Joy

Guys, we got this new gadget called Periscope. We didn't steal it from the Canadian Navy.

It's just an app. It's on, you can get it on your phone. And so if you have a Twitter

account, you can follow anybody who broadcasts things on Periscope. So we are trying this

for the first time. So today we are broadcasting this on Periscope. So if you have a Twitter

account and you follow me, as in not follow me but follow me, then you can watch this

on Periscope. Yeah. My tweet account is at Jacobite 65. Or at Jacobite, I'm not sure,

but it's one of those. I'll let you know later. Yeah. And I have very few followers. I saw

this cartoon once in some Christian magazine where Jesus is sitting next to this guy and

he explained to the guy that when I said follow me, I didn't mean on Twitter. So guys,

we often believe that joy is an incidental footnote in Christian life. We often believe

that joy is an incidental footnote in Christian life. As in everything else seems to be more

important. Joy, yeah, you know how the world is. Goes up one day, goes down the other day.

Joy is like a footnote in Christian life. And yet, as we go through this teaching, you'll

find that it's so critical to Christian living. So critical to Christian living. Just want

to touch on that today. And to begin with, like everything else in the kingdom, joy is

both a fruit that is given by the Holy Spirit and it's also a character that needs to be worked

out. That's a strange thing with most things in the kingdom. It is given and it needs to be worked

out. Paul said even salvation is that way. He said you have been given salvation, but now work out

your salvation with fear and trembling. Same way, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It has been

given to me because the Holy Spirit now lives in me and it is something that he gives to me. And yet,

it needs to be worked out. It's like this baby that you conceive in your womb. But now that you've

conceived the baby in your womb, now you have to do things to work out the nine months so that the baby

is birthed. You may have to quit working hard jobs. You may have to change your diet. You may have

to eat more. You may have to say no to pickles and chicken, at least my sister had to. What I'm

trying to say is that joy needs to be worked out once it's given. Go ahead.

Fear and trembling. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling would be, again,

my definition of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the dread of offending the father

I love. The fear of the Lord is the dread of offending the father that I love. So it's not a

fear that comes out of, oh shucks, what's he going to do to me? It's a fear that comes out of, oh

shucks, he loves me so much and I'm beginning to like him that I dread letting anything come

between him and I because I like him that much. It is all together. Yeah, it's one and the same.

I would hate to see someone I love go through a bad time or have a relationship that's broken. It

really bothers me. Even as I go to meet them to fix things inside me, I'm hoping that it'll get

solved quickly because I don't want to drag it out. That's the sense of it. On one hand, joy is

given. On the other hand, it needs to be worked out. That's kind of where we are going today

because it's so much more than a feeling, right? Joy is so much more than a feeling. So when the

Bible talks about joy, it talks about it in three different ways. It talks about joy as a source.

It talks about joy as an experience and it talks about joy as an expression. Whenever the Bible

talks about joy, it talks about it as a source and it talks about it as an experience and it

talks about it as an expression. I mean right through the Bible, in the Old Testament and the

New Testament, these three continuously come up. So we're going to start with the source of joy.

The source of joy. Can I erase this? The source of joy. So if you want to put a subheading,

you can put it as source of joy and then say seek him and I'll explain that source of joy.

So guys go to Psalm 16 verse 11. Psalm 16 verse 11. There's a place where joy comes from. There's

Psalms 16:11 Psalms 16:11

a source for it. I love this beautiful verse man. Psalm 16 verse 11. You make known to me the path of life.

Psalms 16:11

In your presence, there is fullness of joy at your right hand are pleasures evermore. In your presence

is fullness of joy. As in guys remember, God invented this thing called joy. He didn't even

invent it. It is who he is. It is who he is. He's the most joyful being in the universe. Jesus Christ

was the most joyful being in the universe because he was a visible image of the invisible God. So in

his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures evermore. So when it comes to

the source of joy, it is impossible to start or step into joy unless I begin by seeking his presence.

