Christian Atheist Session 6 - When You Believe In God But Pursue Happiness At Any Cost.

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group is going through the book The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel.  A Christian Atheist is someone who believes in God but lives as if He doesn't exist.  If you are courageous enough to admit that sometimes you act like a Christian Atheist maybe along with us we can shed some of our hypocrisy and live a life that truly brings glory to Christ.  To hear the audio of the study group session click on the YouTube Thumbnail 

To get your copy of the book click this LINK or the image of the book at the end of my notes for the study.  

Last week we looked at chapters 7, When You Believe in God but Don’t Think You Can Change, and 8, When You Believe in God but Still Worry All the Time.  We didn’t get to chapter 9 When You Believe In God But Pursue Happiness At Any Cost.  

HAPPILY BLESSED Who doesn’t want to be happy? Research tells us that happy people live longer, have better relationships, and are more satisfied with life. So happiness is good, right?
           

Not so fast. The problem for us as Christian Atheists is not that we want to be happy but that we settle for happiness when God has so much more he wants to give us. God wants us to be more than happy — he wants us to be blessed.

God doesn’t want you happy when it causes you to do something wrong or unwise.
        

God doesn’t want you happy when it’s only based on the things of this world.
        
There is a formula that virtually no one would admit to, but if you look at the way we live you would have to admit that most of us believe this: better possessions +peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + the right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness.

We are not happy with the things of this world because we’re not made for this world!
              

Earth is not heaven. It was never meant to be. That’s why no amount of money, newhouse, new living-room furniture, new kitchen appliances, new clothes, new hair, new baby, new vacation, new job, new income, new husband, or new anything will ever satisfy us, because we were not made for the things of this world.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (NLT)11  Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.12  Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

1 Peter 2:11-12The Message (MSG)11-12 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever (1 John 2:15 – 17 NLT).

The passage focuses on three desires or cravings that turn our hearts away from God: sensuality, materialism, and conceit.

Sensuality (“physical pleasure”): excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. Sensuality includes all five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Which of the five senses represents the desire or craving you’re most likely to indulge in (for example: taste might represent a craving for food or overeating)?
        
Materialism (“everything we see”): preoccupation with material objects and comforts. What objects or comforts occupy your thinking or routinely make withdrawals from your bank account (for example: shoes or clothing, electronics, spa treatments, etc.)?

Conceit (“pride in achievements and possessions”): an excessively favorable opinion of one's own ability or importance. In what ways do you engage in image management or try to prop up your significance in order to make yourself appear to be better or more than you are?

The more you fall in love with God, the less the things of this world will pull you and draw you. You sincerely desire more than anything else to live a life that doesn't bring you temporary happiness.

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them,
and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:19 – 21 NLT).

So don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:31 – 33 NLT).
           
The Greek word used for “treasures” refers to a place where something is kept — a treasure box, chest, or storeroom.2 As a metaphor for the human heart, it evokes the image of a secure container used to protect what matters most to us. In The Divine Conspiracy, author and pastor Dallas Willard notes what this means for our relationship with God:

The most important commandment of the Judeo-Christian tradition is to treasure God and his realm more than anything else. That is what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It means to treasure him.

When we treasure something, we place great value on it. We want to protect it and care for it.

God doesn’t want you happy, he wants you blessed.

Makarios [ma-KAR-ee-os] is a Greek word in the Bible that means “supremely blessed” and “more than happy.”
        
“Blessed [more than happy] is the [one] who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands” (Psalm 112:1).
        
When you lower your expectations of this world and instead pursue God, then you can be more than happy.
        
The more you fall in love with God, the less the things of this world will pull you and draw you.
        

Our happiness is based on the goodness of God.

When God Doesn’t Want Us Happy

Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT)31  “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’32  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)13  So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.14  So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.15  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.16  For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)15  Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.16  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.17  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.  

        
To be holy means to be set apart for a noble use. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “holy,” hagios [HAG-ee-os], is used not so much in reference to objects as it is in reference to people.1
   

God Wants Us to Be More than Happy

Psalm 112:1 (BBE)1  Let the Lord be praised. Happy is the man who gives honour to the Lord, and has great delight in his laws.

