Greg Laurie - The Pursuit of Happiness (03/06/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie, speaking at Harvest America in Philadelphia, addresses "The Pursuit of Happiness" from the Declaration of Independence. He shares that true, lasting happiness and hope—especially hope of heaven—cannot be found in wealth, beauty, pleasure, or possessions, but only through knowing Jesus Christ and receiving Him as Savior, as illustrated by the rich young ruler who walked away sad.
The Inevitability of Death and the Pursuit of Happiness
Since I'm in Philadelphia, and this is Harvest America, the title of my message is, "The Pursuit of Happiness". I heard a story about an older man who was talking about a young student, about his future plans. He said, son, tell me what you want to do with your life after you graduate from law school. The young guy said, well, I'd like to get a job and start making some money. The older guy said, that's good. Then what? Well, I'd like to get married. The older gentleman said, okay, good. Then what? Well, I'd like to have a family and raise my kids and put them in good schools. Okay, that sounds good. Then what? Well, I hope that I'll make enough money to eventually slow down and maybe get a second home even. The older man said, oh, wow, okay. What then? Well, I'd like to go into retirement and hopefully my health will still be good and my wife and I, we can travel around the world. Right, then what? Well, then I hope to pass on all that I've made to my children and that they can have a wonderful life and I'll retire, I suppose. Right, then what? Well, I guess then I'll die. And the older man said, right, then what? Then what? Eternity.
There's one thing that is true about every person. We're all going to die. In fact, two things are true. We all want to be happy and we're all going to die. Listen, the statistics on death are very impressive. One out of every one person's will die. No one can change that.
Can Google Solve Death? No—Only Jesus Holds the Keys
When I was in the airport on my way here, I saw this Time Magazine cover. Can Google solve death? Are you ready for the answer? No. They can't. Apparently, this article says, Google is launching a venture to extend the human lifespan. Okay, fine. But Jesus said, I am the living one. I was dead and now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the grave. God decides that. There's no getting around it.
But listen, every thinking person gets around to asking those big questions in life. Such as, why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? And what's going to happen to me when I die? I started asking those questions at a very early age. I was fascinated to hear Kirk Franklin's story of how he was raised and Lecrae's story as well. Well, my story parallels there a little, there's a little bit.
Why did I live in New Jersey? Well, I was born in Long Beach. I live in New Jersey. I lived in Hawaii. I lived in California. Because that's where all the husbands were that my mom was married to. Married and divorced seven times. A raging alcoholic. I had to grow up quickly. I had to learn to fend for myself, to think for myself. So at a very early age, I was asking the questions like, what is the meaning of my life? Why am I even here on this earth?
Maybe you've come here or you're watching tonight in one of our host venues and you're asking those same questions. You're wondering what the meaning of your life is.
Looking for Truth in the Wrong Places
Heard the story about a drunk guy that was down on his hands and knees under a streetlight, certainly looking for something. A police officer approached him and said, sir, did you lose something? He said, yes, I lost my wallet. Oh, sir, did you lose your wallet here? The drunk guy said, no, I lost it across the street. The officer said, well, why aren't you looking over there instead of here? And the drunk guy said, well, there's no light there.
You see, here's the problem. It's not any good looking for truth if you're looking in the wrong place, okay? You're in the right place tonight. We've got answers from the Bible to all of your questions. Jesus Christ has those answers.
Philadelphia and the Pursuit of Happiness in the Declaration
Now, I'm in Philadelphia, and this was once the capital of our nation. It was here that the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. And you know that, among other things, the Declaration of Independence says we hold these truths to be self-evident that we have been endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. And among these are life, Liberty, and what? The pursuit of happiness.
So here's the question. Are we a happy people? Let me personalize it. Are you a happy person?
Forbes magazine devoted its 75th anniversary issue to a single topic. Why do we feel so bad when we have it so good?
