This is “I Serve a Happy God.” How do you see God? God is not angry, condemning and waiting to measure you up according to your mistakes. On the contrary, He is gracious, merciful, and waiting for you with open arms. He teaches us to enter his gates with praise and His courts with thanksgiving. In this message with Jentezen Franklin, learn to shift your focus from your sorrow to your source, because we serve a Happy God! To hear more inspiring messages from Jentezen Franklin, visit http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/watch… & subscribe to this channel: http://goo.gl/yfkXHy
the following program is sponsored by
friends and partners of Kingdom
connection so if your little prays don’t
ever go up please don’t think that
you’re somehow hurting God’s self-esteem
he has full awareness and he wants his
people to have full awareness he’s God
over everything you’re facing in the
world
[Music]
if you have your Bibles I’m going to
talk to you for just a few moments from
Exodus the sixth chapter today Exodus
chapter 6 I’ll begin reading with verse
2 and God spoke to Moses and said to him
I am the Lord I appeared to Abraham and
to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty
listen but for my name Lord
I was not known to them in other words
they knew me as the God that they
perceived me to be in the way that they
saw me that is the God I became to them
but then he said there was so much of me
that I want to show you that they didn’t
see they didn’t know me as Lord he
became known as the God of Abraham which
means it’s how Abraham perceived him the
god of Isaac and Jacob but then God
Himself says to Moses but they didn’t
see me and call me by the name Lord and
I’m showing you something about me that
maybe they never saw I want to talk to
you for a few minutes today about the
God that I see specifically I want to
talk about I serve a happy God we can
only reflect of God what we see of God
if you see God as mean if you see God is
angry if you see God is out to get you
if you see God as mad at you then that’s
the kind of God that God of Abraham that
was the kind of God that that he
perceived was the kind of God he was to
him it was personal so many people have
only seen a certain kind of God in their
mind and that’s what they think God is
but I want you today to see him as the
Lord I want you to see him as Jesus
who is God in the flesh and the Bible
said that Jesus came to show us what God
looks like so the thing that I want you
to see is so many people don’t have an
awareness of who God really is people go
to church like this especially people
who’ve been out of church and they come
in and they’re expecting people to be
tired to be sad to be bored they expect
to hear the sky is falling
the end of the world and you aren’t
ready and you’re no good but that’s not
the God that I see in the Bible that is
not his message he said I came to give
you life and give it to you more
abundantly when people go to church and
they see a church that’s filled with
happy people not everything perfect in
their life but their sorrowful sometimes
yet rejoicing they’re going through some
challenges but they realize that my
source of joy is not in my happenings
but it’s in Jesus and Jesus is the
center of my life therefore no man can
take my joy no circumstance can take my
joy and if you don’t have that then you
need to get back Jesus centered in your
life because our joy should not be in
materialism our joy should not be in how
much money we’ve got our joy should not
be in anything this world has to offer
it ought to come from Jesus people go to
church and they if they see people happy
they see people upbeat they see people
encouraged they really don’t know what
to think but I’ve come today to declare
that our God is a joyful God our God is
a happy God our God is a musical God he
said praise me in the dance
he said praise me with the loud cymbals
he’s not sitting up there during praise
and worship with his fingers in his ears
saying I wish they turn the sound down
God says I like rejoicing I like a party
I like celebration I like let there be
joy to matter of fact he says you’re not
even coming into my presence unless you
enter in through the gates of praise and
into my courts with Thanksgiving you’re
not gonna get in my presence because I’m
a happy God and I don’t want to see your
sorrow and I don’t want you come into my
presence and praise me and in my
presence there’s fullness of joy
and I’m not denying that you got
challenges I’m not denying that your
heart may be heavy I’m not denying that
there’s problems in your life but you’re
not supposed to come to church and feel
sorrowful you’re supposed to leave here
and get a good bucket of joy pour it on
your soul saying the joy of the Lord is
my strength and I can take it and I can
make it coz he’s with me
take a minute and create an atmosphere
that God likes and smile he’s a happy
guy I serve a joyful God but if you’ve
been raised in the Church of the mad God
then the music can’t move you because
you’re so solemn and you’re so convinced
God is mad people who are very religious
and serious all the time they don’t
enjoy life but he said I came to give
you some life
I came to fill you with some life in the
midst of sorrow you can rejoice he said
rejoice in the Lord always not what
everything’s perfect in your life and
again I say rejoice you know who wrote
that a guy in a dungeon chained up and
