WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Pursuit of Joy Publishing Date: 2022-10-09T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/pursuit-of-joy/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.320 Okay, so we're going to talk about pursuit of joy today. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:25.200 And joy is a word, it's something that I think there's echo. 00:00:25.200 --> 00:00:28.400 Joy is a word that's often confused with happiness. 00:00:28.400 --> 00:00:34.040 Because if you even look at dictionary, you'll find that the two words are interchanged quite 00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:35.320 a bit. 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:42.200 But then if you belong to Jesus, if you belong to Jesus Christ, happiness and joy are two 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:43.200 different things. 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:49.040 Because with happiness, you can be at the peak of happiness in a second. 00:00:49.040 --> 00:00:52.080 And in the very next second, you can be in despair. 00:00:52.080 --> 00:00:57.400 That's what happens to Bishop all the time when he watches Manchester United play. 00:00:57.400 --> 00:01:03.440 One second he's so happy, he's dressed up like this, and then the next second he's 00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:11.360 like crying. 00:01:11.360 --> 00:01:14.960 So happiness is not equal to joy. 00:01:14.960 --> 00:01:18.020 Joy and happiness are two different things. 00:01:18.020 --> 00:01:19.800 Happiness is very superficial. 00:01:19.800 --> 00:01:24.580 It can be superficial, but joy is something deeper. 00:01:24.580 --> 00:01:28.320 Happiness is finite. 00:01:28.320 --> 00:01:31.320 Joy is infinite. 00:01:31.320 --> 00:01:38.000 And for us in the kingdom, we cannot use those two terms interchangeably. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:45.960 Because we have to look at these two things as two different things, two different experiences. 00:01:45.960 --> 00:01:48.680 One is a gift from God that we can engage in. 00:01:48.800 --> 00:01:49.800 I wrote it down like this. 00:01:49.800 --> 00:01:57.120 I said, joy has a place of significance and it must be pursued because it's the very expression 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:01.920 of God that he has given us to experience. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.740 Joy, it has a place of significance. 00:02:05.740 --> 00:02:08.880 It must have a place of significance in our lives. 00:02:08.880 --> 00:02:15.740 And we must pursue it because it is the very expression of God our father that is for us 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:22.180 as children to engage and experience. 00:02:22.180 --> 00:02:28.580 Jacob has taught us this definition for kingdom, which is when God is in our midst, his rule 00:02:28.580 --> 00:02:31.640 and his reign is in our midst. 00:02:31.640 --> 00:02:35.540 The kingdom of God is his rule and his reign. 00:02:35.540 --> 00:02:40.780 And in Romans chapter 14, 17, it talks about this very kingdom and it says the kingdom 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:44.880 of God is not eating and drinking. 00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:47.340 The kingdom of God is righteousness. 00:02:47.340 --> 00:02:48.600 It is peace. 00:02:48.600 --> 00:02:51.500 It is joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:58.240 It's amazing how sometimes, at least for me, I understand the righteousness part. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:01.360 I understand the peace part. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:07.480 But the joy part, oftentimes could be neglected because you confuse that with other feelings. 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:09.280 You confuse that with happiness. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.800 You perhaps do not pursue it enough. 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:17.240 And today we're going to talk about why joy is this expression of the father. 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:22.040 It is innate in him and as children, it is something that we can engage with. 00:03:22.040 --> 00:03:24.520 We can experience. 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:26.880 It is something of significance. 00:03:26.880 --> 00:03:27.960 It absolutely is. 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:34.440 It's not one of the things, but it is a precious commodity in heaven that is for us to experience 00:03:34.440 --> 00:03:36.040 and live in. 00:03:36.040 --> 00:03:37.320 And that's what we're going to do today. 00:03:37.320 --> 00:03:39.360 I'm glad we sang the songs we sang. 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:43.200 I'm glad we said the things we said because, my goodness, we can be different. 00:03:43.200 --> 00:03:49.040 We can see that's why when Pawan comes up, there is much validity to what he is saying. 00:03:49.040 --> 00:03:55.600 There is because he's coming up and saying, you guys are so quiet. 00:03:55.600 --> 00:03:57.280 We don't need to be quiet. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:03:58.960 We can be a little joyful. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.600 We can be happy. 00:04:00.600 --> 00:04:01.920 We can shout. 00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:03.720 We can express ourselves. 00:04:03.720 --> 00:04:09.920 We don't need to be in this fenced way of thinking or being. 00:04:09.920 --> 00:04:13.160 And in heaven, trust me, it's not quiet. 00:04:13.160 --> 00:04:15.280 Heaven is loud. 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:17.280 Heaven is absolutely loud. 00:04:17.280 --> 00:04:24.760 And for us, as we prepare ourselves for that place, we've got to be loud here as well. 00:04:24.760 --> 00:04:28.560 Loud is good. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:33.400 So Romans 14 17, for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of 00:04:33.400 --> 00:04:39.320 righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:04:39.320 --> 00:04:46.020 And so when the kingdom of God invades a particular place, we should be able to see in the physical, 00:04:46.020 --> 00:04:51.120 we should be able to see righteousness, we should be able to see peace, we should be 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.740 able to see joy. 00:04:53.740 --> 00:04:55.040 We should expect it. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:03.200 I remember a time when probably two or three winters ago, Jeevan and I, hey bro, if you're 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:10.180 three winters ago, we went out to Langley and Jeevan had these care packages that he 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:11.720 got from someone. 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:15.440 And we were supposed to, we were walking the streets and giving it to people. 00:05:15.440 --> 00:05:19.440 We met a guy and we asked him, hey, can we pray for you? 00:05:19.440 --> 00:05:21.720 Is there something we can pray for you? 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:25.680 And he quickly responded with, yes, I have no peace of mind. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:27.120 Can you pray? 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:34.320 And as soon as he said it, we couldn't even pray because you don't expect that response. 00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:36.660 I have no peace of mind. 00:05:36.660 --> 00:05:37.660 Can you pray? 00:05:37.660 --> 00:05:40.080 And then you have to think about, yeah, yeah, we'll pray. 00:05:40.080 --> 00:05:41.540 We'll pray. 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:46.080 But the lack of peace of mind is real. 00:05:46.080 --> 00:05:50.800 And when the kingdom comes, we know that God can give peace. 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:58.720 with righteousness, along with peace, we have to pursue joy. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.720 We must absolutely pursue joy. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:08.520 Now, God is exuberantly joyful. 00:06:08.520 --> 00:06:15.020 I want to read a couple of verses that we should think about as we talk about joy. 00:06:15.020 --> 00:06:18.320 First one is Cephaniah chapter three, verse 17. 00:06:18.320 --> 00:06:21.320 Cephaniah chapter three, verse 17. 00:06:27.320 --> 00:06:31.320 The Lord your God is in your midst. 00:06:31.320 --> 00:06:35.320 A mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness. 00:06:35.320 --> 00:06:37.320 He will quiet you by his love. 00:06:37.320 --> 00:06:40.320 He will exalt over you with loud singing. 00:06:40.320 --> 00:06:41.320 Read that again. 