I'M GONNA CHALLENGE YOU, TO PRAY EVERY MORNING,
"GOD, WOULD YOU PUT SOMEBODY, IN MY PATH TODAY,
THAT I CAN HELP?" HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD
BE WILLING TO DO THAT?
OKAY.
NOW, YOU STUCK YOUR HAND UP THERE, AND GOD SAW IT.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE AMEN?
AND YOU CAN'T BE PICKY AND CHOOSY.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND REMEMBER THERE'S NONE OF THIS,
"NO, LORD," THAT DOESN'T WORK.
YOU CAN'T BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT GOD ASKS YOU TO DO.
AND THEN, ONE OTHER STORY, MY DAUGHTER--
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO INVOLVE MONEY.
SOMETIMES, PEOPLE JUST NEED YOU TO LISTEN, OR SOMETIMES,
EVEN, JUST A SMILE, OR JUST TO TELL SOMEBODY,
"YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB." MY DAUGHTER WAS COMING
OUT OF THE STORE, ONE DAY.
AND THIS ELDERLY GENTLEMAN, WAS WAITIN' AT THE CURB BY HER.
AND THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF TRAFFIC GOING BY.
SHE WAS IN A HURRY, WANTING TO GET HOME
AND DO ALL THESE THINGS.
BUT SHE HAD TO WAIT FOR ALL THIS TRAFFIC.
AND SO, THIS MAN STARTS TALKING TO HER.
AND SHE DIDN'T REALLY WANNA LISTEN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BE REAL CHRISTIANS,
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET TO DO WHAT WE WANNA DO.
AMEN?
AUDIENCE: AMEN.
JOYCE: AND SO, SHE SAID, "I FELT LIKE GOD JUST PUT
IT ON MY HEART TO JUST STAND THERE, AND LISTEN TO HIM."
SO, SHE SAID, "I STOOD THERE, FOR 15 MINUTES,
AND JUST LISTENED TO HIM." AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT WAS JUST A KIND THING TO DO.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE'VE ALWAYS GOT SOMETHIN' ELSE WE HAVE, IN ADDITION
TO OUR "DO NOT DISTURB" SIGN, IS WE'VE ALL GOT AN EXCUSE BAG.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: AND SO, REALLY, TO BE HONEST, MOST CHRISTIANS
JUST LOOK LIKE THIS.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: OH, THE CAMERAS COME OUT, WHEN I ACT SILLY.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, OF COURSE, WE WOULDN'T WEAR 'EM LIKE THIS,
BUT THEY'RE REALLY THERE.
WE ALWAYS HAVE AN EXCUSE WHEN IT'S NOT GONNA BE CONVENIENT.
LOVE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY, BUT INDIFFERENCE FINDS
AN EXCUSE.
A REPORTER INTERVIEWING PEOPLE, ON THE STREET,
APPROACHED A WELL-DRESSED, SUCCESSFUL LOOKING MAN,
AND ASKED, "WHAT ARE THE TWO MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS
IN AMERICA?" AND THE MAN SAID, "I DON'T KNOW,
AND I DON'T CARE." AND THE REPORTER SAID,
"SIR, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST PROBLEMS: PEOPLE DON'T KNOW,
AND THEY DON'T CARE."
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: EW HALLELUJAH.
"WELL, I WENT TO CHURCH LAST SUNDAY.
ISN'T THAT ENOUGH?" NO!
SEE, WE'RE JUST FOOLING OURSELVES IF WE'RE NOT GONNA GET
OUT IN THE WORLD AND LIVE IT.
YEAH, YOU'RE BEING A LITTLE TOO QUIET.
WE'RE JUST FOOLING OURSELVES IF WE'RE NOT GETTING OUT--
AND I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY.
BECAUSE YOU THINK, "JOYCE, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THAT
KIND OF STUFF LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT."
WELL, IT'S NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, GOD HAS ME DO SOMETHING
LIKE THAT EVERY DAY.
BUT I GET INTERRUPTED A LOT BY GOD.
'CUZ IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST COMIN' AND SITTIN' IN A PEW.
AMEN?
AUDIENCE: AMEN.
JOYCE: INDIFFERENCE IS THE ATTITUDE THAT
PERVADES OUR CULTURE TODAY.
"I DON'T KNOW, AND I DON'T CARE."
"DON'T DISTURB ME." "I'VE ALWAYS GOT AN EXCUSE."
"I'M TOO BUSY." "I'M TOO THIS, I'M TOO THAT."
"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT." "I'D FEEL SILLY,"
WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
IN LUKE 14:12-14, IT SAID, "JESUS SAID TO HIS HOST,
'WHEN YOU GIVE A LUNCHEON OR A DINNER,
DON'T INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR BROTHERS OR SISTERS,
YOUR RELATIVES, OR YOUR RICH NEIGHBORS; IF YOU DO,
THEY MIGHT INVITE YOU BACK AND THEN YOU'LL BE REPAID.'"
NOW, YOU KNOW, JESUS USED A LOT OF OVER EXAGGERATIONS
TO MAKE POINTS.
AND THAT WAS VERY COMMON, IN THOSE DAYS.
I DO IT SOMETIMES, IN MY PREACHING.
