1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,120 Hey, Go Church family, Pastor Julie here. 2 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:25,160 I am so excited to be with you in week two as we talk about joy and faith. 3 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,000 And I'm even more excited to be in a room filled with amazing people. 4 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,720 I've got Laura here with me. 5 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:31,720 Hi, everyone. 6 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,440 We're so excited that Julie is with us today. 7 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:36,600 I'm here with Pastor Matt Hattubah. 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:37,600 Hey, everybody. 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:38,600 And Gilbert. 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:39,600 Hey, everyone. 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:40,600 Praise God. 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,600 I'm trying to be loud because this is joy. 13 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,040 And we're trying to be deliberate about celebrating. 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:47,240 Joy is our nature. 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:48,240 Absolutely. 16 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:49,240 Joy is our nature. 17 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:54,680 And we want to learn how to walk in it, how to never suppress our joy, but how to always 18 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,480 increase in the nature of God in our lives. 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:03,480 You see, there's so much that God has put in us and there's so much that God has transformed 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:04,720 us into. 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,480 But we could live our whole lives, never enjoy those things, never walk in those things and 22 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:16,520 never really get to know who we are, you know, get to know who our our true nature is. 23 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:18,240 So this is what we're doing. 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:24,220 We know we're looking at the second fruit of the spirit, the second character trait, 25 00:01:24,220 --> 00:01:29,800 the nature trait of God in us, and we're learning why it's so important and how we're going 26 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:36,140 to use the nature of God in us to change our lives and change the world. 27 00:01:36,140 --> 00:01:38,420 So this is part two. 28 00:01:38,420 --> 00:01:43,160 So this is week two out of three weeks of our series called Joy. 29 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,400 This week, we're going to talk about joy in faith. 30 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,680 But before I do that, I just want to recap. 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:55,320 I want to talk about the purpose of the series, and I want to talk about what we've mentioned 32 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:56,600 so far. 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,980 So the purpose of our series is this. 34 00:01:59,980 --> 00:02:05,640 We want the Go Church family to actively participate in the joy of the Lord during the Christmas 35 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:06,880 season. 36 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:14,580 This month, we'll be looking at joy by nature, joy in faith, and joy in action. 37 00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:21,560 So if you notice, joy by nature is love, joy in faith is grow, and joy in action is go. 38 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,200 Joy is not a feeling, but it is the outworking of the nature of Christ, which we are called 39 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,560 to live by. 40 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,880 A walk in joy is a walk in victory. 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,920 I love that. 42 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:34,000 That's so good. 43 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,320 We want to walk in victory. 44 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:36,320 Yes. 45 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:44,080 And in order to do that, we have to allow the nature of the victor to come out. 46 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,260 So what did we talk about last week? 47 00:02:46,260 --> 00:02:51,120 Just to quickly recap, we talked about the fact that in a nutshell, joy is not an emotion, 48 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,320 and joy is not something that you can lose. 49 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:58,480 Joy is only something that you can suppress, but really it is the identity of a born again 50 00:02:58,480 --> 00:02:59,480 believer. 51 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,880 It is the nature and the character of God in us when we said yes to Jesus. 52 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,560 Joy is our character because it's God's character. 53 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,880 God is joyful, and his presence is fullness of joy. 54 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,920 God sits in the heavens and he laughs. 55 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:20,560 Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness. 56 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:27,700 The Holy Spirit, when he comes upon us, and when he comes to live in us, and when he fills 57 00:03:27,700 --> 00:03:34,920 us up, we are so joyful that we risk looking ridiculous to the world. 58 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,120 We risk looking drunk to the world. 59 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,580 That is something we see in Acts chapter two. 60 00:03:40,580 --> 00:03:48,200 That is something we see in Ephesians chapter five, verses 18 and 19. 61 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:56,400 So this week, we're going to talk not only about the nature of God, which is experiencing 62 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,360 the unconditional love of God, but we're going to learn how to grow in that love. 63 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:08,760 We're going to learn how to see, how to experience joy, and how to connect our joy to our faith 64 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,560 walk and what we really have hope in. 65 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,680 So the first question I do want to ask is, how does joy come? 66 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:24,600 Obviously, we know that joy is already present when we were born again. 