00:06:41.320 --> 00:06:43.320 Cephaniah chapter three, verse 17. 00:06:43.320 --> 00:06:46.320 The Lord your God is in your midst. 00:06:46.320 --> 00:06:50.320 A mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness. 00:06:50.320 --> 00:06:52.320 He will quiet you by his love. 00:06:52.320 --> 00:06:54.320 He will exalt over you with loud singing. 00:06:54.320 --> 00:06:56.320 We understand the saving nature of God. 00:06:56.320 --> 00:06:59.320 Let me put it this way because I asked myself this question. 00:06:59.320 --> 00:07:08.320 During this week, there are times when I thought about, pondered on the saving nature of God. 00:07:08.320 --> 00:07:12.320 There are times when I looked at and understood that God loves me. 00:07:12.320 --> 00:07:22.320 But how many times do I know that God as a father is exuberantly joyful and that he is singing songs over me? 00:07:22.320 --> 00:07:27.320 And that he is exuberantly joyful over me? 00:07:27.320 --> 00:07:29.320 And it's his nature. 00:07:29.320 --> 00:07:38.320 And the question is, if I were not preparing this sermon, that wouldn't have been for me a standout thing from my week. 00:07:38.320 --> 00:07:42.320 And it could be perhaps the same for you too. 00:07:42.320 --> 00:07:44.320 Because we understand the saving nature of God. 00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:46.320 We understand the healing nature of God. 00:07:46.320 --> 00:07:52.320 We've got to ask ourselves, do we actually live our daily lives knowing fully well that he's exuberantly joyful? 00:07:52.320 --> 00:07:54.320 He's a joyful God. 00:07:54.320 --> 00:07:56.320 And that we should desire it. 00:07:56.320 --> 00:08:00.320 We should, as Kira was saying today, there are some things that we have to take a position for. 00:08:00.320 --> 00:08:03.320 We have to say, I want this. 00:08:03.320 --> 00:08:07.320 And joy is something that we shouldn't trade for anything. 00:08:07.320 --> 00:08:11.320 We should absolutely pursue it and see what God has for us. 00:08:11.320 --> 00:08:15.320 See, happiness is a result of things that work well. 00:08:15.320 --> 00:08:18.320 So that's why Bishop gets happy every time they score a goal. 00:08:18.320 --> 00:08:25.320 But as soon as the other team scores, Bishop is not happy anymore. 00:08:25.320 --> 00:08:30.320 But happiness is a thing that, it depends on your circumstances. 00:08:30.320 --> 00:08:36.320 But joy is not constrained by your circumstances. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:39.320 It is far beyond that. 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:45.320 And so if I'm joyful, and I want us to slowly think about our lives. 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:52.320 Because if I am joyful and you are with me, you have to experience this joy. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:09:02.320 If I am joyful and I live like this, you should be able to hang out with me and think that, ah, that guy is actually joyful. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:05.320 It should be the same for each of us. 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:07.320 People should be able to hang out with us. 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:15.320 And they should be able to see a characteristic of God that they don't otherwise see. 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:22.320 They should be able to go and say, I hung out with this person and there is something special about them. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.320 They are just happy. 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:27.320 That may be the word that they use. 00:09:27.320 --> 00:09:31.320 But they are joyful. 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:34.320 Habakkuk chapter 3, 17 and 18. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.320 A verse we all know very well. 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:47.320 Though the fig tree shall not blossom, though there is no fruit on the vine, even if the fields are empty, 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:53.320 even if some of the flock is not part of the herd anymore, it doesn't matter. 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:55.320 Circumstances don't matter. 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:59.320 But I will still rejoice in the Lord. 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:08.320 So take that verse and put it, because those analogies may not apply to us, take that and put it in your life. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.320 Doesn't matter what happens. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:16.320 Doesn't matter if I have a job tomorrow and I don't have a job tomorrow. 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.320 Doesn't matter what it is. 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:28.320 I should be, because God is a joyful exuberant father, I should be able to experience joy every day. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.320 And it is not based on circumstances or what's happening around me. 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:43.320 It is absolutely based on this gift he has given us for us to enjoy. 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:47.320 Luke chapter 2, verse 10. 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:50.320 Gospel of Luke chapter 2, verse 10. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:55.320 And the angel said to them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of what? 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:59.320 Good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:07.320 See, Jesus Christ became a man of sorrows so that we can experience the good news of great joy. 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:11.320 It's not a good news. It's a good news of great joy. 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:13.320 And what did the shepherds do? 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:18.320 As soon as they heard the good news of great joy, they started walking that way. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:22.320 We've got to walk this way. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:27.320 We've got to pursue this gift that is poured out on us by God, 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.320 which is not for us to manufacture because we don't need to create it. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:32.320 We need to pursue it. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:36.320 And the shepherds did that as soon as the news came that Jesus is born. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.320 And you've got to head this direction. 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:41.320 And you know what? This is a good news from heaven. 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:44.320 But it's a good news of great joy. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:48.320 And they started pursuing it. 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:55.320 One of the things that the Bible says over and over again is this idea of God pouring an oil of gladness, 00:11:55.320 --> 00:12:00.320 an oil of joy over you. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:05.320 Sometimes we should just symbolically do that 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:11.320 so that it becomes part of the way we think and live. 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:15.320 These things are for us to experience here on earth. 00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:19.320 So maybe one of the things that you can do is knowing that, 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:24.320 my God, you pour your oil of gladness, your oil of joy over you. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.320 I believe that and I'll walk in it. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.320 And symbolically for you, you can apply it. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:38.320 It's so deep in our minds that I am supposed to be walking regardless of my circumstances. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:43.320 And it may be difficult. I'm not saying that it's easy, easy, easy-peasy. 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:49.320 No, it may be difficult, but we can do it with the Holy Spirit. 00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:53.320 It is absolutely possible. 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:56.320 Philippians is an epistle that Paul wrote. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.320 I didn't know this, but apparently it's called the Epistle of Joy. 