The Real Happily Ever After

Turn your Bibles to Second Peter, chapter 1. Second Peter, chapter 1. We're going to continue our series on marriages made in heaven but lived on earth. Now, I want to remind you, those of you that are not married, this is still a great series for you. If you're young and single and looking to get married one day, there's some good things you can learn to prepare for that future. But if you're in other situations as well, the truths that we're going to share today are truths that can apply to every area of our lives. And if you look at second Peter 1 and verse number 16, it says, "For we have not followed kindly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."

And so for the last couple weeks, I've been using uh fairy tales or fables to illustrate uh some some for some illustrations about marriage. And this is going to be the last week I'm going to do that. But often what we do is we treat the Bible like it's a book of fairy tales. They're nice stories, but they'll never really come true in my life. And we need to realize that God doesn't want us to look at it from that perspective. In 1 Timothy 4:7, it says, "But refuse profane and old wise fables and exercise rather onto godliness." Now, the fairy tale may not come true in your life, but the blessings of God can come true in your life.

But we also have to exercise ourselves rather onto godliness. And so, the Bible is much better than a fairy tale. But I I'm going to use these fairy tales as an illustration of some Bible truths. And one of the things in almost every fairy tale that you read, uh they usually end by a statement very similar to this. And they lived ever after, right? They lived happily ever after. And that's what all of us want, is it not? Uh turn over your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 3 and look at verses 13- 18. Proverbs chapter 3 and verses 13- 18. We all we all want to live happily ever after. Whether you're married or not married, you still want to have that goal in mind.

In Proverbs 3:13, it says, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getth understanding, for the merchandise is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She's more precious than rubies, and all things thou can desire are not to be compared unto her. And uh then verse 16, length of days is in her right hand, her left hand, riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and her paths of peace, and she is the tree of life to them that lay hold upon her. And happy is everyone that retrainth retaineth her. We talked last week about happiness is what happens to you.

Your happiness is based upon what's happening in my life right now. where joy is what we have despite our circumstances. Joy is what we add to our problems to make them better. Like joy, lemon joy, dishwashing soap. You got to uh happiness is a a a sink with no dirty dishes. But but joy is what you add to the sink full of dirty dishes to make the job easier. And and we all want to live happily ever after. But as it says here in Proverbs, we need to understand that happy is the man that findeth wisdom, man that getth understanding. If you want to live happily ever after as a couple, if you want to live happily ever after your life, you got to find the the happiness of the Lord.

And it just doesn't happen to you. You got to find that happiness. And everlasting abundant happy life comes from God. In John 10 and verse number 10, it says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly." You see, God wants you to have abundant life, but it starts with everlasting life. You need to know that you have everlasting life in Christ because you can only have life in him. In Acts 4 and verse 12, it says, "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

And if you want to have true happiness, that happiness comes by finding it in Jesus Christ and finding it through eternal life and not just abundant life, but eternal life. In 1 John 5 and:es 12 and 13, the Bible says, "He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God." God wants you to know for sure you're going to heaven. Because you see, no matter what happens in this life, if you know that you have eternal life, if you know that when you die, you're going to heaven, nothing can happen to take away my eternal happiness.

Because I've always got that promise of eternal life. And the Bible says that you can know that you have eternal life. You can know that you're going to heaven. You can know that your sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ, your savior. But he not only wants to give us eternal life, but he also wants to give us abundant life today. Again, in John 10:10, the thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. But if you want to have that abundant life, then you've got to follow the yellow brick road. You all remember the story of I think it's back in the news again or back in in popularity again, the story of Dorothy and the yellow brick road.

And uh the yellow brick road that you need to follow is the streets of gold in heaven. In Revelation 21:21, it says, "In the 12 gates were 12 pearls. Every several gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold as it were transparent glass." And we need to follow those streets. We want to we want to walk those streets of gold in heaven. And if you want to walk the streets of gold, then you've got to go the right way. In John chapter 14 and verse number six, it says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me. And if you want to be off to see heaven one day, then you've got to follow the right way.

And the right way is Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 29:13, the Bible says, "You shall seek me and find me when you shall search with all your heart." And I hope today if you don't know for sure that you're going to heaven, you don't know that your sins are forgiven, if you don't know that you have eternal life, that you realize that there is a way which will lead you to those streets of gold in heaven. There is a way that will end up with true eternal happiness and that way is through Jesus Christ as your savior. You see the way of religion will destroy disappoint you. In in 1 Peter chapter 1:es 18 and 19, it says, "For as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

You remember in the story of the Wizard of Oz how that they followed that yellow brick road looking for the wizard. And when they found the wizard and they looked behind the curtain, they were very disappointed, were they not? And you see, if you're following the road of religion, you're going to be disappointed. But because because behind that curtain, it's all smoke and mirrors. Religion cannot get you into heaven. Your rituals, your own righteousness, your own uh your your your religion cannot get you into heaven. It's only a relationship with Jesus Christ as your personal savior. And so you need to realize today that the road to heaven is not through religion.

It's not through your rituals like baptism or catechism or church membership. It's not through your own righteousnesses because the Bible says it's not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy has saved us. And so we need to make sure that we're on that right path, that right road to heaven which is Jesus Christ. He is the only way. So I wonder today, are you ready for your prince to come? You know, at the end of those fairy tales, the prince always comes and and they go off happily ever after. Turn over your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9 and verses 27 and 28.

Hebrews chapter 9 and beginning with verse number 27. The Bible says, "And has appointed a men once to die, but after this the judgment." So Christ was once offered to bear the bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. You see every one of us is going to die and when you die will you live happily ever after in heaven with Jesus Christ. You see he is going to come again for you to take you to heaven. But you need to trust him as your savior. You need to be on that right way. And he is the way, the truth, and the life. And you need to make sure that if you want to live happily ever after, it is through Jesus Christ in your heart, in your life.

Go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. God wants us to be happy. He wants to bless us. And he's got so many things that he wants to do in our lives. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and and verses 9 and 10, it says, "But as is written, eyeath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God revealed them unto us by his spirit. For the spirit searches all things, yay, the deep things of God." You see, God has so much more for you than just eternal life. He's got abundant life. He wants to bless you in so many ways.

You know, a lot of you here, you've grown up with things that I never grew up with. Uh I I am uh going to be 70 years old this year. And and so a lot of things that we take for granted today, we didn't have back when I was a kid. And one of the things that we didn't have was we didn't have color TV. In fact, I remember when we got our first TV. Before that, we had to sit and listen to the radio and do it with imagination in our head. Uh but then we got our first TV, it was black and white TV, and we thought that was the greatest thing that ever happened. And then I remember number of years later we got our first color TV and boy when they turned that on and we saw that show that we we watched the Disney in color and we saw Disney and color it was like transformation.

It was like it was just amazing the difference and and you know what God says I have more than just black and white for you. I have technicolor for you. I want to give you abundant life in Jesus Christ. I want to give you so much more than just salvation. salvation enough is is enough to make us happily ever after. Just knowing that we're going to heaven is enough by itself, but he's got so much more. You see, your wishes can only come true in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 20, it says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that workketh in us."

You need to understand if you want to live happily ever after, your happiness has to come from Jesus Christ. You know what the problem with a lot of marriages is? A lot of marriages, the wife is looking to her husband for what only Jesus can do for her. And the husband is looking to his wife to what only Jesus can do for him for him. And and and folks, you got to realize that the only one that can bring you true happiness is Jesus Christ. Now, God wants us to have a happy marriage. And by the way, the best way to a happy marriage, fellas, is what? A happy is a happy life. And so it's a good way to have a happy marriage.

But the problem is is we put this pressure on our relationship because somehow we think that my husband has to make me happy or my wife has to make me happy. And the happiness that we're looking for can only be found in Jesus Christ. And it's not just true of marriage. Families can be that way and jobs can be that. If I just had this job, if I could just get this promotion, I'd be happy. And we're looking for the things of this life to make us happy when it's Jesus Christ that can be our true happiness and our true joy to give us abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Go over to Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians chapter 1. You remember at the end of that yellow brick road that the witch told the good witch told Dorothy that the the the power was always in you. And folks, the the power of happiness is in you. In Ephesians chapter 1 and beginning verse number 17, it says that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and knowledge of him. the eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance of saints and what is exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power.

You see, we keep looking outside of ourselves and say if if this were just different, if that were just different, I'd be happy. But the reality is your true happiness comes from the spirit of God within you. It comes from the power of God working inside of you. And you have that magic power in you through Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit. You can choose to be happy. In John 13:1 17, if we know these things, happy are if you do if you do them. See, happiness is a choice. But happiness is a choice not just I want to be happy. Happiness is realizing if I want to be happy, then these are the things that I need to do.

