(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

This morning I'm going to preach a sermon called JOY and it's an acronym and it stands for Jesus, Others, You. And I've preached small segments about this in my sermons before but I'm actually going to preach a whole sermon about it and you know obviously JOY is a word that's used a lot in the Bible, there's no way I could even get even close to all the mentions of JOY in the Bible and I'm not going to even try. I already got enough notes here, I'm going to try to keep it as short as possible so you guys can eat pizza in peace, alright? So but yeah, anyway, let's have a word of prayer and then we'll start, okay? Heavenly Father we thank you Lord so much for all the brethren that have come and we just thank you so much for the blessing of being able to fellowship together today and to hear your word preached, Lord I pray you fill me with your spirit and with boldness and power in Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Now it's good to get the coughing attack done before I start preaching because usually it's at the end when I'm trying to wrap things up so just bear with me if I'm up here coughing, okay? I'm not sick, I'm a long hauler COVID person, alright? So the title of the sermon again is JOY and again it stands for Jesus, Others, You. Joy defined in the dictionary is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying so there's lots of things that we would take joy in, you take joy in seeing the birth of a child, you take joy in the fact that you're getting married on your wedding day and you know just the joy of raising children and having a family and joy, we should have joy when it comes to the things of God so and so the word rejoice is also in the Bible and to try to find the difference between joy and rejoice was a little bit difficult but the definition I liked for rejoice is the act of a person who rejoices, the feeling, yeah I know that doesn't really tell you much does it, the feeling or the expression of joy so they're really closely tied together but when you talk about joy it is great delight or happiness but when you rejoice it's the outward showing of the fact that you do have joy so everybody in here can have joy right now you all don't look like it you know but you know look like I'm at a Wesleyan or Pentecostal meeting right now I'm just I'm just kidding I'm just joking you guys look great but to have joy you don't do you have to look like you have joy to be to have joy you probably don't right I mean you don't have to you know the Bible doesn't say we have to be these emotional people that are just you're always crying and you're always shouting and you're always doing this and that you know there's a lot of churches that do that there's Baptist churches where they run around in circles and an act of fool and the services and things like that but does that mean that they have joy it doesn't mean they have joy but I will say this that when you rejoice it there it there should be an outward expression of the joy that you have in your heart but it doesn't just doing something and looking like you have joy you know there could be fake joy there could be fake rejoicing right and I think that people that are religious and on their way to hell they might have a fake rejoicing they might have a fake joy but what I want to preach about today is you know how do you get joy as a Christian how do you get joy as a Christian I know you know maybe some of you guys are expecting me to rip this automized apart today but you know I mean I do that enough alright so I'm gonna preach about joy because you know what the Christian life has to be balanced it really does and we can't just preach you know our hobby horses and and things that get everybody fired up and get clicks on YouTube or whatever we have to preach the whole Bible the whole counsel of God and I think that sometimes we get caught up in in not having joy you know we should as a Christian we should joy should be something that's part of our lives part of our Christianity we can't always be angry we can't always be mad and there's a time to get mad there's a time to get angry there's a time for hate there's a time for love and there's a time for joy and our joy should be a continuous thing in our Christian lives let's look down in John chapter number 15 verse number 10 the Bible says if you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love these things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you so Jesus is saying he wants the joy that he has to remain in us see that and then it says and that your joy might be full see Christ wants us to have joy in our lives and what is that again great happiness great delight in something exceptionally good or satisfying and you know what Jesus is exceptionally good the Lord is exceptionally good the things of God are exceptionally good they are satisfying there's a lot of things out there that people try to get satisfaction from in the world and you know that that stuff is fleeting that stuff is only joy for a moment it's false joy they might it might actually be a genuine joy to them like I mean I think about when I was thinking about this before I preached and Michael Jordan when he won his first championship if anybody was alive when that was going I mean I know there are some people here but you know I know that you all think LeBron James is the best or whatever but Michael Jordan was actually a lot there Michael LeBron but anyway I'm not talking about basketball I just I just want to talk about this that he took great joy in winning that first championship he's got champagne splashing all over and he's he's there's a picture of him like holding the trophy and just like putting his head on it like he's just bowing down to his god or whatever his golden idol that he won and he had great joy but that stuff only lasts for a certain amount of time and then what's he want again another championship which he got you know five more after that but those things are fleeting you know those things I mean what what do you think Michael Jordan's life is like right now do you think that he has joy true joy like the Lord would give to us something that's truly satisfying something that's truly exceptionally good you know it's exceptionally good the fact that Jesus Christ gave his life for us on the cross of Calvary and the fact that he rose from the dead that's exceptionally good that's exceptionally satisfying and you know what we should rejoice in that we should rejoice and have great joy and that's the feeling and expression of joy now it says this is my commandment verse 12 that you loved one another as I have loved you so he wants us to love him he wants us to be fulfilled in his joy I mean that we should have joy in his or that his joy should remain in us and that we would have joy and that we would love one another as I have loved you greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends you're my friends if you do whatsoever I command so what's he saying you know we sing that song the friend of Jesus but are you really his friend today because the Bible says if you do whatsoever I command you so I mean it's not saying that he's just gonna break his friendship off if you don't do every single thing to the T we're not we don't have to live and obey the law in order to stay saved because nobody can keep the whole law we all of course all know that but as Christians we should have joy and you know where you're gonna get that joy from following Jesus you know having his joy remain in you and sticking with the Christian life you know I look in this room and I see people that are here that are new obviously and I've met some of you well I've met everybody in here but there's some people that used to be in our church up in Canada that are no longer with us where they at you know I know some people just couldn't make it for whatever reason they're sick but there's people that used to be in our church that are no longer in our church you know and and they dropped out why did they drop out well I guess it doesn't really matter why they did they did though they did though and so we have to understand that our Christian life is a life it's not just a few years and then go on to something else you know if you really want