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:02.320 That's what they teach you in Bible schools, Epistle of Joy. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.320 I know that too now. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:11.320 So the idea is that guy, when he was in prison, he wrote all of that. 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.320 So it is possible. 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:17.320 Even if circumstances may be difficult, 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:21.320 even if no one may understand what you're going through, 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:27.320 even if it seems like there is much pressure on your lives, 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:32.320 it is absolutely possible for his children to walk in joy 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:38.320 because he pours his oil of joy over you, over us. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:43.320 Psalm 45, 7, Therefore God your God has anointed you, 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:48.320 pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. 00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:57.320 So this expression of God, this gift of God is something we will walk in. 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:01.320 We will choose to walk in. 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:05.320 So we have to choose that this is the lifestyle that we want to have. 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:10.320 We have to choose that, yep, I lack this in my life, 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.320 but Father, I want to pursue this and I want to experience it 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:18.320 because your Holy Spirit gives it freely and it is for me to walk in 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:21.320 and I will not let go of it or trade this for something else. 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:23.320 I want to walk in it. 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:26.320 And when we all walk in it together as a people, 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:29.320 Paul won't come up and say what he said. 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:33.320 He won't because he will be like, hey guys, quiet down. 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:40.320 Shouldn't we be like this? 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:44.320 When we come together, we should be joyful. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:48.320 We should celebrate. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:53.320 It should not be difficult for Jane or someone else to say, 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:56.320 Guys, come on, let's do it. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:00.320 We should shout more louder so that they can't catch up. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.320 This is for us to live, guys. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:06.320 Let's practice this. Let's do it. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.320 When we come in, let's come in with this. 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.320 Because we have lived our week like that, 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:15.320 no one needs to stir us up. 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:18.320 We don't need stirring up. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:21.320 We don't need to be like, oh, I'm going to be like this. 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:24.320 We don't need stirring up. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.320 We're walking like this Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:31.320 and then we step into this building on a Sunday, 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.320 and we make Jane's life much more easier. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:47.320 And as with all the other gifts, we have to steward the gift of joy. 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:49.320 We have to steward it. 00:15:49.320 --> 00:15:51.320 We have to steward it. 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:56.320 And here's the other thing. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:59.320 We cannot represent Jesus accurately. 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:06.320 We cannot represent the Father accurately if we do not engage in joy. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:10.320 I heard the story of a guy this week. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:15.320 He's like a preacher, an evangelist in somewhere in the UK. 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:17.320 This guy gets saved, okay? 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:22.320 He gets saved and then he's like so zealous for the Lord. 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:25.320 He can't keep this good news inside him. 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:27.320 So he gets hired at this paint shop. 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:29.320 It was like 30, 40, 50 years ago. 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:31.320 He's hired at this paint shop, and day one, 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.320 there's an old lady who is walking into the store. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:38.320 So she can barely walk. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:42.320 She comes in and she says, and this guy asks her, what do you want? 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.320 And she says, I want some sandpaper. 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:48.320 And he says, it's not sandpaper that you need. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:51.320 You need Jesus in your life. 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:53.320 You don't need sandpaper at this age. 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.320 You need Jesus at this age. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:02.320 And then a couple of days later, the boss calls this guy to the office. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.320 And he said, you know what? 00:17:04.320 --> 00:17:07.320 I've had too many complaints about you over the last couple of days. 00:17:07.320 --> 00:17:13.320 No one wants to hear at 9 a.m. that they're going to hell. 00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:23.320 And he responded and said, Mr. Roger, that's where you're going if you don't believe in me. 00:17:23.320 --> 00:17:24.320 Why this story? 00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:29.320 Because he was saying how he was not accurately representing the father, 00:17:29.320 --> 00:17:31.320 even though his heart was at the right place. 00:17:31.320 --> 00:17:34.320 He wasn't able to do it right. 00:17:34.320 --> 00:17:40.320 Same way for us to represent Jesus, for us to represent the father, 00:17:40.320 --> 00:17:45.320 we've got to catch this right. 00:17:45.320 --> 00:17:50.320 Israel was a sign for other nations for who God is. 00:17:50.320 --> 00:18:00.320 We've got to be a sign as to who our father is to those who are around us. 00:18:00.320 --> 00:18:08.320 So it's impossible to represent Christ accurately if you're not joyful in the Lord. 00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:10.320 Matthew chapter 25-21. 00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:11.320 You don't need to read it. 00:18:11.320 --> 00:18:18.320 But that's the story of the master who leaves talents with his servants. 00:18:18.320 --> 00:18:19.320 To one, he gave five. 00:18:19.320 --> 00:18:21.320 To another, he gave three. 00:18:21.320 --> 00:18:23.320 To the third one, he gave one talent. 00:18:23.320 --> 00:18:25.320 And he goes away and he comes back. 00:18:25.320 --> 00:18:29.320 And the first two, they've traded with the talents and they've multiplied it. 00:18:29.320 --> 00:18:31.320 And the last guy, he dug it in the ground. 00:18:31.320 --> 00:18:34.320 And the master says, here's why it's important. 00:18:34.320 --> 00:18:38.320 The master comes and says, well done, good and faithful servant. 00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:39.320 You've done well. 00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:41.320 You've been faithful over a little. 00:18:41.320 --> 00:18:44.320 I'm going to keep you in charge over much. 00:18:44.320 --> 00:18:48.320 Now enter into the joy that I've kept for you. 00:18:48.320 --> 00:18:50.320 It's a reward. 00:18:50.320 --> 00:18:52.320 Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2. 