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LESSON NO. 3
THE WAY TO BE HAPPY AND PLEASE GOD
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7:28-29
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS:
The world always searching for happiness. They are looking for a thrill yet the only people who can be truly happy are Christians, and then, Christians can only be happy when they obey the Lord. There is a way for the saved person to be happy and please God.
SCRIPTURE USED:
The Scripture used from the Book of Matthew is recognized as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus took His disciples aside into the mountain and told them how to live as Christians and how to be happy. When He finished, they were astonished and admitted that He spoke with authority.
WHAT JESUS TAUGHT:
If Jesus felt the need to teach His followers these truths, then we need to sit at His feet and learn the same.
HE TAUGHT THEM THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS: Matthew 5:2-11
And he opened his mouth, and taught them saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men 8hall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Jesus taught the followers that true happiness did not consist of the material possessions in this life, but rather in our threefold attitude; our attitude toward God, our attitude toward our fellowman and our attitude toward our self
The person that doesn't have a penny in the world can be the happiest person by possession of the characteristics Jesus declares.
HE TAUGHT THEM THE POWER OF INFLUENCE: Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Jesus taught His followers that they were to be the light to those who believed not, and that by their behavior, the world would judge the worth of following Christ.
The only thing the world knows about Christianity, the Bible or the Church, is in the lives of those who profess to be saved. Our lives are living Epistles to this world, and what we do, say or where we go influences the unbeliever one way or the other. We should let the beauty of Jesus be seen in us at
all times.
HE TAUGHT THEM THE DIRECTIONS FOR PRAYER: Matthew 6:6
But thou, when prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
These followers who had seen the Pharisees pray on the street corner, making long prayers to be seen of men, learned that such was not the way to reach the throne of Grace, but to close out the world and pray to the Father.
The secret of prayer is not how loud or how long we can pray, but with a sincere heart talk to God as if we were talking to our earthly father.
HE TAUGHT THEM THE MOST PROFITABLE INVESTMENT:
Matthew 6~20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
The disciples had left all to follow Jesus, but he taught them that the things of this life will decay and fade away, but the treasure we lay up in heaven will be for eternity.
The only thing that will ever count when this life is over will be what we have done for God.
The story is told of the old lady who wanted to go on, because all she had was in Heaven. She said the Lord took her preacher husband some years ago. During the thirty years she and her .husband served on the mission field, they did all their banking in Heaven. They invested all their money in the Lord's
work. All the folks she grew up with had gone on to be with the Lord. She said All I have is on the other side and I want to go on.
HE TAUGHT THEM THE FATHER'S CARE FOR HIS OWN: Matthew 6:26
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
These followers probably wondered of times where the next meal was corning from, or where their clothes would come from, but Jesus told them that the Father would take care of his own.
Instead of worrying our self to death about how we are going to make it, we need to learn how God cares for his own.
Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
Said the Robin to the Sparrows,
I would really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and hurry so.
Said the Sparrow to the Robin,
Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.
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