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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Joy and Strength | December 21, 2024
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen jackson: the third week of advent is
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- Traditionally celebrated with a focus on joy,
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- And i would like to honor that this weekend.
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- We're starting luke chapter 2 in verse 10 with
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- A verse that is a part of the christmas narrative.
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- It says: "the angel said to the shepherds, 'do not be afraid;
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- For behold, i bring you good news of great joy which will be
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- For all the people; for today in the city of david there has been
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- Born for you a savior, who is christ the lord.'"
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- It's the angelic announcement to the shepherds in the shepherds
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- Fields that the christ child has been born in bethlehem.
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- And i'm always interested by the way it begins.
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- The angels begin by saying, "don't be afraid."
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- Do you have room in your imagination that an
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- Announcement--a god announcement in your life,
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- Your first reaction to it would be fear?
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- I promise you the angel said, "don't be afraid,"
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- It's because the shepherds are afraid.
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- It's new to them and it's frightening.
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- The angel says, "you don't have to be afraid.
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- I bring you good news of great joy."
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- The greek word for great is megas, from which
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- We get mega, so in plain, "big joy."
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- It's bad grammar, but i think you get the picture.
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- The angel said, "i've got good news, big joy for everybody."
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- That's the good news of the jesus story is it transcends all
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- The things that divide us, all the barriers, all
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- The way we hyphenate our identifications.
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- Jesus transcends all of those.
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- Jesus opened the door for every person,
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- Regardless of iq, ethnicity, height, dexterity,
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- All those things that divide people.
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- Jesus opened the door. i have a good friend.
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- He's an orthodox jewish man and he said to me and to a group of
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- People i was with, he said, "you really have a gift."
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- He said, "the christian faith is about good news.
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- It's about god loving you."
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- And i think sometimes, as christians, we overlook that.
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- The jesus story is about good news of big joy for everybody.
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- And here's our challenge. we don't know much about joy.
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- I think most of us think joy is just a synonym for being happy.
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- And biblically, it really has a very different meaning.
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- And that's what i wanna take a few minutes with you.
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- The bible tells us that we are complex beings.
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- We've talked about this before.
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- I'm not gonna belabor it this morning, but it--the bible talks
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- About us in terms of body, soul, and spirit.
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- You are a spirit.
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- The part of you that is most directly
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- Created in god's image is your spirit.
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- The scripture says that in eden god crafted man
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- From the dust of the ground and then he breathed
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- Into him and man became a living being.
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- Your spirit is created in god's image.
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- Your spirit is eternal.
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- When your body stops functioning, you're not done.
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- Your spirit steps into eternity.
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- You are a spirit, you have a soul.
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- Your soul is your mind, your will, and your emotions.
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- And then you live in a body.
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- You get an earth suit, that's what one of these things are.
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- You're born with an expiration date.
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- I know that's frustrating, but it's true for all of us.
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- But your body is not you.
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- When your body stops functioning, your spirit
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- Continues right on into eternity.
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- For every aspect of your person, there is an
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- Expression of contentment or fulfillment.
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- For your body, it's pleasure, okay?
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- Pleasure's not evil.
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- God created you with the ability to experience pleasure.
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- Pleasure was god's idea.
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- Now if you spend your life committed to nothing but the
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- Pursuit of pleasure, you're a hedonist and it's highly
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- Probable you'll miss the kingdom of god.
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- But it doesn't make pleasure wicked or evil or wrong.
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- Now, fulfillment for your soul, for your mind, your will, and
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- Your emotions, we call that happiness.
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- And again, god created you with
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- The ability to experience happiness.
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- It's not evil or wicked or inappropriate.
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- It was god's idea.
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- God is not opposed to happiness.
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- It's really good to get that cataloged in your heart 'cause
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- Some people think, you know, "god thinks if
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- It makes you happy, it's wicked."
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- That's not true.
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- But fulfillment for your spirit is joy.
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- Now here's the challenge.
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- Most of us have a plan, an imagination, of how to
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- Secure--we even spend time and energy and effort in considering
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- The pursuit of pleasure or the pursuit of happiness.
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- And again, it's not wrong.
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- But most of us have very little imagination, awareness,
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- Understanding, or commitment to the cultivation of joy.
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- And joy is a necessary component for your spiritual health.
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- A life without joy is a life with a tremendous deficit.
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- And so, we're gonna spend our time today trying to unpack
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- Those things and see if we can understand the distinctions and
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- What it would be like to be people of joy.
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- Again, i'm not trying to diminish your
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- Pleasure or do away with your happiness.
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- I'm just saying without the existence
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- Of joy, you're leading a diminished life.
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- And we've had such a limited imagination.
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- I think for most of us, we've thought joy was just another way
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- Of saying happy, and they're very different things in the
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- Same way that pleasure and happiness are different.
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- They may be related.
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- There may be a connection between them,
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- But they are very different things.
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- In the same way, so is joy.
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- So let's start with this notion that joy
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- Is connected to spiritual choices.
