Sermon
Sermon Series: “Whatever Happened to Joy?” | Sermon: “Unchained Joy”
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Good morning, friends.
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It is so good to see all of
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you here today. As we gather for worship
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this day. If I haven't met my name
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is Pete Moon, 1 of the pastors here,
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and I'd like to walk you who are
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in person and also those who are with
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us online this morning as we gather for
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Worship.
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I'm also very excited this morning to Welcome
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to the Reverend Katie Gu. Who is here.
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Many of you know, Katie, She is a
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former executive pastor here at Rev. She's also
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the director at the paces center. And she's
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here to be our this day, and we
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celebrate your presence with us, and so glad
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that you are here today. As always, we'd
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like to encourage you to take a few
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moments and look at all the announcements that
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are in the Bulletin. And I want to
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highlight just a couple. A reminder that throughout
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the summer,
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we are engaged in what we have called
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mission in the middle At the 09:30 hour.
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We have an opportunity to be in mission
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or to hear about mission. And we're continuing
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that. And next week, we're gonna have a
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big effort as we work with rise against
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hunger to make 10000 meals. We're gonna do
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that at 09:30 next week. And you can
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register for that ahead of time that that'd
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be extraordinarily helpful for us. And come and
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join us again 09:30 next week for rise
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against hunger.
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Also, you're gonna be hearing more about this
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in the weeks to come, but you could
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see a full listing
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of the many small group opportunities that will
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be coming up this fall.
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We were we're gonna encourage you if you're
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not a part of a small group or
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a sunday school class, please plan on signing
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up. There's many opportunities, and we would love
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to have you for each and every you
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1 of those.
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And finally, a reminder that were continuing our
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sermon series this summer entitled whatever happened to
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joy. And we're gonna jump into the book
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continue to work and jump into the book
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of Philippians with Paul as he is in
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prison and somehow even in his chains in
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his imprisonment. Finds the opportunity to find that
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joy from within. We're gonna talk about what
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that means and how you and I could
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find that same joy and a spread it
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those who are around as we gather for
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worship today. The Lord be with you.
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Will you please rise and join with me
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in the call to worship printed in your
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Bulletin?
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O sing to the Lord a new song
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for he has done marvelous things.
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His right hand and his holy arm have
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gotten him victory.
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Make a joyful noise to the Lord all
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the earth, break forth into joyous song and
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sing praises.
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Let the sea roar and all that fills
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it. The world and those who live in
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it.
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Where he is coming to judge the earth.
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He will judge the world with righteous this
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and the peoples with equity.
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Singing together him number 01:39.
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We are a people that praise God, and
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in people that know that God loves us.
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And so as confident children of God, let
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us now go
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to our time of
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confession to our lord. Will you please read
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with me the prayer of calming confession?
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Almighty god.
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This day we confess our lack of joy.
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You have provided all we need
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for living a radiant life.
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And we have allowed an angry culture
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to diminish that light within us
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In our challenges,
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our eyes have turned away from your goodness
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and your love.
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We have trusted in our anxiety
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instead of your promises.
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Forgive us
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and lead us into a better way
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that we might be filled with your joy
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and testify to hope
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in a world,
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which is in such need of it.
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This we ask in the name of Jesus.
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I'm amen.
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Here the good news.
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Christ died for us while we were still
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sinner
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that proves god's love towards us.
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And the name of Jesus Christ,
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you are forgiven.
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Glory to god.
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All amen. And now as reconciled people let
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us past the piece of Christ if the
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children will come forward.
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Good morning, Revel, United Methodist Church,
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and for all who are visiting with us
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online. If there any children present, please move
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a little bit closer to your screen because
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this is your time as well.
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How is everybody doing today?
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Great.
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Well,
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I have a few things that I wanted
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to share with you today.
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You know, I got visited by my teenagers
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and so when they come to work,
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they have to work too.
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So I have them draw a couple of
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diagrams for you. Can anybody tell me what
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this looks like?
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Great Leo, it is a happy
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base.
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Now Is there anything that makes us happy?
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Can you guys tell me some things that
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make you happy? What makes you happy May
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Louise?
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You said what?
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Salmon.
