YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU WANNA HEAR
EVERY TIME YOU GO TO CHURCH.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WATCHMAN NEE SAID THAT I REALLY
LIKE IS HE SAID, "WE DON'T GO TO CHURCH TO BE ENTERTAINED."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND I CAN TELL YA, I CAN TELL YA FROM RUNNIN'
CONFERENCES, AND WE GET IN THESE BIG ARENAS, AND YOU HAVE
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME AND--NOT EVERYBODY,
BUT PEOPLE WANT A SHOW.
AND WHEN YOU'RE IN THIS POSITION, IT'S HEARTBREAKING
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU REALLY WANNA GET IN DEEPER WITH SOMEBODY AND
TEACH THEM HOW TO GROW UP IN GOD AND HOW TO REALLY SERVE
GOD, AND ALL THEY WANT YOU TO DO IS ENTERTAIN 'EM.
AND SO, KEEP IN MIND, EVERY TIME YOU GO TO CHURCH, YOU DON'T HAVE
TO BE ENTERTAINED.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO LIKE WHAT THE PREACHER'S SAYIN'.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T NEED IT JUST 'CAUSE YOU
DON'T LIKE IT.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WE DON'T GO TO CHURCH TO BE ENTERTAINED.
WE GO TO GROW UP, AMEN?
I THINK THAT EVERY TIME WE GO TO CHURCH, WE SHOULD
HEAR SOMETHING THAT ENCOURAGES US AND CONVICTS US, SOMETHING
THAT MAKES US FEEL BETTER, AND SOMETHING THAT MAKES US
WANNA GROW AND GO ON.
SO, I THANK GOD FOR WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT FAITH, BUT
THE THING THAT I'M TRYIN' TO GET ACROSS TO YOU TODAY IS YOU CAN
BE A GREAT MAN OR A GREAT WOMAN OF FAITH AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT YOU ARE NEVER GONNA HAVE PROBLEMS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA GET EVERYTHING
THE WAY THAT YOU WANT IT.
I THINK IT TAKES ONE LEVEL OF FAITH TO BELIEVE GOD
AND GET WHAT YOU WANT.
BUT, THIS IS MY OPINION, I THINK IT TAKES A GREATER FAITH
TO BELIEVE GOD FOR WHAT YOU WANT AND NOT GET IT AND STILL
LOVE GOD JUST AS MUCH.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO, LET ME JUST SAY, IF YOU'RE MAD AT GOD TODAY,
YOU'RE MAD AT THE WRONG PERSON.
BECAUSE HE IS NOT THE AUTHOR AND SOURCE OF YOUR
PROBLEMS, THE ENEMY IS, AMEN?
AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE DEVIL BACK IS TO DO AS MUCH
GOOD AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY TIME I GET UP ON
THE PULPIT AND I OPEN MY MOUTH TO PREACH A SERMON, I'M GETTING
THE DEVIL BACK FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME IN MY CHILDHOOD.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AND EVERY TIME PASTOR CHARLES
GETS UP AND HE MINISTERS THE WORD--AND I KNOW YOU'RE
STARTING A SATELLITE CHURCH NOW, AND HIM AND HIS CHILDREN ARE
GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MAD IT MAKES THE DEVIL WHEN HE THROWS
HIS GREATEST PUNCH AND YOU JUST TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOIN' ON WITH GOD.
TRUST IS A BELIEF IN SOMEONE OR SOMETHING, A BELIEF THAT
THEY'RE RELIABLE, GOOD, HONEST, AND EFFECTIVE.
NOW, GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF I CAN'T GET TO.
SO, HERE'S A QUESTION.
WHAT IF I DON'T GET WHAT I WANT?
HMM, WELL, BETTER HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN, I GUESS.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: SEE, THAT'S OUR PROBLEM SOMETIMES.
WE DON'T GET ALL THE WAY IN WITH GOD.
WE JUST GET IN FAR ENOUGH THAT IF HE DON'T COME THROUGH,
WE CAN STILL TAKE OVER AND--
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: FIND A WAY TO GET WHAT WE WANT.