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- After all, joy is about your spirit, and so it's logical that
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- Spiritual choices are going to have an
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- Influence, an impact, on joy in your life.
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- Deuteronomy 28.
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- It's a chapter in the law of moses, and it
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- Is a chapter about blessings and curses.
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- The first verses of deuteronomy are
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- About the blessings of god in your life.
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- The last two-thirds of that chapter are
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- About the curses of god in your life.
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- The blessings are so all-encompassing,
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- It's really remarkable.
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- It says you'll be blessed in the city and in the field, when you
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- Sit and when you stand, when you come in and when you go out.
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- The curses are pretty overwhelming as well.
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- But in that chapter, in verses 47 and 48, we're
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- Given kind of a key to understanding it.
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- Says: "you didn't serve the lord your god with joy and a glad
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- Heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall
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- Serve your enemies whom the lord will send against you, in
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- Hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things."
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- There's a contrast.
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- It says you chose not to serve the lord your god with joy and a
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- Glad heart, even though he gave you abundance.
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- It's a choice.
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- He said you didn't choose to
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- Serve the lord joyfully, gratefully.
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- You were god's people, the covenant people.
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- You were the recipients of blessings and abundance
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- And supernatural interventions and
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- Deliverances, many tangible expressions.
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- You have the form of worship.
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- You have daily sacrifices.
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- You engaged in religious behavior but you--if you don't
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- Serve the lord with joy and gratitude,
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- He said you can serve your enemies.
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- So it isn't simply that we go through the motions of being
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- Religious, it isn't that we just do the right thing out of a
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- Sense of obligation or duty or commitment or tradition.
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- But the attitude of our heart is important.
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- Joy is a necessary component to spiritual wellbeing.
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- And in the same way that in nutrition, to be healthy
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- Physically there are some--there are certain things, elements,
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- That you need to make a part of your diet.
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- Maybe it's very minute amounts, but without them you are not
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- Going to physically maintain your strength and health.
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- And joy is necessary for your spiritual wellbeing.
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- I wanna elevate its significance in your imagination.
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- I want you to begin to think about
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- It in a purposeful, intentional way.
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- I'm gonna suggest you think about joy as a force, in the
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- Same way that gravity is a force.
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- You don't have to be conscious of it, but your
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- Awareness of it will work to your benefit.
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- And joy is a force in your life.
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- It can add momentum to you or it can diminish you in its absence.
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- It's an important thing.
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- Look at isaiah 35 and verse 10.
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- Says: "the ransomed of the lord will return
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- And come with joyful shouting to zion,
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- With everlasting joy upon their heads.
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- And they will find gladness and joy,
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- And sorrow and sighing will flee away."
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- Before you turn the page, look at that last sentence.
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- There's a set of opposites that are included there.
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- It talks about gladness and joy being found and
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- It talks about something else fleeing away.
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- What is it that flees away?
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- Sorrow and sighing.
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- Now, this is a season of the year that often brings with it
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- Some real expressions of sorrow, 'cause we're reflecting a bit on
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- The year and things that have happened or didn't happen or
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- Loved ones that we've lost or circumstances that didn't
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- Materialize or unwanted things that have intruded, and it's not
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- Unusual to get to this season of the year with people trying to
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- Celebrate and in you there's a sense of sighing and sadness.
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- Doesn't make you weak or wrong or inadequate.
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- It's just a reality.
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- But there is a prescription that enables
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- Those things to move away from us.
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- It says that if we find gladness and joy,
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- Sorrow and sighing will flee away.
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- So the question that begins to grow in
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- Me is how would i cultivate joy?
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- How would i let joy in my heart emerge?
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- If it will cause sighing and sadness to move away from me,
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- That's a good thing, 'cause i don't wanna spend
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- My life with unnecessary sadness or sighing.
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- So let's take a minute with this idea of the development of joy
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- Or cultivating joy in acts 13 and verse 52.
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- You can turn the page now.
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- Says: "the disciples were continually filled
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- With joy and with the holy spirit."
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- Now, words have a meaning and in this
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- Sentence it's particularly significant.
- 00:09:55.654 --> 00:09:57.722
- Says they were continually filled
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- With joy and the holy spirit.
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- That's an intentional use of language.
- 00:10:01.926 --> 00:10:03.395
- It's very possible in the greek language to have said that they
- 00:10:03.395 --> 00:10:06.398
- Were filled with joy one time, as a statement
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- Of occurrence at one point in time, it happened in
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- The past, it was complete and entire.
- 00:10:12.270 --> 00:10:15.040
- But that's not the verb tense that's used here.
- 00:10:15.040 --> 00:10:17.942
- Here it says they're continually filled
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- With joy and with the holy spirit.
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- May i ask you a question?
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- Why do you have to be continually filled?
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- Do you leak?
- 00:10:28.586 --> 00:10:31.823
- Was your original filling inadequate?
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- What happened? "continually filled."
- 00:10:35.126 --> 00:10:37.328
- After all, the book of acts, from which this verse comes, is
- 00:10:37.328 --> 00:10:40.365
- Really a book that is about the person of the
- 00:10:40.365 --> 00:10:43.068
- Holy spirit and his involvement in our lives.
