Eight Steps to True Happiness

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Eight Steps toTrue Happiness

• On The Mountain Top!

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Our Journey So Far!

• Discipleship

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What is a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

• A disciple is a learner, one who follows both
  the teaching and the teacher.
• (Jack Hayford - The Spirit Filled Life Bible)
• Disciple Gk mathetes
• To increase in knowledge
• To learn by use and practice (Thayer)

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Our Journey So Far

• Discipleship
• Attitudes

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What Makes your Attitude?

• Attitude leads to Action
• Beliefs/Facts affects my
• Feelings which in turn affects my
• Actions
• For as (a man) thinks within himself, so he is.
  Prov 237 NASB

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Transforming our Attitudes

• Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
  world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
  mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
  what God's will is his good, pleasing and
  perfect will. Romans 122

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Transforming our Attitudes

• Dont let the world around you squeeze you into
  its mould, but let God remake you so that your
  whole attitude of mind is changed. (J.B. Phillips)

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Our Journey So Far!

• Discipleship
• Attitudes
• Step 1 - Poor in spirit - I am absolutely empty
  and destitute without God

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Step 1 Dependence on God

• Blessed (happy) are those who recognize they are
  spiritually helpless
• The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
• Matthew 53 (World English Bible)

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Step 1 Dependence on God
Dependence
Inclusion
Inter-Dependence
Loose-Cannon?
Gods Family
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Kingdom Authority

• Blessing theirs is the Kingdom
• Kingdom is not territorial but authoritative
• When living under Gods authority as His
  dependants
• we are able to exercise authority in our lives

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Kingdom Authority

• Christians are called not to be passive
  spectators to life but rather to be actively
  involved
• They are poor in spirit but forceful in
  faith
• They are kingdom people who exert heavens rule
  on the earth through the power and authority of
  the Holy Spirit

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Our Journey So Far!

• Discipleship
• Attitudes
• Step 1 - Poor in spirit - I am absolutely empty
  and destitute without God
• Step 2. Mournfulness - I am utterly devastated
  by my sinful waywardness

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Step 2 The Law of Brokenness

• Matthew 54
• How happy are those who know what sorrow means,
  for they will be given courage and comfort. JBP

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Step 2 The Law of Brokenness

• Jesus is speaking of a spiritual mourning
• It is when our heart becomes grieved with what
  grieves the heart of God.

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Step 2 The Law of Brokenness

• This is an attitude in which we are sensitive to,
  and devastated by, the loss that we ourselves or
  others may be suffering.
• It is having the heart of God on an issue, seeing
  something as a clear violation of the revealed
  will of God.
• Kittel describes to mourn as Passionate grief
  which leads to corresponding action

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Divine Assistance

• As we mourn the loss of our standing before a
  righteous God through true brokenness we
  acknowledge
• Our deficiency
• Our need for One who is all sufficient
• It is then that the Holy Spirit reciprocates by
  drawing alongside to help.

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Divine Assistance

• The Sufficiency of one makes up the Deficiency
  in the other

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Our Journey So Far!

• Discipleship
• Attitudes
• Step 1 - Poor in spirit - I am absolutely empty
  and destitute without God
• Step 2. Mournfulness - I am utterly devastated
  by my sinful waywardness
• Step 3. Meekness - I want all my natural
  strengths tamed and harnessed

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Step 3 Controlled Strength

• Matthew 55
• Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the
  earth. NIV
• they will receive what God has promised! GNB

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Step 3 Controlled Strength

• Meekness is NOT weakness!
• Meekness is gentle and controlled strength
• Meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness
  and self-interest
• Meekness is not weakness, but great strength
  meekness is strength in submission of Gods
  control

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Step 3 Controlled Strength

• Those who are born of the Holy Spirit have
  surrendered their rights as well as their wrongs
• It involves acknowledging Jesus as Lord as well
  as accepting Him as Saviour
• We voluntarily hand over all personal rights to
  our lives and invite the new Owner to do with us
  as He sees fit!

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Step 3 Controlled Strength

• True meekness has
• a serving attitude
• a willingness to submit to authority
• a willingness to allow the dealings of God and
  people in our lives without retaliation.

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Destiny Fulfilled

• Inheriting the earth means
• Enjoying everything God has destined for your
  life
• Realising the full potential of your life in God

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Our Journey So Far!

