HOW WE CAN LIVE HAPPAY?

INTRODUCTION:

1)Are most people happy? Dennis Wholey, author of Are You Happy reports that according to expert opinion, perhaps only about 17 percent in Pakistan and 20 percent of Americans are truly happy.

2) Why is it that most people are not happy? I think I may know the answer to that question.

3) People look for happiness in all the wrong places.

4) The reason why most people are not happy is that they look for true happiness in worldly things. The Bible teaches that worldly things cannot bring us true happiness

ILLUSTRATION:

Some time ago, a man and his son decided to find out the secret to happiness. So one day, they turned on their computer, booted up a search engine on the Internet, and typed in the words “true happiness” hoping they would find the answers.

However, after several minutes of searching, the computer said, "No documents match the search." In other words, the computer indicated that true happiness could not be found in the world.

A) Money cannot bring us true happiness.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

1) When making money becomes the number one priority in our lives, we will neglect Allah, our families, and ourselves, and it will cause us much heartache. Money does not bring us happiness, it simply provides for our needs.

ILLUSTRATION:

Jay Gould, an American millionaire, had lots of money. However, when he was dying, he said, “I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth.

THIS MORNING, I WILL PRESENT A PRINCIPLES ON HOW WE CAN LIVE HAPPY LIVES.

I. TO LIVE HAPPY LIVES, WE MUST GIVE OUR HEARTS TO THE LORD AND RECEIVE HIS SALVATION.

"Surely Allah is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

1) When we receive salvation, and deliverance from the bondage of sin, we should experience joy and happiness. Like Isaiah, we should shout aloud and sing for joy.

2. When Jesus Christ enters into our lives, we cannot help but to rejoice. Do remember what the Ethiopian Eunuch did after he gave his life to Jesus and was baptized? The Bible says that he