December 2023 BIG SUNDAY | JOY

Welcome to Go Church Beirut. Your place to love, grow, and go.

Get ready to hear an inspiring message recorded during a Go Church Beirut gathering.

The message theme for this month is joy.

You know, and joy isn't just something that...

Does everybody like Julie's sign that she made?

Joy is something that we commonly see around Christmas time, right?

You'll see signs that say, joy. There's this nice song, joy to the world.

Joy is commonly associated with Christmas and in the West at least,

that's tied to the practice of gift giving, the exchange of gifts.

Now, I would love to tell you that that's because for centuries,

these people have been using gifts as a way to remember the gift of God in Jesus.

But it's not. It's an old pagan Roman practice.

Anyway, it's great for retailers, which is good for the economy.

And it's fun to give gifts. My wife loves to give gifts.

She would wrap me in wrapping paper and have me unwrap myself.

She just loves it. She... Whoops, I've gotten too far.

And this, by the way, this is kind of how our living room looks since the Able message.

This is a window into the Christmas world at the Hatter Balls.

Joy is a fun concept,

but I think in our modern society, it's confused with happiness.

And joy and happiness are not the same thing.

In fact, Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 says that joy is one of the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22

And we've talked about this before in our grow groups.

And if you're not part of a grow group, well, frankly, you're not part of Go Church

because that's where Go Church happens.

But in our grow groups, we've talked about the fruit of the spirit.

And the fruit of the spirit, one simple way to say that is just

it's the result of the Holy Spirit working in us.

One of the things that he does in us is produce joy.

And he uses that word fruit. What happens with fruit?

It grows. It grows, you enjoy it and more growths, right?

But it also fruit grows more when it's in an environment for growth.

And that's why being in an environment for growth is so important for us.

As we follow Jesus, we want to be in a place where we're in an environment that promotes growth.

Joy is something that should be present and grow in our life as followers of Jesus.

John 15 11, Jesus said this. He said these things I have

spoken.

Something was transferred by words. What? What was transferred by words?

My joy. He said these things I have spoken unto you that my joy might

remain in you and that your joy might be full.

Have you ever been around someone that is full of joy?

Have you ever been around someone that has been like on like just below

below quarter of a tank somewhere between quarter of a tank and the E

with the with the gas light on on their joy meter?

You know what I'm talking about? How are you doing?

Not so good. What's wrong?

I don't know. Tell me what's wrong.

You know.

County situation. Inshallah, it'll get better.

Hush. One day we were in our village.

We have a lot of villages here. Julie and I were in we were in line at Hill Me's

never bought lemonade at Hill Me's.

I highly recommend it not sponsored but we're standing in line at Hill Me's

and Julie and I were just enjoying the day. We've been walking around and

we're waiting for our lemonade. The lady behind me.

She says. So Julie who's never met a stranger in her life.

She turns around and she says beautiful day and she goes beautiful day,

but not in this country.

I thought oh, how to this lady is in she's talking to the wrong people.

Like, sorry, but what let's explain some.

So Joy is something that is very easy to recognize,

but it is impossible to fake.

And Joy is something that should mark us as followers of Jesus.

I say this, you know, sometimes I don't know if you understand what I mean by it,

but it's good to check up on yourself.

Like sometimes I like to sneak up behind me and listen to me.

And one of the things I try to listen for is I listen for the wine in my voice.

I don't mean the wine where my friends are from in Zach.

Like these guys are from City Gate Church. They drove very far.

They get the award. Maybe I don't know.

No, you know what I mean by get the wine out of your voice.

Joy the Bible says in Nehemiah.

This is in Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 10.

Nehemiah 8:10

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Gilbert who is in India now, right today.

He made this comment. I really like it.

He says the Bible doesn't say that the strength of the Lord is our joy.

It's the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Here's what that looks like in practice.

When the Lord does something amazing for me, I'll be joyful.

No, because Proverbs actually says that the voice of your flesh is never silent

and the appetite of your flesh is never satisfied.

What's quiet?

I quote in the Bible.

The joy of the Lord is our strength, not the strength of the Lord is our joy.

When the Lord does something for me, then I'll be happy.

Until then.

Quit that.

Let me ask you this.

How many of you have ever taken care of a baby?

How many of you have ever been a baby?

That's everybody, right?

Babies, if they're tired, what do they...

They let you know, right?

If they're hungry, I want something to eat right now.

I don't care that we're in traffic.

Hey, hey, I have to go to the bathroom.

I don't care that I just went.

I got to go right now.

I want to play.

I want to play.

I want to be loud.

I want to color.

I want to do this.

