Jesus Christ the Happy One

0:00God's Word today. Let us turn to Deuteronomy chapter 33 verse 29. Bless our you Israel, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord. He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you and you will tread on their heights. So other translations say happy are you, Israel. And then let us turn to Matthew chapter 53. Bless our the poor and spirit for there is the kingdom of heaven. God is the fount of happiness. God is the fount of happiness. God is the fount of happiness. So happiness comes from him. And he is the one who leads those who find happiness. So those who find joy in the happiness he gives them. He leads to eternal happiness. Further, he leads them

1:00into the kingdom of happiness. This is a wonderful title for today's sermon. God, he always gives us the word we need when we need it. So let us listen with very joyful hearts. So don't be listening with fear or anxiety, but open your hearts and listen with joy. So our faith is about being happy that Jesus Christ is my Lord, my king, my God and our father. Are you happy? Jesus is my Lord, my king, my God and our father. And we should be happy because of this is all right. And yet some may be thinking like it was better. It might have been better if I just didn't know any of this. And it just becomes more burdensome or troublesome.

2:01But the title of today's sermon is happy one. And so we should be happy about this. Why? Because we want to go to the kingdom of happiness. And this is the kingdom of happiness whose joy or happiness cannot be compared with anything in this world. Our life of faith is once you know this happiness, no matter what comes, whether it's poverty, nakedness, the sword or even death, no matter how our circumstances change, no matter what suffering comes, we do not let anyone or anything take away the happiness we have. So we continue moving forward enjoying this happiness. And then beyond that, we become messengers of happiness. I will be a messenger of happiness. So then we have to be full of happiness, right? We can't go out with these gloomy sad faces, but we have to be happy ourselves so that we go out as messengers of

3:02happiness. So happiness can be used interchangeably here with bless thing. So everyone pursues happiness, there isn't a single person in the world who doesn't want to be happy. And even though each person may have a different standard or idea of what happiness is, everyone wants to be happy. And when do we feel happy? When you're with a loved one, you're happy. So when you're with someone you love, you're happy. And when else are you happy? Be honest. When you're eating something really good, something really delicious, you're happy because good food makes us happy. And so when you start, people start eating, everyone starts smiling and they become happy. And then there's also when achieves long awaited goal or when buying a first house, especially in Korea, this is,

4:02they're so sensitive about housing and people fight and struggle over it. And also if you win the lottery, you'd be happy. If you win the lottery jackpot, you'd be happy. And if the stock you invested in, it goes up, you're happy. But when things don't go well, you are like, oh, forget it. And then you drink and then and get that buzz from drinking. And for a moment, you feel happy. So I've never done that myself. That's one thing I've not done drugs and drinking. But people pursue do that because in the moment, they think it will make them happy. But all of these are temporary and fleeting. It only lasts for a moment. And in a little while, when you wake off from all of that, you end up with regret. You're, you know, you just like your credit card and the bill comes in the mail or you, you know, you making a mess of things. You, you, when you sober up, you regret it so much. So, so when people look back and they, you know,

5:11end up regretting it very deeply and many filled with regret and living on happiness. The Bible, however, tells us that God is the one who is happy. He's the happy one. He's the fount of happiness. And he is happiness itself. So when God, he created man in his own image and according to his likeness, he allowed man to do things they wanted to do to develop culture and civilization and to live happily. But in the time of Noah, he swept them all away in the flood. He wiped everything away because no matter what human beings develop, build or pursue, none of those things can give eternal happiness because a flesh will eventually die and all the things of this world will eventually disappear. And so he swept them all away during Noah's flood and among them, he left Noah and his descendants so that the descendants of Adam who would be

6:13able to enjoy this eternal happiness. But the rest were all wiped away. So God, he breathes breath of life into Adam and made him a living being. Why? So that he could place his happiness within the spirit and allow that spirit to enjoy happiness eternally. So God gave happiness to the soul and he wanted to share his eternal happiness with men. The problem, however, was that Adam sinned. And why did he sin? Because he was deceived by the devil and the devil was an archangel who satan who fell from heaven because he himself was deceived. God had given him authority and glory and gave him all kinds of responsibilities. What he had been given was already so glorious and he should have been more, that should have been more than enough for him to be happy. But he became dissatisfied and he began to think, is there