67 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,980 So it's not like we lose it or it appears or whatever. 68 00:04:29,980 --> 00:04:34,440 But when I say how does joy come, I mean, how do we increase in joy? 69 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:41,000 How are we able to allow that joy to flow more freely? 70 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:48,920 And the answer, because I like answering my own questions, that's why I'm on a podcast 71 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,520 and not necessarily in a girl group. 72 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:57,520 But I actually want to read John chapter 15, verses seven through to 11. 73 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:03,840 If you notice, this is familiar to us because we read this last month in our Pray Like a 74 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:05,580 Champion series. 75 00:05:05,580 --> 00:05:08,320 So just allow me to read this through. 76 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,900 John chapter 15, verse seven. 77 00:05:11,900 --> 00:05:17,800 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall 78 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,340 be done for you. 79 00:05:19,340 --> 00:05:25,780 By this, my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. 80 00:05:25,780 --> 00:05:29,460 As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. 81 00:05:29,460 --> 00:05:30,760 Abide in my love. 82 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:35,760 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's 83 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,160 commandments and abide in his love. 84 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:45,940 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may 85 00:05:45,940 --> 00:05:46,940 be full. 86 00:05:46,940 --> 00:05:47,940 Wow. 87 00:05:47,940 --> 00:05:48,940 Praise God. 88 00:05:48,940 --> 00:05:50,440 It's a lot there. 89 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:51,440 Yes. 90 00:05:51,440 --> 00:06:00,000 I mean, in all of these chapters and John chapters 14 through to 17, I call it the Lord's 91 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:05,540 Epistle to the church because there are some precious things that Jesus is saying and he's 92 00:06:05,540 --> 00:06:09,040 not saying it from the perspective of the old covenant. 93 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:17,940 He's saying it ahead of his death and burial and resurrection. 94 00:06:17,940 --> 00:06:24,220 He's saying it expecting to walk into his new ministry, which is the high priestly ministry 95 00:06:24,220 --> 00:06:28,360 in heaven, whereby he's always praying for us. 96 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:36,960 He's always revealing his blood to the Father on our behalf. 97 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:42,220 He's always interceding and helping us and bringing our words before the throne of God 98 00:06:42,220 --> 00:06:47,760 and allowing us to move forward in the things that he has in store for us. 99 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:55,320 He's saying these fantastic things and here he says, we talk about abiding in him and 100 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:01,200 him abiding in his words abiding in us and when there's that free flow of unity between 101 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,560 us that we can ask for whatever we want. 102 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:13,840 The Father is glorified because we receive those things that he has in store for us. 103 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,880 So he's talking to us really about our union. 104 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:22,360 He's talking to us about the nature of God. 105 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:27,400 He says specifically that if my words abide in you. 106 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:34,120 And then in verse 11 he says that these things I have spoken to you so that your joy may 107 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,040 remain in you and that your joy may be made full. 108 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:44,920 So we see that joy increases when the word of God speaks to our spirit. 109 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:53,120 The joy increases when Jesus spoke and Jesus is revealing in all the fullness of God the 110 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,880 promises of God towards us. 111 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,780 So you notice that it's very similar to how we receive faith because faith comes by hearing 112 00:07:59,780 --> 00:08:01,760 and hearing by the word of God. 113 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:07,560 But just in the same way joy increases when we hear the word of God when the word of God 114 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:09,120 abides in our hearts. 115 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:14,760 When we're able to really not just think with our minds but have a revelation in our spirit 116 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,080 of that word of God for me. 117 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:25,000 So let's examine why those two things are connected because that's exactly right. 118 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,720 There's a proportionality there, right? 119 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,800 Faith comes when I hear God's word. 120 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,800 Joy increases when I hear God's word. 121 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,440 Why? 122 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:40,640 Because joy is the evidence that I believed. 123 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:47,040 I love when I was reading through these notes that you prepared, I love that statement. 124 00:08:47,040 --> 00:09:00,280 Joy is an expression of my confident expectation that what God said he will do. 125 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:12,960 And this is a critical aspect for us to first see and then second for us to monitor our 126 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:13,960 self. 127 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:19,400 You know the Bible again and again says that we are to take heed unto our self. 128 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:26,200 In other words, I shouldn't be really looking about you, I need to take a close look at 129 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,080 me. 130 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:37,200 And if I'm not excited about something, that means I don't really expect it to happen. 