Unshakeable Joy: Finding Strength in God's Presence

The sermon emphasizes the distinction between joy and happiness, underscoring that true joy is rooted in a relationship with God and not dependent on external circumstances. The speaker highlights that joy is a deep, consistent state that comes from knowing God is in control, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of happiness, which is tied to changing situations. The joy of Christmas is particularly noted as stemming from the birth of a Savior who came to restore humanity's relationship with God. This joy serves as a powerful testimony and is available even in adversity.

The speaker encourages the congregation to focus on the joy that comes from God's unchanging nature, referencing the story of Nehemiah and the prophet Habakkuk, who found joy in the Lord despite hardships. The sermon also touches on the importance of trust in God's consistency and His word, using the example of a farmer who rejoices in the Lord despite his losses and a woman who declares "it is well" in the face of her son's death.

The speaker discusses the concept of "unboxing joy," drawing parallels between the popular trend of unboxing videos and the need to discover the deeper joy found in faith. They urge listeners to seek joy in Christ, which is part of the fruit of the Spirit and leads to a sense of peace and contentment. The sermon also addresses the importance of being cheerful in giving as an expression of joy and gratitude towards God.

Throughout the sermon, personal stories and examples are used to illustrate points, such as the speaker's trust in God through struggles and envisioning a world filled with love and joy. The speaker also makes practical announcements regarding church activities, such as the Limitless Lunch, the introduction of kids ministry, and the need for life group leaders.

Key Takeaways:

- True joy is an unshakeable state that comes from an intimate relationship with God, not from external circumstances. It is a profound sense of peace and contentment that believers can hold onto even in the darkest times, as exemplified by the prophet Habakkuk who chose to rejoice in the Lord amidst adversity. [01:23:45]

- The joy of the Lord is a believer's strength and stronghold, as seen in the story of Nehemiah. This joy is a deliberate choice and recognition of what God has done through His love and Christ's sacrifice. It is a goal to be pursued, not a fleeting emotion that comes and goes with changing situations. [01:34:04]

- Trusting in God's consistency and His word is key to experiencing true joy. This trust allows believers to wake up in victory, regardless of their circumstances, and to live with a sense of joy that can be a testimony to others. The consistency of God in our lives is more reliable than any human achievement, such as the performance of an athlete like LeBron James. [01:15:47]

- Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and it is only by being in God's presence and allowing His Spirit to dwell within us that we can experience complete and overflowing joy. This joy surpasses the happiness offered by the world and fills believers with a sense of wholeness and satisfaction. [01:20:31]

- Giving cheerfully is an expression of the joy that comes from a relationship with God. It is an opportunity to show gratefulness and to express joy to God for His faithfulness, provision, and care. Believers are encouraged to listen to the Lord's guidance in determining what to give and to approach giving with a joyful heart. [01:43:53]

### Bible Reading

1. **Habakkuk 3:17-19 (ESV)**
> "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places."

2. **Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)**
> "Then he said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'"

3. **John 15:11 (ESV)**
> "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

### Observation Questions

1. According to Habakkuk 3:17-19, what is the prophet's response to a series of unfortunate events? How does he find strength?
2. In Nehemiah 8:10, what does Nehemiah instruct the people to do, and what reason does he give for this instruction?
3. What does Jesus say about joy in John 15:11, and what is the purpose of His message to His followers?
4. In the sermon, what examples did the speaker use to illustrate the difference between joy and happiness? ([01:04:56])

### Interpretation Questions

1. How does Habakkuk's declaration of joy in the Lord despite his circumstances challenge our understanding of joy? What does this say about the nature of true joy? ([01:23:43])
2. Nehemiah tells the people that "the joy of the Lord is your strength." How can joy be a source of strength in difficult times? ([01:34:39])
3. Jesus speaks of His joy being in us and our joy being full in John 15:11. How does this fullness of joy differ from the fleeting happiness the world offers? ([01:20:44])
4. The sermon mentioned that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. How does this understanding affect the way we seek and cultivate joy in our lives? ([01:18:24])

### Application Questions

1. Reflect on a time when you experienced joy despite difficult circumstances. How did your relationship with God influence that experience? ([01:23:43])
2. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." How can you practically remind yourself of this truth when facing daily challenges? ([01:34:39])
3. Jesus wants our joy to be full (John 15:11). What steps can you take this week to deepen your relationship with Him and experience this fullness of joy? ([01:20:44])
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of trusting in God's consistency. Identify an area in your life where you struggle to trust God. How can you work on building that trust? ([01:12:56])
5. The speaker mentioned that joy is a powerful testimony to others. How can you demonstrate this joy in your interactions with friends, family, and coworkers this week? ([01:36:54])
6. Giving cheerfully is an expression of joy and gratitude towards God. How can you incorporate cheerful giving into your life, not just financially but also in terms of time and talents? ([01:43:53])
7. The sermon discussed the concept of "unboxing joy." What are some practical ways you can "unbox" joy in your daily life and share it with others? ([01:01:29])

Day 1: Joy Beyond Circumstances
True joy is not swayed by life's ups and downs but is anchored in the steadfast love and sovereignty of God. This joy is a profound sense of peace and contentment that believers can hold onto even in the darkest times, as exemplified by the prophet Habakkuk who chose to rejoice in the Lord amidst adversity. It is an unshakeable state that comes from an intimate relationship with God. [01:23:45]

Habakkuk 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Reflection: Can you identify a situation in your life where your happiness was fleeting? How can you cultivate a deeper sense of joy that is independent of circumstances?