7:16something more? And the moment he decided in his heart to become like God, he was then cast down into depths of the pit where he would be contained until the great day of judgment. And now in this state, God created Adam and Adam was deceived in the same way. He was deceived by the devil and Adam, he was insatisfied with the peace and comfort he enjoyed in the garden of Eden. And he began to think, is there something else? Is there more for me to gain? And so the devil, he was deceived by the devil and tried to become like God and then he sinned. And as a result, he was driven out from the garden and thereafter mankind would experience anxiety and a constant sense of isolation. And we see this manifest in Cain because Cain, who was Adam's son, killed his

8:18younger brother. And after that, Cain, he spent the rest of his life saying, I will be a restless wanderer on the earth and whoever finds me will kill me. So mankind, because they sinned, no matter where they lived in this world, they could never again have the kind of peace or rest they had experienced in the garden of Eden. And rather, they lived as though they were always being chased, always thinking anyone who meets me is out to kill me. So they lived under that fear and anxiety. And that's what happened. And then after many years, path, God called Abraham and God said to Abraham, go to the land that I will show you. And he said, I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. You will be a blessing. God was saying here that through

9:23you, people will experience happiness. They will experience blessing. So Abraham left his homeland just as God had promised and went to the land God showed to him. And as the years passed, Abraham did have a son born through his serving. But Sarah and Abraham had no child together. And Sarah, she remained childless until 89. But then God appeared to them in Genesis chapter 18. And God received their very warm welcome. And he blessed them. And he said, I will surely return to you about this time next year. I will surely return to you about this time next year. And so as he was leaving, he said, I will return about this time next year. So he didn't mean that he would appear again in the same form that he was at that moment. But he meant that when he, he will come back and there will be a sign that he has returned. And that sign would be

10:32there will have a son. So when Sarah heard that she was going to have a child in her old age, she laughed. And she must have thought, oh, God really doesn't know. I've already, you know, I am very old and I'm past age of childbearing. So how could I possibly have a child? So she laughed. And God said, why did you laugh? And Sarah said, I did not laugh. But he said, yes, you did laugh. And she was like, oh, goodness, God knows everything. And she realized that and she had to explain herself. And she said, essentially, why did I laugh? Because, you know, I'm very old and I'm past childbearing age. And my husband has lost the ability to have children. And I'm an old woman. How could I possibly have a child? And she said, how shall I have this pleasure? So they thought, how could we possibly feel the kind of happiness again by having a child? Because that time has already passed long past

11:38for us. And then God said, is anything too hard for their Lord? What is there the Lord cannot do? So we encouraged by that word from God, they made the effort and they conceived. And eventually Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. And that was when they had a son. So after the baby was born, they all laughed and saying, oh, it really happened. We actually have a baby. So they were so happy. And you can imagine how happy they were. So today we're talking about happiness, not just blessing, but happiness. So they had given up on having children, perhaps because they were old age, but then as God promised, they were given a child. And they were so happy. And what does Sarah say? She, so God has brought her laughter. And I think Sarah must have laughed a lot, even after she had the baby, because, you know, God has made, she was saying God has made me laugh.

12:47I keep laughing. And those who heard her story came and they laughed too. Those around her, they also laughed as well. And they too were happy. And so what was his name? The baby's name was Isaac, because it means laughter. So Sarah was already laughing when she heard that she was going to have a baby. And then when the baby was born, they named him Isaac, which means laughter. And everyone around them also laughed. They were all very happy. God said, I will make you a blessing. And it wasn't he was God was not talking about something abstract or just purely spiritual kind of blessing, but he gave them something real, something physical, intangible. And so, thing that they actually gave them a reason to laugh and be happy. And this is the blessing God gave to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. So then Isaac grew up. And when Isaac began farming, the Bible says he reap the hundredfold, because the Lord Jehovah blessed him. And he became rich. And his wealth continued to grow when he until he became very wealthy. So wow.