beaten because he served the happy God
people say tsunamis are an act of God
that’s cause they have a mindset they
perceive God is mad and mean they call
earthquakes an act of God tornadoes an
act of God how about we’re in a fallen
world how about how about things just
happen in life because we’re human
beings and this place is not our home
but if you want to know what kind of
world God likes check out heaven he said
it’s a place where there’s no more
sorrow no more tears no more sickness no
more death no more dying he said I’ll
wipe all tear all tears from your eyes
cuz I’m a happy God and when you get up
here you gonna have everything you need
to be happy but until then you can have
happiness in your soul even though you
live in a world that is plagued with
problems Jesus came to preach according
to Luke chapter 4 the acceptable year of
the Lord’s favor on your life if you
want the viewpoint of God he’s not a mad
God he’s not upset he’s not angry it’s
hard to go to church and smile it’s hard
to go to church and rejoice if you think
the only reason you’re here is so God
can hand out demerits and remind you of
how horrible you are no matter how
joyful the music is some people just
can’t believe that God wants us joy ‘fl
the Pharisees studied God as a subject
but not as a friend not as a
relationship with a person it was about
policy the Pharisees were all about
policy the law says the law says policy
policy policy and Jesus was standing
there and they had no relationship with
the person but their religion was all
about policy policy you can’t get the
policy side right if you don’t have a
relationship with the person of Jesus
Christ though it’s interesting the word
policy comes from the root word police
therefore their mentality of super
religious people like Pharisees the
mentality was he’s the High Sheriff of
heaven that’s who God is and they had
policy but they didn’t know the person
of Jesus Christ
now I’m preaching to you today that it’s
not enough to come and sit on a seat and
hear a preacher pre
and call yourself a Christian if you
don’t have a relationship with Jesus
Christ all you have is a theory and
policy and and what that you may be able
to quote John 3:16 but if you don’t know
him as your Savior you can’t get the joy
out of this thing
they had no relationship with Jesus it
was all about policy so they took a
woman called in the act of adultery they
said we’ve got policy they reminded
Jesus we’ve got policy that says and we
it’s been a long time since we stoned
anybody we’re looking forward to it
let’s kill her that’s religion look at
Jesus Jesus wasn’t angry Jesus wasn’t
mean to her first of all he dealt with
them and said let he who is without sin
cast your first stone and all you heard
was thudd thudd thudd as they drop the
rocks and when they walked off Jesus
didn’t say boy you’re filthy you’re just
terrible you know what he said he said
knee where are your accusers neither do
i I’m not a mad God I’m a loving happy
Jesus and he said neither do i condemn
you go and sin no more that night I got
a feeling her lover came around and was
knocking on the door
but she wouldn’t let him in I think she
said you’re never coming in this house
again because I met a person not because
it’s in a policy I met a person and the
person changed me and I’m living this
book because of who’s living in the
house with me he’s greater than anything
you can offer me knocking on my door cup
your hands like you believe he’s a happy
guy
we serve a happy gun I serve a god that
smiles a lot
turn to somebody and say I can tell by
your face who you serve I serve a God
who smiles a lot turned to the other
person that you didn’t care to talk to
first turn to them and say if you’re
happy notify your face people ought to
come in the Bible said that when the
queen of sheba the thing that impressed
her was the joy of the servants the
happiness of the servants she said your
servants are so happy my god is a joyful
god therefore I refuse to let them have
more joy in a mall and more smiles in a
mall than we do at free chapel we are a
happy church because we serve a happy
God and I can put on the garment of
praise no matter what this week brought
brought me because my joy is not in this
world not of this world now I want to I
want to give you some real clean
theology right here that if you live by
it you’ll have good days I serve a good
god and the devil is a bad devil
I said God is a good God I don’t serve a
God who’s running around trying to
destroy people’s lives to keep him
humble nor do I believe in a devil who’s
running around handing out roses and
checks god is good because he never
leaves me and he never forsakes me he
wants the best for his kids
if you let me put it to you right out of
this words of Jesus if you being evil
know how to give good gifts to your
children how much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him not only is God a good
god but God is good at being God and he
knows it
if you don’t ever praise him it don’t it
ain’t like he feels less than because
you wouldn’t praise him this morning God
has self-awareness
he knows he’s God he said to Moses in my
text I am the lord I am large and in
charge and if Pharaoh says anything to
you and he asked Who I am you tell him I
am listen to the attitude I am that I am
his little pitiful army with that little
raggedy chariot army he’s got does not