Because happiness comes from what I do. In Acts chapter 26:2, Paul said to King Agria, he said, "I think myself happy." And that word think doesn't mean just the power of positive thinking. It literally means, "I command myself to be happy." Paul was a prisoner. He had been beaten. He'd been thrown in jail. He was on trial for his life. But he chose instead of letting his circumstances control his happiness, he chose to command himself to be happy. To say, "You know what? I'm going to choose happiness in Jesus Christ. Now, you see, happiness, if you want true happiness, that that doesn't come through a a a magic wand.

We've got this idea that people come to me say, "Pastor, can you just wave your magic wand over my marriage and make it better?" But folks, I I got something to tell you right now. Uh, I may have a magic wand, but it's broken. Uh, it doesn't work. I can't fix your marriage. only God can fix your marriage and only you can fix your marriage or whatever the other problem is only you can do it by doing the things. The problem I find with most couples I deal with is is they're not doing I say do this and do that. Uh and they don't do it and and they expect their marriage to change when they're not doing the things that going to bring that change about.

In Romans 10:17 it says so so then faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You see, it's the word of God that's going to change our life. You know, you ever you ever thought about the, you know, the and the Latin has that phrase, open sesame. Do you ever think about what that means? It means open says a mean. Open says of me. When my kids were little, we'd come up to the store with the doors, automatic doors, and I'd come up there and I'd go, "Open says," and the doors would open. My kids would look at me like I was a miracle worker. uh it worked for about two years and then they finally figured it out you know uh but we need to open realize that God wants to open the the

happiness in our life but the way to do this by opening the word of God when you open up this word when you start reading your Bible that's when things start changing your life the Bible says in John 7:17 if any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself you see we need to realize that we've got to do the will of God and that's the hard part because doing the will of God, doing these things is not easy. You see, it's it's like I mentioned the other week, it's like uh kissing a beautiful princess to to uh to to wake her up from a deep sleep, that would be an easy thing to do.

But to kiss the ugly frog and turn him into a handsome prince, that takes a lot more faith. And we've got to have the faith that if I do the things that God tells me to do, it's going to change my spouse. See, we want to change our spouse. We want to change our situation, but we got to realize that it's only God that can change the situation. And we need to turn to him. Turn over to Luke chapter 6. Luke chapter 6 and look at verses 32 through35. Luke chapter 6. And beginning with verse number 32, it says, "And if for if you love them which love you, what thank you. For sinners also love those that love them.

And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank you. For sinners also do even the same. And if you lend to them to whom you hope to receive, what thank you. For sinners also lend to sinners receive as much again. But love your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again. And your reward shall be great and you should be the children of the highest. For he's kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. You see, we've got to realize that we've got to we got to love even when we're not loved. We've got to do the things that God has called us to do even when we don't feel like it.

That's the real power of God. You know, I I said I didn't have a magic wand, but you know, we need to realize when we do what God wants us to do, that's where the real power comes in. Alex, you want to have some power in your life here? You can have the magic wand. All right. And uh uh so there's where the power is. Give me my wand back. All right. But the power of God is the word of God. The power of God is not just reading this. You could come to every message I teach on marriage and nothing's going to change until you start doing. You got to start putting to practice. That's where the true happiness comes in.

You choose to be happy. Don't just look in the magic mirror. Go over to James chapter 1. James chapter 1. You know, mirrors are not put there so you can just look in there to say how good-looking you are. Mirrors are there so you can see what's wrong and fix it. In James chapter 1, beginning with verse number 22, it says, "But be you doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he behold himself and goeth his way and straightway forgetth what manner of man he was.

But who so lookketh in the perfect law of liberty and continuing there therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed. You see you you can look in the mirror and the Bible talks about beholding his natural face in in a glass. It it's like when I get up in the morning I walk in the bathroom. Now in the morning I try to avoid mirrors as much as I can. You understand what I'm saying? And uh but at some point I got to look in there and I look in there I say, "Oh man, I need to shave and I need to comb my hair what I have left." and uh and I need to do even wash my face or whatever else.

But then I've got to get up close and actually do it. You know, the the to behold as it says in the next verse there, that's when you get up there and you actually get close in the mirror and actually put on that makeup or shave or whatever else you're going to do. See, the problem is you come to church and I hold up a mirror and say, "Here's the mirror of your life. This is why you're not happy." But you got to go home and you got to get up close to that mirror in the word of God and you got to start doing what needs to be done. And that's where we have our struggles is we we can't just look in the magic mirror.

