Joy To The World

Thank you. We've been talking to you about told you what I'm going to do all the elements of the Advent but that we would talk about the oven something. So we've been talkin about different components of the Advent and we talked about what we talked about Hope right and then we talk about peace. And so today we're going to talk to you a little bit about Joy. And I want you to I want you to try to answer a question for me. If you can sometimes I like to start with a question. So what comes to mind when you hear the word Joy?

I can hear what it said. I would like peace. Okay, so when you went when I say Joi you think piece. Okay, tell me how Joe is demonstrated in the life of a believer. How do you know if somebody has Joy?

When things are going crazy. They're still happy there still. Joyful. They still have what you say hope. Okay.

Tell me don't tell me.

Giving microphone so I can say I need this on a thing, please.

God having so many things. That he's in the world like a sphere. Spear spear for me. There's one little shining Ray from him comes down just for me.

That's good. That that was all God has he's got one ra1 Focus. That's just for me what we sang this morning. We saying a different Renditions of it, but we sang the song Joy to the World so that you know, I will tell you a quick story a young boy once complained to his father that most of the hymns they sang in church. We're boring Janelle. They said that he said it was too far behind times. He said they were tired some tunes and meaningless words when he told his father. His father put an end to his son's complaints by saying if you think you can write better hymns then why don't you do it? The boy went to his room and wrote his first him. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

The year was 1690 and that the teenager was Isaac Watts the writer of Joy to the World. it all started with Him saying what y'all are doing doesn't fit me. And his dad challenging him. This is the Everett Spencer version and saying don't complain about it do something about it. Are you hearing me and so I want to talk to you about Jordan? Cuz I think sometimes we we we categorize joy and most of our categorisation comes in the form of an emotion. That we did with the happiness that we we keep joy in The Happy's on happy happy joy joy, happy happy joy! Joy. You know and and and and and what I want you to see today is that the way to Bible describes Joy is a little different. Then what we sometimes think of when we think of Joy, it's a little it's a little I was I remember thinking as I was reading all the material read to get ready for this I said, you know cuz I'm going to talk about in a minute one of the prayers of Jesus myself. Why didn't you pray that we wouldn't have no trouble.

Why did you pray that we wouldn't have to go through? Someone's stuff we go through. I mean if anybody has God is here you have is here. So if you don't pray for me, bro, why ain't you want to do something? But see there's a reason Jesus prayed the way he prayed. All right. So now here's the thing. I teach you all the time that when you receive the Holy Spirit you receive everything the Holy Spirit has to offer right? So there's no Bargain Basement. Holy Spirit. There's no lesser. Holy Spirit. There's no greater Holy Spirit. There's just you receive the Holy Spirit and when he comes into your life when it comes into your heart, he brings all that is with him. Galatians tells very plainly that one of the fruit of the spirit is joy. That with him comes Joy. So you don't want no problems. I think we have is people are looking for joy. And they did at the same time that they profess in Christ. I don't have to look for joy. I already have it. I have I have the person who is by definition. Joy, and so therefore I just have to possess what is possessing me. Y'all to hear that did you I have to possess what is possessing mean? All right phone number one.

Because you mix a lot.

Luke 2 didn't read my scripture say I was always down the street with Luke 2 verses 1011, but the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold. I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for what? Will be for who? All the people next one. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior. Who is Christ the lord? And so the angel says Hey, listen, go back to the last place. I want to look at 1st and again, please.

Can she hear me? Thank you. Jesus. Do not be afraid for behold. I bring you what good news or what? So just the news of Jesus just the announcement. This is Jesus's, you know how people having a baby and it's not birth announcement. This is birth announcement. Now that shows you that he's in a different category because his birth announcement is personally delivered by an Angel. This is a different kind of category a person. And his birth announcement says very simply that you don't have to be afraid. Because I'm bringing you good news. of great joy The savior is born. Sometimes I think this is why this time of year sometimes frustrates me. It really does it for us to make this forever. I get this I get what I call a holy discontent because I think we've allowed the secularization of this time of year to become so rampant that those of us who profess to be Believers. We lose sight of what this is really about. Now, you do realize that there's absolutely no evidence at all that Jesus was actually born in December, right?