00:18:52.320 --> 00:18:55.320 Jesus endured the cross. 00:18:55.320 --> 00:18:56.320 Why? 00:18:56.320 --> 00:18:59.320 Because of the joy that was set before him. 00:18:59.320 --> 00:19:01.320 Joy is a commodity in heaven. 00:19:01.320 --> 00:19:04.320 It is something that God gives for us to enter into. 00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:06.320 Yes, you have done well, my servant. 00:19:06.320 --> 00:19:08.320 And you know what I'm going to give you? 00:19:08.320 --> 00:19:16.320 Now come enter into this reward, this gift, this pleasure, this life to live, which is joy. 00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:20.320 That was Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2. 00:19:20.320 --> 00:19:24.320 Jesus lived all his life here on earth. 00:19:24.320 --> 00:19:29.320 He endured the cross so that... 00:19:29.320 --> 00:19:30.320 Why? 00:19:30.320 --> 00:19:32.320 On one hand, yes, he loved us. 00:19:32.320 --> 00:19:35.320 But there is joy that was set before him. 00:19:35.320 --> 00:19:39.320 Joy from the father that was set before him. 00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:46.320 We've got to look at our life and say, this is us, his children, for us to live in. 00:19:46.320 --> 00:19:49.320 We won't trade this because this is precious for us. 00:19:49.320 --> 00:19:56.320 We can't let go of it and live without engaging with it. 00:19:56.320 --> 00:20:01.320 So not only is the father joyful, he's a joy giver. 00:20:01.320 --> 00:20:03.320 On one hand, the father is joyful. 00:20:03.320 --> 00:20:04.320 Absolutely he is. 00:20:04.320 --> 00:20:06.320 Those are the verses that I gave you before. 00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:35.320 So we don't need to therefore create joy because joy is given to us by God. 00:20:35.320 --> 00:20:38.320 It is given to us. 00:20:38.320 --> 00:20:44.320 And if it is given to us, all we've got to do is steward it well. 00:20:44.320 --> 00:20:50.320 We have to recognize that it is a gift and we have to walk in it. 00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:53.320 Isaiah chapter 61 verse 3. 00:20:53.320 --> 00:20:55.320 Jesus was appointed to do what? 00:20:55.320 --> 00:21:01.320 To give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, 00:21:01.320 --> 00:21:05.320 the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 00:21:05.320 --> 00:21:08.320 Jesus gave joy to others. 00:21:08.320 --> 00:21:11.320 Not only did he receive it, he gave it to others. 00:21:11.320 --> 00:21:18.320 So I should be able to receive this joy that my father gives me so that my life is transformed. 00:21:18.320 --> 00:21:23.320 But I can also give the same joy to others as they interact with me. 00:21:23.320 --> 00:21:25.320 Romans chapter 15 verse 13. 00:21:25.320 --> 00:21:33.320 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy. 00:21:33.320 --> 00:21:45.320 God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. 00:21:45.320 --> 00:21:50.320 And they're related because someone said this. 00:21:50.320 --> 00:21:59.320 With hope you can actually enjoy the benefits of the breakthrough before the breakthrough comes to you. 00:21:59.320 --> 00:22:12.320 With hope you can enjoy the benefits, the results of the breakthrough before the breakthrough comes to you. 00:22:12.320 --> 00:22:21.320 And with joy I can today live my life even though I'm expecting some things to happen tomorrow because God is going to do it. 00:22:21.320 --> 00:22:25.320 I don't need to wait until tomorrow to shout my praises. 00:22:25.320 --> 00:22:29.320 I don't need to wait until tomorrow to say, hey, it's happening. 00:22:29.320 --> 00:22:38.320 Today I can live with hope so that the benefits of the breakthrough and what that looks like can be experienced today. 00:22:38.320 --> 00:22:43.320 I don't need to wait till tomorrow. 00:22:43.320 --> 00:22:47.320 John chapter 15, 11. 00:22:47.320 --> 00:22:52.320 Gospel of John chapter 15, 11. 00:22:52.320 --> 00:23:01.320 I've told you this so that, Jesus is saying, I've told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 00:23:01.320 --> 00:23:07.320 We're going through these verses because here I have to get it and here I have to accept that. 00:23:07.320 --> 00:23:13.320 My goodness, there is this thing called joy being complete. 00:23:13.320 --> 00:23:17.320 That I should get all of it. 00:23:17.320 --> 00:23:22.320 Jesus actually wants me to enter into the fullness of joy. 00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:29.320 That's why here it says, guys, to the disciples he said, I've told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 00:23:29.320 --> 00:23:33.320 I want your joy to be complete. 00:23:33.320 --> 00:23:35.320 So what is he telling before that? 00:23:35.320 --> 00:23:39.320 Some scriptures we have read and heard so many times before. 00:23:39.320 --> 00:23:44.320 One, Jesus said, I abide in the Father and I'm connected to him. 00:23:44.320 --> 00:23:47.320 And because I love him, I obey him. 00:23:47.320 --> 00:23:53.320 I want you guys to abide in me so that you're connected to me. 00:23:53.320 --> 00:23:56.320 If you're not abiding in me, then you're not bearing fruit. 00:23:56.320 --> 00:24:01.320 That's what Jesus said just before he said what he said. 00:24:01.320 --> 00:24:07.320 So the love of the Father, it's evidenced in obeying his commandments. 00:24:07.320 --> 00:24:13.320 My mom at one point in her life, she heard enough about Jesus and knew enough about Jesus. 00:24:13.320 --> 00:24:19.320 But in India, culturally, there's a thing that when you take baptism, it's a bold step. 00:24:19.320 --> 00:24:24.320 You're literally saying enough of tradition, enough of all of that, I want to get baptized. 00:24:24.320 --> 00:24:26.320 It's a big step. 00:24:26.320 --> 00:24:29.320 And so culturally, people notice it. 00:24:29.320 --> 00:24:31.320 It's not just the people in the church who notice it. 00:24:31.320 --> 00:24:35.320 Everyone will somehow hear it, understand that this is what went on. 00:24:35.320 --> 00:24:37.320 So she had a question about baptism. 00:24:37.320 --> 00:24:44.320 And she was like, she didn't know if that was something that she had to take or are people pressurizing her? 00:24:44.320 --> 00:24:45.320 Here's what she did. 00:24:45.320 --> 00:24:46.320 So she was cooking one day. 00:24:46.320 --> 00:24:50.320 In the morning, she was, whatever she was cooking, she was cooking. 00:24:50.320 --> 00:24:55.320 And then she heard this voice that said, if you love me, you will obey my commandments. 00:24:55.320 --> 00:24:57.320 And she was very new in faith. 00:24:57.320 --> 00:24:58.320 So she did not know what it meant. 00:24:58.320 --> 00:25:01.320 But somehow she felt like she has to go read the Bible. 00:25:01.320 --> 00:25:03.320 So she goes and opens the Bible. 00:25:03.320 --> 00:25:08.320 And it's John chapter 14, 15, where it says, if you love me, you will obey my commandments. 00:25:08.320 --> 00:25:12.320 And the question was answered right there. 00:25:12.320 --> 00:25:14.320 So that's what Jesus is saying. 00:25:14.320 --> 00:25:17.320 I have I abide in the Father. 00:25:17.320 --> 00:25:19.320 I'm connected to him. 00:25:19.320 --> 00:25:22.320 It's a pleasure for me out of love to obey him. 00:25:22.320 --> 00:25:26.320 I want you to abide in me. 00:25:26.320 --> 00:25:30.320 And I want you to engage in obedience out of love. 00:25:30.320 --> 00:25:34.320 And when you do this, your joy will be complete. 00:25:34.320 --> 00:25:38.320 We'll get to that in a little bit more detail. 00:25:38.320 --> 00:25:43.320 But being in love with the Father is the evidence of our intimacy. 00:25:43.320 --> 00:25:48.320 And it's an everyday thing that we have heard so many times about, but we can't let go of. 00:25:48.320 --> 00:25:50.320 It's an everyday thing. 00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:52.320 Every day, every moment. 00:25:52.320 --> 00:25:56.320 Jesus is looking for a people who is intimately in love with him. 00:25:56.320 --> 00:26:04.320 Not in words, but who are intimately in love with him. 00:26:04.320 --> 00:26:07.320 You can be partially in love with him. 00:26:07.320 --> 00:26:10.320 You can be periodically in love with him. 00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:17.320 But Jesus is looking for a people who can't have a life without him. 00:26:17.320 --> 00:26:20.320 Jesus is looking for a people who seek him. 00:26:20.320 --> 00:26:25.320 And for him, he is their breath. 00:26:25.320 --> 00:26:28.320 I'm reminded of something that Jacob said some time ago. 00:26:28.320 --> 00:26:33.320 He said, 00:26:33.320 --> 00:26:40.320 You should be someone who will you notice if the Holy Spirit is not here anymore? 