131 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:44,840 If I expect something is going to happen and it's a good thing, then you're going to identify 132 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:49,240 some expressions of joy about me. 133 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:55,720 And that statement of this passage here that you just read in John 15 is critical for us 134 00:09:55,720 --> 00:10:04,200 to recognize that joy will act like a meter that I can identify, do I believe what he 135 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:05,840 said or not? 136 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:07,800 Yeah, that's really good. 137 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:12,680 And with what you're saying, I actually want to read Romans chapter 15 verse 13. 138 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:20,120 It says this, now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that 139 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,120 you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 140 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:28,280 So much hope and believing and joy and you know, what does this all mean? 141 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,280 This is there's so much here. 142 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:32,600 Let's go back to this first part. 143 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,520 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. 144 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,800 Yeah, so that's that hope there. 145 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:39,800 That's not wishing. 146 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,480 Yeah, that's right. 147 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,740 That's confident expectation. 148 00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:44,920 That's right. 149 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,240 So find expectation. 150 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:48,240 Exactly. 151 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:49,680 Absolutely. 152 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:58,760 We see that joy is connected to hope and faith and those components, it's not a great word 153 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:06,040 to define them, but those, you know, those things are connected and work together. 154 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:13,840 And we see what Pastor Matt was saying about joy being a meter of where your faith is right 155 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:15,540 here. 156 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:19,680 You know, the God of hope will fill you with all joy and peace in believing. 157 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:26,760 So when you are believing, you will have joy and you will have peace manifesting in your 158 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:27,760 life. 159 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:32,880 So not only is it somewhere deep down as the nature that we've been talking about, but 160 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,880 it will start revealing itself and showing itself. 161 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:44,200 And we start, we start walking in those things and we start visibly seeing those things in 162 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,120 ourselves when we have faith. 163 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:51,680 So faith really brings those things out of us. 164 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:57,720 And I want to go back to what Pastor Matt just said about hope. 165 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:03,920 Hope is not, you know, wishing or the way we really use it in the English language. 166 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:09,480 Hope is, Bible hope is a confident expectation of a good end. 167 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:18,220 So an expectation that this belongs to me, you know, an expectation that even though 168 00:12:18,220 --> 00:12:21,300 I don't see it, I know it's mine. 169 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:29,440 And I know that that promise or that confidence is because God promised it or because God 170 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:30,440 is doing it. 171 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:39,320 So hope is connected to God's promise, which belongs to me, but I don't see right now. 172 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:49,340 And faith is defined in the Bible as the substance of things hoped for. 173 00:12:49,340 --> 00:13:00,440 So faith is basically what takes hope and pulls it into the now reality. 174 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,080 And joy is connected to both of those things. 175 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:10,840 And I want to, I really want to present an illustration, which I presented in two years 176 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,080 ago in the message. 177 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,720 And it just helps us think through these different elements to see how they're connected. 178 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:23,440 So let's say, you know, I was sitting with Roy two years ago and we were discussing this. 179 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,240 Roy really likes guitars. 180 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,840 I mean, this is something he's very passionate about. 181 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,140 And he, you know, he likes electric guitars, acoustic guitar. 182 00:13:33,140 --> 00:13:38,100 So I told him, let's say, you know, we're sitting here, but I told you that I had bought 183 00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:44,520 you the electric guitar that you wanted and it's upstairs. 184 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,240 How would you, how would he react in that moment? 185 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:48,240 So happy. 186 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:49,240 He should be right. 187 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:50,240 Yeah. 188 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,040 But, but he's never seen the guitar. 189 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,740 But he knows that it's upstairs. 