- 00:10:43.068 --> 00:10:45.236
- In acts chapter 1, jesus--it's about jesus's ascension back to
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- Heaven, and before he leaves for heaven, he says to his closest
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- Friends and followers, "don't leave jerusalem
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- Until you're baptized with the holy spirit."
- 00:10:54.612 --> 00:10:58.016
- And in acts chapter 2, the holy spirit is poured out on the day
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- Of pentecost and the people are speaking in
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- These unknown languages and a crowd gathers
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- And peter stands up and tells the jesus story.
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- And in the same city where a few days earlier they had screamed,
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- "crucify him," thousands of people accepted jesus of
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- Nazareth as messiah and are baptized.
- 00:11:14.632 --> 00:11:18.670
- So the book of acts begins with this outpouring of the holy
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- Spirit upon jesus's closest friends and followers, and the
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- Whole city is engaged in what's happening.
- 00:11:24.275 --> 00:11:27.412
- And we get to acts 13 and it says they were "continually
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- Filled with the holy spirit and joy."
- 00:11:30.248 --> 00:11:33.418
- Now i think we have a challenge in the
- 00:11:33.418 --> 00:11:34.753
- Way we imagine spiritual things.
- 00:11:34.753 --> 00:11:37.055
- Typically, our goal is to be accomplished spiritual persons,
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- So it's--the language we use tends to suggest that we
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- Accomplish something and leave it behind.
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- I was saved or born again or converted.
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- I was baptized.
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- I was filled with the spirit.
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- I repented.
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- And we tend to have a list.
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- When we tell our stories of experiences in our journey and
- 00:11:58.510 --> 00:12:02.247
- The way we describe them as if they were something that we
- 00:12:02.247 --> 00:12:04.382
- Encountered one time, we brought them to full
- 00:12:04.382 --> 00:12:06.584
- Completion, and we have left them behind.
- 00:12:06.584 --> 00:12:11.723
- Now, i don't wanna cause you to live in fear or to question your
- 00:12:11.723 --> 00:12:16.327
- Conversion or your entrance into the kingdom of god.
- 00:12:16.327 --> 00:12:20.098
- But i do wanna call into question the idea that those
- 00:12:20.098 --> 00:12:22.934
- Things are simply something you experience
- 00:12:22.934 --> 00:12:25.203
- And then you've moved beyond them.
- 00:12:25.203 --> 00:12:27.472
- It seems to me that the counsel, the teaching, the
- 00:12:27.472 --> 00:12:29.641
- Invitation of scripture, is that your spiritual
- 00:12:29.641 --> 00:12:32.277
- Life requires attention, that it requires
- 00:12:32.277 --> 00:12:37.482
- Care, that it requires revisiting.
- 00:12:37.482 --> 00:12:42.720
- In this particular verse in acts it says they were continually
- 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:45.523
- Filled with the holy spirit and joy.
- 00:12:45.523 --> 00:12:48.326
- Again, did they leak?
- 00:12:48.326 --> 00:12:51.129
- I think it's more helpful to think of spiritual
- 00:12:51.129 --> 00:12:53.398
- Things as something that need replenished.
- 00:12:53.398 --> 00:12:56.701
- "i had a very good meal in july.
- 00:12:56.701 --> 00:13:02.707
- I ate vegetables, whole grains.
- 00:13:02.707 --> 00:13:06.978
- I was completely hydrated.
- 00:13:06.978 --> 00:13:10.081
- It was a good meal."
- 00:13:10.081 --> 00:13:12.550
- But if that was the last time i ate,
- 00:13:12.550 --> 00:13:15.954
- I'd be a little wobbly this morning.
- 00:13:15.954 --> 00:13:18.690
- Agreed?
- 00:13:18.690 --> 00:13:20.058
- We have a notion that, physically,
- 00:13:20.058 --> 00:13:21.926
- You have to continually take in nourishment.
- 00:13:21.926 --> 00:13:25.496
- Pleasure isn't something you just
- 00:13:25.496 --> 00:13:26.831
- Want to experience one time.
- 00:13:26.831 --> 00:13:29.334
- Happiness isn't something that you want
- 00:13:29.334 --> 00:13:30.702
- To say, "i was happy once.
- 00:13:30.702 --> 00:13:32.670
- I was nine."
- 00:13:32.670 --> 00:13:36.341
- And joy in your life is something
- 00:13:36.341 --> 00:13:38.743
- That requires attention.
- 00:13:38.743 --> 00:13:43.047
- Allen: 2024 has almost slipped past us.
- 00:13:46.918 --> 00:13:49.854
- Thank you for your partnership this year.
- 00:13:49.854 --> 00:13:51.956
- It's been the most remarkable season
- 00:13:51.956 --> 00:13:53.625
- We've ever known together.
- 00:13:53.625 --> 00:13:55.260
- And i thank you for your faithful investment of time,
- 00:13:55.260 --> 00:13:58.162
- Energy, and prayers in our ministry.