Day 2: Strength in Divine Joy
The joy of the Lord is a believer's strength, a stronghold in times of trouble. It is a deliberate choice and recognition of what God has done through His love and Christ's sacrifice. This joy is a goal to be pursued, not a fleeting emotion that comes and goes with changing situations. [01:34:04]

Nehemiah 8:10 - "Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'"
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you chose joy in the midst of hardship. How did acknowledging God's love and Christ's sacrifice help you through that time?

Day 3: Trusting in God's Unchanging Nature
Trusting in God's consistency and His word is key to experiencing true joy. This trust allows believers to wake up in victory, regardless of their circumstances, and to live with a sense of joy that can be a testimony to others. The consistency of God in our lives is more reliable than any human achievement. [01:15:47]

James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Reflection: How does trusting in the unchanging nature of God change your perspective on your current challenges?

Day 4: The Fruit of Divine Presence
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and it is only by being in God's presence and allowing His Spirit to dwell within us that we can experience complete and overflowing joy. This joy surpasses the happiness offered by the world and fills believers with a sense of wholeness and satisfaction. [01:20:31]

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Reflection: What are some ways you can cultivate the presence of the Holy Spirit in your daily life to experience His joy?

Day 5: Cheerful Giving as Joyful Worship
Giving cheerfully is an expression of the joy that comes from a relationship with God. It is an opportunity to show gratefulness and to express joy to God for His faithfulness, provision, and care. Believers are encouraged to listen to the Lord's guidance in determining what to give and to approach giving with a joyful heart. [01:43:53]

2 Corinthians 9:7 - "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Reflection: What can you give cheerfully this week as an expression of your joy and gratitude towards God?

Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I go by the name of the boy Millie Young, and I'm here with my homie Joshua Ali.

Hey, we just came to give you some encouragement today. I hope you're ready. Let's go!

Push to victory. No problems, yeah, we had them. They tried to weigh us down. Some days can't see the light. I'm just praying we be found. No food, no light, no water, and that baby needs some shoes. But still, through all the struggles, we put our trust in you.

Now we push to the sunshine 'cause we know that he's been good. And your love is a lifeline to make sure that we all could.

I don't talk about Bentley. I may not have it all, but through him, I've got plenty. Truth is, I can't say I need you to.

Won't stop and we won't go. Can't quit till we let y'all know. Hey, this love and peace I found, it never ends and it won't come down.

Hey, I had a great idea: a world with no hate and no fear. All greats love and all cheers. Families, hugs, and no tears.

Hey, let me just bash for a minute. Brand new with no windows tinted. Party in the street till the sun come get us, and tell the whole crew they can all come with us.

And we ain't gotta lock the doors, and we don't need cops, of course. And we don't care about your skin. We just want it all our way.

They tell me it's illogical, but anything is possible. If God be for us, we can overcome all obstacles. They say love covers a multitude of sins, so I'm here to put some love in the wind.

Tell a friend.

All right. Well, good morning, church.

All right. How many of you would say it's a little warm in here today? Can I just see the hands?

Yeah, it's a little warm. Praise God for that heat, huh? Because we didn't have it last week. So praise God that we got it.

So I'm excited. Thank you. I don't usually do this, but Tim, thank you so much for sacrificing. Where's he at? Oh, over here.

Thank you for sacrificing your Saturday, your last service call. He was pulling up the motor for the air conditioning. He's like getting it up there, spending some time on his Saturday. Thank you to his beautiful wife who allowed him to come. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

The first service thanks you for getting our heat working. We appreciate that.

Two very quick announcements. The first, or three very short ones, please. I encourage you to sign up to be a life group leader. I'm excited about the opportunity for community, but we need people to lead that community.

People are like, "Oh, I just want to be in community. I just want to be in community." So you want to lead a life group? "No, I just want to be in community."

Oh, then that means you need to lead a life group. All right. So please sign up for that.

My second announcement is for those who are coming to our limitless lunch. OK, so I know that I've received some messages about people who had difficulty signing up. Obviously, a QR code is available to do that. It is today, and it's going to be today at one o'clock.

And it's going to be over in the limitless offices. We will have a sign. So I'm pointing this way. So it will give you a sense of direction for those of you who didn't even know we had an office.

So it's this way, right behind the kitchen. There's a corridor there, and there will be an A-frame sign that says "limitless lunch." And you walk through the gate, and we'll guide you from there.

That's going to be at one o'clock here. For those of you who weren't paying attention to the announcements, if you have made limitless church your home within the past three to four months, then we want to have an opportunity to have lunch with you, to tell you our story, to let you hear a little bit about our church and the things that we have available here for myself, for my wife, and our team leads.