00:26:40.320 --> 00:26:44.320 Will if the Holy Spirit is not here anymore, will you notice it? 00:26:44.320 --> 00:26:46.320 Is it such a big thing for you? 00:26:46.320 --> 00:26:55.320 Is it something you live in that the absence of it will make you go, oh, he's not here? 00:26:55.320 --> 00:26:57.320 So Father, we want to be like that. 00:26:57.320 --> 00:27:03.320 We want to be Jesus' lovers, Jesus' seekers who are not partially in love with him, 00:27:03.320 --> 00:27:07.320 who are not periodically in love with him, who are not occasionally in love with him. 00:27:07.320 --> 00:27:11.320 But we are in deep love with the Master who gave his life for us. 00:27:11.320 --> 00:27:13.320 Deep love. 00:27:13.320 --> 00:27:17.320 So when we are in such deep love, others will come around and they'll be like, 00:27:17.320 --> 00:27:20.320 Man, this is something we can aim for. 00:27:20.320 --> 00:27:23.320 We can't be here. We have to be there. 00:27:23.320 --> 00:27:26.320 Because there is no limit to this. 00:27:26.320 --> 00:27:31.320 There is no limit to this. There is no limit to living like this. 00:27:31.320 --> 00:27:33.320 Jesus wants a people like this. 00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:35.320 This is the bride he is after. 00:27:35.320 --> 00:27:39.320 A bride who is fully devoted to him. 00:27:39.320 --> 00:27:44.320 A bride who is adorned day after day. 00:27:44.320 --> 00:27:50.320 Her heart day after day is renewed in love for him. 00:27:50.320 --> 00:27:52.320 That's the bride he is after. 00:27:52.320 --> 00:28:02.320 And we can be so accelerating, so moving forward, so making progress in our love for him. 00:28:02.320 --> 00:28:05.320 May we have such a desire in our... 00:28:05.320 --> 00:28:13.320 This light that he lit in us should spring us forward quickly in the direction that he has set for us. 00:28:13.320 --> 00:28:16.320 And there is so many miles for us to travel together. 00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:20.320 So many miles for us to travel together in this direction. 00:28:20.320 --> 00:28:24.320 So over the last few days, I've been asking this question to the father. 00:28:24.320 --> 00:28:30.320 Okay, Abba, if you're saying all of these things and I need to pursue joy and happiness, 00:28:30.320 --> 00:28:35.320 and this is who you are, and you give this, and this is for me to engage in, 00:28:35.320 --> 00:28:37.320 how do I live in this? 00:28:37.320 --> 00:28:41.320 How do I make it real for us on a daily basis? 00:28:41.320 --> 00:28:47.320 Psalm 30 verse 5, it says, Joy comes in the morning. 00:28:47.320 --> 00:28:50.320 So when I wake up, Joy is there. 00:28:50.320 --> 00:28:53.320 It doesn't say, Psalm 35 doesn't say, David didn't say, 00:28:53.320 --> 00:28:56.320 Oh, you know what, you need to wake up and then you need to ask for Joy. 00:28:56.320 --> 00:28:58.320 And when you ask for Joy, Joy will come. 00:28:58.320 --> 00:29:02.320 No. When I wake up, Joy is there. 00:29:02.320 --> 00:29:05.320 When I wake up, Joy is there. 00:29:05.320 --> 00:29:11.320 So now the next question is, if Joy is already there, how do I steward it? 00:29:11.320 --> 00:29:19.320 How do I take what is given to me and live in a way where I grow in this more and more 00:29:19.320 --> 00:29:23.320 and I don't let go of this gift that has been given to me 00:29:23.320 --> 00:29:28.320 and then I begin to represent the Father accurately to those around me. 00:29:28.320 --> 00:29:33.320 So let's look at that and we will wrap up. 00:29:33.320 --> 00:29:38.320 In 20 minutes. 00:29:38.320 --> 00:29:41.320 No, no. 00:29:41.320 --> 00:29:46.320 In 20 minutes or so. 00:29:46.320 --> 00:29:52.320 So if I live in complete Joy or the fullness of Joy, 00:29:52.320 --> 00:29:58.320 it must touch my past, my present, my future. 00:29:58.320 --> 00:30:12.320 If I live in Joy, if I am living in Joy, it must or Joy must touch and transform and cover 00:30:12.320 --> 00:30:14.320 whatever word you want to use. 00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:16.320 Whatever word you want to use. 00:30:16.320 --> 00:30:22.320 My past, my present, and my future. 00:30:22.320 --> 00:30:25.320 And that is important. 00:30:25.320 --> 00:30:30.320 Because sometimes we get one part of it or one aspect of it right. 00:30:30.320 --> 00:30:32.320 This is what God has been telling me. 00:30:32.320 --> 00:30:34.320 Derek, you want to walk in the fullness of it? 00:30:34.320 --> 00:30:36.320 This is what you got to do. 00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:41.320 Allow Joy, allow, allow Joy to touch your past, to transform your past. 00:30:41.320 --> 00:30:43.320 Allow Joy to color your present. 00:30:43.320 --> 00:30:48.320 Allow Joy to picture your future. 00:30:48.320 --> 00:30:50.320 All three. 00:30:50.320 --> 00:30:53.320 Not one of it can be missed. 00:30:53.320 --> 00:30:58.320 So let's look first at Nehemiah chapter 8. 00:30:58.320 --> 00:31:14.320 So this is Joy covers the past. 00:31:14.320 --> 00:31:19.320 Nehemiah chapter 8. 00:31:19.320 --> 00:31:21.320 You can read it later. 00:31:21.320 --> 00:31:23.320 It's one of my favorite books in the Bible. 00:31:23.320 --> 00:31:26.320 So there is Nehemiah and then there is Ezra. 00:31:26.320 --> 00:31:30.320 And Nehemiah is about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. 00:31:30.320 --> 00:31:34.320 Ezra is about rebuilding the temple. 00:31:34.320 --> 00:31:36.320 So listen to me here. 00:31:36.320 --> 00:31:38.320 In Nehemiah chapter 8, you see this picture. 00:31:38.320 --> 00:31:44.320 So Nehemiah was, he came for about 70 plus years or 70 something years. 00:31:44.320 --> 00:31:48.320 Israelites have been trying to build the walls around Jerusalem. 00:31:48.320 --> 00:31:49.320 70 something years. 00:31:49.320 --> 00:31:54.320 And then comes this guy, Nehemiah, whose name actually means comforter. 00:31:54.320 --> 00:31:59.320 Who is able to finish this rebuilding in 52 days. 00:31:59.320 --> 00:32:01.320 Side note for us. 00:32:01.320 --> 00:32:03.320 That's what the Holy Spirit does. 00:32:03.320 --> 00:32:12.320 What we can, what we try to do and try to do and try to do. 00:32:12.320 --> 00:32:16.320 When we do it with the Holy Spirit, what should otherwise take 100 years? 00:32:16.320 --> 00:32:20.320 Or what they could not do in 70 years? 00:32:20.320 --> 00:32:27.320 The Spirit of God, through one man's obedience, was able to do in 52 days. 00:32:27.320 --> 00:32:35.320 And so for me and for you in our lives, what we've been trying or what we've been pushing for, 00:32:35.320 --> 00:32:39.320 it is absolutely possible for the Holy Spirit to come in and say, 00:32:39.320 --> 00:32:42.320 I know you've been trying, allow me to. 00:32:42.320 --> 00:32:45.320 I know you've been trying hard, allow me to. 00:32:45.320 --> 00:32:48.320 Applies to your life and applies to lives of those around you. 00:32:48.320 --> 00:32:54.320 One of the difficult things to do sometimes is to allow the Holy Spirit to work in someone else's life. 00:32:54.320 --> 00:32:58.320 Because you want to control it. 00:32:58.320 --> 00:33:04.320 Nehemiah had to learn that. 00:33:04.320 --> 00:33:08.320 Give others to God. 00:33:08.320 --> 00:33:11.320 Trust in his work. 00:33:11.320 --> 00:33:15.320 Give what you've been trying and trying and trying hard to God. 00:33:15.320 --> 00:33:17.320 Allow the Holy Spirit to work. 00:33:17.320 --> 00:33:20.320 Because this is something he loves doing. 00:33:20.320 --> 00:33:24.320 It's almost like the Holy Spirit, whenever you say, come do this, I'm done. 00:33:24.320 --> 00:33:27.320 He's like, this is exactly what I like doing. 00:33:27.320 --> 00:33:31.320 Because I like coming in, what you were struggling with, I'll take over. 00:33:31.320 --> 00:33:35.320 And you come with me, you stay here, I'm going to show you how to make this happen. 00:33:35.320 --> 00:33:38.320 So pick on this and apply it in your lives. 00:33:38.320 --> 00:33:43.320 The stuff that you thought will take longer, the stuff that you thought you have to struggle through, 00:33:43.320 --> 00:33:46.320 the stuff that you thought will take months more. 00:33:46.320 --> 00:33:48.320 No, it doesn't have to. 00:33:48.320 --> 00:33:49.320 With the Holy Spirit. 00:33:49.320 --> 00:33:52.320 And here's the thing, don't look at others' experiences. 00:33:52.320 --> 00:33:57.320 Now we are completely going away from the teaching, but that's okay. 00:33:57.320 --> 00:34:01.320 And don't look at others' experiences. 00:34:01.320 --> 00:34:04.320 Because everyone has a story to share. 00:34:04.320 --> 00:34:07.320 Everyone has good reasons to say. 00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:10.320 But don't look at others' experiences. 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:12.320 There's only one experience you need to look at. 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:15.320 And that is the experience of Jesus Christ. 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:20.320 So back to Nehemiah. 