I'LL OVERSTATE SOMETHING TO MAKE A POINT.
AND SO, HE DIDN'T--HE'S NOT REALLY SAYING YOU CAN'T
HAVE YOUR FRIENDS FOR DINNER.
HE'S JUST SAYING, MAKE SURE THAT,
THAT'S NOT ALL THAT YOU HAVE.
HOW 'BOUT LET'S HAVING SOME OF THE PEOPLE
THAT YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT CAN'T PAY YOU BACK.
"'BUT WHEN YOU GIVE A BANQUET, INVITE THE POOR, THE CRIPPLED,
THE LAME, AND THE BLIND, AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
ALTHOUGH THEY CANNOT REPAY YOU, YOU WILL BE REPAID
AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS.'"
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
LUKE 14:16-20, "JESUS REPLIED: 'A CERTAIN MAN WAS PREPARING
A GREAT BANQUET AND HE INVITED MANY GUESTS.
AND AT THE TIME OF THE BANQUET, HE SENT HIS SERVANT TO TELL
THOSE WHO HAD BEEN INVITED, "COME, BECAUSE EVERYTHING
IS NOW READY." BUT THEY ALL ALIKE BEGAN
TO MAKE EXCUSES.'" AND I THINK MAYBE, JESUS,
MIGHT BE SAYIN' TODAY, "OKAY, EVERYTHING IS ALREADY.
COME NOW, AND GET OUT IN THE WORLD, AND START DOING
WHAT YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE." HMM, "BUT THEY ALL ALIKE BEGAN,
TO MAKE EXCUSES.
THE FIRST ONE SAID, 'WELL, I JUST BOUGHT A FIELD
AND I HAVE TO GO SEE TO IT.
PLEASE EXCUSE ME.' ANOTHER SAID, 'I JUST BOUGHT
FIVE YOKE OF OXEN, AND I'M ON MY WAY
TO TRY THEM OUT.
WOULD YOU PLEASE EXCUSE ME?' AND STILL ANOTHER SAID,
'WELL, I JUST GOT MARRIED, SO I CAN'T COME.
PLEASE, EXCUSE ME.'" IN MATTHEW 8:19-22, IT SAYS,
"THEN A TEACHER OF THE LAW CAME TO HIM, 'TEACHER, I WILL
FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.' AND JESUS REPLIED, 'FOXES HAVE
DENS AND BIRDS HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NO PLACE
TO EVEN LAY HIS HEAD.'" IN OTHER WORDS,
"IF YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW ME, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA
BE COMFORTABLE." "ANOTHER DISCIPLE SAID TO HIM,
'LORD, I'D LIKE TO GO, BUT FIRST LET ME GO AND BURY MY FATHER.'"
LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS SAID.
"BUT JESUS SAID, 'FOLLOW ME AND LET
THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD.'" SO, WHAT'S JESUS SAYIN'?
LEAVE THE DEAD STUFF ALONE, AND FOLLOW ME.
HOW MANY HOURS A DAY DO YOU SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA,
LISTENING TO ALL THE GOSSIP AND THE STUPIDITY THAT PEOPLE
SPURT OUT ABOUT STUFF, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT?
I--YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE THE STUFF THAT I CAN FIND
OUT ABOUT ME, IF I GET ON THERE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I MEAN, THREE YEARS AGO, I WAS DEAD.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WE HAD PEOPLE CALLIN' THE OFFICE CRYING,
"OH, MY GOD, JOYCE IS DEAD [MUMBLING]."
I HAD TO GET ON FACEBOOK, AND SAY, "I'M NOT DEAD,
RIGHT HERE." WE HAVE PEOPLE CALLING
THE OFFICE, STILL TO THIS DAY, INSISTING THAT THEY CAN BUY
OUR DIET PILLS THAT I'M SELLING.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I DON'T SELL DIET PILLS.
I'M PREACHING THE GOSPEL.
I MEAN I--PEOPLE JUST REALLY NEED TO GET
SOMETHING TO DO.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT'S JUST WASTED TIME.
JUST TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT STUFF.
AND EVERYBODY TELLIN' YOU, EVERY MOVE THEY'RE MAKING
ALL DAY LONG.
I MEAN, WHO CARES?
I GUESS SOMEBODY DOES.
THEY KEEP READIN' IT.
AND IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY, WHO DOES THAT,
I'M SORRY IF I'M OFFENDING YOU, BUT THERE'S SO MANY
MORE THINGS TO DO, THAN TO SPEND HOURS A DAY,
READING ALL THIS STUFF.
A LOT OF IT IS JUST GOSSIP.
AND I THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET, BECAUSE WE CAN
PUT THE GOSPEL ANYWHERE, AND THE DEVIL CAN'T STOP US.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: IF THEY GOT A SIGNAL, THEY CAN PULL IT DOWN.
BUT THEN, OF COURSE, SATAN ALWAYS TRIES TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF EVERY GOOD THING THAT'S OUT THERE, TOO.
AND SO, BE CAREFUL ABOUT SPENDING TOO MUCH OF YOUR
TIME ON DEAD THINGS.
JESUS SAID, "NO, FOLLOW ME."