So we want you to have that opportunity. We have food available for you that is going to be at one o'clock. Please, please, please. They've already cooked the food. You should probably show up. It's rude when people cook food and you don't show up and eat it. Amen.

All right. And then my last announcement that I'm very, very excited about. I forgot to announce it in the first service, and I'm so upset. But I am happy to announce that beginning January the seventh—somebody say January 7th. Somebody say January 7th.

Beginning January 7th, we will have kids ministry in our first service. Yeah, I got that. I got I'm gonna do that. I got you.

We still need teachers, right? Yeah. She's like, "Make sure you say we have the teacher." We need teachers. We need assistants. We need people to sign in our kids or to check in.

So if you're interested in those areas, please, please, please sign up. But I am excited to announce that we will be getting, beginning January 7th, we will have our kids ministry available in the first service.

So some of you have been asking, have been inquiring about that. Those of you who are watching online right now, you have been inquiring about that. And January 7th, we will begin our kids ministry in the first service.

And I want to say thank you to those of you who have signed up, who have said, "Hey, I'm going to step up and I'm going to be a teacher. Hey, I'm going to step up and I'm going to do check-in. Hey, the Lord has put it on my heart to come serve in kids ministry."

I want to say thank you so much for caring for our kids and making sure that they get the best care possible and they get to learn about Jesus at their own level in our first service. Amen.

All right. All right. So is anybody ready to dive into the word?

I'm praying that y'all gonna do better. Is anybody ready to dive into the word?

All right. There we go. There we go. There we go. That's it.

All right. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. God, we thank you for this opportunity to hear from you. God, your word is already anointed. So would you anoint our hearts so that we could receive your word with gladness? Would you anoint our ears so that we can hear what it is that you're saying?

God, we bind any satanic or demonic force that would try any distraction that would try to hinder your word from coming forth today. We bind it in the name of Jesus. We lose the spirit of peace and liberty today. God, would you have your way in Jesus' name? Amen.

All right. So I'm excited to start our new series this week. We're talking about Unboxing Joy.

Okay. Unboxing Joy. Our series this week is called, our series this month is called Unboxing Christmas. We got a graphic up there that's coming up. Boom. Unboxing Christmas.

For those of you who have no idea what unboxing is, some of you are like, "What does that mean?" I'm going to share with you what that means.

During COVID time, there was this phenomenon, this thing that people liked to do and people wanted to do where they bought things. And when they bought things, they would buy it and then they would open it up.

And you would think that that would be it. No. What they did was they pulled out a camera and began to stream online so that other people could see the thing that they bought.

Now, usually it would be a high-tech, like a camera or a new pair of shoes, or it'd be something, you know, of value. And what the unboxing did, the reason that this became a popular thing that they still do to this day is because it became like a review.

It became like this thing that you can instantly get a real-life review of the product. You know, when you maybe go on Amazon or you go on these sites, you wonder, "Is that a robot that did that? Is that a real person that did that? Or is this real?"

Now, with the video, you're actually able to enjoy the experience as they open it up, as they show you, "Oh, look at the, you know, you'd be your own Vanna White. Look at the color and look at the features and it has this and it has that and it has all these things going on," and it's able to show you.

And that thing was called unboxing. And today I want to unbox something that I have not found unboxed on YouTube.

And this series, we are going to unbox Christmas. OK, I believe that there are some beautiful things that happen and there are some beautiful things that we can talk about when we open up the story and this whole idea of Christmas.

Right. And so today I want to start with the first gift that I believe that we can have as we unbox Christmas and we're unboxing joy. Somebody say joy.

All right. Our life as Christians should be rooted and filled with joy. Now, it's very easy for us to look at our world, to look at our circumstances, to look at our situation and say, "Well, what reason do I have to be joyful? You don't understand my life. You don't understand what's going on. You don't understand my upbringing, my financial situation. You don't understand what reason do I have to be joyful?"

And I will respond by saying that actually what you're referring to isn't joy. What you're referring to is happiness.

Now, happiness is defined as the state or the condition of feeling or showing pleasure or satisfaction. The state or the condition of feeling or showing pleasure or satisfaction.

Okay. Happiness is a state. Happiness is a condition. It's a feeling. Okay. And feelings are triggered by external circumstances, and feelings can change based on those circumstances.

Okay. Ladies, step outside, sunshine, no clouds in the sky. It's the temperature that you like. What happens? You're happy. I'm happy because the sun is shining. I'm happy.

Okay. But then it starts raining. It starts raining. Suddenly we find our blankets. We're like, "Oh, it's raining outside. I just want to cuddle up. This is how I make it. This is a good weather to just drink some soup and cuddle up."

Why? Because it's raining outside. Your feelings have changed.

Family. My wife is a big, she loves, loves, loves being around family. Okay. She loves being around family. She's excited. She wants to be there. She wants to be around.

Some of us, we don't share that feeling. Not me. I love being around my family. Not me. Just, I'm going to clarify. I love being around my family.