Impossible. That's where it flows from me. What's happened with Christianity guys is we seek joy in

charismatic experiences or supposed manifestations of the spirit which will tingle you a little in

your little finger or give you a spasm in your muscle or have you rolling around in the pews

with laughter. That's not joy man. Joy is much richer, bigger, broader than that. It's found in a

person. It's found in a person. Let's take another verse. Matthew 25 21. Doris what did you teach them

today? Which song? Matthew 25 21. Let's start at verse 20. This is where they settle accounts and

the guy who had five talents came back bringing five more. Verse 20. And he who had received the

five talents came forward bringing five talents more saying, Master you delivered to me five

talents. Here I made five talents more. His master said to him, what does he say to him? He says,

well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a little. I will set you over much.

Enter into the joy of who? The joy of your master. Enter into the joy of your master. This is reservoirs

of joy that God has. It is impossible for me to function in a place of joy or work it out if I

don't first understand the joy has a source. Joy has a source. Enter into the joy of your master.

Guys it's critical to living because Nehemiah 8 10 says that the joy of the Lord is my stronghold.

It's actually stronghold. It's not even strength. The joy of the Lord is my stronghold. For me to

operate here on earth in a way that is contagious and active requires that I be someone who knows

how to both access and then work out this thing called joy. And it's not haha. It's not happiness.

It's not necessarily a plastic smile. It's got nothing to do with that because remember joy can

exist side by side with hurt, with disappointment, with pain. Joy is not something that exists in

isolation. Whenever you read the Bible you find that, I mean isn't it fascinating? They call him

the man of sorrows and yet being the man of sorrows he's a visible image of the invisible God who is

the most joyful being on the face of the universe. Joy exists side by side. It's not some fake thing

that Christians practice for two hours in church. This is something we'll have to live throughout

the week man. Third, let's look at another scripture Psalm 43 verse 4. Then I will go to the altar of

Psalms 43:4

God, my joy and my delight and I will praise you with the harp, oh Lord you are my God. Psalm 43 verse 4.

Psalms 43:4

Psalm 43 verse 4. Again we're talking about the source. Then I will go to the altar of God.

Psalms 43:4

Doesn't matter whether it's on Sunday morning or whether it's in your house or whether it's

on a mountain. Then I will go to the altar of God. To God my what? My exceeding joy. Again it goes

back to the source man. My exceeding joy. To God my exceeding joy and I will praise you with the

harp or lyre, oh God you are my God. Let's take another one. Psalm 45 verse 7. Look where Jesus

Psalms 45:7

got his joy from. Psalm 45 verse 7. It says about Jesus that you have loved righteousness and you've

Psalms 45:7

hated wickedness. So look at what God did, what the father did for the son. Therefore God your God

has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. Again even Jesus derived his joy

from the father anointing or pouring upon him.

Gladness that was beyond anybody else ever possessed. Maybe this needs to be incorporated

in our prayer life eh? Where you start of the morning saying father just as you did with your

son Jesus could you anoint me with joy, with gladness and joy that is beyond that of my companions.

That would be a nuts kind of prayer. I mean I've never prayed that in my life. That's the first

time I've said it but I want to start that today saying father could you anoint me with joy that

is beyond that of my companions and then imagine what that life will be like.

Jeremiah 15 verse 16. Jeremiah 15 16.

Jeremiah 15:16

It says there

your words were found and I ate them and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.

That's the other thing. The word of God which is God's spoken word, no no which is God's yeah it's

God's spoken word written down. The word of God itself can bring you to a place of joy.

When we discover God's words and digest them they become a source of joy. When we discover God

through his word and we digest the word that becomes a source of joy. Let me say that again.

When we discover God through his word and we digest the word as in we begin to live it out,

practice it. When it begins to change our thinking that becomes a source of joy.

Guys how sad that we substitute manifestations for this. How sad that we seek

manifestations instead of seeking God. It's happening in the Christian church all over.

Any questions before we move on to the experience of joy?

Am I looking good on Periscope? Okay I'm glad I wore colorful things today.

Alrighty oh shucks that's on Periscope too right?

I should I should pretend like I do this every Sunday.

And so I say to those of you sitting in the overflow room

and the balcony.

Let's talk about the experience of joy next.