• Discipleship
• Attitudes
• Step 1 - Poor in spirit - I am absolutely empty
  and destitute without God
• Step 2. Mournfulness - I am utterly devastated
  by my sinful waywardness
• Step 3. Meekness - I want all my natural
  strengths tamed and harnessed
• Step 4. Hunger and thirst for righteousness - I
  am desperate for all that God has for me

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Step 4 Spiritual Appetite

• Matthew 56
• Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do
  what God requires God will satisfy them fully!
  GNB

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Step 4 Spiritual Appetite

• There are two aspects of righteousness
• 1. Being right
• Imputed righteousness
• 2. Doing right
• Living righteously

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Step 4 Spiritual Appetite

• Imputed righteousness means
• All my sin was imputed to Jesus (put into His
  account 2 Cor 521) so that He could take it
  away through the cross
• When I receive Him by faith as my Lord and
  Saviour, all His rightness is imputed to me
• He has paid the debt in full by His act of
  sacrifice, setting my balance sheet in credit
  with His goodness, virtue, perfection and
  righteousness

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Step 4 Spiritual Appetite

• 2. Doing Right Living Righteously
• Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount specifically
  highlights areas of righteousness which the
  Christian must hunger and thirst after
• Moral Purity Matt 527-30
• Verbal Honesty Matt 533-37
• Covenantal Loyalty Matt 521-26 1815

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Complete Satisfaction

• Spiritual Satisfaction
• Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
  will receive what they desire
• Righteousness
• If we want to live righteous lives we need
• The bread of life Jesus the Word of God
• The living water the Holy Spirit

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Complete Satisfaction

• Natural Satisfaction
• Living a fulfilled life!
• Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd I have come
  that they may have life, and have it to the
  full. John 1010-11 NIV
• for he (God) satisfies the thirsty and fills
  the hungry with good things. Ps 1079 NIV

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4. Those who Hunger and Thirst after
Righteousness
3. The Meek
2. Those who Mourn
Happy are
1. The Poor in Spirit
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Our Journey So Far!

• The first four attitudes suggest four upward
  steps in preparing the heart for Gods fullness
• Each of these inward works of grace involves
  Gods dealings with people
• They teach us to rely on God rather than ourselves

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Eight Steps toTrue Happiness

• The Challenge

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The Challenge

• Discipleship is a lifelong journey
• The journey requires effort on our part
• We must be hearers of the Word
• We must be proactive in our response
• Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
  yourselves. Do what it says.
• James 122 (NIV)

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The Challenge

• James 122-25 (NLT)
• if you just listen and don't obey, it is like
  looking at your face in a mirror but doing
  nothing to improve your appearance.
• if you do what it says and don't forget what
  you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

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The Challenge

• Jesus Himself told a story at the end of His
  sermon to illustrate this in Matt 724-27 (NLT)
• Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me
  is wise, like a person who builds a house on
  solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents
  and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat
  against that house, it won't collapse, because it
  is built on rock.

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The Challenge

• But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it
  is foolish, like a person who builds a house on
  sand. When the rains and floods come and the
  winds beat against that house, it will fall with
  a mighty crash.

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• Are you a Disciple of Jesus?
• A disciple does more than know and understand
  the teachings of the Master
• A disciple also puts what has been taught into
  practice!
• Are you really following Jesus?

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• What is your attitude tonight?
• attitude to yourself?
• attitude to others?
• attitude to God?
• Are you being transformed by the renewing of
  your mind? (Rom 121-2)

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• Are you Poor in spirit?
• Are you totally dependent on God?
• Are you interdependent on other Christians?
• Or are you doing your own thing going your own
  way?

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• Are you Mournful?
• Are you spiritually sensitive?
• Is your heart grieved with what grieves the
  heart of God?
• Are you utterly devastated by your sinful
  waywardness?
• Or do you have a hardened heart?

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• Is Meekness a part of your life?
• Do you have a willingness to submit to
  authority?
• Is your will totally surrendered to Gods will
  for your life? Is it
• a conditional surrender to Gods will?
• a full surrender to Gods will?

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The Challenge

• Where are you on your discipleship journey?
• Do you Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?
• Have you accepted Christs righteousness?
• Are you living righteously?
• Or are you living to your own standards?

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