But for some of us, when we get around our family, it gets a little tense, right? You're walking on eggshells. Your emotions change at the thought of you being around your family.

Okay. Food. Oh, hallelujah. My emotions changing already. See, I like to go to Texas Roadhouse.

Okay. They didn't pay me for this ad, but it is what it is. If they want to sanitize, holla at me. But I like going to Texas Roadhouse.

The thing I love about Texas Roadhouse is when you get there, they have this bread, right? And the—see? Look at y'all. See? So, let's focus. Let's focus. We don't want to lose it.

Okay. So, they have the bread, and they bring the bread, and they sit down, and you're eating the bread. And then when you order the food, they got these ribs that just fall off the bone when you get them and the green beans and the corn.

When I see my food coming or when I see my waitress over there, I'm looking at the kitchen. So, as soon as she comes out the kitchen and I see her, at that point, I begin to get happy because I know the thing that I have been waiting for and the thing that I ordered is on its way.

I begin to get happy. My emotions change, right? Before, I might have been a little hangry, but when I see it coming, now I'm happy until they pass my table because it wasn't my order.

I just ordered, so. But your feelings change based on the circumstances.

That's what we're not talking about. Those changing things that we're referring to today is something that is consistent. We're talking about joy.

There's a song that Daniella stole from my message that we sung. Adriana stole it. Sorry, Daniella. That Adriana stole from our message, a song we used to sing in vacation Bible school.

We sung it earlier. I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart. I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.

Some of y'all are like, "What is vacation Bible school?" Don't worry about it. But we're talking about joy, and this joy has to be in my heart.

This joy can't be based on external things because the moment that my joy is based on something external, it is no longer joy. It is happiness because it can be changed.

Joy is something that is consistent. Joy is defined as internal stability in spite of external circumstances.

Okay? Internal stability in spite of external circumstances as a result of the knowledge that God is in control. It is a settled assurance, a quiet confidence in God's sovereignty.

It's settled. See, emotions or happiness is a feeling. Feelings are fleeting. They're constantly changing. They're not settled.

Joy is a settled assurance, a quiet confidence in God's sovereignty. So we see based on these definitions that happiness is different than joy.

See, most people in today's society, they spend their time, they spend their life, they spend their energy and resources chasing happiness all day long.

I'm scrolling through Instagram trying to find happiness. Oh, I got a little dose of dopamine. That's it. So I got happiness, and I keep scrolling happiness. I keep scrolling happiness, and that's why I'm always addicted to my phone because I'm trying to find happiness, and I'm scrolling to find happiness.

And then the minute that I don't have access to it or the minute that it changes, now I don't have it anymore, and we spend our life trying to find happiness.

But it's predicated on the outside. Happiness says I'm happy because my circumstance is good. But as soon as my circumstance is bad and I'm not happy anymore, then I'm going to go to try and find something else that will make me happy, and the cycle continues because it is never enough.

The cycle continues because we have now placed people and things in a position to fulfill something that it was never meant to fulfill.

We've placed relationships, our spouses, and positions and requiring of them things that they were never meant to fulfill. They were never meant to give you joy.

Joy is rooted. Joy is settled, quiet confidence. Joy is rooted in what we know. Joy is rooted in Jesus.

Joy says I'm not going to be moved by what's going on around me. I'm not going to be moved by the situations and the circumstances that are going on because I know that God turns all things for the good for those who love him and who are called according to his purpose.

Joy says we serve a God that has already overcome the world. So when I woke up this morning, despite what happens when I wake up, I woke up in victory.

Why? Because God has already overcome the world. And if he lives in me, I overcome the world. Therefore, I have victory.

Joy comes from our trust in the consistency of Jesus Christ and in his word. And so if I have an issue with joy, then I can only point it back to your trust in God's consistency and his word.

We keep getting back to this no matter what we talk about. We keep getting back to this idea of do you trust him?

Do you trust him? Why don't I have joy? Because you don't trust him. It's real simple. Because you don't trust him.

Because when we have trust in his consistency, when we have trust in his word, we have joy.

I talked about this in the first service. I don't like LeBron. I said it. I'm just going to put it out there. I don't like him. I didn't like him in Florida. I didn't like him in Cleveland. I don't like him now in Los Angeles.

My wife will tell you I don't care who's playing him. I don't care what team. It could be the worst team ever. I'm rooting for that team. Doesn't matter. I'm rooting for that team.

And let me tell you why. We're going to get to the bottom of this. I know y'all came for service, but hey, here we are.

Let me tell you why. I don't like LeBron's consistency. That's my problem. I'm going to put it out there. I don't like his consistency.

He was in Miami with an unimaginable team. And what I didn't like is that LeBron was smart. He wouldn't play four quarters. LeBron would just pass the ball and mess around three quarters.

They could be down by 75. Doesn't matter. LeBron's fine. He gets to the fourth quarter, and it's like he turns his switch on. Like, "Okay, I'm going to play now. All right, that was the warm-up. I'm ready to go."

It does its little thing or whatever. And it don't matter. They could be down by 100. By the time we get to the last minute of the game, LeBron is going to be winning.

