Minister at Godstone Baptist Church.
The third talk in our ‘Is God Big Enough’ series. Is He big enough to deal with my sin? Biblical Text:
Sermons by Phil Hughes (Page 18)
The second sermon in our series about changing our ideas of God.
Your picture of God matters. If he is too small you will never trust him when it comes to the big things in life. Is God big enough to deal with your suffering – your past – your fear? In this Sunday morning series we ask “Is God big enough?”
We’re tempted to believe that happiness comes from acquiring things. But happiness is an outcome of what we sow in our lives. Knowing that truth is like paint in a can: it makes no difference until you apply it. Doing makes the difference — especially doing for others. You won’t be happy as long as you are just… ‘all about you’.
Have you ever watched someone else’s life and it was like watching a slow-motion car wreck? You can see self-inflicted pain headed in that person’s direction. You wonder how he or she doesn’t see it coming. Maybe you’ve been that person. Others tried to warn you, but you couldn’t see the danger that was so obvious to them.
How does that happen? Why are we tempted to make decisions that hurt us in the long-run? The problem often stems from our confusion about the relationship between pleasure and happiness.
If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
Happy people are at peace with God, themselves, and others. The three are connected… and they begin with God. Peace with God paves the way to peace with ourselves (if God can forgive us we can forgive ourselves) and equips us to make peace with others we are motivated to treat others how God has treated us). But how do we find peace with God?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “God doesn’t want you to be happy; he wants you to be holy”? Too often we assume that happiness and holiness are mutually exclusive. We believe we can’t be both. The New Testament does teach that God wants us to be holy. But holiness and happiness don’t stand in opposition. It’s quite the contrary.
What makes you happy? Something came to mind, right? Something comes to mind for all of us. We all daydream about a trouble-free life made possible by something. But what if what makes you happy isn’t a WHAT at all. What if it’s a WHO?
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