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I love salmon too. That makes me very
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happy. Is he?
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Your family
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isn't that sweet. Family makes us happy. Okay,
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Leah?
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Love.
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Love makes us happy.
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Once again, I say, you guys should be
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doing this instead of me. Alrighty.
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So
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I now have this space? What is this
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space?
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It's what?
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It's a sad face.
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Now, is there anything that makes a sad
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Is he?
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Dog
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Okay. She said when her dog died. Yeah.
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That would be very sad.
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When somebody yells at you, Anna, okay. Yeah.
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That would make me sad too. Anybody else,
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Leo?
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Okay. And a funeral. Yeah. Okay. Those are
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all sad things.
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So today, Pastor Pete is gonna talk about,
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I think the differences is between happiness and
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joy?
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The reason why I wanted to talk about
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some things that make us sad, did you
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know
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that I had Maya draw 1 more picture
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for me?
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Okay? Now what does this picture look like?
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Calm.
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Okay. May Louise, what were you gonna say?
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Blessed.
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Alrighty. And that's what this picture looks like.
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When we think about joy,
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it's not always that ex ex, happy, happy,
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you know, berry like excited.
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And it... But it definitely is for sure
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it's not sad.
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But what god wants us to always remember
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is that even when we are having a
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bad day or when somebody yells at us.
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We can still have that. I love the
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way that you described it as calm.
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It's a calm
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that is about that peace of Jesus Christ.
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And that calm as I think where we
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find that joy.
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And there's a way that I always like
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to get that joy. Do you know what
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it is? It's by saying to you words.
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What do you think those 2 words can
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be?
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It's not Hi mommy.
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That's what Ana saying. Hi, mom.
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Alrighty, Leo?
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Love God. Yes. But you know what? For
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me, practically to bring that joy. Is to
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say thank you. Is to remember the blessings
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that God has given me
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even at times when things are a little
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bit rough,
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and that brings that calm.
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly father.
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Heavenly father. Thank you for the gift.
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Thank you for the. Of joy. Of joy.
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That is with us. That is through happiness,
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happiness and sadness.
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Sad
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Amen.
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Alright You guys can get back to your
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seat.
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And thank you for helping.
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Please join me in praying the prayer for
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elimination that's found in your bulletin.
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Gracious God
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as we turn to your word for us,
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may your spirit, rest upon us.
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Help us to be steadfast
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in our hearing,
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in our speaking
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in our believing
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and in our living.
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Come amen.
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Today's first scripture reading is from the book
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of Philippians,
Philippians 1 chapter mention
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chapter 1
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versus 12 through 19.
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And this may be found on page 09:53
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of your Pew Bible.
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Paul sees his
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incarceration by Rome
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as an opportunity
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to spread the faith.
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I want you to know beloved that what
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has happened to me
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has actually helped to spread the gospel,
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so that it has become known throughout the
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whole
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imperial guard
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and to everyone else that my imprisonment
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is for Christ.
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And most of the brothers and sisters
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having been made confident in the lord by
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my imprisonment,
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dare to speak the word with greater bold
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and without fear.
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Some
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proclaimed Christ from envy and rivalry,
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but others from goodwill.
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These pro proclaimed Christ out of love,
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knowing that I have been put here for
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the defense of the gospel.
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The others proclaimed Christ out of selfish
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ambition,
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not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering.
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In my imprisonment.
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What does it matter?
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Just this
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that Christ is proclaimed in every way
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whether out of false motives
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or true.
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And in that,
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I rejoice.
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Yes, and I will continue to rejoice
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for I know that through your prayers
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and the help of the spirit of Jesus
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Christ.
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This will result
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in my deliverance.
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The word of God for the people of
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God.
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Thanks Be to god.
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In our second reading for the, it comes
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it continues
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beginning with the twentieth verse. Once again, I
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invite you listen for the word of God.
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It is my eager
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expectation and hope
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that I will not be put to shame
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in any way, but that by my speaking
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with all bold.
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Christ will be exalted now as always in
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my body.
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Whether by life
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or by death.
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For to me, living is Christ and dying
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is gain.