You know what that sounds like?

Sounds like a baby.

If we have to have all of our circumstance in perfect line.

We wake up on the right side of the bed.

We come outside and the temperature is perfect.

The sun is in the right place.

Not too...

No one has parked close on me.

Traffic is not bad.

No one cuts me off.

Ah, today I can be happy.

That is how a baby talks.

And if we as Christians act like that,

we'll never accomplish great things for God.

Because at some point, grown-ups go into hard situation.

Oh, joy.

Let's read the Christmas story.

I'm talking about the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Letting joy develop in you so that regardless of circumstances,

I am unmoved.

And in the face of contradictory circumstances,

I announce the victory that I don't see but believe

because Jesus paid it all for me.

That is who do exploits for God.

Daniel chapter 11 verse 32.

Daniel 11:32

Those who know their God will be strong and do exploits.

Babies will wait for something to be done for them.

Joy is something that we need to develop on the inside of us.

It should be our characteristic.

People that don't know where you go to church

shouldn't talk about how joyful you are.

Not how happy you are.

Not how satisfied you are with the present circumstance.

I'm talking about joy, the strength of the Lord.

Look at Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Joy enables us to go through hard places.

One of my favorite verses in Proverbs

says the righteous will come through trouble.

I love that.

Because if you've ever lived long enough to experience trouble,

what you want is the way through.

Psalm 23.

I walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

I do not install a mailbox in the middle of it.

Well, this is it.

This is where I live now.

Now, I'm coming through.

Joy is the strength that takes us through trouble.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 says, looking under Jesus,

Hebrews 12:2

the author and the sinisher of our sake, who for the joy

set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,

and is sat down at the right hand of God on high.

What a great verse.

Jesus, the author and the finisher.

Like one person said, if you're in the middle of your story

and not at the place where it's a complete victory,

you're not at the end yet because he is the finisher.

He's the finisher.

Sickness and disease likes to show up and say,

I'm the finisher.

No, you're not.

Jesus is the finisher.

Political distress, war, economic disaster

likes to say, we're the finisher.

No, you're not.

You're a liar.

Jesus is the finisher.

Look to Jesus.

Hebrews says, look to Jesus, the author and the finisher

of our faith, who for the joy.

So here's the example.

Jesus goes to the cross.

How?

I guess.

For the joy.

It says, for the joy.

For the joy, he endured the cross, despising the shame.

That word despising is important.

Do you know what it means?

The way we use it today, it means like the way

I think about cucumbers.

I despise cucumbers.

But in the Bible, despise actually

means to think little of.

To think little of.

To not think much about.

How do you think about your problems?

Have you ever been around people that

brag about their problems?

Being in ministry, sometimes you want to pray for someone,

someone comes and I'll say, I want prayer.

OK, what can I pray for you about?

And then the bragging starts.

Let me tell you.

I went to a doctor, but not just any doctor,

the very best doctor.

It's the doctor that other doctors go to.

And he said that he's never seen anything like my problem.

Come here.

Come here.

That is not despising.

That is magnifying.

Making much of.

You've got to.

No, you don't understand.

My problem is very special.

Just like me, it is unique.

My problem is so unique, no one on the planet

has ever faced anything like that.

Hush.

That's the wine I'm talking about.

Jesus endured the cross despising the shame.

Make little of, think little about.

So what was he thinking about?

He was thinking about you.

He was thinking about you.

What's the joy?

What's the joy that caused Jesus to endure the cross

and think little of the shame of death was you?

That day, 2000 years ago, when Jesus was beaten,

bruised, blindfolded, hit, a crown of thorns

fashioned and pressed into his head.

Beaten by Roman soldiers all through that.

All through that.

He said, you know what I'm excited about?

Christelle's going to get it.

Christelle's going to get it.

They're going to see the truth and they're going to say yes.

They are worth it.

Jesus endured hardness for us.

How?

For the joy set before him.

Who's the joy?

You.

Think about the gift that God gave to us in Jesus.

This is in Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 2 verse 9 and 11.

Luke 2:9

An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

whose them, them are shepherds.

What were these shepherds doing?

They were watching sheep.

Which sheep?

They were watching the sheep that were being raised

for the Passover.

And the glory of the Lord shone around them.

And they were amazed.

First hand, but the angel said to them, do not be afraid.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy

for all the people.

Jesus brings joy.

Jesus brings joy.

Joy is strength.

The angels announce joy has come.

Joy has come, not is coming.

Arrived, done.

This is the gift, right?

Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you,

the Messiah, the Lord.

That word Messiah, the anointed one of God.

He's the answer.

He's the gift.

