Joy

Amen and amen.

This morning I want you to turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Oh, I'm so excited about this new series on fruit that remains and fruit that's never out of season because it really is.

Again, you know, I didn't plan this about the virus and all, but I try to stay a couple of about six months out with a couple of series or two or three of them.

And I'd already, God had already laid on my heart the fruit of the spirit.

By the way, our children's church has been going through the same thing, the fruit of the spirit.

And uh it's just so exciting.

And Rick and I have been talking about uh this summer.

Uh, he's gonna bring a series on revival.

I'm excited about that.

And then we're gonna start this fall.

Uh he and I were talking, and God's kind of laid on our hearts.

We're gonna, uh when we come back to school, uh, and I do believe we'll be back in school this fall, folks.

I really do.

I really believe that.

You just wait and see.

God's gonna use this.

Hey, hey, there's a lot of people that has meant this coronavirus for evil, but God's gonna use it for good.

Can I get a beep, beep, beep?

Amen.

So, uh, and we're already seeing that.

We're reaching people, thousands of people, that uh we didn't even know were out there online.

I meant people, I've got students that had me 20 years ago online watching and watching Susan with her Bible study on Sunday mornings, and we're gonna try to do some of this uh live even with the Sunday school on Sunday mornings.

I know she is when we get back together too, because she's had so many people watching her in her Sunday school, and Rick and Dave and the children's church.

My grandkids have loved the children's church, uh Nita, so it's been all good.

It's all good.

And you just have to adjust that uh uh, you know, you're preaching to a camera or you're preaching to your phone or you're preaching to your iPad.

But I started my ministry doing that.

My TV ministry was started in a studio at 11 o'clock at night after visitation on a Monday night.

I'd go into the studio, I'd go in the studio and look at one camera, and we had a 30-minute program that went over three states, and I'd look at one camera and preach for 30 minutes.

And if I made a mistake, uh-oh, we had to start over.

Yes, because I couldn't edit.

So uh for the first two years of my ministry, I did that every week.

I preached on Monday night, 11 o'clock to 11:30, right after they'd do the news, they'd sit me in, and uh I'd have Joe Tubbs, our ministry music, he'd come in and sing one song, and boy, I'd preach.

So uh I feel like I'm starting all over again, Rick.

But uh it's been fun.

It's it's really got me using technology.

I I always use it for study tools, but uh, and I'm getting excited about it because I'm getting to minister a lot of my friends and a lot of my classmates, um, and I I just praise God for that.

Today, let me ask you a question.

I want to talk to you about what real joy is.

I'm not talking about happiness, I'm talking about joy.

I'm talking about the fullness of joy.

I'm talking about what real joy lived out, portrayed, and how it's used to encourage every one of us.

And I want to talk to you today about joy in spite of our circumstances.

Um, it's kind of funny.

You know, you're having a bad day when you call your answering service and they tell you none of your business.

That's a bad day.

And let me tell you what I was thinking about some of the times I've had a bad day.

Now I know none of you are gonna admit it but me, and you're gonna laugh at me, but that's okay.

Because it's funny.

But uh I know there's some men that's done this.

I don't know if you women have ever done this, but I know we've done it.

I, hey, you know you're having a bad day when you get up and you put your pants on backwards and they fit.

You know you're having a bad day.

And I've done that with workout shorts more than once.

But anyway, today I want us to look at every relationship needs real joy, not happiness.

Now, in your outline, get ready and let's go.

First of all, we see happiness is external, but joy is internal.

There's a difference.

Happiness is external.

You know, most of the time you can tell when somebody's happy.

But guess what?

Most of the time you can tell when somebody's having a bad day.

Secondly, happiness is based on chance.

You know, something happens good to you, you're happy.

But true joy is based on choice.

Happiness is based on circumstances, but joy is based on Christ.

Big difference, folks.

Very big difference.

And that's why Jesus literally said, These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you.

Now watch, and that your joy might be full in John 15, 11.

And then Paul put it this way in Romans 15, 13.

Now the God of hope, I love that.

Now the God of hope, we serve a God of hope, not a God of doom.

Well, God of hope, fill you with joy and peace that we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Wow, what a verse.

God wants his people to be joyful.

And I am very concerned with the church community because I don't see this kind of joy expressed like we did 20 years ago.

And I'm afraid it's because we allow ourselves to be our ultimate joy is to be happy, and I want to be happy, and I am happy.