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:22.320 So Nehemiah is rebuilding the wall. 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:24.320 The wall has been rebuilt. 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:31.320 And you then see this beautiful picture of the nation of Israel within this walled city. 00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:33.320 They are gathered together. 00:34:33.320 --> 00:34:37.320 It says from early in the morning to about noon time. 00:34:37.320 --> 00:34:39.320 So let's say it's five hours or six hours. 00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:40.320 They are all standing. 00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:48.320 And the people say, Ezra, who is the priest, you need to read to us words from the book of the law of Moses. 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:52.320 So Ezra goes and gets the book, which has the law of Moses in it. 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:54.320 And Ezra comes up and Ezra starts reading it. 00:34:54.320 --> 00:34:56.320 But there is a problem. 00:34:56.320 --> 00:34:59.320 Half of the guys don't understand what's being read because of translation issues. 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:06.320 And they send priests, Levites, are running around explaining to each person who has a question, 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:07.320 here is what this book means. 00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:08.320 Here is what is being said. 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:10.320 That's the picture. 00:35:10.320 --> 00:35:12.320 Think of Ezra. 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:13.320 Think of Nehemiah. 00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:15.320 They have worked really hard for this to happen. 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:18.320 And you know what happens as soon as the words are being read? 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:20.320 People start crying. 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:24.320 People start bowing down and worshipping. 00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:29.320 But here's the thing. 00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:32.320 You would expect them to say, good job, guys. 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:34.320 You responded to the teaching well. 00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:35.320 You have responded to the words well. 00:35:35.320 --> 00:35:36.320 No. 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:38.320 They say, guys, stop crying. 00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:40.320 Stop crying. 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:42.320 Stop grieving. 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:46.320 The reason you're crying is because you know that here is what is asked of you. 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:48.320 Here is where you are. 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:50.320 There is a gap. 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:53.320 I want you and we want you to stop crying and stop mourning. 00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:54.320 Stop grieving. 00:35:54.320 --> 00:35:56.320 Instead, here is what we want you to do. 00:35:56.320 --> 00:35:57.320 Go away. 00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:00.320 Go eat the fat of the lamb. 00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:02.320 Go drink sweet wine. 00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:05.320 And whatever portion you have, send it to those who don't have enough. 00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:10.320 And go and rejoice because the joy of the Lord is your strength. 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:15.320 It is a complete picture of Jesus Christ saying all of what happened. 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:18.320 As soon as you recognize, Abba, I need you. 00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:19.320 Abba, I need you. 00:36:19.320 --> 00:36:22.320 Yes, your grace, because I can't go back and fix it. 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:26.320 Jesus says, allow my grace to go back and wash it. 00:36:26.320 --> 00:36:32.320 Do not mourn and grieve and be crying and tired and suffer with it. 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:33.320 I got it. 00:36:33.320 --> 00:36:34.320 I got it. 00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:36.320 I'll take care of it. 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:44.320 It is a picture of grace depicted in the Old Testament. 00:36:44.320 --> 00:36:49.320 And we should be able to look at that and go, Jesus, your joy, which is my strength, 00:36:49.320 --> 00:36:58.320 will cover, has covered every day of my life that I've lived so far. 00:36:58.320 --> 00:37:00.320 Every day. 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:05.320 Because what you would expect in that story, guys, is you would expect them to cry 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:08.320 and Hamayah to say, good, you've repented well. 00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:11.320 That's what I would expect. 00:37:11.320 --> 00:37:17.320 But somehow in that moment of grace, God says, go. 00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:19.320 You've understood. 00:37:19.320 --> 00:37:20.320 That's all that's needed. 00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:22.320 Everything else I'm going to cover. 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:25.320 So if there is anyone listening to me here or online, 00:37:25.320 --> 00:37:30.320 and if you have things from your past that keeps coming up, 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:35.320 if you listen to this and you go, it just keeps pulling me down, 00:37:35.320 --> 00:37:39.320 or I feel like I made bad decisions in my past. 00:37:39.320 --> 00:37:43.320 I feel like I did the same mistakes over and over again. 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:47.320 It feels like I never made progress like the other ones. 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:53.320 It does not matter because Jesus says, when I come in and you allow me to touch you, 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:57.320 I will color and transform your past. 00:37:57.320 --> 00:37:59.320 It is absolutely true. 00:37:59.320 --> 00:38:00.320 And Jesus can do it. 00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:04.320 If he said he can do it, he will do it with us. 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:09.320 Only when we experience it for ourselves, can we then go and tell someone about it. 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:11.320 That is called witnessing. 00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:14.320 We have to live in it first. 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:19.320 So Jesus, you have taken this and you've colored my past with your color. 00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:20.320 You've transformed it. 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:21.320 You've covered it. 00:38:21.320 --> 00:38:22.320 And that's number one. 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:29.320 So for us to live in joy today, we've got to let him do his work for what happened in the past. 00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:33.320 If we don't allow him, the joy is not complete. 00:38:33.320 --> 00:38:54.320 I pray that you take time to do it. 00:38:54.320 --> 00:39:02.320 The work that Jesus wants to do with me, he wants to cover my past with his grace 00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:07.320 and wants me to experience the joy that comes from his grace having covered it. 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:10.320 There is a joy that comes with it. 00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:13.320 He wants me to experience it today. 00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:28.320 Second, my present. 00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:38.320 To operate out of joy today, I have to cultivate intimacy. 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:39.320 And that's what Jesus said. 00:39:39.320 --> 00:39:42.320 Guys, I want you to enter into the fullness of joy. 00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:44.320 That's what he said in John chapter 15. 