Core Strength Workout - Joy

All righty. One of the core strengths that we have to develop is joy. And so I want to

talk about that today. That's as bland an introduction as I can give. So that's where

we'll start. So the ultimate purpose, the ultimate purpose of God, the ultimate purpose of God,

in everything he does, in everything he does, is threefold. First one is he makes his glory

known or makes his splendor, his weight, his magnificence, his kindness, just everything

together. He makes his glory known. That's one of the things you'll notice about anything he does.

The ultimate purpose of God in all his works, you almost always contain these three things. First,

he makes his glory known. Two, he wants it to be full of joy. And three, he makes all things new.

These are three things you'll find in all his work, see? We don't think that, we don't think

much of joy because, partly because it's not so much a part of our human experience or Christian

experience. But these are three things that God really focuses on. One, he makes his glory known.

In everything he does, he makes his glory known. Two, whatever he does is just gorged with joy,

filled with joy. Everything he does. And we'll talk about that. And third, he makes all things new.

The ultimate purpose of God in all his works will contain this. Everything he does will contain this.

Any pushback on that? Any questions on that? In everything he does, these three will be there.

The question is, in everything I do, are these three things there? If I'm supposed to be an

imitator of Christ, are these things there? He makes his glory known. He wants everything

he does to be full of joy. He makes all things new. Eden was called Eden because it meant delight

or pleasure. Judgment is always towards maturity and correction so that we partake

in his divine nature, part of which is this amazing thing called joy.

Okay. So we'll focus on joy today because we've dealt with the other two in the past. So we don't

realize that his kind of joy is infinite joy. So there's no limit to it. Infinite joy is a

characteristic of heaven and of God. Infinite joy. So this is why the idea of heaven is a place

where there is no sorrow, there are no tears, there is no fear, there is no mourning. That was

the intent in Eden and that is the intent that awaits us in heaven and earth recreated. It's a

place of infinite joy. Now do you see why in Luke chapter 2, 14, what are the angels announced when

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Christ is born? I bring you tidings of great joy. I bring you tidings of great joy. It wasn't even

some half-baked joy. I bring you tidings of great joy. With the coming of Christ is the

reintroduction of this thing called joy, which surprisingly we don't have buckets of. It's not

a practice for us humans, leave alone, I mean us Christians, leave alone us humans. Psalm 45,

Psalms 45:7

verse 7. So that's Luke 2, 14. Psalm 45, verse 7. I have anointed you. It talks about Jesus being

Psalms 45:7

anointed with the oil of joy and then he goes on and says in Isaiah 61 that I will give you the oil

of joy instead of mourning. Isaiah 61, verse 3. And he suddenly realized that joy is something that

Isaiah 61:3

is placed in us by the Holy Spirit because the word anointing and oil is often connected to the

Spirit of God and in Psalm 45, verse 7, God is saying, listen Jesus, I have anointed you with the

Psalms 45:7

oil of joy. Your gladness is beyond your companions. There's nobody like you. You are joyful and if

Jesus was a visible image of the invisible God, then we need to realize that we are actually

children of one who is the most irrepressible joyful being on earth. It's such a part of his

nature that I feel bad that I don't reflect it. He's the most joyful being on earth, which is why

the face probably has more muscles than any other part of the body, but they are the most unused

muscles in the body. Try this, huh? Try this. All of us. There you go. That's 18 muscles working there.

Just in that one smile.

Tony, just forward working there man. Go a little wider. There you go. So it's fascinating. Joy is

not smiling by the way. So don't, let's not exchange it for a few ha ha ha's. Yeah, that's not what joy

is. But at the end of the day, this is something that is so God that you can't understand why it's

so not his children. Matthew 25-21. What's the reward of faithfulness? What's the reward for

faithfulness? He says, well done good and faithful servant. Enter into what? Enter into the joy of

your master. I mean, it's part of the reward man. Every time you're faithful, you enter into the

joy of the master, not praise the Lord, the joy of the master. I mean, yeah, I think I told you that

one, right? A worship leader who did a really good job and he was going back to his seat and there

was this guest speaker and the guest speaker turned to the worship leader and said, that was amazing

worship. And the worship leader said, praise the Lord, it was all God. So the guest speaker said,

it wasn't that good. It takes a little time to settle in, but it's a pretty good one. Yeah.