And everybody knows this. There are a million great players. He's in Cleveland. You know, well, he was in Cleveland. He coached. He GM'd. He did all of the things.

Same thing. Now he's in L.A. He's, you know, he's not really old because he's like our age. But in basketball, see, he's like, "Oh, he's an old man."

And I saw him yesterday in the fourth quarter do a 360-degree dunk. And I'm like, "Ugh, it's the consistency that I have a problem with."

He's consistent in his effort. He's consistent in his winning. Here's the thing that I'm saying is you have to have trust in the consistency of God.

Because God is way more consistent than LeBron. He wakes you up. He puts breath in your body. He puts clothes on your back. He makes sure that you're in your right mind.

He makes sure that you're protected when you go to work. He makes sure you have what you need. He is consistent.

So our trust has to be in the consistency of him and his word. And there is where our joy should lie. We got to be consistent. We got to trust in that consistency.

Happiness will always be temporary because happiness depends on us. Happiness depends on us.

We must be believers who walk in joy. Our joy shows the world the living power of God in us.

When the world is going crazy, when they are going crazy as the world will do, when they see us and they see our consistency in spite of what goes around them, they ask, "There's something different about you. Why aren't you upset? Why aren't you going crazy? Because the gas prices are astronomical. Why aren't you going crazy? Because they cleaning the shelves and you can't find toilet paper. Why aren't you going crazy? Because the price of bread is up and the price of meat is up."

It's because I know something.

Psalms chapter 16, verse 11. Because I want to make sure—I'm way past my time—I want to make sure that you understand and you know how, as a believer, we get access to this joy.

How do we get access to this joy? Psalms 16, verse 11 says, Romans, Romans chapter 15. Here we go.

Romans chapter 15, verse 13. May the God of hope fill you with all what? Oh, come on. Y'all can do better than that.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing through the experience of your faith that by the Holy Spirit, you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in his promises.

How do I abound in hope? How do I overflow with his confidence? It's when the God of hope fills me with joy.

Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5, verse 22. Galatians 5, verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit, the result of his presence within us is love, unselfish concern for others. And what? Inner peace, patience, not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.

Since in his presence is fullness of joy. May the God of hope fill you with joy. The result of his presence within us is joy.

These are directional markers that point us exactly to where joy is. Joy can only be found in Christ.

Unfortunately, for so long what has happened is that we've looked for joy in so many other things, only to realize they provide temporary happiness.

And once that happiness has left us, it leaves us more depleted than we were before. You go to that thing. You go to that vice looking for happiness. You go to that relationship looking for happiness.

You go to that finance. You go to your checking account hoping to buy something that can get you happiness, only to realize that it leaves you more depleted than you were before.

God created us to be people who are full of joy. And the only way that we can be full of joy is when we are full of him.

When we are in his presence. When our hope is in him. And when his spirit fully lives in us.

See, we can't be teeter-totter. We can't be half in and half out. We can't be full of him and... You can't be in his presence and in the presence of... You can't be full of his spirit and other spirits.

John chapter 15, verse 11. Verse 11 says, "I have told you these things so that my joy and delight may be in you and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing."

Your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing. Jesus isn't offering this joy or this happiness that the world is offering. He is talking about a complete overflowing.

A true joy that is only found in him. A joy that is profound. A joy that is an all-encompassing sense of peace. A sense of contentment that comes from being united with him.

It comes from knowing his love. It comes from being in relationship with him. That is joy. That's true joy.

Now, what I'm not saying is that joy is an opportunity to ignore our feelings and our situations. And you could just willpower your way to joy. "I'm just going to be joyful." That's not what I'm saying.

That couldn't be further from the truth. Life is real. As my niece says, life be lifeing.

But because we live in a fallen world, we live in a world where we encounter opposition. We encounter sadness and discouragement just like everyone else.

We are not exempt from grief. We are not exempt from frustrations. We are not exempt from disappointments.

But the difference for the believer is that we have a purpose that we have been given. And we have a hope that allows us to grab a hold of the joy even in the darkest of circumstances.

We have something that we can hold on to that allows us to remain grounded. To have a firm footing despite the wind and the turmoil and the rain and the storms that may be coming around us.

We have something that we can hold on to that plants us firmly in the ground. We have joy.

Habakkuk chapter 3. Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 17. Some of you didn't even know where Habakkuk is. I can hear you trying to find it. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.

Y'all know what it means? Just use your table of contents. Habakkuk chapter 3. Old Testament.

Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 17 through 19. All right. Verse 17 says, "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor the fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food. The flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herds in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the deer's. He makes me tread on high places."

Now this was a bad day for a farmer. This is Habakkuk here. He said, "You know, I got these fig trees out here, but the fig trees didn't produce any fruit. They didn't blossom."

He said, "That's okay, because I got these grapes on the vines. No, no, no. The grapes didn't produce on the vines either. Cool. I got these olive trees out here. These olive vines. At least we can do is have some olive oil. No, no, no. The produce of the olive fail."

What about the things that are planted in the ground, the crops? At least we can... No, no, no. The crops, the fields yield no food. At least I got the sheep, right? I got the sheep. I got my chickens. I got my bulls out there.