to have joy you should realize the faith the steps is gonna take to get you to that level and you know when you feel yourself slipping away there's something wrong and you have to fix it and you're like I just don't know what's wrong I don't know how to fix it I don't know how to right the ship well how about you know you just have some joy in your Christian life and the the first thing I'm gonna I'm gonna do a little bit introduction here before I get to the acronym here but the first mention in the Bible of the word joy is in 1st Samuel chapter 18 verse number 6 you can turn to these I'm gonna read them fast 1st Samuel chapter 18 verse number 6 is the first mention of the word joy in the Bible so I just kind of want to lay a little groundwork here before I start it says and it came to pass as they came when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine that the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tablets with joy and with instruments of music why were they so happy why did they have joy why were they singing and dancing and you know and just everybody's is filled with joy and they're and they're they're singing with music because the Philistine was killed it says the slaughter of the Philistine I mean so that's the first time you see joy in the Bible is when someone gets slaughtered you know so I mean the Christian life you think well that sounds kind of weird well you know he was an enemy of God he was mocking God he was mocking the Bible he was mocking the whole camp of Israel for several days and everybody thought he was undefeatable and then David came with his faith and hit him with one shot and killed him and then cut his head off and walk around with it for a while but that's a different sermon so anyway Ezra chapter number 3 chapter 3 verse number 12 says but as many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers who were ancient men that had seen the first house when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud for joy have you ever shouted aloud for joy before well in the Bible when they saw that second temple the foundation get laid the the men that's that were alive still and saw the old temple they they wept with a loud voice but in their weeping that and it says many shouted aloud for joy so they had tears have you ever heard that term tears of joy that's what they had and so you can be weeping and still be filled with joy you can see you know a Philistine can get slaughtered and you cut and come back and get you guys are filled with joy I mean that seems weird but look there's enemies of God out there and when they fall you know the Bible says when a wicked ruler dies you know the people rejoice right I mean that you know when when some of these rulers that rule in the United States and this idiot that you have for your prime minister you know when they kick the bucket you know we're gonna you're gonna leap for joy aren't you who's gonna who's gonna be sad when Nancy Pelosi dies finally nobody you know maybe her little you know fake Christian constituents or whatever but nobody's gonna nobody's gonna be like oh poor Nancy if they are there a bunch of Facebook you know you know liberals and in liberal Christians well I hope she went to heaven she ain't going to heaven folks and Justin Trudeau is gonna split hell wide open also you know I was just talking with this with somebody before I was researching I was researching what the biggest religion in Canada is and it's Roman Catholicism did you guys know that 67% claim in Canada to be Roman Catholics but only 23% of people go to church on Sunday in Canada so really I mean they have out that they're they're religious in name only but in reality I mean you guys knock the doors you know how religious they really are not very much are they but every once in a while I'm sure you find save people and you get people saved that's great but one thing I was looking at is that the title of you know Justin Trudeau one of the titles that he's given as the leader of Canada is defender of the faith I mean defender of the faith as you know he's allowing all this draconian stuff and in ordering this draconian stuff yeah he's a real defender of the faith all right you know the faith of the devil his father the devil but anyway I'm not preaching about that I got a I got to move on to joy anyway Saul chapter 30 verse 5 says for his anger endureth but a moment in his favor is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning see we can be real sad and and and crying but you know what every day is a new day in Christ and you know what you can you can pick yourself up God will pick you up from the dung hill and do great things for you in your life and you know obviously in this life we have to experience people dying with people that are close to us dying everybody in this room is gonna die someday a physical death but and that's gonna be sad that's gonna be sad but you know what joy come in the morning when we all are resurrected and and we shall ever live with the Lord right Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 43 Nehemiah chapter 12 verse 43 says also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced for God had made them rejoice with great joy the wives also and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off the joy so so they rejoiced so what does that tell you that the the act of showing that they had that joy was so loud that everybody around them could hear that but I also want you to notice that the wives also it wasn't just the men that are rejoicing it's the wives also and the children rejoiced you know we're a family integrated church and I think that everybody in our church should be filled with joy not just the man it's this church isn't just for men it's the church the church is also for the women and the wives also and for the children the children should be able to be filled with joy in a church like this and in Nehemiah's time you know it was they have they had such joy that you know the wall was rebuilt the temple got rebuilt and it was a great time of blessing for them Psalm chapter 51 verse 12 this is after David sins the sin with Bathsheba and kills Uriah the Hittite and then Nathan the prophet comes to him and says thou art the man after he tells him that parable about someone stealing someone's precious only sheep and David says this he says restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit so David here obviously had lost the joy of his salvation how about you today are have you lost the joy of your salvation or are you filled with joy for the fact that you are saved the Bible says let the redeemed of the Lord say so and we should be we should be filled with joy for the fact that we're saved hey is everything going bad in your life well guess what you're still saved hey is your world falling apart right now you know well guess what you're still saved aren't you you know there's a lot of people out there even out just in this park right now that are not saved they don't have true joy they might not ever have true joy there's people in this town across you know that we can't that we spent the night at in Bell Bellingham last night there's a lot of people there that are going to help you know what their lives are probably falling apart too and they might not ever find Jesus but you know what that's why it's our job to go and help others find Jesus so they can have joy also in their lives you know in their joy being fulfilled Jesus is joy being fulfilled in them is also going to be a joy for us so we need to keep that joy of our salvation like David had lost it but he said God would you restore the joy of my salvation James 1 2 says my brethren counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations and that seems kind of like an odd verse you know when you're going through problems when you're being tempted to do wrong when you're going through trials and tribulations you know the violet James is saying counted all joy it's like why well if you understand that you're being tempted if you understand that these things are happening to you because you are a believer and because you're a Christian then you should count it all joy because you're going to be getting rewards in heaven for that so it might not seem like feel good at the time but what