Galatians not Galatians Philippians Dealing really at piggybacks on What we looked at in terms of contentment last week because one of the synonyms and References that are given in dictionaries pertaining to joy is contentment joyful people are contentful people. They're satisfied. And joy covers a wide spectrum of emotions. I was watching a video yesterday posted by HeartCry Ministries of a church plant in South Africa. And the brothers that God has reached down there in a place there that's called similar to a place in New York, Hell's Kitchen. It's a very difficult place to minister. Drugs are rampant. Kids on the street are in gangs. They have little 10-year-olds, 12-year-olds who are hitmen. They have guns and there is constant conflict among the residents there in the South African district of what they call South Belleville in South Africa. And for five years, a few brothers and sisters in the Lord have been praying that God would provide them with a building that they might be able to assemble and worship in to conduct services for the Lord. For up to that point, At least in the film, they had been meeting in one of the elders' homes. Typical church, but their space was obviously limited. And Brother Paul Washer, who heads up HeartCry, was interviewing this pastor. I forget his name off the top of my head. And I think he was kind of leading him on as he was explaining the history and the need of the church and the provision of the church. And finally, Paul says, I want you to know that the funds have come in. that building that building that they're referring to had already been built and it had been built several years ago back in the 70s as sort of a multi-purpose building a community building sometimes that was used for for Civic purposes and other times it was used for community purposes, but ultimately it just kind of sat dormant and wasn't regularly used. Well, the funds came in. He didn't share the sources by whom they came, but they were able to purchase that building. And so he shows or shares with the pastor there what God had done in providing the needs for that building. And his response, obviously, was one of joy, but it was expressed with tears. It was infathomable. It was incomprehensible that after five years of praying, You talk about delayed responses of the Lord. God finally brings to pass his purpose in providing them a building. Well, he expressed his elation and appreciation through tears, tears of joy. Couldn't believe it. But others in the congregation, as the news began to spread that they had a building, others of them were smiling, dancing around, probably in their native customs and stuff like that. They were so overjoyed with God's provision of this building now that they were able to use and hopefully effectively carry on a profitable and useful ministry in the community, not only to provide space for activities, but to provide space for others who would come and worship with them. And so you see that joy can be along a spectrum line and not necessarily be one thing that we walk around with a smile on our face, although there's nothing wrong with a smile on our face when we're happy and joyful. But the world equates happiness most of the time with circumstances. They can be either up or down, in or out. depending on the circumstances. And some people try to drown their sorrows, their difficulties, to provide an escape of happiness in a tavern. That's what they call the happy hour, I suppose. Those hours after a person is off work, they head for the tavern or the bar. or the pub as it is over in England to imbibe in the spirits and supposedly lift them up out of their difficulties and sorrows. That's the world's remedy. Some people think that they can be happy if they have more, if they have more money, more possessions. But a Christian is uniquely different because the joy which he experiences and the joy which God provides is found in Christ and in God, the triune God. And so I want to explore that because it relates to this idea of Christian idealism. It is the ideal of our Christian life to know the unceasing joy which the Spirit of God works in us to produce. Because it's not natural, it's supernatural. And this particular epistle really emphasizes that point. You will find if you do a word study on the words rejoice, gladness, joy, joyful, that it permeates scripture. It permeates scripture. It is to be part of the redeemed people's experience. To know and express and experience joy. In this epistle, several times he refers to joy and gladness. All throughout this epistle. I don't want to rehearse them for sake sake of time, but just just to hit on one Expression of it in chapter 1 verse 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all Making requests and that is for them with joy making requests for joy chapter 1 verse 4 And that is taken for the Greek word kara, or kara. We have a daughter-in-law, or granddaughter-in-law, whose name is Kara. Her name means joy, if you translate it out of the Greek into English, but she goes by Kara. In chapter one, verse 18, he uses the word rejoice, which is kairo, kairo. What then, notwithstanding in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and therein do I rejoice, and will rejoice. That's that concept that permeates this particular epistle. And he's writing an epistle to a people ostensibly are not experiencing