make me lose my joy I’m God and I’m
aware that I’m God God has no identity
crisis like most of us he is at peace
with his own identity and if you don’t
ever praise him you are not hurting him
I guarantee you I like when he created
earth you know created everything
created the universe created the heavens
it started Bible said on the first day
he created and there’s nobody to praise
him yet so he said I am good
the second-date creates trees please
boom and grass and moon and stars and
then he sets back and looks at it says
man I’m God I’m good I’m good I’m good
I’m good I’m good
he does that for six days and gets to
the sixth day and looks at everything
when he’s finished and says I am very
good so if your little prays don’t ever
go up please don’t think that you’re
somehow hurting God’s self-esteem he has
full awareness and he wants his people
to have full awareness he’s God over
everything you’re facing in the world
honeymoon he’s not afraid of the
Antichrist he’s not afraid of any
administration he pulls men down raises
men up he’s God and he’s aware he’s God
he knows it the Angels cry day and night
they face every direction and if this is
God if this pulpit is gone ones on this
side saying holy ones back here saying
holy ones over here and they cease not
and we think that would be very
repetitive throughout all eternity but
what the rabbi’s teach is as soon as it
comes out of the mouth and there’s
perceiving who God is and seeing him
right there see an aspect of it as soon
as they see it and it goes around by the
time it comes back around the Angels sin
and God says you hadn’t seen this part
yet it’s something he shows an angel
holy it’s not like it’s a less
enthusiastic holy they just seeing more
and more and more of your gods you know
the one who said I love you so much I’ll
die on the cross the Angels never stop
crying within food holy holy holy holy
holy holy they’ve been doing it for all
eternity
I want to tell you something else about
God I serve a God who came to make
friends Jesus came to say hey let’s
let’s be friends let’s get over the
animosity let’s get over the bad stuff
just blame me for everything
it’s what the Cross says just blame it
all on me
I’ll take it I came to be your friend
I’m not angry at you
this is the year of the Lord’s favor in
Luke chapter 4 he said I came to decree
the favor of God over your life can I
the religious God that so many people
who’s mad and angry you don’t read the
Bible Jesus was the life of the party
religion paints Jesus like some stoic
puny pitiful looking but man wouldn’t
give up everything and say I’ll follow
you if he if there wasn’t something
about him that was winsome and
charismatic fun to be around look at it
children don’t play y’all and children
ran up to have been jumped in his lap
and wanted to be pulling on his shirt
and playing with children they have a
sixth sense or something they can tell
when somebody’s real man big old grown
man they’re not gonna follow then they
not man men aren’t gonna follow some
some painting look in Jesus sugar pants
Jesus they’re not gonna follow that he
was a he was there was something about
him he was the life of the Bible said he
was the friend of sinners one of the
greatest criticism religious people had
he’s a friend of sinners cuz sinners
like they were like when most Christians
walk into a room center spread like raid
hitting a roach killing but here Jesus
is he won’t sin and sinners because he’s
happy he’s happy he wasn’t he wasn’t he
didn’t make them feel bad you don’t you
don’t gravitate towards somebody who
makes you feel bad
some of you were just bound and
determined to have a mean God mad God
well that’s just not biblical he does
get mad okay I agree with you the Bible
said he’s slow to anger
slow me give you a biblical example of
that Bibles we act like Jesus was mad
and the first thing a religious person
closed he took the whip into the temple
and he beat the devil out of them
because he was mad you’re not reading
the whole story the Bible said he sat in
the corner read your Bible and he made a
will how long does it take to make a
will
he’s braiding it and he said well I’m
slow to anger I’m giving you another
service and another chance in another
word in another and and I know you’ve
got some problems in it if you don’t
straighten up whom the Lord loveth he
whip us and I’m a whip you but but I’m
slow to anger I’ve been waiting a long
time I I can’t but I let you come last
Sunday in the Sunday before the Sun you
still haven’t forgiven and you still got
that little secret thing going on so let
me just I’m slow to anger but it’s just
about at the top I’m gonna tie this off
and then I’m gonna go to whipping you if
I can’t get you here any other way where
you need to be but I’m not gonna let you
go to hell without you feeling a little
sting on you and so god I serve he’s
happy he’s slow to anger oh please if he
was mad at you you would catch your next
breath so since you got one praise him
cuz he’s a happy guy let everything that
has breath praise the Lord I’m just
convinced he’s mad at me if he were mad
at you you would right there were you
sitting
I’d give you a discount on the funeral
too
you don’t know why I know Jesus was
happy all the time he came to make
friends with people and that’s something
that a different kind of Jesus some of
us picture wherever Jesus was there was
always food Jesus loved him some food he