           
Psalm 119:2 (BBE)2  Happy are they who keep his unchanging word, searching after him with all their heart.  

           
Matthew 5:8 (BBE)8  Happy are the clean in heart: for they will see God.

Romans 4:8 (BBE)8  Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord.

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Everyone wants to be happy, to be blessed. Too many people are willfully refusing to pay attention to the one who wills our happiness and ignorantly supposing that the Christian way is a harder way to get what they want than doing it on their own. But they are wrong. God’s ways and God’s presence are where we experience the happiness that lasts. Do it the easy way.
           
 EUGENE H. PETERSON A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

God wants so much more for you than mere happiness. Are you able to believe it, deep-down-in-your-gut believe it? He wants to bless you and give you joy — a deep joy the Bible says will fill you up to overflowing, put your feet to dancing, and make you want to shout and sing. That’s a lot of joy! Why settle for second-class trinkets when God offers you a first-class ticket to so much more — boundless love, joy to the brim, peace beyond understanding, and eternity with him.

When You Believe in God but Trust More in Money

When it comes to money, it might be easy to trust God when the stakes are low. But when the stakes get high, it’s tempting to trust in money.

The two stories

1. Deep down, I felt like God was nudging me to give her all the money I had on me. I told you earlier about my worry problem. Not having enough money has been a lifelong worry for me, and it was highlighted again in this moment. Being somewhat selfish, I thought to myself, Is that my spiritual enemy tempting me to be generous? No, it must be God. When I pried open my wallet, all I had was a five-dollar bill. My logical mind jumped in, That’s not enough money to make a difference in her life. It’s only five dollars.  When I gave her the small token of money, she knew five dollars would provide enough gas for her to get home and then some. God had miraculously provided for her. I walked away in awe at God’s goodness. Then I thought to myself, But now what am I going to do for lunch? When church was over, a friend invited me to lunch and said he was buying. Instead Of my normal fifty-nine-cent tacos, my friend got me an eight-dollar hamburger. God Is so good!
2. This time it was for an older man I saw standing alone by his broken-down, junker vehicle. When I opened my wallet, instead of a five-dollar bill, I had only a hundred-dollar bill. I thought, It must  be the devil tempting me to be generous again. I immediately entered serious negotiations with the voice I thought was God’s.
           
   Last time, with the single mom, I obeyed. This time, I didn’t. That’s right. Keeping The money, I ignored the voice and drove on by.  When it comes to money, it might be easy to trust God when the stakes are low. But When the stakes get high, it’s tempting to trust in money.

In Money We Trust

Printed across the back of an American dollar bill are the words, “In God We Trust.” Yet for most of us, that motto is simply not true. We might say that we trust in God, but our actions show what’s really going on. We Christian Atheists often give lip service to God, but in our everyday lives, we’re tempted to trust, serve, and worship the very money on which that slogan is printed.
        

Luke 12:22-34 (NLT)  22  Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.23  For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.24  Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!25  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?26  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?27  “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.28  And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?29  “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.30  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.31  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.32  “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.33  “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.34  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Trusting in money generally sneaks up on us. Most of us believe (maybe secretly) that money can bring us happiness.

Another way money slips in is that when we have “enough,” we feel secure.  The problem is that we reach that level where we feel secure, we want to feel even more secure which means we need more money.  We want to be secure then we want our children to be secure even after we are gone, then our grandchildren so we need to keep accumulating because we want everybody secure.

What we need to be aware of when we do reach that stage where we become secure and feel that we have enough we have to watch out still pursue more just to have more for us.  At some point enough has to be enough.

Enough Is Enough

When Christian Atheists let go of those false promises of worldly pleasures, it’s possible to be content with what we have.

Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT)12  I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.13  For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.          
        
When possessions no longer held us hostage, we saw what we had as being tools to use to help people and glorify God.  21 percent of consistent American church members don't give anything to their church—not a single cent. Seventy-one percent of Christians give less than 2 percent of their income.
        