Y'all understand that right? But if this is the time we celebrate his birth. You know my son my son. His birthday is January 26th, right 25th of June 26th is birthday is January 25th. Well when he was playing basketball he was so it'll be home for his birthday. He will be in some country somewhere doing whatever he was doing. And so when he would get home, we will celebrate his birthday. So sometimes birthday will be celebrated at the first part of February. Sometimes we celebrate sometime in March. But it didn't matter when we celebrated it. The celebration was to commemorate the fact that he was born. So what I'm getting you to try to get you to see if we understand that Jesus wasn't born December 25th, right but it is the time of year that we celebrate his birthday and you can't celebrate his birth completely without fully understanding who it is you're celebrating and why he was born. Are you in this move on next next first point in my first point? Jesus only gives full Joy.

You don't have what he doesn't have a partial Joy payment plan. He didn't have a gradual Joy introduction Joy. There's not there's not there's not the is not the strip down Joy know when you get through you get Jesus you get fully loaded Joy. When Jesus gives is a it's the Platinum package. Are you hearing me? It's the Platinum package. It's all the joy that you could possibly stand. No matter what people don't understand when you read the Old Testament the Bible tells the story of Abraham and Isaac Wright and what we don't realize that Abraham is really in the story. He's a he's a type of God. And Isaac is a type of of Jesus, right? And so here they are there waiting for this son of Promise. There's a week that the world waited for years for the son of promise to come from right? And and and so then when when when God finally shows up and says that he's going to he's going to allow Sarah who was Baron to have a child the Bible says she laughs within herself. She said this is impossible. This is crazy. It's deliver this dude out here talkin. Is he crazy? Cuz this can't happen. But when she found out she was pregnant when a child was born the Bible says that she named him Isaac in the name Isaac literally means laughter. One of my pastors what a my pastor said. He said Isaac's name was Joy boy.

That was named Joy boy because he said he makes me laugh when Jesus comes on the scene. Guess what? He's Joy boy. He is he is the Fulfillment that the personification of Joy doing scripture real quick. Next line. This is John 15:11. He says these things I have spoken to you so that my my joy may be what my joy may be in you and that your joy may be My joy may be in you and your joy May. That word Joy. It literally means calm. That's what it means calm calm in the presence of a storm. That's what it means. The word for means to be compacted member. The Bible says the Bible says give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down shaken together and running over. Well, well what the what the scripture is illustrating there is what it really means to be full that there's no when I said press down and shaken together. They would shake it to make sure all the air had come out. There was no space and said that thing was truly compact it. Jesus said that when I give you Joy, I'm going to pack you full of it. Look at somebody and tell him you're full of it. Now be saved on that one, okay.

But he wants you.

That that allows the challenges of life and people wonder why aren't they aren't they going to me text message? And they were they were the ones people they read about a lot of end-time Prophecy and stuff like this and they sent me this message. This is a pastor. I'm really concerned about what I'm saying, because I read this and I read that I said if you're reading it in Just Cause you anxiety I said, then you're not reading it with the right spirit. Isaac is everything I read that I see happening. It makes my joy grow that much more cuz I recognize that his coming. Is that much closer? And this is what this is all about this about me being finally reunited with the one I love and it gives me great joy. Are you hearing me next line?

John John 17:13 says this way but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world so that they may have my joy made full in themselves. They may have my joy may be full of themselves. We go back to John so you don't have to go back into slide. I just want my references you already John 15 and John 15 Jesus talking about that's the whole pasture with you to talk about. Love you. Bye to me. And I abide in you it doesn't say I am the I am the vine you are the branches, you know, you can eat that's whole thing about abiding in him. Then he gets the verse and left and that's where he talks about that Macho Macho movie and you and your children a full so you can't have full Joy this Folger we talked about this this this compact over ranked. You can't have that kind of Joy if you're not abiding in Christ. If you're one of these people that you have a take-it-or-leave-it relationship with Jesus. You know, you you you you you don't have a you don't have a monogamous relationship with him. Uuuuu believe your relationship with Jesus is polyamorous.

No polyamorous means that you get to do what you want to do. If you think you can have that kind of relationship with Jesus and still have full Joy not going to happen because the fullness of joy is reserved for those who abide in Christ.

Is reserved for those who don't see if you if you are in Christ what's going on in the world can affect you? Because I'm fully protected. I'm fully Shield. It doesn't mean that doesn't mean that I'm not going to feel it. I told my wife the other night, we went to the gas station. I was feeling my truck up and I said to her I said here's how I know the economy is doing better. She said hi. I said it cost me $10 less to fill up tonight than it did two weeks ago. I said this is good news to me. I said the last $240 a year. Y'all hear me cuz I have to fill up twice a week. Are you hearing me what I'm saying to you is is that you know, you you can't you can't have this joy that says old gas is cheap. I can be happy all the economy's good. I can be happy jobs are plenty as I can be happy. You got to have the time to do it. It says no matter what's going on. I've got the joy of the Lord. No matter how the matter how dark can see I've got the joy of the Lord. I know my calling makes no sense to you. I know that I should be panicking. I don't know that everybody else is panicking.