- 00:13:58.162 --> 00:14:00.131
- Change is taking place in the earth.
- 00:14:00.131 --> 00:14:02.667
- We're seeing in our own nation, god responded to us
- 00:14:02.667 --> 00:14:05.236
- With tremendous mercy and grace.
- 00:14:05.236 --> 00:14:08.106
- We have leaders that are headed to washington, d.c.
- 00:14:08.106 --> 00:14:10.642
- To enact changes, to restore a set of values
- 00:14:10.642 --> 00:14:13.111
- That have brought strength to our nation.
- 00:14:13.111 --> 00:14:14.679
- It's a time of great optimism and hope and anticipation,
- 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:18.383
- And i believe that's true in the church as well.
- 00:14:18.383 --> 00:14:20.852
- Folks, we can't stand on the sidelines
- 00:14:20.852 --> 00:14:22.887
- And expect somebody else to be the change.
- 00:14:22.887 --> 00:14:25.356
- We need the presence of god to emerge in our schools,
- 00:14:25.356 --> 00:14:28.326
- On our college campuses, back in our churches.
- 00:14:28.326 --> 00:14:31.729
- And so i think it's a critical time that we bring the message
- 00:14:31.729 --> 00:14:34.499
- Of the truth of jesus christ.
- 00:14:34.499 --> 00:14:36.100
- It's a hopeful message.
- 00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:37.602
- It's a message of wholeness and healing and deliverance
- 00:14:37.602 --> 00:14:40.238
- And freedom that we desperately need in our cities,
- 00:14:40.238 --> 00:14:43.641
- In our communities, wherever god's people gather.
- 00:14:43.641 --> 00:14:46.377
- Join us.
- 00:14:46.377 --> 00:14:47.712
- Let's be a part of what god is doing in the earth,
- 00:14:47.712 --> 00:14:50.014
- And we will celebrate his faithfulness
- 00:14:50.014 --> 00:14:52.150
- To the people of our generation.
- 00:14:52.150 --> 00:14:54.218
- Thank you for being a part.
- 00:14:54.218 --> 00:14:56.054
- Female announcer: god has uniquely blessed us.
- 00:14:57.789 --> 00:14:59.824
- The best is yet to come.
- 00:14:59.824 --> 00:15:02.794
- God has heard our prayers.
- 00:15:02.794 --> 00:15:05.096
- God has delivered us from oppression.
- 00:15:05.096 --> 00:15:09.200
- We live in a season of shaking,
- 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.836
- But together we stand, united in heart and purpose
- 00:15:11.836 --> 00:15:17.108
- To accomplish the will of god in our generation.
- 00:15:17.108 --> 00:15:21.379
- We will not stop.
- 00:15:21.379 --> 00:15:23.614
- Allen: i want to ask you to make
- 00:15:25.516 --> 00:15:26.918
- A sacrificial investment in our ministry.
- 00:15:26.918 --> 00:15:29.287
- We have a generous partner who will match every gift
- 00:15:29.287 --> 00:15:31.322
- Between now and the end of the year.
- 00:15:31.322 --> 00:15:32.991
- We're making plans for the year ahead with a boldness
- 00:15:32.991 --> 00:15:35.793
- And a courage unlike anything we've done in the past.
- 00:15:35.793 --> 00:15:38.997
- We wanna make as clear a statement for the gospel
- 00:15:38.997 --> 00:15:41.499
- Of jesus christ.
- 00:15:41.499 --> 00:15:42.834
- We wanna strengthen the church.
- 00:15:42.834 --> 00:15:44.502
- We want to tell the truth in a way that people
- 00:15:44.502 --> 00:15:47.071
- Can rally around it.
- 00:15:47.071 --> 00:15:48.473
- God is moving in the earth,
- 00:15:48.473 --> 00:15:50.108
- And we intend to participate with him.
- 00:15:50.108 --> 00:15:52.443
- I hope you'll join us as we look forward to the new year.
- 00:15:52.443 --> 00:15:56.047
- Thank you in advance for your generous investments
- 00:15:56.047 --> 00:15:58.583
- In what god is doing.
- 00:15:58.583 --> 00:15:59.917
- God bless you.
- 00:15:59.917 --> 00:16:01.386
- Announcer: as we step into this new season,
- 00:16:01.386 --> 00:16:03.721
- Let's be faithful to seek god.
- 00:16:03.721 --> 00:16:06.324
- Let's make room for him to refine our hearts so we can
- 00:16:06.324 --> 00:16:09.394
- Join him in what he's doing.
- 00:16:09.394 --> 00:16:11.963
- Pastor allen's new 90-day devotional journal called
- 00:16:11.963 --> 00:16:15.466
- "set apart for his purposes" can help.
- 00:16:15.466 --> 00:16:18.236
- Each day brings a new scripture, teaching, prayer,
- 00:16:18.236 --> 00:16:21.672
- And a journaling prompt.