190 00:13:54,740 --> 00:13:56,360 But he's not touching it and playing it. 191 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,080 But he knows that he knows that he will. 192 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:05,480 So like he's confident that what I said measures the reality, right? 193 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:07,600 Like it is a measure of reality. 194 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:13,320 So the fact that the guitar is his and it's upstairs, spark something in him. 195 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,320 Right? 196 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,040 So like there's a, there's a response to the hope. 197 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:18,560 So a lot of, that's the thing. 198 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:27,040 A lot of believers mix faith and hope up and like, you know, faith will do something to 199 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,560 your hope or faith will do something to hope. 200 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:36,520 But you know, a lot of, a lot of believers just have hope in something, hope that, you 201 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:41,280 know, this belongs to me and I will see it at some point in the future. 202 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:51,840 And in this illustration, so the guitar belongs to Roy and yes, he, he, he receives the fact 203 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:52,840 that this is a gift. 204 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:59,100 This is his, my word is true in that situation. 205 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:03,320 And so he can go up anytime and get his guitar. 206 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,560 Nothing's stopping him. 207 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:11,960 So in this illustration, faith is the action that he's taking to go up the stairs. 208 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:17,000 So step by step by step by step, this is the walk of faith because he still takes another 209 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,000 step. 210 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,000 He still doesn't see it. 211 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:20,000 It takes another step. 212 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,000 He still doesn't see it. 213 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,640 You know, there, there are a few, you know, there's, there's a big staircase between 214 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,360 him and the guitar, but he keeps walking in the right direction. 215 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,720 So faith constantly, consistently takes you in one direction. 216 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:34,540 Yeah. 217 00:15:34,540 --> 00:15:35,540 Because he believed. 218 00:15:35,540 --> 00:15:36,700 Yeah, that's right. 219 00:15:36,700 --> 00:15:37,700 Because he believes. 220 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:43,260 So he's consistently going up in, in that one direction. 221 00:15:43,260 --> 00:15:49,280 So faith is the spiritual action that leads to the material result. 222 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,980 And it is something that we consistently do. 223 00:15:51,980 --> 00:15:55,200 So faith is not a one time event, a one time action. 224 00:15:55,200 --> 00:16:00,360 Faith is a walk and faith is something that we do on a regular basis. 225 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,760 Now where does joy fit in? 226 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:08,440 Joy is, is to me, the way I see it, joy is the bridge between that hope and that faith, 227 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:14,640 because to go from hope to faith, you need strength. 228 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,320 You need to go up the stairs. 229 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,680 You need to keep exercising your faith. 230 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:26,400 So joy is the force, the power that will help you exercise your faith. 231 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:32,720 And the Bible tells us in Nehemiah chapter eight, verse 10, that the joy of the Lord 232 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,440 is your strength. 233 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:35,440 Yeah. 234 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:40,720 You know, it doesn't say that the strength of the Lord produces joy. 235 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,120 It literally says that the joy of the Lord is my strength. 236 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:51,160 So when I choose to walk in joy, then I am choosing to walk in the strength of the Lord. 237 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:52,160 Yes. 238 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,160 It's a great, it's a great story because you can see some great, it's really, this 239 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,160 is an allegory. 240 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:58,160 Yeah. 241 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:04,120 It's, you can see the necessary elements and the two things that I want to kind of highlight 242 00:17:04,120 --> 00:17:15,120 is in order for, in this case, Roy to first be in a place where he's willing to take the 243 00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:20,480 action to go upstairs and receive, take his gift. 244 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:26,520 And then second, for him to, for us to see those expressions of joy of him like hopping 245 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,320 up and down and clapping his hands and saying, yay, yay, yay. 246 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,320 You know how he is. 247 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,100 Sorry, Roy. 248 00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:43,280 So the thing is, in order for us to see that, it starts with he must believe that what you 249 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,800 say is true. 250 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:45,800 Yes. 251 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:52,560 And if he says, yeah, whatever, I know, I know him. 252 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,840 He's probably saying something just to make me, you know, get me excited and he's just 253 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,680 going to let me down. 254 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:06,480 And that's really how a lot of people treat the Lord because they don't know him. 255 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:11,560 And they say, oh, I don't know if he'll do these things for me. 256 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:13,840 Maybe I haven't been good enough. 