But happiness is external, it's based on chance, and it's based on circumstances.

Whereas this joy that Jesus is talking about is true, unbelievable, fulfilled of joy.

Now, I went back and did a word study, and I want to give you some examples.

Get ready.

Biblical words that express real joy.

We're talking about this joy of fulfillment, that's that inner joy, that that contentment, regardless if you're in the boat going through the storm, or hey, or put it this way, you either in the storm, coming out of the storm, or going in the storm.

You still have that same joy.

Well, here's biblical word number one.

It's taken from the Old Testament.

And it was in David's life when David came home after slaying Goliath.

And the people were hollering that Saul had killed thousands, but David had killed tens of thousands.

And the women were playing their hearts, playing their tambourines, and they were jumping and leaping and for joy.

There was excitement, there was a radiance.

So the first word for joy in the Old Testament means bright and shining.

It's a radiance.

There's something different when you look at a spirit-filled Christian.

Can I get a beep beep?

Amen.

There's something different.

Psalms 34, 5 puts it this way: those who look to him are radiant.

They shall never be ashamed.

Folks, there's something different about a spirit-filled Christian when you meet him.

You know it.

Not only do you see it, you feel it.

And I love being around spirit-filled, joyful people.

So we see that.

In fact, let me tell you the kind of joy I think it is expressed.

You remember when your children, some of you have the children five, six, between five and ten, in that Christmas morning when they can't wait to get up and run to the Christmas tree or run to the den or living room.

They're so excited to see what's Santa Blo.

That's what I'm talking about.

That kind of excitement.

What about, here's another example.

What about that bride?

I've done a lot of weddings in my ministry.

And boy, when you I'm always standing right next to the groom.

And about that time when that music starts, the wedding march starts, and here comes that unbelievable, beautiful, gorgeous bride.

And I look at the groom, and all I see is this.

Oh, what a smile! What a joy.

I mean, he's about to marry his beautiful bride.

That's what I'm talking about.

That's the joy that the New Testament and Old Testament gives us.

Now, here's another one.

Hey, now this is a good one.

Leaping and jumping.

Leaping and jumping in the New Testament.

Remember at the beautiful gate, and Peter and them are about to enter into the temple, and there's a beggar there, and he reaches out and asks them to give him some money.

And you remember what Peter and John said?

Here's what they said silver and gold have we none.

But what we have we give to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Rise up and walk.

Can you imagine being paralyzed all your life?

And all of a sudden Jesus reaches.

I mean, Peter and John says, we don't have alms to give you, but what we have to give you is healing.

Rise up and walk.

And the Bible says that he jumped up, and the Bible says that he ran into the temple leaping and praising God.

Leaping and jumping.

That's another good New Testament word.

And we also saw that in Acts 3.8.

And then the third word, shouting.

Now I don't have any problem with that.

It means to be so full of joy that it becomes a verbal expression.

In other words, my papa used to tell me, I used to ask him all the time, Papa, why do you shout and jump and even dance?

He said, because it's so full, Danny Boy.

If I didn't get it out, it'd kill me.

And I didn't understand that.

But I understand it now.

In fact, the older I get, the more I'm like him, just like him.

But so it's shouting.

Psalm 47, 1 and 2.

Oh, I think I gave those verses to you.

Clap your hands, all you people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

Why?

Verse 2, because my God is an awesome God.

And he's the king over all the earth.

That's awesome, folks.

And then there's a fourth word running and dancing.

Uh-oh.

Dancing?

That scares a lot of Baptists.

You know, when I was growing up, we couldn't dance.

Couldn't go to dances.

So you know what we did?

Now the people that would tell me I can't dance, on Friday and Saturday nights, we'd go to the skating ring.

And guess what I'd do?

On skates, I would dance.

In fact, we had a dancing team.

And we'd go over where and we won most of our competition.

And the same people said I can't dance would come watch me skate and say, Woo, that's great, that's great, that's great.

I never understood that.

I never understood that.

But anyway, it's it's running around and dancing.

The ladies did that when David came in.

By the way, David did that.

David, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, he was so excited, and that was in 2 Samuel 6.17.

David danced before the Lord.

Now, watch, with all his might.

Now, what that all that might literally means, he was so full of that joy that I'm preaching about this morning.

He was so full that it was a verbal expression.

He couldn't help himself.

Now, I've been with some of you guys at football games.

Y'all have no problem expressing yourself.

