July 22 , 2007

Mythbusters Series

You may be operating your life on a myth, rather than on Bible truth. Most myths have plausible truth or mixture of truth and fiction. We're dissecting fact from fiction to believe the truth about God and ourselves.

1. There are myths with serious consequences. For a time is coming when people…will reject the truth and chase after myths (2 Tim 4:3-4, NLT)

2. Then there are misleading myths. Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths….These things only lead to meaningless speculations , which don't help people live a life of faith in God (1 Tim 1:4, NLT ).

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There's a desire within us all that wants toys . Our “toys” satisfy our “happy needs.”

The Barna Research Group: Evangelical Christians (like us) are the most satisfied, most spiritually inclined and least stressed of all U.S. adults, while those who claim to be atheists and agnostics are more stressed out, more lonely and less satisfied with their lives.

The problem is that “our happy need” is only briefly satisfied with our toys. Yesterday's toy no longer satisfies today. So we must have new toys satisfy “our happy need.”

The actual pursuit of happiness is actually a futile process.

Ironically, in the pursuit of happiness, the prodigal son ended up absolutely miserable .

God and the Bible is not against us having toys, but it is against toys having us .

The Bible doesn't say that money is the root of evil, but that the love of money is the root of evil.

There's two ways in which the happy need and the drive for toys comes to church :

1. When we desire a god who must continually satisfy “our happy need” by giving toys , and we can get bent out-of-shape at God when He doesn't. God isn't a cosmic Santa, but He is a blessing God. God wants to add value and benefit and blessing to our lives.

2. The myth says: God's will IS what makes YOU happy.” Here's the problem with the myth: What if God's will is not make you happy, but to make you be holy ?

Much of the time, the drive for toys is not a moral issue; it's just a psychological truth that reflects human nature. But there are times the “drive for toys because toys make us happy” can become a moral issue .

a. If the thing you desire is sinful , then the drive for toys becomes a moral issue.

b. If the drive for toys distances you from God, then it becomes a spiritual issue.

1 Peter 1:15 says. It really says, Just as He who called you is holy , so be holy in all that you do.

Romans 6:1-2. Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

By no means ! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Verse 6 - We should no longer be slaves to sin.

Verse 14 - For sin shall not be your master , because you are not under law, but under grace.

Our pursuit of happiness has to take a back seat to our pursuit of God .

If our pursuit is only a pursuit of happiness without other priorities , then we will never be happy.

The more you pursue happiness for happiness sake,

the more unhappy , frustrated, unstable you will be.

Paul in Philippians 4:11 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

True happiness is a choice I make.

Make loving God your aim. That's how we become the happiest people on earth.

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