257 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:19,440 Maybe he's actually trying to teach me a lesson by keeping things from me. 258 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:28,060 And none of that can be found in the word of God because that's not what he's like. 259 00:18:28,060 --> 00:18:34,780 But if we don't, if we don't know him, we can't receive from him because the way we 260 00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:38,560 receive from him is by faith. 261 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:44,100 And so the faith is that action in the allegory that you tell. 262 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:47,800 Faith is the action that gets you out of the chair and walks up the stairs. 263 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:53,240 Joy is the strength to keep going. 264 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:59,480 Everybody that's listening to this podcast has probably already woken up this morning. 265 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:08,960 But very few, very few of you spent most of your time this morning digging through your 266 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:20,600 drawers looking for like $50,000 because you don't believe it's in your in your drawers 267 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:25,120 between your socks. 268 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:32,420 The thing is, our actions reveal what we believe. 269 00:19:32,420 --> 00:19:45,960 And so joy is an evidence that I have accepted something that I do not yet see as being true. 270 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,200 God's word is true. 271 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:53,320 But I know I believe it when I get excited about it. 272 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,440 When I have those expressions of joy. 273 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,000 And that is a measure. 274 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,480 And we can see this clearly in Jesus. 275 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:13,040 Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 says that for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. 276 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:18,160 And coming back to you know the difference between joy and happiness, the cross is not 277 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,320 a place of happiness. 278 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,680 It's a place of sacrifice. 279 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:31,360 But the Bible says that Jesus went to the cross in joy. 280 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:38,520 And that gives that that should encourage us because that means that we can go through 281 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:46,160 places of hardness and through times of sacrifice in joy. 282 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,160 Joy of what? 283 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,820 Something set before us. 284 00:20:50,820 --> 00:20:57,360 And in the case of Jesus, the thing that was set before him, the promise that was set before 285 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:02,840 him was Gilbert and Laura. 286 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:12,360 He was so confident that what he would do on the cross would affect you. 287 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:23,600 He gladly with joy, the strength, it wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross. 288 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:34,160 It was the joy of the Lord in the confident expectation that the work that he was doing 289 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,600 would affect you. 290 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:38,600 Praise God. 291 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:39,600 Praise God. 292 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:40,600 Yeah. 293 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:45,680 And that same joy is at work in me. 294 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:46,840 Yes. 295 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:48,760 That's right. 296 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:53,400 I want to pick up on something that you were saying about the place of happiness or the 297 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,240 place of joy. 298 00:21:55,240 --> 00:22:01,920 And I want to emphasize that point because we, you know, a lot of time when we say rejoice 299 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:07,200 and you know what, you might come to one of the believers gatherings and we all get excited 300 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,640 and we take a decision to rejoice, it's like, okay, they're just, you know, they're just 301 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:12,640 putting it on. 302 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,600 You know, they're just acting like it. 303 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:15,600 Yes. 304 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,600 That's exactly what the Bible says. 305 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,000 The Bible literally says put on joy. 306 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,320 That's right. 307 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,160 And that is a New Testament practice. 308 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:27,160 Yeah. 309 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:35,880 And I want to mention the fact that this, so this is the fact, Jesus could have responded 310 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:40,560 to what's in his soul, which is probably sadness. 311 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,320 You know, I'm sure he was tempted to fear. 312 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:48,520 I'm sure he was tempted to, you know, you know, have these, these thoughts about what 313 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,480 he was about to go through and what this is going to feel like. 314 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,920 And hey, he was in a body, right? 315 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,280 I mean, this is something that was a lot of pressure on him. 316 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:03,320 We saw that when he was praying in the garden prior to that moment, but he didn't respond 317 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:09,300 to the situation with a soul-based response and emotions-based response. 