to receive everything that you have for us.

It's in Jesus' name that we pray.

Amen and amen.

To continue in this theme of what we are discussing in regards to happiness, I want to pose a question for you.

And I don't want us to shout anything out.

I actually want this to be a reflective moment that if you're taking notes, write it down.

I want you to write it down and ponder it over the next couple of weeks as we are endeavoring into this topic.

But but here's the question, and I want y'all to lean in real close for it.

What makes you happy?

What makes you happy?

Let's just pause.

Let's just let's just think about it for a moment.

Let's not rush to it.

But but if you're writing some things down, you can even begin and think about it this week.

What makes you happy?

I I can submit to you a couple of things that that make me happy straight off the rip.

I can tell you right now.

Um whenever I get a new pair of shoes, it makes me happy.

I feel like the Spirit of the Lord is in there.

And I got Bible for it.

And here's why, because some of y'all are like, man, Keith, you might have an obsession, you might need to get some help.

No, blessed are the feet of those who preach the gospel.

I'm I'm aware.

I got I got Bible for my addiction.

So so blessed are the feet.

So so I recognize that I am happy when I get a new pair of shoes.

I'm also happy, you know what makes me happy?

When I come home from a long day of grinding, being in the front lines of ministry, dealing with spiritual warfare, attacks on all sides, and I walk in the house and my kids have done the dishes.

My God.

For anybody that's a parent right now, y'all know that feeling.

When I walk in the house and I just kind of hoping and with an anticipation, and I walk and I see our kitchen and the counter is clear, my Lord, I am so, so happy.

I'm filled with so much peace.

It just makes me fill with joy.

It makes me want to buy the kids stuff.

Like, that's how it affects me.

That's that's what it does to me.

I'm happy in those moments.

I'm I'm happy whenever I get a chance to go on a vacation.

And the Lord knows, Megan, you and I are due for a vacation, girl.

I got you covered.

I got you covered.

But there's just something about being able to unplug and enjoy the environments that you're in.

There's nothing quite like it.

Pastor John knows you are an expert at vacations.

I'm surprised you're here today.

Um, so I I I love I love going on a good vacation.

Here's another thing that makes me happy.

When the Philadelphia Eagles, God's team, the Lord's team, the Lord's anointed, I'm happy when they're doing well, and I was happy when they won the Super Bowl.

I was moved to tears.

I don't know if I even cried when my kids were born.

But but when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, I was moved to tears.

Now, my kids have since made me cry multiple times.

Like, Lord, why'd you do this to me?

But but but those things have absolutely made me happy.

And we all have those things that we think about when I get into the new home, that's what makes me happy.

I got the dream job, that's what makes me happy.

Looking at you, Mike.

It makes me happy.

I'm these things make me happy.

I get it.

For some of us, when I got married, that made me happy.

When I had my children, that made me happy.

But but what do you do when the when the newness wears off?

Oh, what do you do when you when you come back from vacation to be reintegrated into the environment that told you that you needed to take a vacation in the first place?

What what do you do when when the new vehicle, that new car payment shows up every single month and you gotta make some adjustments in your life?

What do you do?

Somebody's talking to me.

So what do you do when you when these things that make you happy they actually don't last forever?

It makes me wonder, is happiness has got to be more than just that.

I I was doing some basic research and I was staggered at what I saw.

Recent surveys have revealed that this is the most unhappy people in our country have been in 50 years.

In 50 years, we were why 50 years, that's 1971.

That's before I was born.

That's like coming fresh out of segregation.

That's that's coming out of a really tense time in our country, and we are just as unhappy now as they are then.

What has sparked such unhappiness?

Well, oddly enough, the same thing 50 years ago exists now, and that seems to be a source of it.

The job situation, the economy, politics, racial tension, dynamics with family.

These all seem to be things that contribute to our collective unhappiness at times.

And while I certainly do understand those challenges, while I certainly do understand the baggage and the pain that comes with this, I am also of the mindset that happiness has to be more than occasional moments when everything is good.

I have to believe that there is more to being happy than the releasing of endorphins in my brain that signals that everything is good.

Let's let's look a little bit further.

See, the the dictionary defines being happy as having a feeling or state of contentment.

A feeling or state of contentment.

I still don't feel like that adequately really defines what it means to really be happy.

This is a this is a subject that has been elusive since over 700 BC, before Christ, before the common era.