the full expressions of joy and that was evident in chapter 4 and leading up to it with different ways he was approaching it in his epistle to two ladies in the church in chapter 4 verse 2 it says I implore Yodia and I implore Sintaki, or Sintiki, I should say. Some people, with a play on words, say Suntachi. Her feelings can be, you know, altered, real. She has sensitivity, suntachi, but regardless. Implores Sintiki to be of the same mind. Here's this division in the assembly. And when there's division, it begins, not only affect the parties involved, but it affects the parties, the friends, and fellow Christians in the assembly. And so he, in a cloaked way, by using this expression, true companion or yoke fellow, some translate it, I urge you also true companion or yoke fellow, a fellow Christian, whom we would assume is a spiritual man, because Galatians chapter 6 indicates, it says you are to restore one. You who are spiritual restore the brother in in the spirit of meekness. And so we assume he's a spiritual man. Help these women who labored with me in the gospel with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. These two ladies were believers. And so he wants his friend there to sit down with these two ladies and act as a mediator to bring about reconciliation so that joy might not only permeate their lives again, and I think that's significant. Verse 4, I think, addresses this situation of being one. They'd lost their joy because they were focused on each other. And whatever permeated their division, They lost joy by concentrating on something that upset them, ostensibly, and their fellow labor, their co-worker. And some of the things that cause churches to be divided. Years ago, I preached in Philippians, and that was not here, but somewhere else, but I was using Dr. Pentecost, J. Dwight Pentecost, one of my professors. He wrote that big volume. That actually was his doctoral thesis, Things to Come, which is a study of eschatology. But in his commentary on the book of Philippians, he told the story of a church in North Dallas where they had a dinner one time. And of course, they were serving people, and one of the elders or leaders in the church got upset with a younger girl who received a larger portion than he did on her plate. Now whether she took the portion or whether somebody just gave it to her as a favor, don't know, but it caused division in the church. And people have got divided over the color of a carpet. Those types of things, it doesn't take a whole lot when people are predisposed in a certain area to get them upset and divided. God doesn't want us to be divided. He wants us, and that's why I believe that admonition in verse 4, is something that's addressed to both of these ladies and to the assembly more broadly. Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice in the Lord always. And if you didn't get it the first time I said it or wrote it, again, I will say, rejoice. Rejoice. This subject is important in so many ways. Because it's the evidence, I believe, of one who is in restored relationship with God Himself. It is the joy that is expressed in conversion. Turn with me to Acts chapter 8, the book of Acts. History of the early church as the church was expanding through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria. Chapter 8, verse 8, tells us these words. Now this is under the ministry of Philip. And it tells us what was happening there in terms of miracles and signs. Verse 7, unclean spirits crying out with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed, many who were paralyzed. and lame were healed, and there was great joy in that city." Great joy in that city. Look at the story of the conversion in the same chapter of the Ethiopian eunuch. Verse 26, Now the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. These geographical localities are sort of fresh with us because of the conflict that's going on right now in Israel. Gaza is the same area in our day as where Philip is going here. Goes from Jerusalem to Gaza, this is desert. He rose and went. Behold a man, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, of great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship. I would assume by that he is a Jewish proselyte. A Jewish proselyte. And so he's going up to Jerusalem to worship, and he's returning, verse 28, and sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet, and as luck would have it, no, as providence would have it, as providence would have it, he is reading Isaiah 53. which speaks specifically of the coming of Messiah, the suffering servant text of scripture. So Philip ran to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, do you understand? Note that word again. That's that word that's used by Jesus, sowing the seed on the hearts of men. Those who understood bore fruit. Those who didn't fell away. Understanding. And we know the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding. Do you understand what you're reading? That's absolutely a prerequisite to conversion. If somebody is scratching their head and it doesn't make sense, it's got to make sense. And the Spirit of God is the one who gives people understanding. Understanding. Do you understand what you're reading? And he said, how can I unless someone guide me? So Philip comes along and he's going to explainify, he's going to explain what the text