Happiness Is Not Found in Beauty or Possessions
At the age of 32, comedian Dave Chappelle certainly had realized his dreams. The ink on the contract was hardly dry when Chappelle mysteriously disappeared and surfaced 8,000 miles away in South Africa. Chappelle literally walked away from the third season of his TV show. He was asked, why did you do it? Why did you walk away from all of that money? He was quoted as saying, the higher up I go for some reason, the less happy I am. End quote.
I read an article about a couple in Brooklyn that had a radio show called The Pursuit of Happiness. This married couple would offer callers advice on how to lead happier lives, telling them to think positively and trust their intuition. But apparently, they were the ones that needed help because they both committed suicide.
Where is happiness to be found? Well, let me tell you where it isn't to be found. Being beautiful or handsome will not bring personal happiness. I know this from personal experience. No, not really. No, but seriously.
You see people today trying to create the perfect body through cosmetic surgery. I read that 94% of girls age 18 and under wish they were more beautiful. 85% of women over 40 say they are not as attractive as the average woman. And that's probably why last year Americans spent an estimated $11.4 billion on cosmetic surgery fees and probably $4 billion more when you factor in facility fees and anesthesia and such.
Why? Because you want to reach this kind of perfect state. You want to look like the people in the magazines. Listen, the people in the magazines don't even look like the people in the magazines. It's called Photoshop, people. And you know, people will pump their face with so much Botox they can't even move their face anymore. They will say, I am really happy right now but I can't move my face.
Or maybe you think you will be cooler if you get a bunch of tattoos. You know, that is the rage right now. I just want to warn you I have nothing against tattoos. But that little you know, Tweety Bird of today may become Big Bird tomorrow. Just think about that. You know, you might get a little larger. That cute little butterfly might turn into a pterodactyl. So...
The Emptiness of Possessions and Wealth
Having possessions will not bring personal happiness. In an article from Time Magazine with a headline The Real Truth About Money they said and I quote clinical depression is treated ten times as common today more than two generations ago. Money jingles in our wallets and our purses like never before while we are no happier for it and for many more money leads to depression.
Well listen the Bible told us that a long time ago. In the book of Proverbs it says hell and destruction are never full and so is the heart of man never satisfied.
Author Jack Hibbins is one of the most successful writers on earth. His thriller novels have sold more than 250 million copies in 60 languages. When asked by a magazine interviewer what he knew now that he wished he had known earlier in life the accomplished author responded quote I wish I had known when you get to the top there is nothing there. End quote.
Years ago Solomon who in his day was the wealthiest man around said all things are wearisome more than anyone can say the eye never has enough of seeing and the ear never has its fill of hearing.
You know you are always going to push the envelope and get the latest gadget or the ultimate sound system or the biggest flat panel to hang on your wall I think the biggest one out now is 152 inches. you have to sit two neighborhoods away to watch it you know. things aren't going to make you happy
Relationships and Pleasure Cannot Satisfy
Even relationships will not bring And lasting happiness. Because parents will disappoint children. Children will disappoint parents. Husbands will disappoint wives. Wives, husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends will all disappoint each other.
Hugh Hefner has all this money and power and women. Someone asked him, what's missing in your life? He said, I want the words of the songs to be true. I guess deep down inside, old Hef is a romantic. Maybe he should get out of his pajamas, you know. Just a thought.
Pursuing pleasure will not bring personal happiness. Fact of the matter is, if you live for pleasure, you will never find it. The Bible says, she that lives for pleasure is dead even while she is living.
You might say, oh, but man, if I were famous, if everyone knew my name, then I would be happy. Really? Johnny Depp is one of the most successful actors living today. He's one of the few stars with $2 billion worldwide in his grossing films, or films that have grossed that much. In a recent interview, he said, quote, I don't know what I want to be. There's a great part of me that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to split for a few years. Thoughts of retirement pop up every day. But he said, you get tired of always being on the run, sneaking in through the kitchen. And when you're old enough and you get some brain cells back, you realize you've lived the life of a fugitive, end quote.