It's just like the other one. They call 911 to, because someone died in the church and it took

them 10 minutes to find the person. That's another, that kind of joke. It takes a little while to

settle in. It's really good. I like both of them. May that never happen here.

Romans 14 20.

You know, any joke I crack today will fly because after what Brandon did, anything is better.

Yeah.

Romans 14 20. Kingdom living,

kingdom living according to Romans 14 20 is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

It's something that was supposed to be part and parcel of my present day living.

Nehemiah 8 10.

Nehemiah 8 10. It says, and here's the context. The word was being read out to the entire

congregation while they're reading it out. People are convicted. People are convicted of how they've

walked, how they've sinned. And they begin to grieve and mourn. And when they're grieving and

mourning in the middle of it, Nehemiah says, listen, do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your

strength. That's the context. It wasn't spoken to a people who were doing well. It was spoken to a

people who were mourning and grieving because of the word being read to them and them being convicted

of their sin. That's the context in which it is spoken. And yet what does God say to them? Hey,

do not grieve. Today is a day of joy and the joy of the Lord is your strength.

That in rejoicing in God lies your strength. It's supposed to be part and parcel of our lives,

but like I keep repeating, it just doesn't seem so. Any questions?

Why is there a book dedicated to lamentations? Because Jeremiah's heart breaks about the plight

of Israel, a nation reduced to rubble as exiles in Babylon. And he just laments about it and says,

oh God, when will you turn and relent? And so we'll find that when we talk about joy,

there are times when joy is bringing back sheaves of harvest. There are other times when joy is

grieving through the night. And in the midst of weeping, you begin to still know that come

morning there will be joy because there is God. So that's why we shouldn't connect joy to the kind

of joy that we expect with a few ha ha ha's. That isn't what it is. And we'll talk about that.

I mean, you've heard of people who lost their dad and mom and yet have the ability to stand the next

day and talk about how they maintain their joy in God, lost their children, maintain their joy in God.

How is that even humanly possible? And so we'll talk about how we need to disconnect it from

happiness and how it is connected to happiness and how there will be times when in the midst

of grieving, I must maintain this amazing thing called joy. And how do we go about that?

It's a core essential for Christians, core essential. Would you say we lack it? I would say I like it.

You know, if you married someone who was just hilariously happy

and you weren't, can you imagine how difficult a car ride to Kelowna would be?

I'd just take short trips to the airport.

That's how it is sometimes for God. Oh my God, he does sing goodness of God, but boy,

on long trips, he can be the sourest Christian in the world.

What does it mean to be joyful? How do we develop it? Any other questions before we move on?

Okay, so how do we develop and walk in this core strength? Where do I start?

Where do I start? Okay. Guys, this is something that we all have to kind of learn by heart. I exist

for the glory of God. That's where we start. I exist for the glory of God. I exist. Brandon,

can you fix this? You fix other things. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I exist. Brandon, can you fix this? You fix other things.

It's not writing. I exist for the glory of God. I exist for the glory of God.

Or in other words, how I live makes God look great or not great. I exist for the glory of God.

So how I live makes God look great or not great. You exist for the glory of God.

How you live makes God look great or not great. I mean, when you die, okay, just remember this

when you die. When you're dying and you know you've got an hour or two left before you enter the

presence of God, show them how much you look forward to heaven. Tell them, stop weeping.

I'm going to this awesome place. You don't know how life-changing it is when people die,

when people around them look at them and say, oh shucks, this guy really doesn't have a problem

dying. Do you know how many people have a problem dying? I'm talking about Christians.

This is just death advice in advance. Yeah.

I exist for the glory of God. And so how I live makes a big difference. This is why Jesus said

in Matthew 5 16, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works

and glorify the father. First Peter 2 12 says the same thing. First Peter 2 12. First Peter 2 12.

First Peter 2 12.

First Peter 2 12 says, live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing

wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. So here's the thing

though, if you want to exist for the glory of God, then God will only look great. God will only look

great if you enjoy him,

if you are thrilled with him,

if you are satisfied in him.

Say la.

It's very natural because all enjoyment spontaneously flows into some expression of praise.

All enjoyment spontaneously flows into some expression of praise. C.S. Lewis put it this way,

that lovers praise their love, readers praise their books, tourists praise their scenery,

fans praise their favorite player. At the end of the day,

anytime someone actually enjoys something, it spontaneously overflows into praise. So this,

we need to park it for a couple of minutes. God will only look great. Your cat will only look

great. Your house will only look great. Whatever you want to talk about, want to express, want to

make look great, you have to have these three things happen. You have to enjoy God, you have

to be thrilled with him, you have to be satisfied with him. As we put these sentences on the board,

you realize that this may not be our condition. And now you realize why you can't seem to be

able to participate or engage with God. And it's okay to realize that. Everything has to have a

starting point. You need a fire only if you know you're cold. And so this is the place that I have

to look at and say, ah shucks, yes there are times where I can weep, singing, goodness of God,

in corporate times of worship. But father, is this true of me on a regular basis? Do I enjoy you?

Not do I worship you, not do I serve you, not do I follow you, not do I obey you, but do I enjoy you?

And the answer is not consciously, unless there's something Christian that triggers it.

Am I thrilled with him when he answers my prayers?

Am I satisfied in him? Not like a man who is in the desert who's satisfied with water.

This is why both, this is why Jesus said it first. You should read John 17,

four. Try reading it from the, John 17, 13. Try reading it from the passion translation.

John 17, 13. If you have that translation, try reading it from it, otherwise I'll read it up.

John 17, 13.

And this is what Jesus is saying. This is when he's praying that prayer before leaving the earth.

He prays, and this is what he says, but now I'm returning to you. He's talking to the father,

but now I'm returning to you. So father, I pray that they will experience and enter into my joyous

delight in you so that it is fulfilled in them, and it overflows beautifully. But now I'm returning

to you. So father, I pray that they, as in you and I, will experience and enter into my joyous delight

in you so that it is fulfilled in them, and it overflows. It's this that A.W. Tozer took and then

Piper took, and they coined this simple phrase which in the context makes a lot of sense.

God is most glorified

in me when I am most satisfied in him.

God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in him.

That the more I am satisfied with something, the more I'll talk about it, the more it thrills me,

the more I'll be caught up in it. And in the process, the more I'm satisfied with something,

the more it will be magnified through me. The more I'm satisfied with something, the more

I'll magnify it. You talk to Derek, you'll hear about Liverpool. You talk to Xavier, you won't

hear about Manchester United. You'll hear about Volkswagen maybe. It depends who you talk to.

You'll begin to hear what they are most satisfied with.

Any questions on this?

And this is where we find us, hey, George Ann, do you want a baby? Okay, let's just pray.

Father, we just bring George and Ann to you right now, and we just ask for a baby for them.

Yeah, you just prompted it, so we just want to ask boldly. We thank you because

you want to make your glory known. You want to bring them joy. You want to make things new.

So I speak newness upon their body. I pray that the joy of having a baby may be fulfilled,

and I pray, Father, that your name be glorified as we one day soon watch this baby running around

here and realize that our shucks, you prompted it and you made it happen. So we bless you,

Father, as we bless Ann and George now, in Jesus' name. Amen. Cool.

So yeah, any questions on this before we move on?

Yeah. Yeah, I should be dissatisfied with the fact that I'm satisfied with where I'm at,

and that dissatisfaction should drive me to the only one who can satisfy.

Sometimes you know you're more capable than you presently are working at,

and there's a dissatisfaction, and that then drives you towards finding satisfaction. And

in our case, all that satisfaction is found in God, but it is impossible to be satisfied

without enjoying God. The idea of enjoying God is so strange to us, man.

Enjoying God.

Some of us enjoy our spouses. Some of us enjoy our pets. Some of us enjoy our gardens.

Some of us enjoy what we cook. And the moment you enjoy that, something changes. The way you

interact, the way you talk about it, the pleasure you take in it. Oh my God, it is so different.

God is saying, here I am. Actually, creation says that. The brook is bubbling. The trees are

clapping their hands. The mountains are singing out aloud. And this is fallen creation. And yet,

it says in Psalm 96 that creatures are doing cartwheels. The mountains are singing. The

brooks are babbling. The trees are clapping. Come, children of God, don't you want to join in that

dance? That's the invitation. That's the invitation. That's the invitation that should cause people who

live in beautiful British Columbia to suddenly burst into peals of laughter and joy. That, oh God,

I don't marvel at the beauty. I marvel at the one who made this beauty.

It's a practice. It's a discipline.

Psalm 96. Let me read from the message. Psalm 96, verse 12 and 13. Psalm 96.

Psalms 96:12

Verse 12 and 13.

Let beautiful, verse 11 to 13. Get out the message. God rules. He put the world on a firm

foundation. He treats everyone fair and square. Let's hear it from the sky. Yeah. With earth

joining in. Yeah. And a huge round of applause from the sea. It doesn't come with sound effects,

but let wilderness turn cartwheels. I won't attempt that. Animals come dance. Put every tree

of the forest in the choir and extravaganza before God as he comes. As he comes to set

everything right on earth, set everything right, treat everyone fair. This is how God sees every

day, even though creation has fallen. This is how the earth was created. He, as he created the

morning stars, sang. And they're inviting us again saying, hey, Chawa, want to join in?

Just 40 seconds a day.

I mean, it'll be good if you get up when the sun rises. That's about 545. Yeah.

So I've heard that it rises at 545.

So Matthew 6, 21 says, where your treasure is, where your treasure is,

there your heart. And I would in extension say your passion,

your joy, and your pleasure is true. Where your treasure is, there your heart, your passion,

your pleasure, and your joys. How do you define pleasure? Pleasure is the joy. Pleasure is the

pleasure. Pleasure is the joy we experience or you experience. Pleasure is the joy you experience

over a treasure, over a treasure you love.

Pleasure is the joy you experience over a treasure that you love.

Beautiful, eh?

Pleasure is the joy you experience over a treasure that you love,

and it makes you willing to sell everything to get it.

What is your pleasure? Pleasure is the joy. And for some reason, Christian Singh,

the word pleasure is a dirty word. It's not. C.S. Lewis put it this way. You eat an apple,

it's sweet, it's pleasurable. You steal that apple and eat it, it suddenly becomes an unlawful

pleasure. But if you read 1 Timothy 6, it says God has given us so many things for us to enjoy.

God has given us so many things for us to enjoy. Beautifully, He made things for us to enjoy.

So, do I have pleasure in God? Psalm 16 verse 11 says that in your presence is fullness of joy

Psalms 16:11

and pleasures forevermore. It's not talking about heaven. It's talking about presence.

Please, please make that distinction. We think when God says, in your presence is joy evermore,

and pleasures forevermore, we think it's ah, one day when I get to heaven. Now,

God is saying in my presence, as in now and then. Now, with difficulties, with misery,

with sufferings and brokenness around us, then with none of that.

So, do I take pleasure in God? And if I don't, I get to start today.

The joy over a treasure that I love, that makes me willing to sell everything. Now, you can see

how in the parable that Jesus speaks in Matthew 13, 44, where He says, a man found a treasure,

and he sold everything. But it says, I don't know why I missed this. I've talked to you about this

parable so many times, but it says, and once he found the treasure, with joy, he sold everything.

I hadn't noticed with joy there. It is with joy that he sells everything. Saying,

ah, take it all. I just want the treasure.

Pleasure in God will make you someone else, man. Pleasure in God is enjoying God.

It'll make you someone else.

You'll sell everything easily. There is no sacrifice when there is pleasure.

When you enjoy something so tremendously, there is no sacrifice. David Livingston, who went to

Africa and lived in great travail at times, said that till today, I have not sacrificed anything.

That's what his statement was. Why? Because he did everything because he absolutely enjoyed the God

he was doing it for. When you enjoy someone, that's why parents give away really juicy pieces

of chicken and boiled eggs to their children, which under normal circumstances, they wouldn't

share with their wife.

Yeah, and as our pleasure increases, we become like Christ. We sell everything.

The reason I cannot sell everything is because, yes, I treasure God, but it is not all consuming.

I would do it for people I love. I have done it for people I love. I've given up almost every dollar

in my bank. I've emptied my bank account for people I love. Everything. If I could do it,

if I can do that for human people that are flawed, how much more for someone like God?

It depends on where your treasure is, right? For the guy who wanted to serve God, it was money.

Remember Jesus saying to him, that's where Matthew 6.21, the thing, sorry, with the rich man,

the guy had his heart set on money. In your case, it might be something else.

Yeah, count your blessings, renounce them one by one and follow the Lord your God.

Count your blessings, enjoy them. Father, I want them. Oh, I got them. Beautiful. And then lay it

all down and walk on. This is how Abraham lived, day. He would have things, he would give them up,

he would have things, he would give them up, he would have things, he would give them up,

and he was called God's friend and the father of faith.

That's what Abraham did. And the reason you and I cannot do it yet is because yes, our hearts

really want to follow God. Yes, there's nobody in this room who doesn't want to.

