HOW CAN YOU CHANGE?
NOT BY HEARIN' MESSAGES AND GOIN' HOME
AND TRYIN' TO MAKE 'EM WORK IN YOUR LIFE.
MY GOODNESS, I'LL TELL YA WHAT.
IF YOU'RE AS BAD AS I WAS, I NEEDED EVERYTHING I HEARD,
EVERYTHING.
AND EVERY PREACHER GAVE ME SOMETHIN' DIFFERENT TO DO.
I WAS TO MAKE CONFESSIONS, AND GET UP EARLY AND PRAY,
AND WE HAD TO READ THE BIBLE THROUGH IN A YEAR PLAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST ONE THING
AFTER ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER.
AND THEN I WOULD HEAR MESSAGES ABOUT BEIN' CAREFUL
WITH YOUR MOUTH AND NOT TALKIN' TOO MUCH,
AND I'D HEAR MESSAGES ABOUT THE MIND,
AND SO I WOULD DECIDE THAT I WAS GONNA GO HOME
AND NOT SAY ANYTHING, SO THAT WAY I DIDN'T MAKE
ANY MISTAKES WITH MY MOUTH.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON, YOU KNOW WHERE I'M AT?
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND THEN I'D JUST BE REAL SUPER QUIET,
AND THEN PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND THEN I'M LIKE, "THAT FIGURES.
YOU DON'T LIKE IT IF I TALK.
YOU DON'T LIKE IT IF I DO TALK."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "PEOPLE JUST AREN'T HAPPY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO."
BUT HERE'S THE WILD THING THAT I NOTICED.
WHEN I SHUT MY MOUTH AS AN ACT OF DISCIPLINE,
I WOULD GET DEPRESSED.
BY THE TIME LATE IN THE AFTERNOON CAME,
I WAS SO DOWN.
AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
I SAID, "GOD, WHY DO I FEEL SO DOWN?
I'M JUST TRYIN' TO DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SPOKE TO MY HEART.
HE SAID, "YOU'VE SHUT YOUR MOUTH,
BUT NOTHIN'S CHANGED ON THE INSIDE.
AT LEAST WHEN YOU WERE TALKIN', YOU WERE LETTIN'
SOME OF THE PRESSURE OUT.
NOW IT'S ALL IN THERE."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
WELL, YES, WE SHOULD RESPOND
TO THE MESSAGES THAT WE HEAR, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO
IS GO HOME AND SAY, "YOU KNOW, GOD, I WAS REALLY
CONVICTED BY THAT WORD TONIGHT.
THAT REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART, AND I REALLY WANT TO GROW
IN THAT AREA.
AND SO, HOLY SPIRIT, I'M ASKIN' YOU TO TEACH ME
IN THIS AREA, AND, GOD, I NEED YOU TO CHANGE ME
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I CANNOT CHANGE MYSELF."
AND THEN YOUR PART IS TO STUDY THE WORD IN THAT AREA BECAUSE,
"THE WORD OF GOD CONTAINS THE POWER TO SAVE YOUR SOUL,"
ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF JAMES CHAPTER 1.
"THE WORD OF GOD, IF RECEIVED IN MEEKNESS,
CONTAINS THE POWER TO SAVE YOUR SOUL."
SO OUR PART IS NOT TO GO HOME AND TRY REALLY HARD TO CHANGE,
BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT A MOUTH PROBLEM,
THEN GO HOME AND READ EVERY BOOK YOU CAN FIND ON THE MOUTH.
I'VE GOT TWO OR THREE OUT THERE, PLUS A BUNCH OF CDS AND DVDS
AND EVERYTHING ELSE 'CAUSE I HAD
A LOT OF MOUTH PROBLEMS, SO I TEACH ON THAT A LOT.
YOU GOTTA HAVE THE WORD.
WE ARE CHANGED BY THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND OUR PART IS TO STUDY THE WORD.
AS WE LOOK INTO THE WORD OF GOD FAITHFULLY, WE ARE CHANGED
INTO HIS IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY TO GLORY.
"IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD," JESUS SAID IN JOHN 8,
"THEN ARE YOU MY DISCIPLES INDEED.
AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE,"
AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO I CHANGED MY TRYING FOR TRUSTING,
AND I DECIDED THAT I WOULD TRY TO LIVE THE SAME WAY
THAT I WAS SAVED.
"GOD, YOU GOTTA HELP ME.
GOD, IF YOU DON'T CHANGE ME, I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT THIS IS IT.
