Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Sermon Excerpt

Let me tell you why I preached this sermon in the way that I have. My reason might surprise you. I want you to be happy. That may sound out of place, but it's the truth. I want you happy but with a happiness that is honest and a happiness that is lasting. I want you to be happy with a happiness that is rooted in reality. The happiness of way too many these days is rooted in lies. It's a kind of happiness that tries to hide from reality. And for that reason it doesn't satisfy. It's here, and then it's gone. But the hard things of life still remain. What good is that kind of fleeting happiness? We live in a world that is broken. A world where there are terrible things like destructive tornadoes. How shall we respond to that? There is a kind of happiness that comes from following Jesus. It is a happiness that acknowledges the evil. But it also sees that the evil is in the hands of someone who loves us. We see that the evil is part of His plan for good. There are plenty of times when this happiness is bittersweet. There is a time for tears. But underneath all of that is this note of happiness. It may be happiness that is muted. But it is there. And one day it will be full and rich and without even one tear - except for tears of ecstatic happiness. One day Jesus will be here again. And there will be no more evil. None! Until then, we trust Him as well as we can, asking for more trust. And as we see the growth of our trust in Him and the growth of our understanding of what He is up to in this broken world, we experience this deeper, more honest happiness.

from 'Thank You'