- 00:16:21.672 --> 00:16:23.541
- We'll also send custom page markers so you can flag
- 00:16:23.541 --> 00:16:26.511
- Anything you want to revisit.
- 00:16:26.511 --> 00:16:28.579
- Request your copy of "set apart for his purposes"
- 00:16:28.646 --> 00:16:31.015
- When you donate $50 or more today at allenjackson.com
- 00:16:31.015 --> 00:16:35.319
- Or call...
- 00:16:35.319 --> 00:16:40.058
- ♪♪♪
- 00:16:41.692 --> 00:16:45.496
- Allen: when you're a christ follower, when you
- 00:16:47.165 --> 00:16:48.499
- Make a profession of faith, the holy
- 00:16:48.499 --> 00:16:50.368
- Spirit takes up residence within you.
- 00:16:50.368 --> 00:16:51.903
- The bible says you're a temple of the living god.
- 00:16:51.903 --> 00:16:55.940
- The fruit of the spirit, the evidence of the spirit in your
- 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:58.643
- Life, that you have cooperated with the holy spirit, is a
- 00:16:58.643 --> 00:17:01.579
- Transformation of your person from the inside out.
- 00:17:01.579 --> 00:17:05.483
- Christianity was never intended to be a
- 00:17:05.483 --> 00:17:06.984
- Set of rules forced from the outside in.
- 00:17:06.984 --> 00:17:10.054
- It's about a transformation of our person and our life.
- 00:17:10.054 --> 00:17:12.890
- We choose to allow the spirit of god to bring change to us, to
- 00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:17.328
- Change our soulish, selfish, carnal, earthly
- 00:17:17.328 --> 00:17:22.133
- Way of responding to life, to let god responses
- 00:17:22.133 --> 00:17:24.902
- Begin to emerge in us more fully.
- 00:17:24.902 --> 00:17:28.306
- And it's called fruit.
- 00:17:28.306 --> 00:17:30.975
- Now, fruit reflects something of the character of the tree.
- 00:17:30.975 --> 00:17:34.979
- You know, we like to talk--the new testament talks to us about
- 00:17:34.979 --> 00:17:37.081
- The gifts of the spirit, the expressions of the power of god,
- 00:17:37.081 --> 00:17:40.818
- Prophecy, gifts of healing, the workings of miracles,
- 00:17:40.818 --> 00:17:44.789
- Those supernatural expressions.
- 00:17:44.789 --> 00:17:46.591
- The bible doesn't call those things fruit,
- 00:17:46.591 --> 00:17:48.759
- It calls them gifts.
- 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:50.461
- When you see a christmas tree this year with gifts beneath it,
- 00:17:50.461 --> 00:17:55.333
- None of you imagine that you could cause the gifts to grow in
- 00:17:55.333 --> 00:17:58.603
- Size or value by fertilizing the tree, right?
- 00:17:58.603 --> 00:18:04.041
- Nobody looks at those gifts and thinks, "well, you know, if i'd
- 00:18:04.041 --> 00:18:05.643
- Just gotten a bigger tree, i'd get bigger gifts," right?
- 00:18:05.643 --> 00:18:11.182
- Everybody is seeing there's no connection.
- 00:18:11.182 --> 00:18:12.683
- The gift reflects the grace and the
- 00:18:12.683 --> 00:18:15.520
- Care of the giver, not the tree.
- 00:18:15.520 --> 00:18:18.589
- Well, fruit, on the other hand, when you--if you have
- 00:18:18.589 --> 00:18:21.058
- Good fruit, you understand it is the reflection
- 00:18:21.058 --> 00:18:23.628
- Of a healthy, vital, vibrant tree.
- 00:18:23.628 --> 00:18:28.799
- So it's not whether or not we believe in the gifts of the
- 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:30.701
- Spirit or the fruit of the spirit.
- 00:18:30.701 --> 00:18:32.036
- We need both.
- 00:18:32.036 --> 00:18:33.371
- The fruit of the spirit is the insulation
- 00:18:33.371 --> 00:18:35.573
- For the gifts of the spirit.
- 00:18:35.573 --> 00:18:36.908
- The power of god expressed through the life of an
- 00:18:36.908 --> 00:18:38.910
- Individual that hasn't yielded themselves to transformation by
- 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:42.213
- The spirit of god is very difficult to sustain.
- 00:18:42.213 --> 00:18:47.285
- The fruit of the spirit enables the power of god to move through
- 00:18:47.285 --> 00:18:50.755
- Our lives more remarkably without doing damage.
- 00:18:50.755 --> 00:18:54.759
- But the evidence of the holy spirit
- 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:56.360
- In our lives, one of those, is joy.
- 00:18:56.360 --> 00:18:59.730
- Joy comes through the presence of the spirit of god.
- 00:18:59.730 --> 00:19:03.801
- Now why would we care? why does it matter to us?
- 00:19:03.801 --> 00:19:06.470
- Is it just a talking point for a crafted sermon?
- 00:19:06.470 --> 00:19:10.107
- I hope not.