14:01People still love this passage. And there are churches that become very popular by preaching this kind of message. Joel Austin, for example, for many years, he's been in Texas. And even without necessarily evangelizing people just keep gathering coming to the church and it keeps growing. And back then, these things really did happen as these very physical and tangible blessings. If God bless someone, they were blessed. And so sometimes you might think, oh, I should have been born in the Old Testament. And then I would have received the physical tangible real blessing. And there would wouldn't be so nice. And we become wealthy and prosperous. That would be so wonderful. So now when we get to the time, Jacob, Jacob, he was Isaac's son, but somehow after some events unfolded, Jacob ended up having to run away home and he spent 20 years in servitude.

15:08And when the time came, God told him to go back to your father's household. So Jacob started making his way back home, but along the way he heard this very terrifying news that someone came and told him your brother is coming to meet you with 400 men. So Jacob must have thought my brother wouldn't be coming out to welcome me because the last time he saw me, he was going to kill me. So because of the blessing, because back in Genesis chapter 27, when their father Isaac had grown old and could no longer see, he was preparing to give his blessing to his son. And Isaac, he intended to give the blessing to the first born Esau, but Jacob and his mother, they deceived Isaac and they took the blessing for themselves. And Jacob was blessed and said, So Jacob received that blessing and because of this, he had to run away from home and ended up 20 years working as a servant. And after the 20 years were up, so God helped Jacob and through the way that she'd been the goat to her bread.

16:11Some became spotted, some striped in others remaining plain. And so God allowed Jacob's flocks to multiply. And as a result, he came out very wealthy, but he heard that his brother was coming to meet him with 400 men. And that's when Jacob realized, if I get killed, what good is all this, all this wealth that I have, if I'm dead. So he sent everything across the JAPOC river, his family, his children, all his possessions and his flocks and and then he and then he began to pray. It's so Jacob's heard at the JAPOC river. And as he was there, someone came and wrestled him and Jacob thought that this must be someone who can bless me. So he begged him for the blessing wrestled with him all night long. And he wouldn't let go. He kept holding on saying, bless me, give me your blessing. And eventually his hips socket was dislocated.

17:13But even then Jacob still wouldn't let go. And then the man asked him, what is your name? And he said, Jacob and what does Jacob mean? It means to grasp to grab hold. So Jacob was someone who grabbed hold of everything who tried to see things for himself and live by his own strength, by his own efforts. But God was saying, change your name. Your name will be Israel. Your name will be Israel. And what does Israel mean? It means to wrestle with God and overcome to wrestle with God and win. And because he overcame the meaning was now whatever you asked for, you will be able to receive. You will be able to obtain. And that is what the name Israel came to represent. So Jacob had originally grabbed hold of the birthright and taken it for himself. But now God changed his name to Israel and it was as if he was saying from now on, I will be the one who helps you, whatever you are trying to grasp. I will place it in your hands. I will give to you. And that is why God gave him the name Israel.

18:24And then the his descendants, they went down to Egypt and left their asslaves for 400 years and as slaves and a slave as a slave that you have no possession of your own. Nothing belongs to you. They belong to the master and that was the life of slavery they lived for 400 years. And then when the time came Moses came to lead them out. So God brought upon the 10 plagues and eventually through all this, the Israelites were set free. And the Egyptians, they were so shocked by what happened. And when they saw the Israelites alive in front of them, when the Israelites, they were so shocked and they asked. So when the Israelites asked for things the Egyptians gave what they asked for, they gave up their treasures and their valuables. And at that time Egypt was the most powerful nation in the world.

19:24So all of the houses had valuables and they had treasures. There was gold and silver, but the Egyptians that did up giving those things to the Israelites. And so when the Israelites left Egypt, they came out having taken hold of all these treasures because God gave them this blessing. And the Jewish people still remember this history and they look forward to that time to come again and that they still live with that expectation that they will receive that kind of blessing again. So after they had come out, God led them into the wilderness. They crossed the Red Sea and eventually wound up in the wilderness. But once they got there, what was there? All they had was mana that came down from heaven and water. And so they must have thought, you know, God had promised us to lead us into land flowing with milk and honey, but you have brought us here.

20:28So they said, let's go back, but all those who rebelled in this way and complained in this way were all struck dead. And God gave them the commands and decrees. And due to around me, chapter 1013, he says, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes, which I command you today for your own good. So it's saying for your own happiness, essentially. So so God was saying to the people in the wilderness, while you are still living here in this physical body, while you are still alive. In this flesh, I am going to give you these commandments for your happiness, for your good. So everything was physical, it was tangible. And for that physical and tangible happiness, they were to keep the commands and decrees that they were given.