No, the flocks have been cut off from the fold, and there be no herds in the stalls. This is a bad day for a farmer.

In other words, he says, "I have lost everything. I have nothing. Everywhere I turn, I have nothing at all." But he says, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will rejoice in the Lord."

See, the only way that you could be in a situation like this and be able to say, "I will rejoice in the Lord," is when you know something.

It's when you know something. There is something that you have that you know that is bigger than your circumstance. That's where your joy lies.

I'm reminded of the lady in the Bible, dad, where the prophet walks back to her and says, "How are you doing?" My son had died. He was dead. And he says, "No, no, no. How is it going?"

And she says, "Well," she says, "it is well." It is well with my soul. She says, "It is well with my soul."

Your baby is dead. How on earth can you even fix your mouth to say it is well? When the obvious thing, the circumstance is about as bad as it can get.

But she knew that her circumstance was just that. It was a circumstance. It was something that could be changed.

And she had enough faith and enough resolve. And she had, get this, she had enough trust in God and his promises and his word to know to confess differently.

She didn't say what was going on. She says, "It is well with my soul." And then her circumstance changed. Then everything turned around.

Why? Because her resolve wasn't in what was going on. Her peace and her joy wasn't in what was going on. She had something that she held onto that was firm.

She had a firm foundation, and that is where her joy was.

Habakkuk 12 says, "Looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith, the first incentive from our belief and the one who brings our faith to maturity. Who, for the joy of accomplishing the goal set before him, endured the cross, disregarding the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, revealing his deity, his authority, and the completion of his work."

He says, "Just consider and meditate on him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against himself."

He says, "Consider it in comparison to your trials." He said, "You mad about your job, but did they put a crown of thorns on your head? You mad about your relationship, but did they pierce nails through your hands? You upset because your finances are low, but did they hang you on a cross?"

He says, "Consider it all in comparison with your trials," not to minimize it, but as my wife says, it's perspective. It's perspective.

And he says, "I want you to consider because sometimes we get to the point that we feel like God can't possibly have gone through this."

And that's when we get to this part. We're just so upset. We're so angry. "God, how could you?" Like he hasn't gone through this.

He says, "Consider it in comparison with your trials so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Very quickly, the very beginning of this is something I just want you to just take it and I want you to put it in your pocket. And then when you need it, you're going to pull it out and you're going to use it.

You ready for this? Looking away from all that will distract us. When you encounter situations, opposition, things that are happening, the first thing that you need to ask yourself, is this a distraction?

That's okay. You ain't got to put it in your pocket. Put it in your pocket. Ask yourself this question. I can't figure out what's going on and all this. Is this a distraction?

And then he says, when you recognize it, look away from all that will distract us and focus our eyes on Jesus. That's free. You put that in your pocket.

Okay. And he says, he says, "For the joy of accomplishing the goal that was set before him," what better example do we have than Jesus?

Circumstances don't get much darker than what he walked through. For the joy that was set before him. That means the joy wasn't his yet.

But because there was a joy attached to the completed goal, he chose to do it. There was something that was attached to the goal. That's why it was set before him.

He says he endured it for the joy that was set before him. He endured glass shards and nails being ripped through his back. He endured long nails being placed through his hands and placed through his feet.

A spear piercing his side. He endured the shame of laying on a cross naked. He endured the shame of people spitting on him. He endured it.

And he endured it because he knew you and I, those who are online, and everyone who is sitting here today would be dependent on him completing that goal.

The joy of salvation for those who are lost. The joy of eternity spent with him. The joy of God's restored relationship with his creation.

You and I here today, we are the joy that was set before him. And for the joy set before him, he endured the cross.

He was focused on the goal. He was focused on you and I. And that was the joy that was set before him.

That was the joy that was set before him. He was focused on that goal.

See, sometimes our joy, sometimes it's a focus before it's a feeling. Sometimes it's something that we have to focus on because our feelings, our emotions, they're a result of what's happening around us, and they change.

And because they change, we have to set our focus on the goal. So we focus sometimes before it becomes a feeling.

Despite my surroundings, my focus is the hope. I'm focused on the promise. I'm focused on the joy.

This is why I have joy despite my surroundings. This is why I have joy even though I'm being attacked at work.

This is why I have joy even though my finances aren't where I want them to be. I have joy even though my kids aren't acting right.

I have joy when I don't have happiness because happiness is what's happening around me. But joy is about what happened inside me.

It's a difference. Happiness is dependent on me, but joy is dependent on him. And he never changes, and his word and his promises are true.

Listen, most times your joy won't make sense to your situation. And that's fine because the outcome as a result of your joy won't either.

The thing that you receive as a result of staying in joy, that won't make sense to people either.

I don't understand why you still have joy in spite of circumstances. That's okay because when you see the fruit of what happens as a result of me being in this joy, you ain't gonna understand that either.

Nehemiah had just rebuilt the walls of the city. He had just faced opposition. He's facing these things, and he prevailed because the Lord was with him.