This happened in Bethlehem.

Salwa told me this and it was too good not to repeat.

Sorry, Salwa fuss at me for saying her name.

She said, you know, Bethlehem means house of flesh.

That's where the word became flesh.

Yes, John chapter 1 verse 14, and the word became flesh

John 1:14

and dwelt among us.

Where?

Bethlehem.

Glory to God.

I want to take just a moment and think about this gift

that God gave to us in Jesus.

Because if He'll do that for us, if He'll give Jesus for us,

Romans chapter 8 says, if He didn't spare His own Son

Romans 8 · chapter mention

but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not freely

with Him also give us all things?

Hebrews chapter 10 verses 4 through 6 says,

Hebrews 10:4–6

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats

could take away sins.

Christ's death fulfills God's will.

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said sacrifice

an offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared

for me.

But a body you have prepared for me.

I'm talking about the gift.

Jesus brings joy.

He is joy for the world.

Joy is strength.

Joy allows us to something that we should grow in to go

through hard circumstances.

And that begins with Jesus.

He's the beginning.

He's the end.

He's the author.

He's the finisher.

And Jesus said a body you have prepared for me in burnt

offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure.

That's Hebrews chapter 10 verses 4 through 6.

Hebrews 10:4–6

This is actually quoting from the Old Covenant, a prophecy

about Jesus coming.

A body you have prepared for me.

A body you have prepared for me.

What was the price that God paid?

Jesus, right?

We have something to shout about.

Jesus, Jesus.

Yay, Jesus.

Praise God for Jesus.

But what was the cost?

Paying me money.

Need money.

Right?

I want you to, in your minds, go with me to a toy shop.

Christmas time.

Christmas shopping.

A grandmother is with her daughter and their little,

little boy.

The grandmother loves, loves her grandson.

Who wouldn't?

Cute, little mischievous, but this family, they don't have a

lot of money.

They're walking through the toy shop and this little boy sets

his eyes on this toy.

He sees it and he enters a whole world just right there in the

shop of imagination.

If I could have this toy.

This toy would be so much fun.

I would love to have this toy.

The mother says, Yell-O-Mo, let's go, let's go.

But grandma saw the way he looked.

She saw it.

She looks at the price.

$62.

She doesn't have it.

Me.

But she has some time.

They leave the shop.

They go about their day.

And she makes a decision.

She says, I'm going to buy it.

She doesn't have the money, but what she does is the next time

she goes to the market, instead of buying 100 grams of flour,

she buys 50.

Instead of buying four tomatoes, she buys two.

And slowly she begins to gather the money.

She gathers the money by not doing some things that maybe

she would have done normally.

Imagine standing behind her, just in front of her is a young

family, and they're buying, it seems like a whole grocery store,

all fruits and vegetables, apples and bonadoura and bananas

and all kinds of things.

But look, she's not sad.

She's smiling.

Do you know why?

Because she knows her little grandson, what he's going to

look like when he opens that gift.

She can stand there in that line and see her grandson unwrap

that gift.

Now she knows that a week later he'll forget that he has it.

But that joy makes that sacrifice easy.

And when she finally gathers that $62, she goes back to the

shop.

She goes up to the cashier.

She takes the toy.

She gives the toy to the cashier.

The cashier says $62.

She takes, here's the $62.

The cashier sees her pay the price, but she has no idea what

the cost was.

She has no idea the days that this grandmother invested and

the experience that she has invested in creating this gift.

I want you to see this because you can show up at the end of

John, at the end of Luke, at the end of Mark and see the price

that was paid by Jesus.

But what about the cost?

Because the cost, what did it cost God to give us Jesus?

The Bible says in John chapter 1, in the beginning was the

John 1 · chapter mention

Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

And in verse 14, chapter 1 says, and the Word became flesh,

not for a day, not for a week, not for 33 years.

God became man.

Jesus is forever in a human body.

In not very long, in not very long at all, He's coming again.

The Bible says that we which are alive and remain will be

caught up together with Him and so shall we ever be with the

Lord.

The Bible says that this mortal will put on immortality and

we will be glorified, made like unto Him in His resurrection,

except for this one thing.

Bob, when me and you are standing next to Jesus in just

a few days in heaven, there'll be a difference, one difference

between us and Him.

The marks of my redemption that He forever carries, the

print of the nail in His hands, the wound in His side, the

scars on His back and His brow.

God is forever like us in Him so that we could forever be like

Him in Christ.

That is the cost of our redemption.

How shall He, God, if He did that, not also freely give us

all things in Christ, if He was going to withhold anything, it

would be Jesus.