means. And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep. to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer. So he opened not his mouth in his humiliation. His justice was taken away. And who will declare his generations? For his life is taken from the earth. And so the eunuch answered Philip and said, I ask you, of whom? Does the prophet say this of himself or some other man? What a golden opportunity to witness of Christ from the very text. that prophesies of the suffering Savior. And so it says, then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at the Scripture, preached Jesus to him. You'll hear testimonies from One for Israel. They've got a whole host of testimonies. And some of them say in their testimony, as they've witnessed to other people, especially their Jewish relatives, they'll read Isaiah 53 to them, and they contend, that's in the New Testament, isn't it? No, it's in the Tanakh, the Old Testament, we call it. And they're surprised because just a face reading of it clearly indicates he's referring to a suffering servant. And that servant is not Israel. It's Messiah. It's Messiah. And so he explains it. Beginning at this scripture, he preached Jesus to him. And now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Clearly he had received understanding. He understood. So he commanded the chariot to stand still, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. He probably sees him now up in heaven, right? They're reunited in heaven. And he went on his way rejoicing. That, beloved, is the joy in conversion. Do you remember when you were saved? Do you remember that? Do you remember that experience? of coming out of darkness into light. Do you remember that experience of having the bondage and guilt of sin removed and they were forgiven? And you turned to Christ. Were you joyful? It is one of the most joyful experiences. You can't fully describe it to someone. They just know it and they see it in your life. That there's something different. Especially those who've been in the dregs of sin. Those who have been converted in childhood, they don't always have those expressions of joy, although I've seen with my own children the guilt that they've carried, and how that through conversion that guilt is removed, and finally they've trusted Christ. And I bless God for that. I've seen it in my grandchildren. My one grandson, Paul, I'd witnessed too, you know, several times, trying to impress upon him the importance of trusting Christ. And then after they left, and even in times that they'd come and visit, I would talk to him about it. But ultimately and eventually, God, in His mercy, reached down and touched Paul's life and changed him. Same with John. I believe it's true of Rachel and Becca. I believe that God in His mercy has changed them and they have joy. They have joy. Do you have joy in your heart? If you have nothing else to be joyful about, you can be joyful about salvation, right? Your salvation. Joy in conversion. Now there's a caveat, a warning, a hesitation about that. You can't necessarily interpret joy as being real because Jesus said of one of the soils on which the seed fell, it says, but the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. These have no root, who believe for a while, and then in the time of temptation, fall away. So it's not necessarily a foolproof, a foolproof guarantee that a person is a believer. But one thing is sure, I believe, that if a person is truly converted, that joy will be there. And it will extend through their Christian experience to know the forgiveness of sins and the fellowship of God through prayer and through His Word and the fellowship of the saints. I move on. Joy in the Christian walk. Joy in the Christian walk. Now that you're a believer, you've experienced that joy. The Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 5 describes joy as fruit of the Spirit. This abiding and persistent joy that we manifest is produced by none other than the third person of the Godhead, and that is the Holy Spirit. So in Galatians chapter 5, verse 22, it says, but the fruit, and it's looking at it collectively, although it looks at the different elements that make up that collective. But the fruit of the Spirit, and I would take of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit to be the source, the source of this fruit, it comes from the Spirit, is love. Secondly, and I think it's there for a reason, it doesn't put it last in the list, it puts it second in the list. If you please, in the same triplet, because there are nine fruit that are mentioned here, love, joy, peace, joy. And this is the direct, it's directly correlated to verse 16. I say, then walk in the Spirit. And you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, excuse me. For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish to do. But if you are led by the spirit, you're not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident. He describes them there, adultery, fornication, uncleanness. These are all descriptions of the pagan community in the Galatian province. I mean, this is how they lived their lives constantly, day in and day out. And Paul is describing what they know to be the experience that they had in that state, and also the area and the expression of paganism as they knew it and were experiencing it. Adultery, fornication, sexual