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:47.320 And before that, he was just saying, abide in me. 00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:56.320 So for me, now that my past is taken care of, for me to experience his joy fully today, today, 00:39:56.320 --> 00:40:02.320 the one thing I should give my life to is relationship with him. 00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:10.320 And when I am in relationship with him, all I got to do is do the next step of obedience that's before me. 00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:14.320 I don't have to worry about the hundred other things I need to do over the next three months. 00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:17.320 The next step of obedience. 00:40:17.320 --> 00:40:19.320 What that is, do it. 00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:26.320 Life is much, which is why Jesus said, don't worry about tomorrow. 00:40:26.320 --> 00:40:29.320 Can you add something to your life? 00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:32.320 Can you add a day to your life by worrying about it? 00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:34.320 Give it to me. Leave it to me. 00:40:34.320 --> 00:40:39.320 Don't worry. Don't be anxious. 00:40:39.320 --> 00:40:49.320 So to operate out of joy, I cultivate intimacy and focus on just one activity, my relationship with my father. 00:40:49.320 --> 00:40:54.320 And I obey what is before me. 00:40:54.320 --> 00:41:01.320 And as you do this, you will start enjoying him and you won't be contained anymore. 00:41:01.320 --> 00:41:08.320 I remember this time when I was in Prince George, eight years ago or nine years ago. 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:13.320 I got a co-op position in Prince George. 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:23.320 I didn't know anyone in Prince George. Canada to begin with had much fewer people than India. 00:41:23.320 --> 00:41:28.320 You come and you look at this and go, okay, that's what it is in the West. 00:41:28.320 --> 00:41:32.320 Because we have way more people in India. 00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:37.320 And then you come and you see this and then out of all of the places that God can give you a job in, 00:41:37.320 --> 00:41:40.320 he gives you a job in Prince George. 00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:45.320 And so I'm headed to Prince George as I go into, hey Jeeva. 00:41:45.320 --> 00:41:49.320 Hey, hey, hey. 00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:52.320 Good to have you bro. 00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:54.320 Sorry. 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:58.320 Out of all of the places you can get a job and God gives me a job in Prince George. 00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:06.320 So I am driving to Prince George and I'm soon finding out that my goodness, there's no one here. 00:42:06.320 --> 00:42:13.320 Every now and then you see a car go by and I'm the only brown guy in town. 00:42:13.320 --> 00:42:16.320 So I start living there. 00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:25.320 But soon one of the things that happened by God's kindness is that I started wanting to desire being with him. 00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:31.320 And so I had this small iPad or IP3 player, whatever you call it, the small thing. 00:42:31.320 --> 00:42:32.320 What do you call it? 00:42:32.320 --> 00:42:36.320 IPod. Yeah, sorry guys. 00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:39.320 See, this is a message of joy. 00:42:39.320 --> 00:42:46.320 So anyway, I had this IPod. So I got this IPod and I was like, I want to hear, I want to hear a song. 00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:51.320 So I would just go to a park and I would just listen and listen and I would worship. 00:42:51.320 --> 00:43:00.320 And it came to a point where as I was doing it, man, I was having such intimate times with God, such intimate times with God. 00:43:00.320 --> 00:43:02.320 It was just me and just him. 00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:07.320 And then I soon realized that this thing that is in me, I need to shout it. 00:43:07.320 --> 00:43:09.320 I can't keep it inside me. 00:43:09.320 --> 00:43:14.320 But there is a problem. I've got a house with three roommates, so I can't do that. 00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:22.320 So I decide the best thing to do is to drive my car at night and go to a parking lot for a movie theater, at a movie theater. 00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:24.320 Because everyone is inside the building. 00:43:24.320 --> 00:43:26.320 The only guy who's outside in the parking lot is me. 00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:32.320 So I have my doors closed and I go full sound worshiping, full sound talking to the Father. 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:41.320 Because there was something that was being created, that was with me spending time with the Father, I had to let it out. 00:43:41.320 --> 00:43:50.320 When you engage with the Father, when you walk with him and you start enjoying him, you will praise him. 00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:55.320 It cannot be cut short. It cannot be limited. 00:43:55.320 --> 00:44:02.320 So this is why Jacob often teaches, whatever you enjoy, you'll praise. 00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:05.320 Whatever you enjoy, you will praise. 00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:10.320 And so how do I live in joy today? 00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:13.320 Father, I want to be intimate with you. 00:44:13.320 --> 00:44:15.320 I want to be with you. 00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:20.320 I want to live with you and I want you to take care of all the details. 00:44:20.320 --> 00:44:24.320 And as I am intimate with him, as I love him, I will obey him. 00:44:24.320 --> 00:44:26.320 Because they are related. 00:44:26.320 --> 00:44:28.320 He will give me the strength to obey him. 00:44:28.320 --> 00:44:32.320 The next thing that I need to do, just do that. 00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:37.320 And as I do it and I live in it, there is joy. 00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:43.320 And there is fullness of it, like the Master said to the servants. 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:45.320 So I want us to read a couple of verses. 00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:49.320 This is why David was able to write in Psalm 139 verse 2. 00:44:49.320 --> 00:44:52.320 Psalm 139 verse 2. 00:44:52.320 --> 00:45:00.320 You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. 00:45:00.320 --> 00:45:08.320 You know, Father, when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. 00:45:08.320 --> 00:45:14.320 And as I was doing this, living like this in Prince George, one day this happened. 00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:19.320 I opened my eyes and as soon as I opened my eyes, I can't explain this to you. 00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:22.320 But it was almost like a verse coming and hitting me. 00:45:22.320 --> 00:45:29.320 The first thing I remember when I opened my eyes is I created you inside your mother's womb. 00:45:29.320 --> 00:45:34.320 All parts of you are intricately woven and I know you well. 00:45:34.320 --> 00:45:38.320 Paraphrasing 139, Psalm 139. 00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:40.320 That changes you. 00:45:40.320 --> 00:45:42.320 That changes you. 00:45:42.320 --> 00:45:45.320 This is what is awaiting us every day. 00:45:45.320 --> 00:45:48.320 Because joy is waiting. 00:45:48.320 --> 00:45:51.320 It is there. Psalm 35. Joy comes in the morning. 00:45:51.320 --> 00:45:53.320 How do I steward it? 00:45:53.320 --> 00:45:55.320 How do I engage with it? 00:45:55.320 --> 00:45:58.320 Ephesians chapter 518. You don't need to read it now. 00:45:58.320 --> 00:46:05.320 You can read it later. 00:46:05.320 --> 00:46:14.320 That's another verse where you talk about, where it talks about praising God, singing, making melody in your heart. 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:16.320 You don't need to sing well to make melody in your heart. 00:46:16.320 --> 00:46:25.320 God actually enjoys pretty bad singing. 00:46:25.320 --> 00:46:31.320 Next is future. 00:46:31.320 --> 00:46:38.320 Joy transforms your future. 00:46:38.320 --> 00:46:40.320 So joy is prophetic. 00:46:40.320 --> 00:46:47.320 Joy is prophetic in that it grasps what is yet to come. 00:46:47.320 --> 00:46:50.320 And you live in the experience of it today. 00:46:50.320 --> 00:46:52.320 Joy is also prophetic. 00:46:52.320 --> 00:46:55.320 So joy covers your past. 00:46:55.320 --> 00:46:57.320 It transforms everything today. 00:46:57.320 --> 00:47:00.320 And it will change your future. 