But one of the things we want to do every Sunday is father, want to become like your son.

At the end of the day, if the son lives in me, I can be like the son, at least one day before I die.

We are always aiming at this amazing bar that's been set for us, Christ. And the reason it is

possible is because Christ lives in you. Therefore, it is possible.

Therefore, today I may not be able to, but how about tomorrow?

This man in the parable sold everything for the sake of the kingdom.

Here are some of the things that are hard to sell. Reputation, security, ego, future,

what people think of you, wealth,

ambition, applause,

loyalty, allegiances,

cultural backgrounds. Very hard to sell, guys.

Money might be the easiest thing to sell out of the whole thing.

So guys, joy is a gift. Joy is a gift given to us. It says so in Acts 13, 52, where they were

filled with the Holy Spirit and with joy. In 1 Peter 1, 8, where the Holy Spirit is one who gives

us joy. In Romans 15, 13, where again it's God who gives us joy. Joy is a gift, but it is my responsibility

to fight to walk in it.

It's my responsibility to fight to walk in it, and God's grace

will help, will enable me.

When you are joyful,

the source is made visible. Anyone who is joyful, the source will be made visible.

Whenever you meet someone who is joyful and you ask them why you are joyful, they don't say,

don't want to say, just want to keep it to myself. No, it is so blooming contagious,

and like Anna would say, it bubbles over. So it's this idea of joy always makes the source visible.

Always makes the source visible. Whatever you're joyful about, you can always try to make it

visible. Whatever you're joyful about, you can always trace the source that someone is joyful for.

And so when we partake in this core characteristic of God, it makes him visible.

It makes him visible.

It also makes him invisible, or people don't want to look if it's not all that joyful.

God is most glorified on a Sunday when our singing, our praying, our responding

reflects our satisfaction in him. God is most glorified on a Sunday when our singing,

our praising, our responding, our praying reflects our satisfaction in him. In corporate worship,

or personal worship, emotion is not optional. It is essential. Emotion is not optional. It is

essential. In any form of worship, emotion is not optional. It is essential. Doesn't matter

whether you're British or Canadian, it is still essential. It is not optional.

Does God have a brain? Does God have a physical body? Yet he is emotional. We don't need to be

wired a certain way to be emotional. We can't say my brain's not wired that way.

Pushing back against it is pointless, so I won't even ask you to because I can give you too many

scriptures that show that worship is always physical, emotional, mental. It's all, and

spiritual, all things put together.

So, I don't think that worship is always physical, emotional, mental. It's all spiritual.

It's all spiritual. It's all spiritual. It's all spiritual. It's all spiritual. It's all spiritual.

Ha!

Any questions?

Here are some reasons. One, I'm battling

Many, fours, worry, fear, doubt, grief, tiredness, evil.

Legalism or perfectionism. So many of these things I have to battle against every day.

And so enjoying Jesus is no longer my highest priority. Why is it that I find it difficult to enjoy Jesus?

One, because I'm battling many fours. I'm battling worry, I'm battling fear, I'm battling doubt, I'm battling grief, I'm battling tiredness,

I'm battling evil, I'm battling perfectionism. Perfectionism always chips away at joy because it's a constant striving to prove myself and it always chips away at joy.

Second, and this reason really bothers me, one of the reasons I don't enjoy Jesus is because I'm not thirsty.

Because I'm not thirsty. One has to have a thirst for, thirst provokes drinking. I'm not thirsty enough.

I would suggest to you that for many of us it's the same thing that you're battling as I am. I'm not thirsty enough.

If you're not thirsty enough, why would you drink more? What we have is enough, right?

You know Jeremiah 2.13 says, my people have committed two evils. Jeremiah 2.13, my people have committed two evils.

Then God goes on to describe what the two evils are. The first evil is they have abandoned the fountain of living water.

The second evil is they have decided to drink out of broken cisterns.

And sometimes that's where we end up. There's no thirst.

Yeah. Does joy have to look a certain way? No. Joy doesn't have to look a certain way.

Because how does joy look when you've just lost someone close to you?

How does joy look when a whirlwind took your homes away like it did Job?

How does joy look when your property was confiscated as it says in 1 Peter for the sake of Christianity?

How does joy look in these circumstances? How does joy look when you get a promotion?

How does joy look when you get married? How does joy look when a baby is born?

Each expression of joy will differ under different circumstances. And it can't be common.