21:28And then we read earlier in due to around me, chapter 3329, happy are you, Israel. Other translations says, blessed are you, Israel. So God was telling them that, you know, who is like you, a people saved by the Lord. He is your shield and helper and geoglorious sword. So as long as that they kept his commandments, God would be with them and he would defeat their enemies and you would save them and give them everything that he's promised. And from that time until today, they have continued to believe that God will give them the land he promised. Not only the land, but they needed, but also a nation of their own, a home, a place to live, food, they believe this and they lived for this. So then eventually they did establish their nation, they fought wars in one battles and they gained more territory.

22:34And eventually by the time of Solomon. So of course there was a long history in between, but when they reached the time of Solomon, they were instructed to build a temple of Solomon. The temple was, it was truly magnificent structure. They used the finest materials, cedar from Lebanon, gold, precious stones, all kinds of the finest materials. And where did, where was this temple of Solomon built? Anyone know where this temple was built? It was on Mount Mariah. Mount Mariah, where was that? So Mount Mariah was originally the mountain where Abraham offered Isaac as a burnt offering. And it's also the place where David offered a burnt offering. So Abraham, so this was a place where Abraham offered Isaac as a burnt offering and David also offered burnt offering.

23:42So Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they were the ancestors of blessing, what kind of blessing? It was practical blessing, physical blessing, happiness, this physical and practical happiness. And this, and because David also did with that Solomon's temple, it represented this happiness. And, and God promised them that you are happy ones. And that's what they believed and that they thought that this was what last. But then they abandoned Jehovah and began worshipping other gods, eventually fought in war and were defeated and then taken into captivity. And many of them were scattered among other nations and became mixed with other peoples. So among those who had been taken captive, they became mixed and they became scattered, but they eventually some return to Jerusalem and they began offering sacrifices to God there again. And they kept asking, when will the day come when Israel was restored? When will God restore us?

24:56When will we again be able to enjoy this blessing, this happiness? So they sought to recover that blessing. And it was at that time that Jesus Christ appeared and he said destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. So the temple represented their guarantee of blessing, their guarantee of happiness, but Jesus saying this before the temple really shocked them. And so Jesus was their enemy and they wanted to get rid of him. Because the temple contained the name of Jehovah and Jehovah was a God of the lineage of Israel of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and David, you know, and all of them have been blessed Abraham Isaac, Jacob and David, they all have been blessed. So they believe that one day they would restore their land and enjoy the produce of the land and acquire gold and silver and we're looking forward for this material wealth and prosperity.

26:00That was the hope they had placed in the temple, but Jesus told them to destroy this temple because all of that was just physical, earthly blessing. It was and it was this blessing, this happiness that it would last only for a moment. But Jesus said destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. So he was not saying that they did not need the temple, but it was the temple that contained the name of God and the happiness that God guaranteed that they had experienced and remembered that happiness as a nation. And through their lineage, she reber him Isaac, Jacob and David, but Jesus was saying that it's no longer this type of earthly and physical happiness that is only temporary, but he would give them an eternal happiness. And that this would be done through his death and resurrection. So when he rises again, he would be risen in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit, the name of God, and he would bless them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. And he would bless the soul. He would bless the spirit soul and body spirit soul and body.

27:23So the soul is not a being. It's it does not live or die. The spirit is eternal spiritual being in the body. The flesh is a temporary being. And because when the body dies, it returns to dust. But the soul is like the steering wheel of a car that directs whether you will live for your spirit or for your flesh. So this is referring to thoughts or emotions, personality, it's connected. So when your spirit receives blessing, your soul receives blessing. And then it and also as a result, your your body could your flesh could be blessed as a result. So when the soul makes the decision to live for the spirit and pursue eternal happiness, then your life will go in that way. But if you decide to live for physical and earthly happiness or pleasure, then it would end in ruin.

