THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11

INTRODUCTION

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE BELLFLOWER CHURCH, BROTHER BRETT LAWLESS AND PASTOR JERRY COFFMAN FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS WEEK AT CAMP.

THE THEME FOR CAMP THIS YEAR IS "HAPPINESS" AND THE LESSONS BEING TAUGHT DURING THE DAY WILL BE ILLUSTRATED BY THE CLASSIC MOVIE, "THE WIZARD OF OZ".

IN KEEPING WITH OUR CAMP THEME I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING ON THE TOPIC, "THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS" AND OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11.

ECCLESIASTES 2:1-11  I SAID TO MYSELF, "COME NOW, I WILL TEST YOU WITH PLEASURE. SO ENJOY YOURSELF." AND BEHOLD, IT TOO WAS FUTILITY. 2I SAID OF LAUGHTER, "IT IS MADNESS," AND OF PLEASURE, "WHAT DOES IT ACCOMPLISH?" 3I EXPLORED WITH MY MIND HOW TO STIMULATE MY BODY WITH WINE WHILE MY MIND WAS GUIDING ME WISELY, AND HOW TO TAKE HOLD OF FOLLY, UNTIL I COULD SEE WHAT GOOD THERE IS FOR THE SONS OF MEN TO DO UNDER HEAVEN THE FEW YEARS OF THEIR LIVES. 4I ENLARGED MY WORKS: I BUILT HOUSES FOR MYSELF, I PLANTED VINEYARDS FOR MYSELF; 5I MADE GARDENS AND PARKS FOR MYSELF, AND I PLANTED IN THEM ALL KINDS OF FRUIT TREES; 6I MADE PONDS OF WATER FOR MYSELF FROM WHICH TO IRRIGATE A FOREST OF GROWING TREES. 7I BOUGHT MALE AND FEMALE SLAVES, AND I HAD HOMEBORN SLAVES. ALSO I POSSESSED FLOCKS AND HERDS LARGER THAN ALL WHO PRECEDED ME IN JERUSALEM. 8ALSO, I COLLECTED FOR MYSELF SILVER AND GOLD, AND THE TREASURE OF KINGS AND PROVINCES. I PROVIDED FOR MYSELF MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS AND THE PLEASURES OF MEN-- MANY CONCUBINES. 9THEN I BECAME GREAT AND INCREASED MORE THAN ALL WHO PRECEDED ME IN JERUSALEM. MY WISDOM ALSO STOOD BY ME. 10AND ALL THAT MY EYES DESIRED I DID NOT REFUSE THEM. I DID NOT WITHHOLD MY HEART FROM ANY PLEASURE, FOR MY HEART WAS PLEASED BECAUSE OF ALL MY LABOR AND THIS WAS MY REWARD FOR ALL MY LABOR. 11THUS I CONSIDERED ALL MY ACTIVITIES WHICH MY HANDS HAD DONE AND THE LABOR WHICH I HAD EXERTED, AND BEHOLD ALL WAS VANITY AND STRIVING AFTER WIND AND THERE WAS NO PROFIT UNDER THE SUN.

TOMORROW OUR NATION WILL BE CELEBRATING 213 YEARS OF FREEDOM.

IT WAS ON JULY 4, 1776 THAT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED.

THOMAS JEFFERSON THE AUTHOR OF THE DOCUMENT WROTE THESE WORDS:

“WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL; THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS; THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS."

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HAPPINESS?

MOST PEOPLE TODAY WANT TO BE HAPPY YET LIKE TRYING TO CHASE A RAINBOW IT OFTEN ELUDES THEM.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE CARTOON STRIPS IN THE PAPER IS PEANUTS.

RECENTLY CHARLIE BROWN AND SNOOPY WERE LAYING UNDER A TREE TOGETHER.

IN THE FIRST SCENE CHARLIE BROWN IS READING A NEWSPAPER AND SNOOPY IS LISTENING.

CHARLIE BROWN SAYS, "HERE'S AN ARTICLE ABOUT A MAN WHO GOT FED UP WITH EVERYTHING... SO YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO? HE'S DECIDED TO DEVOTE THE REST OF HIS LIFE TO MAKING HIS DOG HAPPY..." IN THE SECOND SCENE SNOOPY SETS UP AND SAYS, "GET THAT MAN'S ADDRESS."

MAYBE YOUR NOT SURE IF YOUR HAPPY OR NOT.

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

    A.    AM I FULL OF HATE, BITTERNESS OR RESENTMENT?
    B.    DO I BLAME OTHERS FOR MY OWN UNHAPPINESS?
    C.    DO I POUT OR SULK WHEN I DON'T GET MY OWN WAY?
    D.    DO I ENVY OTHERS WHEN THEY ARE BEING BLESSES AND I'M NOT?
    E.    DO I GET MY FEELINGS HURT EASILY?
    F.    DO I HOLD GRUDGES?
    G.    AM I UNFORGIVING?

IF YOU ANSWER ANY OF THESE WITH A YES THEN IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT YOU'RE NOT HAPPY.

THIS EVENING I WOULD LIKE US TO EXAMINE THREE THINGS ON THE TOPIC, "THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS".