Happiness: Where to Find It | Renewing Our Minds

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Sign up at harvest.org. The secret of Christian happiness is found in the way a believer thinks. The Bible says Christians are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out we need to let God's thoughts be our thoughts. You fill your mind with the truth of God. It changes your outlook. I'm not talking about, you know, positive thinking or possibility thinking. I'm talking about having the mind of Christ. One of the classic kids books is called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. How's that for a title? Does the Lord ever have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?

I wouldn't think so. Can we say the same thing? How can we begin to let God's thoughts permeate ours? Well, that's one of the things we'll discuss today here on A New Beginning, as Pastor Greg presents the first message in a new series called Happiness, based on Paul's words in Philippians. The title of my message is Happiness, Where to Find It, Philippians chapter one. The only place to find real, lasting happiness is in a relationship with God. The people that know God are the happiest people.

And why is that? Well, when you have faith, you have hope. Because you know life is not just a span on this earth. You know there's an afterlife. And if you put your faith in Christ, you have the hope of heaven. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you will by nature be a forgiving person.

You see? It's been said, the first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest, end quote.

And that's true. When you forgive and you forget, that will bring you happiness. So because we have hope, because we forgive, because we have faith, it gives us a happier state.

And here's something that might surprise you. God wants you to be happy. Remember when the angels announced the birth of Jesus, they said we bring you news of great joy. But it can be translated, good news of great happiness.

And also we read in Luke 10 20, Jesus said, be happy that your names are written in heaven. So he's telling us to be a happy person. Now that doesn't mean if you're a Christian you won't have sadness. And sadness is not always a bad thing. You know sadness has its place, especially when you're mourning someone you love that maybe is gone or something else.

It's okay. It's a process that we have where we cry out to God and deal with these things. But even in the midst of sorrow, even in the midst of mourning, you can still have this deep-seated happiness. It doesn't come from what you have or don't have.

It comes from who you know. And that is one of the main themes running through the book of Philippians. Yet the fact of the matter is that circumstantially the apostle Paul, the author of this book, had nothing to be happy about. He had nothing outwardly to rejoice about. He didn't write this from some ivory tower. He was writing this from a prison cell in Rome.

And yet he's brimming with joy and he's talking about happiness. He's chained to a Roman guard day and night. His case was coming up shortly but Paul didn't know how it would turn out. He might be acquitted.

He might be beheaded. He originally wanted to preach in Rome and he ends up here as a prisoner. And if this isn't bad enough, many of the believers were against him.

They were spreading lies about the great apostle. So he was under the most miserable circumstances, imaginable. And yet here he is rejoicing. But he was immobilized.

You know Paul was a kind of get the job done sort of guy. And for him to be chained up and not able to get out and move about was very hard for him. Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation. You're immobilized. Maybe you're unable to move physically.

Or perhaps in some other way. You're in a marriage that's tough sledding at the moment. A job you would love to get out of. A school you would like to transfer from.

A neighborhood you would like to move from. Or a sermon you don't want to hear anymore. That's not, throw that in. Here's what Paul is saying. Despite your circumstances, even if you're immobilized, you can have great happiness.

And that's what he says over and over again. In fact of all the things that Paul wrote, this is probably the most buoyant, happy, joyful book of all. And let's try to figure out why he was so happy in this epistle. At least 19 times in these four chapters Paul mentions joy, rejoicing, or gladness.

You might write these notations down. When he first thought of the Philippian believers, it brought a smile to his face. And in Philippians one, three to four, he says, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in prayer, making requests for you all with joy.

So Paul was southern. Make requests for y'all with joy. So when he would think about the believers there, it would bring a smile to his face. When he encouraged them to work together as Christians, he got joyful thinking about it. In Philippians two, he says, if there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit or affection and mercy, fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. So Paul said, man, that makes me happy. When we can work together, that brings me joy. I'm thrilled at a crusade when I see people come forward, but I'm equally as thrilled when I see all y'all out there helping to get the job done. And I look down, and I recognize this usher, and I know this counselor, and this person working in security, and this other person helping tear down equipment or build the stage. And I look at all these folks, and I think, they're all here serving the Lord and serving the Lord together. And that is a wonderful thing.