Yeah don't pan on the crowd. Yeah the experience of joy. If the source of joy requires that we

seek him then the experience of joy requires that we obey him. The experience of joy requires

that we obey him because joy must be experienced guys. I mean what did David say when he had sinned

and then he comes back to the Lord and here's what he says. He says restore unto me what? The joy of

your salvation. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation because he knew something was missing

and it wasn't a concept. It wasn't a thought. It was something that he was bereft of and now he

wants it back and he says restore unto me the joy of your salvation. So joy needs to be experienced.

You should read Psalm 63 verses one to five. Psalm 63 verses one to five. It talks about this

experience and then someone can read it from the message. It sounds even

more riotous. Psalm 63 one to five. Oh God you are my God. Earnestly I seek you.

My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked up I've looked you up in the sanctuary. I behold your power and glory because

your steadfast love is better than life. My lips will praise you. I will bless you as long as I

live. In your name I lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied with fat and rich food and my mouth

will praise you with joyful lips. Does someone have it in the message? Yeah listen to it from the

message. God you're my God. I can't get enough of you. I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God

traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship. Eyes open,

drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I'm really living at last. My lips

brim praises like fountains. I bless you every time I take a breath. My arms wave like banners

of praise to you. I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy. I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises.

Talk about experiencing joy.

So joy needs to be experienced guys. In Psalm 4 verse 7 you can see again this whole idea of

Psalms 4:7

experiencing joy. He actually compares it to other joyful events and says man with you oh God it's

more than anything else. It says in Psalm 4 verse 7 it says you have put more joy in my heart than

Psalms 4:7

they that have grain and wine abound. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when

their grain and wine abound. One of the most festive times in Israel was when the harvest

would come in. They had slogged for months together for the harvest and now they had this

bountiful harvest and people would eat and drink and make merry. And here is now David saying that

listen God the joy I get from you is so much more than that. The message puts it this way. It says

that more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.

Sometimes I wonder why Eugene Peterson translated it like that. More joy in one ordinary day than

they get in all their shopping sprees. But we'll leave that alone. We'll stick with the NIV for

that one. So how much joy can you experience? Guys here's the crazy thing. Look at how much

joy you can experience. You can, this is nuts. This is absolutely possible. That is why it's crazy.

You can experience as much joy as Jesus at this present moment is experienced.

That's the degree of joy that you and I can have. And really it's not happiness that we're talking

about. It's not a feeling though it is also an experience. But how much joy can you experience

as much as Jesus has been experiencing since eternity to everlasting at this present moment?

That's the kind of joy you can experience. But Jacob how can you say that? Go to John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

John chapter 15. And he makes the statement there in John chapter 15 11 where he says,

John 15 · chapter mention John 15 · chapter mention

I have told you this and we'll talk about what he told them later. I have told you this so that my

joy may be in you and so that your joy may be complete. And the word complete here is fully

mature. Telius. Fully mature. This is what Jesus is saying to us saying, listen Jacob you know how

much joy you can experience? You can experience the same joy that I presently have. I've always

had since eternity and I'll always have into eternity. You can have the same joy. But how Jesus?

Because I have told you these things so that my joy as in how the degree to which I'm joyful can

be yours and your joy can be complete as in it can be completely mature and tell yours. Perfect

in its completion. That's the kind of joy we can experience. What if we experience that two minutes

a day? Just two minutes a day. If we were able to experience that. I'm not talking about tickling

yourself to death. I'm talking about knowing in your heart the kind of joy that Jesus knows.

And so the next question is so what did he tell them? And this is what he tells them. He tells them

that this is how you need to look at it. To begin with consider this fact that Jesus loves you as

much as the father loves him. Jesus loves you in the same way. Forget the as much. Think of it this

way. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves Jacob in the same way that the father loves Jesus.

Guys it's important to know this. I know you've heard this before but put it down not in terms

of how much but in which way. When you say how much it's quantity you can't understand it. It's

very hard to measure God's love because it's inexhaustible. So forget the much part of it.

Think of the way. So here's what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying hey Jacob I love you in the same

way that the father loves me. I love you in the same way Jacob that the father loves me.