He built the wall. People returned to Jerusalem, and they were safe, and they began to have a service, and they began to hear the word of God.

And as they began to hear the word of God, the people were crying. This is a pastor's dream that before you even get to the service, just from hearing the word, they started crying, and they began weeping.

Nehemiah 8, verse 9 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold."

The joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold. We experience the Lord's strength, listen to this, when we deliberately choose to recognize the joy that is already ours because of how much God loves us and what Christ has already done for us.

We make a deliberate decision in spite of what's going on around me. I choose joy. Despite what's happening in my circumstance, I choose joy.

As I'm walking through the circumstance, my focus is joy. My focus is joy.

This is what Christmas was all about. The joy given to the world that a Savior had been born, that we were dead in our trespasses, that we were separated from God, but He sent His Son to save us.

He sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins so that we could be restored in right relationship with Him. This is the hope; this is where our joy is rooted in.

This is where our joy is rooted in. The angel said, "Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which will be for all people."

This is where the joy was. This is where the joy began.

I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Not on me, not because of what I have, not because of what I don't have, not because of my spouse, not because of my girlfriend, boyfriend, not because of my relationship.

I got it down in my heart to stay because it's His, and He never changes, so it's here to stay.

A German philosopher says, "If you want me to believe in your Redeemer, then you're going to have to start looking a bit more redeemed."

Our countenance preaches to people. Doesn't mean that we got to walk around with a permanent smile, but it is a powerful testimony when we rejoice even in the midst of adversity.

Joy is a magnet that God has given us to attract the world. When they say, "Why are you happy? Well, how can you still smile? You just experienced tragedy. How are you not losing your mind?"

It's because I know something. It's because I got something that I can hold on to. No matter what's going on around me, it's going to be the same.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. This is the basis and the foundation for our joy.

Jesus came to save us from the power and the penalty of sin. And whatever we are going through in life, we can remember that we have a Savior, we have Christ, we have the Lord.

We have the Lord. And He says, "I will never leave you. I will never forsake you."

He says, "I know the plans that I have for you, plans of good and not of evil, plans of a better than expected end."

That's what my hope is. So I can't be distracted. I focus my eyes on Jesus.

Even if I don't like the outcome, even if I don't understand the outcome, then I go back to His consistency.

"God, I wanted this job, and I didn't get it." He is faithful. He is consistent.

"God, I wanted this relationship to work, but it didn't." He is faithful. He is consistent.

"God, my bank account, I thought that money was going to come through. It didn't come through." He is faithful. He is consistent.

"I spent all that time praying for a healing, and I feel like they didn't get healed, God." But He is faithful. He is consistent.

The joy of the Lord, which is rooted in His consistency and His character, is my strength.

And I want to admonish you today. I dare you to make this your focus in this season and the upcoming year.

I dare you to say that no matter what goes on around me, no matter what's happening while I'm in school, no matter what's happening while I'm at work, while I'm at home, the joy of the Lord is my strength.

No matter what circumstances, no matter what financial, no matter what family relation, I don't care what it is. The joy of the Lord is my strength, and I shall not be moved.

I didn't get the job I wanted. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Things ain't working out like I thought they should. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word today. Thank You for reminding us of Your faithfulness, God. Thank You for reminding us of Your promise.

And that the joy that You offer is not the joy that the world can give, something that is consistent, something that is permanent. God, I thank You for Your joy.

And Your prayer was that Your joy might be in us so that our joy will be full and complete and overflowing.

God, I recognize that that overflowing part isn't for us, but it is for the world to see so that they might come to know You.

And when they ask why, how, we can say the joy of the Lord is our strength.

God, we know that this week, even some of us, before we even get clear out the parking lot, the enemy will come and try to steal this Word.

So before that even happens, God, we plant this Word firmly in our hearts. We receive this Word with gladness, and we seal it right now in the name of Jesus.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. We thank You for it, in Jesus' name, amen.

Anybody get anything out of that this morning?

What I'm thinking about, as we've been talking about, the joy causes you to have this sense of gratitude.

And the joy is rooted in the fact that God is in you. The joy is rooted in the fact that God is consistent.

When He says God loves a cheerful giver, how can I be cheerful? I can be cheerful because I know I have this faithful God.

I can be cheerful because of what I know. I can be cheerful because of His promises. I can be cheerful because of His character.

And then I give out of gratitude, as a result of that. God, thank You for being faithful. God, thank You for taking care of me. Thank You for providing for me.

God, I got joy because You've been taking care of me. And I just want to take a second to say thank You.

God, I want to give You back what You asked for. I want to be generous, God, and I can be cheerful because I got a relationship with You.

And I pray that this will be your mindset as we pray. And I pray that this will be your mindset as we move to our tithes and offering, as we move into this opportunity to show our gratefulness, to express our joy to Him.

As always, as you prepare your hearts to give, I'm going to pray that the Lord will speak to you.

We talked about not giving under compulsion, not giving just out of haphazardly, but hearing the Lord on what it is that we should give.

We have three ways to give. You can give online at Limitless Woodland. If you're online, you can text the word "give" to 833-879-0161.

