Finding Lasting Joy in Our Relationship with God

"One of the tactics of the enemy is to dislodge the joy out of your life. And I've seen it happen so many times. I've seen Christians who go through a myriad of experiences. You think about all the experiences that we're having here. We hold on to our joy really loosely sometimes. And all of a sudden, the thief comes. This is what John 10:10 says that the thief comes to do. To steal, kill, and destroy. And that's what he does. And often he's trying to always dislodge joy from our life." [00:31:16] (39 seconds)


"And so when we think about joy, and we think about sometimes losing joy. Now listen, joy and happiness is incredibly different, right? One of our, John Coxey gives me a candy bar every Sunday. Okay? That makes me happy. Okay? Right? There's a difference between joy and happiness. Candy makes me happy. My team winning a game makes me happy. My joy is not founded on them. My joy is not founded on those things." [00:32:01] (33 seconds)


"Because often when our joy is secure in the Lord and we look to the Lord for our joy, and that we know that He is our Father, Christ is our Savior, the Holy Spirit is a counselor, that those things are solid in our life and we get joy out of those relationships, He has absolutely no leverage on you whatsoever. No indictment on you when we understand that. You see a person who loves the Lord and has joy in the Lord. Joy in the Lord is a stronger saint." [00:33:53] (34 seconds)


"So when we come here and we look at this topic of joy, what does it look like to be joyful in this place? What does it look like to be joyful in this relationship with the Lord? Because happiness is going to come and go. Some people are going to give you chocolate, some people are not. Some of your teams are going to win, some are not. Some of your 401ks are going to tank and some are not. Some of your businesses are going to do good and some of them are not. The Lord gives and he takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." [00:35:29] (29 seconds)


"The way of holiness is a path of joy. I will tell you, I've heard that that's a church word, holiness. It means separate, that God is separate apart from us. We're not like him. We talk about holy things, a holy moment. A sacred moment. It's something that is set apart. And often when you think of holiness, I don't know if we really mix joy in there, right? Because sometimes when we take the word holiness, we think of somberness, seriousness." [00:39:03] (39 seconds)


"Why would the path of holiness be the way to joy? You're going to see this passage kind of flow out this way. Look what it says in verse 8. Verse 8. The highway will be there. In this wilderness, when the dry land where people are going to be glad, there's a highway there. And it shall be called, they named this highway, the way of holiness. Here's what happens on that highway. No unclean shall pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way. Even if they are fools, they shall not go astray." [00:39:43] (40 seconds)


"See, God is dedicated to your holiness. He wants you to walk in this way. Here's why it's so hard. In our life, it's a shared space. We live up in a shared space. Jesus talked about the wheat and the tares that will grow up and there's tension there. We can't get away from it. We've tried to so many times. When you walk out of this place, you're going to see all kinds of things of the world. But God has made you for holy things." [00:49:12] (27 seconds)


"That's where we're going and that's what God is doing to us. So here it is. The first thing I want you to know and see from this is the way of holiness is a path of joy. How does holiness and joy come together? Because the path of joy is the path of the redeemed. This is what the redeemed walk in. Joy is just not a mixed bag that you find here. Joy is not a mixed bag that you find here. Joy is not a mixed bag that you find here. Joy starts with Jesus. Now look at what's not there." [00:49:48] (27 seconds)


"Here's the third thing I want you to see is that the way of the redeemed leads to everlasting joy. Look at the last verse. And the ransom of the Lord shall return. That's who walked along the way. The come to Zion was singing. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall attain gladness and joy. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away. You see, going back, as we hold our joy, the enemy is going to try to punch this out all the time. All the time." [00:54:34] (34 seconds)


"And it's easy to do in this life to lose your joy. A lot of things can take it away from you. But can I tell you that this life is not all there is? This is what we need to really, really hone in on. Because I think a lot of us, including myself, we live like this is all. This is all it is. Church, this is not all that it is. Your life echoes into eternity. There is a city coming, the city of Zion." [00:55:06] (27 seconds)


"And that is where there will be no sighing. That is where every tear will be wiped away. That is where the God of all the universe sits on the throne. That is where our joy is complete. That is our home. That is where we're going. That is where our spirits are made purpose. That is where the things that happen. And here Hebrews 12 says, You have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable angels and festive gathering, the enrollment of heaven, to God the judge to all, and the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, sprinkled with his blood." [00:55:34] (43 seconds)


"That's where we obtain joy and gladness. Sorrow shall flee away. What happens, guys? So much in our life is that often joy and sorrow are mixed in this life. I don't know where you are today. I don't know where your life is intersecting. I don't know if you're reaching for joy, but sorrow has made it into your heart. The worship service centers us today. That's why we've come today." [00:56:17] (36 seconds)