SATAN INVADES THE MINDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE POISON OF
SELFISH SELF-CENTEREDNESS.
"WELL, WHAT ABOUT ME?
WELL, WHAT ABOUT ME?" YOU KNOW, ALL DISOBEDIENCE
IS RELATED TO SELFISHNESS.
IT STARTED IN THE GARDEN.
EVE WANTED THE APPLE.
EVEN THOUGH SHE KNEW IT WAS WRONG, SHE WANTED IT.
THE SERPENT TOLD HER HOW GOOD THE APPLE WAS GOING TO BE,
BUT HE DIDN'T TELL HER ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES.
COME ON.
THERE'S CONSEQUENCES.
WHEN YOU PLAY AROUND WITH SNAKES, YOU'RE GONNA GET BIT.
LITTLE GIRL WAS WALKING DOWN A MOUNTAIN PATH, A LITTLE CUTE
LITTLE SNAKE WAS CRAWLING AROUND THE MOUNTAIN PATH.
AND IT WAS VERY COLD THAT DAY AND HE SAID, "OH PLEASE WOULD
YOU PICK ME UP AND PUT ME INSIDE YOUR COAT?"
"NO," SHE SAID, "I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT."
HE SAID, "OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE, I'M SO COLD.
PLEASE PUT ME INSIDE YOUR COAT AND KEEP ME WARM."
SO FINALLY SHE GOT TALKED INTO IT.
I SAID FINALLY SHE GOT TALKED INTO IT.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL'S A PATIENT DUDE, VERY DECEPTIVE,
SUGGESTS THINGS TO YOUR MIND.
SO AFTER A LITTLE BIT, HE BIT HER.
AND SHE SAID, "WELL, WHY DID YOU BITE ME?
I PICKED YOU UP." HE SAID, "YOU KNEW WHAT I WAS
WHEN YOU PICKED ME UP."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON, YOU SWEET LONELY LADY YOU,
YOU GO PICK UP A MARRIED MAN, YOU'RE GOING TO GET BIT.
WELL, JUST SAYIN'.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE'S FULL OF ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE THAT
WERE SELFISH AND THANKFULLY PEOPLE THAT WERE UNSELFISH.
I'VE PROBABLY GOT EIGHT STORIES OF PEOPLE THAT WERE SELFISH
AND SEVEN OR EIGHT OF PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T.
AND I WISH I HAD THE TIME TO TELL YOU ALL OF THEM,
BUT I DON'T.
BUT YOU KNOW, CAIN KILLED ABEL BECAUSE HE WAS SELFISH.
JOSEPH'S BROTHERS SOLD HIM INTO SLAVERY AND THREW HIM IN A PIT
AND LIED TO THEIR FATHER BECAUSE THEY WERE SELFISH.
THEY WANTED THE RELATIONSHIP THAT JOSEPH HAD WITH HIS DAD.
HE WAS THE BABY AND THEY WERE JEALOUS BECAUSE HIS DAD HAD
A LITTLE SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART FOR HIM.
KING DAVID COMMITTED ADULTERY BECAUSE HE WAS SELFISH.
I MEAN, GOD EVEN SAID, "I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU ANYTHING,
BUT YOU HAD TO TAKE SOMEBODY ELSE'S WIFE?"
HE COMMITTED ADULTERY, COMMITTED MURDER.
IT AFFECTED HIS LIFE.
HE REMAINED KING AND HE WAS FORGIVEN AND HE STILL HAD A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT HE STILL PAID A PRICE FOR IT.
JONAH WAS SELFISH AND HE GOT SWALLOWED BY A WHALE.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: A RICH YOUNG RULER HELD ONTO HIS RICHES
AND LOST ETERNAL LIFE.
A RICH MAN HAD NO CONCERN FOR ANYONE BUT HIMSELF AND HE LOST
ALL OF HIS POSSESSIONS IN ADDITION TO HIS SOUL.
THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT STORIES IN THE BIBLE.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU A COUPLE OF GOOD ONES.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: LET'S GET TO THE GOOD STUFF.
LET'S LOOK AT 1 KINGS CHAPTER 17.
THANK GOD WE CAN CHANGE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW, YOU MAY--MAYBE TONIGHT,
YOU'RE IN HERE OR YOU'RE WATCHING BY TV AND, I DON'T
KNOW, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT EVEN SAVED YET AND YOU'RE
THINKING, "MY GOODNESS, I HAVE JUST BEEN SO FULL OF
MYSELF ALL MY LIFE." BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
I MEAN, TONIGHT YOU CAN CHANGE.
TONIGHT, YOU CAN RECEIVE THE NEW LIFE OF CHRIST BY RECEIVING HIM
AS YOUR SAVIOR.
TONIGHT, YOU CAN MAKE A TURNAROUND.
YOU CAN LET GO OF WHAT LIES BEHIND AND YOU CAN BECOME
A BRAND-NEW PERSON WITH A BRAND-NEW OUTLOOK.
TONIGHT, YOU CAN SAY, "I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND MY LIFE TRYING
TO TAKE CARE OF ME.
ON PURPOSE WITH GOD'S HELP, I'M GOING TO BE A BLESSING
EVERYWHERE THAT I GO."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND YOU DON'T JUST DO IT TOMORROW BECAUSE
YOU'RE STILL IN THE AFTERGLOW OF THE CONFERENCE,
BUT YOU DO IT DAY AFTER DAY, AFTER DAY, AFTER DAY, AFTER
YEAR, AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU'LL BE SITTIN' SOMEWHERE TELLING
PEOPLE, "I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN MY LIFE, BUT
I'M JUST--I'M SO SATISFIED, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS CRAZY,
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE I GET EVERYTHING I WANT."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I SIT AROUND AND THINK, "NOW LET'S
SEE, WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO HAVE?" AND SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE BIT
ANNOYING BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING.
NOW I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING, "OH, COME ON."
YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID, "IF YOU EAT OF ME AND DRINK OF ME,
YOU WILL NEVER HUNGER AND YOU WILL NEVER THIRST."
NOW LISTEN, YOU KNOW, I LIKE NICE THINGS AND I LIKE PRETTY
STUFF LIKE ANY OTHER WOMAN DOES.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I LIKE.
BUT YOU KNOW, HAVING ALL THOSE THINGS STILL DOESN'T SATISFY
YOUR SOUL.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT SATISFACTION IN GOD BECAUSE
YOU'RE BEARING GOOD FRUIT AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN HIS WILL,
LISTEN TO ME PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.
I'M OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WHEREVER YOU'RE AT, I'VE BEEN THERE.
THE BEST WAY IN THE WORLD TO LIVE IS TO GET YOURSELF OFF YOUR
MIND AND STAY BUSY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT IS SO SATISFYING.
AND DON'T HAVE SOME KIND OF A MARTYR'S ATTITUDE.
"WELL, I JUST LIVE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE."
YOU KNOW, NEED TO DO IT WITH JOY.