did I say at the beginning you don't necessarily have to be feeling good to have joy you don't necessarily have to be showing it to have joy you don't have to be shouting it from the rooftops have joy you have joy because the Lord Jesus Christ put that joy into you and you know where you're going when you die first first Peter chapter 1 8 says whom having not seen you love in whom though now you see him not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory I'm sure you've heard that song joy unspeakable and full of glory the half has never yet been told you know we we still have to see Jesus we haven't even seen Jesus and we have and you know we should have joy now even though we haven't seen him but just think about how great our joys gonna be it says you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory see there's things that we don't even know we're gonna happen and we're gonna be just like really surprised I'm sure that I'm sure you probably some of you older folks have watched The Price is Right where at the end there's like you know and through some of it you have like a mystery gift or whatever I'm sure anybody's seen something like that but anyway when they pull back the thing it's like a new car it's like people get all excited well you know we're gonna have some unspeakable thing you know God's gonna lift the curtains back so to speak and we're like yeah like a new a new mansion you know or whatever it's gonna be joy unspeakable and just the fact that we get to see and talk with Jesus that's gonna be joy unspeakable and full of glory John 16 verse 22 says and you know and excuse me any now therefore have sorrow you now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh from you no matter what you go through in this life we are gonna see Jesus at some point if you're saved and no man can take that joy away from you so they could kill us they can put us and torture us and do whatever they want but they still can't take your joy from you they can't take that because that's something that the Lord has put into you Romans chapter 14 verse 17 says for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost so there is joy in the Holy Ghost one of the the fruits of the Spirit is joy so when we have communion with the Holy Ghost then we have the joy in our lives and to have joy in the Holy Ghost you know that's that's an important thing to have meat and drink not so important I mean obviously you got to eat and drink to live but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost the Bible saying that's better that's that's a better thing to have so I just want to kind of run through some verses that talk about joy and rejoicing and now I'm going to begin with the points there's three points and the first point is J for joy and J stands for Jesus okay in the acronym so the first thing to the path of joy to the Christian life is to put Jesus first in your life you got to put the Lord Jesus Christ first in your life and this is where he belongs he belongs in the first place if you have anything else that's before him then it's idolatry if you have your children before Jesus you know I mean if you're saved and you're putting everything else before him you know I this is a this is a warning you know God will strip the idols away from your life so if your idol is your own children you know you got it you got to be careful with stuff like that you got to be careful if your wife is your idol or if your husband is your idol and you love them more than you love the Lord then you know that's a dangerous ground you're putting your family in a dangerous position you're putting your job that you love more in a dangerous position to where you're gonna lose it you know God doesn't want us to have any idols in our lives he wants us to put him in first place where he belongs turn to Mark chapter 12 verse 28 Mark chapter 12 verse number 28 Mark chapter 12 verse number 28 the Bible says and one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving that he had answered them well asked him which is the first commandment of all and Jesus answered him the first of all the commandments is hero Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first commandment there's no other commandment in the Bible that's more important than this that's the question was asked what's the most important what's the what's the most important commandment what's the first commandment that that God holds us to and it's that we would love the Lord with all of our heart with all our soul with all of our mind with all of our strength and that's a hard commandment to keep isn't it because we're sinful but that's what God requires of us and so hey if you want to have joy in your life then start learning to love the Lord your God with everything you have and put him first above all things turn to John chapter 14 verse number 15 John chapter 14 verse number 15 see we we are in the New Testament to be saved all as it takes to be saved is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that's the message of the Bible that's the message we preach but if you want your joy to be full then you know we're supposed to put God first so we're also supposed to keep his commandments look what it says in John 14 15 if you love me keep my commandments but it doesn't say keep my suggestions says keep my commandments and so if you love Jesus if you want to be the friend of Jesus if you want to be that like Abraham was called and Abraham was called the friend of God if you want to be Sean Conlon the friend of Jesus or you know brother Wynn Fisher the friend of Jesus hey you got to love him and you got to keep his commandments I'm not talking about salvation here folks I'm talking about joy in the Christian life first John chapter 5 verse 3 turn to first John chapter 5 verse number 3 first John 5 3 the Bible says for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous I got to keep that commandment I got to love my parents I got to respect and honor my parents yes his commandments are not grievous unto you if you're a child in here today you know what you're supposed to honor your father and mother that doesn't mean go around doing stuff you know the opposite of honors dishonor isn't it we don't want to dishonor our parents and and put them through the wringer and make you know a bad name for your parents because you know what chill you know and obviously you know parents should raise their children right but you know what everybody has free will I can sit there and read this verse till the cows come home or tell you you know you're supposed to keep God's commandments but if you don't do it then you're still that's your freewill choice to do that but let me just tell you something there's consequences to your actions you know the the the the blessing attached with honoring your parents is that you're gonna have a long life and so how do you think you'd have a short life not honoring them not obeying them not loving them not respecting them so think about those those things I mean that's and that's just one commandment you know we ought to honor our our parents we had to honor our mom and dad and obey them children obey your parents in the Lord for this is what right it's right oh I don't want to have to you know be you know with just one woman I feel like I should be able to go and have multiple wives you're an idiot first of all because there's just a lot of trouble I know it's hard enough to be with one wife you know and for you both to get along as save people you know marriage is work anybody that says that marriage doesn't work they're they're just lying you know I've told the story before I'm gonna tell it really fast I had a pastor that we were under and he said that his his teacher at Hiles Anderson College would say you know I I never fight I've never fought with my wife you know you should never fight with your wife and so the pat you know the pastor's you know he's laying it on really thick and the pastor's like oh man like I'm just newly married I've already fought with my wife like several times and so you know he just really was like I mean I can't believe that I'm such a bad husband and stuff and so he sees him later on in the parking lot and him and his wife are arguing and he doesn't walk up to him he doesn't say anything