FOUR PURPOSES FOR TRIALS.
I THINK SOMETIMES KNOWING WHY SOMETHING'S HAPPENING,
FROM A SPIRITUAL STANDPOINT.
I DON'T MEAN, LIKE, ALL THE STUFF WE GET INTO.
I THINK SOMETIMES IT CAN HELP US JUST TO THINK, "WELL, GOD'S
DOING SOMETHING WITH THIS."
AT LEAST, IT HELPS ME WHEN I'M GOING THROUGH SOMETHING TO
THINK, "WELL, GOD'S DOING SOMETHING WITH THIS."
NUMBER ONE PURPOSE: TO HUMBLE US.
PRIDE IS SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM.
AND I MIGHT AS WELL TELL YOU THAT ANYBODY THAT'S GOING TO BE
GREATLY USED BY GOD, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME
STUFF BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STAY HUMBLE IF
EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE IS UP, UP, UP, UP, UP ALL THE TIME.
THOSE SCRIPTURES WHERE PAUL SAID, "I KNOW HOW TO BE ABASED
AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND," I WAS QUESTIONING OR TALKING WITH
THE LORD ABOUT THAT ONE TIME, "WHY, YOU KNOW,
WHY DO WE NEED BOTH?" AND WHAT HE SHOWED ME WAS IF
PEOPLE NEVER HAVE ANYTHING BUT ABOUNDING, ABOUNDING, ABOUNDING,
ABOUNDING, ABOUNDING, PRETTY SOON WE GET FULL OF OURSELVES
AND WE START THINKING THAT, WELL, WE'VE GOT IT ALL TOGETHER
AND, BOY, IF EVERYBODY JUST DID WHAT WE DID AND THEY'D BE
BLESSED LIKE US.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET REALLY JUDGMENTAL TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE
THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEMS.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: I MEAN, WE CAN, REALLY.
AND SO JUST ABOUT THE TIME WE GET TEMPTED TO GET INTO THAT
KIND OF AN ATTITUDE, THE LORD WILL GIVE US JUST A LITTLE,
A LITTLE ABASING.
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE, LIKE, "OH GOD, I NEED YOU SO
MUCH.
I'M NOTHING WITHOUT YOU.
OH GOD, I DON'T EVER WANNA JUDGE ANYBODY ELSE.
I DON'T EVER WANNA BE CRITICAL TOWARD ANYBODY ELSE."
2 CORINTHIANS 12:7: "AND TO KEEP ME FROM BEING PUFFED UP,"
I LOVE THAT.
PAUL SAID, "TO KEEP ME FROM BEING PUFFED UP AND TOO MUCH
ELATED BY THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF
THESE REVELATIONS--" SEE, HE WAS A MAN
THAT WAS TAKEN UP TO THE THIRD HEAVENS.
I MEAN, HE SAW THINGS THAT NOBODY HAD EVER SEEN, THAT HE
DIDN'T EVEN REALLY FULLY KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN.
AND HE SAID, "TO KEEP ME FROM BEING EXCESSIVELY EXALTED, THERE
WAS GIVEN ME A THORN IN THE FLESH," WHATEVER THAT IS.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS.
ALL I KNOW WAS HE DIDN'T LIKE IT AND HE COULDN'T GET RID OF IT.
AND HE ASKED GOD THREE TIMES TO REMOVE IT AND GOD SAID, "NO,
MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: LET ME SAY IT AGAIN.
A WIDE--WELL, PAUL SAID, "A WIDE DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY OPENED UNTO
ME AND WITH IT MANY ADVERSARIES."
IF YOU'RE GONNA BE USED BY GOD, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANNA BE
GREATLY USED BY GOD, YOU'RE GONNA GET A LITTLE BIT OF THE
OTHER STUFF TO GO ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU GET SO
FULL OF YOURSELF THAT GOD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE YOU.
IT'S YET TO BE SEEN WHAT GOD COULD DO THROUGH A MAN OR
A WOMAN THAT WILL GIVE HIM ALL THE CREDIT, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: SOMETIMES, WE HAVE DIFFICULTY COME INTO OUR LIFE
FOR A SEASON.
REMEMBER, SPRING'S RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER.
SOMETIMES, IT'S JUST TO MAKE US MORE DEPENDENT ON GOD.
TO BE HONEST, SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST
CAN'T HANDLE, THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH FOR US.
NOTHING PUTS YOU ON YOUR KNEES FASTER THAN SOMETHING THAT YOU
JUST CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT AND GOD'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN
FIX IT.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: HAS ANYBODY GOT ONE OF THOSE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE
RIGHT NOW?