Thirst, guys. Thirst is something. Go ahead, Betty.

I can't hear you because of the fans.

Yeah. How would we display joy if it's not a common expression?

If there's no standard expression? I'd put it this way.

Have you ever met a person who is joyful that you did not recognize that the person is joyful?

A person who is joyful, you sit with them. Five minutes is enough to realize this person is living a life at a level that is very different.

It doesn't even have to be because they cracked a joke.

It's just because sitting with them you realize that this person actually loves life.

One of the expressions of joy is loving life. Not because life is rich or life is poor.

Loving life because you see the one who's provided and you're continuously connected to.

I've never met someone who is joyful and not gone away. I'm not even talking about believers. I'm talking about non-Christians.

You can sometimes sit with a non-Christian who doesn't say one vulgar joke and yet you go with him, oh my God, that was fun.

That guy lives life. He enjoys life. It's always evident.

Joy is not, joy is always spontaneous, guys. You cannot plan it.

It is something that exists since, especially when it's put there by God, it is spontaneous.

You can't plan it. But if I sit with you, will I come away thinking, or if you sit with me, will you come away thinking,

boy, that guy really worked hard at his jokes, or will you think, boy, that guy knows how to live life even though he doesn't have a penny in his pocket?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, Jeremiah 2.13, why is it that we go to drink from broken cisterns when we have the fountain of living water?

First, you can't get thirsty unless you work and get hot and sweaty and parched.

You will find out that the more you work with God, the more thirsty you are for him.

The more we sit like fat cats, I'm sorry, that was just, that was no insult to cats. That's just a phrase that I've heard.

The more you and I sit like fat cats, the more likely it is that you will never thirst, because unless there is an output, there is no need of an input.

When you begin to work with God, when you begin to work for God, you will find that it'll be a hot summer day where you feel drained, hot, and sweaty,

and there is nothing as refreshing as just a cold glass of crystal clear water.

That's the first reason. People don't thirst because they haven't emptied themselves, so why thirst? That's the first reason.

Second, when you thirst, there are so many other options that come from broken cisterns. Like what? Like, let's have a time of worship.

Like, let's go read the Bible. Like, let's go read Psalm 117. Like, let's go watch Elevation play music on September 25th.

These are not wrong. These are very good things, but they are broken cisterns. The one we have to go to is him.

You abandon the source of living water and you drink out of broken cisterns. Sometimes we eat dirt and we think dirt is good,

and that is when Satan supplies substitutes. I mean, when I feel thirsty, I reach for a coke. I have heard it's not good.

So sometimes it's evil that provides us the substitutes, where we go for things that satisfy the soul but leave you craving still for more.

This is what happened to Israel. Of Israel, it was said in the desert, they lusted exceedingly and God gave them what they wanted,

but sent leanness to their souls. Listen to that scripture. They lusted exceedingly, as in they craved exceedingly,

saying, give us water, give us water, give us water, give us bread, give us bread, give us meat, give us meat.

And God gave them what they wanted. He gave them their craving, but sent leanness to their souls.

That's drinking out of broken cistern. Who did they go and ask? God. Who was the one who provided? God.

And yet they were not drinking living water. The living water came later when Moses struck the rock and out of the rock came water.

That was living water. But they didn't want that. They wanted what the other nations had.

Give us a king like the other nations. Sometimes in our craving, we go for broken cisterns.

I'm saying, can we return to enjoying God? Enjoying God.

Pleasure is the joy that I have over a treasure that I love, which will then cause me to sell everything because I want to possess it.

Do I have pleasure in God?

When worship or the word becomes a substitute for God, and it can, then we are in trouble.

The scribes knew the word well. Yeah, didn't do them any good.

I'm not thirsty. One of the things I was asking God for today this afternoon was, oh God, give me back thirst.

Give me back thirst. Make me like a little child. Hey, who tells a baby to be thirsty? Why does a baby grab the mom's breast to drink?

Who made the child thirsty? God gave the child an appetite. The moment the child is born, the child has an appetite.

Give me back my appetite, oh God. Give me back an appetite so that I'm thirsty.

And when I drink, I will be satisfied. And after I am satisfied, I'll come back to you again and again.

Because once you are satisfied, where else can you go? But it is time for some of us to remember that.

One of the things that's amazing about David is Psalm 63, Oh Lord, you are my God. Early will I seek you.

My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you. Like a dry and thirsty land without any water.