Like that's a long time ago, and since then, people have been wrestling with this idea of what does it mean to be happy?

One definition says that happy is the person who is healthy, has a strong body, good fortune, and a well-formed soul.

That sounds like a pretty decent, well-rounded description.

Happy is the person who is healthy, strong body, good fortune, and a well-formed soul.

But what happens if you're not healthy?

What happens if you do have some of these things that aren't lining up properly?

So to build on that definition, they continue to expand and they said, well, happiness is having a good soul.

And ultimately what that means is you have to do work.

That you're a virtuous person and you're putting in work, and those are the things that make you happy.

So now we begin to build on it that happiness is how I feel, how I look, what my what my bank account looks like, but then also what am I doing?

So happiness is connected to our actions somehow.

It's this evolution of what does it truly mean to be happy.

So then when the Greek influence began to die off, people stopped pursuing happiness altogether.

They stopped asking about it, they stopped thinking about it because they seen enough evidence of suffering and pain in the world that they stopped pursuing it altogether.

Even so much so that even the church stopped talking about this idea of happiness.

In fact, the church said, We are not meant to be here, we're just passing through, we'll achieve happiness when we get on the other side.

Imagine the people that God has called to be the examples on earth, and they're telling the people that are in their congregants, okay, don't even try to pursue happiness.

It's all carnal, it's all temporary, it's all meaningless, it doesn't matter, don't even bother trying to be happy.

No wonder there's there's so much confusion around this because even the church hasn't done a great job at explaining what it means to be happy.

If you were to take a survey now and just ask people randomly as they were walking through and ask them what was it that will make them happy, here's some of the things that you will find.

Having lots and lots of money in possession would make them happy.

I get it.

If I had a couple more zeros in my bank account right now, I'll probably be happy too.

Certainly.

I I understand that all I'll understand that too.

Another common one is if I can get more followers on social media, that that is when I've arrived.

That's when I will feel happy.

Others say, enjoying life's pleasures, just not having any worries or any concerns.

But here's the here's the thing that is of concern to me, and I want you to grab a hold of this.

A lot of times the accumulation of that abundance is actually compensation for something that's truly missing.

See, see what happens is we accumulate stuff to compensate for the real thing that we truly need to have, but we've been ignoring it the entire time.

Some of you are familiar with the story of Jacob, this man who stole his brother's birthright.

And from the very beginning, he wanted to be the first son.

From the very beginning, he wanted to be successful.

From the very beginning, he wanted to have a large family.

And you know, after he accomplished all those things outside of the will of God and the plan of God for his life, the Bible says that before he wrestled with God, that there was an emptiness on the inside of him.

Have you ever noticed that even after you've laid claim to all the things that you've wanted, all the things that you thought will make you happy, there still seems to be this emptiness that's on the inside of us.

Because maybe we're looking for the wrong thing.

Because here's what's inevitable the vacations will end, the new clothes will wear out, the car that you once used to keep clean will eventually get dirty and you're no longer interested.

These things will eventually happen.

So if those things are meant to be the source of my happiness, then it seems that my happiness has an expiration date attached to it.

But but let's get a biblical perspective on this.

What does the Bible say about happiness?

So so let me give me give me five minutes, church.

I want y'all to give me five minutes for me to kind of go into like this this like biblical nerd space.

I'll come back out, we'll laugh in a minute.

But but I want y'all, I want y'all to track with me for just for just a minute.

See, see, see the word for happy, that word is often connected to the word blessed.

So let me take you back to the original word in the Greek.

The original word is markerios.

I think I did that right.

Any any Greek-speaking people?

Markerios.

That's the word that we often see.

That's the language of the New Testament.

And where you see that word written in the original Greek, that word is then transliterated in English of saying the word blessed or happy or fortunate.

You track it with me?

So in the original language, when the original writers wrote it, they wrote the word markerios, but when we translate it into English and we read it in our Bible, it renders the word blessed, it remembers the word happy, it remembers it renders the word fortunate.

Okay, so so stick with me for a moment.

In the mind of the biblical writers, those things were all connected.

They weren't meant to be separate concepts, they weren't meant to be separate identities, they were all connected.

See what happens is we begin to separate those things and believe that they can't coexist together.

We believe that they're different things, but I I like to think of it this way.

I I've recently started to do some juicing, and I'm really experimenting with the juices right now.