to him but he he later on when he's alone he's like I thought you said he didn't argue with your wife it's like oh that wasn't argument that was just a tiff but if we're being honest you know we we have arguments with our our spouses and you know but nobody can keep the commandments perfectly but hey we should try we should try to do that right look at Mark chapter 4 verse 19 Mark chapter 4 verse 19 actually turn to John 10 27 I'm just gonna read Matthew chapter 4 verse 19 Matthew 4 19 says and he saith unto them follow me and I will make you fishers of men so is he gonna make people fishers of men if they're not following them no who sends out soul winners the local church right you know it's it's not just we go out and do our own ministries and and things like that I'm not saying don't ever so win by yourself I'm that's not what I'm saying at all I'm saying that you know what there's an order of things and God wants us to follow Jesus and then he's gonna make us fishers of men all right and so if you're not following Jesus you're not gonna be a fisher of men period in John 10 27 says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me so if you're one of God's sheep it says you know he knows them and they follow me if you if you're a true follower of Christ you're gonna follow him and and and put him first place so let me ask you this do you follow Jesus are you laboring for him do you keep his commandments do you love him is he number one in your heart today well he should be and if he's not then you got to get rid of some of those things not get rid of them necessarily I mean if your wife if your wife's number one you can't get rid of her okay you're stuck with her but and and you can't change who your kids are no matter what the DNA doesn't change right I'm not saying to get rid of them but you need to stop putting other things before God stop putting your puppy before God all I can't go to this event because my puppy you know it's like you can't you can't put a dog in front of God you know I'm saying like and I'm not trying to be mean and I'm not picking on anybody in specifics but I've just heard this excuse a lot over the years as a minister and I just think well hey if the dog is stopping you or the cat or the kittens or your parakeet or whatever it is you know you can't put those things before God you know I mean it's just it's just something you I mean if you're looking for a decision look forward to the Bible don't put anything else before God you know if your dog is stopping you from going soul-winding your dog is stopping you from go to church your cat is you know well he meows when I'm not here well then give them away there's farms that'll take them you don't have to put a bullet in their head you know look I had dogs and you know what I didn't put a bullet in any of their heads they just died of natural causes but you know what at the end they were vexing to us you know when they can't walk and they're just like you know they're just blind and walking into stuff I stopped being a joy in your life after a while you want you want to have your joy fulfilled get rid of your animals I'm just I'm kidding I'm kidding I've gone too far I'm meddling now I'm just saying like don't let anything stop you from serving God whatever it is don't let anything stop you from serving God and putting in first place turn to Colossians chapter 1 verse 16 Colossians chapter 1 verse number 16 Colossians 1 16 the Bible says for him or excuse me for by him were all things created talking about Jesus that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and what's it say for him you were created for him not him created for you because he's not created but you know God doesn't exist to serve you you exist to serve him you exist too because he wanted to create you he wanted to have a relationship and a friendship with you he wants you to be saved it's not the other way around a lot of people treat God like a genie in a lamp hey God you know I know I never go to church I know I never read my Bible I know I never pray I know I never go soul any but will you help me out of this gym give me three wishes this isn't genie Baptist Church sure foundation Baptist Church you know what we're put our foundation is the rock our foundation is the rock that cannot be moved he's the rock that followed the children of Israel through the land of Egypt and on their journeys he is the rock and we exist because he made us not the other way around so a lot of people make a God in their own image in their own mind and they say well my God wouldn't do this my God wouldn't send people to hell my God doesn't hate anybody well you know what you're making God an image in your own mind that's not real and most of the people that say stupid things like that have never even read the Bible one time they just hear the don't judge don't judge yeah exactly what are the main things you hear well God doesn't hate anybody and he doesn't judge judge not that's the only verse the part of the verse they know judge not judge not my tattoos you know I got a tattoo of us of a skull on a cross on my face because I love God so much read the Bible we're not supposed to print marks on our bodies I mean it's just really that simple but look what it says in a verse number 17 says and he is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence now what does that word preeminence mean it means the first place that in all things he might have the preeminence he is before all things it says by him all things consist atheists how we don't understand how matter God did it God spoke the world into existence God made all the molecules come together by his word and you know what his word creates things and his word can destroy things also so let's make sure that we're putting Jesus first in our life turn to Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 in Hebrews chapter 12 verse number 1 the Bible says wherefore seen we are also we also are compassed about was so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us God wants us to lay aside every weight you know what is holding you back you know when you when you think about you know weight weighing you down it can be sin but can be just other attachments in your life you know if something is weighing you down from running the Christian race it says the to lay that aside right and the sin which doth so easily beset us is I know everybody in this room has sin in their life everybody but are you making steps to get that sin out of your life we got a I got a lady saved yesterday and she was disfellowshipped from the Jehovah's Witnesses for smoking and they literally they tricked her they said hey come to church you know we really just want to love on you and help you get past your problems everything and then they she showed up when there was three you know of their judicial board or whatever there to disfellowship her for smoking and those guys probably have a lot more problem you know what their problem is they're all a bunch of false prophets you know who God's gonna dispel disfellowship you and you're gonna be smoking in hell how about that because you know what is smoking where's where's the commandment about not smoking it's not in there but you know obviously we're supposed to take care of our bodies and and take good care of our temple and all that stuff but I mean they're straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel they don't even believe that Jesus Christ is God they think that the only name for God is Jehovah which is not true they think that Jesus is Michael the Archangel I mean they think that when you're resurrected it's not in a real body just ensuring the fact that they're all going to hell you know what and she's going to heaven and I'm glad they disfellowshiped her and and I'm sure she's glad now too because now she's saved and now she's going to heaven and you know she might still smoke but you know what they're gonna be smoking for all eternity in hell anyway so look what it says in verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for what the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God see when God when the Lord Jesus Christ he had a race that he had to run to and it was a short one because he wasn't alive for very long on this earth and he had three short