28:29Because just as the flesh eventually dies and it disappears in the end, nothing remains. So Jesus Christ came as a god of the souls of all nations. And he was saying that I am not the god of just a particular lineage of bloodline of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. But I am the only begotten son of God, the word who became flesh, the incarnation. He was born from a human, but he was the word who became flesh, spirit, who became flesh. And when he spoke of himself, he called himself the truth that he is the truth itself. The very fact that the word became flesh is the truth. So he came as the truth. So what kind of blessing did he come to give the world? He came to give the kingdom of heaven to those who are poor in spirit, to those who are poor in spirit,

29:31to those who are blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So we read this in the opening passage. So now the son of man, Jesus Christ, he is the son of God who came, who is the word who came as flesh. He is born as man, the live like man, he ate, he became hungry. He had the same, he shared the same physical functions and senses of man. And in such body, he began his public ministry. And how did he begin his public ministry? It was with baptism. And when Jesus was about to be baptized, John the Baptist said, I need to be baptized by you and you come to me. So what did Jesus say then? He said, let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. So baptism is the fulfillment of God's righteousness. It is to carry out according to God's law. And when was that law established? It was established from everlasting. Hallelujah. So when, so when was from everlasting?

30:44So it was from the beginning from the beginning before anything existed before heaven and earth existed before man sinned before there were any events before anything happened. It had already been decided established. And that's why Jesus by being baptized exactly as he was commanded carried out the law that had already been established. So the father had planned and had instructed and Jesus obeyed. And then when he came up out of the water, a voice from heaven said, this is my son, who my love with him, I am well pleased. So what was it that delighted the father? Why did the father love him? Because when Jesus was with the father, he, so when Jesus was with the father, he had agreed to obey the plan that had been decided in the beginning.

31:46The very, that very first act of obedience, he carried out was baptism. And so that's why God said, this is my son, who my love with him, I am well pleased. So it was like that first step was baptism. And from there, he began his public ministry. And so many people started following him and Jesus must have thought, what are all these people expecting from me? Because he was healing the sick and raising the dead and performed miracles of the five loaves and two fish and then feeding the 5,000 having 12 basketballs of leftover. And there were other times when he filled an empty boat with fish. So the words spread everywhere. And people who had, they, they started thinking, wow, this is great. We don't have to work anymore. We can just follow him for food.

32:46But then what did Jesus say, foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head. So in other words, he was saying, if, if you're following me thinking that you can have food or something to eat and that you'll be taking care of, that is not what I'm here to give. So in the beginning, people have come from all over from some area and the surrounding regions and because that, that time, they didn't have hospitals or these medical clinics that we have today. And if you got sick, you know, people think they're just die, but then Jesus came healing of the sick and feeding a thousands and raising the dead. So you can imagine how the people reacted to this. And so thousands of people followed him. And, but then eventually many of the people stopped.

33:46But then because he didn't keep doing those miracles of multiplying bread and fish. And so they eventually thought that there's no point in following Jesus anymore because we can't get these practical benefits from him, these physical blessings. And this isn't going to give us the kind of happiness we're looking for. So they eventually left him. But so then when Jesus, so then Jesus said to Peter, you do not want to leave to do you Jesus acts of 12 and then Peter answered Lord to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life. And so when they first began following Jesus, many of them followed because they thought that they could get this physical happiness. But then they realized when that wasn't what Jesus came to give, they began falling away. And they began to despise him. And this is in Isaiah chapter 53. It says he grew up before them like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground.

34:49He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering and familiar with pain, like one from whom people hide their faces. He was despised and we held him in low esteem. So this is what happened to Jesus toward end of his public ministry. He was despised and rejected. And eventually they they all left him. But now even the midst of all this, the disciples, they didn't leave Jesus because on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus appeared together with Moses and Elijah. His face shown like the sun is close, became as white as the light. So then after seeing this, they thought, wow, so we really haven't been following him for nothing. And so they said, so Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.

35:55But then God, he spoke essentially saying, no, do not need to do any of that. And so Moses, Elijah, they were gone, but Jesus remained. And then a voice from heaven said, this is my son, who my love with him. I am well pleased. This is my son, who my love with him. I am well pleased. Listen to him. So God was directing them to listen to the words of Jesus Christ. So whenever the so when the father spoke about his son, he said, my beloved son, my son, who my love. He kept adding that he was the one whom he loved. So even though from the perspective of the people around him, he looked like someone who had been rejected and despised, but who was Jesus, he was the son whom God loved. And it wasn't only the disciples who heard this, but Jesus heard these words. He heard the father say, this is my son, who my love with him. I am well pleased. So you can think of at that time, people were leaving him despising him. But when Jesus heard this from the father, could you imagine how he might have felt.