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If I am to live in the flesh
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that means fruitful labor for me, and I
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do not know which I prefer, I am
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hard pressed between the 2.
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My desire is to depart and be with
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Christ.
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For that is far better.
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But to remain in the flesh is more
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necessary for you.
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Since I am convinced of this, I know
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that I will remain and continue with all
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of you for your progress, and joy in
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the faith,
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so that I may share abundantly in your
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boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to
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you again.
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This is the word of God for the
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people of God.
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Thanks be to God. Let us pray.
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Look god, it is our prayer this day
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that as your word is offered and proclaimed
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that we too would find the joy. Of
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which Paul speaks.
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Surround us with your grace, remind us of
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who you are, so that we can be
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a living testimony.
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To that which we cling. For we ask
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it all in the name of Christ star
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Lord,
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Amen.
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All, some of you may be aware that
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my daughter Kristen is just getting ready to
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give birth to 2
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of cool twins. It's gonna happen every any
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day Now Lynn is up in Maine. Getting
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ready for that and we're are all excited
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about that in our family, but all this
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has also been the occasion.
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To remember 1 of her habits
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when she was 3 years old. Some of
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you know, my story, we had 5 kids
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and 7 and a half years, so it
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was just 1 big blur most of the
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time.
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And it was a challenge. When all our
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kids were young to to listen to all
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the requests that would come our way, but
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my daughter, Kristen, when she was 3. She
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would not be deter.
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She would be heard. And if she was...
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If we weren't here, she would literally get
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up in our face she grab our cheeks.
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Right? You ever to have? Listen to me
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she would say.
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Have you ever... Here's my question for the
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morning.
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Have you ever had God do that to
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you?
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Time spirit figuratively
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grabs your cheeks and says look at this,
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pay attention to this. This is important.
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Let me tell you a story about when
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that happened to me many years ago. I
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was on a mission trip to Cuba.
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And this was 1 of the... When Castro
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just opened up the church down there for
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missionaries. We took a group down there,
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and, it was kind of hard work. We
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were working building a, methodist camp, and we're
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making concrete blocks all day.
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Spending a lot of time with that, but
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in Cuba now, you need to know. When
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you go to church, you go to church
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for 2 hours every night.
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And except on Saturdays, you go to church
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for an hour, then you play games with
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the church for for an hour.
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But we were there, and we had done
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all the work, and we went to worship
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and the service was over about 09:00, and
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we were all really
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tired. And... But the the church was just
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getting spun up. They said this service was
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so great. Let's do it again.
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And and there's another church, 2 miles down
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the road and said, let's get the whole
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church and put it on this big flatbed
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truck 40, 50 people on a flatbed truck,
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youth, children adults.
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And they took the whole service at 09:00
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to do another 2 hour service again, 2
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miles away. And can I just confess to
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you
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that my attitude at at that point was
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not the greatest?
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I was tired. I was ready to call
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it day, and I was not ready to
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go worship for another 2 hours,
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but that's when God gotta hold my cheeks.
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And said you need to pay attention to
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this because those kids, those youth those children.
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Were doing something amazing, 09:00 at night. Out
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in the country a very dark night in
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Cuba.
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And we're going off the road on this
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village.
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And the kids were singing in this song.
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Go Go go go.
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Which loosely transmitted
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means joy, joy, joy. I wanna joy and
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the Lyrics sq to say, but I did
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not find joy.
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Until Christ found me.
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And so they're singing this song out into
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a very dark night
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And I watched... I looked at the left
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and I saw the school where all the
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kids went.
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And the children had showed me their curriculum.
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What they learned in the school and the
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dark pictures of the church that were brought
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forth from the curriculum from an atheist government.
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And they were going a little farther. And
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up on the right,
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there is the ration store in Cuba. And
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every shelf was empty. All the bread was
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gone. No food on the shelves at all,
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except for rum,
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abundant rum on the shelves.
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We went a little further and there were
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the... The old men of the city,
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sitting alone in the dark, drinking rum on
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the corners of the streets.
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And yet, 09:00 at night into the darkness.
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These children are singing Go go go. Go
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yoko.