- 00:19:10.107 --> 00:19:11.709
- I wanna suggest to you that, biblically,
- 00:19:11.709 --> 00:19:13.644
- We learn that joy enables us to endure.
- 00:19:13.644 --> 00:19:17.515
- And whether we like it or not, life comes with
- 00:19:17.515 --> 00:19:19.717
- Seasons where it's required of us, endurance.
- 00:19:19.717 --> 00:19:22.954
- Isn't that true?
- 00:19:22.954 --> 00:19:24.889
- Look in 2 corinthians 7 and verse 4.
- 00:19:24.889 --> 00:19:27.491
- It says: "great is my confidence in you;
- 00:19:27.491 --> 00:19:29.493
- Great is my boasting on your behalf.
- 00:19:29.493 --> 00:19:31.596
- I'm filled with comfort; i am overflowing
- 00:19:31.596 --> 00:19:33.898
- With joy in all our affliction."
- 00:19:33.898 --> 00:19:37.301
- That last phrase, i know it's in the bible, but it's odd.
- 00:19:37.301 --> 00:19:41.305
- It says: "i am overflowing with joy in all our affliction."
- 00:19:41.305 --> 00:19:46.143
- I don't know about you, but when i'm in difficult seasons, i
- 00:19:46.143 --> 00:19:49.280
- Haven't thought about overflowing with joy.
- 00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:51.182
- I've thought about overflowing with complaining, overflowing
- 00:19:51.182 --> 00:19:54.518
- With criticizing, overflowing with blaming somebody else, but
- 00:19:54.518 --> 00:19:59.457
- It hasn't really occurred to me that i could overflow with joy.
- 00:19:59.457 --> 00:20:03.494
- So there's some realignment being discussed here.
- 00:20:03.494 --> 00:20:05.863
- Look at 2 corinthians 8 and verse 1.
- 00:20:05.863 --> 00:20:08.599
- He's writing to the same group of christians:
- 00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:10.134
- It's the church in the city of corinth.
- 00:20:10.134 --> 00:20:13.137
- He said, "now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that
- 00:20:13.137 --> 00:20:15.406
- God has given to the macedonian churches."
- 00:20:15.406 --> 00:20:19.043
- The churches that started with that visit to philippi.
- 00:20:19.043 --> 00:20:22.413
- "out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their
- 00:20:22.413 --> 00:20:26.684
- Extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity."
- 00:20:26.684 --> 00:20:31.856
- Now, that's an odd sentence.
- 00:20:31.856 --> 00:20:34.425
- It has paired things together that i
- 00:20:34.425 --> 00:20:36.160
- Would never pair in my imagination.
- 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:39.463
- It says, first of all, "out of the most
- 00:20:39.463 --> 00:20:41.365
- Severe trial, they have overflowing joy."
- 00:20:41.365 --> 00:20:45.936
- Huh?
- 00:20:45.936 --> 00:20:48.172
- How do you do that?
- 00:20:48.172 --> 00:20:50.141
- "out of severe difficulties," i usually has overflowing whining.
- 00:20:50.141 --> 00:20:55.613
- And then it says something equally odd.
- 00:20:55.613 --> 00:20:57.948
- It says, "from their extreme poverty,
- 00:20:57.948 --> 00:21:01.152
- They welled up in rich generosity."
- 00:21:01.152 --> 00:21:03.888
- How can you be generous from a place of extreme poverty?
- 00:21:03.888 --> 00:21:10.795
- Well, from the way i do accounting,
- 00:21:10.795 --> 00:21:12.129
- It's pretty difficult.
- 00:21:12.129 --> 00:21:14.131
- But the bible invites us towards a little different perspective
- 00:21:14.131 --> 00:21:17.168
- On how we evaluate our giving, our gifts.
- 00:21:17.168 --> 00:21:20.371
- See, we tend to value a gift based
- 00:21:20.371 --> 00:21:21.872
- On the value of what we give.
- 00:21:21.872 --> 00:21:24.575
- God tends to value our gifts based
- 00:21:24.575 --> 00:21:26.210
- On the value of what we retain.
- 00:21:26.210 --> 00:21:29.880
- I'll give you an example.
- 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:31.215
- Jesus, it says in the gospels, was on the temple mount
- 00:21:31.215 --> 00:21:34.085
- And people were bringing their gifts.
- 00:21:34.085 --> 00:21:35.619
- It was a public offering.
- 00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:37.621
- And there were some making gifts of tremendous value.
- 00:21:37.621 --> 00:21:41.625
- And a widow came along and put in a few pennies and jesus
- 00:21:41.625 --> 00:21:44.795
- Gathered his disciples together and he said, "that woman has
- 00:21:44.795 --> 00:21:47.565
- Given more than all the rest of these."
- 00:21:47.565 --> 00:21:49.967
- And the disciples said, "no, lord, you didn't see it.
- 00:21:49.967 --> 00:21:53.304
- There were people who gave gifts of
- 00:21:53.304 --> 00:21:55.639
- Incredible amounts throughout the day."