Where's Christie?

Especially Christy Wilson.

You would not believe that she it's not the Christie you know until you if you sit by her at a ball game.

You say, where did that woman come from?

But that's what I'm talking about.

This is this is the word, the Greek word and the Hebrew word for joy.

That's what it means.

It means uh leaping and jumping and shouting and running around and and and uh and just verbally and externally expressing yourself.

In fact, when the this was an interesting research I did.

When the missionaries, Deedra, were going into Alaska, by the way, Deedra spent a lot of time in Alaska, and uh they were translating the Bible into the Eskimo language.

Well, there was not a word for joy like in the Eskimo language.

So they started saying, well, you know, the the the uh people that we're interpret going to translate, the Bible started talking to the Eskimos about what brings you the most exciting joy?

What gets you excited?

Uh, you know, what's the most exciting thing for you people?

You know what they're saying?

Now you're gonna, all you dog lovers are gonna love this.

We got any dog lovers in the cars, can I get a beep beep?

Rosemary said this is great because she's got her doggies with her.

And they are they're back there when I have a good point.

Yeah, when I have a good point, they go, Woo-hoo, whoo! Yeah, yeah, that's good, preacher.

But hey, now what's this?

So, what they found out the most exciting time every day in the in the community's uh life was when they would in the evenings feed the dogs.

The the and I'm not talking about just dogs, they they were the sled dogs, the ones that, you know, provided them transportation, provided them hunting.

They had, I mean, these dogs were very special.

I mean, it was their livelihood.

And they said the dogs would start going woo-woo and wagging the tails, and just everybody started getting so excited.

So they translated the word joy in the Bible, wagging your tails.

So, uh, and I thought about that and said, Isn't that good?

And what we see, and I I love this, is when the disciples after the resurrection, remember the verse in John 20, 20, saw Jesus and they were full of joy.

For the Eskimos, it would read, when the disciples saw Jesus, they wagged their tails.

I thought, man, what but isn't that true?

When your dog brings so much joy to you, and when he's, you know, they're wagging their tails and they're all over you.

And I thought to myself, now that is the kind of joy we Christians ought to have.

We ought to be so excited when people get around us.

You're almost like when my dog, Bear, you have to say, whoa, he just, he's so excited, joyful.

And I said, just think a minute.

If we were like that as spirit-filled Christians, we would attract so many people to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because people live in a depressed situation most of the time.

They live in a discouraged situation most of the time.

So I thought about that.

And it in fact, listen, let me tell you what ought to get you excited.

I got it in your notes.

In Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 17.

Zephaniah 3:17

Listen to what it says.

The Lord your God is with you.

He is mighty to save.

Now, watch.

He will take great delight in you.

Did you see that?

He takes great delight, great joy in you.

He will quite you with his love.

In other words, he will enguff you.

He will surround you with his love.

He rejoices over you with singing.

God gets so excited about his relationship with you and me, folks, that he sings.

I meant, hey, he gets excited.

It's like that dog wagging its hell.

God loves you that much.

And don't ever forget that.

In fact, I want to give you two words.

This is awesome.

In fact, here's what I want you to know.

Write this down.

You bring joy to God.

I want you to say it with me.

Watch it online and in your car, right?

All this car is here.

I want you to, I want you to say this with me.

I bring joy to God.

I bring joy to God.

Now, I don't know about you, but that gets me excited.

That this little old preacher in in Westover, and I know Naiva's watching, in Westover, Alabama, brings joy to God.

Wow, folks.

And let me tell you why.

There's two words.

There's a word called Keras, okay?

And it's the word used for grace.

And then the second word I want to give to you in your notes, it's the word kera.

And that word is for joy.

Kara equals joy, keras equals grace.

And they come from the very same root word.

And that's because there's a relationship.

Now watch this, between grace and joy.

And I love that.

Think about it.

There's a relationship between grace and joy.

And that ought to bring us joy.

But knowing that we are God's children and our sins have been forgiven.

And that's why the angels, when the announcement of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, they sang with great joy.

Why?

Because they knew, watch this.

They knew the coming of the Messiah was going to usher in.

Watch this.

This ought to make you shout.

Hey, it was going to usher in.

Jesus' coming was ushering in the grace of God.

Can I get a beep beep?

Amen.

The grace of God.

And you say, well, what's so important about the grace of God?

Well, when you go to 2 Corinthians 9.8, he says that God gives us, Paul says that we have all grace, all grace, everything that we have, just like we have all joy.