sins, uncleanness, less sensuousness, idolatry. And much of their immorality was associated with their pagan idolatry, sorcery, that's witchcraft, hatred, contention, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries, and of the like. In other words, there are other things too, I'm just not putting them here. of which I tell you before and just as also you in time past that those who practice these things notice the word there is practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God and then strong contrast here very strong adversity but the fruit of the Spirit we as believers have a constant struggle with indwelling sin. And Paul describes it in Romans chapter 7 as the flesh. The flesh. He says, that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. And he outlines and expresses the struggle that he was experiencing in his own, I believe, in his early Christian experience, till he began to understand the role of the Spirit of God in the life of the believer. And if you're not experiencing the spiritual walk, in the spirit and I believe and I've shared before I believe there are four basic components to that spiritual walk to be in the spirit. To walk in the spirit to live in the spirit. Number one would be the word of God because this this book. Unlike any other book was inspired by the spirit of God. The writers didn't just write out of out of completely out of their own thinking. They wrote as the Spirit of God moved upon them to write, and He guided them to write what was correct and infallible. And so it becomes authoritative. And so if we're in this book, it begins to permeate our minds. And as Paul says, And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So it's the Word of God that is that vehicle that works through the portal of the heart, I call it, to renew our minds afresh in a new daily. I was listening to a survey that was explained to me. And a recent survey, I forget the exact source, I saved it on my Facebook page, that if you read the Bible once a week, for all intents and purposes, it has no value. permeating and permanent or extended value in your life if you read it once a week. If you read it two or three times a week, it still basically has no value. They found it is only in people who read their Bible at least four times a week that it begins to change their lives, you see, four times at least a week. And I hope it's more with you. I hope it's daily. And I hope it, through the meditative process, and that is thinking about the word of God through the day, and I find myself doing that a lot, I think about passages of scripture, pondering them, that's meditation. It begins to affect your mind. So that's one way, the Word of God. The second is prayer. Because that's a spiritual exercise. The Spirit interprets. He is there in our conversation with the God of Heaven. And when we don't know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit, with groanings that can't be understood by us, interprets our prayers to Jesus Christ, who is our intercessor in Heaven. It is a spiritual exercise to pray. Praying in the Spirit. A third one is in worship. I believe that if we're coming together and using the Word of God, which is that infallible book, that if we come to worship Him, with joy, and I'll get to that momentarily, it will produce this fruit. So the joy in the Christian walk joy in the Christian walk. And I believe it's also in fellowship with one another. You can't avoid the local church. That's number four. You can't avoid the local church and expect to be spiritual. And you can't expect to know the joy of the Lord. divorced or a separate from the fellowship of the Saints because the The church is referred to as the habitation or the dwelling place of the Spirit The temple is that temple the church and it's the temple of the Spirit of God look at 1st Corinthians chapter 3 1st Corinthians chapter 3 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God? The you there is plural. Now later in chapter 6, he says your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So individually, the Spirit dwells in you, but the collecting gathering of the saints is the temple of God. You're the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. So there's that fourfold areas of walking in the Spirit. Moving on, I call our attention to joy in Christian worship. And that takes us back to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. And this psalm, as we read it and recited it this morning, just emphasizes this point so, so clearly. The psalmist writes, make a joyful shout. This word, joyful shout. was a word that could also be used for a shout to armies to enter into battle. The commanders, the captains, the sergeants, and they would yell to their people or shout to the people. It was something out loud. Here he's using it in the context of worship and telling them to shout joyfully, to joyful shout. It's a command. And it's a very powerful command because this particular Hebrew stem means causative. You are to worship in this fashion. This is a way that you are to express. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands." And this section, beginning from chapter 95 and on, he emphasizes that over and over again. But Psalm 95, verse 1 says, O come, let us sing to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, for the Lord is great, is a great God, and a great King above all gods. I mean, here He is. God of the universe. In this context, He refers to Him as our Maker. Know that the Lord, He is God, verse 3, it is He who made us. Your flesh and bones, your inward man comprised of your soul and your heart, God made them. He made you unique. He made you as a composite whole. You're not a product of evolution. Through chance and time and mutations, You would be a horrible person if that were the case You'd never made it this far If it were dependent on chance to produce, not only you, but look at all the species on the face of the earth. Each one of them has their own unique DNA, and that includes the vegetable kingdom, too. Trees and weeds, they all have their unique seed code. And you sow a seed in the ground, you wait till it germinates and produces, you can tell what kind of seed you have. It's unique. We're unique. He's our creator. And I love the addition, and not we ourselves. There was no council of men who got together and said, You know what, let's produce a human being. There are no aliens on other planets who had, and some of these atheists try to attribute it to that. If evolution did it, then aliens from a different planet who are highly intelligent came and produced, that's nonsense. It's insanity, and yet that's the scientific world. Not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. His people. Psalm 81, verse 1, using this same phraseology. Sing aloud to God our strength. Make a joyful shout to the God of our salvation. Psalm 98, verse 4, shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth. Break forth in song. And then 98, with trumpets and the sound of a horn, shout joyfully before the Lord the King. So, in our worship, it is to be a joyful expression and a joyful experience. I can't produce that in you. And I was thinking about that. What preparations do you make to come to services? Do you prepare your heart? Do you ask the Lord that He might give you the joy of the Lord as you come to worship in His presence? For if we don't see worship as coming to worship, not just listening to a man, a preacher. We're coming here, hopefully he's faithful in representing the Scriptures to us, and we're coming to worship the true and living God, and exalt Him, the Lord our Maker. Great King. Great God. And I like number four, joy in the midst of suffering. Joy in the midst of suffering. Turn to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. Right after the book of James. 1 Peter. Chapter 1. Beginning at verse 6. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold, that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen." Think about that for a moment. I've not seen him. I'm not seen him. I don't know anybody personally who has seen him. I know people, especially in the charismatic movement, Pentecostal movement, say that they've gone to heaven and seen Jesus. These believers throughout Asia Minor to whom he's writing, I've not seen him. And most of Christendom, I would say, 21st century Christendom, have not seen him. You love. You love him. The apostles clearly saw him. That was one of the prerequisites to be an apostle. The apostle Paul saw Him on the Damascus road, whom having not seen, though now you do not see Him, yet believing. You rejoice. You rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Your response to your trials, your tribulation, is joy that can't be explained in words. Because the very opposite ought to be the case. Complaining, groaning, angry with your persecutors. There was a third century Christian who gave testimony to this fact. that even though they were being persecuted unmercifully, and that is Christians, they are unique people in that instead of complaining, they rejoiced in it. And then he closed it off in his description. He says, I am one of them. I am one of them. Look at the apostles early on in the church in Acts chapter 4, and then we'll move on. Acts chapter 4, verses 20 through 23. Let me begin at verse 19. But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it's right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judged, but we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. They had glorified God for what had been done. Let me look at the last point, joy for eternity. For a text, turn to Matthew chapter 25. This is in the context of the Great Tribulation period. Jesus spoke two parables. One of them, the 10 virgins, and the next one, the 10, or the talents. Three men were distributed talents to act as stewards. Verse 14 tells us, the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise he who had two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord's money. After a long time, the Lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you entrusted or delivered to me five talents. Look, I've gained five more talents besides them. His Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You are faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Look what it says here. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Same with the person with two talents. Verse 23, the end. He says, I make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Heaven is going to be wonderful on so many levels. We will experience joy, contentment, satisfaction, elation. forevermore We may struggle with joy. I have you have we all have But in heaven, there won't be such a thing as an unjoyful person Because everybody will know joy unspeakable and full of glory you will I will Amen Amen exactly The prophets refer to this end-time scenario thing, especially Isaiah the prophet later in Isaiah 65. He writes, Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry out for sorrow of heart and wail for grief of spirit. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I created. For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people as a joy. This is Isaiah 55. Then verse 19, I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in earth. This is in eternity. Nor the voice of crying. Chapter 66, verse 5 says, Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word. I want to just pause there for a moment, that word tremble. Because that word is used in Psalm 2. Psalm 2, the word tremble. And it's used in conjunction with joy. Verse 11, let me read verse 10, picking up the context. Now, therefore, be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Seems contradictory, but the trembling here is isn't is And I I don't know how to explain it Exactly it's it's not the trembling that you would experience in in in the phrase of face of something that Would be disastrous It's a trembling that comes in the presence of God, trembling, trembling for joy. I think I've experienced it on some level in my prayer life, that when I come into the presence of the Lord, my hands and my arms are taken over and they just move. I don't know how to explain it. But it's a form of trembling. It's not something that I try to manufacture. It just happens when you come into the presence of the Lord. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling in his presence. So that's part and parcel of our worship in eternity. Jeremiah refers to it. Paul refers to the joy of eternity. He says, rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character, character hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been spread in our hearts through the Holy Ghost was given. And then he says in verse 12, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, rejoicing in the hope of our consummation. It's a hymn, I close on this note, a hymn written by Johann Frank. Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness. He writes in his hymn, deck thyself with joy and gladness. Dwell no more, my soul, in sadness. Let the daylight shine upon thee. Put thy wedding garment on thee, for the Lord of life unending. Unto thee he call in sending. Come. For now the King most holy stoops to thee in likeness lowly. Hasten then my soul to meet and eagerly and gladly greet him. As without him standeth knocking, quickly thy soul's gates unlocking, open wide, fast, closed portal, saying to the Lord Immortal, come and leave thy servant never, dwell in my heart forever. And the hymn goes on. expressing joy, the gladness that we are to experience. It was Augustine who said the Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot. Joy is the flag, one writer said, that is flown from the citadel of the heart when the king is in residence. One medical doctor, missionary, Solomon Islands, John Nortcote, wrote, a joyless Christian is a liable to his master. In other words, people, if they read your countenance, do they read joy? Martin Luther wrote that the Christian is to be a living doxology. Billy Sunday said, as only he could say, the American evangelist, if you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere. You need to patch up your Christianity somehow so you can have joy. Joy. Joy. I got accused one time, I won't say who it is. I was praying for a meal and one of the men at the meal said to me, he said, you pray like a Presbyterian. Okay. I don't know exactly what that meant, but Presbyterians are more reserved and solemn. There was a conference of Presbyterians in the city of Omaha, Nebraska, and people were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing joy in their hearts. Maybe we'll have a service where we have helium balloons, and we'll pass them out to everybody, and we'll say, when you get joy, let it go. And since they were Presbyterians, they weren't free to say, Hallelujah, praise the Lord, like a Baptist or a Pentecostal gathering. All through the service, balloons ascended, but when it was over, one-third of the balloons were unreleased. And so the admonition was, let it, let your balloon go. Let your joy be there. That's what we're called upon, as believers, is to be joyful. And God is telling us, I think, from beginning to end of Scripture and into eternity, that God's people are to experience joy all through life's journey unto eternity. Do you know joy this morning? There's a leak in your Christianity. Go down to your local hardware, buy a bike patch repair kit, and patch your Christianity. Let's pray. Father, how thankful we are for the joy of the Lord. The writer of Hebrews says the joy, he endured the cross despising the shame because of the joy that was set before him. And Jesus, even though he was called the man of sorrow, was the man who was eminently joyful. Oh God, permeate our lives individually and corporately with the joy that we might worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Just as David exuberantly danced before the ark as it was being transported into Jerusalem. All may we show exuberance in our worship and joy in our experience. In Jesus' name, amen.