You can text the word "give" to 833-879-0161. And if you're here with us, obviously, the QR code, my favorite thing in the world, the QR code on the seat pocket in front of you and the offering envelope.

Heavenly Father, I pray that in the next few moments, You would speak to us on what to give and that we're taking this opportunity to walk in faith and walk in obedience.

Ushers, you may pass the buckets.

Hallelujah. Church, if you could do me a favor. I would love for you guys to participate in this. If you would stretch your hands towards the offering.

Let's get in on this. God, I thank you for those that heard you today and chose to give. I thank you for the blessing as a result of their obedience.

God, I know that there are some people today who gave out of the very little that they had. God, I pray that you will multiply it back to them in Jesus' name.

God, I thank you for those who didn't have to give but had a heart to give. God, I thank you for providing for them today, God.

God, we believe that Limitless Church is good ground. And so we sow this seed on good ground. And we command it to go and to grow in Jesus' name.

Thank you for what you will do with the hearts and the seeds that were sown here today. We honor you and we praise you with our lives, with our offering, and with our gifts.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Would you stand with me, please? As you leave, I'm going to have the altar team come forward right now.

If you're here today, we had prayer earlier. But if you say, "Hey, pastor, I just need somebody to agree with me on some things." We want to have the opportunity to pray with you.

And lastly, if you've never made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, today is your day. The reason that we are able to have joy is because our joy is in him.

And our joy is in him because he is in us. And if you've never made the decision to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, today's salvation is here.

Maybe you've made him friend. Maybe you've made him brother. Maybe you've made him a consideration. Today is the day you make him Lord.

And we want to offer that opportunity for you today. He says that if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, then you will be saved.

The opportunity for him to be your savior here on earth and in eternity. Because hell is real. And it is a real place.

But he says, "I come that you have life and life more abundantly." Come to the end of yourself and say, "I need Jesus."

That's you today. You've done the belief part. That's the part. Now we move you into this opportunity of confession.

Not that the prayer is anything huge or significant, but we want to help you move from this place of belief to confession.

So I offer you these two things as we leave today: prayer, most importantly, salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. Next Sunday is not promised. Next week is not promised.

Today is the day of salvation. Hearten not your heart when you hear him call. He's been working on you all service.

Ain't no sense in walking out without getting what he's been working on you for.

So what I'm going to offer you, I'm going to pray, and I would ask if that's you today, make your way down to this altar. We have enough prayer warriors. We got enough time to make sure you get what you need.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for speaking in this pulpit today, God. We believe that we have heard you, and we are making a decision to make the joy of the Lord our strength.

Rooting joy deep down in our hearts today, God. Thank you for what you said here today. We seal this word. Seal it.

That it will not be stolen, but that it will be kindled. It will be watered. It will be rooted in us. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

In Jesus' name, amen.

If you're here today and any of those things are you, please make your way down to the altar at this time.

For those of you who are coming to the Limitless Lunch, we will see you at 1 o'clock. You'll see the A-frame sign out back there. Our people will be out there to greet you and let you know where to go.

Can't wait to continue this next week. Thank you for coming. Invite somebody. Invite somebody. Let them experience what you're experiencing.

We love you, and don't forget, live limitless. God bless.

"The only way that you could be in a situation like this and be able to say I will rejoice in the Lord is when you know something. There is something that you have that you know that is bigger than your circumstance. That's where your joy lies." [01:25:29] (Download)

"She had enough faith and enough resolve. And she had, get this, she had enough trust in God and his promises and his word to know to confess differently. She didn't say what was going on. She says, it is well with my soul." [01:26:45] (Download)

"Our life as Christians should be rooted and filled with joy. Now, it's very easy for us to look at our world, to look at our circumstances, to look at our situation and say, 'What reason do I have to be joyful?'" [01:04:28] (Download)

"Joy is defined as internal stability in spite of external circumstances. It is a settled assurance, a quiet confidence in God's sovereignty. It's settled." [01:09:34] (Download)

"Joy is rooted in what we know. Joy is rooted in Jesus. Joy says I'm not going to be moved by what's going on around me. I'm not going to be moved by the situations and the circumstances that are going on." [01:10:38] (Download)

"A true joy that is only found in him. A joy that is profound. A joy that is all encompassing sense of peace. A sense of contentment that comes from being united with him." [01:21:29] (Download)

"But the difference for the believer is that we have a purpose that we have been given. And we have a hope that allows us to grab a hold of the joy even in the darkest of circumstances." [01:22:44] (Download)

"The joy of the Lord is my strength. This is the basis and the foundation for our joy. Jesus came to save us from the power and the penalty of sin." [01:37:48] (Download)

"Our series this month is called Unboxing Christmas. We're talking about Unboxing Joy. It's about finding the true essence of joy that comes not from the material but from the spiritual, the joy that Christ brings into our lives." [01:02:03] (Download)

"I can be cheerful because I know I have this faithful God. I can be cheerful because of what I know. I can be cheerful because of His promises. I can be cheerful because of His character." [01:42:01] (Download)