And why?

Because grace is what produces that joy, that fullness of joy.

But we have all grace.

Now watch this.

We have all sufficiency in all things to do a great work for Him.

All grace.

All sufficiency in all things.

Wow.

That is why this grace of God should produce an unbelievable joy in us.

And that's what Paul said in Acts 20, 24.

He says, That I finish my ministry that God has called me to do through the grace of God with joy.

And that's the one.

Hey, you want that joy, that fullness of joy?

You got to have the grace of God all over you and all in you.

And that's so exciting to me.

So, now that's the introduction.

And I'm going to go quick.

Are you ready?

Now I want to give you five, five unbelievable, and I really believe this.

Principles about this joy in Romans 5.

But first of all, the secret of joy.

I want you to, I think I've got it ready.

Here, I want you to write it in.

The secret to this joy that I've introduced to you, that I've described for you through the words in the Old and New Testament.

If you and I are going to have that kind of joy, here's the key to the whole thing.

You got to have the right perspective.

The right perspective.

Put it in.

Put it in your blade.

Now, what does the word perspective really mean, Pastor?

It means that we've got to know what we're talking about.

We've got to know what Jesus is talking about.

We've got to know that grace.

We've got to have experienced that grace of God.

For by grace are we saved through faith and not of ourselves.

It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

You've got to have that grace.

You can't just think about it or wish you had it.

It's got to be a reality in your life.

And by the way, if you've experienced it, oh my friends, you know.

And that's what we're going to look at.

And you're going to see that word in Romans chapter 5 here in a minute.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

But that's exactly what he's talking about.

And look with me now in Romans 5.

I'm going to give you, I want to pull out five thoughts about this joy.

Number, here we go.

And Paul said in verse 1, through faith, we have been made acceptable to God.

And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God.

And then verse 2 he says, Christ has also introduced us to this undeserved kindness.

And I'm reading from the Geneva translation.

It's just so beautiful.

And he says, this undeserved kindness on which He takes our stand.

So we are happy.

We are joyful as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God.

Now, verse 3, he says, now watch this.

But that's not all.

That's not all.

Now watch what how Paul builds on this incredible truth.

He says, I get great joy and happiness when I, hey, when I know my standing is with God and the grace of God.

But that's not all.

And then look at verse 3.

We gladly suffer because we know that suffering helps us to endure.

Now take your pen and watch this in your whether you're in the King James, New King James, or even the New Evil Bible, here's what he says.

The word there's know in the King James that's knowing.

We know.

Knowing.

Knowing.

And remember, remember, our joy comes from what?

The right perspective.

That means we know a fact.

We know a promise.

We know a principle.

And he says, hey, we know.

Take your pen, underline it, circulate, and remember our joy comes from that perspective.

And then look at verse 4.

And endurance builds character.

And then five, which gives us hope that will never disappoint us.

And all of this happens because God has given us his Holy Spirit who fills our heart with his love.

And then verse 6 says, Christ died for us when we were helpless and sinful.

And then verse 7, no, one is really willing to die for an honest person, but someone might be willing to die for a good person.

So God showed how much he loved us by having Christ to die, even though we were sinful.

Then look at verse 9.

Oh man, this is great.

Get ready and underline, but there is more, or in the King James, and not only, but there's much more.

Interesting, isn't it?

In verse 3, he says, hey, not only, now in verse 9, he says, but there's much more.

You see how it builds here.

Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his lifeblood, we will always be kept safe from God's anger.

Wow, how about that?

Even when we were, verse 10, God's enemies, he made peace with us because his son died for us.

Yet something even greater than our friendship is ours.

Now that we are what?

At peace with God, we shall be saved by his son's life.

Woo! Now watch, verse 11.

Get ready.

Underline the next phrase in the King James it says, and not only that, but in the Geneva translation, in addition to everything else, here's what he says.

We are happy because God sent our, hey, our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.

Wow, wow, wow.

All right, get your pen.

Here it is.

Phenomenal.

Here it is.

Five principles that produces us joy when we have the right perspective, when we know.

When we know.

Number one, joy comes from understanding truth.

Comes from understanding truth.

We know that because in verse 3 he talks about gladly suffering.

Why?

Because we know, he says.

You see, it's that understanding.

We know that we, hey, we know when we're going through difficult times.

Right now, through this coronavirus, I know God's gonna take us through.

