WELCOME TO THE JACKSON STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST

WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE

Eccl 3:11-13, 22 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. {12} I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, {13} and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor; it is the gift of God….. {22} So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

(Psa 144:15) Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

(Psa 128:1-2) Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

(Psa 146:5) Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

(Prov 16:20) He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.

(John 15:11) "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, andthat your joy may be full.

(Acts 26:2) "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

Some form of the word Joy or happy is used 62 times in the New Testament.

Christians should be the

happiest people on this earth!

WHY ARE SOME CHRISTIANS

SO MISERABLE

I. BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE

A. At least they choose to be miserable

B. (Jonah 4:9) Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!"

C. God commands us to rejoice. We choose to obey or not to obey - (Phil 4:4)

II. BECAUSE THEY SPEND THEIR LIVES STRAINING

GNATS AND SWALLOWING CAMELS

A. (Mat 23:24) "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

B. Minoring on majors and majoring on minors

C. My way or no way!

III. BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCUSE MAKERS INSTEAD

OF RESPONSIBILITY TAKERS

A.(Gen 3:12-13) Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." {13} And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.“

III. BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCUSE MAKERS INSTEAD

OF RESPONSIBILITY TAKERS

B. PASSING THE BUCK DOES NOT SOLVE OUR GUILT PROBLEM - (Psa 32:1-5) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. {2} Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. {3} When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. {4} For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah {5} I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

IV. BECAUSE THEY PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE

MATERIAL THAN THE SPIRITUAL

A.(Eccl 2:10-11) Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. {11} Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

IV. BECAUSE THEY PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE

MATERIAL THAN THE SPIRITUALB. (Luke 18:22-25) So when Jesus heard

these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." {23} But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. {24} And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! {25} "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.“

IV. BECAUSE THEY PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE

MATERIAL THAN THE SPIRITUAL

C. (Mat 6:19-21) "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

D. (Luke 12:15) And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

V. BECAUSE THEY FEEL ANIMOSITY AND

RESENTMENT TOWARD OTHER BRETHRENA. (Mat 5:22-24) "But I say to you that

whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. {23} "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, {24} "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

V. BECAUSE THEY FEEL ANIMOSITY AND

RESENTMENT TOWARD OTHER BRETHREN

B. (2 Tim 2:16-17) But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. {17} And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,

VI. BECAUSE THEY DEPEND TOO MUCH ON OTHER

BRETHREN

A. (Psa 146:3-5) Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. {4} His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. {5} Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

VI. BECAUSE THEY DEPEND TOO MUCH ON OTHER

BRETHREN

B. (1 Cor 1:11-13) there are contentions among you. {12} Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."

C. We set ourselves up for disappointment when we trust in men

VII. BECAUSE THEIR LIVES ARE NOT RIGHT WITH GOD

A. (Prov 13:15) Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.

B. (Rom 14:22) Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

C. (Prov 29:18) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.

ARE YOU

A CHRISTIAN ?

ARE YOU A MISERABLE CHRISTIAN

OR A HAPPY

CHRISTIAN?