How does this man have physical feelings about God? And he's in the Old Testament.

When was the last time you started going through cold turkey because you hadn't had a face to face with God?

When was the last time, Church? Why is it that a man in the Old Testament is better than me?

Why doesn't my physical body long for him? Why can't I write, Oh God, you are my God. Early will I seek you.

My soul longs for you. My body longs for you. Like a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Why can't I say this? I have seen you in the sanctuary. I've seen you in your power and glory.

He reminds himself of what he is missing so that he can long for it again.

What about you and I? What can we remind ourselves of?

Saying, Oh God, remember two years ago? I want that.

Some of us may have memories like this. Well then, call them back.

And some of us may not have memories like that, which means we need at least a starting point.

As a deer pants for water, so my soul longs for you, Oh God. I have cried both day and night.

Psalm 42 verse 1. Where is the physical longing? How come we don't have it?

Psalms 42:1

And can God give it to us today? This is why emotions are not optional.

It has never been optional. Any questions?

Another reason we don't enjoy God is just plain sin. Sin gets in the way.

Sin gets in the way. Twisted pleasures get in the way.

This is part of the broken system where evil provides me the promise of pleasure.

And I go after it and I'm satisfied with it till one day God says, Aren't you done? Aren't you bankrupt?

Another reason we sometimes don't enjoy God is because we connect happiness with joy.

There's nothing wrong with connecting happiness and joy, but happiness usually is the result of circumstances.

And so when my circumstances are bad, when my answers are not provided, when things are not working,

then usually if happiness and joy are conjoined or Siamese twins, if happiness and joy are twins,

then it becomes very hard to maintain joy because now every time my happiness is affected, joy goes out of the window.

And I confess that this has happened to me so many times, so many times.

There's something I'm trusting for, something I'm waiting for hasn't come to pass.

And with that, out goes my joy because I'm not happy anymore.

And when I'm unhappy, suddenly God ain't who he normally is.

Any questions? I'll wrap up.

Thank you.

Guys, remember that sin is a tangible pleasure, eh?

Sin is a tangible pleasure. Sin is a tangible pleasure.

Sin is a tangible pleasure. And so is longing, joy and pleasure of presence of God.

For most of us, this is not real. This is real for everybody.

But for most of us, this is not real.

For most of us, this is not real. This is real for everybody.

But for most of us, this is not real.

Corporate times of worship are a great place to start this,

to begin to feel what is present in the room.

What is present in the room? It's both what and who.

God is present. What is present?

People that are beginning to recognize it. What is present?

People around you that can help you, like a coal put in a fireplace.

And when we come for a corporate gathering and we don't take advantage of it

and stand, like I said, in a way that would cause the ambulance to take 10 minutes to find you,

then you know that this is going to be very difficult for you in the future.

And it doesn't matter whether you're Caucasian, Asian, Canadian, Indian, Afghani, whatever nationality,

you are blooming born again.

Any questions?

Any questions?

Please, like I said to Betty, this is not some common expression.

I'm just saying, dive into it however and whoever you are.

Because there's nothing like a coal.

A coal that's turning dark can be set aflame when thrown into a fireplace.

Hey James, your sister's asking a lot of questions, man.

Okay, go ahead.

Makes a... yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. You can use it, but there it's actually talking about things that you have desired

and ask God for that are taking time.

So on one hand, you have that scripture, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

And then you go to James chapter four, verse two, and it says, count it all joy, brothers,

as you go through trying times.

Because let patience have its finished work.

Because once patience has its finished work, you will end up being mature.

So on one hand, yes, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

When something you're waiting for doesn't happen, it makes your heart unhappy.

When you are unhappy, immediately switch over to this thing called joy.

Happiness and joy can live happily together.

Unhappiness and joy cannot live together.

The moment unhappiness hits, find a way to move to joy.

How do you move from unhappiness to joy?

Use words. Use words.

Always use words to move from one position to the other.

Unhappiness.

I'm unhappy that the trees haven't borne fruit.

I'm unhappy that the herds have no cattle.

I'm unhappy that the fig tree hasn't blossomed.

Well then, now what do you do?

How do you move to joy?

But I will praise God.

I will begin to say that God is my refuge and my strength.

He will cause this tree to prosper.

He will cause this tree to bear fruit.

I am going to start doing cartwheels of joy.

My feet will be like the hind feet of the deer.

I'll scale mountains.