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And I think about that scene, and I
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think about that picture. And I think it
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it it brings to light this story. From
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Paul this reading from Paul and Philippians. Now
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my cuban friends,
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they were not in prison,
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but they lived in this intensely repressed society
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and they lived in the midst of poverty.
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And even so, their joy, they're singing their
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music. It was just unrest.
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Just like Paul
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and our reading this morning.
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Not the story.
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Paul is literally
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in chains,
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literally in prison.
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And he is there for unjust reasons.
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And he is there in part because he's
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dealing with folks who he raised up. He
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trained. He equipped. He offered the gospel to
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these people. They became preacher, And now they're
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preaching against him.
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And even in these difficult circumstances,
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preaching Paul for 4 chapters in the book
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of Philippians writes a song of joy,
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even in the chains.
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And in so doing, he offers this ironic
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theme for our conversation this morning.
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Paul is in chains,
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and yet,
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pro an un unchanged joy.
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Paul is in chains,
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and pro an un unchanged joy.
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And it offers you and me the occasion
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this morning to go back to our primal
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understanding of joy and what it is throughout
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the scriptures.
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And let's speaking begin with a reminder that
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joy is not the same thing as happiness.
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Happiness is a great thing.
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Our declaration of independence says that our creator
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has given us in ina rights, 1 of
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which is the pursuit
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of happiness.
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And, let's just admit. There are some great
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songs out there about happiness. What about that?
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Classic jamaican song. Don't worry. Fill it in
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Don't worry.
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We got that. How can you sit still
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when you hear that song? How can you
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not smile when you hear that song?
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What about the frail William song
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that came out 10 years ago? Because I'm
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happy
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That's it. In fact, do you know they're
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gonna make a film about 4 Williams, and
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they're filming it up in Ash it's gonna
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be a Lego movie. It's gonna be fascinating.
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But, you know, when that song plays, you
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remember how it came out, everybody did a
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video about that song and different constructive videos
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around that, and everybody was happy and lifting
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up their hands and smiling and making all
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that. How can you not move when you
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hear that song happy?
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But here's a question.
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You hear that song, Don't worry Be happy,
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what do you do in the songs over?
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Because here's where we recognize.
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That the pursuit of happiness.
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It's not a walk into park.
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There's... It's a hard thing in many ways
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because happiness
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is directly related
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to circumstances.
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We're happy because good things are happening.
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Money is good.
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Relationships are good. Marriage is good. Health is
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good. Kids are good. The list goes on
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and on.
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But what happens when circumstances
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go south.
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And sometimes they stay south bound for a
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long season. How do you pursue happiness when
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things go bad?
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And could it be that many people out
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there
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are not singing happy songs. Many people out
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there are not feeling this joy. Many people
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are weary
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of a pursuit of happiness and as a
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result.
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Are living lives
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where they're simply managing
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disappointment.
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Because let's be honest, there's a whole lot
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of other songs out there,
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moving songs.
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The speak of what happens when we come
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into the dead end
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of the pursuit of happiness.
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You know, years ago, a song came out
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1 of the most popular songs still on
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the best selling lists today by a British
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rock band. It's a song entitled comfortably
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numb. I don't know if you're familiar with
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that song. It's haunting
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it it's a beautiful song, but it's haunting
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in its lyrics because it describes a man
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or a person
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who has pursued this happiness.
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But instead of finding it has simply medicated
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himself on the an aesthetics of life.
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And as a result, has become in the
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name of the song,
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comfortably
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numb.
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It's a depressing song,
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but representative of so many who are struggling
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in the world today.
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But
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but you contrast a song like that
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with the songs and the H that we're
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singing here today.
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Now we sang a great song today about
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re,
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and we also sing a great song. I
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wish you could have heard yourself sing last
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Sunday when we were out here, we opened
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the whole series up with joyful, joyful we
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adore. Tom, you just brought it on in
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network and put the pedal down and you
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all were singing And we are saying the
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songs of the church,
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the songs of joy,
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and no 1 in the room was comfortably
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numb.
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And we can do that
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because joy is different from happiness.
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Again, happiness comes from circumstances, but joy.
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It comes from within you.