The End of Our World?

When we put our faith in money rather than God when something happens and the money goes we then think that our world is collapsing on us.    I know people who lost most of their 401K retirement savings during the last recession.  They were heartbroken and didn’t know where to turn.  Then some of them lost their jobs because of downsizing.  It happened to me.  

Even lifelong Christians,  who should have been looking to God for their provision, found themselves panicking. The curtain was pulled back, and our false god of money was clearly revealed.
        
The reason money is such a struggle for so many of us is that it’s clearly the number-one competitor for our hearts.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NLT)9  But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.10  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Many people misquote this verse by saying “Money Is the root of all evil.” But money is not evil. Money is amoral. Money can be used for good or for evil. It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil. Love of money leads to other abuses,  whether of power, of sex, or other sins.

There are many dangers for those who want to be rich. When they want to gain wealth, their desires tempt them to do wrong things. Once they start doing those things, it is like falling into a trap. It is as if the devil has caught that person. And he will not let go. This trap consists of strong desires that seem to force that person to do more evil.

Those who want to be rich and make that their purpose in life will never be content.  The desire to be rich will ruin and destroy them.

The love of money is the strong desire to get wealth. It is greater than the desire to love and serve God. It becomes the main purpose in life. That love is like a root. It is like the root from which plants grow. From that source, there come all kinds of evil.

Luke 16:13 (NLT)13  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

It is not possible to serve both God and money. One or other of them must be the more important. Those who reach out to grasp money will lose their grip on the *Lord.

        
Some Christian Atheists even live as though they believe that God exists to help us acquire more money and things.

I wrote a blog post a couple of years ago, Faith and Prosperity - What Does The Bible Say?

A favorite term in the Word of Faith movement is “positive confession.” This refers to the teaching that words themselves have creative power. What you say, Word of Faith teachers claim, determines everything that happens to you.

“Word of Faith” teaches that your confessions, especially the favors you demand of God, must all be stated positively and without wavering. Then God is required to answer (as though man could require anything of God!). Thus, God's ability to bless us supposedly hangs on our faith. James 4:13-16 clearly contradicts this teaching: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Far from speaking things into existence in the future, we do not even know what tomorrow will bring or even whether we will be alive.

In sharp contrast to the Word of Faith emphasis on gaining money and possessions in this life, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). The irreconcilable contradictions between prosperity teaching and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is best summed up in the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve both God and money.”

Faith, according to the Word of Faith doctrine, is not submissive trust in God; faith is a formula by which we manipulate the spiritual laws that prosperity teachers believe govern the universe. As the name “Word of Faith” implies, this movement teaches that faith is a matter of what we say more than whom we trust or what truths we embrace and affirm in our hearts. - Got Questions.org

There are many dangers for those who want to be rich. When they want to gain wealth, their desires tempt them to do wrong things. Once they start doing those things, it is like falling into a trap. It is as if the devil has caught that person. And he will not let go. This trap consists of strong desires that seem to force that person to do more evil.  Those who want to be rich and make that their purpose in life will never be content.  The desire to be rich will ruin and destroy them.

The love of money is the strong desire to get wealth. It is greater than the desire to love and serve God. It becomes the main purpose in life. That love is like a root. It is like the root from which plants grow. From that source, there come all kinds of evil.

The wealthy are responsible to God for how they use their wealth. The more they have the greater their duty to use it to do what is good.  Rich persons have more than enough for their own needs. There is no benefit to them in owning an excess of wealth. They should be generous. And they should share what they have. They should use their wealth for the benefit of those who are in need of their help.

Two Encounters

The first one is an intelligent, well-educated, rich young man.

Matthew 19:16-24 (NLT)16  Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17  “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18  “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19  Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20  “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21  Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22  But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.23  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.24  I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

The response of the other rich man was the opposite.