years of ministry to do all the things that he did that turned the world upside down right and when he looked at what he had to do you know he he he who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross he endured all those things did he want to endure them what was his will that there be another way he really wanted there to be another way because he knew what he was about to go through in the Garden of Gethsemane but he still did the will of his father so how can we apply that to us well hey there's there's other times that when in our lives and we're serving as Christians and there's an easier way for us but you know sometimes it's better to take the hard way and to be rewarded later on than to take the easy way out to compromise to you know I just can't go to this church anymore because it's a hate church and my family's really given me a lot of pressure you know my works give me a lot of pressure you know you're having these people protesting our church a lot of people quit because of stuff like that don't they a lot of people quit because of stuff like that but here's the thing you know Jesus for the joy that was set before him endured the cross for us and we can endure a little bit of hardship for him I think that we should be able to do that we got to put Jesus first and we got to quit putting other things first instead of him and it says you know back in verse number one it says you know let us run with patience the race that is set before us we're in a race what's the race against time old age I mean I've talked about this before but you know we only have a certain shelf life where we can do the things that we're doing right now do you think you're gonna be 90 years old running up to the triple decker apartments you're not it's just you know I'm never gonna retire you know bless God I'm gonna be so winning you know someone's gonna I'm gonna you know hopefully they invent invent rocket boosters so I could just float up to the second to the third level hopefully they do have that you know but in reality your mind isn't as sharp at 90 either is it most people that are 90 years old are in bed most of the time or they're taking naps on the couch or in their lazy boy we only have a short amount of time the race is against time the time that we have on this earth is short it's fleeting and hey if you want to have joy in your life put Jesus first that's number one right and number two is we got to think about others the O in joy the acronym is others you know you would think it was well hey you got to take care of yourself first no we got a we got to love God first we got to follow Jesus first and number two we got to think about others right mark chapter 12 verse 31 mark chapter 12 verse 31 and we already looked at mark 12 and what the greatest commandment was but what's the second greatest commandment the second greatest commandment is a mark 12 verse 31 and it says and the second is like namely this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself so are we supposed to love ourselves we are supposed to love ourselves but we're supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves how many people really do that you know obviously when we go out soul-winding we are loving loving our neighbor as ourselves because we're saved we want others to be saved that is loving your neighbor as yourself it says there is none other commandment greater than these so if you want the joy in your Christian life you got to put Jesus first and then you got to put other second not your I mean your self is it says as yourself and in reality nobody's ever gonna probably you know do more for others than they're gonna do for themselves because you have to get up brush your hair if you have any brush your teeth hopefully you have to get dressed you have to do all these things and nobody's ever gonna go and do that stuff every day for somebody else exactly as you do it for yourself but what's it you know the spirit of this law is that we would go out and care about other people besides just ourselves and and it's not just so any it's multiple other good works that we can do we can help take care of one of our family members when they're older or so on and so forth but turn to Matthew chapter 5 verse 43 we should put others and esteem others we should think about other people not just ourself God doesn't want us to be these lovers of their own selves these narcissistic people that all they care about is themselves and what they can get out of other people what they can get out of life in Matthew chapter 5 verse 43 it says you have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy but I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despite fully use you and persecute you those are the harder that's the harder part of that it's easy to go to a stranger and love them and try to get them say but what about loving your enemies what about blessing those people that actually curse you and don't like you and it says to do good to them that hate you and this is talking about obviously your personal enemies and pray for them which despite fully use you and also people there's a lot of users out there in this world and they'll use you for whatever they can they'll they'll pull on your Christian heartstrings to give them money and help them with all kinds of things but really they're just using you and there's people out there that will persecute you and tease you for being a Christian and Jesus said we're supposed to love those people look at verse 45 it says that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven for he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust now obviously we also believe that there's people that hate God that we're not supposed to do good things for I'm not talking about that but doesn't God even still give son to those people those people get to wake up under the Sun those people get to you know have rain you know on their fields also so even though those people hate God he still takes care of them regardless of how they feel about him or not obviously they have an attorney in hell to look forward to but you know we should be like God we should you know we were made in his image we should be like him and it says for if you love him them which excuse me for if you love them which love you what reward have you do not even the publicans the same and if you salute your brethren only what do you more than others do not even even the fair the publican so excuse me do not even the public and so yeah so basically what he's saying is you know if you just love only people that love you back then what reward do you have you know sometimes we have to love the unlovable you know we're out soul winning and people slam the door in our face you know why not just not leave a bad taste in their mouth why not just say because you know what people can feel bad for doing stuff like that later on I remember the guy that I met at the Chinese food restaurant that was starting to talk to me about the Lord and I was I was rude not super rude but I was rude enough I just like I'm not interested to stop talking to me about this and you know I felt bad for that later I felt bad about the woman that every time I asked her what time it was you know at work and one time I bit her head off because she she would always say it's time for you to trust in the Lord with all your heart you know after a while it's just like would you just tell me what the real time is you know but I did feel bad about it and even as an unsaved person I still apologize to her for that because like really you know after I thought about I was like is it her responsibility to tell me what time it is get a watch dummy you know so like people can feel bad for the way that they treat you maybe they're just having a bad day or maybe they have been brainwashed into believing something about Christians is not true so we have to understand that you know we should still love people when we go out to the doors we're supposed to be loving others like we love ourselves and treating them like we want to be treated and even if they yell at us even if they cuss us out even if they make fun of the way we live our lives or whatever we should still try our best to love that person because you know what your kindness to them will do more in the