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And when it comes to a Christian sense,
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do you see the joy that wells up
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from within
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is a work of god inside of us.
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God's spirit working inside of us. There is
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the joy
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that lies in the gospel. The center of
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the gospel.
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The message that defines you in me and
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us.
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And here's an opportunity you for us to
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remember
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that the Christian faith is unique and among
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all world religions.
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In virtually, every other world religion,
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you are accepted
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because of what you have done, what you
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do.
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But you see that's not the case in
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Christianity.
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We are saved by grace.
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Not by what we do, not by being
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good enough, and that fundamental
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truth,
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always
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distinguishes us and
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If we listen carefully to it provides a
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platform of joy,
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which can elevate us in this life in
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the next.
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You know, it's an old illustration, but it
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still works effectively.
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Some of you might remember that old movie,
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chariot a fire came out years ago.
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Do you know that movie about
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2 Olympic runners
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is actually a depiction of the gospel.
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You have 1 runner who is Zealous,
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intense,
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disciplined,
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trains, runs. When you see him, he's... Focused
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on the finish line. He's going.
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All that is there.
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But then the other runner is, of course,
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Eric,
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who famously says
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when he runs,
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he feels god's pleasure. And all the images
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of him running,
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he has that profound sense of joy on
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his face.
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See, that's what the gospel does.
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It frees you up and me up to
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celebrate the goodness of god. Embrace the grace
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of god. Live a life out of god's
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pleasure
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instead of being driven.
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By our perceived
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displeasure of an angry god toward us.
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Instead, we know a God who sees us
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as we are sinner that we are. Messed
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up broken people that we are. Our God
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has come down and loved us and raised
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us up by grace.
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In a way we don't deserve. And therefore,
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we are freed up
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to celebrate and enjoy a very good god.
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A god whose primary care... At 1 of
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his primary characteristics is joy.
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500 years ago, Saint Teresa of Ava.
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She warned us even today with these words.
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She said,
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and I quote, from silly devotion and sour
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faced saints good lord deliver.
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See Joy filled saints.
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They understand and they are filled with this
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gospel of grace. Even though we contemporary church
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people, we often
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overlook this fundamental truth.
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I mean, how many folks
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have been driven from the faith?
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How many folks who are in church this
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morning have been driven because they have not
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found that joy as so much of the
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Christian faith gets forced out to the political
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polls, P0E.
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And as they move to those places in
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this heated season,
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joy gets squeezed out.
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Whatever happened to joy.
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Well, let's find it. And let's go back
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to our reading and go back to Paul
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because Paul had it.
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And he had lots of it. How did
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he do it?
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Well we simply have to look to his
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center,
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look to that place where Paul is granted.
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Looked at that place that he is t.
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Paul will never
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let himself or his verses or his riding
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ever get far away from it. When I
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read Paul,
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especially in Philippians, but in other readings.
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I feel I picture myself back on a
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elementary school playground.
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Do you all remember growing up playing that
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game T ball? Do you remember T the
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ball? Right? Big long pole and there's a
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ball on a rope. And the goal is
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to wrap the ball around the pole.
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That is Paul and philippians and beyond.
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Paul will never move far from the person
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of Jesus Christ.
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He it's like a tenth ball. Every word,
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every verse, every phrase He's trying to wrap
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his life, wrap his words, wrap his church,
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wrap his efforts all around the person of
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Jesus, tighter and tighter and tighter.
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And you can see that 1 well known
-
phrase in our reading today where he says,
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to live is Christ,
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and to die is gain.
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See what happens? It works.
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As he wraps his life around the person
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of Jesus Christ.
-
He finds the joy
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for which he is born.
-
You know, the famous theologian and Marty Dietrich
-
Bon offer.
-
He also spent a good time of his
-
life in prison for his faith.
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And he spoke of this tendency in his,
-
classic book, Christ the center.
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Now, he wrote the book in 19 33
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in the midst of the Nazi, as the
-
Nazis were taking over, getting more power in
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Germany taking over the church in Germany.
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And he wrote this book as a reminder
-
to the contemporary or that luc... That German
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church.
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Where they had to keep their center.
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And because so much of the joy was
-
leaving that nation.