fasted one time and then everytime else
you see him food if you ever hear a
Christian come up to you and say hey
brother you want a fellowship that’s
code for eat that’s code for food cuz
that’s what we like to do and Jesus is
our example fellowship eat food together
he fed five thousand multiplied happy
people Peter had denied Christ three
times and going back to fishing and
Jesus in his resurrected body and you
know what he did he could breakfast on
the beach could cook fish and bread the
Bible said and called for Peter to jump
out of the boat and say come on I’m back
let’s see he didn’t say you sorry thing
we’re gonna talk about how you cussed
and denied me didn’t you he said come on
come on man I came to make friends I see
the last thing Jesus did for he went to
heaven it’s called the Last Supper the
Pharisees religious people even got
upset said we noticed that John’s
disciples fast often but your disciples
don’t ever fast why you know what Jesus
said Jesus so bad
watch it he said as long as I’m here
we’re eating
I like this food down here and as long
as I’m here weed when I’m taking then
shall they fast but by the way when you
get to heaven the first thing you’re
gonna do is sit down at the marriage
supper of the Lamb and we’re gonna have
a party and we’re gonna have fun and
we’re gonna wipe the tears away and
you’re gonna enter into the joy of the
Lord what a family reunion what a happy
town with a happy God why are you
screaming I apologized for screaming
I’m saying to you today that we serve a
happy God he came to make friends and
then it amazing that he said the way
that I’m gonna make friends with yous
we’re gonna have communion we’re gonna
eat together this bread is my body in
this wine is my blood as oft as you do
this in remembrance of me we come
together at this table that powerful
that I want to be with you you I don’t
call you my servant I call you my friend
cuz I’m a happy God and I want my people
happy
we sorrow not as those who have no hope
Paul said we’re sorry foe yes we go
through the same hell everybody else
goes through we’re sorrowful tragedies
happen terrible things happen bad
diagnosis happened family issues happen
but we are not to allow our joy on the
inside to be determined by the
happenings on the outside because you
serve a happy God and he says in the
midst of it all if you will receive what
I offer you
the Holy Spirit he’ll give you joy
unspeakable means you can’t describe why
but you’re still happy even after all
you’ve been through we need to get back
to what really makes us happy is Jesus
only Jesus can satisfy your soul
as you’ve watched this program today I
don’t believe that God is finished with
you he’s a God of restoration he’s here
to restore you to heal you to love you
you can be so forgiving that the book of
Romans said there is now no condemnation
to those who have entered into Christ
Jesus and what he did on the cross I
want you to pray with me right now just
right where you are say these words
Jesus forgive me cleanse me I need you
in my life heal me restore me and today
I confess my sins and I thank you for
giving me the freedom of grace and love
that I don’t deserve and I have not
earned
but you freely give it and I receive it
in Jesus name Amen
one of the ministries of our church is
called new beginnings it is founded and
headed by a special woman of God named
Sharon Thompson this is a ministry we
support and have been supporting for
many years to help women who are bound
by addiction find freedom more and more
were seen young girls show up needing
help needing a program to get their
lives
straighten out by God’s grace this
unique ministry is making a powerful
difference literally saving lives but
they urgently need a new dormitory for
the youngest in their care the 12 to 17
year old girls it will take a total of
three hundred thousand dollars to
construct the girls dorm let me hear
from you I’m believing with you that as
you sew today God will bless you for the
thing that you do for others here’s my
announcer to tell you more of how you
can be a part of this miracle alcohol
and drug abuse is a devastating epidemic
in the United States today with young
girls and women becoming the fastest
growing demographic nearly 5 million
women over the age of 12 have a
substance abuse problem and over 200,000
of them die each year due to their
addictions these women need your
helped this month we’re partnering with
new beginnings to build a dormitory for
teenage girls struggling with addiction
your generosity will assist in building
this new dorm as well as giving recovery
hope and the life-changing message of
Jesus for your gift of $35 or more
you’ll receive Jenson Franklin’s message
your failure is not final and custom
bookmark with your gift of $300 or more
you’ll also receive God’s masterpiece
journal and the Jenson Franklin Legacy
Bible with your generous seed of $1000
or more your name will be commemorated
on a wall of recognition at new
beginnings and you’ll receive this
special edition legacy Bible your
generosity will save countless lives of
young girls by showing them the life
transforming love of Jesus visit us
online today this program has been
sponsored by friends and partners of
Kingdom Connection we hope you’ve
enjoyed this teaching by Jensen Franklin
and thank you for your continued support
of this ministry your prayers and
financial support make these programs
possible
you