YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE SO CAREFUL ABOUT THINKING,
"YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT.
YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT."
LET'S JUST TAKE, FOR AN EXAMPLE, LET'S JUST BRING IT DOWN
INTO A PRACTICAL LEVEL.
LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOU WORK AT A PLACE AND YOU'RE
THE BELIEVER THERE, OF COURSE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IS ANYBODY LIKE THIS OTHER THAN ME?
I MEAN, ARE YOU--
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: PLEASE DON'T SIT AND LOOK AT THAT INNOCENT.
IT'S GETTIN'--
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IT'S GETTIN' HARD.
I MEAN, YOU DON'T SIT AT LUNCH AND GOSSIP.
YOU READ YOUR BIBLE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: YOU GO TAKE A WALK OUTSIDE.
YOU GET TO WORK EARLY AND YOU PRAY.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND SO, YOU'RE BELIEVING GOD FOR THIS POSITION
THAT JUST OPENED UP.
IT'S GONNA BE A PROMOTION.
IT'S GONNA MEAN MORE MONEY.
AND, BOY, YOU GOT YOUR FAITH OUT.
YOU'RE TRUSTIN' GOD.
YOU'RE GETTIN' PEOPLE TO AGREE WITH YOU.
AND THEN THE MOST WRETCHED SINNER IN THE PLACE GETS
THE JOB.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: NOW, WHY WOULD GOD LET THAT HAPPEN?
WELL, MAYBE JUST TO BRING AN ATTITUDE OUT OF YOU,
"WELL, GOD, I'VE DONE THIS, AND I'VE DONE THAT,
AND I'VE DONE SOMETHING ELSE, AND I DESERVE--"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: NO, HERE'S THE THING.
WE ALL COME UP SHORT EVERY DAY.
WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE MERCY.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TRUST GOD.
SOMETIMES GOD LETS THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN JUST TO CHECK OUT
OUR ATTITUDE.
YOU KNOW, DAVE SAID ONE TIME, AND HE DOESN'T--YOU KNOW,
HE DOESN'T, LIKE, STAND UP AND PROPHESY A LOT, BUT HE FELT
LIKE HE GOT A WORD FROM GOD TO JUST TELL THE PEOPLE
THAT "AS LONG AS YOU'RE JEALOUS OF WHAT GOD IS DOING
IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S LIFE, YOU'LL NEVER GET WHAT YOU WANT."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE THINGS STUCK ON THE INSIDE OF US
THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IS THERE.
ARE YOU EVER SURPRISED AT YOUR OWN SELF?
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IT'S LIKE, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I THOUGHT THAT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I SAID THAT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I FEEL THAT WAY."
WELL, A LOT OF TIMES, GOD USES THESE THINGS IN OUR LIFE.
HE MAY LET SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE GET BLESSED
RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU JUST TO PULL AN ATTITUDE
OUT OF YOU THAT'S HINDERING YOUR WALK WITH HIM SO HE
CAN TAKE CARE OF IT AND GET IT OVER WITH.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SO LET'S JUST SAY THAT SOMEBODY THAT YOU
DON'T THINK DESERVES IT GETS A GREAT BLESSING.
THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS NOT, "WELL, GOD, THAT'S NOT FAIR."
THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS, "YOU KNOW WHAT, GOD?
WHAT YOU DO IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS.
AND IF THAT'S WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO, THEN HELP ME BE HAPPY
WITH YOUR DECISION.
AND I TRUST YOU THAT WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO HAVE,
I'LL GET IT AT THE RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT WAY AND NOBODY WILL
BE ABLE TO KEEP IT FROM ME."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T NEED TO GO OUT
IN THE WORLD AND GET JEALOUS OF ANYBODY.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GO OUT AND JUST SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WE
CAN BE GOOD TO.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL EVERY SINGLE DAY
OF OUR LIFE IS JUST GET OUT IN THE WORLD AND BE A BLESSING.
JUST GET OUT IN THE WORLD AND ACT LIKE A CHRISTIAN, AMEN?
AUDIENCE: AMEN.
JOYCE: I TELL YA, THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE OF JESUS'S
DAY, THEY HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH THE GENEROSITY THAT GOD
GAVE TO SINNERS.
AND SO MANY OF THESE PARABLES, IT'S THE SAME STORY
OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES WERE STANDING BY LOOKING
WHEN JESUS SPENT TIME WITH THE ESPECIALLY WICKED
SINNERS, AND THE THEY WOULD GET UPSET BECAUSE WHY WOULD HE TALK
TO SINNERS?
AND WHY WOULD HE, YOU KNOW, DO
WHAT HE DID WITH THESE PEOPLE?