I've got the joy of the Lord is interesting things to me when we write songs about joy, and then we don't even believe what God looks like a lot of it is singing scripture. That's that's what the guy did when he wrote. She wrote Joy to the World and you took it from Psalm 98 and that's how I wrote it with the song. I think we're a song out of here and he sat down and wrote Joy to the World. Are you hearing me so we sing songs like we sing songs about this great. Joy we have As soon as things change in our environment somehow, iJoy is affected. Somehow we become depressed anxious. We become overwhelmed just because of the slightest change.

What if your joy was real with your joy was complete? She's actually also means to have full joint means your joy is complete. Another word when your joy is full or when it's complete. Nothing can be added to it that makes it better and nothing can be taken from it that makes it worse. Does Joy next one?

1st Peter 1:8 96th, and though you have not seen him you love him and though you do not see him now, but believe in him you greatly Rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of Glory. Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your soul. So you said you said you got joy inexpressible. That means I've got joy, that's that's so if that's all the woman, I can't even put it into words. That's why I just have to let Joy be I have to I have to rest in the joy of the Lord. I have to just exist in the joy of the Lord because I can't explain it myself. When people when people start trying to ask me, why aren't you panicking? Why aren't you? I don't know. I just trust God I guess.

I got I got a contract that here's the difference between God and everybody else and I like he always honors his contract. What anxiety does it comes to challenge your trust in his ability to honor his contract? You stop believing that God will. Very few of us. Stop believing God can We stopped believing that he will. And we stopped believing that he will based on how we see ourselves not how we see him.

Do I need to prove it to you? Well, see sometimes when God promises and stuff and it doesn't happen right away. We start thinking will he didn't do it because I'm not good enough. You aren't good enough when he promised it. So so so am I good enough was a condition that he would have never made the promise.

Will God God hasn't done it because I haven't prayed enough you weren't pregnant.

I mean y'all know we we pray with an egg timer we can and then and then when she opened one eye has it been has it been 5 minutes yet. This y'all seem longer than 5 minutes what's wrong with this thing?

Come on, I thought what time I'm telling on myself. So one time I just felt like I needed to be more spiritual and I said I'm going to call you because I hear all these guys tell these great stories about how they went and they pray for 5 hours. So I pray for 5 hours. I'm like, okay, what kind of what kind of what do you say for 5 hours? I mean, I just don't know myself. So so I decided I said, well, I'm not going to try to do 5 hours. I'm going to do to how do two hours that's all I said. I'm going to make sure I do two hours. I set the timer. I set my little timer on Simon do 2 hours y'all.

In about 10 minutes. I have one eye open like has it been 2 hours yet?

And this is why I just want to God doesn't do what he does for US based on our ability to perform. Because you're never going to perform adequately. You're always going to have your performance is always going to be lackluster. I sat with Chuck and and Rich last night we had dinner and they came in they got there just as my wife at asked me once she always ask me these if she gets me alone. I know I need somebody to hurry up and show up. Because if they don't my wife is going to ask me one of the deepest thought-provoking questions and is usually one of those questions where I need time to meditate and pray before I can answer it.

And so she asked me this question and I'm rich and Chuck walk walks up just as just as I was trying to form an answer. They walked up to the to the table and I was like, oh, thank you Jesus.

And so Chuck's is down he goes to what's going on. And so Carol I said, my wife is just just ask me a question I said and I was going to say explain how we can get out of this and try to think about that for a moment.

He's another listening about that for a moment. Here's the thing. In the conversation, he got me out of performance. Does the way I was answer the question was based on my performance instead of it being based on God's performance what God did. Are you hearing me as though by the time we got to that to the pivotal point of conversation Chuck said I think it's been a success. He said based on what God is there's been a success and so so what I'm telling you is God number bases what he's going to do on your performance. Next line, please.

His Joy turns our grief into Joy his Joy turns our grief into Joy. Did you hear what I said?

I agree. Okay, watch this get the scripture watch this.

John 16 verses 20 through 22 truly truly I say to you now, I know why Jesus says truly truly or verily verily they might know why.