It's not going to change us. But we got to get up there and behold it and get there and do what needs to be taken care of. In Philippians chapter 4 and verse 9, it says, "Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you." Here's the important lesson, folks, is feelings come after actions. Feelings come after actions. You know, I I'm not a morning people person. I I'm not big on getting up in the morning. How many others are not morning people? Raise your hand. All right. With me there. All right. And uh in the morning when my alarm goes off, I don't want to get up.

Now my alarm on Sunday morning, it goes off at about 5:30 in the morning cuz we have to get here early to make sure everything's ready and all set up and everything. So it's pretty early in the morning. And when my alarm goes off, I don't feel like getting out of bed. But what do I do? I get out of bed because that's what I should do. You see, whether I feel like it or not, that's what I should do. Now, at this moment in time, I'm glad I'm out of bed. I'm glad I'm here at church. I'm enjoying being here. I'm thankful I got up this morning. But the action had to preede the feelings. And in our in our Christian life, in our marriage, we got to realize that I've got to do what's right to do whether I feel like it or not.

So often they'll say, "Well, I don't feel like that doing that." Well, that's not what the Bible teaches. The feelings will follow the action. So you want to live happily ever after, find that true happiness that only comes through Jesus Christ through knowing that you have eternal life and having that abundant power of God in your life that can actually change your life and finding that you can't just wait for things to happen, but you've got to choose to make them happen by doing what's right. But also every fairy tale, it not only ends with happily ever after, but it usually begins with another phrase.

You know what that phrase is? Once upon a time. Once upon a time. One of the things you need to understand, it takes time. One of the things I have trouble with couples so often, by the time they come to me, things are a mess. It takes time to fix all those problems. It's not going to happen with one session. It's not going to happen overnight. It takes time. In Psalms 27 13-4, it says, 'I had fainted unless I believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say on the Lord. It doesn't happen overnight.

Sometimes we've got to wait. It takes time to break the evil spell. In Mark chapter 9 and verse 29, it says, "He said of them, this kind cometh forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting." You know, just raising your hand at the end of a service say, "Pastor, pray for me." Just praying a prayer isn't going to change a lifetime of habits and your life's problems. You see, one kiss does not always break the evil spell. But, by the way, it is a great place to start. I like kissing. I enjoy that. And sometimes that's a good place to start. But just kissing and making up and just kissing isn't going to solve.

In the fairy tales, it does. They kiss and they live happily ever after. But in real life, it takes the discipline and it takes time to change. And what we got to do is we've got to find the power of God to change. Turn over to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3 and look at verses 8-10. Philippians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number eight. Paul said, "Yay, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the ecstasy of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is the law, but that which is the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of sufferings being made conformable unto his death."

You see, what I want is I want that power of God. I can't change my life. Only God can. And by the way, here's one of the big problems in marriages. We spend so much time trying to change our partner that we're not changing ourselves. I cannot change my partner. Only God and them, he can or she can. I can't change them, but I can change me through the power of God. And when you start focusing on you and changing you, that's when you start seeing things change in your life as well. Look at Philippians chapter 2. And look at verses number 12 and 13. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God which workketh in you both the will and to do of his good pleasure. Now, these verses do not mean that we work for our salvation. Ephesians 2:8:9, it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith, then not of yourselves." It's the gift of God, not of works. Let's say amen. You can't work your way into heaven. Okay? But the Bible here says to work out your salvation. As God works in you, then you need to work out your salvation in your life. And and so you need to put the power of God to work to change your marriage. You need to put the power of God to work to change your situation.

You need to put the power of God to work to change you. And we need to find that power of God in Christ. You see, it takes time to change things. It doesn't happen overnight. But you've also got to make time. In Ephesians 5:1 16, it says, "Redeeming the time because the days are evil." Folks, things aren't going to change if you don't make time to read your Bible. Things aren't going to change if you don't make time to pray. Things are not going to change if you don't make time to go to church or to get counsel. You know, again, I I deal with couples and one of the things I do with them is we we did a series on marriage called Happily Ever After.

It's available at ohana.urch/marriage. And I tell them, you need to go home, watch these videos, and and somehow they just never find time to watch the video. And if you're not going to make time to watch the videos, then I can't help you because it's going to take time. And and right now if you're not watching the videos, not doing the study, you got nothing to work with. And so we got to make the time to change. And by the way, that applies not only in marriage. Remember we talked about the beginning this series how that marriage is a picture of the relationship with the church. Folks, you got to make time to be in church.