Or maybe you thought, if only I had what he had. How about the rapper Macklemore? It had a number one hit. And he talked about the effects of instant fame. As his shows got bigger, his partying became more extreme. He says in an interview, I got more messed up than ever. All of a sudden, he says, you're young. You have this newfound attention. I'm hooking up with random females. And the drug started getting stronger. He said, I always promised I would never do coke. And I broke that. I started doing a little bit of Oxycontin. That scared me. His friends began to worry when he didn't respond to texts and calls. And eventually, they figured he thought he was too cool. But the rapper says, I was all alone, smoking in my bedroom.
It's so ironic. These people that we admire, these people we wish we were, they're talking about the emptiness of life. When are we going to get the wake-up call that happiness is not found without God. It's only found with God.
True Happiness and Hope Come Only Through Christ
If there's no God, there's no happiness. But if you know God, you'll have real, lasting happiness. But listen to this. Even more than happiness. Even more than personal peace. If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you can have the hope that you will go to heaven when you die. And there's nothing more important than that. Trust me. Nothing more important than that.
And you realize that as you get older. You know, when you're young, you don't think so much about the afterlife. But as you get older, you think a lot more about it. And especially when you have someone close to you go there before you.
As it was mentioned, our son went to be with the Lord some five years ago. It was the hardest day of our lives. It's something we still cry about. We still miss him. But because we put our faith in Jesus Christ, and because my son put his faith in Christ, we know there will be a great heavenly reunion one day. That's the hope of the Christian. That's only the hope of the man or the woman who has put their faith in Jesus Christ.
And as Kirk Franklin was saying, you can be raised in the church and not know God. There has to be a moment in your life where you ask Christ to come into your life. And I'm going to give you an opportunity to do that in just a few moments.
The Rich Young Ruler: Everything Yet Missing Eternal Life
But I want to tell you a Bible story. Who wants to hear a Bible story? Raise your hand. Oh, good. That's what I always ask my grandkids.
I want to tell you a story from the Gospel of Matthew. A story of a rich young man who had everything going his way in life. He was powerful. He seemed to be a moral guy. But something was missing in his life. He'd been hearing a lot about Jesus. So he went and got a moment to be with the Lord. An appointment with Christ, if you will.
And here's what Jesus said to him. It's in Matthew 19. I'm reading now from the Scripture. Someone came to Jesus with this question. Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life? Jesus responded, why do you call me good? Only one is good and that's God. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments.
Which ones? The man asked. Jesus replied, don't murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Don't lie. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.
I've obeyed all of these commandments ever since I've been a young man, he said. What else must I do?
Jesus said, well if you want to be perfect, go sell everything that you have, give the money to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.
When the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions.
Now the Bible presents this guy to us and he's really a picture of people we've met. Or maybe he's a picture of you. Or someone you would like to be. Another gospel calls him the rich young ruler.
Now to be a ruler at this time, a Jewish ruler, you had to be at least 30. But this guy's young, so he's climbed his corporate ladder quickly. Probably had a cool tricked out Bentley chariot, you know. A lot of bling. Designer clothes. Comes up to Jesus. He's holding his latte. Hey Lord, what's up? Good to see you. Hey, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?
No One Can Keep the Commandments—We All Need Forgiveness
Next week, join us for the conclusion of The Pursuit of Happiness with Greg Laurie.
It's a funny thing. People say, I live by the Ten Commandments. That's all the religion I need. Really? Can you name the Ten Commandments? No, but I live by them.
No one can keep the Ten Commandments. Every one of us have broken the commandments. There might even be someone listening right now that's broken all of the commandments. But let me say this. Even if you had, God would forgive you if you repented of your sin.
Everybody has a God. Even the atheist has a God. Everyone has some altar they bow for. Your God might be your stuff. Your God might be a relationship. Your God might be a success.
But here's the question. Can your God save you in the last day of your life? Well, I don't think your credit card is going to save you. And I don't think your possessions are going to save you. I don't think any person can save you. Only God can save you, you see?