The Blessed And Happy Life (9)
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Today we continue in our series about the Blessed and Happy life.The place where we started this series of course was Psalm 1 where it showed the blessed person is the person that has God in their life.We learned from David that there are only two types of people, those with God in their life and those that don’t have God part of their life.God is what makes the difference.That is where our focus will be today.Looking at God making the difference.We will be back in the same Beatitude that we looked at last week about the pure in heart seeing God.For me that is a very exciting truth. We can see God.We learned that isn’t that God will come and appear to us but that we would start to see and recognize Him being with us.Tying in Psalm 1 that what makes us a blessed person is God being with usThen to me this becomes one of the greatest thoughts we can possibly have: God is with us.Let me tell you what’s on my heart for today.We need to look deeper into this because I believe some of us will have some tension when we think about this.When I say tension what I mean is that you recognize the Bible teaches this, you desire it in your life but for some reason the day to day experience of this doesn’t seam real.It isn’t even because you feel God should make your life easier or anything like that but it’s just you don’t quite feel the reality of God.My guess is the place you feel it the most is in your prayer life.Many Christians battle here.We all read the great promises in the Bible about prayer like ask whatever you want and you ask for a lot and yet feel you don’t experience them.Then think well I’m not seeing God? What’s wrong?I pray for strength, I pray for provisions and don’t see them.So I feel I’m not seeing God.What’s wrong?That is also part of what Jesus teaches us in the Beatitude we will look at today.Our take home is very simple.We need to check our motive in asking and wanting to see God.We must have pure motives.We will learn what this means with the hope that you can learn what seeing God and having God with you is all about.Because just maybe you only see part of the picture.Let’s read
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Even though we looked at this verse last week we need to look at it one more week so that we fully understand it.We are told here the Blessed and Happy person is the person that sees God and the pathway to see God is by having a pure heart.Last week we learned a very simple truth.We must deal with the root and not the fruit, meaning that our real problems are not our behavior but the heart that motivates the behavior.Everything starts in here and works it’s way to the outside.The same is true when it comes to wanting to see God.It is possible that you can have impure motives for wanting to see God.You can have impure motives for what you pray.You can have impure motives for why you pray.Until that part is right we will not experience this blessing that Jesus tells us about, WE WILL SEE GOD.What is the root impurity here.It is very a very simple shift in our motives.It is the basics of Christian life.All must be about the glory of God not our glory or satisfaction.That is the root problem that probably gets in the way more than any other when it comes to prayer and experiencing God the way we desire.See the bottom here is that for many they really don’t want to see God or have God but just want God to help.Let me give you some examples.I can start with my own that happened when I was 12 years old.I think I may have told this story one time before here.It’s one of the times I thought I was going to die.What happened is I grew up in the mountains where it could be nice and sunny but within 20-30 minutes the clouds would roll in and you could not see anything.So because of that my parents didn’t allow us to take out our little inflatable row boat during the winter.Well one day my friend and I thought we need to go row across the lake and about half away across the fog came in and we couldn’t see a thing. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE OUR BOAT STARTED LEAK.We were sinking.This water was so cold you could never swim across plus with the fog if you got it wrong rather than a 2 km swim it would be 10 and you would die.Needless to say we panicked.Now neither of us were Christians but boy did we pray.God help us. If you do we promise we will always obey you, we will never do anything wrong ever again. You all know the prayer.Amazing how when faced with death even as a child we know to turn to God right?Well we prayed and prayed and finally the boat filled with water and we knew we had to jump out because our little boat was finished.When we did guess what, we were in knee deep water.Do you think our lives were changed or that we thanked God?Do you think we ever gave God a moment of thought after that?We didn’t. We only wanted Him to help and I’m not sure that He did but all I know is by the next day we were back in trouble again.We only wanted help but we didn’t want God. Mixed motive.If that is your motive for prayer it’s a wrong motive.People pray those type of prayers all the time when they get into trouble and are never changed.The reason why is because the motive is wrong.That is what we need to learn here if we really want to see God.Our motive needs to be pure.The motive we will see - it must be to bring glory to God in all we do.Let me tell you this is taught all through the Bible. It isn’t hidden at all. Once I show this to you when you read you will notice this truth all over the place.I want to read some Scriptures that will surprise you but deal with motives and you may have never noticed these before.But from now on you will start to see it all through the Bible.Let me start with the great big one when it comes to pray:How often do you hear pray whatever you want in Jesus’ Name and it will be done.Let me read the whole verse:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
In this great promise, why is it we are to ask? What is the motive?Is it so that our life is easier and we happy and blessed by our definition of being happy and blessed?No, it’s so that God is glorified. When that is our motive God loves to do big things.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Here again we are encouraged to pray big things.What is the motive? That the Father is glorified.Let me give you one for praying for help.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!
I’m sure many of you have been praying God help us or I may not survive. But look why the Psalmist prayed for help and deliverance.It was so that God’s Name would be glorified and it was for His Name sake not for our welfare or comfort.Sure we get a benefit but the motive was so that God would look good and be glorified.Let me give you a couple more but we could spend all morning doing this.We have looked at asking for big things, we have looked at praying for help and deliverance.What about seeking God for stability and direction in your life.Do you ever pray for that?
For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
Even when it came to seeking God for direction it was not so that God would lead them to the best place for them.A place where life might be better or easier.It was so that God’s Name would be glorified.This final one we will look at will answer maybe why your prayers to win the lottery, get the bigger house or the new car have not been answered.Jesus’ brother James had something to say about that.Jesus and His family lived a very humble life.I often wonder once they all came to realize that Jesus was actually the Son of God or better yet the second person of the God Head.Maybe they wonder why Jesus didn’t just pray for some real great things to happen. Why didn’t you pray that we had more.Look what
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
You can have wrong motives.You can actually ask or pray in a wrong way.Then James defines what is the wrong way, it’s when you pray to spend it on your own desires.Meaning for your benefit not for God’s.Amazing how consistent this message is.I could give you at least 20 more that I was looking at but I think this is enough to see the point.Our motive in wanting God and His help is so that we bring glory and honor to Him.It’s not so that we have a better life but so that God will be glorified.Now let me tell you when we do see God and live to glorify Him everything is much better but that can’t be our motive.How do we apply all of this in connection with the Blessed and Happy life and tying into our situation right now?Well for one I have heard a lot wonder why God isn’t answering our prayer for change.Do you want change so that you will have an easier life or does God play a part in you wanting change?If not it is a mixed motive and that is why you don’t see God.Another is you can think but He promised to meet my daily needs.That is really a good one.He does promise that?To date there is not one of you that has not had their daily needs met.Why do I say that. Because you are still here and still alive.See where I think we get confused in this is we think our daily need means all our bills will be paid, I will have at least two meals a day, and be able to have petrol in my car.As much as we have become used to all of that, those are not your daily needs.Certainly Paul the Apostle didn’t always have those.Your number one daily need is to have the Grace of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit to give you the desire and ability to live your life in such a way as to bring glory and honor to him no matter what you face each moment of the day.It’s not to have the ability to calm the storm.It’s the ability to face the storm and make it through it.As we learned last week if by chance you fall you will also have the Grace and Power to get back up and keep going and that glorifies God too.When this is our desire - we see and experience the presence of Go with us like never before.And as we have learned all through this series, when we have that we are stable, happy and blessed.