IN LUKE 18, THERE'S A PARABLE THAT AMUSES ME, BEGINNING
AT VERSE 9: "HE ALSO TOLD THIS PARABLE TO SOME PEOPLE
WHO TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES AND WERE CONFIDENT THAT THEY
WERE RIGHTEOUS [THAT THEY WERE UPRIGHT AND IN RIGHT STANDING
WITH GOD] AND SCORNED AND MADE NOTHING OF THE REST OF MEN:
'TWO MEN WENT UP INTO A TEMPLE TO PRAY, ONE A PHARISEE,'"
A RELIGIOUS MAN, "AND THE OTHER A TAX COLLECTOR.
AND THE PHARISEE TOOK HIS STAND OSTENTATIOUSLY," WHICH IS A BIG
WORD, BUT IT BASICALLY MEANS HE HAD THIS POSTURE
AND ATTITUDE THAT SAID, "I AM SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU ARE."
"AND HE BEGAN TO PRAY THUS BEFORE AND WITH HIMSELF."
I LOVE THAT.
HE WASN'T EVEN TALKIN' TO GOD.
HE WAS JUST TALKIN' TO LISTEN TO HIMSELF SO HE COULD IMPRESS
HIMSELF.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND DON'T THINK YOU DON'T EVER DO THAT.
I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN I'M UP HERE PRAYING THAT I DON'T
JUST TRY TO SOUND IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA IMPRESS YOU,
BUT THAT I'M ACTUALLY TALKING TO GOD.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: "THANK YOU THAT I'M NOT LIKE THE REST OF MEN--"
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "EXTORTIONERS (ROBBERS), SWINDLERS
[UNRIGHTEOUS IN HEART AND LIFE]--AND THANK YOU
ESPECIALLY THAT I'M LIKE THIS TAX COLLECTOR."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "'LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I DO, GOD.
I FAST TWICE A WEEK; AND I GIVE A TITHE OF ALL THAT I GAIN.'
BUT NOW THERE'S THIS COLLECTOR WHO'S STANDING HERE."
AND IT SAYS, "HE WOULDN'T EVEN LIFT UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN,
BUT HE KEPT STRIKING HIS BREAST, AND SAYING, 'O GOD, (BE
GRACIOUS, BE MERCIFUL) TO ME, BECAUSE I AM
AN ESPECIALLY WICKED SINNER!' I TELL YOU, THIS MAN WENT DOWN
TO HIS HOME JUSTIFIED (FORGIVEN AND MADE UPRIGHT AND IN RIGHT
STANDING WITH GOD]"
SO THAT THE GUY WHO SAID, "GOD, I'M A SINNER, I NEED MERCY," GOT
MERCY FROM GOD, AND HE WENT HOME JUSTIFIED AND IN RIGHT STANDING
WITH GOD.
BUT THE GUY WHO THOUGHT THAT HE WAS SO GOOD AND BETTER
THAN EVERYBODY ESE, HE LOST OUT ON EVERYTHING.
WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T THINK MORE HIGHLY
OF OURSELVES THAN WE OUGHT TO.
WHAT ABOUT THE 12 DISCIPLES?
BOY, THE 12 GUYS THAT JESUS PICKED,
AND IT WASN'T EVEN AN ACCIDENT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: HE PRAYED ALL NIGHT BEFORE HE GOT THEM, ALL NIGHT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: LET ME READ YOU SOMETHIN' THAT I THINK IS CUTE
AND MAKES THE POINT.
I CAN TELL YA ONE THING.
I WOULDN'T HAVE PICKED SOME OF THE PEOPLE HE PICKED.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: THIS LETTER IS TO JESUS FROM THE JORDAN
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT FIRM IN JERUSALEM: "DEAR SIR,
THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING THE RESUMES OF THE TWELVE MEN
YOU'VE PICKED FOR YOUR NEW MANAGEMENT POSITIONS
IN YOUR NEW ORGANIZATION.
ALL OF THEM HAVE NOW TAKEN OUR BATTERY OF TESTS, AND EACH
OF THEM HAS HAD A PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS
AND VOCATIONAL APTITUDE CONSULTANTS.
IT IS THE STAFF'S OPINION THAT MOST OF YOUR NOMINEES
ARE LACKING IN BACKGROUND, EDUCATION,
AND VOCATIONAL APTITUDE FOR THE TYPE OF ENTERPRISE
THAT YOU'RE UNDERTAKING.
THEY DON'T HAVE A TEAM CONCEPT.
WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR PERSONS
OF EXPERIENCE IN MANAGERIAL ABILITY AND PROVEN CAPABILITY.
SIMON PETER IS EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE AND GIVEN
TO FITS OF TEMPER."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT THE GOOD NEWS IS HERE TODAY?
GOD CAN USE YOU.
EVEN THOUGH YOU'LL ALWAYS LACK IN ONE THING, GOD CAN USE YOU.
AND NOT ONLY CAN HE USE YOU, HE'S LIKELY TO PICK YOU
ON PURPOSE JUST TO AGGRAVATE THE REST OF THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
WHO THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT GET CHOSEN.
COME ON.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]