IF YOU DON'T CHANGE ME, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE STUCK WITH."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: THERE'S NO POINT IN PROMISIN' GOD,
"OH, GOD, PLEASE, IF YOU'LL JUST FORGIVE ME,
I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.
PLEASE, GOD, JUST FORGIVE ME, AND I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN."
WHY DON'T YOU JUST TELL THE TRUTH AND SAY,
"GOD, I TRUST THAT YOU WILL FORGIVE ME BECAUSE YOUR WORD
SAYS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PAID FOR ALL MY SINS.
SO I RECEIVE YOUR FORGIVENESS AND I RECEIVE YOUR MERCY.
AND I'M JUST GONNA KINDA BE HONEST WITH YOU AND TELL YOU,
IF YOU DON'T HELP ME, I WILL DEFINITELY DO IT AGAIN."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE MAKE NO EFFORT,
BUT IT'S NOT A FLESHLY EFFORT THAT WE MAKE, AMEN?
IS ANYBODY IN THE BUILDING WORN OUT FROM TRYING?
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE JUST TRYIN' REALLY HARD
TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN?
YOU KNOW, A GOOD CHRISTIAN IS AN OXYMORON.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD CHRISTIAN.
IF WE COULD BE GOOD, WE WOULDN'T NEED CHRISTIANITY.
YEAH, I KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
ANY GOODNESS WE HAVE IN US CAME FROM GOD.
IT'S NOT OUR OWN GOODNESS.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND ANY GOOD THING THAT WE DO,
WE GIVE GOD THE PRAISE FOR IT AND THE CREDIT FOR IT,
AND WE KNOW RIGHT THEN, "I'LL NEVER DO ANOTHER GOOD
THING IN MY WHOLE LIFE IF YOU DON'T HELP ME."
I'M TALKIN' ABOUT DOIN' EVERYTHING WITH AND FOR GOD,
AND GIVIN' HIM THE CREDIT AND THE GLORY.
THE SAME WAY YOU WERE SAVED, THAT'S THE SAME WAY
WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE.
GOD IS NOT FOR SALE, AND WE CANNOT BUY HIM
WITH OUR GOOD WORKS.
AND WHEN WE DO GOOD THINGS, GOD DOESN'T OWE US ANYTHING
BECAUSE WE DID, COME ON.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: COME ON, IF YOU GET UP AND PRAY THE FIRST TWO HOURS
OF EVERY DAY, AND YOU READ SIX CHAPTERS
IN YOUR BIBLE EVERY MORNING, GOD DOESN'T OWE YOU ANYTHING.
SO THEN, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AND GOD DOESN'T SHOW UP
THE MINUTE YOU THINK HE SHOULD, YOU CAN'T KINDA THINK ABOUT,
"WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I PRAY TWO HOURS EVERY DAY."
EHH, BETTER WATCH IT, BETTER WATCH IT.
DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU MAD WHEN GOD BLESSES SOMEBODY
THAT ISN'T NEARLY AS SPIRITUAL AS YOU ARE?
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: 'CAUSE, SEE, WE THINK IF WE'RE GOOD,
THEN GOD OWES US, AND WE SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT
GOD JUST DOES EVERYTHING FOR.
BUT WE NEED TO GET RID OF THAT ATTITUDE
THAT "I'M GONNA DO THIS SO I CAN GET SOMETHING
FROM YOU." ANYTHING GOOD THAT WE DO--
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER ONE MORNING,
THE LORD SAID TO ME, "WILL YOU STOP ACTIN'
LIKE YOU'RE DOIN' ME A FAVOR WHEN YOU READ THE WORD?"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "I ALREADY KNOW IT."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "YOU'RE READING IT FOR YOU."
WE'RE NOT DOIN' GOD A FAVOR.
WE DON'T GET SOME KINDA CHECKMARKS
ON OUR HEAVENLY WORKS CALENDAR WHEN WE READ THE BIBLE
OR WHEN WE PRAY.
WE PRAY, IF WE'VE GOT ANY BRAINS AT ALL,
SO WE CAN GET HELP FROM GOD.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: PRAYER IS A PRIVILEGE.
IT'S NOT AN OBLIGATION AND A DUTY.
AND READING THE WORD IS SMART.
IT SHOWS YOU HOW TO MANAGE AND RUN YOUR LIFE IN A WAY
WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THE MOST BLESSED LIFE
THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE.
NOW, LET'S LOOK AT A VERY INTERESTING SCRIPTURE.
LUKE 17:7-11.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER SHARED THESE SCRIPTURES
FROM THE PULPIT, SO HERE GOES.
YOU SAY, "UH-OH, A SCRIPTURE SHE'S NEVER SHARED."