Megan knows I'll randomly say, Hey, can you taste this?

And she'll look at it.

Like it's like a science experiment right now in our house.

But but here's the process.

I'll have a little bit of ginger, a little bit of turmeric, I'll have some oranges, some apples, I'll just take everything that I can find, I put it all in there, and then I begin to drink it.

And you know what?

What was once these individual things get blended all together, and now I'm able to benefit from all of it in one.

It's all together now.

And sometimes you can take a little, you can taste a little bit of the distinction in there, but more importantly, all the nutrients are all connected and I'm able to benefit from it.

The intentions of the biblical writers from the very beginning was for us to understand that that this word Marcadios was meant to say that because you're Marcadios, that means that you were blessed and you were happy and you were fortunate.

It's all connected.

But unfortunately, we began to think that I'm not blessed unless I'm prosperous, and if I'm not prosperous, then I can't be happy.

That's not the way that God had intended it.

God's vision for us was for us to understand that as long as we have God, we have everything that we need to be happy.

Let me show you what it says here in the Bible.

I want to share a couple of verses with you.

I want you to write these down.

I'm gonna shotgun them to you really quick, so get ready.

Psalm 1, 1 through 3.

It says, How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway of the sinners or sit in the company of mockers.

It's telling us that you're happy if you're in that place.

Let's look at what it says here in Proverbs 16, 20.

The one who understands a matter and finds success is the one who trusts in the Lord and will be happy.

Notice it has nothing to do with the one whose bank account is the fullest, the one who has the newest clothes, the one who has the best neighborhood, the one who goes on the best vacation.

It just simply says the one who understands success and finds himself trusting in the Lord, that person is indeed happy.

Psalm 32, verses 1 and 2.

Psalms 32:1

How joyful is the transgressions of the person who is forgiven and their sins are covered.

How joyful is the person whom the Lord does not charge iniquity and whose spirit there is no deceit.

You're seeing this idea that scripture is forming, that our happiness, that our joy, that our exception in God is a little bit different than the way that the world may define it.

Let's look at it what it says here in Psalm 33, 12.

Happy is the nation who is God is Lord, the people he has chosen to be his own possession.

Psalm 34.8.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

How happy is the person who takes refuge in him.

The picture that I'm trying to paint for us is that happiness isn't achieved in what we have, it's founded in who we have.

Let me let me say that again.

That our happiness isn't predicated on what we have, it is defined by who we have.

Many of us are of the mindset that if I can just get to this milestone, then I'll be happy.

If I can just get my kids through college, then I'll be happy.

We have a layaway type faith.

If I could just continue to make payments, and if I can keep doing this, then eventually I'll get to the place that I achieve happiness.

But when you understand that when I am blessed because I have the presence of God, it's connected to me being able to recognize that I'm fortunate, and because of all that, I can then say that I have everything that I need to be happy.

Let me show you what the Bible says about Abraham.

Because the Bible says that God chose him from obscurity, and he said that I'm going to use you to bless many nations.

You're going to actually produce a seed that the whole world is going to be blessed through.

Abraham was 75 years old when God confronted him.

It took 25 years for the promise to be fulfilled.

So the question is: when was Abraham blessed?

Was he blessed when his son was born?

Was he blessed when God selected him?

See, Abraham was on a heck of a journey for those 25 years, waiting for the promise of God to show up.

But I submit to you that he was blessed when God chose him.

He was blessed when God preserved him.

He was blessed when God was leading him to where he was going to.

See, what happens is we're waiting for us to have the child in order for us to recognize that we're blessed, but you're actually blessed when God said that I'm going to use you.

You don't have to wait until you get to the finish line.

I love the narrative of the children of Israel.

Because what the Bible says about them is that when Moses is inspired to go and bring them to a place of liberty, in front of them was this idea that I'm going to lead you to the land of milk and honey.

There's a destination, there's a place that I'm leading you to where you're going to be able to truly thrive the way that I intended you to thrive.

But they were in bondage.

So were they not blessed?

Until they got to the promised land, or were they blessed even when they were in Egypt?

I'm of the mindset to tell you that the adversary's plan for them was to eradicate them while they were in Egypt.

The adversary's plan for them was for them to be wiped out while they were in the wilderness.

But it was because they were blessed.

It was because the presence of God was with them that they were preserved even when they were in Egypt.