- 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:58.809
- And jesus said, "yes, they gave out of their abundance, but she
- 00:21:58.809 --> 00:22:01.812
- Gave all that she had to live on."
- 00:22:01.812 --> 00:22:04.982
- Jesus attached greater value to her gift because it represented
- 00:22:04.982 --> 00:22:09.286
- An expression of total commitment.
- 00:22:09.286 --> 00:22:13.124
- Now, i don't believe it's a condemnation
- 00:22:13.124 --> 00:22:14.725
- Of giving out of your abundance.
- 00:22:14.725 --> 00:22:16.727
- When god blesses you, i think that's appropriate.
- 00:22:16.727 --> 00:22:19.830
- But clearly, he's inviting us to this imagination that it isn't
- 00:22:19.830 --> 00:22:22.867
- So much about what we give, it's what we hold on to.
- 00:22:22.867 --> 00:22:25.803
- So it's possible for the macedonian churches to have
- 00:22:25.803 --> 00:22:28.506
- Given with tremendous generosity, even though they
- 00:22:28.506 --> 00:22:31.108
- Were battling great poverty in their own lives.
- 00:22:31.108 --> 00:22:36.080
- What intrigues me is their response.
- 00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:39.583
- In the midst of circumstances that were unpleasant,
- 00:22:39.583 --> 00:22:41.986
- That are described by paul as severe, it
- 00:22:41.986 --> 00:22:44.789
- Says they still overflowed with joy.
- 00:22:44.789 --> 00:22:49.160
- Joy enables us to endure, to overcome distasteful,
- 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:54.031
- Unpleasant, uncomfortable circumstances, to not be
- 00:22:54.031 --> 00:22:57.568
- Dominated by them, to not have them steal from
- 00:22:57.568 --> 00:23:01.405
- Us the meaning and the integrity of our days.
- 00:23:01.405 --> 00:23:06.076
- Look at the next passage.
- 00:23:06.076 --> 00:23:07.411
- It's james chapter 1 and verse 2.
- 00:23:07.411 --> 00:23:08.846
- It says: "consider it all joy, my brethren,
- 00:23:08.846 --> 00:23:11.348
- When you encounter various trials."
- 00:23:11.348 --> 00:23:14.318
- Again, it's plain language but, to be honest, i'd
- 00:23:14.318 --> 00:23:16.887
- Like to white that verse out of my bible.
- 00:23:16.887 --> 00:23:19.757
- I'd like to highlight it and hit delete.
- 00:23:19.757 --> 00:23:22.760
- Consider it all joy when you win the lottery.
- 00:23:22.760 --> 00:23:27.865
- Consider it all joy when i walk in the house at the end of the
- 00:23:27.865 --> 00:23:30.234
- Day and kathy says, "you are handsome and brilliant."
- 00:23:30.234 --> 00:23:35.906
- Woo-hoo, i'm joyful!
- 00:23:35.906 --> 00:23:39.844
- But that says consider it all joy when you
- 00:23:39.844 --> 00:23:42.346
- Face different kinds of difficulties.
- 00:23:42.346 --> 00:23:46.383
- Why would i do that? it gives us an explanation.
- 00:23:46.383 --> 00:23:49.920
- "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
- 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:54.391
- And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be
- 00:23:54.391 --> 00:23:57.194
- Perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
- 00:23:57.194 --> 00:24:01.398
- How do you arrive at the place where you lack nothing?
- 00:24:01.398 --> 00:24:05.402
- Apparently, it's not about asset accumulation
- 00:24:05.402 --> 00:24:08.639
- Or emotional strength.
- 00:24:08.639 --> 00:24:12.376
- So i wanna suggest something for our closing prayer.
- 00:24:12.376 --> 00:24:14.745
- I wanna take a minute and just offer a few expressions of
- 00:24:14.745 --> 00:24:16.981
- Thanksgiving to god, some things i can be grateful for.
- 00:24:16.981 --> 00:24:20.851
- And if there's anything in your life for which you can say
- 00:24:20.851 --> 00:24:22.586
- Thank you, i would encourage you to just
- 00:24:22.586 --> 00:24:24.688
- Quietly say thank you to the lord.
- 00:24:24.688 --> 00:24:26.257
- If nothing else, you can be thankful i'm done.
- 00:24:26.257 --> 00:24:28.792
- Woo-hoo.
- 00:24:28.792 --> 00:24:30.160
- 'cause some of you wondered if i would ever hush.
- 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:32.663
- I'm going to.
- 00:24:32.663 --> 00:24:34.899
- Let's take just a moment or two and offer an expression of
- 00:24:34.899 --> 00:24:37.167
- Thanks, and then i will close with a prayer for those
- 00:24:37.167 --> 00:24:39.670
- Of us that are facing real challenges.
- 00:24:39.670 --> 00:24:41.705
- And when i thank the lord, i like to put my hands up.
- 00:24:41.705 --> 00:24:43.607
- If that freaks you out, you don't have to do that.