Listen to this. Even when he thought of his potential death, there was still this happiness and joy. Because Paul writes in Philippians 1 21, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I live in the flesh, this will mean more fruit for my labor.

And what I'll choose, I can't tell, but I'm hard-pressed between the two. Having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is needful for you. And being confident of this, I'll remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith. But here's the bottom line of Paul's happiness. It's found in Philippians 4 when he says, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice.

That's the key. It's rejoicing in the Lord. It's not rejoicing in your condition or rejoicing in your circumstances or rejoicing in your current emotional state or rejoicing in something else.

It's rejoice in the Lord. Now, having established this, a couple of questions come to mind. Number one, how could Paul be so positive, so happy, so jubilant in such adverse circumstances? And number two, is this something I can experience today? And if so, how?

Let me answer the second question first. Yes, you can experience this joy, but you must meet the criteria that is laid out in this book. And the secret to happiness is found in another word that is often repeated in the book of Philippians, and it is the word mind. M-I-N-D, mind. Paul uses the word mind 10 times. He uses the word think five times.

At the times, he uses the word remember, and that's 16 references to the mind. In other words, the secret of Christian happiness is found in the way a believer thinks. Notice I did not say the secret of Christian happiness is found in the way a believer feels. No, the way you think. You learn to think, right? You learn to think biblically. You fill your mind with the truth of God.

It changes your outlook. Now, I'm not talking about, you know, positive thinking or possibility thinking. I'm talking about having a mind that is filled with God's truth. I'm talking about having the mind of Christ. And Paul writes, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So it comes down to the way that you think.

And Paul filled his mind with God's truth, and he shows us how to live happily and in harmony with other people. And you know, we're a very divided people in America right now. You've probably noticed that. I don't know that we've ever been more divided, or if we have been, I don't know that it was much worse than it is today.

This is just incredible how many divisions there are. And Paul's telling us how to come together. Those barriers can be overcome in Jesus Christ as we love and pray and serve the Lord together. And the book of Philippians shows us how.

But first, we must learn how to think biblically. Because listen, you're always going to find someone or something to blame for your sour and bitter outlook on life. Well, the reason I'm the way that I am is because this person did this to me. That person did that. This boss did that.

That pastor did that. This other person said this. You know, there has to come a point where you realize you just have to stop blaming people. It comes down to this. The troubles between man and man, or man and woman, is really the trouble within man himself.

The person who is in conflict with himself generally is in conflict with everyone else. So I just need to get right with God. I need to forgive those that have wronged me. And I need to start thinking biblically.

And then I will discover true and lasting happiness. So it starts with getting right with the Lord. Pastor Greg has some good encouragement for all of us who believe in the Lord but are what you might call believers under construction.

That's coming up in a moment. We really enjoy hearing when Pastor Greg's teaching and preaching touches lives. Pastor Greg, I came across your YouTube channel this past Friday. I spent most of the weekend listening to your messages. I'm now listening to your podcast, and I can't tell you how great it is to have found you. I love your messages, and they are helping me daily with my understanding of Christ and the Bible. I would say I've been a Christian for most of my life, but I've found it hard to let go of the world and my selfish desires. At 51 years of age, I'm finally understanding what it means to have a relationship with Christ.

I'm married, I have two children who just graduated from high school, and I also desire for my wife and kids to dial into your messages because they need it too. Thank you so much for all you're doing. Well, today Pastor Greg is presenting a message called Happiness, Where to Find It, based on Paul's words in the New Testament book of Philippians.

Let's continue. Grab your Bible or your phone or your tablet device, or if the person sitting in front of you has Philippians 1 tattooed on their head, you can read that. Philippians 1, we're going to read verses one to six. Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, making requests for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it under the day of Jesus Christ.

We'll stop there. Let's start with verse one. To the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi.

You know it's very easy when we read epistles to sort of skip over the opening statements as though they have no relevance to us. But we don't want to do that because really Paul gives us the door to the life of happiness. You must be one of the saints. So if you want to be happy, be a saint.