end you know first of all it's gonna you know if they don't ever repent or come to the knowledge of the truth but they don't ever feel bad about it then they're gonna be punished for the way that they treated you but if you deal out the punishment yourself then they're never gonna get punished for it and if you treat them right and overcome evil with your good then maybe that person can get saved the next time somebody else walks and knocks their door but if you just like throw a big fit and chew them out and get in their face and you're like you know you faggot or whatever you'd reprobate you know you don't know if they're a reprobate they just probably just are hung up on stuff you know or they just have a bad life or whatever it is but when we're going soul and we as sure Foundation Baptist Church we should be nice to people we should be good to people you know if they hate us if they persecute us if they don't you know treat us right well you treat them right and maybe your kindness will overcome their wickedness right so let's look at Jude the book of Jude 1 22 it's only one chapter in there it's right before Revelation so if you're looking for chapter 1 it's the only chapter verse 22 it says and if some have compassion making a difference and others say with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh but nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other oh I'm sorry I'm reading into the next verse I do that sometimes sorry but Jude I'm sorry Jude 1 23 and it says in others save with fear so the the O enjoy is we're trying to help others right so it says if some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire you know what as we're firefighters as Christians we're supposed to be trying to help people you know a good firefighter they're gonna drag people out of a burning building because that's their job and as Christians it's our job to have compassion on people it's our job to save others not just ourselves not just your family members not your cousins and your mom and dad and your grandma and grandpa's yes get them safe but you know what if they keep rejecting you you just wait for a day where they will get saved or they will hear the truth and stop focusing all your energy on just your family members you know what there's others out there that need to be saved besides your family I'm not saying don't try to save your family I'm saying some people get too fixated on it though and obviously it's just a natural feeling that people that you love you want them to be saved but what about the people you don't love that's what Jesus is talking about you know that we're supposed to love others we're supposed to help others those others are people you might not know those other people are people that just are strangers to you but you help them because the second commandment is what we're supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves but there's multitudes of Christians out there that don't give a rip about getting people saved all they care about is their music and their choir practice and their little events and their taco feeds and their altar calls and you know just getting together and hanging out I like getting together and hanging out too we're gonna do some fellowshipping today but you know what that's not what it's all about there's another commandment that's in place of that and guess what it is helping others saving others pulling them out of the fire and as a you know it's funny like there's a whole troop of women that became firefighters of Vancouver I don't want them coming to my house if the house is burning down no offense but the the things that you have to be able to lift and do are things that men are supposed to be able to do you know I doubt very seriously any one of this room is gonna drag me out of a burning building you're gonna have to have like the whole troop you know all 12 of us grab arms and legs and let's grab him out but one man is supposed to be able to do that you there's certain trials that a firefighter has to do so but in God's army there's a we're all supposed to be firefighters you know and we're supposed to help save people from that fire and guess what women are just as good of firefighters as men are and in some cases they're even better there's some women out in here and in in this world that are way better soul owners than men so you know you have no excuse none of us have any excuse we should help save others from the fire by going so winning now let's turn to Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 that's where I kept reading like an idiot all right flipping chapter 2 verse 3 says let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem what other better than themselves better than themselves if you look at people like hey that person's you know I want to steam that person better than myself you're gonna do things for that person you're gonna you're gonna help that person and you're gonna care about what they're going through your prayer requests are to them also are for them also not just for you and all the things that you're going through in your life of course pray for all the things that are going wrong in your life but do you stop and think about others do you stop and care about others do you go so winning just so you can get some vainglory you go so in so you can come back and say oh I got 10 saved 10 10 yeah 10 you know pull Josh Gander I mean come on that's not what we're here for that's not what we're in it for and yes I did witness him with my own eyeballs say that he got 10 people saved in like an hour or whatever at a gas station so anyway I don't know where that came from he's a he's an idiot though anyway says look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of what others we care about others all right so the the O in the joy acronym is others we should not just look on our own things our own problems our own prayer requests but we should also look on the things of other people let's help other people and you know what that's gonna put the joy in your heart serving Jesus first and then other second now the third one is you the acronym is for why is you look at Jude 1 24 you're already there a second ago but I should just had to keep your finger there but it's good practice right Jude 124 says now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy so God is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy turn to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 28 so we don't want to fall and so in that not wanting to fall we do still have to take care of ourselves we still have to maintain our own Christian lives we saw them you can't just do you know everything for God and everything for others and just completely leave yourself out of it because if you don't maintain yourself if you're not doing things for yourself to keep yourself spiritual and all you're doing is helping other people all the time and you never maintain your own temple and your own house then you're gonna have some issues and Ephesians 5 28 says so out men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself so if you're taking care of your wife if you're loving your wife you're you're you're loving you're actually you are loving yourself because you're too you're you twain or one flesh it says for no man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourishes it and cherishes it even as the Lord the church so the reason why I've read that verse because you do have to nourish your own flesh you do have to cherish your own flesh at sometimes this is talking about of course your wife but we do have to take care of ourselves also you know you can't just take care of everything else and not take care of yourself but that's the last part of the acronym right is that you do you know Jesus Jesus is who you serve first and then other people and then yourself turn to Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 Galatians chapter 6 verse number 1 the Bible says in Galatians 6 1 it says brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness what does it say considering thyself lest thou also be tempted so you can't get yourself into a situation where you're trying to help somebody but then you're also going to be tempted because of the thing that you're trying to help them with if someone