The same way. So now you can figure out what that way is as you read the gospels. You find that the

reason Jesus could be joyful was because of the complete confidence he had in his father because

of his father's love for him. Jesus loves Jacob in the same way that the father loves Jesus. And then

Jesus goes on to say that remain intimately at home in my love by obeying my commands just as I

remained intimately in my father's love by obeying his commands. Remain intimately at home in my love

by following my commands just as I remain intimately in my father's love by obeying his commands. And

then he goes on to say I have told you these things so that your joy my joy may be in you and so that

your joy may be complete. The point is guys if you want to begin to experience the kind of joy that

makes life vibrant active passionate godlike contagious then one of the things I cannot avoid

is obeying his commandments. And why will I obey his commandments? Not because I'm scared of him

but because I'm deeply in love with him. I love the way it puts it in the message remain intimately

at home in my love just as I have remained intimately at home in my father's love and how

do I do that? By obeying his commands. And if you do that Jacob then know this that my joy will be

in you and your joy will be complete. And by the way where do you start Jacob? Here's where you

start. Know this without a shadow of a doubt that I love you Jacob as in the same way that the father

has loved me. Do you know what confidence that can give you in the morning that this morning as I go

to work this morning as I face the situations I have to face Jesus loves me the same way that the

father loves Jesus. That is nuts man. Jesus loves me the same way that the father loves Jesus.

Say la. Think about it. Any questions on that before we move on to the third one? Any questions

guys? The creator of the universe Jesus Christ who has no beginning or no end who says he's the alpha

and the omega who is the visible image of the invisible God who through him by him and for him

all things were made who is above all things who is seated above everything else and at whose name

every knee bows. That Jesus loves me the same way that the father loved him. Yeah. He loves us

regardless. Yeah that's a good point. He loves us regardless. How do we remain in experience,

walk in, enjoy that love by obeying his commands? You know I went to this place called Shillong that

I told you about and Jason was with me when we went and they've got this strange seed that they

serve with dinner. It's this tiny little seed and so they insisted that I eat it and Jason eat it and

they were insisting I should have known they were insisting far too much that we eat it and they

had this look on their face as in something's gonna happen but I didn't use my discernment and I ate

it and so when you eat the seed it's not hot it's almost tasteless but moments after you eat it

wherever you touch your tongue to your mouth that part goes numb so I eat the seed and I forgot the

name of it I try to bring it here but they said it gets dry and loses its power so it's no point

bringing it so I ate it and then I do this and your lip goes numb you feel like there's hair growing

there and wherever you touch for about three minutes your mouth goes numb and it's happening

to me and Jason hasn't eaten it yet and I'm thinking to myself man the food is so tasteless

now because every place I feel like there's hair growing out and I'm beginning to pray saying

father I'm a sent one may this not last forever may feeling come back and I can look around the

table and they're sitting there and all waiting for a reaction and they can see something is

happening and so I didn't tell Jason so in about three or four minutes it came back feeling came

back and now I insisted that Jason eat it too because I said Jason it really tasted good so

Jason ate it and Jason's less adept at hiding what's happening so he's saying Jacob and now

all of us are sitting around and I'm laughing too because I'm done right so now it's his turn and

it was so much fun why am I telling the telling you this story basically to make fun of Jason

because he's not here but the second reason I'm telling you this is guys it is possible to sit

in front of a feast and not relish it tasted because certain parts of you have gone numb so

it's not that Jesus will ever remove the love from us the way the father loves it but for me to be

able to walk in it to taste it to feel it without going dull requires that I obey him because in

obedience my joy I will remain in joy I will remain in it otherwise it's still over you but

you don't realize it it's still over you but you don't realize it I could have made this point

without going to that story but the story sounded important yes and if Jason is watching on periscope

too bad you're not here you can't even refute it so any questions on that before you go on I just

enjoy the fact that now Jesus loves me the same way the father loves him and that if I want to

always walk in it recognize it taste it feel it and not go numb to it then all I have to do and

it isn't much of a chore start obeying him and enjoy it because at his right hand our pleasures

forevermore and in his presence is the fullness the completion of this awesome thing that God is

which is joy remember I said this before John Piper said it once the ultimate intent of God in

all his works is joy the ultimate intent of God in all his works is joy what was Eden named why

was Eden named Eden Eden meant delight what did God do every day after he had finished creating

it is good there was delight in it what does God say when we die and when we go to heaven depending

on how we've done here well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your master why did