318 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:12,520 For the joy that was set before him, he carried it through. 319 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:19,760 So the joy of the Lord was his strength in that moment to be able to fulfill the mission. 320 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,880 And this is my point. 321 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:29,240 Sometimes you might react in a negative way and that's a soul response. 322 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:34,000 And sometimes even though you don't feel like it, you can respond to the situation with 323 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,600 joy and that is a spiritual response. 324 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:42,480 So we need to disconnect the idea of rejoicing from an emotional response. 325 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:51,560 This is, like I said, you know, last, in the last podcast, joy produces emotion, but it 326 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:52,560 is not an emotion. 327 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,640 You know, it is a spiritual nature that we're allowing to come out of us. 328 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:03,020 And that spiritual nature, when it is flowing, produces strength. 329 00:24:03,020 --> 00:24:08,080 And when it is flowing, allows our faith to manifest. 330 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:14,760 And we're quickly running out of time on this podcast and we don't want to take a lot of 331 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:15,760 time. 332 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,440 I do want to say two things. 333 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:22,120 Before I get to the Bible illustration, this is the one thing I want to talk about. 334 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:27,880 I want to just point out real quick the letter of the Philipp, you know, the letter of Paul 335 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:29,880 to the Philippian church. 336 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:37,080 And in this short letter, Paul talks to the church from a jail cell. 337 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:42,900 You know, we've already explained the context in the last couple of months. 338 00:24:42,900 --> 00:24:51,720 But then he's talking to a church who's facing severe economic difficulty and they're going 339 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:53,120 through a lot themselves. 340 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:55,160 He's going through a lot, they're going through a lot. 341 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:56,920 And in that letter, he keeps saying, rejoice. 342 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:01,520 I think he says rejoice 27 times in four chapters. 343 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:02,520 Praise God. 344 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:03,520 Yeah. 345 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,920 And yeah, he says rejoice and other times when he doesn't say rejoice, he implies rejoice, 346 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:14,560 you know, where he's talking about praising and he's talking about just the thankfulness. 347 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,160 And there's so many elements to that. 348 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:21,240 And what I do want to point out is I want to encourage you just in your own time, this 349 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,560 is not a discussion that we're going to have in Girl Groups, but go through that letter 350 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:32,920 and look at it from the perspective of where they are in the natural and then understand 351 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,520 what is happening in the spiritual. 352 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:44,540 And I want to read just this one, one portion of scripture as an example of what I'm talking 353 00:25:44,540 --> 00:25:45,660 about. 354 00:25:45,660 --> 00:25:59,440 And this is in Philippians chapter one in verse 18, starts in the second part of verse 355 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:06,400 18, Paul says this, and because of this, I rejoice and yes, I will continue to rejoice 356 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:12,480 because I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ, 357 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,880 what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 358 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,300 Glory to God. 359 00:26:17,300 --> 00:26:22,680 So he's saying I rejoice, I will rejoice, I keep rejoicing because I know that whatever 360 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,400 has happened, I know that you guys are praying for me and I know I'm getting out of this 361 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:27,400 mess. 362 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:28,400 I love that. 363 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:29,400 Yeah. 364 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,160 So let's make that practical. 365 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:44,320 A spiritual response to bad news, a spiritual response to a difficult situation is to rejoice. 366 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,320 Yep. 367 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:48,820 Let me say that again. 368 00:26:48,820 --> 00:27:01,640 A spiritual response to bad news or a bad situation is to have or make expressions of 369 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:02,840 joy. 370 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:06,080 So what are expressions of joy? 371 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:07,080 Praise God. 372 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:08,080 Hallelujah. 373 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:09,080 Yeah. 374 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:15,720 So praise in my mouth out loud, laughter and dancing. 375 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:23,200 If you see a child, children make great examples of joyful behavior. 376 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:30,260 At Christmas time, they unwrap the gift and they get up and they dance around. 377 00:27:30,260 --> 00:27:32,520 They are doing what? 378 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,940 They are rejoicing. 379 00:27:34,940 --> 00:27:37,520 They are being joyful. 380 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,000 They are expressing gladness. 