00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:04.320 Because it is prophetic in nature and it takes a hold of what is to come. 00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:10.320 And you live in the benefit of that today in your present life. 00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:20.320 It grasps what is to unfold and begins to live where God's will is. 00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:22.320 I want to share another story. 00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:25.320 First Samuel 30. 00:47:25.320 --> 00:47:28.320 You can read the passage later. 00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:34.320 David, at one point in his life, he was fighting the Philistines. 00:47:34.320 --> 00:47:38.320 And then he gets to this place called, I think, Sicklegg or something. 00:47:38.320 --> 00:47:45.320 And he gets there and he finds out the entire place has been raided by Amalekites. 00:47:45.320 --> 00:47:48.320 And his wives, he had two wives at that point. 00:47:48.320 --> 00:47:50.320 Both his wives were taken. 00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:53.320 And the entire place was burned down. 00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:55.320 And children were gone. 00:47:55.320 --> 00:47:57.320 No one left. 00:47:57.320 --> 00:48:02.320 He had a few hundred people with him. 00:48:02.320 --> 00:48:05.320 Think about it. 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:09.320 Everything that you had has been taken. 00:48:09.320 --> 00:48:14.320 The place has been burned down. 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:18.320 A few verses down, it actually says that, let's not skip the verse, 00:48:18.320 --> 00:48:22.320 it actually says there that David wept. 00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:25.320 He cried with others. 00:48:25.320 --> 00:48:27.320 He couldn't control it. 00:48:27.320 --> 00:48:29.320 It had been taken from him. 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:31.320 It then says that he was in despair. 00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:33.320 He was troubled. 00:48:33.320 --> 00:48:36.320 And then a couple of verses down, it reads this. 00:48:36.320 --> 00:48:43.320 And then David strengthened himself in the Lord. 00:48:43.320 --> 00:48:47.320 How does a man go from that to that? 00:48:47.320 --> 00:48:49.320 I'll tell you why. 00:48:49.320 --> 00:48:52.320 He has written it all throughout in the Psalms. 00:48:52.320 --> 00:48:56.320 The joy of the Lord is my strength. 00:48:56.320 --> 00:48:59.320 How does a guy move from that place? 00:48:59.320 --> 00:49:02.320 Doesn't dwell there for days on. 00:49:02.320 --> 00:49:07.320 He quickly moves from that place to this place of strength. 00:49:07.320 --> 00:49:12.320 Because what is to come, he goes and inquires of the Lord, it says. 00:49:12.320 --> 00:49:15.320 And God says, you go chase them, I'll give them to you. 00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:17.320 Everything was redeemed. 00:49:17.320 --> 00:49:20.320 And the Amalekites were defeated. 00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:24.320 Before he did that, he already knew what would happen. 00:49:24.320 --> 00:49:28.320 And before he had received the gifts of that battle, 00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:32.320 his family returning, people returning, 00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:38.320 before he experienced it, he lived in the strength and joy of it that day. 00:49:38.320 --> 00:49:41.320 So we can do that too with God. 00:49:41.320 --> 00:49:45.320 Whatever is in the future that we are waiting for, 00:49:45.320 --> 00:49:48.320 that we are hoping for, 00:49:48.320 --> 00:49:53.320 God says, Derek, do you want to live in joy today? 00:49:53.320 --> 00:50:01.320 And you want me to show you and have you live in the benefits of what is to come tomorrow today? 00:50:01.320 --> 00:50:03.320 There is a way to go. 00:50:03.320 --> 00:50:05.320 The joy of the Lord is my strength. 00:50:05.320 --> 00:50:13.320 With hope, you take into today, you take possession of what is to come, you grasp it. 00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:16.320 And that is called finishing faith. 00:50:16.320 --> 00:50:21.320 You receive it today because Jesus has done that work for you. 00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:28.320 And so all of a sudden then, my past, my present, and my future, 00:50:28.320 --> 00:50:35.320 myself, everything that I have, I need, all of this comes under this umbrella, 00:50:35.320 --> 00:50:39.320 this covering called joy. 00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:44.320 And all of a sudden the word that seemed like happiness before, 00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:50.320 that sounded like happiness before, all of a sudden it takes a completely different meaning. 00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:53.320 And I recognize that this is what the Father has given me. 00:50:53.320 --> 00:50:57.320 And I can actually allow the joy that comes in the morning, 00:50:57.320 --> 00:51:04.320 the joy that is available for me to touch, color, paint, transform all of my being. 00:51:04.320 --> 00:51:07.320 It is absolutely possible. 00:51:07.320 --> 00:51:16.320 Even after this, even this morning, I had to stand for this, this morning. 00:51:16.320 --> 00:51:19.320 I have to say, Father, it doesn't matter. 00:51:19.320 --> 00:51:22.320 What you say is true. 00:51:22.320 --> 00:51:24.320 These are not just words. 00:51:24.320 --> 00:51:27.320 This is a life to live for us. 00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:30.320 It's absolutely a life to live for us. 00:51:30.320 --> 00:51:36.320 So tomorrow, it doesn't mean that when you wake up, there is nothing to think about, nothing to worry about. 00:51:36.320 --> 00:51:40.320 There may be things, but you look at it right at the head, right at the face, 00:51:40.320 --> 00:51:45.320 and you say, no, I will not worry because Jesus is with me. 00:51:45.320 --> 00:51:49.320 That is what it means. It's not a thing of, don't worry about it guys, Jesus takes care of everything. 00:51:49.320 --> 00:51:52.320 No, you have to fight for it. 00:51:52.320 --> 00:51:55.320 You have to stand for it. You have to want it. 00:51:55.320 --> 00:51:58.320 You have to desire it. You have to pursue it. 00:51:58.320 --> 00:52:02.320 When you do so, it is yours. It changes everything. 00:52:02.320 --> 00:52:08.320 So for me, thinking about this this way really helps because joy is not a thing. 00:52:08.320 --> 00:52:15.320 It is my past, my present, my future, all of it covered. 00:52:15.320 --> 00:52:19.320 Remember what the shepherds did when the news of great joy came to them. 00:52:19.320 --> 00:52:23.320 They moved in that direction. 00:52:23.320 --> 00:52:26.320 So we've got to move in that direction. 00:52:26.320 --> 00:52:30.320 And Pawan was a prophet today. 00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:33.320 He's saying, guys, come on. 00:52:33.320 --> 00:52:36.320 Come on. 00:52:36.320 --> 00:52:40.320 If you live like this, you've got to be joyful. 00:52:40.320 --> 00:52:44.320 When we come in, it's got to be joyful. 00:52:44.320 --> 00:52:50.320 It's got to be noise. It's got to be shouting and praising. 00:52:50.320 --> 00:52:54.320 Any questions before we wrap up? 00:52:54.320 --> 00:52:58.320 No? So Father, we come to you as a people. 00:52:58.320 --> 00:53:01.320 Together as a people, Father. 00:53:01.320 --> 00:53:07.320 Father, it is for one thing for us to hear, and it is another thing for us to live it. 00:53:07.320 --> 00:53:15.320 And I desire for myself, we desire for ourselves as a church, as a community to live like this Abba. 00:53:15.320 --> 00:53:20.320 Our past, our present, our future, everything taken care of by you. 00:53:20.320 --> 00:53:27.320 And this oil of joy that you pour out on us, we want to live it. 00:53:27.320 --> 00:53:30.320 So we thank you for the gift that is already ours. 00:53:30.320 --> 00:53:33.320 And we go back to what was said before. 00:53:33.320 --> 00:53:36.320 We are determined to live in it. 00:53:36.320 --> 00:53:39.320 We are determined to live in it. 00:53:39.320 --> 00:53:44.320 Father, next Sunday when we come together, because we have to practice this, 00:53:44.320 --> 00:53:51.320 let us be in a place where during the week we were joyful. 00:53:51.320 --> 00:53:58.320 And so when we come together, it is just natural for us to explore together. 00:53:58.320 --> 00:54:03.320 Father, I pray that this becomes my way of living and our way of living. 00:54:03.320 --> 00:54:07.320 Because you desire it and you want us to occupy this. 00:54:07.320 --> 00:54:10.320 We want to occupy it Abba, in Jesus' name.