If it was going to pull back on anything, but He gave all.

Why?

For the joy.

Like that grandmother.

I would much rather see the smile on my grandson's face

than have the two extra tomatoes.

So for the joy, I'm going to give.

For the joy, I'm going to put something else first.

I'm going to change my priorities.

That is what God has done for me and for you and for the

world, for the joy.

And that's what we're called to mimic.

The cost of the gift was His body.

His body was the fulfillment of a promise God had made to

Abraham.

His body was sinless, pure, undefiled.

He was the only man that had completely fulfilled God's law.

And that was the body given as a gift for us.

How shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?

So what will you give?

2 Samuel chapter 24 verse 24 says, this is David speaking.

2 Samuel 24:24

He said, no, but I will surely buy this from you.

What's he talking about?

In the context, he's going to prepare an offering to the

Lord.

An offering to the Lord, meaning he's going to take an

animal and burn it up as an offering, a sacrifice to the

Lord.

And this man says, here, you've done a lot for me.

I'm just going to give this to you and you can make your

offering.

And David said, no, no.

He said, I will buy it from you for a price.

That word literally means I'll pay you what it's worth.

He's not like selling it to him for a dollar.

He said, I will buy it from the price.

Why?

He said, I will not offer a burnt offering to the Lord,

my God, which cost me nothing.

That's honoring the Lord.

David had so much respect for the covenant of God and the

price that God had paid for him to be in relationship with

him.

He said, I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me

nothing.

Yes, David.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2, again, Jesus, he did what?

Hebrews 12:2

He gave all.

How did he give all?

He gave it in joy.

Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 15.

2 Corinthians 12:15

I love this verse.

He says, Paul says, I will very gladly spend and be spent.

You most of us, most people generally are happy to give some.

I have a cookie.

You don't have a cookie.

I break my cookie and I give you some of my cookie.

Now you have some cookie and I have some cookie.

Some.

But that's not how God gives.

He gave all.

And what he gave cost him.

It cost him for God to redeem us in Jesus, cost him eternity

to be like us.

Wow.

You know what that is?

That's love.

That's love expressed as a commitment in a gift.

And given to us when we didn't deserve it, when we couldn't

earn it.

He gave.

He gave.

What will we give?

I'll give my whole life.

I'll give my whole life, Lord.

Will you?

Oh, I'll give my whole life, Lord.

I'll give my whole life to you.

Will you?

Or will you keep back part?

Or will you keep back part?

I'm going to finish with a very not Christmas story in Acts

Acts 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

How many of you know the story in Acts chapter 5?

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 5 is about Ananias and Sapphira.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Now what's happening in Acts chapter 5 is everyone is so

Acts 5 · chapter mention

excited about the move of God and the new church that's been

launched that they're all freely giving of themselves.

And the Bible says in the end of chapter 4 that those that

owned land sold the land and brought the money for the church.

So Ananias and Sapphira said, well, we've got this piece of

property.

Let's sell it.

So they sold it.

But in chapter 5, I believe it's in verse 2, it says, but

they decided to keep back part.

They decided that they were going to keep back part.

Now it didn't work out very well for brother Ananias,

sister Sapphira.

And the ushers had to become pallbearers.

A rough day to be an usher at that church.

So they go, the thing is it would be silly to think that

Ananias and Sapphira are the last couple that decided to

keep something back for themselves.

It would be silly to think that that's the last time someone

decided, you know what, I'm going to bring a little death

into the move of God and I'm going to stop the flow of God

with my selfishness.

What is too much?

What is the thing that the Lord would ask of you that you

would say, please, not that.

I want to keep something back for myself.

I can't answer them.

But I'm challenging you as we go into this new year.

That we look at ourselves in the light of the cost of our

redemption, what God has done for us in Christ.

And say, what will I give?

What will I give to the King?

What is too much for me?

What would I want to hold or keep back for myself?

God has already answered that for himself.

Nothing.

If he was going to hold anything back, it would be Jesus.

Joseph, why don't you come?

If he was going to hold anything back, it would be Jesus.

But he said, I will freely give.

I will freely give.

I will freely give.

Hallelujah.

Joseph is going to just lead us in some time where we can make

this practical.

Is here.

And tell them to get ready to receive from him.

Are you ready to receive?

Are you ready to receive him?

Are you ready to receive from him?

Because he is here.

How I know he is here?

Because his name is Emmanuel.

It's in his name that God is with us.

He is with us.

He came for us.

He came to encounter us.

He came to bless us.

He came to heal us.

He came to deliver us.

His word says so.

In Matthew 1, 23, it says the virgin will conceive and give

birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, which means

God with us.

