WHEN GOD TELLS US TO DO
SOMETHING OR PUTS ON OUR HEART TO DO SOMETHING THAT
WE REALLY DON'T WANNA DO, IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY REASONS
WE CAN FIND TO NOT DO IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS A REAL PROBLEM IS,
WE SAY, "OH YES, GOD, I'LL DO THAT."
BUT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING IT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
AND SEE, THINKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT,
OR PLANNING TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT,
IS NOT THE SAME AS DOING SOMETHING, RIGHT.
THE ONLY TIME YOU SHOULD PUT IT OFF UNTIL LATER,
IS IF GOD TELLS YOU TO PUT IT OFF UNTIL LATER.
AND I CAN THINK OF MANY EXAMPLES IN MY OWN LIFE,
BUT I'LL USE ONE, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABUSED GROWING UP,
SEXUALLY BY MY DAD, MY MOM WAS AFRAID OF HIM,
SO, SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT,
EVEN THOUGH SHE KNEW ABOUT IT.
AND SO, IN ESSENCE, I WAS ABUSED BY BOTH OF THEM.
WELL, I GOT AWAY FROM HOME AS SOON AS I WAS 18,
AND REALLY ONLY SAW THEM WHEN I FELT LIKE I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO,
AND--BUT FAST FORWARD MANY YEARS,
NOW, THEY'RE IN THEIR MID-SEVENTIES AND THEIR HEALTH
IS NOT DOING VERY GOOD, I MEAN, WHEN GOD
SPOKE THIS TO ME, THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE AT,
THEY'RE BOTH IN HEAVEN NOW.
AND ONE MORNING I WAS PRAYING ASKING GOD WHAT HE WANTED
ME TO DO-- YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ASK GOD WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT JUST TRYING
TO SOUND SPIRITUAL, BECAUSE HE MAY ACTUALLY TELL
YOU SOMETHING HE WANTS YOU TO DO.
AND SO, I WAS PRAYING AND I-- I JUST FELT SO CLEARLY,
THAT IT CAME TO MY HEART, THAT I SHOULD BRING MY PARENTS
FROM WHERE THEY LIVED IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI,
TO ST. LOUIS, BECAUSE THEIR HEALTH WAS NOT GOOD
AT THAT POINT, AND THEY HAD A DIFFICULT TIME
FINDING DOCTORS THAT WERE REALLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING
THEIR SITUATIONS PROPERLY, AND THEY NEEDED--
THEY JUST NEEDED HELP, AT THAT POINT IN THEIR LIFE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT MEANT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BUY
THEM A HOUSE, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY,
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO BE GOIN' BUYING
SOMEBODY ELSE HOUSES.
AND SO, I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT, "THAT'S THE DEVIL."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I WONDER IF GOD'S EVER TOLD YOU TO DO ANYTHING
AND YOU REBUKED THE DEVIL?
BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT, HERE'S MY REASONING, YOU SEE...
WE DECEIVE OURSELVES BY REASONING.
AND I THOUGHT, "THERE IS NO WAY THAT GOD
WOULD ASK ME TO DO THAT AFTER THE WAY THEY TREATED ME.
THAT JUST CAN'T BE GOD." BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT
WE'RE TO BLESS OUR ENEMIES AND DO GOOD TO THEM.
SO, WHY WOULD GOD NOT ASK ME TO DO THAT?
IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS
THAT I EVER OBEYED, BUT IT BROUGHT SUCH GREAT
BLESSING INTO MY LIFE, AND ENDED UP BEING THE THING
THAT CAUSED MY DAD TO EVENTUALLY,
GIVE HIS HEART TO THE LORD.
SO, FOR THAT REASON I CAN STAND HERE TODAY AND SAY
THEY'RE BOTH IN HEAVEN, AND PROBABLY ENJOYING
THE FACT THAT I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT THEM TODAY.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND--BUT IT TOOK ME AWHILE,
GOD HAD TO SAY IT TO ME AGAIN.
AND THEN, I THOUGHT, "WELL, I'M GONNA ASK DAVE,
HE'S NOT GONNA BE FOR THAT." I THOUGHT SURELY,
HE'D TELL ME WE CAN'T TAKE THE MONEY WE HAVE,
AND BUY THEM A HOUSE.
AND DAVE JUST SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW,
IF IT'S WHAT GOD SAID, THEN YOU BETTER DO IT."
AND I THOUGHT, "UGH!" THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED
TO HEAR.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW, THERE SO MANY EXCUSES
THAT WE CAN MAKE IF WE DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING.
DO I HAVE ANY AGREEMENT ON THAT?
AUDIENCE: YES.
JOYCE: AND THE THING IS, IS WHAT GOD TELLS US
TO DO DOESN'T ALWAYS, OR EVEN USUALLY,
MAKES SENSE TO OUR MINDS.
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE DISCERNMENT.
SEE, I--DOWN HERE, I REALLY GOT TO THE POINT
WHERE I KNEW THAT'S WHAT GOD WAS SAYIN'.
BUT, MAN, UP HERE...
"WHY SHOULD I DO THAT?
THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING FOR ME," ON, AND ON, AND ON.
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHEN WE DO GOOD TO OUR ENEMIES,
THAT'S WHEN WE SHOW OURSELVES TO BE LIKE OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN,
BECAUSE HE'S GOOD TO HIS ENEMIES.
SO, BEING A DOER OF THE WORD AND NOT JUST A HEARER,
IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY
IMPORTANT TO US.
HERE'S JUST A QUICK LIST: ARE YOU QUICK TO FORGIVE?
ARE YOU SLOW TO ANGER?
ARE YOU DIFFICULT TO OFFEND?
ARE YOU GENEROUS?
ARE YOU MERCIFUL?
ARE YOU ALWAYS READY EVERY DAY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE IN NEED,
MATTER OF FACT, ARE YOU SO RADICAL THAT
YOU LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE?
ARE YOU QUICK TO REPENT?
ARE YOU A PEACEMAKER OR DO YOU ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE OTHER
PERSON TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO APOLOGIZE?
ARE YOU SELF DISCIPLINED?
ARE YOU PATIENT?
DO YOU REALLY LOVE OTHERS OR IS IT JUST A WORD THAT
WE THROW AROUND?
ARE YOU UNSELFISH?
AND I COULD GO ON, AND ON, AND ON, AND ON, AND ON.
AND SO, THE THINGS THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES,
GOD ACTUALLY, REALLY, TRULY DOES EXPECT US TO DO THEM.
THEY'RE NOT JUST THERE FOR US TO UNDERLINE IN OUR BIBLES,
OR TO SIT IN CHURCH AND SAY, "AMEN" WHEN THE PREACHER
PREACHES ON IT.
DO YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO READ A BOOK THAT SOMEBODY ELSE
SPENT 500 HOURS WRITING.
IT'S EASY TO SIT, LISTEN TO A SERMON THAT
SOMEBODY ELSE SPENT MAYBE 20 HOURS PREPARING FOR
YOU TO LISTEN TO.
IT'S EASY TO NOD YOUR HEAD IN AGREEMENT,
BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE COMES WHEN YOU GO HOME,
AND YOU'RE FACED WITH WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT,
OR JUST KNOW IT.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT BEING TOO PROUD OF WHAT YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE REALLY, THE TRUTH IS, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING,
IF WE'RE NOT DOING IT.