To give him kisses that's one reason, but but but what would he would he literally doing is he's giving himself in a man before he says what he says, he's letting everybody know. I'm about to say some really important and I know it's important and I'm going to save me from myself so that you don't think I'm waiting on your amen. Truly truly I say to you that you will weep and lament but the world will rejoice. Does that sound good to you? You're going to weep and lament that means you going to be in grief. Why the world rejoices? You will grieve but your grief will be turned in the joy, you will grieve but your grief will be returning to Joy. Here's the thing. This is where I have to breathe. Why don't you just make it all good? World War II we have a contract say that when I accept Jesus everything in my life is perfect. What are the contract say that when you accept Jesus everything in your life becomes perfect harmony, that is no pain. There is no sorrow that blows away all the gloomy days. Jesus is reading to you to contract in the contract says you will grieve. was the word but do cancel everything comes before it you will grieve but your grief will be turn to Joy next next one. Wherever woman and then he's going to give him an analogy whenever a woman is in labor. She has pain because her hour has come but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the English because of the joke that a child has been born into the world next one. there for you to have grief when you have grief when not let me ask you something when is now is present you have briefed now, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and no one no one no one take your joy away from you. So now he's saying to you that you're going to have joy, but what the grief is going to produce when there's winter winter winter Wintergreen producing producing your life The Joy will be so bring you want from you all remember the grief. Quincy to a woman not. Oh my son one time I said you are I said you wasn't there when your mom went into labor with you I was As I remember, it was actually I wouldn't either cuz I was at work. They had to call me at work. I think I was at work. Anyway, that's why I usually was what stuff before it happened. It's so so I said I said what you are.

All that you will do to get you here. amateur

Cuz listen when a woman goes to what she want goes to the give birth. And then after that she has this now this ain't true of all women. Speaking in generalities. I know generalities aren't always exact. But in most cases she has his overwhelming love for this child. Because she knows what she went through to get it here. She knows how close to death. She came. Also, Jesus is equating our grief what we're going to go through in the world to this process of delivering something that is going to be to bring us great joy, but he said you can't do that without grief. I told you it'd be great if you know, why do I have to deal with this? Why am I going through this? Why are you allowing this why? I know that sound like a man with much Faith does it but I do ask me. Why why why do I have to do with this and it's not until I get through it that I understand the why that he was perfecting me. He was working something out of me because of something he wanted to put in me. It is what you learn as you did with hard stuff you learn that the more I express the joy of the Lord the easier degrees become.

Seat grief becomes hard to Bear when you don't know how to rejoice in the midst of it. When you don't know how to let God be God in the midst of it. When you don't know how to let him give you his joy for your grief, and you won't talk about a great exchange rate. That's pretty good exchange rate. hemibry now here you can have some of my joy It's like God is concentrating down just to help us. Cuz none of these deals none of these deals. He works with us Works in his favour. Really. Are you hearing me next one?

His Joy makes you strong and steadfast. His Joy. Makes you strong and steadfast scripture.

Judas is Jew verses 24 and 25 now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy.

To the only God our savior through Jesus Christ Our Lord be glory Majesty dominion and Authority before all time now and forever. Amen. Go back to 24.

Go back to 24, please. Thank you. He says he'll keep you from what? stumbling and he'll make you it is a he'll help you.

It's a hill assist. You didn't say he'll he'll give you the he said he will make you stand. He'll make you stand. In the presence of his Lord blameless with what? little bit of joy

smidge sip ounce smidgen pinch no, he said I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to give you great joy. And the joy will give you is so great. He's just going to keep you from stumbling. Imma give you the ability stand.

This is why I can tell people when they're going through stuff. And guess what the god in you is greater than the storm. Just just staying alive. I was having done all to stand stand. Having done all to stand stand having done all to stand keep standing stand.

We we we don't understand this but that was for sure. I meant to put in this in this lesson. I forgot to put it in there. There's a scripture in Ephesians. It talks about being filled with the spirit and it says it says it says say something to the effect of being a speaking yourself a song to the spiritual songs that talk about being filled with in the spirit with a spirit. I told people what is difference between receiving receiving the spirit baptism of the Holy Spirit and then being filled with the spirit. So these are people Paul was talking to the church when he said be filled with the spirit. So now why would he have to tell people who had already received the spirit that they had to be filled with the spirit?