Luke 19:1-8 (NLT)1  Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.2  There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.3  He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.4  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.5  When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”6  Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.7  But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.8  Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Zacchaeus’ actions stated clearly how his heart had suddenly changed: “I was all about money—what it could buy and the security it provided. But when I truly saw and met Jesus, money no longer mattered to me at all.”

Paul explained to Timothy,

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NLT)17  Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.18  Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.19  By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

When we learn to trust in God alone, he is the one who provides us with what matters and lasts. Suddenly the earthly possessions that once gripped us.  don’t hold us like they used to. Instead of seeing what we have as belonging to us, we see it as available to God for his use and his glory.

Giving until It Hurts

The Bible is clear that Christians are called to give generously, lest they start trusting money until it.  becomes their god. The Old Testament teaches that we should return 10 percent to God.

Malachi 3:10 (NLT)10  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!  

Some people argue against the tithe, claiming that it’s only an Old Testament command. But looking to the New Testament, we find that Jesus affirmed the tithe.

Matthew 23:23-24 (NLT)23  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.24  Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

Some Pharisees were bragging about their tithe, and Jesus explained that they should not only tithe but also not neglect other important matters.

You might think this is a new phenomenon. It’s not. Some people in the Old Testament did the same thing. God told them to bring their best lambs to sacrifice. They did the same thing many of us would do today. They looked at their best, most prized lamb and thought, This one’s too valuable. It’s gonna get sacrificed anyway. I’ll just give a shabby one to God. He won’t mind. But he does care.

Malachi 1:7-8 (NLT)7  “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect.8  When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

           

So many people today want to give without sacrificing anything.

2 Samuel 24:18-24 (NLT)18  That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”19  So David went up to do what the LORD had commanded him.20  When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.21  “Why have you come, my lord the king?” Araunah asked. David replied, “I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague.”22  “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.23  I will give it all to you, Your Majesty, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice.”24  But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

How about a lottery win?

The Joy of Sacrificial Giving

Here is something that Rick Warren said:

Giving and Faith Go Together

Have you ever had to decide between paying a bill and tithing? This is a test of your priorities. It’s a test of your love. But most importantly, it’s a test of your faith. Do you really trust God to provide for you if you put him first in your life?

God couldn’t care less about the amount you give. What he cares about is the attitude with which you give it. If you’re not giving in faith, don’t give, because you don’t get any credit for it. The Bible also says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).God doesn’t need your money. What he wants is your heart.

There are two ways to give: You can give by reason, or you can give by revelation. To give by reason is to figure out reasonably what you think you can give, and that doesn’t require any faith at all. Even an atheist can do it.

When you give by revelation, you let God reveal to you what he wants you to give in faith. It means you pray and ask, “God, how much do you want me to trust you for this time?” Then you do whatever he tells you to do.

This is giving by faith, and it helps you grow, mature, and become more like Christ

Craig ends chapter 10 with something that happened on a trip to Honduras:

Recently I traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with our church to help build homes for people in need. Our translator took our leaders into the home of a single mom. To call it a home is really a gross overstatement; it was barely a shack, built mostly from cardboard. Five people lived in a space about the size of our master bedroom closet. It had dirt floors, no running water, and a hole in the backyard to take care of business. It was so dirty that it made me nervous when the sweet lady served us lunch.
        
With a warm smile and more hugs than I’m used to, she placed some form of meat in front of me. Not wanting to insult her, I ate the meat like substance, praying with each bite for God’s protection. When we finished our sparse meal, my translator asked if I noticed that no one else had meat.
        
Once he mentioned it, the truth hit me—every other plate had been covered with beans and tortillas. He explained that she had been told how much I like meat. Tears started to roll down my cheeks as he explained that she never enjoyed meat herself, and that he had saved her money for months to bless me with meat.

We Christian Atheists are slaves. This Honduran woman is truly free.
        

Why is it that those who have so little often seem to have so much? And why do those with so much seem to have so little that really matters? This woman who had nothing sacrificed to give a gift to a guy who had everything. Although she had none of the things we chase after every day, she had everything that we lack—peace, contentment, and true joy in the Lord.
        

I’d give all my money to be more like her.

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