one of your friends or whatever is drunk don't try to go into the bar to try to help him with the situation okay that's just one example but if you already have a problem with drinking and then you're trying to help someone with their drinking problem don't follow them to their problem to help them so you got to consider yourself lest you're also tempted and this can can can count for anything that is going on if someone's overtaken with some kind of a fault if you're spiritual help restore that person that's that goes to acronym number two others helping others but let's make sure that in helping others that you also consider yourself don't just run in guns blazing trying to help a situation when that situation might sink you also you know so look at verse 2 it says bear you one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ for if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself so don't act like you're super Christian in every single situation there's certain situations the Bible is telling you to consider yourself lest you're tempted also so if you already know you're weak in that area don't try to help somebody with something you're weak at maybe somebody else can help them that doesn't have that issue so if you think you're something when you're nothing you're deceiving yourself it says but let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another so when we're working what we're doing when we're maintaining our own self you have to prove your own work and then it says and then you'll have rejoice in yourself so what is the sermon about it's about having joy it's about having it's about rejoicing and part of it is you you do still have to maintain yourself you still do have to help yourself you can't just leave yourself in an unspiritual state and expect you yourself to thrive through the Christian life it says for every man shall bear his own burden so you still have to do your own work you can't say well I love I just love people I just love God that's it you know what you're gonna fail your joy is not gonna be full you're gonna fail because if you're not taking care of yourself also then that's that's the third part of it right so turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 here's an example of this and the Apostle Paul is trying to help us to understand this it says and did eat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted so this is where you don't want to get yourself into the city you know these things in the Bible are for our admonition they're to help us they what's he saying he's saying don't be like them and fall in your lust it's the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted so learn from other people's mistakes and don't take those mistakes on to yourself neither be idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents you know in the picture here is that all these people were baptized under Moses and after they got baptized they fell into these things so what it's saying hey Christian it's a it's possible for you to fall into the same things if you're not maintaining yourself and your own Christian walk then you can fall to these temptations as well it says neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer now all these things happen unto them for in samples and are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come guess what that's you all right here is that is that aren't we in the ends of the world to come aren't we in the last days we are in the last days I'm not saying the very last okay I'm not you know I'm not saying we're in the tribulation right now you know that that vaccine you took is the beast or whatever I'm not going there I'm just saying that we are in the last days not in the very last days but it says this is a very important scripture look at verse 12 it says wherefore let him that think if he stand take heed lest he fall it's talking about yourself you know if you think if you get all high and lift it up and think that I love God with all my heart with all my mind with all my soul with all my strength and my neighbor as myself what more do I need to do Lord it's like you need to take heed lest you fall you lift it up goat you lift it up jackalope you just lift it up and you know this is where people get hyper spiritual and then the people think they're all I can't believe that person watches TV or whatever you know it's like people get so lifted up it's like you forgot that you had problems that you had to overcome before you got to the level you were out and then you know these people that do those types of things they're usually the nastiest people and and and and they don't realize that that everybody knows the sins that they used to do too you know I'm saying so take heed lest you fall because once you get puffed up once you get lifted up it's real easy to just to fall because you are gonna fall to the temptations if you think that you're something better than other people you know what in the Bible says God says that these holier-than-thou type people are like smoke in God's nose God hates that so don't ever get to the point where you just think that you're better than everybody else okay it says in verse 13 there is no temptation taking you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it so consider yourself you know don't just you know obviously you know we have to love Jesus most of all we're supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves we have to care for others but don't neglect yourself because if you neglect yourself hey take heed lest you fall you can do all those things and still fall that's what I'm trying to help you understand so you must maintain your Christian life or you'll have you will not have the right perspective so what is the balanced Christian life well let me go through it for you real quickly and we'll end what is the balanced Christian life well you know let's start with prayer prayer is you know God wanting to hear from you you know wouldn't it be weird if you're like you know you never talked to your own children and then your children never ever talked to you so God is our father in heaven and so he wants to hear from his children so if you never pray then you know you have or you're off balance you're off balance in your Christian life in John 16 24 says hitherto have you asked nothing of my name asked and you shall receive that what your joy may be full so ask that your joy may be full that's prayer isn't it you're asking God for something singing turn to Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 14 so the minor prophets there have a kick Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah singing God wants to hear your voice singing with joy so in Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 14 it says single daughter of Zion shout Oh Israel be glad and rejoice with all the heart Oh daughter of Jerusalem so when you sing to God we're supposed to be singing to him all right he wants to hear us sing I don't care if you sound like a dog dying in the back alley you know or a cat screeching or whatever or a owl screeching for that matter you know we're supposed to sing with a loud noise right and some of us have some loud noises coming out of our mouth when we sing but you know what we all sing together before the service that it sounded good didn't it so you know God wants to hear from us don't be off balance Bible reading God wants us to read about him and read about what we're supposed to do turn to Psalm 119 verse 14 Psalm 119 verse 14 I still got five minutes settle down it's almost over all right Psalm 119 verse 14 says I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches so God wants us to read about him he wants us to read about the statutes the testimonies the things of the Lord and it says I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimony so do you rejoice in your Bible reading or is it like a task that you just feel like you have to do I gotta get my Bible reading done I gotta sing I gotta I gotta pray one more time it shouldn't feel like that to you if you're if you have joy in your life it doesn't feel that way it feels like I get to do this I get to talk to the God of all heaven and earth I mean if you wanted to be on the best team of all time wouldn't you want to be on God's team and