Oh well that leaves me out. I'm not Mother Teresa you know. I'm a sinner.

Yeah I know that. We're all sinners. But you have to understand what the word saint means.

It's an interchangeable word with the word believer. How many of you are believers in Jesus Christ? Raise your hand up. I herefor saint all of you.

See but I didn't even need to do that. You're already saints. If you're a believer, you're a saint. If you're a saint, you're a believer. In fact we read when the Lord told Ananias to go pray for the newly converted Saul of Tarsus later to become the apostle Paul, Ananias responded, Lord I've heard how much harm this man did to your saints in Jerusalem. Remember Paul would chase down Christians and arrest them and sometimes even murder them.

He presided over the death of the first martyr of the church, Stephen. But the reference is to the saints. So if you're in Christ Jesus, you are a saint. But notice it's a saint in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus. Believers are not saints because they're perfect. Believers are saints because they're in Christ.

And Jesus imputes his righteousness to them as a result. Listen to me. I am a righteous man.

Well I don't know Greg. I've seen you drive. Listen. I'm not righteous because of what I do. I'm righteous because of what he has done for me and he's put his righteousness into my spiritual bank account so to speak. That's called being justified. I'm positionally righteous.

Now living it out, that's another story. That's where the word sanctification comes in. You ever heard that word? Sanctification is living out justification.

And those are sort of words that we may not understand. But justified is being made right with God. I'm in a right standing with God.

But sanctification is living that out day to day in a practical way. But I am righteous and I am a saint. Now you don't have to call me Saint Gregory if you don't want to. But I might call you Saint something.

And why am I a saint? Because I'm in Christ. A Buddhist does not speak of himself as being in Buddha. Nor does a Muslim speak of himself as being in Mohammed. Nor does a Mormon speak of himself as being in Joseph Smith. They may try to follow the teachings of these people but they are not in them. But a Christian is a saint because he's in Christ. In Christ.

The Bible says if any man be in Christ he is an altogether different kind of person. Old things have passed away. Everything becomes fresh and new. So I bring this up for this reason. The book of Philippians to the point the rest of the New Testament has nothing to say to the world that does not believe in Jesus Christ. Here's what God says to the world. Repent and believe in Jesus. That's our message to the world. Come to Jesus. And so when people say oh I found the Bible is just the greatest self-help book ever written and it tells you how to have a better marriage and how to have a happier life.

No that's actually not accurate. Because the Bible is not given to non-believers to take the principles and try to live by them. No the Bible is given to God's people. It's come to show us we need God. The point of entry is your admission of your sin and your need for God. And then it results in you putting your faith in Christ. And 2 Timothy 3 16 tells us what the Bible is for. It's here to teach us what is true. To make us realize what's wrong in our lives.

It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. So this is who it is written to. To saints. So you must be a saint or another way to put it you must be a believer. So who in particular is Paul offering these principles of happiness to? He's offering to those who have believed in Jesus. Now I want you to notice a wonderful promise that is given to the saint.

Verse 6. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it under the day of Jesus Christ. God always finishes what he begins. Greg does not always finish what he begins. Greg starts projects and doesn't always finish projects. Maybe you're the same way but God always completes what he has started. With man you have unfinished books. Unfinished songs. Unfinished buildings.

And why? Well maybe it's a lack of resources or power. But more often than not it's just a lack of desire. You lose interest in it. You lose interest in it. You have marriages falling apart. Well I just lost interest in it. You have something else falling apart.

Well I just didn't care anymore. God always finishes what he starts. Because God has unlimited resources. He has unlimited power.

And listen to this. He has unlimited interest in you. See he loves you. And he sees the the finished work. He sees the finished painting. He sees the finished sculpture. He sees the finished you.

He sees the ultimate you. Who you will become one day you just see the flaws. You just see the shortcomings. You ever look in one of those magnify mirrors? Oh I hate those.

They're just horrible. Because they expose your flaws and they magnify your flaws right. But God sees your flaws. He knows everything about you. He knows your flaws better than you know your flaws.

Trust me. But he also sees your potential. And he sees his plan. And he sees the end game that he has for each of you. He's going to bring what he started in your life to completion.