37:13It doesn't express this. But you can imagine how he must have felt, how happy he must have been to hear these words from his father. And that is what the message today is about about happiness. He came as the happy one. So Jesus was not truly happy when people came following him saying Lord, Lord, and they were healed and they were shouting Hallelujah because he performed miracles. He already knew that they would eventually turn around and leave him and eventually say crucify him and turn against him. He knew all that. So that was not what made Jesus happy. That is that wasn't where his happiness came from, but he his concern was with the father and how the father loved him. And that's where his happiness came from. So Jesus was truly happy. And this becomes more clear when Jesus goes to the cross and dies because when he died, he said it is finished.

38:16So what kind of situation was he in when he said that he had been rejected by the people he was spat on slapped beat and he was stripped and whipped. He was beaten and battered until his body was like a piece of torn cloth. But in the midst of all that pain and shame, what he said, it is finished. How could he say that? He meant that he completed everything that needed to be done that he was basically saying I am completely satisfied. I am happy. I am happy with what I have done. So Jesus didn't say those exact words, but when we look at John chapter 1724, it says, father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. And to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world, because you have loved me before the creation of the world.

39:23The father loved him before the creation of the world. So where was the son before the creation? He was in the father's bosom. He had not yet come into the world. So when he was still in the father's bosom, when the father the son in the Holy Spirit or one before the son came in flesh, men had been determined that he would come as the son from the very beginning. Before the creation, the father had already determined to love the son and Jesus believed in that love. That is why he could say father, the love with which you love me before the creation of the world is eternal. So he believed in that love and he continued to receive that love. And that's why even though he was dying, he was happy. So at the moment when he was experienced the greatest pain and suffering, the greatest physical pain a human could ever experience when he was at the absolute lowest most miserable moment.

40:32At the very that moment, he was saying, I am happy. That's basically what he was saying. So Jesus died, keep according to the command. So if we explain this in another way, because the father loved the son, he entrusted him the work in which the father delighted. So before the creation, because the father loved the son, the father entrusted the son with the work that pleased him. So when did he entrust him this work when they when they were together in the beginning before the creation and that work was the command to die, that is the command when he came with. So so we spoke in the perspective of father, but now in the perspective of the son, because the son loved the father loved the work that the father entrusted him, he obeyed and fulfilled the work.

41:46So so for the father loved the son, he entrusted him the work in which the father delighted and that was the command to die. And for the son loved the father, he obeyed and fulfilled the work the father had entrusted him. So this was the moment the father was happy and the moment the son was happy and this was like the peak of happiness. Hallelujah. Because you love me before the creation of the world. So when I speak about Jesus as the happy one, why did I call Jesus the happy one because from before the creation of the world, the father already loved the son and because the father loved him, he entrusted with him the work that delighted him. And because the son loved the father, he obeyed and fulfilled the work the father had entrusted him and that moment was like when a happiness party had broken out. So you can't really explain the scene simply using the word blessing and that's why you also need to use the word happy. So even in the Old Testament, the word blessing is used and it's all different translations also used the word happy happiness.

43:02So when you try to interpret this particular scene in this moment, simply as blessing, it doesn't fully explain what's happening. That's why I also use the word happiness interchangeably here. So Jesus died and through his death, the father continued to love him and Jesus accomplished the work of redemption for all men whom the father would love. So he died for the souls who would become the object of God's redeeming love and those who receive the blood that Jesus shed would receive the forgiveness of sins and become happy ones. So if you have the blood of Jesus, amen. So now who are you? I am a happy one. I am a happy one. Hallelujah. Then shouldn't you be smiling? Shouldn't we be happy? So there's actually gatherings where people just laugh together. So if you truly understand this love, how could you not be happy? If you think about how he loved us that he gave his life for us and shed his blood for us and allowed us to receive that blood, if you truly understand that then you are happy.