- 00:24:43.607 --> 00:24:46.143
- It won't hurt you, but doesn't make you
- 00:24:46.143 --> 00:24:47.645
- A crazy person or a fanatic or a zealot.
- 00:24:47.645 --> 00:24:49.947
- We're not gonna film it and post it.
- 00:24:49.947 --> 00:24:52.683
- That would be an idea.
- 00:24:52.683 --> 00:24:56.086
- But let's just take a moment and say thank you
- 00:24:56.086 --> 00:24:58.489
- To the lord, 'cause we've been guilty of serving
- 00:24:58.489 --> 00:25:00.591
- The lord without joy or gratitude.
- 00:25:00.591 --> 00:25:03.627
- We've done it reluctantly, out of a sense of obligation, kind
- 00:25:03.627 --> 00:25:07.565
- Of a compliance, but our heart wasn't in it.
- 00:25:07.565 --> 00:25:10.935
- And let's just take a moment and say, "god, thank you."
- 00:25:10.935 --> 00:25:14.371
- Fair enough? all right.
- 00:25:14.371 --> 00:25:16.273
- Lord, we wanna say thank you today.
- 00:25:16.273 --> 00:25:18.175
- You've been good to us. you have blessed us.
- 00:25:18.175 --> 00:25:20.411
- You have watched over our lives.
- 00:25:20.411 --> 00:25:22.479
- Lord, you've poured out abundance
- 00:25:22.479 --> 00:25:23.847
- On us and freedoms and liberties.
- 00:25:23.847 --> 00:25:26.250
- Lord, through jesus, you have forgiven
- 00:25:26.250 --> 00:25:28.218
- Our sins and redeemed us.
- 00:25:28.218 --> 00:25:30.487
- You have given a purpose to our lives and a meaning to our days.
- 00:25:30.487 --> 00:25:34.058
- We praise you for it today, lord.
- 00:25:34.058 --> 00:25:35.859
- We thank you for the food we eat and the clothing and the shelter
- 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:38.662
- And transportation and education,
- 00:25:38.662 --> 00:25:41.365
- The medical that is available to us.
- 00:25:41.365 --> 00:25:45.302
- Lord, you have blessed us so abundantly, and we just wanna
- 00:25:45.302 --> 00:25:48.539
- Pause to say thank you for the privilege of
- 00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:51.175
- Worshiping in public without fear of reprisal.
- 00:25:51.175 --> 00:25:54.044
- We praise you for it.
- 00:25:54.044 --> 00:25:55.379
- For comfortable places and convenient places.
- 00:25:55.379 --> 00:25:57.548
- We praise you, lord, we have access to the word of god.
- 00:25:57.548 --> 00:26:00.084
- That you've given us the strength for a new day.
- 00:26:00.084 --> 00:26:02.653
- We give you glory and honor today because you are worthy of
- 00:26:02.653 --> 00:26:05.990
- All praise and majesty and glory and honor.
- 00:26:05.990 --> 00:26:09.526
- We bless your name today, that in your great mercy you have
- 00:26:09.526 --> 00:26:12.963
- Called us out of darkness into the kingdom of your son.
- 00:26:12.963 --> 00:26:16.567
- You've opened our eyes and our ears to
- 00:26:16.567 --> 00:26:17.935
- Hear and our hearts to receive.
- 00:26:17.935 --> 00:26:19.903
- We praise you for it, father.
- 00:26:19.903 --> 00:26:22.539
- That you haven't counted our failures
- 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:23.874
- Against us, but you have loved us.
- 00:26:23.874 --> 00:26:26.543
- We bless your name today because you are worthy.
- 00:26:26.543 --> 00:26:29.747
- We give you glory and honor, and we pray for one another, lord.
- 00:26:29.747 --> 00:26:33.751
- You know every need and every circumstance,
- 00:26:33.751 --> 00:26:36.487
- And i pray that the power of a living god would
- 00:26:36.487 --> 00:26:38.589
- Be expressed on our behalf this day.
- 00:26:38.589 --> 00:26:40.991
- Lord, bring life to our bodies and
- 00:26:40.991 --> 00:26:42.559
- Peace to our minds, hope to our souls.
- 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:45.663
- Open doors of opportunity where there
- 00:26:45.663 --> 00:26:47.364
- Has been no possibility before us.
- 00:26:47.364 --> 00:26:50.367
- We praise you for it today.
- 00:26:50.367 --> 00:26:52.469
- Lord, give us the strength to complete this season.
- 00:26:52.469 --> 00:26:55.506
- Open our hearts to you as never before.
- 00:26:55.506 --> 00:26:57.541
- We thank you that you're a god of mercy and love and grace,
- 00:26:57.541 --> 00:27:01.345
- That you are anxious to be involved with us,
- 00:27:01.345 --> 00:27:03.847
- That you are willing to deliver and restore.
- 00:27:03.847 --> 00:27:06.316
- We praise you for it, in jesus's name, amen.
- 00:27:06.316 --> 00:27:11.188
- Cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.aberdeen.io
- 00:27:11.255 --> 00:27:15.225
- ♪♪♪
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