Sat in on a church service on Sunday where the preacher preached how we’ve got it all wrong.
Life has become all about pursuing happiness. He stuck up definitions of the words ‘hedonism’ and ‘narcissm’ on the screen so we could see just how bad it was.
I’m with you so far.
And then he dropped the M.Night.Shyamalan twist. ‘The way of the Christ follower is that we must pursue God. And happiness will follow.’
Ouch. Instantly i realised this was not of the ‘The Sixth Sense’ Shyamalan twist variety… this was the more recent Shyamalan twist where the twist was ‘This movie is crap!’ [Although let’s be honest, it’s stopped being a twist by now, we should have taken not of the signs]
The rest of his message was ‘convincing’ us that God is a happy God and therefore us pursuing God is us finding happiness.
And i agreed with him to the extent that it sounds nice but is completely not true. At all.
Was the apostle Peter happy do you think when they crucified him upside down? [he allegedly refused to be crucified right way up because he didn’t feel worthy to die the same way Jesus did]
Was James happy when they sawed him in half?
Do you think Paul was happy when he was flogged and beaten and stoned and shipwrecked and eventually lost his head?
Were the early christians happy to be covered in tar and set on fire to be used as human torches for Nero’s birthday celebrations?
No, i don’t believe they were happy.
I DO believe they were very likely filled with joy though.
Because Paul would write things like this:
‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.’ [Philippians 1.21]
Which followed on from statements like this:
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. [Philippians 1.18-20]
The difference really seems to come down to the distinction between ‘Happiness’ and ‘Joy’ and it might be that the preacher just mixed the two up and that he meant everything i am saying here. But if so, I didn’t hear that. He told us that if we pursued God we would be happy. And i think most people have the same kind of idea when they hear the consequence of their actions will be happiness – no problems, no pain, everything will go smoothly, certainly no suffering or death.
But then a family member gets cancer. Or someone they know is killed in a car accident. And suddenly the ‘promise’ they were given from the front of the church doesn’t seem so true any more because they certainly aren’t happy. And so because it isn’t true then God is made out to be a liar. [in cases where it really IS the messenger we should be holding accountable for broken-telephoning it]
This is how i see the difference:
# HAPPINESS is circumstance dependent – you give me a present, i become happy. i win a prize, i am happy. she says “Yes!” i am happy. but if you scratch my new car or a friend dies or it rains when i’m wanting to go out then i might be unhappy. happiness is more an emotion – something you feel.
# JOY, however, is a deeper experience that often encompasses happiness but can also be present even when circumstances don’t naturally lead you to feel happy. a deeper knowledge of and trust in God is often what leads people, like Paul, to be able to rejoice [celebrate joyfully] even in adverse conditions or circumstances. joy is more a state of being that may or may not involve the emotion of happiness.
So even if you are being persecuted or having a bad day or even if circumstances are looking bleak, there is that deeper something [which i believe only a deep faith in Jesus can truly bring about, so some of you may not understand what i am talking about if you don’t have that – joy after all is a fruit of the Spirit] which still brings you hope and encourages you to keep going and even allows you the chance to celebrate in the face of adversity or challenge.
And i will agree with the preachery guy in terms of his focus of things. That as we seek God and to be in good relationship with Him, so joy will follow.
But following God and receiving happiness? There are hundreds and thousands of christians through the ages who have gone through real and actual persecution, who have lost loved ones and limbs, who have lived in adverse circumstances and who have been beaten, imprisoned or killed because of what they believed, who might take issue on that statement. But joy? I bet you they would talk you ear off for hours, maybe days, about that one.
Can please get the scripture that talks about Paul being decapitated?
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom – let your email find you!
i’m not sure there is a verse in the bible that talk about it but more that it is historical knowledge – if you ask uncle google i’m sure he will lead you to the answer…
I’ve been learning a similar lesson over the past few years about peace – that when I try to build my own life up to be secure and stable it actually fuels anxiety, but when I pursue God and obey him, he (often) allows me to experience peace beyond what the circumstances should bring.
Also, this post reminds me of a post I wrote about joy back in December, and that verse, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I would mucho rather have joy than happiness (although both is nice!)
http://www.movingwithgod.com/a-cliche-come-true/
Preach on Brother Brett !
What scripture was the sermon based on?
Christian persecution is active today as it was then in the day. http://global.christianpost.com/news/egypts-christians-are-facing-jihad-102631/ for a report on Egypt.
scripture? hm, i can’t remember a specific one, felt a bit more like a bouncy preach but probably the back of a Joyce Meyers/T.D.Jakes book cover?
“…back of a Joyce Meyers/T.D.Jakes book cover.” bwa ha ha.
Rarely have i experienced this type of joy, Brett. My walk with God seems to be overshadowed by a feeling of failing God. Here is why:
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” Hebrews 10:26
Everyone who sins, sins willfully. Everyone sins. I definitely sin. I wouldn’t sin if I didn’t want to, therefore I must want to. I want to want to not sin, but I still do.
Does grace cover me?
(sorry for side-tracking the topic) 🙂
hey Garth
thankx for the comment and sorry you have not experienced that kind of joy in your life – i cannot imagine living without it. it truly is a fruit of the Spirit and if you are not experiencing it then i would encourage you to make more moments to just invite the Holy Spirit into your life and to receive Him and let Him take control… it comes with a sense of commitment and obedience but it is the best and only way to live well ala luke 9.23…
does grace cover you? absolutely. but firstly i would need to check what you mean when you say ‘grace’ as different people have different understandings or definitions of it and some are way off – grace doesn’t mean follow Jesus and do what you want [although if you were truly following Jesus then it kinda does because ‘what you want’ would be more directed by Him and what He wants – luke 9.23 again]
i see grace as something undeserved [like the forgiveness of sin] so it is not earned [Ephesians 2.8] and means you don’t have to live in condemnation [Romans 8.1] but freedom [but don’t use that freedom to sin] – yes you will still mess up as we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ but aren’t there yet, BUT we will not accept that state or choose to remain there and so when we mess up and are convicted of our sin by the Spirit we will return to God and confess and make right.
Yo!
If I can attempt to affirm what Brett already eloquently said.
What has helped me in the past getting past the recursive mind explosion Garth describes:
That before we were saved we were slaves to sin. Sin was our master and we danced to its tune.
BUT
Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross frees us from that and when we believe in Him and the saving grace of the Gospel we no longer are slaves to sin. We are still sinners but sin does not rule our thinking and doing. We are now slaves (Greek word Doulos in the NT) of the sovereign Lord Jesus. We are to be transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit in our thinking and doing.
Do we still sin? Yes ! Do we repent and confess our sin ? Yes ! Do we intentionally sin ? You must not (He who knows what is wrong and still does it is sinning -> James 4:17).
I heard an awesome quote from this one sermon I was listening to: “The redeemed does not seek happy. They seek Holy.”
Hope this will bless you.
Love in Christ
kF
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