Jesus go to the cross at the way he did for the joy that was set before him the ultimate intent

of God in all his works is joy it cannot any longer be an incidental footnote in our lives

any questions okay let's go to the next one the next one is not the experience of joy but the

the expression of joy the expression of joy the expression of joy and for the expression of joy

you don't obey him you celebrate him you celebrate him the Bible talks about the source of joy the

experience of joy and then the expression of joy joy must be expressed must be expressed

Psalm 5 11 Psalm 5 verse 11 Psalm 5 verse 11 but let all who take refuge in you rejoice let them

Psalms 5:11 Psalms 5:11

ever sing for joy and spread your protection over them and that those who love your name may exalt

you may all where is it yeah but let all who take refuge in you rejoice and let them ever sing for

joy it's the right expression of our love for God guys expression singing what we do here is in

a religious exercise we are called to do that go to Psalm 27 verse 6 Psalm 27 verse 6 Psalm 27 verse

Psalms 27:6 Psalms 27:6 Psalms 27:6

6 it's our posture it's a posture of a Christian it's impossible guys the only way we can avoid

these verses is by not reading them or disobeying them Psalm 27 verse 6 and now my head shall be

Psalms 27:6

lifted up above my enemies all around me and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with whispers

of joy I will sing and make melody to the Lord no no no not whispers of joy shouts of joy so when

people wrote on Facebook that oh I'm so glad Chantal's coming back to the church because we

haven't heard a shout for a while that's a good testimony man shouts of joy what do you do what's

that sound you make yeah there we go Psalm 98 1 Psalm 98 1 Psalm 98 1

sorry 98 4 98 4 make a joyful noise to the Lord all earth break forth into joyous song and sing

praises do you realize that this is God speaking a through David or through Moses and he's saying

listen guys I've told you about the source of joy I've told you about the experience of joy now

here's the third thing I need to tell you that joy requires expression and look at what it says

break forth make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth break forth into joyous song and sing

praises now each culture may have its own way of expressing joy like if you go to the African

culture I mean they got moves that will dislocate your hip but they do it so effortlessly you go

to India it's a different kind you go to Israel it's a different kind so I understand that cultural

context do define expression but but it's but it's sad when we do not choose to express whatever

your cultural context be express joy in that but let it be expressed let it not be this cancerous

silence that sometimes comes and suffocates a church or suffocates you some 149 5 if you

aren't used to expressing yourself publicly start here some 149 5 let the godly exultant glory let

them sing for joy on their beds try to finish by about 11 30 or 12 because otherwise your neighbors

may have a problem but let the godly exultant glory let them sing for joy on their beds let

them sing for joy on their beds stop there

Jeremiah 31 13 Jeremiah 31 13 Jeremiah 31 13

then shall the young women rejoice in the dance and the young men and the old shall be merry I'll

turn their mourning into joy I'll comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow I will feast

the soul of the priest with abundance and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness declares

the Lord dancing is an expression of joy some 20 verse 5 let's look at some more and then we'll

some 20 verse 5 some 20 verse 5 maybe shout for joy over your salvation and in the name of our

God set up our banners you know what it's saying that if you read the first four verses it's saying

when someone is victorious may we shout for joy as in when people come and share testimonies here

may we shout for joy because of the victories that God has worked out in their lives it's

very it's a proper thing to do guys it's a proper thing to do we can do more than hmm it's a proper

thing to do it actually says that maybe shout for joy over whose salvation your salvation as in your

rescue and in the name of a God set up our banners may the Lord fulfill all your petitions look at

some 47 one some 47 one all the scriptures are on top of your page some 47 one clap your hands all

people shout to God with loud songs of joy want to try that on three one two three clap your hands

all people shout to God with loud songs of joy that was so not together so let's try it one more

time not together one two clap your hands all people shout for God with loud songs of joy so

it's not just markers that should be drumming okay oh this one is really nice 126 to 126 to

some 126 verse 2 I know we'd all be in sync this is true yeah some 126 verse 2 I love this when

the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion as in design is a place of God's dwelling we are the

place of God's dwelling when the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion we were like those who dream and

then look at one of the expressions of joy then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue

with shouts of joy our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy just

imagine that a laughter is part of being joyful one more scripture some 107 22 some 107 22 some