44:14So after Jesus died, he resurrected and he ascended into heaven and sat down with the father on the throne and he became the happy one. So God, the father, we cannot see with our eyes, but when we see Jesus Christ, we are seeing the father and the son together before they are one. When we see the son, we see the father and the father and the son of love, one another and together forever and ever. So then surely after he sent the Holy Spirit and what does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit helps us remember what Jesus said and he helps us remember what Jesus did, what he said and what he did. So when Jesus began his public ministry, he began speaking to the crowds and the very first thing he preached was blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So blessed are the poor in spirit. Happy are the poor in spirit. The kingdom of heaven is there.

45:20So there was a crowd gathered there, but says that the disciples came forward and they stood before Jesus and Jesus said, blessed are you happy are you. So Jesus wasn't talking to the entire crowd, but it says in this passage that when the disciples came forward, he said, blessed are the poor in spirit. Happy are the poor in spirit. Happy one, you are happy ones and who's happy who is blessed the poor in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Happy are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So the poor in spirit are the happy ones, the poor in spirit. So some poor in spirit, their spirit, their poor in spirit. Not someone who is physically poor, but someone who is poor in spirit. What does it mean to be poor. It means that apart from God's blessing apart from the happiness that God gives, there's absolutely nothing else that can make you happy.

46:31There is nothing else that can make you happy except Jesus. And the word pretocused means that there is absolutely nothing at all to have absolutely nothing apart from Jesus. There is nothing that can make me happy. There is nothing apart from Jesus. So apart from Jesus, my soul cannot be happy only when Jesus is in me when Jesus is in my spirit, can I truly be happy. My soul cannot be happy without Jesus. If Jesus is in me, I am happy. But without Jesus, I cannot be happy. I'm miserable. And for such, the kingdom of heaven has already been promised. Hallelujah. So the Jewish people, they were looking for immediate physical earthly blessings. They wanted an earthly kingdom, the kingdom of Israel. That's, but when Jesus looked at the disciples who were following him, those who had come forward and had chosen to follow him, he saw something different in them.

47:42They had spiritual sense of activity. So even physically, some people are more sensitive than others. For example, some people haven't especially sensitive sense of taste. The tongue can be sensitive to taste things very precisely and they can distinguish different flavors and really appreciate food. So similarly, they're spiritually speaking, person who has the spiritual sensitivity can discern what is truly good for the spirit and what is not. They can recognize that this is something that they need or this is something they should not take in or that this is something that can make them happy spiritually. They can distinguish between these things. And that's why the Bible said, blessed are those who hear, blessed those who have years to hear that. And once you have tasted Jesus, tasted the kingdom of heaven, you know, there's nothing else that can truly make you happy. And I've experienced this for myself.

48:49And I believe in Jesus and actually jump for joy, like jumping for joy, jumping up and down because you're so happy. So who can experience this kind of happiness, what kind of person. Now, if you look at Romans chapter four, verses six to eight, David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one who sinned the Lord will never count against them. Is this blessedness only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. So David says here, is this blessedness so verse. So David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works. Other translations says he spoke of the happiness of the person whom God accepts as righteous. So what does works mean here? The word works.

49:58It's not just talking about physical labor or working with your hands to make a living or this physical work to earn money or food. It's talking about the hardship and the effort of trying to keep the law. So someone who has struggled and suffered trying to keep the law. And yet without having gone through all that work without having struggled trying to keep the law, he is considered righteous before God. And that person is blessed. He's happy. And why is this not important? Because someone who tries to keep the law has already been out. They broken the law. They've been disqualified. But simply by believing through faith that you received forgiveness of sins, even though you have no righteousness of your own, even though they don't deserve it, that person is happy. So I've been redeemed. I've been redeemed. Jesus saves me and keeps me just now. Hallelujah. And I joined with the throng round the throne in the song. I'm redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

51:07So first, you have to have a confession. I am a sinner. If I had never heard this God, well, if I had never received the blood of Jesus, then I would have gone to hell. 100%. Raise your hand if you believe that that you would have gone to hell 100%. Because you are a sinner and have no choice but to bear the price of sin. But somehow I heard the gospel somehow. I came to know Jesus and came to believe that Jesus died in our place because of our sins. And because he died as the atonement sacrifice. And because you believe that and received this blood, you received the forgiveness of sins that you haven't kept the law. There's how many points to the law 613. I have never kept even one. But how could I possibly be forgiven? How could I possibly be declared righteous and the more I understand that the more I realize how happy I am. And that's why I jump for joy.