I know that God's got our purpose.

God doesn't do anything without purpose.

I know that.

I'm ex, I'm I'm encouraged by that.

I'm comforted by that.

And then, hey, you have financial difficulty.

I know God's gonna take you through.

You have physical difficulty.

I know God's gonna take you through.

Job difficulty.

I know God's gonna take you through relationship difficulty.

I know God's gonna take you through it if you're walking with Him and you're walking in that grace which produces that joy.

Folks, I'm excited to know, I'm encouraged.

And then we all know this verse, Romans 8 28.

What does it start out with?

Say it with me, church.

We what?

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

We know.

We know.

And in fact, let me ask you, if we knew that our life right now where we are, that was God was in total control, that everything that happened to us had a purpose.

And because we are God's children, he's going to use that in the positive, in the negative, in the good, in the bad, in the light, in the darkness, for our spiritual development and growth, and for the betterment of our life and the advancement of his kingdom.

Can you imagine the amount of joy we would have?

Oh my goodness.

The world would just be flabbergasted.

They would.

They wouldn't know what to do.

In fact, you know, I thought to myself, a lot of people misconceive.

A lot of people think when you get saved, your problems are over.

Now, I don't know about you.

When I got saved, the heat was turned up on my problems, and I'm convinced after now 40 plus years of ministry, listen to me, this is worth you.

Look at me, look at me.

Hey, after 40 years of ministry, I am convinced, and all the years that I've ministered and walked, I've had through death and all kinds of trials and tragedies in my own personal life.

It's not that Christians don't have problems.

It's not that, hey, our problems are not as severe as the loss, and sometimes more severe.

But it's the perspective that we have on those problems.

I have watched and I've listed so many, but uh, I know Amanda's here over there in her Jeep, and I think about Patsy, I think about uh Teresa, I think about oh uh Rochelle, uh I just think about all these precious ladies in the last year or two who's gone through cancer.

I'm talking about severe cancer.

And how I saw the joy, the joy in their lives and in their faces.

And I and I couldn't, we couldn't have better examples of what I'm preaching this morning.

And I praise God for that.

They're my heroes.

Those women have been my heroes because I've seen, I'm seeing that that joy, even in the midst of horrible treatments with chemo, and and and they'll never lose the joy.

They'll never lose that joy.

That's what we're talking about.

That's that Kara joy, and it comes from that Keras grace.

To God be the glory, great things he's done.

Number two, joy comes from having peace with God.

I'm not gonna spend much time there.

That's my topic next week, the peace of God.

But one of the verses I wanted to give to you is in your notes, 1 John 3.21, he says, For our hearts condemn us not.

Why?

Because we have confidence in God.

Number three, joy comes from being accepted.

When you we read verses six through eight, and when we realize we're accepted in the beloved, Ephesians 1.6, there's a self-worth and a self-esteem in our lives.

Folks, you've been accepted in the beloved.

Can I get a beep beep?

Amen.

God loves you.

God has joy.

God has joy with you.

That's awesome to me.

Number four, joy comes from seeing the big picture.

And again, when you look at verses three through five that we just read, we're talking about the big picture, that we've been saved by grace, and because we've been saved by grace, we become a child of the king, and we've got an intimate relationship with God the Father through Jesus our King and our Lord, who's the one mediator between God and me, and then that's Christ Jesus.

And we have his grace, we have his presence, we have his protection, we have his perseverance, he builds our character, all those that we just saw, those characteristics right here.

And then number five, joy comes from having hope in the future.

Hope in the future.

Somebody asked me, said, Are you upset about what's going on?

I said, Not at all.

I've got hope in the future.

Now let me leave with you today, real quick.

I asked myself, why are people so discouraged?

Why do we not see this joy in a lot of folks?

In a lot we do.

In spirit-filled Christians we do.

But what kills that joy?

Here's you gotta you gotta write this down and keep it with you.

Here's what kills that joy.

One, selfishness.

Selfishness.

We do, hey, listen to what uh the Geneva Bible says in James 4, 1 and 2.

Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from?

They come from your desires, which are constantly fighting within your bodies.

You strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight.

Wow! Is that not true?

Oh my goodness.

We see that in American politics every day.

And then secondly, resentment.

First, selfishness.

I want what I want, when I want, how I want it, and that's I'm not gonna settle for anything less.

And then resentment.

Hebrews 12, 15.

Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you.

For as it springs up, it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.

Wow.