107 22 this is why whenever you're invited to share stories feel free to come up guys it's

a command in the Bible it says and let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of his deeds

in songs of joy so you can either write a song or come and talk about it tell of his deeds in songs

of joy even telling just so you know expression of joy is so important to God so let me conclude

any questions before we move on some 107 22 some 107 107 22 that's what we just read so guys you

can see why Paul keeps saying over and over again if you want to read a book in the Bible that talks

about joy read the book of Philippians it's just continuously about expressing joy in difficulty

or sometimes when you're going through trials James talks about it Paul talks about it in the

book of Philippians the book of Philippians is filled with at least in three or four places

three places I think with this whole command of rejoice and when he says it the third time in some

chapter four he says I know I've said this before and it doesn't bother me that I'm saying it again

rejoice keep saying it rejoice what does it mean to rejoice in the Lord guys it does not mean that

grief desolation and pain sees it means that something else is experienced alongside your

hurt something else called joy because sometimes what's happened in Christianity is we've gone to

the other extreme and we've sanitized joy to the point that it's almost as if desolation grief

and pain cannot exist along with joy no no no no no desolation pain and grief existed on the cross

man and yet it says for the joy that was set before him so it exists together it exists together

that's why Paul says in second Corinthians 6 10 that sorrowful yet always rejoicing he's talking

about how pressed down beaten but not I mean confused but not destroyed and then he goes on

to sorrowful but always rejoicing stranger this is what I talked about last week when I said when I

quoted that quote from Oswald Chambers he says that till you are able to look the blackest darkest

cloud right in the face without damaging the nature of God it says in Oswald Chambers says

till you look at the blackest darkest cloud in the face without damaging the nature of God you do

not really know God what a statement eh when nasty things are happening around you things are breaking

down some because of your mistake some because of others but through it all through the blackest

darkest cloud you can look it straight in the face and yet not damage the face of God as in

you've let me down oh you didn't come through nothing of that sort why because you have this

confidence that Jesus loves you the same way the father has loved him and there is no shadow

of turning in him and that then allows sorrow to exist side by side with joy go ahead what will

the joy looks like at that moment let's talk about that yeah yeah yeah and so yeah and so

she's basically quoting Habakkuk 317 in her own words so let's look at Habakkuk 317 317 to 19

Habakkuk 317 to 19 Habakkuk 317 to 19 and here's what it says though the fig tree should not

blossom nor fruit be on the wine the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food and

the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the

Lord I will take joy in the God of my salvation God the Lord is my strength he makes my feet like

the deers he makes me tread on my high places so here is a guy who's going through the same

situation yet he says he'll be joyful so how do we go from a feeling of grief desolation and pain

to the truth of joy whenever you want to go from feelings to the truth use words to get there

whenever you want to go from feelings to the truth use words to get there you do not really deny the

reality of your condition but you move towards the truth with words so someone who's precious to you

who's died is your daughter or son in a situation that breaks your heart have you just found out

that there is a doctor's report that is not good have you just found out that your house is going

to be taken away by the bank because you lost your job how do you go from there to joy and it is with

words you begin with words saying though the fig tree shall not blossom father this I know

that you will never abandon me though I just heard a report that is not healthy about my body I thank

you oh god that you are this though my children have turned away I remember the promise that if

you train up the child in the way you should bring them they will never depart and so you use words

and preferably his words not platitudes or lit nice cute poems on hallmark cards and you move

from feelings to the truth that is the first step guys and as you begin to speak words of truth you

move from feelings to truth and then a strange thing happens as you begin to do that and your

mind begins to think differently you find that in the middle of bleakness there is hope and once