THAT FEAR OF NOT GETTING WHAT WE WANT KEEPS US FROM TOTALLY
TRUSTING GOD, TOTALLY TRUSTING GOD.
"WELL, WHAT IF I TOTALLY TRUST GOD AND I DON'T
GET WHAT I WANT?" WELL, THEN I GUESS YOU WEREN'T
SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT.
YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, WE HAVE TO REALIZE
THAT WE DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING WE WANT MAY
NOT BE THE BEST THING FOR US.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS WE'RE NOT
THE ONLY PERSON ON THE PLANET THAT GOD'S INTERESTED IN DOIN'
ANYTHING WITH AND FOR.
HE DOESN'T MAKE ALL OF HIS DECISIONS JUST BASED
ON WHAT I WANT, BUT HE MAKES HIS DECISIONS BASED
ON A LOT OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID, "FATHER, IF YOU'RE WILLING, TAKE THIS CUP
FROM ME." HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH
WHAT HE WAS GONNA GO THROUGH.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
WE JUST HAVE TO KNOW IT'S THE WILL OF GOD AND BE WILLING
TO DO IT.
"FATHER, REMOVE THIS CUP FROM ME.
NEVERTHELESS, YOUR WILL BE DONE AND NOT MINE."
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THE FATHER DIDN'T ENJOY WATCHING HIS SON SUFFER LIKE THAT.
HE MAY HAVE PREFERRED TO SAVE HIM FROM IT, BUT HE DIDN'T,
BECAUSE THAT WASN'T ALL HE NEEDED TO CONSIDER.
WHEN JESUS WAS DYING ON THE CROSS, YOU KNOW WHAT
THE FATHER WAS THINKIN' ABOUT?
YES, HE SAW THE SUFFERING THAT HIS SON WAS GOIN' THROUGH,
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS THINKIN' ABOUT?
YOU AND ME AND ALL THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD EVER LIVE
THAT HAD TO HAVE A SAVIOR.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: COME ON.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: MAYBE WHEN I WAS THAT LITTLE 10 OR 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL
AND I WAS PRAYIN' FOR GOD TO GET ME OUT OF THAT SITUATION,
MAYBE HE HAD ALL THE OTHER MILLIONS OF WOMEN
THAT WOULD BE SEXUALLY ABUSED, IN MIND, AND HE WANTED
SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE BOLD ENOUGH TO GET UP IN A PULPIT
AND TELL THEM...
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: SEE, FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, ONE OF
THE REASONS WHY MY MOTHER DIDN'T HELP ME IN THE SITUATION I WAS
IN WAS BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T FACE THE SCANDAL.
NOBODY TALKED ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE.
NOBODY TALKED ABOUT INCEST IN FAMILIES.
YOU JUST DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
YOU DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY AND YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
WELL, I--SOMEBODY NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND GOD PICKED ME.
BUT I HAD TO KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKIN' ABOUT.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND OF COURSE, NOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT
ALL THE TIME.
IT'S JUST, IT'S OUT THERE, AND PEOPLE ARE GETTING
THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE ASKIN' GOD TO DO SOMETHING, HE DOESN'T JUST
ALWAYS JUST HAVE YOU IN MIND.
THERE MAY BE THINGS INVOLVED THAT YOU JUST DON'T
UNDERSTAND YET.
WE LIVE LIFE FORWARD, BUT WE UNDERSTAND IT BACKWARD.
AND WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND NOW YOU MAY UNDERSTAND AT SOME
POINT, BUT YOU MAY NEVER UNDERSTAND, AND THAT'S OKAY TOO,
AMEN?
AUDIENCE: AMEN.
JOYCE: ROMANS 11:33 AND 34: "OH, THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES
AND THE WISDOM AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD!
HOW UNFATHOMABLE (INSCRUTABLE, AND UNSEARCHABLE) ARE HIS
JUDGMENTS (HIS DECISIONS)!
AND HOW UNTRACEABLE (MYSTERIOUS, UNDISCOVERABLE) ARE HIS WAYS
(HIS METHODS, HIS PLANS)!
FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD AND WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD
HIS THOUGHTS, OR WHO HAS [EVER] BEEN HIS COUNSELOR?"
SO, IF I WOULD'VE WALKED IN HERE TODAY AND IF I WOULD'VE SAID,
"HOW MANY OF YOU ARE IN A TIME OF CONFUSION RIGHT NOW
IN YOUR LIFE?" THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT
OF HANDS UP.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU CAN'T GET CONFUSED IF YOU REFUSE TO GET INTO REASONING.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT CONFUSES US, IS WHEN WE TRY
TO FIGURE THINGS OUT THAT ONLY GOD KNOWS AND HE'S NOT
READY TO TELL YET.
SO, HOW 'BOUT IF WE GET COMFORTABLE NOT KNOWING?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: HMM.
COME ON, I ALREADY TOLD YA.
DON'T MAKE ME WORK HARD.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: HOW 'BOUT IF WE GET COMFORTABLE NOT KNOWING?
HOW 'BOUT IF WE TRUST GOD SO MUCH THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: BOY, I HOPE THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WATCHING
BY TELEVISION THAT YOU'RE GETTING THIS.
HOW 'BOUT IF YOU JUST DON'T HAVE TO KNOW?
SEE, I THINK THAT'S WHAT REAL TRUST IS, "I DON'T
HAVE TO KNOW, BECAUSE GOD KNOWS.
AND I TRUST THAT HE WILL TAKE CARE OF ME."
"WHY, GOD, WHY?" "WHEN, GOD, WHEN?"
"HOW, GOD, HOW?"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON.
HOW 'BOUT IF WE JUST STOP ALL THAT AND HAVE A WHOLE
BUNCH OF PEACE AND A BUNCH OF JOY?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: LET'S JUST THINK, FOR A MINUTE,
ABOUT THE LONG-RANGE PLAN THAT GOD HAS.
YOU KNOW, I WAS ALL BOTHERED ABOUT SOMETHING,
SOME PETTY THING, LAST WEEK.
AND I WAS OUT TAKING MY WALK, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT
ETERNITY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I JUST THOUGHT, "THIS THING,
THAT I HAVE BEEN LETTING BUG ME, IS JUST NOTHING IN LIGHT
OF ETERNITY." AND SO, MANY OF THE THINGS
THAT WE LET UPSET US, OR BOTHER US, THEY'RE NOTHING.
THEY'RE PETTY.
THEY'RE NOTHING.
THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SO MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THOSE THINGS.
AND YOU KNOW, SOMETHING I THINK, I DON'T THINK WE TALK
ABOUT HEAVEN ENOUGH.
I DON'T THINK WE TALK ABOUT, JESUS IS COMING
BACK SOON, ENOUGH.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
I MEAN, THE APOSTLES, THEY TALKED ALL THE TIME
ABOUT JESUS IS COMING SOON.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO AND READ IT, IT'S AMAZING HOW OFTEN
THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND PAUL SAID, "HE'S COMING SOON."
AND HERE, WE ARE, THOUSANDS OF YEARS DOWN THE ROAD,
AND HE HASN'T COME BACK YET, AND WE'RE SAYING,
"HE'S COMING SOON." AND YOU KNOW WHY I THINK
THAT WE--THAT IT'S LIKE THAT?
I THINK BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY GOD WANTS US TO LIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN JESUS IS GOING TO COME BACK.
BUT WHENEVER HE DOES, I WANT TO BE READY.
AND WHEN HE DOES COME BACK, WE MAY NOT HAVE TIME
TO GO GET READY.
SO, THAT MEANS WE NEED TO LIVE READY.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S EVEN A WARNING
THAT HE'S GOING TO COME LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT,
WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT.
SO, LET ME SAY AGAIN, WHAT I SAID.
WHEN JESUS COMES, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TIME TO GO GET--
"OH, JESUS, COULD YOU PUT THAT ON HOLD?"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "I WANNA GO GET READY."
NO, WE NEED TO BE READY, AND WE NEED TO LIVE EVERYDAY
LIKE THAT MIGHT BE THE DAY THAT HE IS COMING BACK.