They were protected when they were in the wilderness and that he led them into the promised land.

I'm trying to talk to somebody right now.

You're waiting and thinking that when I get to the promised land, then I'm blessed.

No, you're blessed right now because the adversary was trying to destroy you back then.

The adversary was trying to tell you that do not make it to the place that I called you to be to.

But the God that we serve, he preserved you every step of the way.

You don't have to wait till you get to the finish line.

God is with you right now.

You are indeed blessed.

You're blessed.

You're blessed where you are.

See, Paul explains it this way.

I love what Paul says here in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

He says, I don't study this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I find myself.

I know how to have little, I know how to have a lot.

In all the circumstances, I've learned the secret of being content, whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.

And this is where we get into the famous scripture: I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.

That's the context of the passage.

It wasn't him saying that I can handle this tough job.

It was saying, no, I know how to have a lot, I know how to have a little.

I know how to suffer, I know how to thrive.

I know how to grind, I know how to relax.

What Paul was saying, I have the strength to do everything that God has called me to do because I am blessed where I am.

And if I'm in a tough environment, I'm blessed while I'm there.

If I'm in a peaceful environment, I'm blessed when I'm there.

If my kids are cooperating, I'm still blessed.

If my kids are arguing with me, I'm still blessed.

I understand that it's the blessing of God that preserves me and gives me the strength to endure no matter where I'm at.

Paul wrote these words while he was sitting in a prison cell, in bondage, not able to function fully in what he felt called to do, but yet he says, Man, but I'm good.

Because I have God and I have everything that I need.

Here's what I truly believe, church.

Our input determines our outlook.

My input determines my outlook.

If I am, if I am tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, if I am being nourished by the word of God, it's going to frame the way that I see the world and it's going to determine how I look at the things that I may be seeing.

But if I'm looking at the world, if I'm looking at social media, if I'm looking at what my neighbors have, and I allow that to be input, then I can look at where I'm at and I can begin to believe the lie of the enemy that I am not truly blessed.

What if this whole time we're so busy pursuing happiness that we've lost sight that happiness has been pursuing us?

What if when we look at this narrative in Luke chapter 15, you know the one about the lost sheep?

Luke 15 · chapter mention

What if, let's let's just let's just personify this for a moment.

What if that lost sheep, which I believe is a reflection of us, he left the flock because he thought he would find happiness somewhere else?

I'm not happy right here, so so let me go over here and and and try to find another way to be happy.

But the thing that I love is that even though he wandered off, that even though he got stuck, there was a shepherd that went after him to pursue him.

I believe that what the grace of God does is it allows the grace of God, the presence of God to come and retrieve us from where we are.

All this time we're running around trying to find happiness, and we haven't slowed down enough to recognize that happiness is trying to pursue us if we're willing to stand still long enough and recognize that God is truly with us.

This is what I believe David was saying in Psalm 23, 6 when he says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

I don't have to run around and try to pursue happiness because happiness is pursuing me.

And if God is ordering my steps, then I realize that no matter where I am, the blessing of God is with me.

No matter where I am, the grace of God is with me.

No matter where I am, the strength of God is with me.

No matter where I am, the peace of God is with me.

No matter where I am, the anointing of God is with me.

No matter where I am, the calling of God is with me.

I want you to grab a hold of this church that happiness is not this thing that is off in the distance.

Happiness is available because you're blessed right now.

See, see, this is why this Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 5 has such deep significance.

See, we have to understand that for the people of God in that time, they wrestled with a lot of the same things that we do right now.

They wanted peace, they wanted prosperity, they wanted the absence of confusion, and in their mindset, they were thinking that if we can just get the Romans out of Israel, if we can get up out of the oppression of the Roman rule, that we can then begin to experience happiness.

They were of the mindset that when the Messiah shows up, he will fix everything, and then, then and only then can we truly begin to experience happiness.

So when Jesus begins to teach this lesson to them and he takes them up on this mountain, he begins to help them to grab a better hold of what his interpretation of happiness is.

Because he realized that circumstances will come, circumstances will go.

That things will happen, things won't happen.

Sometimes you'll get your way, sometimes you won't get your way.

And he doesn't want us to have a roller coaster faith that on one moment when we have everything we want, we can walk in the fullness and the happiness of God, but when things don't work out, that we're in this place where we're down and desolate.

He says, Let me give you a different perspective.