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But in that book, he reminds us of
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why you and I do this? Why we
-
wrap our lives around the person of Jesus.
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Because as he says, Jesus is the center
-
of all creation.
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In the beginning was the word and the
-
word was God and the word was with
-
God.
-
The point is that Jesus is the structure
-
the logos, the rationale of this entire creation.
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And when you and,
-
unite our hearts with him,
-
We are in sync with the way creation
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was made and.
-
His joy becomes complete in us.
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But Paul isn't done yet.
-
He highlights some amazing things that occur
-
in this Christ center joy.
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There's a whole bunch of them here. We
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only have time really for 1
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But did you just pick up in the
-
first part of the reading that we had
-
about how Paul was able because of this
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to not hold a grudge?
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Paul was able to not hold a grudge.
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Again, he raised up these leaders. He raised
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up these preacher. He trained them. They were
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brothers and sisters and equip them,
-
and now they're preaching against him fighting against
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him.
-
And he says they're doing this all out
-
of selfish ambition.
-
But then he goes on to say and
-
I quote,
-
But what does that matter?
-
Christ is preached
-
and because of that I rejoice.
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That is phenomenal.
-
He's not whole the grudge.
-
And see that's a gift of keeping Christ
-
at the center. Yeah. Bad things happen.
-
But they are no longer deal breakers.
-
Paul even sees the the positive in at
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all.
-
The circumstances may not naturally lend themselves to
-
happiness, but they don't stop
-
joy.
-
In fact, the circumstances made me enable joy
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to abound even more
-
you can put it in contemporary therapeutic
-
or leadership language.
-
But we say that in the midst of
-
conflict and difficulty in harsh circumstances,
-
Paul has a non
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anxious presence.
-
Something we all seek in this day, and
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age of conflict.
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You know, as a heads up, We're gonna
-
talk a lot more about this in our
-
September Sermon series. We've entitled this Jesus 20
-
24.
-
And we're gonna ask the question. How do
-
you how do you and I do it?
-
We live in this conflicted culture where everybody's
-
fuss about politics and life and beyond?
-
How do you and I do it? How
-
do we live as faithful disciples in the
-
midst of conflicted politics and culture and difficulties?
-
Well, Paul shows us we're gonna say a
-
lot more about this,
-
but Paul shows us that how when you
-
and I put our center in Christ.
-
And not in our anger
-
or insecurity,
-
uniquely, we're able to stand apart
-
from these issues that offer so much separation
-
to our families in our world.
-
We get perspective
-
and are able to negotiate as faithful disciples
-
who yet have joy.
-
And we could see even in our
-
enemies,
-
some good
-
it's a possibility.
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Well, friends, let me just say that sometimes
-
there are seasons where where God it just
-
grabs you by the cheeks.
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It says, friend, listen to this.
-
Look.
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And he reminds you. And it reminds me
-
that there is joy
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yet.
-
And that life is not just about
-
surviving. Life is not just about being comfortably
-
numb.
-
But we are the church of Jesus Christ.
-
And as you and I wrap ourselves around
-
the gospel and the wonder of the joy
-
of the Lord we worship.
-
We pray that the gift of joy may
-
yet abound in us that we may be
-
a living testimony to the the unique possibilities
-
that are yet available.
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For all those who are only pursuing happiness
-
and coming up against dead ends. That is
-
the gift of the joy of Jesus Christ.
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In the name of the father and the
-
son and the holy spirit.
-
I'm amen.
-
Our him response reminds us to praise God
-
in all circumstances
-
And so I invite you to stand and
-
join me in singing 2216
-
in the faith we sing when we are
-
called to sing your praise.
-
As we remain standing, let us together say
-
what we believe offering the Apostles Creed. You'll
-
find that on Page 881
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of our.
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I believe in god the father almighty.
-
Baker of heaven and Earth,
-
and in Jesus Christ is only son our
-
lord.
-
Who was conceived by the holy spirit
-
or the virgin mary,
-
suffered under po pilot,
-
was crucified, dead and buried.
-
The third day he rose from the dead.
-
He ascended into heaven
-
and sit it at the right hand of
-
god, the father almighty.
