Happy Black Friday.
Doesn't that sound weird?
Right, it sounds weird to say Happy Black Friday?
We wish each other a Happy Thanksgiving,
a Happy Fourth of July,
but to hear the words Happy Black Friday,
it just sounds a bit weird
because so often this day,
this day of Black Friday,
the day after Thanksgiving,
it's not full of a lot of things that are happy.
It's full of crowds and crowds of people
shoving and pushing,
and tired and hangry,
and fighting for this little discount thing.
It's full of people that are willing
to get up super early for door buster sales,
but then two days later won't get up for 9:00 church because
because well I need my sleep.
It's full of people that are stuck at work,
that just, they really don't want to be there.
They just want to be with their family.
This day isn't always that happy.
Now don't get me wrong,
I'm not anti-Black Friday.
I enjoy it actually.
My wife and I, if there's something
that we need in the house,
we'll kind of wait until Black Friday comes
and we'll get like one or two items
that we need for the house,
and then we kind of people watch.
We just see the symphony of crazy
that happens in front of us.
Black Friday's a cool day.
It's kind of a fun day.
But so many people are out there hunting
hunting and hunting.
And it's all based,
maybe not all based,
but there's a lot of people
that are just,
they're on greed.
Or they say I need this.
I need this.
And really how much stuff
do you really need?
You know we can always look around
and find someone else
that's got life going better than you do.
They got the nicer car
or nicer clothes,
or nicer vacation.
We think man, if I could get that stuff
I would be happy.
But really our happiness isn't based on stuff.
You know I just met a couple at a wedding,
incredible couple,
really fun, we hit it off really well.
They just put an addition
onto their house,
which includes an indoor ice skating rink.
Indoor ice skating rink!
And he bought a personal Zamboni.
Yeah, they're doing way better than we're doing.
But their happiness wasn't based on their stuff.
I mean they're a really happy couple,
wonderful couple.
But it wasn't based on stuff.
Stuff, stuff
just doesn't really make you happy.
And really think about this day,
all this stuff we want to buy,
it's not going to fill a void in your life.
It's not truly going to bring happiness.
So many of the stuff that we think we need,
we really don't.
All right, let me put this into perspective for you just a little bit
about how blessed,
how truly blessed you really are,
and how you don't need,
you don't need more stuff.
If you have a home
that has a front door that locks.
If you have food inside of that home in your pantry.
If you have a closet in your home
that has more than three pairs of clothes.
If you have a mode of transportation that's reliable,
even if it's not a car,
but you could use public transportation,
you can pay for it.
If you have got more than $10 in a bank somewhere.
If you can say any of those things,
that means that you are wealthier
than over 90% of the people on the planet.
The stuff,
the stuff that we clamor after on Black Friday
just is it worth it?
Is it worth it?
It really isn't.
And God says this.
God gives us a warning about this
in Luke chapter 12.
God says watch out.
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed,
even if it's hidden in well I got it on discount.
Watch out.
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.
A man's life, a person's life
does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
Again, I'm not anti-Black Friday,
and you're not sinning if you go out Black Friday,
but don't have it consume you.
And don't have the hunt be the reason why
you have true joy on this day.
The day of reasoning of true joy
is because of what God has done for you.
True happiness, true happiness,
it's not found in a shopping cart
full of door buster deals.
True happiness is found in a heart
that's full of Jesus.
Christ Jesus who busted down the door to heaven for you
when he destroyed the grave.
True happiness is not found by flipping through
all those Black Friday ads,
trying to find that must have item.
You know true happiness is found
by flipping through scripture.
And looking and seeing in there
that God said that you,
that you are that must have item.
True happiness is not found in a credit card swipe,
it's found in God wiping away every single one
of your sins.
True happiness, it's not found in this day.
It's not found on Black Friday.
True happiness
is found on Good Friday,
when God paid full price,
not discounted rate,
full price,
his full body, his full blood, why?
To buy you.
And why?
You, you are worth it.
Black Friday is definitely full
of a lot of crazy, a lot of weird things that happen,
and I'm really curious
what have you seen?
What in the world have you experienced?
It would be really fun to see these comments
flow in below.
So if you could share with everybody
what you have seen on Black Friday that just
blew your mind.
And remember this, as you see the crazy out there,
God took care of all of us.
No matter what we face,
God is always there.
I hope you have a great day today,
safe day and a wonderful day.
And always know that God loves you.