52:15And someone who is truly happy because of this, who is such person, someone who has no righteousness of his own, absolutely none, for blessed are the poor and spirit to have absolutely no righteousness of your own except Jesus. And such person is blessed and there is the kingdom of heaven. Not only that, someone who who gives up everything, all his possessions, they don't need why because whenever the Lord comes, I'm going to the father, whether it's today or tomorrow, whenever the Lord comes, he will take me with him. And that's what I wait for. And so I live each day preparing for that day and such person is happy. Person who thinks only about Jesus who thinks only about meeting Jesus when he comes who thinks only of his promises is a truly happy one and to such that heaven gates will open.

53:19And so I'm just like myself, am I truly blessed? Am I truly a happy one? I am a happy one. I am a happy one. I am a happy one. Now what is it that makes you happy? Many these days when I start my early morning prayer, when I close my eyes after I sing the hymn, I say, our father in heaven. And just those words, I start to cry, our father in heaven. And then when I think about the father who is in heaven, what comes to mind, I don't picture some vague image of God, but what comes to mind is Jesus, the Jesus redeemer, our father, Jesus who was here in the flesh. And then I start crying, tears are coming. How did I come to know this truth? How did I ever come to hear this message? How did I come to receive his blood? How is it possible that his blood is in me? When I think about that, I am just so happy.

54:23Our father in heaven, how will be your name? His name is in me. The name of Yeshua has become my inheritance. How I makes me so happy in your kingdom come. So I've lived in this kingdom of the world. Yes, I've received many benefits from living in this world, but because I live in this world, I also have worries and struggles, but the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of Christ, when I think about the fact that I am a citizen of that kingdom, and when the king appears, I will be able to go before him and receive his protection, receive his welcome. How that thought just makes me so happy. And when I think about myself, someone who is so uneducated, so insignificant, someone who didn't suffer or work to earn this, how did God teach me this truth? How did he allow me to know this truth and experience this truth? That makes me so happy.

55:29So even today, I still enjoy this happiness and not only am I enjoying this for myself, but I can tell other people about this happiness and teach them about this happiness and share this happiness with them. And that makes me happy. And the church is the temple of happiness. There is absolutely nothing in this world that can truly make me happy, but when I come to church and worship, I'm happy. When I sing out the lyrics of those praise songs, when I sing those words, I'm just so happy. The name of Jesus, the things Jesus did, the promises he made, the works he's accomplished, everything about Jesus makes me so happy. How is it possible with just Jesus alone that my soul can be so completely happy? And especially at my age, if I had continued living in the world, only for the things in the world, how much would I have been looked down on or dismissed?

56:31I would have lived so miserably in the world, but instead I have the happiness of Jesus. And as I continue to proclaim the message of happiness, the people who hear this become happy and they come to know Jesus. And because of that, all of us become so happy. And every day for me is just so happy. And as I, and when I look back, you know, I can truly ask, is there anyone who is as happy as I am because I was conceived and sin, I was born and sin and I should have never even been born because I was born and sinned and lived such an ugly life, this trash life, but yet somehow I met Jesus. And because I met Jesus, I am happy. So out of all the people living in this world, there's like about 8 billion, but out of all those people, is there anyone here as happy as I am? Is there anyone happier than me?

57:32And I can say this was confidence that I am happy, so happy because I, because Jesus had died in my place, he paid for the price of my sins, he gave me life, and I've received that grace. And this is the happiness David spoke about. And I received it with an amen. And I want to live my entire life enjoying this happiness and keep sharing this happiness with others and eventually be taken into the kingdom of happiness. And if, for example, this would not happen, but if I were given another chance, I would do this work again because there's nothing in my life that makes me as happy as this. So it was that age of 40 that I began this work, but if I was given another chance, then I would be good at a much younger age because these moments of happiness, this is the only happiness I know I am truly a happy one.

58:39And I want every one of my brothers and sisters, our members to truly become happy ones in Jesus, and so that you may be able to boldly proclaim that I am a happy one and that my life has been a success.