Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2014

One day, King Solomon looked at all of his stuff, all of his women, all the chariots with the 26-inch rims. Do you know what Solomon said as he looked at all of this stuff? “Vanity of vanities ... emptiness ... chasing after the wind.” You would think he’d be happy, but he was not. A modern-day example is Robin Williams — famous, $30-million home, Academy Award nominee. His job was to make others happy. And yet, he ends up killing himself. What I believe, under the sovereignty of God, Robin Williams bequeaths to us: There is no lasting happiness in this life independent of God and His son, Jesus Christ. Some of you are sitting here thinking, “I just need to get this degree and it will set me on a wonderful trajectory to make some money.” God is not anti-wealth, and He’s not anti your happiness. We find our happiness not independent of God, but in God and God alone. I’ve been on my little boys since the time they were 4 or 5 years old to learn the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What is the chief aim of life? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. As I’m dropping offmy littlest, Jaden, at school, I’ll ask, “What does it mean to glorify God today?” He will say, “To make Him bigger.” I say, “Jaden, give me an image; you know we can’t make God bigger.” He’ll say, “Dad, it’s like a telescope.” A telescope exists to bring clearly into view those things that are far off. A telescope does not literally make a star bigger, or the moon bigger, it just brings them clearly into view. If you’re saved, you are God’s telescope. May you live in such a way that people see God through you, get a big picture of who God is, and say, “Wow!” Paul says in Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” You exist for the happiness of God. An authentic follower of Jesus Christ looks at his studies at Cedarville University not merely as a task to be fulfilled, but looks at them as worship. When I’m studying science, biology, English, theology, or whatever I’m studying, the punchline is this: God, how can I give You glory? For God’s sake, don’t let nominal, pseudo Christians rob you of the worship of God as you do your assignments. Psalm 16:11 is phenomenal: “You make known to me the paths of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The psalmist is saying God is not anti your happiness. He wants you to be happy; He wants you to have joy. What He is “anti” is pointing the antenna of your life away fromHim to the things of this life and finding joy independent of Him. In His presence, there is fullness of joy. When the intent of my life is pointed Godward, and I ammaking God happy, whether I eat or drink or study or hang out, whatever it may be, it’s all done for the glory of God. When your aim is to make God happy, something interesting happens: You get joy. In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy. Bryan Loritts is the Lead Pastor of Fellowship Memphis, a multicultural church ministering to the evolving community of urban Memphis. by Bryan Loritts The Pursuit of Happiness The following is an excerpt from a chapel presentation by Bryan Loritts on the morning of August 19, 2014. Loritts was the keynote speaker for the 2014 Fall Bible Conference. Listen to his full remarks and other conference messages at cedarville.edu/chapel . Watch or listen online at cedarville.edu/chapel to hear these engaging speakers: Chapel Notes Feb. 3–4 Dr. D.A. Carson Research Professor of New Testament Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Deerfield, Illinois Feb. 18 Dr. Ronnie Floyd President of the Southern Baptist Convention Senior Pastor of Cross Church Springdale, Arkansas Feb. 25 Dr. Russell D. Moore President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention Nashville, Tennessee, andWashington, D.C. Mar. 12 Freedom to Flourish Conference Dr. Peter Greer President and CEO of HOPE International Lancaster, Pennsylvania Mar. 17–18 Dr. Mike Fabarez Senior Pastor of Compass Bible Church Aliso Viejo, California Apr. 15 Wayne Huizenga, Jr. President of Huizenga Holdings Fort Lauderdale, Florida Cedarville Magazine | 21