381 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:48,360 When I get Christmas cookies that Julie makes, I express gladness. 382 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:55,640 There's an expression of gladness that rejoicing is the appropriate spiritual response because 383 00:27:55,640 --> 00:28:03,800 it demonstrates that I have an expectation that the situation which is bad is going to 384 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,840 change because I have promises from God. 385 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:08,840 Yes. 386 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,800 And I believe them. 387 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:17,880 And so the most spiritual thing that I can do when I get bad news is to fill my mouth 388 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:19,840 with laughter. 389 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:26,960 Not wait for the situation to change because when the situation changes, then I can have 390 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,480 happiness. 391 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:35,200 But I can have joy before I see a change. 392 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:40,160 And that joy releases the strength of the Lord. 393 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:41,400 Yes. 394 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:46,320 So with that light, let's go back to the main scripture. 395 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,560 First Thessalonians 5 verse 16 through to 18. 396 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:51,560 Rejoice always. 397 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:52,560 Always. 398 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,180 Pray without ceasing in everything. 399 00:28:55,180 --> 00:29:01,960 So in every situation, in every bad situation, not because of every bad situation, but in 400 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,440 every bad situation, give thanks. 401 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,160 Because this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you. 402 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,280 I'm not giving thanks for the bad situation. 403 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,960 I'm giving thanks for the answer to the bad situation. 404 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:17,280 And that answer lives in me. 405 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:18,620 He lives in me. 406 00:29:18,620 --> 00:29:22,080 The greater one lives on the inside of me. 407 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,920 And if I believe that, it will affect the way I act. 408 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:33,680 And the way you'll see how I act is on my joy meter. 409 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:35,840 Praise God. 410 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:41,000 So the second thing that I wanted to mention in closing, you know, we love closing. 411 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,680 On this podcast, we close a few times. 412 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,600 Paul closed Philippians like three times. 413 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,160 You see? 414 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,360 So I do want to point us to the illustration. 415 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:57,300 Finally brethren. 416 00:29:57,300 --> 00:30:01,460 I want to point us to the illustration that we're going to talk about this week in our 417 00:30:01,460 --> 00:30:02,740 grow groups. 418 00:30:02,740 --> 00:30:04,400 And what we're going to do is something a little different. 419 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,960 We're not actually going to read a passage of scripture. 420 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,040 Well, actually, we are going to read a passage of scripture. 421 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,800 We're not reading an illustration or stories per se. 422 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,500 But we're going to read a psalm together. 423 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:18,360 And that is Psalm 27. 424 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:20,440 There are only 14 verses. 425 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:22,840 It's not a very long read. 426 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:30,920 But I encourage everyone in their grow groups to read this passage of this psalm together. 427 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,740 And we're going to look at the context of the psalm. 428 00:30:33,740 --> 00:30:37,800 You know, we're going to look at King David, who wrote this psalm. 429 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,880 You know, was he going through something at the time? 430 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:42,880 Was he? 431 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:44,880 Why did he write this psalm? 432 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:48,180 You know, why did he write the things he did in that psalm? 433 00:30:48,180 --> 00:30:52,760 How does he respond to the bad situation? 434 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,420 And what was he expecting to come out of the bad situation? 435 00:30:56,420 --> 00:31:03,520 So basically, the revelation in the main scripture, 1 Thessalonians chapter five, verse 16 through 436 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,320 to 18. 437 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:10,480 How did King David apply it to his situation? 438 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,760 And what can we take from this? 439 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:18,560 And how can we apply what King David did to our lives? 440 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:24,920 Really we're going to look at Psalm 27 and learn how to meditate in scripture and learn 441 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:36,400 how to respond to a situation through scripture and in the way that the author of the co-author 442 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,800 of the scripture, that I say co-author because David wrote, but then really the Holy Spirit 443 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:42,600 wrote. 444 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:48,640 And so we're going to take that time and really enjoy ourselves and see ourselves in Psalm 445 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:49,640 27. 