I walked into church to find another guest pastor...it'd been a few weeks and keeping it real...I was ready to have my guys back. We had settled into a nice rotation of Andrew, Matthew & David. I was good.
Then this guy comes up on stage and I realize he is THE guy from SEND: Boston...I don't know what his fancy title is (my jaw was probably hanging open and I forgot to write it down). This guy....Boston is his calling...Boston is his mission field. He is over the part of NAMB that led our church to partner with church plants in Boston.
And then he started his sermon...wanna guess what it was about??? JOY. Here we are... two weeks from wrapping up the year and this guy drops a big ole joy-bomb of a sermon. (sidenote: my word choice was confirmed by a joy-themed sermon at the beginning of the year, as well...a nice "joy-sandwich").
This sermon was amazing. awesome. It spoke straight to my heart. Psalm 126. I couldn't write fast enough. It was a sermon of Twitter-material...one good nugget of TRUTH after another.
David Butler shared with us that even though our culture is crushing and demanding, there is a hunger for joy. It is something that seems elusive to most.
Joy should be MOVING TOWARD, not running away from, something.
He explained the happiness paradox >> Your search for happiness is the motivation behind all that you do BUT you will never be happy if the goal of your life is to be happy. #truthbomb Joy surprises you. You can't FIND joy. Joy finds you...WHEN GOD INTERVENES.
JOY IS GOD AT WORK. While we are waiting, God is working and in due time, God will come through.
JOY doesn't come from the outside in, it overflows from within. Joy is a constant, consistent, persistent sense of well-being. (I love this because it aptly explains how I feel or sense joy...something that is very difficult to articulate).
And the best part... when you life is FULL OF JOY, it is contagious. Yes.
But the TEST of authentic joy is whether it can withstand suffering. And ultimately... suffering produces joy...a truth that is not one we often want to embrace. In the suffering, let the realities push us into Him. God will fill our lives with an inner gladness that doesn't make any sense.
The source of your joy will determine the duration of your joy.
IN THE END, JOY WILL WIN.
IF JOY HAS NOT WON, IT IS NOT THE END.
>>>Disclaimer... 99% of these words are not mine. These are my notes from David Butler's sermon! God gets all the glory for relaying a phenomenal message through him.<<<
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. --Psalm 126***************************************
Prayer Prompt:
Pray for someone you know, maybe even yourself, that is in a time of suffering... pray that they find the joy in the pain that only God can bring.