-
From then, he shall come to judge the
-
quick in the dead.
-
I believe in the holy spirit,
-
the holy Catholic church,
-
the comm of saints,
-
the forgiveness of sins,
-
the resurrection of the body
-
and the life ever last.
-
Amen.
-
Let please be seated.
-
And
-
in
-
his
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As we enter into prayer this morning,
-
I ask that you keep in mind those
-
in our church community who are grieving.
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Charles Mo is grieving the loss of his
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son.
-
Eddie Mc is grieving the loss of his
-
mother
-
and Walker Farm ville is grieving the loss
-
of her stepmother.
-
And we are also mourning with the community
-
of Koi Christian Church,
-
with the loss of their pastor Keith Edmonds
-
and his celebration of life was here at
-
this church yesterday.
-
So please keep all of them in your
-
prayers this morning.
-
Lettuce pray.
-
Oh god,
-
our creator.
-
We come to you this day
-
with many concerns on our hearts.
-
Throughout our world, there is
-
in unimaginable, hunger,
-
violence
-
and war.
-
Our country can feel so divided.
-
Our families
-
are surrounded by sickness,
-
grieving the death of loved ones,
-
and each of us
-
are struggling in our own
-
individual ways
-
with broken.
-
God, we come to you and prayer
-
because you
-
deeply know
-
our struggle
-
and our despair.
-
But in faith,
-
We ask that we may be centered in
-
you
-
that you may infuse us with your joy,
-
that you may help us to respond to
-
the good news of your grace,
-
by sharing your love, and your care, and
-
your peace,
-
and your joy
-
with all we meet this week.
-
Lord, may your spirit bring healing
-
may it bring hope,
-
may bring life.
-
We ask all this in the name of
-
Christ
-
who taught us to pray.
-
Our father,
-
who art in heaven.
-
How would be your name.
-
Thy kingdom come,
-
thy will be done.
-
On earth as it is in heaven.
-
Give us this day our daily bread
-
and forgive us our tres
-
as we forgive those who trust fast against
-
us.
-
And lead us not into temptation,
-
but deliver us or
-
for thin is the kingdom
-
and the power
-
and the glory forever.
-
Moment.
-
In just a minute, we're going to invite
-
the Usher to come forward to receive our
-
morning offering But before we do that, I
-
want to say a word of thanks to
-
all of you. You know, we just had
-
our mission in the middle, at 09:30 here,
-
and we took some opportunity to celebrate the
-
many mission opportunities, we as a church have
-
offered and and participated in throughout the summer.
-
We have done kids camp. We have done
-
Vacation in Bible school. We've gone to friends
-
of Barn. We sent some folks to Lake
-
June alaska. We sent our youth to Charleston.
-
And yesterday, we had a very special and
-
sacred
-
celebration of Keith Ed life.
-
Some incredible things have happened here all summer.
-
And I just wanna say thank you.
-
Because all of that was enabled by your
-
profound generosity.
-
Your extravagant giving. You have enabled us to
-
reach all sorts of places all through the
-
summer.
-
And as we receive that offering today, I
-
just wanna say a profound word of thanks
-
to you for all you do to make
-
this church who we are. And what we're
-
able to do in incredible ways. We invite
-
the usher come forward as we continue our
-
worship with our morning offering.
-
Hem father.
-
We give you thanks
-
for the abundant gifts
-
that you give us,
-
especially the gift of joy.
-
And we give you back this day a
-
portion of those gifts.
-
Lord pour out your spirits upon these gifts
-
that we present to you this day
-
and help us to continue to be
-
a light in this world
-
In a world of death help us to
-
pro
-
resurrection
-
and help us to live it out not
-
just within these walls but beyond it.
-
We also saw this in Christ's name.
-
Amen.
-
Will you please join with me and the
-
final him, him number 05:29,
-
how firm a foundation.
-
And now the Lord bless you and keep
-
you. The Lord make his face to shine
-
upon you and be gracious unto you. The
-
lord turn the light of his comments upon
-
you and give you peace both now and
-
forever more as we go in the name
-
of the father and the son and the
-
holy spirit as all god's people say. Oh
-
man. Go in peace.