How did God come to be with us?

As Pastor Matt said, he became in flesh.

The word became in flesh and dwelt amongst us.

He is amongst us.

He is with his family.

He is with his church.

He is with his children.

But why did he do that?

In John 3, 16 says that God so much loved the world that he

gave his only begotten son.

So whoever believes in him shall not perish but inherit

the eternal life.

Why he did that?

Why he did it?

Because he loves you.

Because he loves you.

Because he loves you.

Because he loves you.

And his love is unconditional.

To receive his love, you don't need to do anything.

You just need to receive it.

So what I want to do now is that I want to ask you please

stand up and get ready to receive from Jesus.

First of all, between you and him, this is so personal

between you and him, I want you to close your eyes.

I want you to see him standing in front of you as Pastor Matt

was saying, what will you give?

Today think of that thing that you want to give.

But first of all, I want you to think that have you given him

your life?

Have you given him your heart?

Have you given him yourself?

Have you given him your family?

What is the thing that you need to give to him?

And today I want to give you the opportunity to chance,

the chance that while he came for us and he gave himself to

us, that you have that opportunity to give back to him

yourself, your heart, your life, your thoughts, your ways,

everything that he is asking for you.

So I want you to pray with me.

And I want to ask you that you pray in a loud voice that

your ears can hear it.

Amen.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for Jesus.

Jesus, we thank you that you accepted to do the will of the

Father, that you became flesh and dwelt amongst us.

We thank you that you got up on the cross to pay the debt of

our sins and to make us righteous to God in you.

Jesus, today I give you myself and I pray that you forgive my

sins and you make me part of your kingdom.

I receive you in my heart, in my life.

Thank you for making me a new creation.

In Jesus' name, amen.

So now, step two.

Jesus didn't finish it at the cross.

We have a lot of things that he offered under that redemption,

which is healing for our bodies, which is being delivered from

sin, delivered from sickness, from disease, from oppression,

from depression, from sadness, everything he bore it on the

cross.

So what we are going to do now, we are going to do an exchange.

Who?

He's here.

I can feel he's here.

His anointing is here.

His spirit is here.

So what we are going to do, we're going to do that exchange.

So whatever you are carrying and you have been carrying,

and I know because Jesus was seeing the expectations that you

have been coming with and Jesus has a plan for you today.

And some of you were asking him to encounter him, that he is

made real.

And today you will encounter him if you allow him to move in

your life.

And today if you need to rededicate yourself to him, I want

you to take time and do that.

Tell him Jesus, I renew my covenant with you.

I renew my vow with you.

I renew that word that I gave you years ago.

Maybe it's been a year.

Maybe it's been months.

Maybe it's been 10 years, 20 years.

It doesn't matter.

But Jesus, I want to continue with you.

Maybe you need to start afresh.

Tell him Jesus come and have your way in my life.

So if you have any sickness, any disease that you need healing

from, I know the power of God is here and he's going to

manifest in your life.

There's an anointing of healing that is active in this place.

I want you to lay your hand right now on that place of

sickness and disease.

And I want you to declare whatever has been given to you

on the cross.

In Jesus name, Father, right now, I thank you that healing

is the bread of the children, Lord, and it has been paid

for in full on the cross.

So every sickness, every disease right now that is illegally

present in our bodies right now, I pray for it to be gone

in the name of Jesus.

Right now, I pray healing on everybody in the name of Jesus.

I rebuke the devil.

I rebuke the spirit of sickness and infirmity in Jesus name.

Be gone right now, right now in Jesus name.

Bodies made whole, pains leave, nerves right now become

to your normal state.

Muscles be healed, bones be healed, tumors be gone,

cancers be healed in Jesus name.

Hallelujah.

Thank you, Lord, for wholeness in your church.

Hallelujah.

There is no need.

There is no sickness in the camps of the righteous right

now.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord, in Jesus name.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

There is more.

Ha ha.

There is more.

There is a promise that Jesus has given us.

Jesus is the baptizer with fire and the Holy Spirit.

That is a promise.

You can see it in the Bible.

If you don't believe me, go to the book of Acts.

Go ask those people in the Bible what happened with them.

So I want to ask you, if you want to be baptized with the

Holy Spirit and the fire of God, I want you to leave your

place and come forward.

Thank you for joining us at Go Church Beirut.

Go Church Beirut exists so that everyone can experience

the unconditional love of God, grow in His love and go

with His love to their world.

To stay connected with all that is happening at Go Church,

follow us on social media at Go Church Beirut.

And if no one told you yet today, we love you and expect

God's best for you.