For Those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are three Scriptures readings prior to the Message. Today's assigned readings are: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4:4-9; and Matthew 11:28-30.
What a powerful message ....in the Gospel of Matthew and ....in Paul's letter ...to the believers' gathered .....in Philippi.
How do we live this life ... that God is calling us to live?
How do we daily live ... this joyous Christian life?
Paul gives us ...three principles:
(1 Finger) First... He informs us: ... that we have a choice ... a choice to ... rejoice.
Beloved ... Joy ...is... a choice.
We are not a victim...... of the ... circumstance.
If we believe in God... and in his Word... then He is our Guide, ... not fate, ... not some kind of ...... uncontrollable force.
In other words, ... the source of true joy ... eternal joy ... comes from ... God.
And we have a choice to accept it ... or deny it ... we have a choice ... to rejoice.
Happiness depends on ...... hap-pe-nings ... on circumstances.
When we watch a comedy ... or attend a party, ... the circumstance ... may bring about... happiness.
Yet Joy, ... Spiritual Joy ... is part of ... the fruit ... of the ... Holy Spirit.
True joy ... is a gift, ... a gift ... from God.
If we accept Jesus ... not only as our Savior ...but also ... as the Lord of our life ... then, ... we can expect this joy ... to permeate ... every aspect of our life!
The Holy Spirit ... dwells within us ......and His DNA ...embodies ...... this eternal Joy.
Beloved ... Joy streams from the DNA of God ... who lives ... within our very being.
Joy does not flow ... from what is happening outside of us.
It flows from within us ... It flows from the DNA ...of God himself.
Now ... Paul is in prison ...when he writes his letter ... to the Philippians.
In his predicament, ... In his circumstance ... he is obviously ... and understandably ... not happy.
...to encompass you!
Joy is not ... just an emotion.
It is a choice... it is an attitude ... an attitude that effects ... how ... each of us ... look at life.
What you give, ... you will Receive.
If you are seeking joy... then Beloved ... give joy.
I can assure you ... that the Lord will fill you a new ...when you rejoice ... and allow joy to flow freely ... from your very being. (Pause)
When I sense a lack of joy in my life ...I make a conscious decision ... and chose to pass joy on to others... and it becomes ...contagious.
Early in my banking career ... I worked the teller line.
There was a gentleman ... who would always enter the Bank... with a frown ... or scowl ... on his face.
Without fail ... never a smile.
One of my co-workers ... An elderly woman on the teller line ... would almost always say after waiting on him:
"That man ...must have been baptized ...in Lemon juice." (Pause)
All of us ... I am sure ... can recall a person ... much like him.
Someone ... that was baptized ... in lemon juice.
Well I made it a goal ... To one day ... see him smile.
And I would be gracious, ... maybe even overly joyous ... every time ... he would come into ... the bank.
I also found ... that sharing this joy with him ... and with others ... changed the remainder ... of my own day.
Well ... it was not very many weeks later, ... He shared with me ... that he always felt good ...after he came into the Bank.
And was disappointed ... when I was not on the line ...and then... (Slow) Yes... he smiled.
Throughout my banking career ... I would regularly ask my staff.
Have you exceeded anyone's expectations?
Have you treated everyone fairly?
Have you brought joy ... to someone?
Beloved ... You can look at a half-filled cup ... and thank God ... that you have some water... to drink.
Or you can lament ... that you only have ... half a cup ... and not a full one.
It is a choice ... A choice ... to rejoice.
It is your attitude ... and you own it.
Beloved ... do not look for the thorns... among the roses.
Rather be thankful ...that among the thorns ...there are roses ... glorious roses.
It is your choice ...Your choice ... to rejoice.
Hear these words ...from the prophet Habakkuk:
BIBLE "Though the fig tree does not bud ...and there are no grapes on the vines, ...though the olive crop fails ...and the fields produce no food, ...though there are no sheep in the pen ...and no cattle in the stalls, ...yet I will rejoice in the LORD, ... I will be joyful ...in God my Savior. END Habakkuk 3:17-19
Did you hear God's word: ... "I will."
I will ... revealed Habakkuk's belief ...that he could choose his response... either to sink into despair ...or to rejoice... in God's presence ...in his life.
His decision to rejoice ... Was not a denial ...of the hardship ...or the sorrow ... that laid at his doorstep.
We will have times of sorrow ... We will have times of grief. ...Beloved... "Jesus wept". (John 11:35)
Our attitude ... toward life ... is important.
We can trust God, ... even in hardships.
The choice to rejoice ......is ours... every day.
And be reminded ... To refuse to choose ... is in itself ... a choice.
And by refusing...we allow the circumstances to overwhelm us... and rob us... of joy. (Pause)
Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 hymns ...Blessed Assurance, ...Praise Him Praise Him, ...To God Be the Glory.
She lost her sight ...when she was only ...6 weeks old.
She lived into her nineties, ...composing thousands ...of beloved hymns.
On her 92nd birthday ...she cheerfully said, ..."If in all the world ... you can find a happier ... or more joyous person ... than I am, ... do bring him to me ... I should like ... to shake his hand."
(1 Finger) Joy is a Choice and
(2 Fingers) Secondly ... Beloved...You are Blessed!
I want you to understand, ... to truly understand ...how blessed you are ...this day.
If you woke up today ...with more health than illness, ...you are more blessed ...than tens of thousands of people ...who will not survive ... the week.
If you have never experienced ... the danger of battle, ... the loneliness of imprisonment, ... the agony of torture ... or the pangs of starvation, ... you are ahead... of 20 million people... around the world.