YOU'RE AT A PLACE WHERE, MAN, IF GOD DOESN'T DO IT,
IT'S NOT GONNA GET DONE?
YOU KNOW, THE APOSTLE PAUL FOR ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT GOD
DID THROUGH HIM, HE HAD A BOATLOAD FULL OF PROBLEMS.
I MEAN, HE REALLY DID.
AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T READ THE BIBLE AND NOT PAY ATTENTION
TO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE CAN'T JUST SAY, "WELL, I WANNA BE LIKE PAUL," AND THINK
WE'RE GONNA JUST GET OUT OF ALL--SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF
THAT PAUL HAD TO GO THROUGH.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
FORTY YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED TRYING TO TEACH, AS A WOMAN,
MAN, IT WAS TOUGH.
I MEAN, IT WAS HARD.
I WAS JUDGED AND CRITICIZED.
I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE MY CHURCH.
I LOST MY FRIENDS.
WE GOT OSTRACIZED BY FAMILY.
I SPENT A LOT OF LONELY YEARS, HAD A LOT OF HARD YEARS, AND I
DIDN'T JUST WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND STEP ON A PULPIT LIKE THIS.
I DID 5 YEARS OF HOME BIBLE STUDIES.
I QUIT A FULL-TIME JOB TO TRY TO STUDY AND GET READY FOR
MINISTRY.
WE HAD 6 YEARS OF REALLY FINANCIAL NEED DURING THOSE
PERIODS OF TIME.
AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
I THOUGHT, "WELL, GOD, I GAVE MY JOB UP SO I CAN SERVE YOU AND
WHY ARE WE NOW--WE JUST DON'T--" YOU KNOW.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: "NOW WE DON'T--I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I MADE A BIG SACRIFICE."
YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A SACRIFICE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN
YOU'RE GONNA REAP A HARVEST THE NEXT DAY.
SOMETIMES, THERE'LL BE TESTING TO SEE IF YOU REALLY MEAN IT.
AND YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SACRIFICE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
AGAIN AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO STOP SERVING GOD TO GET HIM TO
DO SOMETHING FOR US, AND SERVE HIM BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS AND LET
HIM KNOW WE'RE GONNA SERVE YOU IF WE NEVER GET ANYTHING, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: LET'S SEEK GOD'S FACE AND NOT HIS HAND.
WE DON'T NEED TO JUST GO TO HIM ALL THE TIME TO GET SOMETHING.
WE NEED TO GO TO HIM BECAUSE WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM.
WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT HIM, AMEN?
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: I MEAN, I'VE HAD MEDIA ATTACKS AND JUST, I MEAN, JUST
STUFF, STUFF.
IN THE MIDST OF MY MINISTRY I HAD BREAST CANCER, WENT THROUGH
ALL THAT, JUST, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN.
AND--BUT I'M STILL HERE.
AND SEE, THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS, I'M STILL HERE.
AND-- [AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: THE ENEMY WANTS TO TAKE YOU OUT WITH THE THINGS
THAT HAPPEN BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR MIND UP,
THIS IS GONNA PASS.
SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
SOMETHING GOOD IS GONNA HAPPEN TO ME AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN
MAYBE TOMORROW.
AND IF NOT TOMORROW, I'LL STILL BE AROUND THE NEXT DAY.
GOD WORKS ALL THINGS OUT FOR MY GOOD.
HE NEVER ALLOWS MORE TO COME ON ME THAN WHAT I CAN BEAR.
BUT WITH EVERY TEMPTATION HE ALSO PROVIDES THE WAY OUT.
THESE ARE THE SECRETS TO BEING CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH.
NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT, TONIGHT I'M PREACHING TO YOU.
BUT WHEN YOU GET HOME YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PREACH
TO YOURSELF.
WE FEEL GOOD IN CHURCH.
GO AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN BECAUSE YOU NEED IT, AMEN?
GET BACK TOMORROW, TOMORROW NIGHT.
COME SUNDAY IF YOU CAN.
I MEAN, JUST GET ALL THE OUTSIDE HELP YOU CAN GET.
BUT SOONER OR LATER, IT'S GONNA BE YOUR MIDNIGHT HOUR AND IT'S
GONNA BE NOBODY BUT YOU AND GOD, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LEARN
HOW TO PREACH TO YOURSELF.
THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO GET THESE MESSAGES OUT AND TALK
TO YOURSELF.
I TALK TO MYSELF ALL THE TIME.
C'MON, JOYCE, WE NEED TO HAVE A MEETING.