What you're looking for, you're looking at.

What you're looking for, you're looking at.

You're looking for peace, I'm peace.

You're looking for strength, I'm your strength.

You're looking for deliverance, I'm your deliverer.

Strategically and powerfully unpacks this idea inside of the gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, and is showing them that everything that they're looking for, it is founded in me.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

And as long as you can keep your eyes on me, you can recognize that you have everything that you need to be happy.

This is why the writer in Hebrews uses this word in Hebrews 12, too.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

What you're looking for, you're looking at if we're willing to keep our eyes on Jesus.

The whole idea of us being happy is not this thing that we have to wait until we get on the other side of heaven to achieve, because the Bible I read in Matthew 6.10 says, on earth as it is in heaven.

That means that if happiness and joy and peace and healing and all those things are available in heaven, then my faith tells me that it's available to me while I'm here on earth.

I don't have to wait until I get on the other side to experience God's best for my life.

I can do it now if I'm willing to position myself and recognize who the source really is.

Happiness isn't found in what I have, it's found in who I have, but more importantly, it's in who has me.

So so when we when we look at Matthew 5 through the lens of understanding that that word blessed has this power patent nutrient of mean fortunate, happy, blessed, at peace.

Let's look at it through the lens of their verse number three says, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Or happy is the person who is poor in spirit because God is with me.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Or fortunate is the person who mourns because God is standing right there with them the entire time.

Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Fortunate, happy are the people who are humble because God is going to give you everything that you need.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Happy is the person who has a desire for the things of God because He's going to give you exactly what you need.

Jesus was trying to shift their paradigm and helping them to understand that just because I have suffering on the back end doesn't mean that I don't have God on the front end.

That you are blessed because of who you have, not because of what you have.

You are blessed.

You are fortunate.

You have to understand that I can be happy right now, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it's filled with challenges, even when I'm dealing with resistance, even when I'm dealing with moments where I don't know what my next step is, because as long as I can recognize that Jesus is the source of my happiness, I have exactly what I need where I am.

I'm gonna ask the worship team to come up and join me at this time as we prepare to close.

When I think over the entirety of my life, man, like I don't know.

Megan, we are the embodiment of started from the bottom, now we're here.

If it was a person, it would be us like this.

And and and and let me and let me tell you why.

Like, have you guys heard our story, having children so young, not having a clue of what we were doing.

But man, we were happy.

I I rem I remembered when I got into a car accident and I wasn't able to work for over a year, and we did not have a we had two jobs and we were broke, so we definitely didn't have the margin to only have one job and and only have one income.

We struggled, but man, we were so happy.

I mean, I you would you would never I I remember when when we were trying to to figure out our next steps and sacrificing to get into ministry and it required it cost a lot, but man, we sure were happy.

I think there's something to be said when you recognize that my happiness isn't predicated on external circumstances that I don't have control over.

We were we were so we were so, so happy.

I I remember we we were so broke that a deluxe meal for us was ramen noodles, and then we would go get frozen shrimp, Megan would add that into it, and that was our bonus meal for that weekend.

You gotta get creative with ramen noodles sometime.

I'm not, y'all probably got too much money.

Let me talk to the broke people on this side.

Like, y'all, y'all know what I'm talking about.

They all bougie over there, like, come on, man, stop that.

Imagine living like a college student and you're not in college.

That was life for me for like 10 years straight.

But here's the thing we were happy, we were good.

Because it was this revelation of maybe I may not have all that, but I got you and I got Jesus, and we're gonna be alright.

The lights may get cut off, but the Holy Spirit's with us.

Said he's a consuming fire.

Let's get this fire started somehow.

We we may not be able to go on the vacations that your friends are going on right now, but we good because we got God.

We we learned a valuable lesson that, quite honestly, we still have to fight to protect and to make sure that we are blessed where we are, that we are happy where we are, we are good where we are.

And I can firmly say this to you if God doesn't give me another thing, I'm good.

This is the lesson that Jesus was trying to instruct his followers to grab a hold of.

Is that your happiness isn't gonna be based off of external circumstances, many of which you have no control over.

But if you can just recognize that you are blessed, you are fortunate, so you can be happy exactly where you are.

The idea of being fortunate, it means that I'm gonna continue to move you forward.

And I believe what gave us peace in those difficult seasons was knowing it's uncomfortable now, God is with us and He's leading us to where He's calling us to go.

