Witness: Want to Be Happy?
Happiness is your birthright as a citizen of God's Kingdom through Christ.

Matthew 5:3-12 - The Beatitudes

blessed = makários literally means happy.

The happiness that God wants to give us is that God is making us good for the world.

Merciful people are happy people.
People who lack mercy lack happiness.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (CSB)

Happy People…Dance to the rhythm of God’s grace.
Derwin Gray - The Good Life

BEING A MERCIFUL PERSON

1) LOVE GOD BY LOVING PEOPLE YOUR’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO
LOVE.

“Then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the law?’ He asked him. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You’ve answered correctly,’ He told him. ‘Do this and you will live.’” Luke 10:25-28 (CSB)

2) EVERY HUMAN BEING IS YOUR NEIGHBOR

“But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”
Luke 10:29 (CSB)

3) YOU CROSS ETHNIC, CULTURAL, AND RELIGIOUS BARRIERS TO
HELP HURTING PEOPLE

“Jesus took up the question and said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.’” Luke 10:30-33 (CSB)

“But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death.” Hebrews 2:9 (CSB)

4) YOU ARE WILLING TO COUNT THE COST OF LOVING YOUR
NEIGHBOR.

“He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ Luke 10:34-36 (CSB)

‘Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ ‘The one who showed mercy to him,’ he said. Then Jesus told him, ‘Go and do the same.’” Luke 10:3 (CSB)