If you attend a church service ... without fear of harassment, ... arrest, ... torture, ... or death, ... you are more blessed ... than almost three billion people ...in the world.
If you can read, ... you are more blessed ... than over two billion people ... in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, ... clothes on your back, ... a roof over your head ... and a place to sleep, ... you are richer ... Yes ... you are richer ...than 75%... of this world.
Beloved...... (Slow) you are blessed, ... we are so very blessed.
Yet...We take ... so much of it for granted.
You and I are blessed ... in ways ... we may never fully comprehend ... on this side ... of eternity.
(1 Finger) Joy is a choice.
(2 Fingers) Secondly ...You are blessed
(3 Fingers ) And lastly, ...Paul warns us: ...We must, ...We must commit ourselves ... Each one of us ... to Prayer.
Prayer, ... is a personal time ... with the King of Kings ... and Lord of Lords.
Prayer... a time ...when we share with God openly and honestly.
"My Yoke is easy, and my burden is light" saith the Lord. Matthew 11:30
If your yoke is heavy, ... if your burdens are weighing you down ... then you have the wrong yoke ... around your neck.
Release these burdens ... cast them to the Lord ... in prayer.
Only when you entrust your worries and burdens to God, ... can you experience ......True Peace, ...Spiritual Peace, ... His peace.
Now, ... there is nothing wrong ... with having concern, ... we all have ... concerns.
Yet ... when your concerns own you, ... when they burden you down ... that is when ... the spiritual death spiral ......begins!
That is, ... they move from concerns ... and become worries, ... worries that impact ... your very being.
You think about them ... all the time.
You are under ... their bondage.
Beloved ... Lay your burdens down ... give them to the Lord ... in prayer. (Pause)
A speaker ... walked around the room ... while teaching ... stress management ... to the audience.
As she raised a glass of water, ... everyone expected ... They would be asked... the "half empty or half full"... question.
Instead, ... with a smile on her face, ... she inquired: ..."How heavy ... is this glass of water?"
Answers were called out from the audience ...ranging from 8 oz. ... to ... 20 oz.
She replied, ... "The absolute weight... doesn't matter.
It depends on ... how long ... I hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, ... it's not a problem.
If I hold it for a half hour, ... my arm ... will begin to ache.
If I hold it for hours, ... my arm will feel numb ...and become paralyzed.
In each case, ...the weight of the glass does not change, ... yet the longer I hold it, ... the heavier... it becomes. (Pause)
The stresses ... the worries in life ... are much like that ...glass of water.
Dwell on them for a short while ... and nothing much happens.
Dwell on them ... a bit longer ... and they begin ... to cause pain.
And if you think about them ... if dwell on them... day after day ... you ... will become ...paralyzed.
Let go of your stresses quickly ... before they turn ...into worries.
Do not carry them through the evening ... or into the night.
Beloved......(Slow) Put the stinking glass down!
Hear God's Word: BIBLE "Come to me, ...all who labor ...and are heavy laden, ...and I will give you ... rest. ...Take my yoke upon you, ...and learn from me, ...for I am gentle and lowly in heart, ...and you will find rest ...for your souls" END (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV).
When we had a question at school, ... we would give it ... to a teacher.
When we are sick and helpless, ... we give control ... to a physician.
When there is a legal problem that we cannot solve, ... we give it ... to a lawyer.
When in life ... we face difficulties ... when we have burdens, ... we need to pray ... and entrust them, ...to give them ...to God.
The Scriptures tell us ... they command us, ... (Slow) to let them go. ......Give them to God.
Beloved ... Prayer is an expression ... of our faith.
An expression that states ...we trust God...and His word. (Pause)
I remember a wall plaque that read, ... "Why pray ...when you can worry?"
Yet ... those words ... remind us of the ...real truth: ... "Why worry ...when you can pray?"
Corrie Ten Boom shared this truth, ..."Worry does not empty tomorrow... of its sorrow, ...it empties today... of its ...strength." (REPEAT)
O' Beloved ..." Turn your eyes upon Jesus, ...look full in His wonderful face; ...and the things of earth ...will grow strangely dim, ... in the light ...of His glory and grace."
We are called to set our affections on things above ...not on things ...of the earth.
Do not be overcome ... by the stresses ... of this world.
(Slow) Dwell on those things ... that speak life.
Hear God's word. BIBLE "Whatever is true, ...whatever is noble, ...whatever is right, ...whatever is pure, ...whatever is lovely, ...whatever is admirable ...if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ... think about such things." END
Philippians 4:8
Beloved...dwell on such things. (Pause)
A Native Christian elder ... described life's struggle ... with a young man ... with this truth:
"It feels like ......there are two dogs ... fighting inside of me." Said the Native Christian Elder.
The young man asked ... "Which dog wins?"
The older man replied, ..."Which ever one ...I feed." (REPEAT)
Are you feeding life's struggles ... are you feeding your concerns ... and allowing them ... to turn into worries ...... and burdens?
Or are you rejoicing ... are you choosing joy?
(Sing)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, ...look full in His wonderful face; ...and the things of earth ...will grow strangely dim, ... in the light ...of His glory and grace."
(Slow to the End) Beloved ......Choose Joy, ... You are blessed...... and you are called to be ... a blessing.
His Yoke is easy ...His burden is light.
Go to Him ... and lay your burdens down.
And he will turn your sorrows, ...he will turn your burdens, ...He will turn your life ... into joy.
Amen and Amen!
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