you arrive at that point of hope you know that joy will come you move from a dismal place to a

place of hope and from hope to joy there has to be hope if there has to be joy there has to be hope

yeah yeah don't frame your world based on what you see around you frame it around what God has

spoken and therefore this may be my condition I will not deny its reality because Abraham did

not deny the fact that he was important but he was persuaded with the words of God and he began

speaking it and he began to call himself Abraham which itself was a way of saying that he believed

in God and he slowly began to move towards reality and in the process what happens is hope arises

guys the one thing that the devil wants to destroy before he destroys joy is hope if he can destroy

hope he can put me in a spiral that will keep drawing me downwards and what does the Holy Spirit

want wants to bring me to a place of joy but before you get to joy he wants to restore hope

and once he restores hope the next step inevitably is joy inevitably is joy so although the victory

does not blossom I suddenly see this bleak through my bleakness I see this small sign of hope and

once hope comes my heart begins to beat again my heart begins to beat again go ahead Ian

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

yeah yeah amazing yeah yeah yeah yeah

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah said before him yeah

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and I mean the first bit you talked about is basically from first Corinthians 15 where Paul says

we should not be like the people of the world who have no hope

and then in Isaiah 53 that's the second part he was talking about where it says that

and the will of God will prosper in the hands of his servant Jesus and he shall see a great reward for the

pouring out of his life which is you and I at the end of the day guys if we can move from bleakness

to hope then the inevitable next step is joy get to a place of hope and to get to a place of hope

there is no way to get there without bringing in faith because that's what Habakkuk chapter 3 is

Habakkuk 3 · chapter mention

talking about though the victory but I shall and where will faith come from again coming from that

place not of standing on the word of God but standing on the nature of God which is revealed

in the word the nature of God revealed in the word we don't stand on the word of God guys we stand

on the nature of God revealed in the word you stand on the word of God you'll be hanging by the

skin of your teeth or the nails of your hands and you'll be scarred stuff is supposed to be

restful we stand in faith on the nature of God revealed in the word by the Holy Spirit

that is how we stand and faith will always be coupled with hope hope will inevitably lead

to joy and joy is guys at the end of the day let me conclude Psalm 40 verse 16

Psalms 40:16

and by the way we don't rejoice on one hand we don't sanitize desolation pain and grief from

joy by the same token we don't rejoice because we have successes either

because that's the other thing Christians rejoice when there are victories and successes

and yet what did Jesus do say when the 70 came back from their missionary journey they came back

saying we've cast out demons and all this stuff and what did Jesus say in Luke 17 he said do not

rejoice that you've cast out demons and all this stuff rejoice that your names are written in the

book of life why because at the end of the day joy doesn't come because of my victories and because

of my successes as a Christian it comes because of my relationship my right relationship with

God once you get that right then victories are like gravy that are a trophy in his collection

but it comes out of right relationship it says rejoice because your names are written not because

of this great you did this I sent you out to do them and it's wonderful that you did them but

know where you're rejoicing starts from the source that it starts from a right relationship with God

let's stop with Psalm 40 verse 16 Psalm 40 verse 16 Psalm 40 verse 16

Psalms 40:16 Psalms 40:16 Psalms 40:16

and this is to applies to all of us say everybody sitting here but may all who seek you

rejoice ah it's a command man but may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you may those who

love your salvation say continually great is the Lord let all who seek you rejoice let them say to

the world another version says let all who seek you rejoice let them say to the world

the Lord be magnified let all who seek you rejoice let them say to the world the Lord be magnified

I read this somewhere I don't remember where it's not my code it's somebody else who said this

he said that often to the world God is like a distant comet and your life is the telescope

what a beautiful line eh to the world God is like a distant comet your life is the telescope

it brings God nearer it brings God nearer brings God nearer rejoice and magnify him guys the moment

you rejoice in God he gets magnified your telescope suddenly becomes the Hubble thing

let me say that line again to most people to many people in the world God is like a distant comet

just barely visible maybe once every three months like a quick streak you your life is the telescope

and when you rejoice you magnify him even more and he becomes more evident

becomes more evident bless you guys