I will see what God is going to do.

And you move from unhappiness to joy.

Joy is a prophetic end that you can reach.

Always remember that.

Joy is prophetic in the sense, before it happens, you begin to rejoice.

Joy is always prophetic because you begin to rejoice before it happens.

You see the outcome and you begin to rejoice.

In that sense, joy is prophetic.

Joy is prophetic.

You see the outcome and you begin to rejoice.

In that sense, joy is prophetic.

Happiness is not prophetic.

Happiness is present moment things.

So, last sentence.

How can I sustain or maintain this amazing characteristic of the King and of Heaven?

How?

By seeing him daily.

By seeing him.

George Muller, the guy who started the orphanage in Bristol,

he's today the first order of business every day,

regardless of whether there was food for the orphans or not,

regardless of whether there was money to provide shelter for them.

The first order of the day every day was to make sure that my soul was happy in the Lord.

That's how he used to start his day.

And after that, the rest would follow.

So, in the midst of your trouble, in the midst of children screaming,

in the midst of someone that is sick, in the midst of misery and brokenness around you,

in the midst of that, instead of getting numb to it or blinding yourself to it,

my thing is if this is important to me, if thirst is important to me,

if the pleasure of God is important to me, if I want to say with David,

my soul longs for you, my body longs for you, like a dry and weary land without water,

if this is important to you, then you must see him.

How do you see him?

You must see him by hearing what the Word says about him and what the Spirit of God says about him.

You must see him by hearing him.

And you hear him by hearing the Word and hearing the Spirit.

I must see him. I must take pleasure in him.

I must not leave till I find that pleasure in him.

I must arrange my schedule so that I find pleasure in him.

Sin will provide pleasure.

I must find someone superior who provides me a superior pleasure so that sin is no longer attractive.

I must see him.

After I wrote this message, what did I spend time on?

I spent time on seeing him.

I want to see you, O God. I don't want to preach something that I want to use tomorrow.

I want to see you now so that I can take pleasure in you.

When you see him, how do you see him? You see him by hearing him.

What do you hear? Something from the Word or something from the Spirit.

What did you hear, Jacob? Very simple.

He said, can you be my son like my son was?

Can you be my son like my son was?

Can you be the root my right hand has planted?

Can you be the son I'm raising for myself?

Can you enter into intimacy, affection and trust with me?

Can you, if you do that, you'll begin to enjoy me.

You want to do that desperately, O God.

Desperately. I want to beat David.

He doesn't have that right. I have that right.

I have you living in me.

How can someone from the Old Testament get to a place where he longs and I don't?

When you live in me.

What will it sound like to you when you see him and you hear him?

Now you understand why some of these old songs, though slow and long and thou and that, are rich, man.

To me, learn them.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full at his wonderful face.

And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.

In the light of his glory and grace.

Let's pray.

Father, where can we go for thirst except you?

In Isaiah 61 you said,

Where can we go for thirst except you?

In Isaiah 61 you said,

You give us joy, the oil of joy, instead of the spirit of mourning.

In Isaiah, in Psalm 51 verse 12,

Psalms 51:12

David said, Restore to me the joy of your salvation.

In Acts 13, 52 it says,

And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with joy.

Hey Father, we've got nowhere else to turn to.

In this aspect of life, in this aspect of joy,

We approach you.

I approach you.

I approach you on behalf of all of us,

As if we were brand new babies, newborn babies.

Give us an appetite.

Give us a thirst for joy.

This week could you remind us to take pleasure in you?

Take pleasure in you.

As the bridegroom takes pleasure in his bride,

Allow us to take pleasure in you.

I don't know how to end, I don't know how to make this happen.

I don't know how to end, I don't know how to make this happen.

All I know is the song won't cut it.

Come and join me.

Come and join me.

Come and join me.

Come and join me.

Come and join me.

Come and join me.

You don't even know how, don't know where to begin.

I beg you Father, begging you out of desperation, not because you need to be begged.

I beg you out of desperation.

Please let this church taste what it is to enjoy.

Let this church know why you said, why David said, come taste and see.

Oh God, I need to taste again what and who you are so that I begin to take pleasure that I find it difficult to live without you.

So that my songs become sounds like David wrote.

Please Lord, please.

If I'm crying for myself and I'm crying for anybody else here who is not crying for it, I cry for them too.

Yeah, we'll end there Father.

I so want to sing a song, but I won't in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.