Heartland Events
October 4, 2020
8:30 am – 9:35 am Worship Service
10:00 am – 11:05 am Sunday School
10:00 am – 11:05 am Worship Service
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Discovery Class
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Biblical Studies
October 5, 2020
9:00 am – 10:00 am Grandmas in Prayer
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Men’s Bible Study
October 6, 2020
9:30 am – 11:00 am Women’s Study
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Celebrate Recovery
October 7, 2020
6:15 pm – 8:00 pm AWANA
6:15 pm – 8:00 pm Men’s Study
6:15 pm – 8:00 pm Student Ministries
6:15 pm – 8:00 pm Women’s Study
October 8, 2020
9:30 am – 11:00 am Women’s Study
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Bible Quizzing
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Prayer Group
October 10, 2020
7:00 am – 9:00 am Biblical Studies
7:30 am – 9:00 am Men’s Breakfast
October 11, 2020
8:30 am – 9:35 am Worship Service
10:00 am – 11:05 am Sunday School
10:00 am – 11:05 am Worship Service
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm Discovery Class
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Biblical Studies
Want to print the sermon notes? Here is the PDF printable version:
https://storage.snappages.site/P7SC73/assets/files/20-10-4-Happiness-in-the-Kingdom-outline-82.pdf
Happiness in the Kingdom
Are you happy? Ernest Hemingway sought for happiness his entire life, but even winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 didn’t satisfy his longing for something more. In 1961, he committed suicide after a season of heavy drinking. The movie The Words echoes the life of Hemingway as a young aspiring author gains the acclaim he covets by publishing a long-lost manuscript as his own. His happiness is short-lived when he is exposed as a fraud.
True Happiness Is Found in Three Pursuits:
“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” —Matthew 5:1-2
Jesus is presented as saying little until Matthew 5. Here we have the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest man who ever lived!
The Old Testament has been called the book Adam, who is given dominion over the earth like a king (Genesis 1:28). But he falls into sin and brings a curse upon creation. The New Testament presents a new King who will not fall and brings blessings rather than curses. The Old Testament presents man’s need for a Savior. The New Testament reveals that Savior as Jesus, the king of kings!
Although it was widely expected that the Messiah would be a great military and political leader, Jesus didn’t come to fill our lives with stuff, but with Himself (Matthew 11:28). In the next life will be riches unequaled anywhere (I Corinthians 2:9).
You cannot enjoy the gifts without first enjoying the Giver (James 1:17-18). Come to him today by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth…” —Matthew 5:3-5
Your hope-filled attitude will lead to godly actions. “Hope” is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of a positive outcome. Jesus promises “blessing” or “happiness” from embracing a hope-filled attitude.
The Old Testament presents the law at Mt. Sinai, which is summarized by the Ten Commandments, a series of “thou shalt nots”. Disobeying the law brings judgment. The New Testament offers grace at Mt. Calvary where the price for your sin was fully paid. Living in grace will bring you blessing or happiness.
Four Jewish groups vied for power in first century Israel. They all misunderstood Jesus. The Pharisees were traditionalists and legalists who saw keeping the law as a scorecard. The Sadducees were modernists and liberals who twisted the law to make it say whatever they wanted. The Essenes were separatists who holed up by the Dead Sea. The Zealots were revolutionaries focused on political change.
Jesus called all Jews to change their attitudes by focusing on what is inside a person, not what’s outside (Luke 11:39-41).
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” —Matthew 5:11-12
The world says, “Happy are the rich and successful and macho and glamorous and popular and beautiful and powerful and famous.” Jesus says, “Happy are the humble and sad and gentle and hungry and compassionate and godly and peaceful and hated.”
The world focuses on self-fulfillment by enjoying people, thinking positively, and striving to find a sense of purpose. Jesus calls us to a life of self-denial by saying,
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” —Matthew 10:39
William Mompesson was an Anglican pastor in a small English village named Eyam. When the bubonic plague began to wreak havoc on his village, William joined with another pastor in challenging their entire town to quarantine.
Although 260 died, including William’s wife Catherine, nearby cities and towns were spared. By God’s grace, William was given another 43 years to preach the Gospel and to this day, this act of Christ-like sacrificial love is celebrated annually in the village of Eyam! Like Jesus, will you “find your life” by pouring it out for others?