And then number three, fear.

Fear.

Selfishness, resentment, fear.

The anxious heart weighs a man down.

Proverbs 12, 25.

And I've got for you right there.

Fear does three things in a relationship.

And that's what we're seeing.

Watch right now in America.

I love these preachers out here and these Christians standing with their signs.

Faith, not fear.

God's not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and a love and a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1.7.

Here's what fear does: three things in a relationship.

First of all, it makes you defensive.

It makes you defensive.

Secondly, fear makes us distance.

We stand away because of our inward fear of vulnerability.

We put up walls and shells around us.

And then number three, fear makes us demanding.

Because we're afraid we must always be in control.

Is that not true?

And that's what we're seeing going on right now.

The arguing over who's in control.

Who's in control?

Why?

There's fear.

Fear losing power, fear losing the election, fear, fear, fear everywhere.

So I conclude with this.

Here it is.

The secret to relationships is perspective.

And so let me give you the right perspective.

Three things, and I'm through.

One, focus on giving rather than receiving.

There's, Jesus said it's more blessed, more happy to give than it is to receive.

Acts 20, 35.

Amen.

That's it.

Amen.

Give.

Be a giver.

Be a giver, not a taker.

I have tried all my ministry to be a giver.

Now I don't go around telling everybody all that I do.

The Bible says don't let your left hand know what the right hand's doing.

But I promise you, Susan, all our marriage life, all we've been givers.

And God is so blessed that.

Oh, God is so.

God has given so much back to us than we've given.

It's been unbelievable.

Be a giver.

It's more blessed to give than to receive.

It is.

It is.

And then secondly, focus on healing rather than hurting.

Healing rather than hurting.

Listen to Colossians 3, 13.

Be gentle and ready to forgive.

Never hold grudges.

Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Now, isn't that awesome?

Be gentle, ready to forgive.

I love that phrase.

I feel sorry for someone who is not quick to forgive.

In case you're having a hard time with this forgiveness stuff, look at yourself and look what God did for you.

And then you know what God told me when I'm having my pity party?

Am I the only one that has a pity party around here?

Nobody's blowing the horn.

I must be the only one.

Hey, you know what I you know what it is?

You know what God does to me?

After my wife, she always.

You know what my wife, when I tell her I'm quitting?

And I've been telling her every so often I've in our 40 years, almost 38, 30, 38 wonderful years of marriage, uh, in ministry together.

Oh.

Most of them wonderful.

Some trying.

Ministry, that is.

I've walked in and I said, honey, that's it.

I'm over.

It's through.

I don't have to put up with this.

You know what?

I said, I'm quitting.

You know what she said?

Instead of putting arms around me, here's what I want.

Oh, honey, I'm so sorry.

You're having a bad time.

I love you.

I'm with you.

And I know that.

But that's not what I get from Susan.

What I get from Susan is, well, quit.

If you can, quit.

If you can.

How many times have you said, I quit?

Again, amen.

There's only two of us.

Well, a lot of you are telling a lie then.

Because we've all been there.

We've all been there.

You want to quit on your job?

You want to quit on your marriage?

You want to quit on your relationships?

You want to quit on everything.

You're fed up?

Sister Fluffy Head, Deacon Potato Head, all of you just fed up with them.

No one cares.

No one respects me.

Well, I got news for you.

Jesus loves you, and Jesus enjoys you.

Now that is what I know.

You know what the Lord tells me to do when I feel that way?

He says, get a life, grow up, get mature.

You need a little more grace.

And I'll give it to you.

And he does.

And then the last thing focus on God's power rather than your problems.

Giving rather than receiving.

Healing rather than hurting.

God's power rather than your problems.

Now remember this.

You say, but Pastor, you don't know what I'm going through.

Listen, listen to me.

Listen to me.

You don't know what I'm going through.

Okay?

But I'm on, I hey, I got great news.

God does.

God does.

And He's never going to leave you.

He's never going to forsake you.

Folks, let me remind you, and here it is, the last three things in your little outline.

Because God is with me.

I don't have to worry.

I'm going to give you one verse I want to close with this morning.

When you pass through the deep waters, listen to this.

I will be with you.

Your troubles will not overwhelm you.

When you pass through the fire, you will not be burned.

The hard trials that come will not hurt you, for I am the Lord your God.

Wow.

Wow.

And secondly, God has a plan for you and me.

And thirdly, God will help us through it.

Every head bowed.