so if you are on God's team then why don't you want to talk to him there's people that's that they have lots of joy when Michael Jackson was at his zenith and he was the most famous man on the planet at one point people would scream and trample each other and stuff just to get to touch Michael Jackson's glove you know whatever nobody acts like that towards God though you ever notice that because their joy you know is not full but that you know obviously that's a fleeting joy talking about Michael Jackson but I mean it's just sometimes I feel like God's people aren't as excited about the things of God as they should be church attendance God wants us to meet with them Bible says in Psalm 122 verse 1 it says I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord I was glad are you glad when you go to church or do you feel like it's a chore see if you feel like it's a chore then your joy is not full because church should feel like a place you want to be well when we get to go to church it's like oh we have to go to church this is such a nice day well yeah it's a nice day go soul honey it's a nice day enjoy the day that the Lord's made for you and enjoy it in the house of the Lord you know if you want to be on team God he expects you to be with the team the rest of the team and the rest of you know that this right now we are the church doesn't matter what building we're in doesn't matter whether you guys meet normally up there and we meet down there together right now together we are assembled where the church is not really a divided church because it's sure foundation Baptist Church but we all live in different places but we are still the church when we're meeting together in this place you know what I was glad when they said let me let us go into the house of the Lord I want to meet with the people with God's people and I miss it if I miss a day if I'm sick or something like that I want to be in church and if your joy is full you should want to be in church also I just don't understand these people that just you know don't want to be in church it's like they come one time a week it's like you know what you're missing so much great stuff being in the house of the Lord anyway I got to hurry up so so winning Psalm 126 verse 5 go ahead and turn there three minutes the pizza here it is it's getting cold I'll just got here we're good all right 30 more minutes then just kidding just kidding Psalm 126 verse 5 says they that sow in tears shall reap in what joy they that so in tears shall reap in joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with what rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him you know what when you go out and you do the grueling apartment complexes and the people are slamming the door in your faces you might not get somebody to save this week or next week but you know what you are going to reap the Bible says that you shall reap in joy so stop you know I mean sometimes it's not as receptive up in the northwest as you know Texas or or other areas of the world like the Philippines and stuff like that but you know what you should still go out and and and and sow in those tears and go forth and weepeth you should bear that precious seed and you're gonna doubtless the Bible says doubtless will come again I'll just be honest with you well can I tell you something nobody else knows about besides my wife maybe a couple other people I didn't feel like going soloing yesterday I did not feel like going soloing yesterday I'm tired I just felt you know what I'm talking about sometimes you don't feel like going but I'm glad I did because people got saved and it's not just because of me that everybody went out you know what our group got we had eight salvation yesterday we had two baptisms yesterday but you know what if I hadn't gone there's a one lady that wouldn't got saved and because she got saved her husband ended up getting saved and he ended up getting baptized so when we go out we're gonna doubtless come again bringing our sheaves with us and you know what it's gonna bring it's gonna bring joy and rejoicing in our lives because you know what I I would have never known if I hadn't gone but I now that I know I would make the same decision over and over and over again because you know you just never know when it's gonna be one of those great days of soul winning for you you just never know and when you're missing it when you just like ah this neighborhood the Sikh neighborhood again it's like yeah I understand I've been there like man this is really unreceptive they try to act like they really believe in Jesus but they really don't yeah but you know we we need to get out there and do it and why because we're gonna have joy from that we're gonna have joy from soul winning Luke chapter 6 verse 22 says blessed are ye blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man's sake what does it say in verse 23 rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets is it it just seems strange to rejoice and leap for joy and it's like whoa yeah I'm getting persecuted you know but that's what you know we should take these things to heart because when they're happening we should remember these verses and be like hey God said for us to rejoice but but you just don't feel like it at that moment do you but if you rejoice and if you literally leap for joy you're fulfilling what the Bible says to do so people might think you're weird you're like I can't believe that you know that you're leaping for joy over this it's like well hey that's what the Bible says we're supposed to do because you know what great is your reward great is your reward in heaven look at acts 541 acts 541 this is fulfilled literally in acts chapter 5 I doesn't say that they leap but look what it says in acts 541 and they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name they were beaten for preaching Christ and it says and daily in the temple and in every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ but what were they doing they were rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer so when we're suffering for Christ when we're being persecuted for Christ hey you know the right attitude to have is to be rejoicing oh yeah I got beaten up yeah yeah and you're jumping up I mean Paul and Silas are singing hymns in prison after getting beaten you know and they get the guy saved and they go over his house and he washes up their wounds and they baptize him same day I have a kick chapter 3 verse 18 says yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation are you are you filled with joy today well if you're not let's get filled with joy because the Bible wants us you know God commands us to basically be filled with joy let us I will yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation are you happy that today that you're saved you know let's let's act like it when we sing the songs this afternoon let's let's rejoice and sing and sing loud to God and you know we'll try to cover up the bad ones but you know let's have a great time let's let's let's be filled with joy hey when we're fellowshipping we're eating together let's talk about good things and and and let's let's rejoice together last verse first Thessalonians 5 16 it's a real short it will end what's it say first Thessalonians 5 16 rejoice evermore there's gonna be a day when we rejoice evermore but the Bible saying to do this now and then let's not let it stop it's just like pray without ceasing you know let's continue to pray let's continue to keep praying don't just once your prayer request gets answered oh I'm gonna I'm done praying now okay God I got all the things I need we're always gonna need something or someone else is always gonna need something so let's just remember this acronym joy Jesus others you let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you Lord so much for the fact that we can rejoice and be glad and the day that you've made Lord I pray that you'd help us today to keep things in perspective and Lord help us to think about you first and to put you first our lives and Lord and that we would love others and try to bring them to you so that they can have what we have eternal life and Lord I pray that we wouldn't neglect ourselves that we would also maintain our ways before you for us in Jesus name we pray amen