"'WILL ANY MAN OF YOU WHO HAS A SERVANT PLOWING
OR TENDING SHEEP SAY TO HIM WHEN HE HAS COME IN
FROM THE FIELD, "COME IN AT ONCE AND TAKE
YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE?" WILL HE NOT INSTEAD TELL HIM,
"GET MY SUPPER READY AND GIRD YOURSELF AND SERVE ME
WHILE I EAT AND DRINK; THEN AFTERWARD YOU YOURSELF
SHALL EAT AND DRINK?" IS HE GRATEFUL
AND DOES HE PRAISE THE SERVANT BECAUSE HE DID
WHAT HE WAS ORDERED TO DO?'" NOW, WATCH VERSE 10:
"'EVEN SO ON YOUR PART, WHEN YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING
THAT WAS ASSIGNED AND COMMANDED YOU, THEN YOU SAY,
"WE ARE UNWORTHY SERVANTS [POSSESSING NO MERIT,
FOR WE HAVE NOT GONE BEYOND OUR OBLIGATION];
WE HAVE [MERELY] DONE WHAT WAS OUR DUTY TO DO."'"
MIKE LOVES IT.
HE'S THE ONLY ONE IN THE BUILDING THAT LOVES IT.
SO WHAT'S HE SAYIN'?
"AFTER YOU'VE DONE YOUR FULL DUTY TO GOD,
AFTER YOU HAVE LOVED HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART,
AFTER YOU HAVE SERVED, AFTER YOU'VE TITHED,
AFTER YOU'VE BEEN REGULAR IN CHURCH, AFTER YOU'VE DONE
ALL THESE THINGS, THEN YOU SAY, 'GOD,
I STILL DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING, BECAUSE I CAN NEVER DO
ENOUGH GOOD TO EARN YOUR GOODNESS IN MY LIFE.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR ME.'"
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU DON'T THINK THAT YOU DESERVE ANYTHING,
YOU GET HAPPY AND GRATEFUL ABOUT EVERYTHING
THAT GOD DOES FOR YOU.
DOES ANYBODY UNDERSTAND ME?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO, WE WANNA WORK, BUT WE DON'T WANNA GET INTO WORKS.
WORKS OF THE FLESH IS OUR ENERGY TRYIN' TO DO
WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE DO.
WE DO WHAT GOD GIVES US TO DO, AND THEN WE TRUST GOD TO DO
WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO.
AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE IN WORKS OF THE FLESH?
WHEN YOU START FEELING FRUSTRATED.
BECAUSE, BOY, DO WE GET FRUSTRATED
WHEN WE'RE TRYIN' TO MAKE SOMETHIN' HAPPEN
THAT ONLY GOD CAN MAKE HAPPEN.
I USED TO GET SO FRUSTRATED AT DAVE,
SO FRUSTRATED AT MY KIDS.
I WAS MAD AT ONE OF MY KIDS BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST LIKE ME,
AND I DIDN'T LIKE THAT, 'CAUSE THEY WERE ALWAYS
TRYIN' TO CONTROL ME AND BUCK UP AGAINST MY AUTHORITY.
THAT WAS MY OLDEST SON.
AND THEN MY OLDEST DAUGHTER WAS LAZY AND SLOPPY,
AND I DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
AND MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER WAS AN EXTREME PERFECTIONIST,
AND I DIDN'T LIKE THAT EITHER, BECAUSE SHE WAS SO--YEEH.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: SHE'D DO HER HOMEWORK AND JUST BE IN HER ROOM,
AND IF SHE MADE ONE LITTLE TINY MISTAKE
ON THE PIECE OF PAPER, SHE'D WAD IT UP
AND THROW IT AWAY, AND I WOULD BE LIKE...
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND I'M TRYIN' TO CHANGE THIS ONE,
AND TRYIN' TO CHANGE THAT ONE, AND TRYIN' TO CHANGE THIS,
AND TRYIN' TO CHANGE THIS, AND TRYIN' TO CHANGE DAVE,
AND TRYIN' TO CHANGE MYSELF.
DOES ANYBODY GET THE PICTURE?
AND I WAS LIKE, "UGH."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: OH, I WAS SO THANKFUL WHEN I FINALLY REALIZED
THAT I COULD NOT DO THAT, BUT GOD COULD MAKE
EACH ONE OF US TO BE WHAT HE WANTED US TO BE
IF I WOULD PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SOME OF YOU HAVE GOT SOME PROJECTS
THAT YOU NEED TO GIVE UP ON, AND YOU NEED TO TURN 'EM
OVER TO GOD TONIGHT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS BUILDING.