If you can't make time to be here, if if you come Sunday school, Sunday morning, Sunday night, and a Bible study during the week, that's four four and a half hours total time. If you can't make four and four and a half hours for God, then you're not going to grow in the Lord. If you can't make time to read your Bible, you're not going to grow in the Lord. You got to make time. You got to make time. Then one other phrase that's very well known in the fairy tales is this one. In a land far, far away. You know, it always seems like it's always far away before things can change. In Philippians chapter 4 verse number 11, Philippians chapter 4 and verse number 11, it says, "Not that I speak in respect of one, for I've learned in whatsoever state I am, there would to be content."

Tonight I'm going to be talking about being content and how we can learn in Timothy it says content, godliness with contentment is great gain. And I'll be preaching on that tonight. But you know, it's learning to be content with what you have. We all think that happiness is somewhere else than where I'm right now. We've got this idea, you know, when I when I graduate from high school, I'll be happy. Or when I graduate from college, I'll be happy. Or when I get in the military, I'll be happy. Or when I get out of the military, I'll be happy. Or when I move back to the mainland, I'll be happy. Or when I get a new job, I'll be happy.

Or when I retire, I'll be happy. Or when I get married, I'll be happy. or when I get divorced, I'll be happy. Everybody's looking for a land far far away to be happy. You know, if I just have children, we'd be happy. Boy, if the kids would just leave home, we'd be happy. If I could just get that raise. Happiness is always in this land far, far away, and we never seem to get there. You got to realize that it's not a land far, far away. We've all got this greener grass syndrome. You know, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. If I could just be married to that person, if I could just have their job, if I could have their house or their money or whatever else, we got the greener grass syndrome.

In Numbers 11:es 4-6, it says, "And the mixed multitude that was among them fellow lusting and the children of Israel also wept again and said, who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers and the melons and the leaks and the onions and the garlic. But now our soul was dried away. There's nothing at all besides this mana before our eyes. You know what our problem is? We're either looking back for happiness or we're looking forward for happiness is never where we are right now. Boy, I was a lot happier when I wasn't married. No, you weren't.

Or I'll be a lot happier if I just get divorced. No, you won't. We just get this idea that greener grass is somewhere else than where I am right now. And we keep looking ahead or looking back instead of living today. You know what? If you would just live in today and water the grass you have, it'd be greener. If you just live today and pull the weeds out of the grass, it would be better. Instead of looking to the past or looking to the future for your happiness that's not there, you're going to find it right here, right now. Oh, but pastor that that won't work in my situation. I hear this over.

You know, you don't understand our marriage, what you're telling tell us won't work in our marriage. Bible says in Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible, then you don't have the same God that I have." In Philippians chapter 4:13, I could do all things through Christ who strengthenth me. In verse 19, but my God shall supply all your need according to riches and glory by Christ Jesus. So often people listen to the message say, "Well, that was a great message, pastor, but it won't work in my life." Because you don't understand my situation, but God does. And if you'll do what God says to do, he's either going to change your situation or he's going to change you.

We have to understand that folks. This is not a book of fairy tales of fables. This is the inspired word of God. And that same miracleworking God that you read about in the Bible, he wants to work in your life today. He wants to work in your marriage today. But to live happily ever after, you've got to find happiness that can only be found in Jesus Christ. And that starts with eternal life. Because when you know that no matter what happens in this life, I will live with God in heaven forever on those streets of gold, that changes you. And the Bible says you can know that for sure. But he says, you know what?

I'm offering you eternal life, happiness, but I'm also wanting to give you abundant life right now. But to have abundant life, it just it just doesn't happen. You got to make some choices and do the right thing. You got to look in that mirror and get up close and say, you know what? I've got to fix this in my life. You see, I don't This morning, my wife got up before me and she got her shower and she got cleaned up and she was in there doing her hair and her makeup. I didn't walk over there and say, "Let me comb your hair for you. Let me put that makeup on for you." If I did that, she'd look like a clown cuz I can't do that.

So, I've got to take care of me, not her. And you can only take care of you. And that's who Jesus Christ is talking to right now. Once upon a time. It's not later in the future. Somewhere down the road. It's not in the past. It's not in the future. It's right out today. Now is the time. Now's the time to get saved. Now it's the time to get right with God. Now's the time to start working on your marriage. Now is the time to make those changes. It's not in some land far far away. The grass will be greener when you start watering it and weeding it and taking care of it. It's your choice.