But let's celebrate the manna from heaven right now.

Let's celebrate the water from a rock right now, let's celebrate the miracles that are happening in the wilderness right now.

I suspect that there's some of us that we are in the wilderness, some of us are in Egypt, and we're thinking that I am not blessed until I get to the promised land.

The blessing isn't with the land, the blessing is with the people.

The land was simply the place that could sustain the blessing that's on their life.

So my prayer has always been, God, I don't want anything more or anything less than what you have for my family.

So wherever you're leading us to, let it be a place that can sustain what you've called us to do.

I don't want to step into a place that you have not called me to be in.

I recognize that I'm blessed right now.

I don't want to have goals and visions and dreams and aspirations to do things that you have not called me to do.

I recognize I'm good right now.

And I believe that what God is looking for and what Paul was encouraging us with, this idea of being content.

See, when you have the proper contents, then you know how to be content.

And what God wants us to do is if we can fix our eyes on Jesus and recognize that He is the source of our happiness, and we can root ourselves in that, that that will produce a consistent happiness that the world can then look to and see that we are walking with grace, with joy, with peace, no matter what the circumstances may be.

You know what breaks my heart more than anything now when I look at the condition of the Christian is how we allow external things to affect our joy.

It breaks my heart because we're supposed to be the ones who represent what happiness and joy consistently looks like.

I have seen people lose their minds over this election.

I have seen people lose their minds over the racial tension.

Yes, we should have conviction, yes, we should have passion, but it can't come at the expense of us losing our witness.

If my candidate didn't win, God is still good.

If my candidate did win, God is still good.

It's understanding that God transcends these things, and I'm happy.

I'm blessed, not because of what I have, who's in office, what works out, I'm happy because I have God, and more importantly, God has me.

Let me pray for you.

Heavenly Father, God, I thank you so much, Lord, that you have given us everything that we need as it relates to life and godliness.

That Lord, that we are able to fix our eyes on you and recognize that as long as we can embrace that we have you, we have everything that we need.

That our happiness isn't predicated on what we have, but it's predicated on who we have and who has us.

So, Lord, I pray.

I pray for every single one of us that are in this room, every one of us that are watching online, everyone that's in the family lounge, everyone that's listening to the podcast later, as we're wrestling through these moments of happiness, God, you don't want us to have a vacation mentality of happiness, that we have a sustained happiness because you are with us.

You're with us in Egypt, you're with us in the wilderness, and you're leading us to the promised land, and we can be happy because we are blessed, we are fortunate, we are prosperous.

I want to talk to uh a different group of people really quick.

Maybe you're in here right now and you're away from God.

Every week we pray for this moment where we recognize that there's some that are sitting in our seats, there are some that are watching online, there are some that are that are gonna stumble across this in one form or another, and you know that you're away from God.

I want to pray for you because maybe for you, you're not happy.

Maybe you're much like Jacob, where you maybe you've accumulated some things, but there's still some emptiness on the inside of you.

Wherever you may find yourself, what you do recognize is I'm away from God, and I know that God has more for me than this.

If that's you, I want to invite you to respond in this moment.

And the way that we typically do that here is signifying it by a simple raise of the hand.

We don't believe that the raising of the hand is the thing that brings you into salvation, but it isn't it is a demonstration, it's an action step that we're willing to take that comes into alignment and saying, Yes, count me in so we can include you in this prayer.

So if that's you, you want to commit or recommit your life to God, allowing him to fill you, allowing him to be the source of your happiness, your joy, your peace, and your strength.

On a count of three, I'm gonna ask for you to lift your hand so we can celebrate with you, but we can pray with you.

One, two, three.

Ready to make a shift?

Amen.

Amen.

God bless you, amen.

Amen.

Thank you for your boldness.

Kurt, can we celebrate with those who are saying yes to Jesus for the first time?

What I want to do is I want to lead us in a prayer.

Um, and then I'm gonna ask Pastor Nate to come up and give us some instructions.

But I would ask all of us to pray this prayer alongside those who are praying this prayer for the first time.

Can you repeat after me?

Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins.

I believe that you died on the cross and that you rose from the dead.

Just for me.

I am saved.

Fill me with your spirit and order my steps.

I am blessed, I am happy, I am prosperous in Jesus' name.

Come on, church, let's celebrate what God is doing in the world.

Thanks again for listening.

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