YOU'RE GONNA STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR ATTITUDE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I WAS IN KIND OF A CRANKY MOOD ONE OF THOSE DAYS
WHEN I WASN'T FEELING GOOD AND MY DAUGHTER CAME OVER AND SHE
COULD TELL I WAS NOT--EVERYTHING WAS BUGGING ME AND SHE CAME BACK
A LITTLE BIT LATER AND I WAS A LOT BETTER AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, YOU SURE CHANGED."
I SAID, "WELL, I HAD A MEETING WITH MYSELF."
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-9, PAUL SAID, "WE DO NOT WANT YOU
TO BE UNINFORMED, BRETHREN, ABOUT THE AFFLICTION AND THE
OPPRESSING DISTRESS WHICH BEFELL US IN [THE PROVINCE OF] ASIA,
HOW WE WERE SO UTTERLY AND UNBEARABLY WEIGHED DOWN
AND CRUSHED THAT WE DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE [ITSELF]."
WELL, I'VE FELT LIKE THAT SOMETIMES.
PAUL WAS SAYING, "IT WAS SO BAD, I JUST WANTED TO DIE."
"INDEED, WE FELT WITHIN OURSELVES THAT WE HAD RECEIVED
THE [VERY] SENTENCE OF DEATH, BUT," LISTEN TO THIS, "BUT THAT
WAS TO KEEP US FROM TRUSTING IN AND DEPENDING ON OURSELVES
INSTEAD OF ON GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD."
REALLY, GOD?
THE THIRD REASON THAT DIFFICULTIES WILL COME INTO OUR
LIFE IS JUST TO TEST OUR FAITH.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE 'TIL IT'S PUT TO THE TEST AND I
DON'T EITHER.
WE HAVE ALL THE FAITH SCRIPTURES UNDERLINED.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE REALLY WALKING IN FAITH.
IT'S EASY TO SAY "AMEN" IN CHURCH BUT WHERE WE NEED TO SAY
IT IS OUT THERE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: 1 PETER 1:7: "SO THAT [THE GENUINENESS] OF YOUR FAITH
MIGHT BE TESTED, [YOUR FAITH]
WHICH IS INFINITELY MORE PRECIOUS THAN THE PERISHABLE
GOLD WHICH IS TESTED AND PURIFIED BY FIRE.
[THIS PROVING OF YOUR FAITH IS INTENDED] TO REDOUND TO [YOUR]
PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR WHEN JESUS CHRIST (THE MESSIAH,
THE ANOINTED ONE) IS REVEALED."
HOW MANY OF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A TEST RIGHT NOW?
CAN I GIVE YOU A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT?
WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PASS IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE
TO TAKE IT AGAIN?
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: YEAH, IT TOOK ME ABOUT 20 YEARS TO GET A HOLD OF
THAT ONE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I DON'T WANNA LIVE MY WHOLE LIFE GOING AROUND AND
AROUND THE SAME STUPID MOUNTAINS AND SO, GOD, LET'S JUST GET THIS
OVER WITH.
THE FOURTH REASON WHY I BELIEVE THAT TRIALS CAN COME INTO OUR
LIFE AND I, YOU KNOW--AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY A LARGE
PART OF IT.
I THINK IT'S TO EQUIP US TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN EVER RELATE TO HURTING PEOPLE IF
EVERYTHING IN OUR LIFE JUST COMES UP ROSES ALL THE TIME.
"BLESSED BE," 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4.
LET'S REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THESE SCRIPTURES 'CAUSE THEY
ARE SO GOOD.
"BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
THE FATHER OF SYMPATHY (PITY AND MERCY) AND THE GOD [WHO IS
THE SOURCE] OF EVERY COMFORT," VERSE 4, "WHO COMFORTS US
IN EVERY TROUBLE (CALAMITY AND AFFLICTION), SO THAT WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY KIND OF TROUBLE OR DISTRESS,
WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD."
SO MY GOSH, HE'S SAYING GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL COMFORT AND HE
COMFORTS US SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE THEN TO GO AND COMFORT OTHERS
WITH THAT SAME COMFORT THAT HE COMFORTED US WITH.
THAT'S WHY I CAN STAND HERE AND TELL YOU IF YOU'VE BEEN
SEXUALLY ABUSED AS A CHILD, GOD WILL HEAL YOU.
AND ME TELLING YOU THAT BRINGS COMFORT TO YOU.
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT WORKED IN MY LIFE.
AND IF IT WORKED IN MY LIFE, IT'LL WORK IN YOUR LIFE.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: YOU KNOW SOMETHING?
WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU
DON'T LIKE, IT'S GONNA MAKE YOU APPRECIATE SPRING SO MUCH MORE.
C'MON, LET ME SAY IT AGAIN.
SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: YOU'VE GOT SOME GOOD THINGS ON THE HORIZON OF YOUR
LIFE, AMEN?