Hebrews 12 says we are to look to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith. So I have good news. You're going to make it.

You're going to make it to the end. Isn't that good news? No. Because maybe you say oh this world's such a horrible place and the devil's so powerful I might just fall away. Well really? Do you want to fall away? Well no. Do you want to continue on as a follower of Jesus? Well yes.

Well then you will. Because as we read it is God that works in us both to will and do of his good pleasure. God wants to do it.

If you want to do it friend we have a game plan. Now if you're sabotaging what God is doing. If you're resisting what God is doing. If you're fighting with God even then he won't give up on you. Even then he will patiently bring you along. But if you determine to rebel against his plan well yeah you can end it. But that's not God's fault.

That's your fault. But listen the bottom line is you're going to make it if you want to make it. If you're willing and desiring to go forward as a Christian then you will. It is God that works in you. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie pointing out how God will continue his work in us until it's completed.

And there's even more good news coming as Pastor Greg continues his series from Philippians called simply Happiness. Well Pastor Greg let me ask you what do we do in those times when the bottom just absolutely falls out of our lives? And we wonder if maybe God wasn't paying attention. If he was paying attention how would he let that happen? Help us think through those moments of crisis.

Right well let's pull the camera back and get the big picture. Our life has a beginning a middle and an end. God created us to walk with him and to know him. And God is also preparing us for heaven because heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.

Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you. So God's end game if you will is to make you more like Jesus. You know we often quote Romans 8 28 in times of crisis but we forget there's a verse that follows. So Romans 8 28 says for we know that all things work together for good that those that love God and other called according to his purpose. But then verse 29 says for whom he called he also did for know to be conformed into the image of his own dear son. So sometimes when we isolate Romans 8 28 we come to the conclusion of oh well this is a bad thing God will make it into a good thing.

That's not what the promise says. It says he'll cause all things to work together for good. But what is the ultimate good? The removal of our problem?

No the ultimate good is to be more like Jesus. So God has either done what is happening in your life or he has allowed it for his purposes. So that is the moment we must learn to trust him. And speaking of trusting him here's a family who has trusted God through great difficulty not only losing many family members in a short period of time but losing the real matriarch of their family, their mother, and the wife of Tony Evans. I'm talking about Lois Evans and I'm talking about the Evans family. Tony is the dad and we have Crystal, Priscilla, Anthony, and Jonathan.

All of them walking with the Lord. That's a real tribute to not only Tony but especially to Lois. And the title of this book is Divine Disruption. What's really unique about this book Dave is the whole family chimed in and participated and contributed to it. And this is a book that brings hope and encouragement. It's subtitled Holding on to Faith When Life Breaks Your Heart. Maybe I'm talking to somebody right now who has a broken heart. It makes no sense what has happened to you and you're wondering as Dave mentioned earlier is God paying attention?

The answer is yes he is. Because as I've often said the word oops is not in God's vocabulary. God's at work in your life. But let me share this book with you which will offer you a biblical perspective and honest words of encouragement. I say honest because the Evans family is candid as they discuss what it's like to lose someone as important as their mother and Tony speaking of losing his wife.

But really do we really lose someone when we know where they are? They all know that she's in heaven they know they'll see her again and that is the hope of the Christian. Let me send you this book Divine Disruption for your gift of any size and whatever you send will be used to help us continue to bring the gospel to people that need to hear it and to bring words of hope to those who are feeling hopeless. Yeah that's right it's such an important resource for those who are facing these kinds of emotional challenges right now. Get this book for yourself or give it to someone you know who could use this biblical encouragement. Again it's called Divine Disruption and we'll send a copy your way to say thank you for your donation to help us continue these daily studies here on A New Beginning. We're completely listener supported and we so much appreciate those who partner with us and we hope you'll contact us soon we'll only be able to mention this a short time longer.

You can call us at 1-800-821-3300 that's a 24-7 phone number 1-800-821-3300 or write A New Beginning Box 4000 Riverside California 92514 or go online to harvest.org. Well next time Pastor Greg has more insights for us on where we can find real lasting happiness. The kind of happiness only the Lord can provide. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. you