By 1 a.m. I will take a stab at that one. I'll tell you because we leak.

we leak you're not a perfect vessel. Your Vessel has cracks. And so you leak and so when the Bible says to be filled with the spirit and literally means to be filled to the full or to be filled in to the point that is brimming over.

Same as your joy, you noticed that. Your joy has to be packed into the point that nothing else can get in there. Just why I tell people you got to look at your spiritual life like a cup and saucer. cup and saucer I remember when I was your age myself now my grandmother used to get up every morning and she would make coffee and sometimes and I'm making her coffee that she was a very my grandmother was a very meticulous lady and she had these since they were like porcelain. These are just fine china type instead. She would have coffee in that and she always had our coffee with a cup and saucer. And so she pour coffee in the cup and sometimes the cup with overflow. But the saucer was it a catch it. Are you hear me? Now? You said what how's how is my spiritual life like a cup and saucer will see everything in the cup is for you. Was in the saucer, is that what you can give away? What I was submit to you is that most of us don't have enough in the cup and we trying to minister to people and then we wonder why we feel so depleted. So you can't be full of joy and not be full of the spirit. I'm just telling you if you want to know why we have so many preachers quitting the ministry. They're not full of the spirit and not full of joy. And so this this, you know we were talking last night. I was explaining how much I love what I do. I love what I do. I don't like this. I love it. I love you all and I'm constantly trying to look for new ways to do it. I love it that much don't get paid for.

I don't care. I love it. Guess what? No matter how much I loved it if I don't keep my cup full. Guess what happened? I'm starting to resent you all.

Who's my people start to resent the people that they minister to when they don't keep their personal cup full because they start feeling like I'm depleted because I'm constantly giving to them and they're not getting it.

They're not getting it. Chuck Chuck Chuck asked me if a profound question he said how did you how do you spell success? He's a Honey Jar success. I said success administer to me is about transformation. What I see in people's lives tells me whether I'm being successful or not. This is not about numbers. I got delivered from The Book of Numbers long time ago.

Are you hear me? So what I'm trying to get you to see is is that you're you're you're you're you're you're you're up cheap keeping. You're keeping yourself full of the spirit is also going to keep you full of joy that if you allow yourself to to I told you we leak another analogy. I used it is we we we are in city. We are in situations. I got a I got a revelation 1 money. I was in St. Louis Missouri, I was going to preach for some friends there and I got up early that morning to pray and my voice was kinda like it is now I was struggling a little bit so I decided I would make some tea and I put the water in the microwave. I put a full cup of water in microwave and I started microwave and I went and started looking over my notes tiles on free for the morning. I got so into what I was doing that the water was in the microwave to long until when I went back to get the cup. There was about a quarter cup less water. Then what was originally put in there? I would like where the water go. I know I put a full cup of water in there. But here's what happened. The water has evaporated. See what a person is like come it'll cause an evaporation in your spirit to. And all of a sudden here you are with let's keep your attention and she got that all you have a sudden here you are with less than what you need to get through your day. Are you hear me? So you have to understand and you have to do your part. God has done his part. Jesus is done his part. He's giving you full Joy. He's giving you all the joy that more Jordan you can really stand. Now he's telling you now you just do your upkeep if you just do what you're supposed to do to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. You'll never be didn't listen to this word overwhelmed. You'll never be able well. Because you always have this calm that says it doesn't matter that this looks like a tsunami I can handle it. It doesn't matter that this look bigger than me. I can handle it. It doesn't. Sometimes I have to tell myself and I do tell myself this God wouldn't allow me to go through this if he hadn't equipped me to handle it.

And see if you don't learn to speak to yourself. That way you'll never get through anything and let me tell you something. I keep telling you this if you never get through it, you got to keep going through it. If you never pass the test because God always has a final exam to his we want we want the blessing without the final exam. What's in guarding like the the public school system. He don't Advance you to the next grade when you don't do your work. You got to do your work. And so when you're working out your salvation as you're going through what you're going through goggles. Okay. Now it's time for me to pressure test it to see if they can they really got it the Sims allow circumstances to come your way that challenges what he's been doing in you and always looking for is How do you know whether this? Is is is my praise going to be affected? Are they going to stop giving me what's mine because they're going through something. I don't know how we do God. I went to the mailbox and there was a $5,000 check in that I wasn't expecting God is so good. Make sure you go to the mailbox and find out you got a $5,500 letter from the tax people. I was looking. Ain't that good no more, but I'm down 500.

We don't let things affect how we see God. We always see him as more than sufficient. Somebody say man. That's my time. Come on and give God a hand brace.