446 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:50,640 Yeah. 447 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:57,920 Verse 11, teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path. 448 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,560 You know, how many of you have ever come to a place of decision? 449 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,560 I'm not sure what to do. 450 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:04,560 What should I do? 451 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:05,960 I don't know what to do. 452 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:12,280 Well, we can just take the 27th Psalm and put it into practice. 453 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:18,520 This is an opportunity for us in our grow groups to meditate on the word, to chew it 454 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:21,800 up and take the nourishment out. 455 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:33,840 And we turn this into a rejoice, rejoicing and a joyful prayer because these are promises 456 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,720 that show us his will. 457 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:39,560 Teach me your way. 458 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:46,120 Lord, I thank you that the teacher lives on the inside of me. 459 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:51,040 The anointing that I have received of you abides in me. 460 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:58,160 And you teach me, you tell me which way to go, you show me which way to go, and you lead 461 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,140 me in a plain path. 462 00:33:00,140 --> 00:33:02,680 Your path is plain before me. 463 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,480 So I always find myself in the center of your will. 464 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:11,240 I always make the right decisions because you're in me. 465 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:18,120 I thank you that I don't go to the left or to the right, but I move forward in your plan. 466 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,600 And I am not touched by the wicked one. 467 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:23,800 The wicked one touches me not. 468 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,880 No, I stay right in the center of your will. 469 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:31,160 Lord, I thank you that you are leading me even now. 470 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:35,260 I might not know everything, but I know you. 471 00:33:35,260 --> 00:33:36,260 What am I doing? 472 00:33:36,260 --> 00:33:45,960 I just took one verse out of the 14 verses in Psalm 27, and I put it in my mouth. 473 00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:47,160 You prayed like a champion. 474 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:48,160 I prayed like a champion. 475 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:49,160 Amen. 476 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:51,480 I ate on for the podcast last week. 477 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,660 Last month, I should say. 478 00:33:53,660 --> 00:33:58,720 But yeah, this is a chance for all of us to do this in our grow groups, dig in and put 479 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,120 the word of God to work in our mouth. 480 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:09,280 And when we pray like that, if we believe it, we'll know it because of those expressions 481 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:11,320 of joy. 482 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,920 And so when the thought comes, I don't know what to do. 483 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:14,920 Ha ha ha. 484 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:16,920 I do know what to do. 485 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:22,000 I know exactly what to do because the knower lives on the inside of me. 486 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,000 That's right. 487 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,000 Yeah. 488 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,000 Yeah. 489 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,460 You know, we've experienced these moments where as a congregation, we just start laughing 490 00:34:29,460 --> 00:34:30,760 and laughing and laughing. 491 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:38,120 My spirit's just celebrating and the promises of God in my brain is like, what are you doing? 492 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:44,280 And the reality is that, you know, my my spirit knows things and my brain needs to catch up. 493 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:45,280 Yeah. 494 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:52,080 And the more you release what's in your spirit, the more your brain can catch up. 495 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,280 You know? 496 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:55,280 That's right. 497 00:34:55,280 --> 00:35:02,560 Everybody should take some time and just dance and laugh in your bedroom by yourself. 498 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:03,560 That's very spiritual. 499 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:04,560 That's right. 500 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:11,240 And it is a good practice and a way to grow strong in faith because it releases the strength 501 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:14,920 of God in our daily life. 502 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:15,920 That's true. 503 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:21,440 Well, we could keep talking about these things, but I'm looking forward to the Grow Group 504 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:25,600 discussions and putting this word in your mouth. 505 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:30,680 And if no one told you yet today, we want you to know that we love you and we're praying 506 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:31,680 for you. 507 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:32,680 God bless you. 508 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:33,680 Thank you for listening. 509 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,680 Go Church Beirut is your place to love, grow and go. 510 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:41,680 We want everyone to experience the unconditional love of God. 511 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:47,160 Grow in His love and go with His love to the rest of the world. 512 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:51,920 On behalf of the entire Go Church family, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 513 00:35:51,920 --> 00:36:18,920 Year.